Salutations were offered to the all-pervading Lord, the eternal source of the universe, the imperishable One who is the very essence of all creation. With reverence, incense was presented to the Lord of gods, the bearer of the conch, discus, and mace. A prayer arose: may your radiance, O Lord, reveal all the worlds and keep them imperishable. The worshipper recalled how the Lord had once assumed the embryo of Aditi and taken the form of Vairocaniśa. As food was offered, it was acknowledged that the gods approve of you, O Lord, and that you are the supreme goal sought by yogis. When water was offered, the devotee proclaimed: you are the enjoyer, the maker, the priest, and the offering itself. You are gold, you are food, you are the essence of water and garments. Rain, Varuṇa, the Sun, water, Keśava, and Śiva are all present in you, O Lord. Food itself is Prajāpati, Viṣṇu, Rudra, the Moon, Indra, and the Sun. Vāmana is known as the giver of wisdom, and Vāmana abides in the liquid form. "I receive Vāmana; Vāmana grants to me," the devotee declared. The fourteen worlds themselves dwell within the limbs of Kapila. With a pure heart, the devotee offered all these to the divine-born Lord, seeking the destruction of sins. It was declared that whoever, with faith and learning, performs this observance on the twelfth day will earn a hundredfold merit. The devotee affirmed, "I too, with faith, have served at this holy place at the proper time. Because of this, you sinful ones cannot trouble me." The vow must be observed until a full cycle is completed. By hearing these teachings, liberation is directly attained, and now, the devotee was certain of perceiving it. As the brāhmaṇa spoke these words, the sound of celestial drums resounded in the sky, and the aerial chariots of the departed arrived from all directions. It was by the conversation with this brāhmaṇa and his praise of virtue that such blessings were attained. Therefore, it was proclaimed that every effort should be made to seek the company of the virtuous. Just as those who bathe at the holy place are purified, so even the evil-minded can attain the fruit of liberation by merely hearing of the power of the holy place. Whoever recites this narrative with supreme devotion, or listens to it with a devoted heart, is blessed. The holy place named Piśāca is renowned throughout the three worlds for its glory. Thus concludes the one hundred and seventy-fourth chapter, entitled "The Glory of the Confluence of the Yamunā at All Holy Places," in the Śrī Varāha Purāṇa, Madhu-mā-sa section. Śrī Varāha continued: Having bathed in the stream of the Yamunā, the sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana entered deep meditation, focusing his mind upon the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā, the destroyer of sins. In the region between Soma and Vaikuṇṭha, the river is known as Kṛṣṇaṅga. There stands a divine hermitage, attended by the foremost sages—knowers of the Vedas, wise and steadfast in their vows. To these sages, Vyāsa spoke words of instruction, guiding them along the path of righteousness. On the mountain Kālañjara, the great god Śiva, lord of all holy places, is present. There, one who observes a twelve-year vow, remaining unattached, may journey to the Himālayas and reach the vicinity of Badarī. Such a pure-souled one, with vision of the three times, attains perfection. At the holy place of Kṛṣṇa, in the presence of the Pāñcāla lineage, there lived a brāhmaṇa named Vasu. During a time of severe famine, Vasu journeyed south with his wife. There, adopting the livelihood of a brāhmaṇa, he took up residence, seeking to sustain himself and his family in righteousness.