For twelve long years, Lord Hara, the great Rudra, wandered ceaselessly from one sacred ford to another, striving to cast off the skull he carried in his hand—a mark of his penance for Brahmin-slaying. Yet, despite his efforts, the skull would not leave him. For two years he journeyed across the universe, seeking purification at holy fords. Still, the skull clung fast. Another year he spent on the majestic Himalaya, and then again, for two more years, the supreme lord Vṛṣākapi wandered, his resolve unwavering. Finally, in the twelfth year, upon the Himalayan mountain, as the lord of gods bathed in the sacred waters of the Gaṅgā, a miracle occurred. That place became renowned as Kapālamocana—the unsurpassed holy site where sins are washed away. There, at the sacred ford of Hari and Hara, after bathing and bowing at the divine spot called Trijaleśvara, the passage of twelve years, along with the presence of the guardians of the boundaries, gave rise to the holy site of Kapālamocana, famed for its power to remove sin. At last, Rudra was purified there, freed from the grievous sin of Brahmin-slaying. It became a place where anyone, even a Brahmin-slayer, could find purification if they came with devotion and bathed in its waters. Gathered with the gods, Rudra was addressed: "O Rudra, wide-eyed, established on the path of the world—O Rudra, with uneven eyes, fierce and wandering with the skull in your hand—what was tawny for you on the highest peak of the Himalaya has now become pure at this holy site, and bodily purity is attained." The gods declared, "Those who worship you, placing you first and observing the proper rites, follow the vows you established: the vow of nakedness, bearing the skull, the tawny vow—all are yours. Tell us, O great god, the proper procedure in brief." Pleased by their words, Rudra returned to his abode on Kailāsa, and the gods departed to their own realms. The deeds of the god at Kapālamocana became known throughout the earth. Thus concludes the ninety-seventh chapter, entitled "The Greatness of Rudra," in the glorious Varaha Purana. Now begins the chapter concerning the mountain. There was a certain Brahmin named Satyatapa, who became greedy. The sage Durvasa, intent on fulfilling his vow, went to the mountain Himavat. The narrator asks, "Tell me, O illustrious one, what kind of person was Satyatapa? I am greatly curious, for he was a Brahmin born in the lineage of Bhrigu." Satyatapa, having associated with outlaws, became like an outlaw himself. Yet, he shone forth, having been thoroughly instructed by Durvasa. On the bank of the river, there was a divine rock called Citraśilā. There, Satyatapa, possessed of great austerity, stood performing penance. In the course of his ascetic practice, the sage cut off his left index finger. Remarkably, no blood, flesh, or marrow was seen. Nearby, under an auspicious banyan tree, a pair of kinnaras was present. At dawn, in the clear light, it is remembered that they reached the world of Indra. They were asked, "Tell us something wonderful and unprecedented here." Standing there, the kinnaras spoke these words.