Wherever a king of true righteousness holds sway, Dharma stands firm upon its four legs, unshaken and complete. Under such a sovereign’s rule, the earth herself yields abundant crops, and cows give milk in overflowing measure. The Vaiśyas devote themselves wholeheartedly to wealth and commerce, while the Śūdras remain steadfast in their service. Dharma, grounded in the Vedas and the sacred traditions, ensures that the people live joyfully, well-nourished and content. In such a realm, never is a woman of bad conduct, misfortune, or widowhood seen. Instead, women are graced with beauty, virtue, and noble qualities, wholly devoted to fidelity and the well-being of their husbands. Every household is alive with offerings, the enjoyment of good food, and the giving of gifts. Everywhere, people are seen delighting in all forms of righteousness, their lives a testament to Dharma. Such a king, pure in soul and righteous in action, is revered as a deity at the very dawn of the age. In ancient times, it was Vyāsa himself who performed countless sacrifices in the land of Avanti, bringing all things—both moving and unmoving—under his wise control. Yet even the gods and the sacred rites cannot exist apart from the path of the Vedas. When this eternal path of righteousness was destroyed by the wicked, the virtuous, together with the ancestors, sought refuge with Brahmā. Hearing their pleas, Brahmā, the grandfather of all the worlds, journeyed with the hosts of gods to worship Viṣṇu. All present sought the advancement of their own well-being and the restoration of righteousness. Brahmā then spoke: “Hear, O best of gods, of the highest good for you. This merit is greater than the most secret, most pure, and is the destroyer of all sin. It is the holy place that contains all sacred fords, bestowing the fruit of ten million holy sites. There abides the divine Mahākālī, destroyer of demons and sovereign of lineages.” “There, too, is Gaya, supremely holy, and the great river Phalgu. In all three worlds, this Gaya is renowned and celebrated. The eastern Sarasvatī, holy and remover of all sins, is found there, and the eternal, imperishable banyan tree—once spoken of by the great sage—stands there as well. All the deities, born in the manner of ancestors, are present in that place. The gods, embodying all sacred fords, are gathered at the unsurpassed holy place of Gaya. Upon merely entering there, even ancestors dwelling in hell are liberated.” Thus concludes the chapter called ‘The Praise of Gaya Tīrtha,’ within the section on the greatness of Avanti Kṣetra, in the fifth book of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Mahāpurāṇa Śrī Skanda. Then, with reverence, a disciple addresses the Lord: “O Lord, you who are the very form of the universe, all things are known to you. I wish to hear from you the supreme fruit of the śrāddha rite. For how long are the ancestors satisfied and do they reach the abode of the gods?” The Lord replies, “Listen, dear one, to the supreme procedure of śrāddha. Through śrāddha, the worlds are established; righteousness itself is founded in śrāddha. Whatever is given with faith—whether to the gods, to Brahmā, or as an offering to fire—bears fruit. All humans, sages, divine beings, perfected ones, and even demons should, with focused mind, offer the śrāddha rite to the three ancestral lines. Thus, the eternal tradition proceeds, handed down in succession. I will explain all this as it has been heard; listen well. Know that these ancestors are indeed gods, together with the hosts of Pitṛs.