With deep reverence and devotion, one should approach the worship of Acyuta. The Lord is to be pleased with beautiful garments, shining ornaments, and the sweet melodies of musical instruments. Hari should be bathed with sacred water infused with sandalwood, offered with heartfelt devotion. After anointing His limbs with fragrant sandalwood paste and adorning Him with incense and fresh flowers, the devotee should present garments and other gifts as offerings. Then, fulfilling the sacred duty, the foremost Brahmins are to be fed. With humility, one should offer them gifts, bowing low and asking forgiveness for any faults. Thus, after observing the month-long fast and worshipping Janārdana in this way, and after feeding the Brahmins, the devotee is honored in Viṣṇu’s own realm. At the conclusion of the month, thirteen Brahmins should be honored in this manner. Now, hear the proper method for conducting the final rites. On the eleventh day, after fasting, the devotee should perform a Vaiṣṇava sacrifice. With the teacher’s permission, he should worship the Lord of the gods, Hari, offering worship to the best of his ability and bowing reverently to the guru. The Brahmins, pure in lineage, conduct, and devoted to Viṣṇu, should be fed with great respect. After honoring and feeding all thirteen Brahmins, the devotee should present them with betel leaves, pairs of garments, food, and coverings. Yoga-belts, sacred threads, and brahma-threads should be given to the foremost twice-born, each gift accompanied by worship and respectful bows. According to his means, the devotee should further honor them with a bed—well-made, auspicious, adorned with bedding, pillows, and all comforts. Upon this bed, he should place a golden image of himself, worshipping it with garlands and other offerings. The bed should be arranged with a seat, sandals, an umbrella, a pair of garments, shoes, sacred threads, flowers, and other suitable gifts. Having resolved to dedicate the bed and having bowed to the Brahmins, he should seek their approval, declaring, “I am going to Viṣṇu’s world.” Thus, the best of men attains the flawless abode of Viṣṇu. It should be proclaimed again and again that the Brahmins present in the pavilion are to be praised. Even if there is some deficiency in mantras, rites, or other aspects, by the grace of the Brahmins’ words, everything becomes complete. Thus, the procedure for the monthly fast has been properly described. Thus ends the one hundred and nineteenth chapter of the glorious Padma Purāṇa, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, within the section on the greatness of Kārtika, as recounted in the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Satyabhāmā, titled “The Account of the Month’s Fast.” Then Sūta spoke: Having heard these instructions, Pāvaka asked another question. Listen now, O ascetics, as I relate the detailed procedure for the worship of the Śālagrāma stone. Kārtikeya addressed the Lord, “O best of yogins, I have heard all the dharmas. Please, O master, tell me in detail about the worship of the Śālagrāma stone.” Īśvara replied with delight, “Excellent, excellent, O wise one, that you have asked. Therefore, listen with affection as I explain. In the Śālagrāma stone, O great-hearted Mahāsena, the entire universe—everything that moves and does not move—always dwells together. Whoever sees, bows to, bathes, or worships the Śālagrāma stone attains merit a crore times greater than that of grand sacrifices, and the fruit of giving a crore cows. But for one who neglects this, the experience of birth after birth is truly dreadful. Yet, whoever regularly sips the water that has bathed Viṣṇu’s Śālagrāma stone—even if that person is attached to desires and lacks devotion—by worshipping the Śālagrāma stone, attains the Imperishable. To destroy the Śālagrāma image brings ruin a crore times over. But to remember, recite, meditate upon, worship, or bow to it brings immense blessings. Just as herds of deer flee in fear at the sight of a lion in the forest, so too do many sins depart from one who beholds the Śālagrāma stone. If a person bows in worship to the Śālagrāma stone, whether with devotion or without, that person attains liberation. The one who always worships the Śālagrāma stone has no fear of Yama, nor of death and rebirth. The worship of the Śālagrāma stone is performed with fragrances, water for the feet, offerings, lamps, incense, ointments, songs, musical instruments, and hymns. Whoever is devoted to devotion and worships the Śālagrāma stone in the Kali age dwells in Viṣṇu’s abode for thousands of millions of aeons. Even if a man bows to the Śālagrāma stone with only a feeling in his heart, how can he, my devotee on earth, remain in human birth? Those who claim to be my devotees but, being most sinful, do not bow to my Lord Vāsudeva—they are not true devotees, but are deluded by sin. Even my devotee, if he eats on the eleventh day, becomes a killer of mine and surely goes to the dreadful darkness of hell. Touching the śāla-liṅga is a must; no other purification is prescribed. The date dear to Viṣṇu is also dear to me. Whoever does not fast on that day, O mortal, is more sinful than an outcaste. But in the Śālagrāma stone, O son, I always dwell. The place given to me by the pleased god, through devotion, is my own abode. The fruit obtained by worshipping me with thousands of millions of lotuses is multiplied a crore times by the worship of the Śālagrāma stone. Those mortals who do not worship the Śālagrāma stone have neither worshipped me nor bowed to me. Yet, whoever performs my worship before the Śālagrāma stone, by him I am worshipped, O commander, for twenty-one yugas. What is the use of worshipping hundreds of liṅgas if there is no devotion to Viṣṇu? If the image of the Śālagrāma stone is not worshipped, then my offerings—be they leaf, flower, fruit, or water—are unfit. Indeed, before the Śālagrāma stone, everything becomes purified. If a twice-born eats offerings meant for other gods, he should perform the Cāndrāyaṇa expiation.” Thus, the greatness of the Śālagrāma worship, and the procedure for the monthly fast, have been revealed—bestowing merit, devotion, and the supreme abode of Viṣṇu to those who follow with faith.