Upon hearing these sacred teachings in the land of Bhārata, one realizes that liberation is not difficult to attain. The Lord Himself, compassionate and ever-present, is the bestower of liberation and the very cause by which beings cross over the ocean of worldly existence. Human birth in this world is rare indeed, and rarer still is to be born into a noble lineage. Yet, even such blessings are of little avail where there is no association with the virtuous, no devotion to Viṣṇu, and no observance of holy vows. Especially, one who neglects to observe the vows during the four sacred months—Cāturmāsya—finds his merit rendered fruitless. But those who place their reliance on Viṣṇu remain steadfast when the four months arrive. With bodies well-nourished and minds focused, their lives become auspicious. Their purposes are fulfilled, for the gods themselves grant boons to such devotees for as long as they live. It is said that hundreds of sins residing in their bodies are destroyed without a doubt. Especially during the four months when the god Janārdana sleeps, if a man bathes—O best of the twice-born—on the auspicious day of Karkarā, purifies his body, and at the very outset follows the path to liberation, he is blessed. Whether this bathing takes place in a waterfall, a well, a pond, or a lake, the effect is the same. Whoever bathes daily in these sacred waters finds his sins destroyed. For this reason, rivers are declared more sacred than all other waters by both gods and demons. During the four months, whoever bathes gains even greater merit, especially at the confluence of the holy Reva and the eastern ocean, in the field of the Sun. Even if one bathes but a single day during these four months, he is spared from suffering. Yet, when the Lord of the universe sleeps, sin increases a thousandfold. If, during these months, a person neglects even a moment or half a moment, the body born of karma is broken, and he attains the same world as Viṣṇu. Whoever bathes with water mixed with sesame, or with water from the bilva tree, purifies himself further. Even the daily remembrance of the Ganga near a water source brings merit, for the Ganga herself flows from the toe of the Lord of gods. During these four months, the god Nārāyaṇa resides in water. Bathing should be performed in ten prescribed ways, and when it is done with the name of Viṣṇu on one’s lips, it yields great fruit. Without bathing, any auspicious act—even if full of merit—remains incomplete. Through bathing, one attains truth, and in truth abides eternal dharma. Those who are holy, who know the Self, and who have mastered the end of the Vedas, all agree: for one who has bathed, Hari himself dwells within, having assumed his body. Thus, bathing is for the destruction of all sins and for the satisfaction of the deities. There are rules to be observed: one should not bathe at night, nor at twilight—except during an eclipse. Purification for all rites is prescribed by beholding the sun. Yet, when the body is incapable, one becomes purified by bathing with ashes. Bathing before Nārāyaṇa, in a sacred field, at a holy place, or in rivers is especially meritorious. The person who bathes daily thus attains the abode of Viṣṇu. All the holy places and sanctuaries upon the earth are sanctified by such acts. Those men who bathe at Karkastha and Divānātha are particularly blessed. When the Cāturmāsya arrives, the Lord Himself declares, “I dwell there.” There is no other god, O Maheśānna, who grants liberation besides Janārdana. There is no holy place on earth, dear one, equal to Karkarāja. Thus, O Vyāsa, this has been declared by Brahmā and Bhārgava, and our own most splendid abode is also there. For as long as one remains in that sacred place, liberation is certain—of this, there is no doubt.