Having ascended the sacred mountain of sacrifice, the divine river Ganges appeared and began to flow northwards, making her way toward the holy land of Pushkara. It is said that whoever bathes at this sacred spot, with devotion to honoring both ancestors and gods, undoubtedly attains the merit equal to performing an ashvamedha sacrifice. Moreover, to feed even a single Brahmin here is as virtuous as feeding a crore elsewhere; the food and drink offered at this place, O great sage, become inexhaustible blessings. Whatever desire a person brings to this place will surely be fulfilled, and any man who bathes here on earth will never be reborn in a lower womb. Among all places, this is the highest; among all sacred sites, this is the foremost. I have granted this boon, O best of sages, and it shall remain so without doubt. Any sin accrued from birth by a woman or a man is instantly destroyed here upon bathing. Thus, having spoken, the blessed Brahma, the grandsire of the worlds, took his leave of the sage Agastya and departed. Agastya remained there in his own hermitage, O scorcher of foes; thus has the origin of Agastya's hermitage been recounted to you. Now, O descendant of the Kurus, listen as I describe the hermitages of the seven great sages: Atri, Vasishta, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Angiras, Gautama, Sumati, Sumukha, Vishvamitra, Sthulashira, Samvarta, and Pratardana; also Raibhya, Brihaspati, Cyavana, Kashyapa, Bhrigu, Durvasa, Jamadagni, Markandeya, and Galava; Ushanas, Bharadvaja, Yavakrita, Sthulaksha, Sakalaksha, Kanva, Medhatithi, and Krita; Narada, Parvata, Svagandhi, Cyavana the twice-born, Trinambu, Shabala, Dhaumya, Shatananda, and Kritavrana; Jamadagni, Rama, Ashtaka and others, and Krishna Dvaipayana with his sons and disciples. All these sages, upon reaching Pushkara, established the hermitage of the seven sages, a place surrounded by observances and endowed with compassion and austerity. Among them, compassion, victory, courage, austerity, truth, patience, simplicity, kindness, charity, and recitation are ever established. Whatever action is performed here is enjoyed in the world beyond; knowing this, the sages remain devoted to the highest truth. To this sacred place, atheists do not come, nor thieves, nor those lacking self-control, nor the cruel, nor slanderers, nor the ungrateful, nor the arrogant. It is the truthful, radiant, courageous, compassionate, foremost in forgiveness, devoted to sacrifice and the practice of sacrifice, free from desire and harmless, who go there. Those who are without possessiveness and pride are drawn to Pushkara; for such great souls, there shall be no disease, no old age, and no death. Those who are deluded, attached to sense-objects, afflicted by desire, greed, intoxication, malice, anger, and delusion do not enter there. But those who are equal in honor and dishonor, free from dualities, with controlled senses and devoted to meditation and yoga—these indeed reach Pushkara. In the prescribed hermitages, as prescribed, the twice-born who abide by discipline attain great worlds of prosperity. Those who do not harm living beings by deed, thought, or word, who are exceedingly compassionate and always speak kindly; who are ever devoted to the Agnihotra, ever honoring guests, ever engaged in self-study and bathing; who always regard the wives of others as mothers, sisters, or daughters, and are free from desire; who, when insulted, do not become angry, nor harm even when harmed, who are equal in sorrow and happiness, great-souled, and with senses subdued—all these, having once roamed this earth, through meditation and contemplation, perceive the eternal world of Brahma. Then, at one time, a great drought befell the land. All the people there, afflicted by hunger, were in distress. In that world without food, desiring to preserve themselves, some took a dead boy and, being in dire straits, cooked him. Seeing these suffering sages, the king, overcome with sorrow, approached them and spoke: "For Brahmanas, receiving gifts is an approved and blameless practice. Therefore, O best of sages, accept gifts from me. Villages, rice, barley, food, jewels, gold, cows, and milch cows—all this I offer; do not cook flesh, O twice-born." But the sages replied, "O king, receiving gifts is dreadful; the taste of honey is like poison. Why do you tempt us, knowing this? One who kills ten is equal to a charioteer; one who kills ten charioteers is equal to a banner-bearer; ten banner-bearers are equal to a courtesan; and ten courtesans are equal to a king. A butcher who slaughters a thousand animals is equal to a king; therefore, receiving gifts from him is dreadful. A Brahmin who, overcome by greed, accepts gifts from the king is tormented in the dreadful hells such as Tāmisra. Go now, O fortunate one, together with your charity, O king; let this be given to others." Thus saying, they departed for the forest. The king, however, commanded his ministers to go and scatter udumbara fruits filled with gold upon the ground. Searching for food, the people also took the udumbara fruits, but noticing their heaviness, the sage Atri advised that they should not be taken. Thus, the sacred events at Pushkara unfolded, revealing the greatness of the place, the virtue of the sages, and the unique tests of righteousness that arose in times of distress.