Listen, gentle one, as I recount the sacred geography of lakes, rivers, holy places, regions, and hermitages, each imbued with divine presence and ancient merit. Foremost among all the three worlds stands the Amarakaṇṭaka mountain, a supremely holy and illustrious peak. This sacred mountain is revered by perfected beings and celestial wanderers alike. For countless millennia, the venerable sage Aṅgirā performed the most arduous austerities upon its slopes, filling the land with the power of his penance. Amarakaṇṭaka is a realm untouched by death, demons, or rakṣasas. Here, fear and misfortune are unknown, enduring as long as the earth itself. The mountain radiates with brilliance and fame, its peaks ever adorned, reminiscent of the fire that consumes the world at dissolution. Upon these slopes grow kuśa grasses—soft, fragrant, golden-hued, and pleasing to the eye. They are peaceful by nature and renowned, for they drink the southern waters of the Narmadā. It was here that Aṅgirā, his energy magnified by the sacred agnihotra fire and the presence of excellent kuśa grasses on the stone altar, once beheld the very stairway to heaven. Among these blessed kuśa grasses, any wise person who offers rice balls in honor of their ancestors, even once, upon Amarakaṇṭaka, reaps a wondrous reward. Such a śrāddha becomes inexhaustible, ever increasing the satisfaction of the ancestors. Upon reaching this holy place, the ancestors attain liberation, vanishing from the mortal plane. Even today, the sacred essence of flame can be seen throughout Amarakaṇṭaka. For those wounded in battle, a river flows here, washing away all wounds and pain. To the east and south, on the highest peak at the border of Kaliṅga, lies a circular pond that further increases the satisfaction of the departed. This supreme field of perfection, lauded by the greatest sages, is honored by gods and demons alike; even the wise Uśanas once sang its glories in verse. Fortunate indeed are those who reach Amarakaṇṭaka and, devoted to their forefathers, perform śrāddha here. With even a little austerity, they attain success without doubt, and even a single act of worship here ensures a place in heaven. On the delightful Mahendra mountain, sanctified by Indra, those who ascend are filled with joy, and their śrāddha yields abundant fruit. Upon the peak beneath the sacred bilva tree, endowed with divine sight, one may move unseen among beings, roaming the earth with the freedom of a god. At Saptagodāvara and at Gokarṇa within the sacred forest, a single bath bestows the merit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice. In these places where sins are washed away, a person is purified by bathing, just as Rudra, the great god of gods, once performed his own austerities there. At Gokarṇa, as the sages describe, is a lesson for non-believers: the Sāvitrī mantra, if recited by a non-brāhmaṇa, is rendered ineffective. On the peaks where divine sages dwell, attended by perfected beings and celestial bards, those who ascend with discipline are assured of heaven. The region is adorned with sandalwood and many other divine trees. Waters here are ever-sweet, flowing continuously, nourishing the land. From among these springs forth the river Tāmravarṇī, who journeys southward to the ocean, bearing her great burden like a weary woman. When the waters of Tāmravarṇī merge with the ocean, they solidify into conch shells and pearls, producing even the rare conch pearls. Those who bring water mixed with such conch shells and pearls are freed from all mental and physical afflictions, and they ascend to Amarāvatī, the celestial city. Conch shells and pearls, consecrated with sandalwood, have the power to deliver even sinful ancestors, as revealed in the scriptures. There are other sacred places too: at the holy place of the moon, at the inexhaustible source of the Kaverī, at Śrīparvata, and on the Vaikṛta mountain. On the mountain called Oshira, stands a sacred circle where palasha, khadira, bilva, plaksha, ashvattha, and vikankata trees grow together. This circle is established as a holy site for sacrifice, and those who die here swiftly attain Amaravati. In these places, actions performed by oneself, and especially those done for the ancestors, bear fruit at the end of their influence. Among all ancestors, Narmada, the virtuous daughter, is the foremost of rivers; offerings made for ancestors upon her banks are imperishable. In the sacred forest of Mathara, frequented by siddhas and celestial beings, those on this great mountain never become invisible. On the Vindhya mountain, which distinguishes righteousness from unrighteousness, the virtuous see only the stream of virtue, not the stream of sin. Even those who have committed wrongs may find their sins unseen here, while those who perform virtuous deeds find their stream clear and pure. In Kaushala, the pond of Matanga destroys sin; those who bathe there ascend to heaven, moving freely like birds. At the Kumara-Kosala ford, on the mountain with its protective enclosure, on the pale bank at the ocean’s edge, and in the Pandaraka forest, sanctity abides. The sacredness extends to Vimala and Vipapa, at the source of fearlessness, at Bhivriksha, Gridhra peak, and along the Jambu path. At the holy place of Asita, the wise teacher of yoga, offerings for ancestors are endless and always fruitful. At Pushkara, offerings for ancestors are imperishable and austerity yields abundant fruit, as it does at the great ocean and at Prabhasa. At Devika, there is a well named Vrisha, frequented by siddhas, whose waters ever rise with the sound of cows. This well is cherished by masters of yoga, free from all sin. Whoever offers śrāddha to their ancestors here, hear now the reward: their offerings are blessed, and their ancestors are uplifted, for such is the power of these sacred places, praised since time immemorial.