Especially for women, this sacred place bestows the great blessing of sons. There once lived a virtuous and chaste Brahmin woman named Gautamī, devoted wholly to her husband. Seeking solace and fulfillment, she journeyed to the holy region of Arbuda and entered the revered Nāga-tīrtha. At this auspicious site, the leader—accompanied by her sons—arrived, bringing with them all the necessary implements for worship, including darbha grass and various kinds of flowers. Among her children, one son was especially blessed, for he served his mother with unwavering devotion. Yet, Gautamī’s heart was heavy. She lamented, “I am separated from my husband and bereft of a son, deeply afflicted with sorrow.” In her grief, though she had not united with her husband, she suddenly found herself with child. Overwhelmed by confusion and despair, she resolved to end her life and kindled a fire. At that moment, a celestial voice resounded: “There is no fault of yours in this matter. Such is the power of this sacred place. Whatever a person desires in their heart while standing in these waters, that wish is fulfilled. When you beheld her son, the wish for a son arose in your heart. Therefore, desist, blessed lady. You are without blame.” Hearing these words from the sky, spoken by a divine messenger, Gautamī was filled with awe. She exclaimed, “Oh, the power of this holy place is truly unprecedented! Having experienced its supreme sanctity, I will not go anywhere else.” In time, she gave birth to a son endowed with all auspicious marks. It is said that whoever performs the śrāddha rite here ensures the unbroken continuity of their lineage. Any man who, free from desire, bathes at this tirtha, and any woman who simply offers flowers and fruits here, will, without desire, attain heaven—a realm even the gods find difficult to reach. There is also a pond at this sacred site, filled with water that washes away the sins of all who bathe in it. The holy Gomati river itself was brought here through great austerity. Whoever performs the śrāddha here with the grains offered by sages rescues all his ancestors entirely—so much so that the great-souled Nārada once sang, “What need is there for śrāddha at Gayā or for other elaborate sacrifices? This place alone suffices.” Here, the virtuous Arundhatī is present near the sage Vasiṣṭha. Whatever sins one may have committed in childhood, youth, or old age, are washed away by devotion at this site. Whoever, with a focused mind, offers a lamp before Vasiṣṭha, or spends a single night fasting there, or observes a three-night vow, or undertakes a month-long fast in his presence, or recites the Gāyatrī mantra eight hundred times on the full moon of the bright fortnight of Śrāvaṇa, or performs the Vāmadeva sacrifice with faith—each of these acts brings immense merit and liberation from sin. Therefore, by every effort, one should seek the vision of that great sage Vasiṣṭha. O king, Vāmadeva too should be worshipped with one’s whole being. Pulastya continued: “Then, O best of kings, one should proceed to the supremely holy Acaleśvara. There, whoever performs śrāddha on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight receives blessings beyond measure.