Let us now hear the sacred account as revealed in the Skanda Purana. In the performance of a great vow, it is taught that the satisfaction of the priests’ minds must be ensured by thoughtfully estimating their wealth and needs. The twice-born couples—those who have undergone the sacred initiation—should be honored with utmost effort and gifted with garments. Images, preceded by a cow, are to be presented to the Brahmins; and for the delight of the moon, offerings should be made to the twice-born with joy. The wise devotee, after fulfilling these duties, should spend the remainder of the day in fasting. Only after this, he may eat with his relatives and then relinquish the observance. Thus, one performs the excellent vow of a thousand moons. By undertaking this sacred vow, the pure-hearted man attains the world of the moon. O Brahmin, such a person shall be as dear to Narayana as he is himself. Now, listen further. There is a god named Dharma-Hari, whose presence destroys the impurities of the Kali age. He knows the essence of the Vedas and their branches, and is accomplished in his own duties. When Dharma-Hari arrived, he performed a grand procession there with reverence. Raising both his arms, the Brahmin joyfully spoke, “No other city is seen that is equal to Ayodhya. Hari himself dwells in it; with what can it be compared? Ah, Vishnu! Ah, the holy place! Ah, Ayodhya! Ah, the great city!” Having uttered these praises many times, the Brahmin danced, overwhelmed with joy. Witnessing Dharma dancing thus, and moved by compassion, Dharma bowed to him and then praised Hari with reverence. He offered salutations to Vishnu, whose divine feet are touched by Shankara; salutations to the one whose feet are worshipped with devotion, beloved of Brahma and others; salutations to the lotus feet, and to Padmanabha; indeed, salutations. He invoked reverence to Yoga-Nidra, whose soul is contemplated by the luminaries of yoga. He bowed to the one with beautiful hair, fine nose, lovely forehead, and bearer of the discus; to the one with handsome arms and graceful thighs, he offered his salutations. He paid repeated homage to Keśava, the peaceful one, the dwarf. Then, Hṛṣīkeśa, pleased and noble-minded, spoke about dharma: “Ask for a boon, O knower of dharma, whatever would be dear to your heart. Whoever, without sloth, praises me with this hymn—I establish you here, O teacher of the world, by your own name. By mere remembrance, a man is freed from the sins of Dharma Hari, the mighty. Having bathed in the waters of the Sarayu, with a mind free from impure thoughts, here, giving gifts, performing homa, reciting japa, and feeding Brahmins—whatever sin may arise, whether knowingly or unknowingly, by the prescribed expiation, that sin is destroyed. Whether through ignorance or knowledge, or by the punishment of a king and others, here too, expiation must be performed with effort. Here, the god Viṣṇu himself dwells directly, with devotion.” On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha, O best of the twice-born, having bathed at the gate of heaven and seen Dharma Hari, the mighty, therefore, in the southern direction, is the best mine of gold. At this point, Vyāsa asked, “O blessed one, knower of truth, tell me—how did the shower of gold occur? Please recount all this to me in detail, O virtuous one. Hearing of this brings great wonder to people.” Long ago, there was a king from the lineage of Raghu, an enhancer of the Ikṣvāku dynasty...