The sage spoke to the king, “O ruler of men, to ensure you are freed from thirst and hunger in heaven, you must quickly give a water-cow, a milk-cow, and a juice-cow as offerings.” He assured the king, “As long as the sun shines in the sky and the moon glows in the heavens, you will enjoy celestial pleasures with your beloved.” Hearing this, the king respectfully asked, “Tell me the proper procedure for giving the sesame-cow. Once I know it, I will gladly make the offering.” The priest replied, “Listen carefully, O lord of men, to the procedure for the sesame-cow. The cow should be fashioned to the measure of sixteen, with a calf of four. Its legs are to be made of sugarcane, its teeth beautifully crafted from flowers. Its nose must be formed from fragrant substances, its tongue from jaggery, and its tail adorned with a garland and bell ornaments. “Once you have created such a cow, make its horns of gold, its hooves of silver, and its udder of bronze, following the established method for crafting ritual cows. When it is complete, place the sesame-cow upon a black antelope skin, cover it with auspicious cloths, and give it promptly to a brāhmaṇa with the proper mantras. Tie it with a thread adorned with five gems and fill it with all kinds of herbs, purifying it with mantras before the gift. “Then, recite: ‘Let food be produced at once, and all kinds of drink as well; fulfill our desires, O sesame-cow, offered by the twice-born. O goddess, I receive you with devotion, especially for the sake of my family; grant all the desired wishes, O sesame-cow, I bow to you.’ “When the sesame-cow is given in this way, O best of kings, it brings the fulfillment of all desires—there is no doubt. Similarly, the water-cow is established with pots; when offered according to the rite, it immediately grants all wishes. Likewise, when a hundred cows are given on the full moon according to the rules, it becomes a bestower of all desires in heaven, like Sāvitrī herself. When the wise give the ghee-cow according to the prescribed rite, it brings all desires and grants radiance. In the same way, when the juice-cow is given in the month of Kārtika, O king, it always bestows all desires and is a giver of liberation. “All this has been explained to you, both briefly and in detail; the boundless fruit of these actions has been declared by Brahmā. Whatever is afflicted by thirst or hunger, O best of kings, should be given as charity in Kārtika; give these gifts first, O lord of men. “Now, consider the cosmic egg. It is endowed with all wealth, precious stones, and herbs, and is always joined with gods, demons, and yakṣas. Having made such an egg, adorned entirely with silver and filled with divine gems, the sun, and the moon, it should be given on the twelfth day of Kārtika—or, if not then, on the fifteenth day, but never otherwise. A devoted man should offer it to his priest or teacher. “With this act, O king, all beings dwelling within the cosmic egg are given; this has been briefly told to you. If one performs sacrifices with all the proper gifts, all the fruit of those is especially contained in the gift of a portion of the cosmic egg. But whoever gives the entire cosmic egg, by that act alone, he accomplishes all recitation, offering, giving, study, and praise. The king then asked, “By performing the rite of giving the cosmic egg, does one attain liberation? Tell me, O sinless one, the proper time, place, the qualified priest, and all the details—so that, having done it, I may enjoy all the fruit and quickly be freed from this wretched state.” Vasiṣṭha replied, “Hearing your request, O king, the priest—wise and twice-born—caused a golden cosmic egg to be made, using all metals. He arranged a lotus adorned with a thousand gold coins, and in its center, Brahmā was decorated with rubies. With him were Savitri and Gayatri, the sages and ascetics, all the sons beginning with Nārada, and the gods led by Indra. All the foremost attendants of Brahmā had bodies of gold. The eternal Lord, in the form of a boar, was present with Lakshmi. “Ornaments for him should be made from sapphire and emerald, and his splendor enhanced with garnets. The beauty of Soma should be adorned with pearls, and the Sun with diamonds; for all the planets, use gold. Silver should be made seven times the amount of gold; copper likewise seven times the silver; then bronze seven times the copper. Bronze should be made seven times the amount of tin, O king; lead seven times the tin, and iron from lead. “The seven continents, the oceans, and the seven principal mountains are to be crafted in these proportions by skilled artisans. The creatures of the earth should be made from silver, and the beings of the forests from gold. Trees, forest trees, bushes, grasses, leaves, and herbs—all should be properly arranged and offered at the sacred site. “This rite is best performed at Kurukshetra, Gaya, Prayaga, Amarakantaka, Dvaravati, Prabhasa, Gangadvara, and Pushkara—these are the sacred places. The offering should be made during lunar and solar eclipses, at all junctures of the day, and at both solstices. Especially at planetary conjunctions and equinoxes, this gift should be given in abundance, O king; no hesitation is needed. “A chief priest should be chosen, one who is handsome and virtuous, together with his wife; they should be honored and adorned with ornaments.” Thus, the sage revealed the sacred procedures, their profound significance, and the immense fruits they yield, guiding the king toward the path of fulfillment and liberation.