Listen, Vyāsa, to the supreme and renowned fruit of the sacred Sundara-kuṇḍa: beds, gifts, and all manner of charitable acts performed here bear great merit. But even more wondrous is the tale of a piśāca—a tormented spirit—who attained liberation at this holy place, taking on the very form of Śiva before departing from the cycle of suffering. It is said that one is freed from all sins here, even the gravest, such as the slaying of a brāhmaṇa. You may wonder, Vyāsa: who was this piśāca, and what terrible deeds led to his downfall? How did he become connected with this sacred site, and by merely hearing his story, how are all sins destroyed? Let me tell you. There once lived a brāhmaṇa in the southern lands named Devala. Though born among the twice-born, he was the lowest of them all. Devala was a betrayer of his teacher, a gambler and rogue, a murderer of his own guru, and one who violated his teacher’s wife. He consumed forbidden foods and was utterly devoid of Vedic learning and scriptural knowledge. Arrogant and untrustworthy, he delighted in the company of thieves and committed countless wicked acts. Along the roads, many innocent creatures met their end at his sinful hands. In that region, there also lived a self-controlled brāhmaṇa, well-versed in the Vedas and their branches. His wife, famed for her beauty and charm, resided in her father’s house, but he brought her to live with him. When this learned brāhmaṇa was slain—by Devala’s hand—his wife was overcome by grief and the agony of separation. Yet, with a heart resolute, she ascended the blazing funeral pyre alongside her departed husband. As for Devala, he was soon apprehended by the king’s servants, seized along the road and brought before the king. His punishment was severe: he was hanged, his neck bound with a rope in the hollow of a tree. Because of these dreadful deeds, Devala’s soul was cast into the Raurava hell, and from there, he was driven by Yama’s enforcers into yet another hell. There, he was beaten with mallets and bound with iron chains, suffering torment after torment in countless hells, one after another. In time, he was reborn in a monstrous form—a creature of massive size, with a booming voice, a huge belly, and a mouth as tiny as the eye of a needle. But his misery did not end there. He descended even further, taking on the wretched body of a piśāca, a demon. His food was the most impure: excrement, urine, leftovers, and putrid, stale remains. He dwelled in broken wells, ruined tanks, dry trees, and desolate, waterless places—finding solace only in such forsaken spots, no matter where he wandered. Yet, wherever there was a beautiful liṅga of Maheśvara or an excellent pond, fate would draw him near. One day, a man, seeking water, entered such a pond and, in the process, killed the sinful piśāca. By the merit of this act, all the piśāca’s sins were destroyed. Shedding his demoniac body, Devala entered the liṅga as a radiant being of light. From that time onward, the god at that place became known as Piśācamocaneśa—the Lord who frees from demons. Until one reaches the tīrtha of the Śiprā, at Piśācamocana, and worships the god Piśācamocana with proper rites, one’s release from such torments is not assured. Here, Vyāsa, great acts of charity should be performed, for this is the sacred story of liberation from the piśāca, a tale that destroys all sin. Now, O Brahman, you may ask: when did the Nīla Gaṅgā join with the waters of Śiprā lake? It is said that one who bathes in the Nīla Gaṅgā and worships Saṃgameśvara at their confluence is untouched by the faults that arise from bad association. Such is the sanctity and power of these holy places and their stories.