In the sacred narrative, honor is first offered to Hari, the one marked with the Śrīvatsa, the abode of the universe and lord of Śrī, the bearer of fortune. Devakī, the goddess, bore him from Vasudeva, and he is the soul of Brahman, the protector of the earth and of Brahmā. With reverence, his names are recited, and prayers for deliverance are raised: “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!” The plea continues, “O son of Devakī, lord of Śrī, O Hari, from the ocean of worldly existence! O Viṣṇu, you protect even the wicked, those who remember you once or again.” One humbly admits, “My 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, repeated salutations are offered to Krishna, to Govinda, with wishes for peace, auspiciousness, fame, and sovereignty. Brahmā then speaks of sacred observances: whoever fasts from food on the eighth day until the end of the year and gives a cow attains the status of Indra; this is the vow of good destiny. The eighth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Pausha is known as the great Rudra. Performed for Brahmā’s pleasure, its fruit is a thousandfold. Whenever the eighth day falls on a Wednesday in either fortnight, that day is auspicious for the vow and its story. Those who keep discipline on that day will not see their wealth diminished. Leaving aside two fingers’ worth, eight handfuls of rice should be used. One desiring liberation should eat with true devotion and faith, placing food on a mango leaf and eating it with kusa grass. When mixed with sour kalambika, the desired fruit is obtained. After worshipping Budha with five offerings at a water place, one should give, as able, a gourd with rice as donation. The seed mantra for Budha is “buṃ budhāya,” ending with “svāhā,” and offerings include lotus and other items. Budha is dark-complexioned, holding bow and arrow, depicted in the middle of the leaf and limbs. The story of Budha’s eighth day is virtuous and should be heard by the wise. In the city called Pataliputra lived a noble Brahmin named Vira, his wife Rambha, and their excellent son Kaushika. Their daughter was Vijaya, and the cowherd was Vrisha. Kaushika took Vrisha and, in summer, went to the Ganges for enjoyment. During play, Vrisha was seized by cowherds and thieves by force. Rising from the Ganges, he wandered in the forest, distressed. Vijaya went for water, and her brother accompanied her. Thirsty and seeking lotus stalks, they arrived at a lake. There, Kaushika saw divine women performing worship and other rites. Amazed, he approached them and 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 given. The women departed, and the two obtained wealth and drank of it. Having taken what was given by the thieves, Kaushika returned home at nightfall, bowed to the distressed hero, and slept comfortably. Seeing Vijaya, now a maiden, Kaushika wondered to whom he should give his daughter. Out of sorrow, and because of the fruit of his vow, he decided: “To Yama.” When his parents had gone 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 Vijaya, “Become a householder in my city.” She did not open the door when Yama had gone elsewhere, and saw her own mother bound by the noose, standing as a captive. Anxious, she learned of the vow spoken by Kaushika, which grants liberation. She performed it and was freed; thus, one should observe this vow. By its merit, she went to heaven and dwelt there happily. Brahmā continues: Those who drink eight buds of the aśoka tree during the bright eighth day of the month of Caitra, under the star Punarvasu, will never experience sorrow. “O aśoka, beloved of Hara, born in the spring month, I drink you, tormented by sorrow—always remove my sorrow.” Thus is the aśokāṣṭamī vow. On the bright eighth day in the month of Āśvayuja, joined with the star Uttarāṣāḍhā, is the great Navamī; bathing, giving gifts, and other rites bring inexhaustible merit. On the pure Navamī, one should worship Durgā; this is a great vow, practiced by Śaṅkara and others. Beginning from the sixth day, without asking, and for the king’s victory over enemies, one should always feed a maiden, accompanied by recitation and fire offerings. In worship and related rites, the mantra is: “O Durgā, O Durgā, O Protectress, svāhā.” The nine goddesses are to be honored with elongated syllables, ending with “obeisance.” With six words—“obeisance, svāhā, vaṣaṭ,” and so on—beginning with the heart and ending with the little finger, one should perform the ritual for Śivā. On the eighth day, one should make nine wooden houses, or even just one, and install the goddess within, whether made of gold or silver. She is worshipped on a spear, sword, book, cloth, or diagram; with a skull, shield, bell, mirror, forefinger, or wealth. Durgā bears a banner, drum, noose in her left hands; and a spear, mallet, trident, thunderbolt, sword, and goad. With arrow, discus, and rod, Durgā is adorned with weapons; the remaining forms have sixteen arms, except for the collyrium and drum. Her fierce forms are Rudracaṇḍā, Pracaṇḍā, Caṇḍogrā, Caṇḍanāyikā, Caṇḍā, Caṇḍavatī, Caṇḍarūpā, and the exceedingly fierce Caṇḍikā. Thus, through prayer, vows, and worship, the path to auspiciousness, liberation, and divine favor is revealed, as spoken by the wise and preserved in the sacred tradition.