O Devi, listen to the sacred tale of the holy fords of Mathura, whose greatness is difficult to attain even for the gods. Merely remembering these twelve fords is said to free one from all sins. Thus concludes the praise of the fords of Mathura, as extolled in the section on Mathura’s glory in the Varaha Purana. Now, hear further of the Mathura fords. North of the sacred Shiva-kunda, nine fords are especially revered. Simply by bathing in these, supreme good fortune arises. O Devi, one who bathes there, or even dies there, surely attains my own world. Such is the power of these holy places that even the greatest sins, committed long ago at that sacred place of restraint, are washed away. Even a person burdened with grave sins who dwells in the renowned Naimisha forest—if he comes to the Yamuna on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, crosses the river, and reaches the auspicious place of restraint—his sins are shed as easily as a mother sets aside her child, departing with his very life-breath. In the land of Saurashtra, there lived a Kshatriya king named Dhanurdhara, who ruled the earth upholding the duties of his order. Among his hundred wives, the noble Vasunghara was chief. He enjoyed life in splendid palaces and on the banks of beautiful rivers, and with time, he became attached to these pleasures. Seven sons and five lovely daughters were born to him, and he established his sons as lords of the earth. Yet, as the king grew older, he became restless and would often cry out, “Alas!” Seeing this, Pivari, his beloved, asked him why he spoke so. Sometimes intoxicated, sometimes careless or half-asleep, the king spoke incoherently. Pivari, distressed, said, “O lord, if you do not protect me, I will give up my life.” Hearing her words, the king replied, “I will speak the truth as it is, O auspicious-faced one. I have established our sons and grandsons in their proper places. Now, I will honor the people of the city and appoint my sons to the kingdom, if it pleases you, O sinless ones. People always follow the will of Yama, the god of death; none can do otherwise. Therefore, with all our effort, let us go to the city of Mathura. Now I understand that there is no happiness greater than renunciation, and no suffering equal to attachment. The abandonment of all desires is considered the highest good.” Thus resolved, the king, accompanied by his citizens and a fourfold army, journeyed to Mathura. He beheld the beautiful city, radiant like the city of Indra. There, in the delightful Madhuvana—the supreme abode of Vishnu—he found peace. On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada, the forest called Kundavana, the third and most excellent, is especially holy. Or, on the eleventh day of the dark fortnight in Bhadrapada, the fourth forest, Kāmyakavana, the best among forests, is also celebrated. Thus is the greatness of the fords and forests of Mathura, which bestow liberation and supreme good fortune upon all who seek them.