At a sacred and pristine pond, it is said that all sins are washed away, granting liberation to those who bathe there. Journeying further, one encounters Bakula, the fifth and foremost among the forests, renowned for its purity. On the farthest shore of the Yamunā, there exists a place so difficult to reach that even the gods themselves struggle to attain it. There, O Earth, my devotee—one who is wholly devoted to me—may arrive after much effort. The seventh forest, celebrated among people, is the Khādira forest, O Earth. The eighth is the great forest, which holds a special place in my heart, always dear to me. Then comes the forest called Lohajaṅgha, protected by its own guardian, Lohajaṅgha. The tenth forest is known as the Bilva forest, revered and worshipped by the gods themselves. The eleventh is Bhāṇḍīra, most excellent and beloved by yogis. Upon reaching Bhāṇḍīra, the foremost of all forests, one finds the twelfth: Vṛndāvana, protected by Vṛndā. O Earth, those who have the fortune to see Vṛndāvana and Govinda are truly blessed. Thus concludes the one hundred and fifty-third chapter of the glorious Varāha Purāṇa, within the divine scripture, describing the greatness of Mathurā Tīrtha. Now begins the account of the glory of the Yamunā tīrtha. Having seen Mathurā in this way, both husband and wife became filled with joy. Then, the queen asked her husband about a secret that had been spoken before. The king responded, recalling that she herself had once told him, “Tell me your secret, and afterwards I will tell you mine.” She then revealed to the king the cause of her heart’s delight. She said, “I came to see this city on the twelfth day of Kumuda. Immediately, by the power of that tīrtha, I was separated from my life-breath.” O King, even though you married me, the memory of this event never left me. At the holy place called Dhārāpatanaka, she had surrendered her own life. She also recounted her story to herself, explaining how he had died in Yama’s realm. While both were gazing upon me, destiny led them to die there together. O Devi, this great and wondrous event has now been told to you. One who has abandoned sin does not attain the world of ancestors, but instead reaches the world of Vishnu, bearing a divine form with four arms. Here, when one gives up their life, they go to my world, where, upon bathing, those who have died ascend to heaven and do not return. Again, when one gives up their life here, they go to my world. Now, O Vasundhara, listen as I tell you something further. There, after bathing and drinking, observing discipline and regulated food, at the pure Soma-tirtha, O Vasudha, in the waters of the Yamunā, one should perform ablution, having completed their own duties. And here, when one gives up their life, they go to my world. O Devi, even a man of no caste, if he bathes there, becomes an ascetic. Whoever bathes there after fasting for three nights, when they give up their life, they go to my world. Those who bathe with discipline find that heaven is not difficult to attain. In the beginning of creation, this sacred place was fashioned by Brahma through the power of his mind.