Owing to the glory of the divine discus Sudarśana, you, O Lord, are celebrated by poets as the wielder of the discus. Let there be swift steeds for your triumph over enemies, Hṛṣīkeśa, and let mighty elephants with splendid tusks accompany you. Be adorned in wondrous garments and garlanded with radiant red flowers, and manifest yourself as Bhīmasena. May true devotion, such as is found in the hearts of Mukunda’s devotees, arise here; show your grace to me. O Creator, reveal to me that sacred circle and the ever-liberated Sadāśiva, O Lord. Wherever I establish the world, may that place remain firm and unshaken. Then, Brahmā, the Grandfather, took a handful of sacred kuśa grass and, ascending to higher ground, respectfully addressed Keśava. “You alone are Viṣṇu, ever adored by the gods, remembered by sages, and renowned as Viṣṭaraśravā.” There, upon the sacred grass, the Supreme Person was thus praised by the Creator. Then, the Creator, the Supreme Person, marked out a circuit of a yojana on every side, encompassing the place. In that spot, the Lord of the universe, glorious and all-pervading, the creator of all, was established. Thus, the place once known as Kuśasthalī came to be called Hemaśṛṅga. So ends the forty-first chapter, named “The Description of the Reason for the Name Kuśasthalī,” a sacred dialogue between Vyāsa and Sanatkumāra, extolling the greatness of the Avanti region in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa. Now, listen further. In ancient times, when the gods were defeated by the armies of the demons, they sought refuge on the summit of Meru, that mighty mountain shrouded in forests and caves. There, meeting one another, the gods offered mutual worship and shared the reasons for their gathering. United, they approached the god of gods, the great Maheśvara, who ever bestows prosperity and success, attended by sages and celestial bards. Sages such as Bhārgava and the illustrious Nārada were present, along with the foremost of divine sages. The place was filled with hosts of Prajapatis and the fourteen Manus, and was frequented by people of virtue and merit. It sparkled with jeweled steps and was adorned with divine lakes. Free from the six waves of suffering, the place echoed with the songs of birds, all beginning to praise the Lord of gods, the master of the universe. They sang homage to the fierce Lord in the form of Narasimha and to him who appeared as Varaha. They offered salutations to Vāsudeva, the peaceful one, lord of the Yadus. As these hymns resounded, a bodiless voice was heard, speaking from the delightful great forest of Time, attended by hosts of Brahmarshis. “There is a beautiful place called Kuśasthalī, served by Siddhas and Gandharvas. At the end of the age, all moving and unmoving beings meet their destruction—rivers, oceans, lakes, groves, the luminaries, the moon, and the sun. The entire universe is pervaded by Viṣṇu. When all has been taken into himself, the blessed Śaṅkara remains there. The Veda is the essence of all sacrifices, and compassion is the essence of righteousness. Therefore, O best of gods, this land of the Kurus is truly beneficial. Yet, Kāśī is ten times greater, and Gayā is ten times greater than Kāśī. Thousands of eclipses and tens of thousands of planetary conjunctions occur, but a gift given at the waning of a hundred thousand moons equals a thousand gifts at the two solstices. Therefore, O gods, the city called Kuśasthalī is supremely beneficial. All of this, O best of gods, shall indeed become imperishable.