Listen, as the sacred tale unfolds. The glory of the Lord, whose feet are the refuge of all, is so vast that even I do not fully know it, nor does the wielder of Śārṅga, the great Hari himself. From the beginning of the kalpa, the gods led by Hari, and the wish-fulfilling trees, have witnessed his greatness. Yet, for him, there is no blemish of Kali, nor any outbreak of afflictions or disease. All of this, the sanctuary at the feet of Śambhu, has now been recounted to you. Sanaka, the wise sage, drinking the delightful fruit of austerities from the twin cups of the Vedas, attained this knowledge. Now, as the narrative shifts to the second half of Aruṇācala’s greatness, the sages dwelling in Naimiṣāraṇya approach Sūta with reverence. “O Sūta,” they ask, “tell us which is the foremost Śaiva place among all holy sites.” Sūta responds, “Listen, all of you, to what was once heard from the lips of Nandīśvara.” The sages recall that Nandīśvara had spoken of Mādhyeśvara’s greatness, yet they implore him, “O Lord of gods, ocean of compassion, tell us again. There is nothing in these three worlds unknown to you. Among heaven and liberation, the earth is truly superior for people. You have already described the threefold fruit for mankind, but when merit is exhausted, the first two fruits generally diminish. Yet, as you have said, that highest attainment is accessible only through pure knowledge. Where, in what place, does such knowledge arise, without study of scripture and the like? Among embodied beings, the rest depend on practice—knowledge, yoga, and action. But by the greatness of that place, even with little effort, embodied beings—by wearing ash and rudrākṣa, or even by remembering the Lord once, or merely residing there unintentionally—even those born in mixed castes or in animal wombs—can attain liberation.” Having spoken thus, the son of Mṛkaṇḍu, together with other great sages, listens as Nandikeśvara answers: “O sage, you have asked about the place foremost among the devotees of Maheśvara. Indeed, it was established by the god, according to the nature of each deed. You have served them well, for their great benefit. With few actions, and even with knowledge, these places are attained again and again. How, indeed, does one who is detached avoid union with the womb? The regions were described earlier by me, as the occasion arose. Some holy sites are on the banks of the Gaṅgā, some on the shore of the Sarasvatī. Others are on the banks of the Narmada and the Godavari. Some are beside the ocean, others on islands, and some near the Sarasvatī. A few are on the banks of the Krishna and Venna rivers, others near the Tungabhadra. Some are on the banks of the Kaveri, others on the banks of the Vegavati. Some are on the banks of the Airavati, others near the Yatukankshi. A few are on the banks of the Kanya, some on the banks of the Kumari, and others near the Tamasā and Varuna. Some are near the Vipāśā, others on the banks of the Śatadru. Some are near the Bindusara lake, others on the banks of the Pampā lake. Some are on the banks of the Mālinī, others on the banks of the Gandhavati. Some are at the Indradyumna lake, others at Maṇikarṇikā; some near the subterranean Ganga, others near the Śarāvatī. A few are at the confluence of the Lohitya, some on the banks of the Kālamā. Some are near Suralopa, others on the banks of the Payoshnī. Thus, the sacred places established by the Lord, each according to the nature of deeds, are spread across the earth. In these places, by the greatness of their sanctity, even those with little effort or merit can attain the highest knowledge and liberation. This is the glory of the holy sites of Śiva, as spoken by the sages and revealed by Nandīśvara to all who seek the refuge of Śambhu’s feet.