The pilgrim should with concentrated soul, walk round it.
Equal unto the Pushkaras, it was created by the high-souled Rama, the
son of Jamadagni. Bathing there and worshipping the _Pitris_ and the
gods, one obtaineth, O king, the merit of the horse-sacrifice and
becometh successful in everything. The pilgrim should next repair with
concentrated soul to the _Rama-hrada_. There, O king, the heroic Rama of
resplendent energy, exterminating the Kshatriyas by his might, dug five
lakes and filled them, O tiger among men, with the blood of his victims,
as heard by us. And having filled those lakes with Kshatriya blood, Rama
offered oblations of blood to his sires and grandsires. Gratified (with
the oblations) those Rishis then addressed Rama and said, 'O Rama, O
Rama, O thou of great good fortune, we have been gratified with thee, O
thou of the Bhrigu race, for this thy regard for the Pitris, and thy
prowess, O exalted one! Blessed be thou and ask thou the boon thou
choosest. What is that thou desirest, O thou of great splendour!' Thus
addressed (by them), Rama, that foremost of smiters, said with joined
hands these words unto the _Pitris_, stationed in the firmament, 'If ye
have been gratified with me, if I have deserved your favour, I desire
this favour of the Pitris, _viz_., that I may have pleasure again in
ascetic austerities. Let me also, through your power, be freed from the
sin I have committed by exterminating, from wrath, the Kshatriya race.
Let also my lakes become _tirthas_ celebrated over the world.' The
Pitris, hearing these blessed words of Rama, were highly gratified, and
filled with joy they answered him saying, 'Let thy asceticism increase
in consequence of thy regard for the Pitris. Thou hast exterminated the
Kshatriyas from wrath. Freed art thou already from that sin, for they
have perished as a consequence of their own misdeeds. Without doubt,
these lakes of thine will become _tirthas_. And if one, bathing in these
lakes, offereth oblations of the water thereof to the _Pitris_, the
latter gratified with him will grant him desire, difficult of fulfilment
in the world as also eternal heaven.' O king, having granted him these
boons, the Pitris joyfully saluted Rama of the Bhrigu race and
disappeared there and then. It was thus that the lakes of the
illustrious Rama of the Bhrigu race became sacred. Leading a
Brahmacharya mode of life and observing sacred vows, one should bathe in
the lakes of Rama. Bathing ther