At that sacred gathering, Brahma himself assembled along with the great sages, the gods, and mighty Indra. In their midst, the hidden sages spoke of spiritual disciplines—practices so challenging that only the most devoted could hope to master them. It was then declared that the form of Pushkara should be established through mantra, and that by reciting the three Rigvedic verses beginning with ‘āpohiṣṭha’, the presence and sanctity of Pushkara would be invoked. Further, it was said that the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn should be chanted, for by this, Pushkara would become truly fruitful. When the Brahmins completed their sacred words, everyone present followed the prescribed rites with devotion. Those Brahmins who earned merit by adhering to these instructions were praised. Yet, the scriptures of dharma censured certain Brahmins from the south, while others from Parvati’s region, who honored the altar with śrāddha offerings, were recognized. Because of these differences, O king, a separation was established among them. During the holy month of Kartika, bathing at Pushkara was proclaimed to bestow purity. With Brahma’s blessings, such an act granted merit to all who participated. Indeed, people of all castes who arrived there became recipients of merit; there was no doubt that, save for the use of mantras, they were considered equal to Brahmins in this regard. Whenever the Agneya constellation aligned during Kartika, that day was deemed supremely auspicious—most excellent for bathing and making gifts. Similarly, when the Yamya constellation occurred on that date, it too was highly praised by ascetics as a time of great merit. And when the Prajapatya constellation fell during Kartika, O king, that day was called the “Great Kartika,” a rare occasion cherished even by the gods themselves. If, on any of these three days, the Sun, Jupiter, or Moon was present, Brahma himself declared these constellations to be especially auspicious. Bathing at Pushkara during these times brought the immense merit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice; gifts given became inexhaustible in their reward, and offerings to ancestors were multiplied many times over. When the Sun was in Vishakha and the Moon in Krittika, this rare conjunction—called Pushkara—was considered exceedingly auspicious at that holy site. At certain times, the sacred ancestral tīrtha would descend from the sky, and those fortunate enough to bathe there would attain worlds of great glory. Such was the power of Pushkara that those who received this merit desired nothing else, whether their actions had been completed or not. Truly, O king, these words are spoken with utmost sincerity. Of all the sacred places on earth, Pushkara was declared the foremost. No holier place was mentioned in all the worlds. Especially during Kartika, it was supremely holy, auspicious, and a remover of all sins. From the Udumbara forest, the river Sarasvati herself had come to this place. With her arrival, Sarasvati filled the holy land of Pushkara, which was already beloved by sages. The southern peak of the mountain nearby shone resplendent, not far from the sacred site. Its hue was like dark collyrium, a blue-green meadow, and the peak rose into the sky like a blossoming lotus. During the rainy season, the mountain stood tall, resembling a mass of clouds, and was rich with the fragrance of kadamba flowers, adorned with kuṭaja and arjuna trees. The peak seemed poised to ascend the chariot path of the sun, rounded and smooth, with gentle, raised forms reminiscent of a woman’s breasts. All around, it sparkled with splendid śrī fruits and was beautifully enhanced by swarms of humming bees. The summit was enchanting, filled with the sweet calls of cuckoos, the cries of peacocks, and lovely birds that soared above it. The river Sarasvati, daughter of Brahma, flowed with both pure and impure waters. She began her journey from a broad cluster of bamboo and flowed northward. Yet, after traveling only a short distance, she turned back to flow southward. From that point onward, the goddess remained manifest and serene. Out of compassion for living beings, Sarasvati abandoned her concealment, and with her appeared the streams Kanaka, Suprabhā, Nandā, Prācī, and Sarasvatī herself. At Pushkara, Brahma declared her to have five streams, and on her banks delightful tīrthas and sacred shrines were established. These holy sites were frequented by sages and accomplished beings, and among them all, Sarasvati was recognized as the source of righteousness. At these tīrthas of the golden-earth goddesses, any gift given by one who had bathed there brought inexhaustible reward. The great sages declared that giving grain and sesame at these places was supreme; whatever was given there became the highest cause of righteousness. Whoever, with devotion and sustained effort, undertook fasting unto death at Pushkara—be they woman or man—and fixed their mind on the sacred tīrtha, would enjoy the fruit they desired in Brahma’s own abode. Whoever died on its banks, whether their karma was exhausted, whether they were immobile or mobile beings, all of them would surely attain the rare fruit of sacrifice. Therefore, Sarasvati—the great river—was to be served diligently by all. She was the forest of righteous rewards, the remover of suffering from birth and all other woes, and the bestower of beautiful blessings. Those who continually drank the purified waters there were not mere humans; they became as gods, established in this world. The merit that the twice-born gained through sacrifices, gifts, and austerities was, at Pushkara, obtained by mere bathing—even by śūdras, according to their nature. Even those who were great sinners, upon seeing Pushkara, were freed from their sins and, when their bodies perished, ascended to heaven. Anyone who observed a fast at the yajña of Puṇḍarīka at Pushkara would quickly and effortlessly attain its fruit. Whoever, in the month of Māgha, gave sesame seeds to a twice-born, according to their ability and with devotion, would dwell in the abode of Viṣṇu. Whoever performed fasting, bathing, and the eating of pañcagavya there would also attain heaven at the end of their life. Even those who lived nearby, who were of the lineage of thieves, were uplifted by the merit of these acts and also went to heaven—of this, there was no doubt.