Pulastya

Bhishma, emaciated from vows and study, meditates at the mouth of the Ganga when he sees a figure blazing like fire approaching — the sage Pulastya. He worships him with every prescribed ritual, then falls silent with joined hands, declaring himself the sage's slave.

Pulastya tells Bhishma that tirthas — sacred pilgrimage sites — offer the poor what sacrifices cannot: the same merit, attainable without wealth. He names Pushkara as the foremost, then lays out a route across the earth, each stop carrying its own promise of purification and reward.

Pleased with Bhishma's humility, self-control and devotion to truth, Pulastya offers him any boon. Bhishma asks only for knowledge: dispel my doubt about the dharma that comes from the tirthas, and tell me what merits are obtained by circling the earth.

Yudhishthira asks the sage Pulastya to describe the sacred tirthas of Kurukshetra and their merits. Pulastya responds with a detailed pilgrimage itinerary, naming each tirtha, its origin story, and the fruits of bathing there — from the boar-form of Vishnu to the lakes of Rama Jamadagnya.

Yudhishthira asks the sage Pulastya to describe the sacred tirthas and their fruits. Pulastya responds with a detailed itinerary spanning the subcontinent — naming each site, the rituals to perform there, and the spiritual rewards that await the pilgrim who undertakes the journey with faith.

Narada recounts how the rishi Pulastya, pleased with Bhishma, delivered a vast discourse on the sacred tirthas — naming each one, its location, and the specific fruits of bathing or dwelling there — before taking his leave and disappearing.

Markandeya begins to answer Yudhishthira's request by tracing the lineage of Rama from the Ikshvaku king Aja through Dasharatha and his four sons. Then he turns to Ravana's birth, describing how the god Prajapati's line passed through Pulastya, and how a father's anger created the sage Vishrava — the father of the rakshasa king.

Kubera, knowing his father Vishrava is angry with him, sends three rakshasis to serve the sage. They rival each other in dancing and singing to please him. Vishrava is pleased and grants each a boon — and from these three women are born the lords of the rakshasas: Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana, Khara, and Shurpanakha.