The three encountered a vaishya named Vanjula. This character had been a drunkard and his sin had also not been pardoned. Vanjula joined Vidura, Chandrasharma and Vedasharma.

The four sinners eventually met a sage and asked him how they might be pardoned their sins.

“Why don’t you go and visit Prayaga, Pushkara, Arghyatirtha and Varanasi?” asked the sage. “I am certain that your sins will be pardoned then.”

The four sinners did as the sage had asked them to. But their sins were not pardoned. In fact, so severe were their sins that the four tirthas became contaminated in the process. The four tirthas adopted the forms of four black swans and began to follow the sinners around. The sinners went to many other tirthas. But whenever they bathed in any specific tirtha, the tirtha became contaminated, adopted the form of a black swan, and followed them. Tirthas which had not been contaminated (that is, the sinners had not bathed there) also followed the group. These were the white swans. Soon, there were sixty-four tirthas in the form of swans travelling with the group.

The group eventually made its way to the great tirtha known as manasa sarovara. But as soon as the sinners bathed in the lake, manasa sarovara became contaminated and adopted the form of a gigantic black swan.

Eventually, the group made its way to the confluence of the rivers Narmada and Reva. When the four sinners bathed there, their sins were pardoned. The tirthas too, in the forms of black swans, bathed there and were cleansed of all contamination. They became white swans. As for the four fierce women, these were the personifications of the four sins. As soon as the sinners were pardoned, the four women died. Although Prayaga, Pushkara, Arghyatirtha and Varanasi are great places of pilgrimage, the most sacred tirtha of all is the confluence of the rivers Narmada and Reva. This is known as Kubjatirtha.

Kunjala recounted this incident and said, “Son, what you witnessed must have become clear to you now. It was only an allegory.”

Vijjvala’s Account

“What about you, Vijjvala? Asked Kunjala. “Do you have something wonderful to tell us as well?”

“Indeed, I do,” replied Vijjvala.

Vijjvala usually went to look for food in the neighbourhood of Mount Sumeru. In that region, there was a wonderful forest named Anandakanana. I was full of fruits and flowers and divine trees. Apsaras and gandharvas came there to frolic. The vimanas of the gods descended there off and on. In Anandakanana forest, there was also a beautiful lake. Lotuses and swans abounded in the lake.

While Vijjvala was waiting there, he saw a shining vimana descend. In the vimana was a divine-looking couple. They were handsome and richly clothed. The couple got down from the vimana and advanced to the edge of the water. They bathed in the lake and picked up a pair of swords. It was then that Vijjvala noticed two dead bodies lying by the side of the lake. Wonder of wonders, the made dead body looked exactly like the man who had descended from the vimana. And the female dead body looked exactly like the woman who had got down from the vimana.