On the dark new moon night of the sacred month of Nabhasya, there is an annual pilgrimage, deeply revered. It is said that this holy time is especially auspicious for visiting the hallowed sites, particularly where the horses of Sindhu once came to drink. Among these, the river Tilodaki is renowned—a pure and sacred stream, celebrated for ages. O virtuous one, to bathe in Tilodaki is to be cleansed of all sins, even those accumulated over seven births. Such is the sanctity of this river that bathing in its waters, making offerings, practicing self-discipline, and performing sacrifices there—all these acts become imperishable and yield inexhaustible merit. Therefore, O sage, it is taught that through these prescribed methods and pilgrimages to holy places, one’s virtues expand, and great merit is bestowed. Among these sacred sites, Sita’s pool is especially famed—it is known to grant all that the heart desires. Bathing in Sita’s pool, O Brahmin, frees one from every sin. By the boon granted by Rama, this pool has become a treasury of immense spiritual rewards. O fortunate one, let me recount for your delight the story of this wondrous pool. Here, bathing, giving, reciting sacred texts, making oblations, or performing austerities—all these acts bear great fruit. Especially on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, bathing in Sita’s pool is supremely meritorious. It was here that Rama, beloved of all, granted Sita her boon, and from that time, this pool has been celebrated among people as Sita’s pool, a place of marvel and wonder. There, by bathing, by giving, and most of all by practicing austerity while honoring Rama and Sita, liberation is attained—of this there is no doubt. At the proper time and season, one should bathe here, for it is said that even concerns such as pregnancy do not arise. O Brahmin, know also of the greatness of Lord Vishnu-Hari, whose glory shines on the beautiful western shore. The majesty of Hari’s discus cannot be measured by mortals. In the western direction lies a sacred place called Hari’s Remembrance. Merely seeing this holy site frees one from all sins. Indeed, by witnessing these sacred places, the sins of embodied beings depart. Long ago, when a fierce battle erupted between the gods and the demons, the gods, led by Hari himself, fled for refuge. Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, reclined upon the ocean of milk, resting serenely on the great serpent Shesha. Around him, Narada and other illustrious sages sang his praises. His garments were marked with drops from the surging waves of the milk ocean. Clad in radiant yellow, his joyful face shone with divine splendor, as if he were a string of brilliant jewels dwelling in the White Island. He appeared like the return of Mitra, the Sun, after the fear of Rahu’s eclipse had passed—a marvel to behold. It was as though he contemplated the supreme creation of the Four-Faced Brahma. At that moment, Śaṃbhu, along with all the hosts of gods, approached and bowed to Hari, the remover of intense delusion, the moon-like Lord. Salutations were offered to him, the radiant jewel-flame of consciousness, the moonlight of the mind’s union; to the playful, exuberant power pervading the three worlds; to those who dwell at the tips of lotus petals swayed by the wind. They saluted him whose essence is the sun, adorned with rays of consciousness—the restrainer, ever the refuge of yogis. They bowed to the one who is the very sacrifice, who has consumed the offerings, and who is embodied as the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas. To the peaceful one, the repository of dharma, the knower of the field, whose essence is immortality; to the fierce one, the master of māyā, the thousand-headed—salutations were offered. Salutations to him whose essence is yogic sleep, the creator of the world arisen from the lotus of his navel; to the one who is both the object and the measure of action, the mighty, the living being, the supreme self; to the proud and lion-bodied, destroyer of demons; and finally, to the one who cuts through the great darkness of ignorance, the very cause of worldly existence. Thus is the glory of these sacred places and the Supreme Lord lovingly remembered and revered.