Salutations are offered again and again to Govinda, who is the very embodiment of yoga, the lord and master of all yogis, and the source from which yoga arises. In the act of bathing, devotees recite: “Salutations again and again to Govinda, who is the embodiment of sacrifice, the lord and master of all sacrifices.” In worship, they proclaim: “Salutations again and again to Govinda, the all-pervading one, the lord and master of the universe.” And as they rest, they pray: “Salutations again and again to Govinda, who is all, the lord of all, the protector and source of all.” On a raised altar, the deity is worshipped, as well as the Moon together with Rohiṇī. Water is taken in a conch, accompanied by flowers, fruits, and sandalwood, and this is offered with devotion. Approaching the ground on one’s knees, arghya is presented to the Moon, with the words: “O one born from the ocean of milk! O one who arose from the eye of Atri!” The devotee entreats: “O lord of the Moon, together with Rohiṇī, accept this arghya from me; for the sake of Śrī, for Vasudeva, for Nanda, and for Balarāma.” Further offerings of arghya, with fruits, are made to Yaśodā, to Ananta, Vāmana, Śauri, Vaikuṇṭha, and Puruṣottama; then to Vāsudeva, Hṛṣīkeśa, Mādhava, Madhusūdana, Varāha, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Nṛsiṃha, and the slayer of the Daityas; then to Dāmodara, Padmanābha, Keśava, the one whose banner bears Garuḍa, Govinda, Acyuta—the god who is infinite and unconquered; to Adhokṣaja, seed of the universe, cause of creation, preservation and destruction, to Viṣṇu, without beginning or end, lord of the three worlds, Trivikrama; to Nārāyaṇa, four-armed, bearing conch, discus, and mace, clad in yellow garments, adorned with a divine forest garland; to the one marked with Śrīvatsa, the abode of the universe, the lord of Śrī, the bearer of fortune, Hari, whom Devakī, the goddess, bore from Vasudeva. For the protection of the earth and of Brahmā, salutations are offered to him who is the soul of Brahman. Reciting these names, the devotee prays for deliverance, crying: “Rescue me, O lord of gods, O Hari, from the ocean of worldly existence! Rescue me, O destroyer of all sins, O master, from the ocean of suffering and sorrow! O son of Devakī, lord of Śrī, O Hari, from the ocean of worldly existence! O Viṣṇu, you protect the wicked—those who remember you even once and again. I am one whose conduct is worse than the gods; save me from the ocean of sorrow, O lotus-eyed one! I am submerged in the vast sea of sacrifice and knowledge. Save me, O Lord of gods and Lord of lords! There is no protector besides you. My birth, O son of Vasudeva, is for the welfare of cows and Brahmins. For the welfare of the world, I bow again and again to Krishna, to Govinda. May there be peace, may there be auspiciousness, and may fame and sovereignty be attained.” Brahmā then spoke of the vow of good destiny: Whoever observes a fast from food on the eighth day until the end of the year and gives a cow in charity attains the status of Indra. This is the vow of auspicious fate. The eighth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Pauṣa is called the great Rudra; performed for Brahmā’s pleasure, its fruit is a thousandfold. Whenever the eighth day falls on a Wednesday in either fortnight, on that day this vow and its story should be observed. Those who keep discipline on that day will not see their wealth diminish. Setting aside two fingers’ worth, eight handfuls of rice are used. One who desires liberation should eat food with true devotion and faith, placing it on a mango leaf and eating it with kusa grass. When the food is mixed with sour kalambika, the desired result is obtained. After worshipping Budha with five offerings at a water place, one should, as able, give a gourd with rice as a donation. The seed mantra for Budha is “buṃ budhāya svāhā,” offered with a lotus and other items. Budha is dark-complexioned, holding bow and arrow, in the middle of the leaf and limbs. The story of Budha’s eighth day is virtuous and should certainly be heard by the wise. In the city of Pataliputra, there lived a noble Brahmin named Vira. His wife was Rambha, and their excellent son was Kaushika. Their daughter was named Vijaya, and their cowherd was Vrisha. One summer, Kaushika took Vrisha and went to the Ganges to enjoy himself. But while playing, Vrisha was seized by cowherds and thieves by force. Rising from the Ganges, Vrisha wandered the forest, distressed. Vijaya went to fetch water, and her brother accompanied her. Thirsty and seeking lotus stalks, he arrived at a lake. There, he saw divine women performing worship and other rites, which amazed him. Approaching them, he begged for food, saying, “I am hungry, along with my brother.” The women replied, “Perform the vow, and we will give you food; do the vow.” For the sake of his wife and wealth, they worshipped Budha. Taking two leaves, Kaushika ate the food that was given. The women departed, and the two obtained wealth and enjoyed it. Having taken what was given by the thieves, he returned home at nightfall, bowed to the distressed Vrisha, and then slept comfortably through the night. As time passed and Vijaya grew into a young woman, her father wondered, “To whom should I give my daughter?” Out of sorrow, and as the fruit of his vow, he said, “To Yama.” When his parents had departed to heaven, Kaushika performed a vow for the sake of the kingdom, gave the great kingdom of Ayodhya, and gave his sister to Yama. Yama said to her, “Become a householder in my city.” She did not open the door when Yama had gone elsewhere. She saw her own mother bound by the noose, standing as a captive. Then, anxious, she learned of the vow spoken by Kaushika, which grants liberation. She performed it, and was freed; therefore, one should observe this vow. By the merit of the vow, she went to heaven and dwelt there happily. Brahmā further said: Whoever drinks eight buds of the aśoka tree on the bright eighth day of the month of Caitra, under the star Punarvasu, will never experience sorrow. The prayer is offered: “O aśoka, beloved of Hara, born in the spring month, I drink you, tormented by sorrow—always remove my sorrow.” Thus, the rituals, prayers, and stories weave together a path of devotion, discipline, and liberation, leading the sincere soul toward peace, auspiciousness, and the grace of the Lord.