As the tale unfolds, there was one who, while fleeing in terror, stumbled and fell into a deep, dark pit. There, having plunged into the depths, he remained—his form now terrifying to behold. Among those present, a Brahmin stood out, steadfastly protecting the earth through the power of a sacred charm. At that moment, a demon approached the Brahmin and addressed him, saying, “O Brahmin, I shall grant you whatever is in your mind—food, long awaited, and as much as you desire. But in return, I must devour the caravan until I am satisfied. I have come alone for this caravan, and under no circumstance will I let it go. You cannot even look upon me, for by the power of my mantra, if my food is killed, the fault will be yours, O Brahmin. Have compassion, O best of Brahmins—let food be given to me.” The Brahmin, troubled by the demon’s words, asked, “By what fault of action have you attained the state of a demon?” The demon replied, “Because of misconduct and the like, I have come to this state.” Afflicted by the suffering before him, the Brahmin spoke again, “You speak as a friend, O demon. Tell me, what shall I give you? By my own help, what dear thing shall I do for you? If you give, O Brahmin, that which is in my mind—and what was done at Viśrānti, after bathing at Mathurā…” Hearing this, the Brahmin, weighed down by sorrow, questioned the demon, “How do you know, O demon, of the holy place called Viśrānti? And how did it receive such a name? Tell me, O demon. I have always dwelt in the city named Ujjayinī. At some time, I journeyed to the temple of Viṣṇu. Day by day, I would proclaim the greatness of the holy place Viśrānti.” The demon replied, “There, O faultless one, that place is known as Viśrānti, and I have heard its name. One rests there, and thus it is called Viśrānti, the place of rest. The fruit of a single bath there has been granted to you, O Rākṣasa.” Thus ends the chapter known as “The Greatness of Viśrānti” in the Mathurā Māhātmya of the glorious Varāha Purāṇa. Then, the Earth herself spoke, “Tell me, O Lord, all the merit gained by seeing that place.” Śrī Varāha replied, “By merely seeing it, one attains the fruit of Mathurā. Long ago, a thousand years of severe austerity were performed there. Choose a boon, auspicious one—whatever abides in your mind. You are omnipresent, O Lord of the gods, and I have certainly known this.” The Earth prayed, “May my abode always be granted to me in Mathurā, O Lord.” Varāha assured her, “O Earth, you will be the guardian of the field in Mathurā. Otherwise, one would not attain perfection; thus it is, and there is no doubt. A person attains such perfection by devotion in accordance with his own nature. My Māthura region extends for twenty yojanas. I have not spoken of this, O goddess, even to the great-souled Brahmā. Previously, I kept it well hidden—more secret than the most secret, supreme. In that region are the tīrthas; I will tell you of them, so listen well. O Vasudhā, I have declared to you the number of tīrthas in Mathurā: Praskandana and Bhāṇḍīra, and six equal to Kurukṣetra. Asikuṇḍa, along with Vaikuṇṭha, is remembered as the most excellent among the ten million sacred fords. Cakra Tīrtha, as well as Ākrūra, and the place known as Dvādaśāditya—all these are found there.” He continued, “There is no doubt that in Mathurā, the merit gained is a hundred times greater than at Kurukṣetra. Those who attain the greatness of Mathurā reach the supreme state.