Now, listen as I recount the sacred observances that dispel all sins, fulfill every desire, and bring delight to the heart. Among these, the Mandāra Saptamī stands foremost—a rite of great merit. It begins on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Māgha. On this day, a person should eat only lightly and prepare a tooth-stick, for the wise must fast completely on the following, the sixth day. When night falls, having duly honored the Brāhmaṇas, one partakes of the mandāra, and then, rising at dawn, bathes and again pays respect to the twice-born. After feeding them as generously as possible, eight mandāra flowers are fashioned, and a golden figure is made—beautiful, holding a lotus. A lotus of black sesame seeds is then created within a copper vessel, its eight petals adorned with golden mandāra flowers. With these, the devotee worships the Sun rising in the east. Each petal receives its due: Sūrya on the southern, Arka on the southwestern, Aryaman on the western, Vedadhāmā on the western again, Caṇḍabhānu on the northwestern, Pūṣan on the northern, and Ānanda next. The golden figure is placed at the center, representing the universal self, wrapped in white cloths, and adorned with offerings of food, garlands, and fruit. Having completed this worship, one should give all these offerings to a learned knower of the Veda. Then, facing east and maintaining silence, the householder may take a meal prepared with oil and salt. This sacred rite is to be performed on every Saptamī each month for a full year, with a generous heart and no miserliness regarding wealth. At the vow’s conclusion, the same offering is placed atop a pot and, together with cows—given according to one’s means—is offered by those who seek prosperity. With reverence, salutations are made: “Salutations to the Lord of Mandāra, to the Dweller in Mandāra; O Sun, deliver us from the ocean of worldly fear.” Whoever performs the Mandāra Saptamī in this manner, free from sin, enjoys happiness in this world and rejoices in heaven for an age. This vow is a lamp that dispels the dreadful darkness of accumulated sin, granting all that the heart desires. Even those who merely recite or hear the account of the Mandāra Saptamī are freed from all sins and receive the fruits they seek. Now let me describe another sacred observance: the auspicious Śubha Saptamī, by which a person is freed from disease, sorrow, and suffering. In the holy month of Āśvayuja, after bathing and reciting prayers, remaining pure, and having Brāhmaṇas recite sacred texts, this vow is begun. With devotion, a tawny cow is worshipped with fragrant substances, garlands, and ointments, with the prayer: “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.” Then, a prastha of sesame seeds is prepared with a copper vessel, and a golden bull is adorned with fragrances, garlands, and jaggery. Fruits, foods, ghee, and sweet rice are offered at the two prescribed times, with the invocation: “May Aryaman be pleased.” After consuming pañcagavya, one sleeps on the ground, free from envy. At dawn, the twice-born are honored with devotion. Each month, a garment, a golden bull, and a golden cow are given as gifts. At the year’s end, a bed furnished with a sugarcane staff and jaggery, complete with bedding, vessels, and a seat, is also given. A learned Vedic scholar receives a prastha of sesame seeds in a copper vessel and a golden bull, with the prayer: “May the Soul of the Universe be pleased by all this.” Whoever performs this auspicious Saptamī in this manner attains great prosperity and enduring fame in every birth. Honored by hosts of Apsarases and Gandharvas, such a person dwells in the abode of the gods as a lord of hosts until the end of the age, and at the dawn of the next cycle, becomes ruler of the seven islands. This Saptamī is so powerful that it is said to destroy the sin of a thousand Brahmin-murders and a hundred embryo-murders. Whoever reads, hears, or even glimpses this rite being performed, is freed from all sins while still in this body and attains lordship among the Vidyādharas. If one performs this Saptamī with the sevenfold observance for seven years, he becomes lord of the seven worlds in succession and finally attains the supreme abode of Murāri. Then a question arises: “What vow or fast on earth, O destroyer of sorrow, can lift a man from the depths of grief caused by separation from what is dear, or from the fear of existence, and also bring prosperity?” The answer is given: “This vow, dear to the world and difficult even for the gods to obtain, I shall reveal to you because of your devotion. It is secret among gods, asuras, and men.” This is the auspicious Viśoka Dvādaśī vow, to be observed in the month of Āśvayuja. The learned should begin on the tenth day, eating lightly and observing the proper discipline. On the eleventh day, facing north or east, after brushing the teeth, one should fast, having duly worshipped Keśava or Śrī, making the resolve to eat properly on the following day. Having observed the discipline and rested, at dawn one should bathe with all herbs and pañcagavya water, then, adorned in white garlands and garments, worship Śrī with lotuses. The worship proceeds in reverence: salutation to the remover of sorrow at the feet, to the bestower of boons at the shanks, to Śrī at the knees, and to the one who lies upon the waters at the thighs. Salutations are offered to Kandarpa at the secret part, to Mādhava at the waist, to Dāmodara at the belly, to the Vast One at the sides; to Padmanabha, the lotus-naveled, at the navel; to Manmatha at the heart; to Sridhara at the chest; to Madhujit at the hands. To the wielder of the discus, obeisance at the left arm; to the wielder of the mace, at the right arm; to Vaikuntha at the throat; to Yajnamukha at the mouth. To the abode of freedom from sorrow, obeisance at the nose; to Vasudeva at the eyes; to Vamana at the forehead; to Hari at the eyebrows. Salutations are offered to Madhava at the hair, to the one of universal form at the crown, and to the soul of all at the head—thus should the worship be performed. In this way, these sacred observances, faithfully practiced, remove the burdens of existence, bring prosperity, and lead the soul to supreme blessedness.