As dawn breaks on the fourteenth day, the devotee rises with a heart full of reverence and resolve. “O Lord,” he prays, “today I will spend the night in vigilant worship. According to my means, I will offer worship, perform acts of charity, practice austerities, and make sacred oblations.” Throughout the day, he remains steadfast in his fast, abstaining from food, and at the close of his vigil, he seeks both the joys of this world and the promise of liberation. “O Shambhu, Lord of all beings, you are my refuge,” he declares. At the appointed time, the devotee bathes his guru with the five nectars of the cow, honoring the righteous teacher with fragrant sandalwood and other offerings. With each offering, he chants with devotion: “Om, obeisance, obeisance to Shiva.” Into the sacred fire, he pours sesame, rice, and barley mixed with ghee, making oblations as prescribed. When the full offering is complete, he listens to sacred songs and stories, allowing their holy vibrations to fill the night. As midnight arrives, and again at the third and fourth watches of the night, he recites the root mantra with unwavering focus. When morning comes, he bows his head, seeking forgiveness: “O Lord, by your grace I have kept this vow without hindrance. Forgive me, O Hara, ruler of the three worlds!” He acknowledges, “Whatever merit I have earned, whatever I have offered to Rudra, it is by your grace alone that I have completed this vow today.” With humility, he prays, “Be gracious to me, O glorious one, and return to your abode. By merely seeing you, I am purified beyond doubt.” He then feeds those devoted to meditation, gifting them with garments, umbrellas, and other necessities, honoring them as beloved of the Lord of beings, the benefactor of the worlds. “May the Lord be pleased with whatever I have given in faith,” he prays. Thus, after asking forgiveness, the observer of the vow is enjoined to repeat this practice for twelve years. Such devotion brings fame, prosperity, sons, and sovereignty. Ultimately, the devotee attains the Shaiva city, and it is said that throughout all twelve months, one should keep vigil in this way. The one who feeds twelve observers of the vow and gives them lamps earns a place in heaven. Brahma, the grandsire, then speaks of the ancient emperor Mandhata, who faithfully observed the Ekadashi fast. On both fortnights, one should fast on Ekadashi, abstaining from food. When the tenth and eleventh days are mixed, Gandhari herself observed the fast, but her hundred sons were lost; thus, that day should be avoided. Where the twelfth and eleventh days coincide, Hari is present; where the tenth and eleventh coincide, the demon is present. When there is much debate, doubt arises. In such cases, it is best to accept the twelfth day and break the fast on the thirteenth, fasting on Ekadashi when it falls in its proper portion, and likewise on the twelfth. Especially when the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth lunar days are combined, that auspicious tithi should be observed, for it removes all sins. After fasting on the eleventh day, a twice-born should also observe the twelfth, or even the combination of all three, but never when joined with the tenth day. By keeping vigil at night, listening to the Puranas, worshipping Gadadhara, and fasting on both Ekadashis, the noble Rukmangada attained liberation, as have many others through the Ekadashi vow. Brahma continues, “Now I will declare the worship by which the world attained the supreme state, a worship that grants both enjoyment and liberation.” The devotee prepares the general mandala, placing the creator at the doorway, along with the arranger, the Ganges, Yamuna, and the great river. At the entrance, he worships the goddess of fortune, the staff, and the fierce Vastu Purusha. In the center, he honors the supporting power, the tortoise, and Ananta. He offers worship to the earth, dharma, knowledge, detachment, and sovereignty, as well as the four roots of adharma, the stem, and the lotus. He venerates the pericarp, the filament, and the qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas, along with the solar and other circles, and the pure and other powers. At the corners, he worships Durga and her hosts, Sarasvati, and the guardian of the field. Having worshipped the seat and the image, he recalls the strength of Vasudeva. He then worships Aniruddha, the great soul, and Narayana, along with the heart and other limbs, and the conch and other weapons. Brahma recounts further: “In the bright fortnight of the month of Magha, when joined with the solar sign, Bhima once observed the Ekadashi fast. By performing this wondrous vow, he became free from ancestral debts. This Bhima Dvadashi is renowned, increasing merit for all beings. Even without the associated star, it destroys sins as grave as killing a Brahmin, removing great faults as completely as a bad king destroys his realm, a bad son ruins his family, a wicked wife harms her husband, adharma destroys dharma, or a false minister ruins a king.” He continues, “Just as ignorance destroys knowledge, impurity destroys purity, lack of faith destroys faith, and falsehood destroys truth; as cold is dispelled by heat, misfortune by wealth, charity by silence, and austerity by wonder; as a son is ruined by lack of education, cows by distance, tranquility by anger, and wealth by lack of increase; as knowledge is attained through wisdom and fruit through desirelessness—so too, this auspicious Dvadashi vow is proclaimed for the destruction of sin. The sins of killing a Brahmin, drinking liquor, theft, and approaching the wife of a teacher—even if all these arise together—are not destroyed by the observance of the triple Pushkara, nor by visiting the sacred fields of Naimisha, Kurukshetra, or Prabhasa, nor by bathing in the holy rivers Kalindi, Yamuna, Ganga, or Sarasvati. None of the holy places, nor gifts, recitations, oblations, or any other virtuous act, equals the merit of Ekadashi. On one side is the gift of the entire earth, on the other is the day of Hari; yet even greater is this excellent Ekadashi, which is supremely meritorious. On this sacred day, one should fashion the form of Varaha, the divine boar, out of gold, and place it upon a new vessel atop a pot or in a copper dish. Fill it with all kinds of seeds, cover it with a white cloth, and offer golden lamps and other gifts. With heartfelt devotion and care, perform worship, for thus is the path to supreme merit and liberation revealed.