By the devotion of the eighth steadfast worshiper, who faithfully performed my rites, a remarkable transformation took place. In that sacred place where the great-souled Soma had engaged in severe austerities, he stood upright, his face turned upward, for five thousand years. Through this penance, Soma was freed from his previous offense and became the lord of the brāhmaṇas. For thirty thousand years, and then for an additional three thousand, he was endowed with wealth, virtues, and generosity, shining in all his qualities. Having attained the state of a brāhmaṇa, he was thus liberated from worldly existence. This holy tīrtha, O follower of my path, is one that should be known and revered. When darkness envelops the area and no beings are visible, only a radiant light can be seen there—Soma himself is not visible. This, I tell you, is a great wonder, O blessed one. This is the special mark of my sacred Saukara region. Now, listen further, O Vasundharā, for I will tell you something more. At this tīrtha, a woman met her end—not by her own will, but as a result of the destiny shaped by her actions. She was a princess, broad-eyed, dark-complexioned, and beautiful in every limb. Upon hearing the words of Nārāyaṇa, the Earth, adorned with auspicious marks, marveled and said, “Ah! The great power of this holy place you have described to me—here, even a vulture and a jackal have been reborn as human beings.” She then asked, “By bathing at this holy place, or by dying there, O Janārdana, what kind of mark arises for them, by which they are thus reborn?” Viṣṇu, the foremost knower of dharma, heard the Earth’s words and replied, “Listen in truth, O Earth, to what you have asked. When the destined time had passed, determined by my actions, there was a king, greatly fortunate and firmly established in his duty. His son, also greatly fortunate and steadfast in all duties, once went into the forest to hunt, seeking game for the sake of his father. But in that place, the prince found nothing to fulfill his father’s purpose. There, however, he came upon a most auspicious creature, trembling after being struck in the middle of its body. After drinking water, she went to the branch of a tree. Though unwilling, she surrendered her life at that holy place belonging to Soma. The prince then reached the sacred site called Gṛdhravaṭa and rested there. With a single arrow, he struck down a vulture. Its life departed, its senses lost, and its heart pierced by the arrow. The prince cut off the vulture’s wings and took them. Yet, after a long time, the prince himself died there, not by his own desire, O bird. In their next births, the vulture became a handsome and learned man, but one who always caused blindness among the people. The jackal, meanwhile, was reborn as the daughter of the king of Kanchi. She was endowed with sixty-four arts and possessed a sweet voice like a cuckoo. Thus, in the kingdom of Kanchi in Kaliṅga, these events unfolded. By my grace, a bond arose between them on earth, of its own accord. The princess was married to the prince of Kaliṅga according to proper rites. She was adorned with divine ornaments, and there were elephants, horses, buffaloes, and women present, marking the splendor of the occasion.