the Agnishtoma sacrifice.  Bathing in Shivodbheda, one acquireth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine.  And bathing in Nagodbheda, one obtaineth the region of the Nagas.  One should proceed, next, to the inaccessible tirtha of Shasayana, where the cranes, O Bharata, disappearing in the form of sasas, re-appear every year in the month of Kavttika, and bathe, O blessed chief of the Bharata race, in the Sarasawati.  Bathing there, O tiger among men, one blazeth forth like the Moon, and obtaineth, O bull of the Bharata race, the merit of the gift of a thousand kine.  One should next proceed, O thou of the Kuru race, to Kumarakoti, with subdued senses, and bathing there, worship the gods and the Puris.  By doing this, one obtaineth the merit of the gift of ten thousand kine, and raiseth all his ancestors to higher regions.  One should next, O virtuous one, proceed with subdued soul to Rudrakoti, where in olden days, O king, ten millions of Munis had assembled.  And, O king, filled with great joy at the prospect of beholding Mahadeva, the Rishis assembled there, each saying, ‘I will first behold the god!  I will first behold the god!’ And, O king, in order to prevent disputes amongst those Rishis of subdued souls, the Lord of Yoga, by the help of his Yoga power, multiplied himself into ten million forms, and stood before every one of them.  And every one of these Rishis said, ‘I have seen him first!’ And gratified, O king, with the deep devotion of those Munis of subdued souls, Mahadeva granted them a boon, saying, ’From this day your righteousness shall grow!’ And, O tiger among men, one that bathes, with a pure mind, in Rudrakoti obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and delivereth his ancestors.  One should next proceed, O king, to that highly sacred and celebrated region where the Saraswati mingles with the sea.  Thither, O king, the gods with Brahma at their head and Rishis with wealth of asceticism repair for adoring Kesava on the fourteenth day of the lighted fortnight of the month of Chaitra.  Bathing there, O tiger among men, one obtaineth the merit of giving away gold in abundance, and his soul being cleansed from every sin, he ascendeth to the region of Brahma.  It is there, O king, that the Rishis have completed many a sacrifice.  By a trip to that spot one obtaineth the merit of the gifts of a thousand kine."’”

SECTION LXXXIII

“’Pulastya said, “One should next proceed, O king, to the adored Kurukshetra at sight of which all creatures are freed from their sins.  He is freed from all sins who constantly sayeth, ’I will live in Kurukshetra.’  The very dust of Kurukshetra, conveyed by the wind, leadeth a sinful man to a blessed course (in after-life).  They that dwell in Kurukshetra which lieth to the south of the Saraswati and the north of the Drishadwati,