In the sacred land of Avanti, there once gathered a group of virtuous women, their hearts heavy with sorrow, for they had been cast away by their husbands’ anger. Seeking solace and restoration, these women performed holy rites during the dark half of the month of Nabhasya. With steadfast devotion, they fasted for a night and kept vigil, absorbed in yogic concentration. Through their purity and unwavering discipline, a wondrous transformation occurred: those who had suffered separation from their homes were at once restored to their household lives. From that time onward, the fifth day of the lunar month became known throughout the world as Ṛṣi Pañcamī. On this day, women who eat only nivāra rice, maintaining purity and concentration, are assured freedom from misfortune and separation—not only from their mothers, but also from their sons or their wealth, at any time. Such is the power of this observance. O noble one, it is said that in Avanti, there exists a sacred place upon the earth, imbued with divine energy. If any man performs acts of great charity at this holy site, or if anyone, after observing discipline, listens to the narrative of its glory, blessings are assured. Thus concludes the fifty-ninth chapter, ‘The Description of the Glory of Gayā Tīrtha,’ in the Avanti Section of the Fifth Book of the glorious Skanda Purāṇa. Eager for further wisdom, a sinless seeker addressed the best among knowers of Brahman, saying, “You have spoken of Purushottama, the supreme holy place of old; I wish to hear about it from you.” The sage replied, “Listen, O best of the twice-born, to this supreme story that removes sin. By merely hearing it, even the greatest sins are destroyed.” He described how Ramānātha, surrounded by his attendants—Sanaka and others, all possessing the qualities and powers of sages rooted in the great elements—sat honored beneath the shade of a wish-fulfilling tree. The air was filled with the melodious singing of Kinnaras and the graceful dancing of groups of Apsaras. Among the assembly, the supreme speech was addressed to the lord of lotuses, praising his all-knowing wisdom and requesting that he speak, if it pleased him. A teaching was then imparted: whatever is attained by prescribed means—whether at a particular place, time, festival, holy site, temple, or abode; on the full moon, new moon, solstice, or during an eclipse; at the Ganges, the field of the Sun, Kurukshetra, Pushkara, or in Avanti—whatever is offered or given becomes imperishable. Even those who are clad in rags, unfortunate, foolish, dull-witted, or afflicted by disease may wonder: what disciplines are best for the virtuous, and what should be performed especially? When the impure month arrives, some men neglect observances, so the question arises: when does this time come, and what must be done? The reply was clear: rites for the gods and ancestors should be performed with proper procedure during the impure month. Shaving, the sacred grass girdle, marriage, vows, and fasting—all these are observed. At the end of three years, this month is attained. The lord declared, “I am always the lord of the extra month, O Supreme Person. My abode, known as Puruṣottama, is ever established here, in the great forest of Time, at my sacred ford.” For those who neglect this, nothing of the lord’s is to be received, but when the extra month arrives, one should undertake a vow in honor of the lord. Bathing, giving, recitation, offering, self-study, and ancestor-satiation—all these become inexhaustible for the observant, O Kamalā. Poverty may increase their grief and disease, yet, out of affection, the lord promises, “I surely give you, and there is no doubt; all this, by my grace, is endless, O lovely one.” Thus, the story flows from the sanctity of Avanti and the rites of Ṛṣi Pañcamī, through the glory of Gayā Tīrtha, to the supreme teachings about Purushottama and the inexhaustible blessings bestowed by divine grace.