Listen, O wise one, to the wondrous merit that arises for those who undertake pilgrimage to these sacred places. When a devotee arrives, filled with reverence for the ancestors, he should first offer food in their honor. Thereafter, he is to present Maṇḍaka cakes to a Brahmin who is learned in the Vedas, and also give gold to such a worthy Brahmin. With proper gifts and fruits, he should carefully offer arghya—ceremonial water—expressing his devotion. Milk should be given, poured into a copper vessel, and at the holy site of Ikṣvabdhau, he should also present fine jaggery to a Brahmin. By performing these acts, he attains auspicious fortune and is blessed with delightful sons. Upon leaving this world, he ascends to heaven and remains there for a span as vast as the reign of fourteen Indras. Know that this supreme tīrtha was created by the playful Lord Himself. When the Lord of gods washed the skull, the water He used was poured out, sanctifying the spot. On the eighth lunar day beneath the Sun, a man should bathe, facing all directions and the intermediate quarters, and then, O Vyāsa, offer food fit for the ancestors, in ninefold handfuls. Both the worlds of the living and the hereafter, endowed with all virtues, are granted to those who recite the glory of this place with devotion. With a focused mind, he praised the god of gods, the radiant Sun. Pleased by this devotion, the lord of the day appeared and spoke to Shankara, saying, “Choose a boon, O Lord of beings. I am the giver of boons, and I shall grant your wish.” Shankara replied, “May a portion of you remain here for the welfare of all embodied beings.” Thus, from Shankara, the god of gods, arose the radiant form known as Shankara-Aditya, who bestows grace upon all the worlds. Blessed indeed is this place where the destroyer of Tripura abides! All the excellent gods, beginning with Brahma, were filled with joy and, assuming visible forms, descended splendidly to this sacred ground. For those who come here and behold Shankara-Aditya, no sorrow arises from old age, death, or grief. Here, neither disease nor affliction nor poverty can touch them; no illness, no want, nor separation from loved ones occurs. Such was the ancient declaration of the Lord of gods, the wielder of the trident. O best of sages, a supreme sacred ford was established here, bearing the Lord’s own name. Once, Vyāsa himself came to this holy spot to wash his skull-bowl. When he washed it and cast it upon the ground, that unsurpassed place was instantly filled with the blood of Brahmā. By performing śrāddha and offering libations at this site, all blessings become inexhaustible. The greatest of sages remain here, contemplating their lineage and offering barley-cakes, milk-rice, or black millet with pulse. For twelve years, the ancestors of such a devotee are surely satisfied, and heaven becomes inexhaustibly open to them. This inexhaustibility was declared by Brahmā, the self-born, himself. Even at Vārāṇasī or Gayā, such satisfaction cannot be attained. Whoever, with a sincere heart, performs śrāddha here for another, brings about blessings beyond compare.