With great reverence, Brahma spoke of the power and grace found in the observance of vows to Lord Vishnu. He explained that if, by fate, one were to die before completing such a vow, the Lord Janārdana, in His infinite compassion, would consider the vow fulfilled by His grace. Thus, after worshipping, the devotee should accept the vow, perform its associated rituals, and recite the sacred mantras. Whoever undertakes this vow of Hari finds their sins utterly destroyed. The path is clear: after bathing, one must engage in worship, recitation, and other observances related to the vow. If, for four months, a devotee worships Vishnu while subsisting on only a single meal each day, he attains Vishnu Himself and reaches the spotless world of the Lord. By abandoning intoxicants, meat, and wine, and by worshipping the destroyer of demons with Vedic knowledge—eschewing even oil—one attains the world of Vishnu, sharing in His divine presence, having performed arduous observances. Fasting, too, holds immense merit: by fasting for a single night, one becomes divine and attains a celestial body; by fasting for three nights and abstaining from the sixth meal, one journeys to Shvetadvipa, the pure realm. Through the Chandrayana vow, a seeker attains the abode of Hari and the liberation they desire. The Prajapatya vow leads to Vishnu’s world, while the Paraka vow brings one to Hari Himself. There are many ways to practice restraint: living on saktu, barley, or alms; eating only milk, curds, or ghee; subsisting on cow urine and barley, or food prepared with the five sacred products of the cow; consuming vegetables, roots, fruits, and similar fare while avoiding juices—all these make one a partaker of Vishnu’s grace. Brahma then revealed the most excellent of vows: the monthly fast. This should be performed by forest-dwellers, ascetics, and women alike. On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Ashvina, after fasting, one should undertake this vow for thirty days, vowing, “From this day, O Vishnu, until your awakening, I shall worship you tirelessly for thirty days.” If one’s life should end between the bright twelfth days of Kartika and Ashvina, then, by Vishnu’s mercy, the vow remains unbroken. The devotee should bathe thrice daily and worship Hari with scents and other offerings, but should not anoint the body with fragrant ointments within the temple. On the twelfth day, after worship, food should be offered to Brahmins, and only then should the observer break the fast. If, during the observance, one becomes faint, they may take milk or similar sustenance; this does not break the vow, and the devotee attains both enjoyment and liberation. Brahma continued, describing the special vows for Kartika. After bathing, one should worship Vishnu for a month, either with a single meal, at night, or by begging. Alternatively, one may subsist on milk, vegetables, fruits, or fast entirely. Freed from all sins, the devotee’s desires are fulfilled, and he attains Hari. Among all vows, that of Hari is supreme, followed by the southern solstice vow, the four-month vow, and, in Kartika, the Bhishma Panchaka. The finest vow is to be performed on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight: after bathing, one should worship Hari three times daily, along with offerings to ancestors and others. The silent devotee should worship with ghee, the five products of the cow, and water, and after bathing, anoint with camphor and other fragrant substances. A twice-born should burn incense made of guggul smeared with ghee for five days, offer the best food, and recite sacred mantras one hundred and eight times. With devotion, one should offer oblations of ghee, rice, sesame, and similar items, using the eight-syllabled mantra ending with ‘svāhā’: “Om, obeisance to Vāsudeva!” Each day of the vow is marked by special worship: on the first day, the feet of Hari are to be worshipped with lotuses; on the second, the knees with bilva leaves; on the third, the navel with fragrant substances. On the fifth day, the shoulders are worshipped with bilva and java flowers, and the head with mālatī flowers; the deity is laid upon the ground, and cow dung is consumed in order. On this day, the five products of the cow—cow urine, curd, and milk—are taken, and on the fifteenth night, a night fast is observed. Thus, the devotee attains both enjoyment in this world and liberation beyond. The Ekādaśī vow, always to be observed on both fortnights, destroys all sins and hellish suffering, and grants the abode of Vishnu. Wherever Ekādaśī, Dvādaśī, and Trayodaśī fall at night’s end, Hari is always present. Where Daśamī and Ekādaśī coincide, demons and such are found; thus, on Dvādaśī, one must break the fast, keeping the rules even in times of impurity or death. Fasts should also be observed when the fourteenth and first days are mixed with the previous day, on the full and new moons, and when the first day is mixed. The same applies to the second and third days when they are mixed, the third joined with the fourth, the fourth joined with it, the fifth joined with the sixth, and the seventh joined with the sixth. Brahma then turned to the vow of Śivarātri and the story that grants all desires. He recounted how, once, Gaurī asked Bhūteśa about the supreme vow. Īśvara replied: In the dark half of the month between Māgha and Phālguna, on the fourteenth day, one should keep vigil and worship Rudra throughout the night. By doing so, one attains both worldly enjoyment and liberation. Hara, when worshipped with desire, is to be honored on Dvādaśī, as is Keśava; when worshipped by those who have fasted, he delivers them from hell. Īśvara told the tale of Sundarasena, a sinful king of the Niṣāda people in Arbuda. Accompanied by wicked men, he went hunting in the forest. After capturing animals, he was afflicted by hunger and thirst on the mountain and stayed awake at night in a grove by a pond. There stood a liṅga. As he guarded himself, he unknowingly dropped leaves upon the liṅga’s head. To remove dust, he poured water on the liṅga, and by accident, an arrow slipped from his hand. Kneeling on the ground, he touched and took hold of the liṅga. Thus, through bathing, touching, worshipping, and keeping vigil, he unknowingly performed acts of worship. In the morning, he returned home and ate food given by his wife. In time, he died and was seized by Yama’s attendants, who bound him and led him away. Yet, after a battle, Shiva’s own attendants defeated the agents of Yama and released Sundarasena. Together with his faithful dog, he remained as a pure attendant by Shiva’s side. In this way, merit arises even from acts done in ignorance, but from knowledge comes inexhaustible merit. Therefore, on the thirteenth day, one devoted to vows should worship Shiva and undertake this supreme discipline.