Whoever beholds Hanumatkeśvara Śiva, even once, is blessed beyond measure. Such a person need not fear thieves, poverty, or misfortune; all ailments are dispelled, and the troubles caused by the planets are destroyed. To honor this divine form, one should anoint the sacred image with saffron and offer blue lotuses in worship. The fragrance of black aloe incense fills the air, and sesame seeds along with rice grains are reverently presented. When a person departs from this world, wherever that may be, Yama, the god of death, becomes as one with the ancestors, signifying a special sanctity. There is a place, known throughout the three worlds as Rudra’s Lake, which bears the name of Śiva himself. After bathing in its purifying waters and becoming cleansed, one should behold Koṭīśvara Śiva, the Lord of countless forms. If one performs the sacred śrāddha rites there for the ancestors, the rewards are immense—crore upon crore times greater than elsewhere, with no doubt whatsoever. All actions performed there are multiplied a hundred millionfold, and sins are cast off as easily as a serpent sheds its old skin. To see the god Mahākāla at this holy site is to gain the merit of gifting a thousand cows, and the benefit is equal to that of performing a thousand Cāndrāyaṇa vows. By worshipping with fragrant substances and flowers, after a great ritual bath, one attains the fulfillment of every desire—boons that even the gods themselves find difficult to obtain. Seasonal fragrances and flowers, along with fine garments, are to be offered, and all ingredients for worship should be carefully measured and ground upon a stone slab, ensuring equal portions. Thus is told, in the eighty-one-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, within the fifth Avantya section, and in the chapter celebrating the glory of the Avanti region, the twenty-second chapter known as ‘The Greatness of Rudra’s Lake.’ Śivā, the auspicious one, bestower of welfare and merit, grants supreme blessings to those who bathe in Rudra’s Lake and behold Koṭīśvara Śiva. Worshipping the Lord of the gods with fragrances, flowers, and heartfelt salutations, the devotee stands upon sacred ground. It was here that the Lord of the gods himself placed the skull upon the earth, giving this place the name Kapālamocana—the liberator from all sins. With humility and a pure heart, one moves forward, taking only half of half a step, free from any deceit regarding wealth, and bows before proceeding to the excellent Kapileśvara. With focused mind, the pilgrim then goes to Hanumatkeśvara, the divine Lord, and from there to Mahādeva Paippalākhya, the eternal. Devotion and faith guide the way to Svapneśvara, and after that, to Mahādeva Īśāna, who faces all directions. Having mastered anger and the senses, the journey continues to Someśvara, and then, with unwavering concentration, to Vaiśvānareśvara. Next is Lakulīśa, who holds a citron fruit in his hand, and after him, Mahādeva, the excellent Lord of Gadyāṇa, ever sought by the gods and worshipped for the sake of accomplishment. The pilgrim then proceeds to Mahākāla, the ancient and eternal one, and after that to Vighnanāśa, the supreme Lord of life and strength. Bathing at these holy shrines brings all accomplishments within reach. Without neglecting his son, the devotee then comes to Daṇḍapāṇi, and finally, with deep devotion and faith, reaches Puṣpadanta, completing a sacred circuit of divine blessings.