O Vyasa, listen as the wondrous assembly of celestial beings—Gandharvas, apsaras, yakshas, siddhas, and kimpurushas—reside together, joined by Brahma, Rudra, mighty Time, and the great guardians of the worlds. All these exalted ones remain through countless ages, until the very end of the kalpa. This sacred place is adorned with divine trees, graced with the qualities of the heavenly Parijata. In some corners, peacocks unfold their splendid feathers and dance, while in others, cuckoos pour forth melodious song. The entire region shines with beauty, and for this reason it is called Sundara—Beautiful. Here, Lord Vishnu is ever-present, together with Shiva, who is united with Shakti, the Supreme Lord. At this Beautiful Pond, a person may abide for half a fortnight or an entire fortnight, basking in its sanctity. Even birds, insects, and moths that meet their end here are blessed, for they ascend to the abode of Shiva. Those who offer gifts—be it sesame seeds, cows, elephants, horses, or land; beds, donations, and various kinds of charity—at this holy place, attain supreme merit. Now, Vyasa, attend further to the highest and most renowned fruit of Sundara-kunda. Once, a piśāca—a restless, tormented spirit—attained liberation here. Assuming the very form of Shiva, he departed to blessed realms. At this sacred spot, even the gravest of sinners, including one guilty of slaying a brāhmaṇa, are freed from all sins. You may wonder, O best of twice-born, who was this piśāca, what misdeeds led to his fall, and how his connection with this holy place brought about his redemption. Merely hearing his story destroys all sin. There was once a brāhmaṇa named Devala, hailing from the south, but fallen to the lowest state among twice-born. He betrayed his teacher, gambled, consorted with rogues, murdered his guru, and transgressed with his teacher’s wife. He ate forbidden foods and was bereft of all Vedic learning and scriptural wisdom. Devala was untrustworthy, arrogant, fond of thieves, and wicked in his ways. On the road, he slew many creatures, his life steeped in sin. In that region dwelt another brāhmaṇa, self-controlled and learned in the Vedas and their branches. His wife, famed for her beauty and charm, resided with her father, but he took her with him. When her husband was slain, she was overcome with grief at their separation. With a resolute and joyful heart, she mounted the blazing funeral pyre to join her husband in death. Meanwhile, Devala was seized on the road by the king’s servants, dragged to the royal palace, and brought before the king. He was condemned and hanged, his neck bound with a rope in the hollow of a tree. As a result of these deeds, he was cast into the Raurava hell, and then, driven by Yama’s enforcers, passed into another hell. There, the servants of Yama beat him with mallets and bound him in chains. Thus, the sinner endured many kinds of torments, suffering in hell after hell. At last, he was reborn as a being of monstrous size, with a booming voice, a vast belly, and a mouth no larger than a needle’s eye. Sinking further, he took on the wretched form of a piśāca, a demoniac spirit. His food was foul—polluted with excrement, urine, stale and putrid leavings. He dwelled in broken wells and tanks, on dry trees, and in barren, waterless places, finding perverse pleasure in such abodes at all times and in every region. Yet, wherever there was a beautiful Maheśvara liṅga or an excellent pond, his restless spirit was drawn. At one such pond, a traveler seeking water killed the sinful piśāca, and thus, the tale of suffering and redemption at Sundara-kunda unfolded.