In that sacred place, there is a powerful mantra: “O goddess, origin of all, hidden, endless, and the middle, menstruating, O divine one, we bow to you.” By the recitation of this mantra, O Earth, women during their time of menstruation are purified. Thus, O goddess, neither woman nor man is rendered impure. Day after day, everyone, O auspicious one, follows the path of the mind aligned with the divine. When all become united in mind, O Earth, through self-restraint and control of the senses, those who practice in this way—be they women, men, or those of neutral gender—remain pure. Yet, even today, men caught up in worldly existence do not recognize me. Countless mothers and fathers, hundreds of sons and wives come and go; the world is veiled by ignorance and overpowered by delusion. The mother goes one way, the father another; all beings are born in their own places according to their actions, and their time together is brief—perhaps only a month or a year. O Earth, the one for whom all this is known, who understands the entire discipline of renunciation, attains true knowledge. Whoever rises early and listens daily to this teaching, O human, receives the supreme and great secret I have now revealed to you. Thus ends the one hundred forty-second chapter of the divine Śrī Varāha Purāṇa, entitled “The Greatness of Secret Rites.” Now, I shall again recount the glory of Mandāra. Listen closely, O beautiful one, to this further account. On the southern bank of the sacred Jāhnavī river, nestled on the slope of the Vindhya mountains, there was a figure of great splendor named Rāma during the Tretā Yuga. Having heard words of righteousness from the lips of Nārāyaṇa, Earth herself, desiring to know dharma, spoke: “You have described Mandāra as endowed with divine righteousness and purpose. What actions do people perform at Mandāra, and what are their results? What secrets and mysteries are held there?” Śrī Varāha replied, “I shall tell you the secret—the great rite of Mandāra. At that time, I was playing there at Mandāra, when the mountain was in full bloom. As I stood upon Mandāra, a thought arose within me. By my power, on the Vindhya mountain, there is also the great Mandara tree, resplendent and holy. The stone surface there is most delightful and charming. Hear now a marvel, O lovely-hipped one, concerning this great Mandara tree: at midday, it is witnessed by people, shining in its glory. There, in the pool at Mandara, a man who remains fasting with just a single meal and gives up his breath in the pool at the mountain’s base, is released from life, devoted to my deeds. To the northern side of Mandara is a mountain called Prapana. In that field is my supreme bathing pool, known as Snanakunda. To the northeast lies the secret causeway to Vaikuntha. Whoever bathes there, having spent a single night fasting, fulfills all duties and departs for the highest goal. To the southeast, in the beautiful Varangana, flows a gentle and even stream. There, too, one should bathe, having kept to a single meal and observed fasting. Thus, the sacred Mandāra and its surroundings are filled with secret rites and profound blessings for those who seek them with devotion and discipline.