Hearing the words spoken, the sage Atri replied with humility, “We have become ascetics, devoted to pilgrimage and the worship of holy places.” He affirmed, “I always sustain them; this is firmly established in my heart.” Seeking clarity, he asked, “If a sin is committed for your sake, tell me whose it is.” He advised, “If they speak, let them not lie; do not kill living beings.” The words spoken to him awakened new understanding within Atri, and he resolved, “Today, your words awaken understanding in me. I will go and ask them all whose disposition is like what.” With this determination, Atri quickly went to his father and spoke, “A great sin is seen—whose is it? Tell me about it.” His father responded, “You know what you have done; what has been done must again be done by you.” The woman too declared, “The sin is not mine; truly, this sin is yours alone.” Knowing their hearts and actions in truth, Atri cast aside the black club by which creatures had been slain. He bowed down with his body to the ground and then spoke, “Freed by all of them, I have come to you for refuge.” Witnessing his humility and sincerity, the sages spoke to Atri, “This one should be accepted by you; let him be your disciple, O sage. By this meditation-yoga and the recitation of the great mantra, established at the root of the tree, you will attain supreme accomplishment.” Having said this, the sages departed as they wished, and Atri remained there. As Atri sat unmoving, a termite mound formed above him. From within the mound, a sound was uttered by him, filling the sages with wonder. Seeing this, the wise sages raised him up. Bowing down, Atri addressed them, “I am wretched, lifted up by all of you; I was sunk in the mire of sin.” The sages, blazing with ascetic power, said, “O son, since you remained with single-pointed mind in this termite mound—” Having spoken thus, they departed to their own directions, and coming to Kuśasthalī, they worshipped the great Lord. From the Lord, Atri attained poetic inspiration and composed delightful poetry. From that time onward, the Lord of gods became known as Vālmīkeśvara. Thus, the excellent liṅga called Vālmīkeśvara has been described. Then, bowing with devotion, one is honored in the world of Rudra. By seeing Bhīmeśvara and worshipping with devotion and care, by bathing Gargeśvara with sesame oil, by fasting on the fourteenth day and using water mixed with sesame seeds, by giving a thousand cows with pure intent, by worshipping Kāmeśvara with ointments of saffron and the like, by bowing to Cūḍāmaṇi on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Kārtika, and by worshipping Caṇḍīśvara while fasting on the dark eighth day—by approaching all these holy places of Maheśvara, one attains great merit. Thus, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of eighty-one thousand verses, in the fifth Avanti division, in the greatness of the Avanti region, the twenty-fifth chapter named “The Description of the Greatness of the Holy Places of Śukreśvara, Bhīmeśvara, Gargeśvara, Kāmeśvara, Cūḍāmaṇīśvara, Caṇḍīśvara, and others” is concluded. Then, a disciple asked, “Tell me now, O revered one, the measurement of the great Kāla forest.” The sage replied, “I shall now explain it to you; listen as I speak.