Once, overwhelmed by remorse for his actions, an individual approached the sage and spoke with deep humility: “O revered sage, once your pure and compassionate gaze fell upon me, and through the combined power of Krishna and the sacred Ganga, I have once again attained purity. Now, truth has arisen within me, and the sin of my forbidden approach has been washed away. Please, O lord, grant me your permission; I bow at your feet in reverence.” As he prepared himself to enter the fire in atonement, a wondrous and disembodied voice resounded from the sky, questioning him: “Why do you, so resolved upon death, act thus? Of whom are you afraid? Know that this very place, sanctified by the footprint of the discus-bearing Lord, is as holy and exalted as the realm of Brahma himself. Yet, any sin committed at this sacred site becomes as hard as diamond to remove. But even so, by bathing here just once, a person is freed from the most terrible sin—even the sin of killing a Brahmin. “There is nothing to equal the merit of bathing at the five sacred fords found here—this is beyond doubt. On the thirteenth day at Naimisha and the fourteenth at Prayaga, bathing at these auspicious times cleanses a person of all sin. Likewise, at Asikunda on the Sarasvati and at Kalinjara, the waters of the Krishna-Ganga increase tenfold in merit with each passing day. In Mathura, both good and evil deeds are dissolved; the virtues and greatness of these holy places are so powerful that even the gravest sins are destroyed. “The glory of these tirthas is endless and immeasurable; no one knows its limit. When this greatness is dissolved, it cannot be perceived, so what can be said of that divine one who grants such sanctity? Just as when breath is dissolved, the wind is lost and unseen, so too the essence remains beyond perception—only traces, like a name or a semblance, remain, just as sweat remains after exertion. When the earth itself disappears, it cannot be found; who, then, is greater than that supreme God? “It is the Boar incarnation, Varaha, who is manifest here, and by whom the Purana was revealed. Merely beholding this place frees one from all sins. On the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeshtha, if one bathes in the sacred waters of the Ganga and gives charity according to his means, he is released from all sins and, shining like the twelve suns, ascends to the heavens in a celestial vehicle. “Now, listen to the tale that Varaha recounted: In that sacred place, one named Panchala approached the sage Sumantu and humbly asked, ‘You are our teacher and father; please tell me, what should I do? Should I undertake the three-night penance, the Kricchra, the Paraka, or the Chandrayana vow? What is truly prescribed for me?’ “Sumantu replied, ‘Whatever is prescribed in the Akasha-Bharati, that alone is true and never false. Each day, before bathing, one should go regularly, and remain abstinent from sin as long as life endures. Such a person will attain a good destination and be freed from all sin—there is no doubt. Such is the glory of this holy place in Mathura, O Earth. The Krishna-Ganga and Kalinjar, too, share this greatness. “Whoever hears this account, O beautiful one, with supreme faith, has all the sins of seven births destroyed. That person attains immortality and ascends to the heavenly world.” Thus concludes the one hundred seventy-sixth chapter, named ‘The Greatness of Krishna-Ganga,’ in the glorious Varaha Purana. Now, hear further about the story of Samba’s curse during his days in Dvaraka. As Krishna sat comfortably surrounded by his sons, wives, and children, he was offered the customary water for washing his feet, arghya, a seat, and a vessel containing a honey-mixture. At that moment, someone found Krishna alone and, being ever desirable and beloved by women, approached the Lord to make his request.