Then, O king, I was struck down by Viṣṇu’s attendants, beaten with their heavy clubs and destroyed. Yet, from your very hair follicles, I endured by my own power, even as you dwelled in heaven. When the day of Brahmā ended and his night began, and now again at the dawn of this new creation, it is as you see: you, O great king, were born in the house of King Sumanas, and I too sprang forth from your hair, becoming the ruler of Kāśmīra. You performed many sacrifices, giving generously, but I was not overcome by these rites, for they lacked remembrance of Viṣṇu. Yet now, by the power of the hymn to the lotus-eyed Lord that you recited, I abandoned my many forms, became one again, and was reborn as a hunter, O best of kings. Hearing the hymn to the Blessed Lord, I—who was once the very embodiment of sin—have now been freed, and a mind intent on righteousness abides in me. Hearing these words, the king was filled with great wonder. In his joy, he granted a boon to that hunter, saying, “Hunter, just as you have reminded me of my past birth, so, by my grace, you shall become a righteous hunter.” Moreover, the king declared, “Whoever hears this account of the lotus-eyed Lord shall, during pilgrimage to Puṣkara, gain the merit of bathing there according to the prescribed rite.” Having spoken thus, the king ascended an excellent celestial chariot, and by supreme power, attained union with the bearer of all, the Lord Himself. At this point, the Earth addressed Varāha: “O tiger among sages, I have heard that Raibhya attained great wealth. But what did the sage himself do then? This is a great doubt of mine.” Blessed Varāha replied: “That eminent sage Raibhya, upon hearing of his attainment, traveled to the holy city of Gaya, the sacred place of ancestors. There, he offered rice balls with devotion to satisfy his forefathers. Then, as Raibhya engaged in the most intense and difficult austerities, a great yogi, radiant and seated in a celestial chariot, appeared before him. In a pure chariot, fine as dust and shining like the sun, there sat a luminous being of atomic size. He spoke: ‘Raibhya, steadfast one, what purpose do you pursue by such austerity?’ Having asked this, the radiant yogi measured the earth from the sky. There, he beheld a chariot as bright as five chariots, shining like the sun and spanning even the world of Brahmā. Raibhya, filled with wonder, bowed and asked, ‘Who are you, O illustrious one? Please tell me.’ The radiant being replied, ‘I am Sanatkumara, the younger brother of Rudra, mind-born son of Brahmā. I dwell in the world of Janas. Out of affection I have come near you, O ascetic. You are truly blessed, enhancer of Brahmā’s lineage.’ Raibhya then said, ‘Salutations to you, best among yogis. Be gracious and compassionate, O universal form. What is to be done here? Tell me, lion among yogis. How am I blessed, as you have said?’ Sanatkumara answered, ‘You are indeed blessed, foremost among the twice-born, for you are devoted to Vedic teachings and have pleased your ancestors with mantras, vows, recitations, and offerings, having come to Gaya and performed the rice ball rites.’ ‘Hear also this story. There was once a king named Vishala, who dwelled in the great city of Vishala. He was steadfast and blessed, but had no sons. He asked the foremost brahmins for a son, but they, lacking vitality, replied: “Go to Gaya and offer food there in many ways, O king; surely your son, a generous ruler of the earth, will be born.”’ ‘Thus instructed, King Vishala went with effort to that excellent pilgrimage. In the month of Magha, with devotion, he performed ancestral rites. He offered rice balls to his ancestors with proper procedure. Then, seeing men of white, yellow, and black colors, the king asked, “What is this, O sirs, that you overlook? Tell me everything, for curiosity has arisen in my mind.”’ ‘The white one replied, “I am Sita, your ancestor, by name, conduct, and deed. This one, my ancestor, is red in color, cruel, a slayer of brahmins, and a doer of evil. The one beyond is Adhishvara, his father, black by conduct and deed. By this black one, many ancient sages were slain in previous births. Both these, my son, having died, entered the hells called Raudra and Avici. Adhishvara, my ancestor, and Krishna, his father, both remained there for a long time. But I, by my own pure deeds, attained the seat of Indra, which is difficult to obtain.’ ‘By you, learned in mantras, through the offering of piṇḍa at Gaya, these two—Bala and the other—have been united, by the power of the piṇḍa offering at the holy place, even though they were dwelling in hell. O subduer of enemies, with the water you have offered, you have satisfied the ancestors, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers. Therefore, O noble one, by your words, our union has occurred at once; by the power of the holy place, we shall go to the world of the ancestors—there is no doubt.’ ‘By the offering of piṇḍa here, these two grandfathers of yours, though fallen into misfortune, have attained perfection, even though they had committed evil deeds. Such is the power of this holy place, that even the son of a Brahmin-slayer is purified by the offering of piṇḍa, and can indeed be uplifted again. For this reason, my son, I have separated these two and come here to see you; now I shall depart. For this reason, Raibhya, you are called blessed by me. A single visit to Gaya, a single offering of piṇḍa, is difficult to obtain; yet you remain constantly engaged in this very act. What more can be said, O Raibhya, about your merit, by which you have directly seen Nārāyaṇa himself, the wielder of the mace?’ ‘Therefore, Gadādhara himself is present at this holy place; for this reason, O best of the twice-born, this holy place is exceedingly renowned.’ Having spoken thus, the great yogi vanished right there, and Raibhya, filled with devotion, composed a hymn of praise to Hari, the wielder of the mace: “I bow to Gadādhara, praised by the hosts of gods, who is patient, who removes the suffering of the hungry, who is auspicious, who crushes the vast armies of demons, and who destroys all misfortune when remembered. I bow in secret to Keśava, the ancient person, the foremost of men, the primeval, pure, and spotless refuge of people, the Trivikrama who bore the earth for Bali, the wielder of the mace.