In ancient times, when the shadow of an eclipse fell upon the earth, a sacred ritual was performed to cleanse all beings—stationary and moving—across the three worlds. Joined in spirit with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and the radiant Sun, the people prayed that all sin would be burned away. The ritual began with the invocation of these powers, and then, special pots endowed with auspicious qualities were sprinkled, accompanied by mantras from the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas. White garlands and fragrant ointments were offered, and the chosen deities and revered brāhmaṇas were worshipped with gifts of cloth and cows. Next, the sacred mantras, together with prescribed hand gestures, were inscribed onto a cloth or a lotus, along with the five precious gems. The best among the twice-born would place this cloth on the head of the sacrificer, guiding the ritual in accordance with the eclipse’s passage. Facing east, after worshipping and saluting the chosen deity, and once the lunar eclipse had ended, cows were given away, auspicious rites were performed, and a ritual bath was taken. The cloth, now imbued with divine power, was presented to a brāhmaṇa. Those who performed this bathing for the planets, following these instructions, would not suffer afflictions caused by planetary influences, nor would they face the loss of loved ones. They would attain the highest accomplishment, rarely returning to the cycle of rebirth. During a solar eclipse, it was always prescribed to recite the name of the Sun in mantras. Superior padmarāga gems and beautiful tawny-colored stones were given to the lord of the night during lunar and solar eclipses. Whoever listened to these teachings daily, or caused others to hear them, would be freed from all sins and honored in Indra’s celestial realm. Then, a question arose: What should one do in times of wonder or distress? By what means could misfortune be destroyed? What rituals were performed for a child who had died, or in other dire circumstances? Sins committed in the past, it was explained, bore fruit as disease, poverty, ugliness, and even the death of those we love. To remove these afflictions, the ritual called saptamī-snāpana was revealed—a ceremony that brings auspiciousness and destroys suffering among people. This ritual was especially prescribed where the death of milk-drinking children was seen, as well as for the elderly, the sick, and even the young. For their peace, the consecration for a child who had died was described, a rite that dispels confusion and agitation of the mind. It was foretold that, in the future, a boar incarnation would appear when the supreme Manu Vaivasvata became the best among men. During the twenty-fifth cycle named Kṛta, a powerful king of the Haihaya lineage, Kṛtavīrya, would arise. He would rule the entire earth of seven continents for seventy-seven thousand years. Yet, by the curse of Cyavana, he would depart from life as soon as he had a hundred sons. When his son Sahasrabāhu was born—blessed, with eyes like a deer and bearing the marks of a king—Kṛtavīrya, worshipping the thousand-rayed Sun with fasting, vows, and Vedic hymns, would obtain the bathing ritual for his son’s life. When asked by Kṛtavīrya, the Sun would explain the ritual, which always destroys all evils and removes impurity. The Sun would assure him: “Enough of great suffering. Your son, O king, will live long; but this is the remover of impurity.” The saptamī-snāpana was then described for the welfare of all worlds, especially for a child who had died in the seventh month or on the bright seventh day. This ritual was highly praised. To perform it, one must harness the strength of the planets and stars, and have a Brahmin recite the prescribed prayers. The birth star and lunar day of the child should be avoided, and the same applies for the elderly and the sick. On earth smeared with cow dung, a single fire is kindled. Red rice grains mixed with cow’s milk are prepared as a sacrificial offering for Surya and Rudra, using their respective mantras. The seven-verse hymn dedicated to Surya is recited, and oblations of clarified butter are offered using the Rudra hymn. Fuel sticks from arka and palasha trees are offered, and barley and black sesame seeds are used for eight hundred oblations. With sacred utterances and clarified butter, another eight hundred offerings are made. After the oblations, a ceremonial bath is performed by the wise. A Brahmin learned in the Vedas, holding darbha grass, places four auspicious pots at the corners. A fifth pot, adorned with curd and unbroken grains, is placed at the center, consecrated with the seven-verse hymn. This central pot is filled with water from a solar holy place, set with gems, containing all medicinal herbs, and mixed with five products of the cow. It is surrounded by five kinds of gems, fruits, flowers, and garments. Clean earth is brought from seven sources: elephant, horse, chariot, anthill, confluence, pond, and cow pen, and placed in all the pots. From the four gem-filled pots, the Brahmin takes the central one and recites solar mantras over it. Seven women, each without bodily blemish, are worshipped with garlands, garments, and ornaments according to their ability, together with Brahmins. The sprinkling of the child with earth is then performed. Prayers are offered: “May this child have a long life, and may the radiant woman bear living sons. May the Sun and Moon, along with the hosts of planets and stars, protect him. May Indra, the guardians of the worlds, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara, and all other gods always shield the boy. Let Mitra, Shani, Agni, and those planetary deities who afflict children not trouble the child, nor his mother or father.” The seven women, dressed in white garments and accompanied by the guardian of children, are worshipped with devotion by the women, and again by the teacher. A golden image is made and placed upon a copper vessel, and the image of Dharmaraja is presented to the teacher. Brahmins are worshipped in the same way, with garments, gold, heaps of gems, and food prepared with clarified butter and rice pudding, all given with generosity and reverence. Thus, through these sacred rites, auspiciousness and protection are invoked for the afflicted, and the cycle of suffering is broken, restoring harmony and hope to families and communities.