Month after month, the faithful observe a sacred rite, culminating each year in a special offering: a bed with a pot of sugar. Those who are able extend their generosity further, gifting a house furnished with all necessities, and a milking cow. According to one’s means, gold coins are given—whether a thousand, a hundred, ten, one, or even half a coin. A golden horse is offered with proper mantras, and all actions are carried out honestly, for deceit in matters of wealth brings only fault. The origin of rice and barley is recalled: drops of nectar from the sun, fallen from the mouth of one who drank the divine nectar, became these grains upon the earth. Among offerings, sugar is supreme; the essence of sugarcane is itself nectar, and sugar, born of the sun, is auspicious—fit for honoring ancestors and gods. This observance is known as the Sugar Seventh. Its merits are vast: it bestows the fruits of the horse sacrifice, dispels all evils, and increases progeny. Whoever performs it with utmost devotion secures a blessed destiny, dwells in heaven for an age, and ultimately attains the highest state. Even those who hear, remember, or recite this flawless account gain wisdom in the sun’s realm and are honored by gods and celestial maidens. Next comes the Lotus Seventh, whose mere mention pleases the sun. On the pure Seventh day of Spring, after bathing, one prepares a beautiful lotus in a golden vessel, using white mustard seeds and sesame. The lotus is covered with two cloths and worshipped with fragrances and flowers, as one offers salutations to the lotus-handed sustainer of the universe and to the radiant sun. At both times of day, the lotus is offered with a water-pot. A Brahmin is honored with cloth, garlands, and ornaments, and a decorated brown cow is given as prescribed, according to one’s ability. After day and night have passed, on the Eighth, Brahmins are fed, and then the devotee may partake of food, abstaining from meat and oil. This ritual is performed each month, with devotion and integrity. At the vow’s conclusion, a bed adorned with a golden lotus is given, and, according to means, a cow rich in gold and yielding milk. Desired utensils—vessels, seats, lamps, and other implements—are also gifted. Whoever observes the Lotus Seventh in this way attains endless prosperity and is honored in the sun’s realm. After passing through seven worlds, surrounded by celestial maidens, one finally reaches the highest state. Those who see, hear, or recite this with devotion and attentiveness enjoy unwavering prosperity here and delight in the realms of Gandharvas and Vidyadharas. Now the Mandāra Saptamī is revealed, a ritual that destroys all sins, fulfills every desire, and brings joy. On the fifth day of the bright half of Māgha, one eats lightly and prepares a tooth-stick; the wise fast on the sixth day. After honoring Brahmins, mandāra is partaken at night. At dawn, after bathing, the twice-born are again honored and fed generously. Eight mandāra flowers and a golden figure holding a lotus are fashioned. A lotus with eight petals is made using black sesame seeds in a copper vessel, and golden mandāra flowers are used to worship the Sun in the east. Each petal is dedicated: the southern to Sūrya, the southwestern to Arka, the western to Aryaman, the western again to Vedadhāmā, the northwestern to Caṇḍabhānu, the northern to Pūṣan, and then to Ānanda. In the center sits the figure as the universal self, wrapped in white cloths and adorned with offerings of food, garlands, and fruits. After this worship, the offering is given to a Vedic knower. Facing east and observing silence, the householder may eat food with oil and salt. This rite is repeated every Saptamī, each month for a year, without miserliness. At the vow’s end, the offering is placed atop a pot and, along with cows as one is able, given by those seeking prosperity. Salutations are offered to the Lord of Mandāra, the Dweller in Mandāra, and the Sun is beseeched to deliver all from worldly fear. Whoever performs the Mandāra Saptamī thus, free from sin, enjoys happiness here and rejoices in heaven for an age. This lamp dispels the dreadful darkness of accumulated sin, granting all desires. Those who recite or hear this ritual are freed from all sins. Now comes the auspicious Śubha Saptamī, whose observance frees one from disease, sorrow, and suffering. In the holy month of Āśvayuja, after bathing and reciting prayers, remaining pure, and having Brahmins recite, the Śubha Saptamī begins. A tawny cow is worshipped with fragrant substances, garlands, and ointments, and honored with the words: “I bow to you, born of the Sun, abode of all worlds; I honor you, whose body is auspicious and beneficent, for the attainment of all perfections.” A prastha of sesame seeds is prepared with a copper vessel, and a golden bull is adorned with fragrances, garlands, and jaggery. Various fruits and foods, ghee, and sweet rice are offered at the two prescribed times with the prayer: “May Aryaman be pleased.” Thus, through these sacred observances, the devotee’s path is illuminated, leading from prosperity and happiness in this world to honor and joy in the realms beyond, and ultimately to the highest state of being.