at last arrived at Naimisha.
O king, reaching the Gomati, the Pandavas bathed in the sacred _tirtha_
of that stream, and having performed their ablutions there, they gave
away, O Bharata, both kine and wealth! And repeatedly offering oblations
of water, O Bharata, to the gods, the pitris, and the Brahmanas, in the
_tirthas_ called Kanya, Aswa, and Go and staying (as directed) in
Kalakoti and the Vishaprastha hills, the Kauravas then, O king, reached
Vahuda and performed their ablution in that stream. Proceeding next, O
lord of earth, to the sacrificial region of the gods known by the name
Prayaga, they bathed in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna and residing
there practised ascetic penances of great merit. And the Pandavas, of
truthful promises, bathing in the _tirtha_, cleansed themselves of every
sin. The sons of Pandu then, O king of the Bharata race, accompanied by
those Brahmanas, proceeded to the _tirtha_ called _Vedi_, sacred to the
Creator and adored by the ascetics. Residing there for some time and
gratifying the Brahmanas with the fruit and roots of the wilderness and
clarified butter, those heroes began to practise ascetic penances of
great merit. They then proceeded to Mahidhara consecrated by that
virtuous royal sage Gaya of unrivalled splendour. In that region is the
hill called Gayasira, as well as the delightful river called Mahanadi,
with fine banks graced by bushes of canes. On that celestial hill of
holy peaks is a sacred _tirtha_ called _Brahmasara_ which is much adored
by ascetics. There on the banks of that lake had dwelt of yore the
eternal god himself of justice, and it was thither that the illustrious
Rishi Agastya had repaired to behold that deity. It is from that lake
that all the rivers take their rise and there in that _tirtha_, Mahadeva
the wielder of the _Pinaka_, is present for aye. Arriving at that spot,
the heroic sons of Pandu practised the vow that is known by the name of
the _Chaturmasya_ according to all the rites and ordinances of the great
sacrifice called _Rishiyajna_. It is there that that mighty tree called
the Eternal banian stands. Any sacrifice performed there produces merit
that is eternal. In that sacrificial platform of the gods producing
eternal merit, the Pandavas began to fast with concentrated souls. And
there came unto them Brahmanas by hundreds endued with wealth of
asceticism. And those Brahmanas also all performed the _Chaturmasya_
sacrifice according to the rites