With reverence, salutations were offered to the divine one whose arms were handsome and whose thighs were graceful. Again and again, homage was paid to Keśava—the peaceful Lord, the dwarf form. Pleased by this devotion, Hṛṣīkeśa, noble-minded and serene, spoke words of dharma. He addressed the devotee, saying, “O knower of dharma, ask for a boon—whatever is dearest to your heart, let it be granted.” He declared, “Whoever earnestly praises me with this hymn, without sloth or hesitation, I establish that person here by their own name, O teacher of the world. By merely remembering me—Dharma Hari, the mighty—one is freed from sin. “Having bathed in the sacred waters of the Sarayu, with a mind free from impure thoughts, and here performing acts of charity, homa, recitation of japa, and feeding of Brahmins—whatever sin may arise, knowingly or unknowingly, is destroyed by the prescribed expiation. Whether committed in ignorance or with knowledge, or even if punished by the king or others, here too, expiation must be performed diligently. “In this very place, Viṣṇu himself dwells directly, with devotion. On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha, O best of the twice-born, after bathing at the gate of heaven and beholding Dharma Hari, the mighty, know that in the southern direction lies the best mine of gold.” Hearing this, Vyāsa, the sage, asked with wonder, “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, for hearing of this brings great wonder to people.” Agastya then began to narrate: “Long ago, there was a king from the illustrious lineage of Raghu, an enhancer of the Ikṣvāku dynasty. His fame spread instantly by the defeat of hostile forces, who were scorched by his valor. The ten directions were illuminated by the radiance of his spotless glory. Accompanied by a fourfold army, he subdued many lands and bested the foremost kings, powerful in strength. “Having conquered all directions and gathered a treasury of jewels, Kākutstha, his heart set on sacrifice, arrived at that sacred place. There, he honored the sage Vasiṣṭha, as well as Vāmadeva and Kaśyapa, and beheld other foremost sages, gathered from various holy places. Seeing all these sages assembled, shining like blazing fires, the illustrious Kākutstha approached them with proper respect. “He greeted all the excellent twice-born sages humbly and addressed them, saying, ‘All of you sages, and you as well, please listen to my words. O best of sages, my sacrifice is now ready. Perform it with effort and do not delay in vain.’ “The sacrifice was prepared with various delightful ingredients, and all fees were duly given. By bestowing many kinds of gifts, the king brought joy and satisfaction to the sages. When all the deities, having been worshipped, had departed to their own abodes, the king—the lord of men—completed the sacrifice according to proper rites. “At that very moment, the best among ascetics, Yama, arrived there, wise and intent on purifying the king. He had come to receive the sacrificial fee for the preceptor. Pressed insistently by the preceptor, who said, ‘Give me my fee,’ Raghu, the jewel among kings, gave away all his possessions as the sacrificial gift.