Thus, after being graciously invited to stay, the sages remained as guests, enjoying various foods until the long drought finally ended. With the drought over, these brahmins’ minds turned toward pilgrimage—they felt called to depart and continue their sacred journeys. Among them was the ascetic Śāṇḍilya, foremost of sages. He was approached by the great sage Mārīca, who, after some reflection, spoke to him: “Śāṇḍilya, listen to what is proper. Your father Gautama is a renowned sage. Without informing him, it would not be right for us to go and practice austerities in the forest.” When Mārīca said this, the other sages cried out in protest: “Has our very body been sold for eating his food?” Feeling uneasy, they again discussed how they might depart. In their deliberation, they conjured a cow by their powers of illusion and left it in Gautama’s rice field. Later, as the sage Gautama wandered in the forest, he saw this cow. Taking water in his hand, he said, “Go to Rudra.” At his words and the touch of the water drops, the illusory cow fell to the ground as if struck down. Seeing the cow lying thus and the sages preparing to leave, Gautama—wise and humble—approached them and asked, “O sages, for what reason are you leaving? Please tell me quickly. Why do you abandon me, your ever-devoted and especially humble follower?” The sages replied, “O Brahman, this is a case of cow-slaughter. As long as this remains with you, we cannot partake of your food, O great sage.” Hearing this, Gautama, well-versed in righteousness, pleaded with the ascetics, “Grant me atonement for the killing of the cow, O possessors of austerity.” But the sages responded, “This cow is not truly dead, O Brahman; she lies as if unconscious. If bathed in the water of the Ganga, she will rise again—there is no doubt. Atonement is for the dead; for one not dead, this is already done. Do not take a vow or become angry.” Having said this, they departed. When they had gone, Gautama, full of wisdom, journeyed to the great mountain Himavat, desiring to worship Shiva and perform great austerities. For a hundred years, he worshipped with unwavering devotion. Pleased, Shiva appeared to him and said, “Choose a boon, O steadfast one.” Gautama replied, “Grant me the Ganga, the river of austerity, from your matted locks. Let this holy Bhagirathi river go with me.” Shiva, thus addressed, gave him a single lock of his hair. Taking it, Gautama returned to where the cow lay. He bathed the cow in the water from Shiva’s lock, and at once the cow arose, shining with new life. From that spot a great, pure, and holy river was born. Witnessing this marvelous event, the pure Seven Sages descended from the sky in their celestial cars, exclaiming, “Excellent! Excellent! Well done, Gautama! Among the virtuous, who is equal to you, who has brought the goddess Jahnavi into Dandaka?” Hearing their words, Gautama wondered about the cause of the cow’s death. He realized that all this had come about through the illusion created by the sages. Angered, he cursed them: “You, with false vows and ashes in your hair, shall become outcasts from the three Vedas, excluded from Vedic rites.” The Seven Sages, hearing these harsh words, pleaded, “Let it not be so for all time, O best of twice-born. Yet your words cannot be in vain—of this there is no doubt. Even if, in the Kali age, all the best of the twice-born become like this, those who do good may also do harm. Yet, even so, in Kali, let those of such nature be devoted in faith.” Thus, in the Kali age, those scorched by the fire of Gautama’s words would always be devoid of ritual acts, excluded from Vedic rites. The river born there became known by a secondary name: Godavari. Because a cow was given and a boon granted, the river is called Godavari. In the Kali age, those who come to this river and give a cow or make donations according to their ability rejoice together with the gods. When Jupiter is in Leo, whoever comes to this river with a focused mind, bathes according to the prescribed rite, and offers oblations to the ancestors—his ancestors, even if fallen into hell, attain heaven; and those already in heaven surely attain liberation—of this there is no doubt. Gautama was thus promised great fame and eternal liberation. Having spoken thus, the sages departed for Mount Kailasa, where, together with Uma, Shiva always resides. The sages said to Shiva, “In the Kali age, all the best of the twice-born will appear in your form, wearing matted locks and crowns, assuming the guise of the dead at will, and falsely bearing ascetic emblems, O Lord. For their benefit, let some scripture be given, by which all our descendants, afflicted by Kali, may follow the path.” Thus entreated long ago, Shiva composed a collection endowed with Vedic rites. In that collection, called ‘Nishvasa,’ the Babhrava and Shandila lineages became absorbed; the Baidala lineage departed merely by hearing, due to a slight offense. Shiva explained, “I deluded them, O twice-born, knowing what would come to pass; in the Kali age, men desiring gain will compose their own scriptures. In the Nishvasa Samhita, the measure is one hundred thousand; that alone is the Pashupata initiation, and here the yoga is Pashupata. Whatever arises apart from this Vedic path should be known as a petty act, fierce, and devoid of purity. Those men in the Kali age who subsist on Rudra, the Baidala, and those desiring gain will compose their own scriptures; know them as ‘Ucchushma Rudras’—I am not established among them.” He continued, “Long ago, in the form of Bhairava, I danced for the sake of the gods; that is the connection with those of cruel deeds. Desiring the destruction of the demons, I once made a loud laugh; those countless fierce ones who fell as my tears there will be born on earth.” Thus, the story reveals the origins of the holy Godavari, the consequences of illusion and righteousness, and the divine wisdom given for the Kali age, all as told in the ancient scripture.