The seeker, having asked about a sacred observance, is told by the divine that his inquiry concerns a vow beloved by the world, yet so great and rare that even the gods find it difficult to attain. Yet, out of affection for the seeker's devotion, the Lord agrees to reveal this vow—a secret among gods, asuras, and men. The vow is called the auspicious Viśoka Dvādaśī, performed in the holy month of Āśvayuja. The wise are to begin preparations on the tenth day, eating sparingly and observing the proper disciplines. On the eleventh day, after brushing the teeth and facing north or east, the devotee should fast, having worshipped Keśava or Śrī with reverence, resolving, “I will eat properly on the following day.” Having thus restrained oneself and spent the night in discipline, one should rise at dawn. Bathing with sacred herbs and pañcagavya water, the devotee dons white garments and garlands, and prepares to worship Śrī with pure lotuses. With devotion, the worshipper offers salutations to the Lord: at the feet, as the remover of sorrow; at the shanks, as the bestower of boons; at the knees, to Śrī; at the thighs, to the one who rests upon the cosmic waters. At the secret part, homage is offered to Kandarpa; at the waist, to Mādhava; at the belly, to Dāmodara; and at the sides, to the Vast One. At the navel, the worshipper salutes Padmanabha, the lotus-naveled; at the heart, Manmatha; at the chest, Sridhara; at the hands, Madhujit. The left arm is offered to the wielder of the discus, the right to the wielder of the mace; the throat to Vaikuntha, and the mouth to Yajnamukha. The nose is offered to the abode of freedom from sorrow, the eyes to Vasudeva, the forehead to Vamana, and the eyebrows to Hari. The hair is dedicated to Madhava, the crown to the one of universal form, and the head to the soul of all. Having thus honored Govinda with fruits, garlands, and fragrant ointments, the devotee joyfully prepares a sacred mandala and constructs a sthaṇḍila—a square platform, one ratni on each side, smooth and pleasing, bordered on all sides by three embankments, each a finger’s height and two fingers wide, with walls eight fingers high above the sthaṇḍila. Upon this altar, using river sand and a winnowing basket, an image of Lakshmi is formed. The basket, set upon the sthaṇḍila, becomes the seat for the wise to worship Lakshmi herself. The devotee offers repeated salutations to the goddess: to Peace, to Lakshmi, to Fortune, to Nourishment, to Satisfaction, to Rain, and to Joy. With folded hands, the worshipper prays, “O Viśokā, remover of sorrow, grant me boons. May Viśokā bring me prosperity and all attainments.” The basket is then wrapped in white cloths and worshipped with fruits, fine garments, and a golden lotus. Throughout the nights of the observance, the wise drink only water sipped with darbha grass, and the nights are filled with singing, dancing, and other auspicious activities. When three watches of the night have passed, and after some rest, the devotee rises at dawn to worship couples of Brahmins, according to ability—three or one—offering them garments, garlands, ointments, and respectfully honoring those who lie upon beds, with the prayer, “Obeisance to the one who lies upon the waters.” Again, with music and song, the devotee keeps vigil through the night, and at dawn, after bathing, worships a married couple. When the time comes to break the fast, one eats according to means, free from miserliness, and spends the day listening to the Puranas. This entire observance is to be performed each month. At the conclusion of the vow, the devotee should give a bed as a gift, accompanied by jaggery and a cow, complete with bedding, a pillow, and a beautiful covering. The prayer is offered: “O Lord of gods, may Lakshmi never depart from you; may I always possess beauty, health, and freedom from sorrow. Just as fortune never arises without the divine, so may my devotion to Keśava be supreme and free from sorrow.” With this mantra, one who desires prosperity gives a bed along with a sweet cow and a winnowing basket with Lakṣmī. Auspicious flowers are offered—lotus, oleander, arrow, unfaded saffron, ketakī, sinduvāra, jasmine, fragrant pāṭalā, kadamba, kubjaka, and jāti. At this point, the seeker asks, “O Lord of the world, explain to me the proper procedure for the sweet cow—its form and the mantra by which it should be given.” The Lord replies, “I will now declare the form and the result of the sweet cow ceremony, which destroys all sins.” A four-handed black antelope skin is placed facing east, smeared with cow dung, and darbha grass is spread all around. A smaller antelope skin is prepared for the calf. The cow, with her calf, is arranged facing east, with water at her feet. The best sweet cow should weigh four units; the calf, one unit. A medium cow weighs two units, with a half-unit calf; the lowest, a quarter-unit calf, always according to the devotee’s means. Both cow and calf are adorned: their mouths made of clarified butter, clothed in fine white garments, ears of shells, feet of sugarcane, and eyes of pure pearls. Their hair is white thread, their covering white blankets, their cheeks and backs of copper, and tails of white yak hair. Coral forms their eyebrows, butter their udders, linen their tails, bronze their milking vessels, and sapphire their pupils. They wear golden ornaments on their horns, silver on their hooves, are adorned with fruits, and have fragrant containers for noses. Thus prepared, they are worshipped with incense and lamps. Prayers are then offered: “May the goddess who is Lakṣmī among all beings and who dwells among the gods, in the form of a cow, grant me peace. May the goddess who is Rudrāṇī, beloved of Śaṃkara and present in the body, in the form of a cow, remove my sins. May Lakṣmī, who dwells on Viṣṇu’s chest, the Svāhā of the fire, the power of the moon, sun, and Indra, in the form of a cow, bring me prosperity.” Thus is the sacred Viśoka Dvādaśī vow revealed, with all its rituals, gifts, and prayers, shining forth as a path to prosperity, peace, and freedom from sorrow.