Once, O king, there was a brāhmaṇa who was engaged in the duties of household life, surrounded by his relatives. But in time, he was abandoned by them, and so he journeyed alone to Mount Arbuda. There, with deep reverence, he established a liṅga and began to worship the Lord. His devotion to Śiva grew so great that he lived on nothing but air, sustained by his austerity. Śiva, the great Mahādeva, was pleased by the brāhmaṇa’s devotion. Appearing before him, the Lord said, “Ask for any boon, even that which is most difficult to obtain, and I shall grant it.” The brāhmaṇa, with folded hands, prayed, “O Śaṃkara, by your grace, let my lameness depart, and may your constant presence, together with your divine consort, remain here always.” Śiva replied, “Through the power of your austerity, this sacred place will become renowned. On the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Caitra, my presence shall be here as well.” Pulastya continued, “By merely bathing at this holy spot, the brāhmaṇa attained a divine form. Therefore, O best of kings, one should bathe there on that sacred day.” Thus ends the account of the greatness of Paṅgu Tīrtha, in the Arbuda section of the Skanda Purāṇa. Pulastya then spoke further: “Afterwards, O king, one should proceed to the unsurpassed Yama Tīrtha. Long ago, there lived a king named Citrāṅgada, who was exceedingly greedy and cruel. He tormented both gods and brāhmaṇas, and was consumed by deceit, jealousy, and a lack of truth and purity. As Citrāṅgada wandered, he became exhausted, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst. He came upon a large reservoir filled with lotuses, but also teeming with crocodiles, alligators, and fish. Driven by thirst, he entered the water. For his misdeeds, terrible hells had been created for him by Yama. Yet, by his touch, all those dwelling in hell suddenly experienced happiness, and they marveled at this unexpected joy. Then Yama, the lord of justice, spoke: ‘On earth, there is Mount Arbuda. It is there that Citrāṅgada met his death, and let the reason be declared here. Seized by a crocodile in those waters, that lowest of kings met his end.’ Yama commanded, ‘Let him be released at once, and let no others be brought here for now.’ Thus, by Yama’s order, the king was freed from suffering. Pulastya explained, “Whoever, endowed with devotion, bathes at that sacred place, attains great merit. Therefore, with all effort, one should bathe there, and properly perform the rite of śrāddha.” Thus is declared the greatness of Yama Tīrtha. Next, Pulastya described the holy place of Varāha, beloved of Hari, which always bestows the comfort of residence. It was there, in the form of Varāha, that the earth was lifted up. Pulastya said, “With my mind, I too shall go again to the auspicious Vaikuṇṭha. O Hari, remain always at this sacred place in this very form.” Lord Hari replied, “I shall remain here, as you have said, ever devoted to the welfare of the world.” In front of the deity lies a holy lake, filled with waters of great purity. Bathing there with devotion, a person is freed from the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa. The ancestors too are satisfied there until the very dissolution of creation. On that sacred day, O best of kings, one should bathe and undertake vows. Whoever, intent on devotion, offers libations and balls of food for the ancestors at this place, earns their lasting satisfaction and merit. Thus, O king, are revealed the greatness and blessings of these holy tīrthas, as described in the Skanda Purāṇa.