The merchant was treated with the utmost respect and devotion by those around him, as if he were their own father. Thus concluded the one hundred seventy-first chapter in the glorious Varaha Purana, within the divine scripture, celebrating the greatness of Gokarna. Sri Varaha continued, explaining that on the first day, and likewise on the thirteenth, prescribed duties were performed as tradition demanded. The goddesses, who had become skilled in the arts of dance and song, were present. Immersed in the sacred atmosphere of Gokarna, Gokarna himself became so absorbed that he forgot all thoughts of home. Yet, the goddesses’ faces grew pale and dejected. Their ornaments were broken, their garments in disarray. Their bodies appeared deformed, covered in wounds and flowing with blood. It was said that for one without a son, there is neither path nor heaven nor any other attainment. Witnessing this troubling change, Gokarna, understanding its significance, questioned the goddesses about their altered appearance. The goddesses replied, “That Lord is time itself, by whom good deeds are enjoyed. He alone, as eternal time, keeps asking these questions and their answers.” Seeking certainty, Gokarna again bowed to them and pleaded, “If you reveal the cause of my suffering and disfigurement, even though it is meant to be kept secret—” Upon hearing his earnest request, one among the goddesses spoke: “Listen, child, I will tell you how this disfigurement came about. There is the delightful city of Madhu, a place that grants liberation to men. He went there with devotion, observing the holy rites during the four sacred months. The city was adorned with splendid pleasure gardens, surrounded by excellent walls. Within these gardens stood fruitful trees, charming in every season. But all the pleasure gardens and their fruitful trees were destroyed by the king’s servants. Though many tried to stop them, those with wicked minds persisted. Like a lion trapped in a cage, he wondered, ‘Who will save us?’ In distress, she cried out loudly, lamenting, ‘Alas, how terrible!’ It is heard that Gokarna, too, was deeply afflicted in many ways. With joined palms and a gentle, sorrowful voice, Gokarna gradually consoled them, saying, ‘If I am present there, I will restrain that king.’ As soon as these words left his lips, the goddesses regained their composure and asked, ‘Who are you? Tell us, and why have you come here from your place?’ Gokarna replied, ‘Formerly, I saw you all, beautiful in form and lovely-eyed. Now you have become disheveled, increasing my sorrow.’ In front of him, the eldest goddess spoke, adorned with flowers of her kind. She recalled that at that time, they had pleasing forms, beautiful limbs, and were devoted to nurturing flowers. But they had been afflicted by royal officials who cut and uprooted them. Deprived of garlands of flowers, only roots and trunks remained. The deity in that place is a stone, enclosed in clay or brick. The water-filled vessel there is meritorious; it serves as irrigation for the grove. And those trees bearing fruit, and those made of gold, O best one—if they are destroyed, the deformity seen here will not occur. Gokarna then asked, ‘Tell me the meritorious result of making well-deities there.’ Jyeshtha replied, ‘By sacrifice one attains heaven; by charitable works, one attains liberation. Reservoirs, wells, ponds, and shrines of the deities—all these are virtuous. The worlds obtained by giving land and by giving cows are highly praised.’ Thus, the story unfolded, revealing the sacred connection between acts of devotion, charity, and the welfare of both the divine and the earthly.