Simply by hearing its very name, the gravest of sins—even the killing of a brāhmaṇa—are washed away. Now listen, Vyāsa, to a wondrous tale from the end of a cosmic cycle, when the world and its ages were dissolved and all creation lay in ruin. At that time, the most exalted peak of Vaikuntha descended and fell upon the earth. In the very instant that this divine summit touched down, a marvelous pond sprang into being. This pond was unlike any other: its steps were fashioned from gold, and golden lotuses adorned its waters. Swans, waterfowl, and the beautiful chakravaka birds filled its expanse, making it a place of enchanting beauty. Remarkably, even as a kalpa ends and the universe is destroyed, certain principles do not perish. The Vedas, all scriptures and Purāṇas, verses, songs, and even the syllables themselves remain, as do the divisions of time—kalās, kāṣṭhās, muhūrtas, lava, truṭi, pala, and ghaṭī. Years and yugas too, all remain embodied within the sacred pond. The celestial beings—gandharvas, apsarās, yakṣas, siddhas, and kimpuruṣas—along with Brahmā, Rudra, Time itself, and the mighty guardians of the worlds, all abide there for countless ages until the kalpa is fulfilled. This pond is graced with divine trees, possessing the wondrous qualities of the celestial pārijāta. In some corners, peacocks dance; in others, cuckoos sing their melodious notes. Its beauty is so radiant that it is known simply as “Beautiful”—Sundara. Within this sanctified place, Lord Viṣṇu is present, accompanied by Śiva, who is united with Śakti. The Lord dwells there. If a person stays at this Beautiful Pond for even half a fortnight or a full fortnight, the merit is immense. Even birds, insects, or moths that meet their end there ascend to the abode of Śiva. Those who offer gifts at Sundara-kuṇḍa—whether sesame seeds, cows, elephants, horses, land, beds, or any form of charity—acquire great merit. Now, Vyāsa, listen to the supreme and renowned fruit of Sundara-kuṇḍa: even a piśāca, a flesh-eating spirit, attained liberation here, assuming the form of Śiva and departing for the highest state. Indeed, all sins are destroyed here—even the sin of slaying a brāhmaṇa. You may wonder, Vyāsa, who this piśāca was, what evil he had done, and how he came to be connected with this holy place. Simply hearing of him destroys all sins. There lived a brāhmaṇa named Devala, a southerner, considered the lowest among the twice-born. He was a betrayer of his teacher, a gambler, a rogue, and even a murderer of his guru. He committed the grave sin of violating his teacher’s wife, consumed forbidden foods, and was devoid of Vedic knowledge and wisdom. Devala betrayed trust, was arrogant, enjoyed the company of thieves, and acted wickedly. Many innocent creatures met their end on the road at his sinful hands. In that land, there was another brāhmaṇa, self-controlled and learned in the Vedas and their branches. This virtuous man took his beautiful and charming wife, who was renowned and residing in her father’s house, with him. But tragedy struck—the learned brāhmaṇa was slain, and his wife, overcome with grief and unable to bear the separation, ascended the blazing funeral pyre with her husband, her heart filled with sorrow yet resolute. Devala, the perpetrator, was seized on the road by the king’s servants, taken to the royal palace, and presented before the king. As punishment, his neck was bound with a rope, and he was hanged in the hollow of a tree. Because of these terrible deeds, he fell into the torments of Raurava hell. Such is the tale, Vyāsa, of Sundara-kuṇḍa, the Beautiful Pond, where the gravest sins are absolved and even the most fallen may find liberation.