Listen to the tale as it unfolds, drawing from the sacred verses of the Skanda Purāṇa. There was a holy lake, sanctified by the presence of Brahma and the gods, where even the most sinful beings, upon bathing according to the prescribed method, would dwell in Brahma’s world until the dissolution of creation itself. By giving offerings and oblations as one was able, the blessings multiplied, and prosperity followed those who bathed in this divine lake. The pond was declared equal to all sacrifices, able to destroy even the gravest sins. The Lord assured the assembled gods that His presence would always remain in this pond, and that His annual pilgrimage would be performed here, marking it as a place of perpetual sanctity. It was said that gold and various garments should always be given here as gifts. When the ascetic beheld the sacred site, it vanished together with the gods, yet from that moment onward, the pond became renowned as the supreme sacred place upon earth. Sūta continued, recounting how Agastya, the treasury of austerity and born from the pot, after speaking thus, proceeded to the place called Ṛṇamocana, situated on the banks of the Sarayū river. There, the Brahma-pond had been constructed with seven hundred bows. In days of old, the eminent sage Lomaśa resided there. He became freed from all debts, as his sins departed, demonstrating the great virtues of this foremost of sacred places. At Ṛṇamocana, bathing released creatures from the suffering of debts. The threefold debt of men—both worldly and otherworldly—was removed. It was proclaimed the best of all sacred places, instantly producing conviction. Therefore, one should bathe and give gifts according to one’s ability, as prescribed: gold, garments, and other offerings, according to one’s means. Agastya then spoke of the greatness of the sacred place, as described by the eminent sage Lomaśa. Thus, the Ṛṇamocana tīrtha, located east in the waters of the Sarayū, was described. Nearby was the tīrtha called Pāpamocana, constructed with two hundred bows, arising instantly and beyond all doubt. Agastya told of the supreme greatness he witnessed there. A brāhmaṇa named Narahari, born in the land of the Pāñcālas, had committed various sins, including the grave act of killing a brāhmaṇa. Through association with the virtuous, he became inclined toward pilgrimage. At the sin-cleansing holy place, he bathed, accompanied by good people. From the sky, a shower of flowers fell upon his head, a wondrous sign witnessed by Agastya himself. Bathing at this holy site on the fourteenth day of the dark half of Māgha was especially meritorious, though at other times, too, bathing there led to the destruction of all sins. Long ago, at this sin-cleansing holy place in the waters of the Sarayū, one called Sahasradhārā, destroyer of all sins, gave up his life through yogic power and attained the state of Śeṣa. The measure of this tīrtha was known to be three and a half hastas, according to the standard of a bow. Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, ever curious, asked again about the greatness of the holy place, for his mind could not be satisfied. He requested to hear the origin of the Sahasradhārā tīrtha from the great Udaya. Long ago, Rāma, lord of the Raghu dynasty, having accomplished the task of the gods, resolved thus: “I must quickly abandon it.” Thus is the story of these holy sites, their virtues, and the souls transformed by their waters, as told in the sacred verses.