He who is coppery, reddish, or tawny in hue—most auspicious of all—was the focus of heartfelt praise. Salutations were offered to the copper-hued, to the reddish, to Shiva, the supreme Self. The gods recognized: “O Deva, your form is all; this entire world, both moving and unmoving, is but your manifestation.” With reverence, they prayed: “May there be abundant rainfall from the clouds and from many streams.” They acknowledged that even the waters arising from fire have their origin in him, the supreme Self. “Become cool, O Mahadeva, O merciful Lord of the red mountain,” they implored, seeking relief and grace. Thus, praised by all the gods, who bowed down and worshipped with devotion, Shiva was propitiated. Their prayers bore fruit: once more, rivers and streams, full of abundant water, began to flow freely across the land. Yet, even as these waters coursed, hundreds of millions of blazing fires, kindled by the rising young sun, seemed to threaten them. But by Shiva’s grace, the waters of the universe were released, and the rivers, with their many streams, flowed forth. In this way, sacred places arose everywhere, brought into being by the force of prayer. It was then that the origin of all the sacred places was narrated. One among them humbly requested, “O Lord, tell me everything about the origin of these holy sites.” Hearing these words, the Lord of the mountain recalled events from ages past. He spoke of a time when Indra, having bathed at a certain spot, was able to cast off the sin of killing a Brahmin. The divine Brahma Tirtha arose again in the southeast corner. In the southern quarter, belonging to Yama, the great Yamya Tirtha expanded. The great Nairrita Tirtha shone in the southwest, while in the western direction, the Varuna Tirtha became manifest. In the northwest, the Vayaviya Tirtha was revealed, and in the northern direction, the sacred place known as Soma Tirtha was established. In the northeast, it was remembered as the Vishnu Tirtha. Once, O Goddess, Markandeya prayed to Shankara, asking that many sacred fords might be gathered together in one place. Hearing his prayer, the Lord of gods, the husband of Uma, came into his presence in a hidden form. Shiva assured the sage, “O great one, you need not seek any other sacred ford here. For those endowed with devotion, there is always the gathering of all sacred fords in this place.” Thus, long ago, Shankara spoke to Markandeya, and at the time of offering, these holy sites became visible to people. Vows, sacred fords, austerity, the Vedas, sacrifices, and observances—all these were encompassed in the narrative. Hearing the words of the foremost sage, the mountain’s daughter, Parvati, was pleased and fulfilled. She said, “O foremost of ascetics, I am fulfilled now by meeting you, who are the very network of sacred fords.” Yet she wondered, “How is it that Lord Girisha, the god, appears here again, though he bears a blazing, fiery form?” Thus, the story continued: “I was instructed to undertake a pilgrimage to view the liṅgas. I journeyed to the Rudra-kshetra, to Kedara, and likewise to the hermitage at Badarika. At that time, I also visited the chief holy cities, foremost among them Kanchi. I beheld the liṅgas that were established by devotees, and those that are self-manifested. Serving with my disciples, I wandered across this earth, performing austerities and sacrificial rites as I traversed the land.” So unfolded the sacred journey—rooted in devotion, graced by divine presence, and sanctified by the gathering of all holy places through the blessings of Shiva.