Having undertaken a sacred pilgrimage, the assembled gods and other beings reverently circumambulated the holy sites. Their devotions complete, they returned to their respective abodes, each withdrawing to their own realms. In the aftermath, Paulastya’s son, known as Rāvaṇa, together with his brothers—the fierce Rākṣasas—approached the imperishable Lord who abides at Gokarṇa. With utmost devotion, they offered their service to the Lord, their hearts filled with longing and reverence. Rāvaṇa, the mighty Rākṣasa, then sought a boon: he desired victory over the three worlds. Pleased with his devotion, the Supreme Lord granted his wish. Empowered by this boon, Daśagrīva—Rāvaṇa of ten heads—set forth and conquered the three worlds, even subduing Indra, the king of the gods. There was a mountain summit, once carried away and set down by Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. When Rāvaṇa, during his exploits, placed this summit for a moment upon the shore of the ocean, he later found himself unable to uproot it again, despite all his strength. Thus, that southern place—Gokarṇa—came to be established, O wise one, and its significance should be understood in this way. All these events and their meanings, O sage, have now been explained to you in detail. You have heard of the southern region, O best of Brahmins, and also of Shringeśvara—their vastness, their origins, and the sacred places that sanctify the land. Thus concludes the two hundred sixteenth chapter, entitled ‘The Greatness of Gokarṇa, Shringeśvara, and Others,’ in the glorious Varaha Purana. Now begins the account of the merit gained by hearing the dialogue between the Earth and Varaha. All has been related exactly as it was spoken by the Supreme Lord himself—of his divine, all-pervading form, of Sthanu, whose might is beyond compare, and of how his body and horn were established in the holy land. “Tell me truly,” the sage requested, “how these sacred forms came to be.” Pulastya, the venerable sage, promised to relate whatever further remains to be told. The certain results of visiting all these sacred places are manifold. The son of the sage—equal to his father, thoroughly learned in the Veda and its branches—will become renowned and celebrated, honored both in this world and beyond. The merit gained brings auspiciousness and welfare, and fulfills righteousness, desire, and wealth. It is blessed, brings fame, destroys sin, ensures well-being, and grants peace. Whoever recites or hears these accounts rises to happiness and attains heaven. Having thus spoken, the blessed god, the Supreme Creator, became silent, having instructed Sanatkumara. By extracting the essence of the dialogue between Varaha and the Earth, O best among listeners, one is freed from all sins and attains the highest state. At Prayaga, at Brahma-tirtha, and at Amarakaṇṭaka, the merit gained by giving a Kapila cow to a foremost Brahmin is immense. Yet, by hearing just these ten chapters with purity and attentiveness, one attains that same merit. Whoever listens constantly and without interruption, with understanding, gains the merit of all sacrifices and the fruit of all gifts—this is certain, as Varaha himself has declared. For one without a son, a son will be born; for one with a grandson, a great-grandson will be born. For such a listener, the god Nārāyaṇa will always be pleased. Having heard these sacred stories, one should worship the scripture just as one worships the eternal Vishnu. A king, according to his ability, should honor the earth with gifts of villages. Freed from all sins, he attains union with Vishnu. Thus, the next chapter begins, describing the sequence of topics such as the reading of the Purana. The Purana spoken by Varaha in Kashi, together with Viresvara, was written down by Madhavabhadra, preserving the sacred teachings for all time.