t offereth there the syamaka grain in honour of
the gods and the Pitris acquireth great religious merit. And if one
Brahmana is fed there, it becomes equivalent to feeding ten millions of
Brahmanas. Having bathed in that tirtha and worshipped the gods and the
Pitris and resided there for one night, a man obtaineth the merit of the
Agnishtoma sacrifice. One should then repair, O king, to that excellent
region of Brahma which, O Bharata, is known on earth by the name of
Brahmodumvara. Bathing in the tank of the seven Rishis that is there, O
bull among men, with pure mind and subdued soul, as also in the tirtha
called Kedara of the high-souled Kapila, and beholding Brahma who is
there, one's soul being purified from all sins, one goeth to the abode of
Brahma. Proceeding next to the inaccessible tirtha called Kedara of
Kapila, and burning one's sins there by ascetic penances, one acquireth
the power of disappearance at will. One should next proceed, O king, to
the celebrated tirtha called Saraka, and beholding Mahadeva there on the
fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, one obtaineth all his wishes and
goeth also into heaven. O son of the Kuru race, in Saraka and Rudrakoti
as also in the well and the lakes that are there, thirty millions of
tirthas are present. There in that tirtha, O chief of the Bharatas, is
another called Ilaspada. Bathing there and worshipping the gods and the
Pitris, one never sinketh into hell but obtaineth the fruit of the
Vajapeya sacrifice. Repairing next to Kindana and Kinjapya, one
acquireth, O Bharata, the merit of giving away in measureless abundance
and the infinite recitation of prayers. Repairing next to the tirtha
called Kalasi and bathing there devoutly and with the senses under
control, a man obtaineth the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. To the
east of Saraka, O chief of the Kurus, there is an auspicious tirtha known
by the name of Anajanma, of the high-souled Narada. He that bathes there,
O Bharata, obtaineth, after death, at the command of Narada various
unrivalled regions. One should next proceed, on the tenth day of the
lighted fortnight, to the tirtha called Pundarika. Bathing there, O king,
one obtaineth the merit of the Pundarika sacrifice. One should next
proceed to the tirtha called Tripishtapa that is known over the three
worlds. There in that tirtha is the sacred and sin-destroying river
called Vaitarani. Bathing there and adoring the god known by the mark of
the bull and holdi