Listen, O best of kings, to the sacred tale of devotion and the rewards bestowed by the Lord. Whoever, with a heart full of devotion, anoints Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses, or sweeps before Him with a focused and reverent mind, surely finds joy in the world of Viṣṇu—of this, there can be no doubt. Especially during the bright fortnight of Kārtika, on the auspicious eleventh day, if one confesses and reveals the sins accumulated over countless births, and then worships Hṛṣīkeśa with the five nectars, the result is most auspicious. Therefore, with all one’s effort, Hṛṣīkeśa should be worshipped, and such worship should always be performed, for it brings great merit. This practice, established long ago by the accomplished, perfectly grants success to living beings. In such a holy place, a Siddha named Viśvāvasu performed great austerities. He had conquered anger, pride, and all distractions of the senses. The king of the gods was pleased with his steadfast devotion and appeared to him personally. The great god spoke, “I am the giver of boons, O king. I am pleased with you and will grant you whatever you desire, even if it is difficult to obtain.” Viśvāvasu replied, “O best of gods, by meditating with determination upon this liṅga, may all success be attained.” Indeed, by approaching Siddheśvara, one attains success thousands of times over. By the power of that liṅga, both desired and undesired results may be obtained. Yet, in those times, no one performed sacrifices or gave gifts. When sacrifices and gifts were interrupted, Indra, knowing the obstruction, acted to maintain the balance. Yet, even in the presence of Siddheśvara, on the fourteenth day of Māgha, if one worships with devotion, success arises even today—this is the truth as spoken. It is said that upon seeing Siddheśvara, a person is instantly freed from all sins. Once, having seen Him, the gods defeated the Daityas in battle. But how did the Daityas, after conquering the gods, attain such great fame? With this question in mind, Shukra, the sage of the Daityas, went to Arbuda mountain. There, he established a Śiva-liṅga and worshipped it with incense, fragrance, and ointments. After a thousand years of penance, the blessed Shiva was satisfied and said, “Choose a boon, auspicious one, even if it is exceedingly difficult to obtain.” Shukra asked for a boon by which those beings who had attained his favor might live on, even when death itself was present among them. Shiva, ever generous, granted this and further said, “Choose another boon from me.” Shukra asked that any man who worships the liṅga with faith might have little fear of death by Shiva’s grace. Thus, even when the gods slew the Dānavas many times in battle, by the power of Shukra’s knowledge, he revived them. In that holy place, a man who bathes properly is freed from all sins. If the ancestors are satisfied with water alone, how much more so are they pleased by the offering of rice-balls! Indeed, the place called Manikarnika is renowned throughout all the worlds. There, O King, the great sages known as the Valakhilyas attained perfection. As those sages of purified minds sat in that sacred spot, a certain Kirata woman named Manikarnika appeared. Thus begins another sacred tale, woven into the tapestry of holy places and the rewards of unwavering devotion.