his. There, O subjugator of hostile cities, is the sacred river called
Viswamitra belonging to the royal sage of that name and which abounds, O
king, in many sacred tirthas. It was on the banks of this river, that
Yayati, the son of Nahusha, (fell from heaven) among the virtuous, and
obtained once more the eternal regions of the righteous. Here also are
the well-known lake called Punya, the mountain called Mainaka, and that
other mountain called Asita abounding in fruits and roots. And here also
is the sacred asylum of Kakshasena, and O Yudhishthira, the asylum of
Chyavana also, which is famed over every country, O son of Pandu! In that
spot, O exalted one, men attain to (ascetic) success without severe
austerities. Here also, O mighty king, is the region called Jamvumarga,
inhabited by birds and deer, and which constitutes the retreat of
ascetics with souls under control, O thou foremost of those that have
subdued their senses! Next lie the exceedingly sacred Ketumala, and
Medhya ever graced with ascetics, and, O lord of earth, Gangadwara, and
the well-known woods of Saindhava which are sacred and inhabited by the
regenerate ones. There also is the celebrated tank of the Grandsire,
called Pushkara, the favourite abode of the Vaikanasas, and Siddhas and
Rishis. Moved by the desire of obtaining its protection, the Creator sang
this verse at Pushkara, O chief of the Kurus and foremost of virtuous
men! If a person of pure soul purposes a pilgrimage to the Pushkaras in
imagination even, he becometh purged from all his sins and rejoiceth in
heaven!'"

SECTION XC

"Dhaumya continued, 'O tiger among kings, I shall now describe those
tirthas and sacred spots that lie to the north. Do thou, O exalted one,
listen to me attentively. By hearing this narration, O hero, one
acquireth a reverential frame of mind, which conduceth to much good. In
that region is the highly sacred Saraswati abounding in tirthas and with
banks easy of descent. There also, O son of Pandu, is the ocean-going and
impetuous Yamuna, and the tirtha called Plakshavatarana, productive of
high merit and prosperity. It was there that the regenerate ones having
performed the Saraswata sacrifice, bathed on the completion there of. O
sinless one, is the well-known celestial tirtha called Agnisiras, which
is productive of great merit. There king Sahadeva had celebrated a
sacrifice measuring out the ground by a throw of the Samya. It is for
this reason, O Yudhishth