Within the sacred region of Avanti lies a foremost holy place, revered above all others. It was here that Rāma, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā, arrived and, after bathing in its purifying waters, offered oblations to his ancestors, honoring them with reverence and devotion. As the rituals concluded, a wondrous event occurred—a bodiless voice, the voice of the god of gods, resounded in the air. "This place has been given by me; do not doubt, O Rāghava," the divine voice assured. The voice further declared, "You have been favored, O son of Sumitrā, by the god Śambhu." Inspired by these celestial words, Lakṣmaṇa, the devoted brother, established a shrine to Śaṃkara, the great Lord Śiva, at that very spot. Rāma then called out, "Come, Lakṣmaṇa, quickly bring water from the Śiprā." But Lakṣmaṇa, ever mindful of his duties, asked, "What will you do with Sītā?" Rāma replied, "She stands before me, nourished, strong, and full-bodied." Hearing Lakṣmaṇa’s concern, Rāma entrusted Sītā with the task, and she faithfully carried out what Lakṣmaṇa had spoken. After spending the night in that sanctified place, Sītā prepared herself to depart. At this, Saumitri—Lakṣmaṇa—spoke with resolve: "I will not go, by any means. I will not go ahead into the forest, nor to Ayodhya, by any means. How did you previously leave Ayodhya together with me? Let an error be made for my sake; lead me also, O Raghava." Lakṣmaṇa then said to Rāma, "I will not go again to the forest." But Rāma gently replied, "Do not follow me, Saumitri; I will go alone into the woods." Lakṣmaṇa, his mind troubled, took up his bow and rose at that time. Rāma said, "Turn back, Saumitri, and hand over the bow to me." With pain, Lakṣmaṇa asked, "For what reason have I been abandoned? What offense have I committed?" Sītā too questioned Rāma, "For what reason, by you, Lakṣmaṇa...?" Rāma then reassured Sītā, "I will not abandon Lakṣmaṇa, O lovely-hipped one. It has been heard before that this field has been disturbed. They do not regard each other, being motivated solely by their own interests. Nor does the disciple heed the teacher's word, nor the teacher the disciple's action." Having spoken thus, Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Janaki (Sītā) departed together from that holy place. They bathed at Rāma’s sacred ford and beheld Rameshvara Śiva. Freed from all sins by these acts, one attains supreme good fortune. At the sacred place of clarified butter, it is prescribed that a man should bathe Śiva with ghee, and worship the goddess—the mistress of yoga, revered by gods and demons alike. Bathing at Śaṅkhāvarta grants freedom from all sins, and on the fourteenth day, one should bathe in pure water for the sake of liberation. The sage narrator then spoke further: "Now I shall describe another sacred place, renowned throughout the three worlds. In the ancient Tretā Yuga, there lived a brahmin named Sunetra, O Vyāsa. By the curse of Yavakrīta, Sunetra was compelled to slay his own father. Stricken with grief and seeking atonement, the brahmin bathed at the sacred place Kiṃpunaka and then journeyed to the holy Dhārā. There, Sunetra lamented, 'How has my stream become fallen, or how has my recitation become false?' Once more, he bathed at that sacred place, and again a divine voice was heard: 'You are not afflicted by brahminicide; it has been destroyed by bathing at the sacred place.' Thus, the power of these holy sites and the grace of bathing in their waters bring purification and release from even the gravest of sins.