After the divine daughter of Brahma had completed her sacred task, she joined her circle of friends, both the eldest and the younger among them. Their meeting was so remarkable that it became renowned throughout the world. In that gathering, the daughter of Brahma faced west, while Jāhnavī—the sacred river—faced north. All the gods had assembled at Puṣkara, witnessing the moment. Recognizing the difficulty and greatness of her deed, the assembled deities praised her with reverence, declaring, “You are wisdom, you are understanding, you are Lakṣmī, you are knowledge, you are the supreme path. You are faith, the highest steadfastness; wisdom, intelligence, delight, and patience. You are accomplishment, svadhā, svāhā, and the great sacred doctrine.” They continued, extolling her as the embodiment of twilight, night, radiance, prosperity, intelligence, faith, Sarasvati herself, sacrifice, knowledge, great knowledge, and even secret knowledge—all splendid qualities. They offered salutations to her as the source of inquiry, livelihood, and the science of governance, and as the sacred waters flowing to the ocean. They honored her as the remover of sin, the goddess beloved by the world. Thus praised by those devoted to their own purpose, the divine goddess Sarasvati stood facing east, embodying all sacred fords, accompanied by all the immortals. The wise know her as Prācī, as Brahma himself has proclaimed. There at the holy place called Śuddhāvaṭa, remembered as the ancestral ford, even the greatest sinners, merely by seeing it, are purified and enjoy pleasures near Brahma. Those excellent men who undertake a fast unto death there, upon dying, ascend to heaven by the vehicle of Brahma, freed from all fear. Whatever small gift is given there by those whose souls know Brahman, those thoughtful souls enjoy its fruit for a hundred lifetimes. Those who perform rites for broken or scattered bones at that place attain the world of Brahma and rejoice happily. Any act of worship, recitation, or offering performed there by embodied beings yields endless results for those devoted to Brahma. By offering a lamp, one attains wisdom surpassing the senses; by offering incense, one attains a place attended by Brahma. In truth, whatever is given at the sacred confluence yields endless fruit, whether for the living or the dead. Bathing, recitation, and offering oblations there accomplish endless results. It was here that Rama came and offered the funeral cake for Dasharatha, performing the funeral rite as shown by Markandeya. At the four-sided pond, men offer the funeral cake; all who do so travel to heaven in a vehicle yoked with swans. In that very pond, Brahma himself performed the ancestral rite. The best of those who know sacrifice performed a complete sacrifice there, offering the finest gifts. The Vasus, the ancestors, and the Rudras are known as forefathers, and the Adityas as their great-grandfathers. All three groups were summoned and addressed by Virinchi (Brahma), who said, “You should always accept the offering of funeral cakes and other rites here. Whatever ancestral rite is performed here yields endless fruit. For the sake of sustenance, fathers and grandfathers, satisfied by the offering of oblations, attain heaven through the gift of rice balls.” Therefore, abandoning all else, one should become a giver of rice balls in the east; having given, the son should diligently satisfy all the ancestors. Before the lord of the east stands the original holy place, and even by seeing it, liberation is granted. By touching the water there, one is freed from the bondage of birth; by immersion, one becomes an attendant of Brahma. Whoever bathes at the original holy place and gives even a little food with concentration generally attains heaven. Whoever, having bathed there, gives wealth to devotees of Brahma—even a small amount or gold—rejoices happily in heaven. Why seek anything higher at the eastern Sarasvati? The fruit of bathing there is equal to the results of austerity, sacrifice, and the like. Those who drink the sacred waters of the eastern Sarasvati are not to be regarded as mere mortals, so said the sage Markandeya. Upon reaching the Sarasvati river, there is no restriction for bathing—whether one has eaten or not, whether by day or night. That holy place is remembered as the foremost among all holy places in the east, proclaimed as destroyer of sin and generator of merit for all beings. Those whose minds are purified, who bathe there and worship Janardana according to their ability, ascend to heaven. Among the gods, Vishnu is foremost; where Sarasvati is served by him, that supreme holy place on earth was declared by the son of Brahma. Thus, considering that great holy place as Mahodaya, Sarasvati stands there, gazing toward the Mandakini. That holy place is declared by Svayambhu as supreme among all holy places, where one attains a congregation of merit equal to Mandakini. At that place, the goddess Sarasvati, praised by the gods, stood, thinking herself alone, her face sad and her mind sorrowful. Then Brahma created a companion for her, beautiful and pure-eyed. Hari (Vishnu) quickly appeared as a doe, lotus-eyed. The lord of the gods, Indra, bearer of the thunderbolt, created a companion radiant as gold, and Shiva, the bull-bannered god with blue throat, did likewise. The three-eyed one (Shiva) generated a companion for Sarasvati. Observed by her companions, Sarasvati shone among the divine beauties, radiant and resplendent.