Hear now the sacred narrative as it unfolds, O noble one. Whoever beholds the offerings brought here, or even touches what is presented with devotion, or simply listens with a devoted heart, or focuses their mind upon these acts—even if they are already free from sin—such a person too attains heaven. The recitation of these verses, which dispel the fear of worldly existence and are praised by the greatest of mountains, grants relief from evil dreams. If merely reciting them brings such blessings, what then can be said of one who, with a tranquil mind, offers all the best mountains in their entirety, O foremost of kings? At this, Bhishma inquires, “Upon this earth, which brings both prosperity and impermanence, what is the destroyer of even the fear of worldly existence for a person?” Pulastya, moved by Bhishma’s devotion, replies, “Because you are so devoted, I shall reveal to you a vow, secret among gods, demons, and humans alike.” He then describes the auspicious Viśokadvādaśī vow, to be observed in the sacred month of Āśvayuja. On the tenth day, the wise should begin, eating lightly and restraining their senses. On the eleventh day, after brushing the teeth and facing north or east, one should observe a fast and worship Keśava with proper devotion. Having completed the worship of Śrī, the devotee eats the next day, maintaining the discipline of the vow, then rests and rises early in the morning. Upon awakening, one should bathe with all manner of medicinal herbs and the five sacred products of the cow. Adorned with pure garlands and garments, the devotee should worship Śrī with lotuses. The worship is performed thus: obeisance to Viśoka at the feet, to Varada at the shanks, to Śrīśa at the knees, and to Jalaśāyin at the thighs; to Kandarpa at the private parts, to Mādhava at the waist, to Dāmodara at the belly, and to Vipula at the sides; to Padmanābha at the navel, to Manmatha at the heart, to Śrīdhara at the chest, and to Madhubhid at the hands. Further, obeisance is offered to Vaikuṇṭha at the neck, to Padmamukha at the face, to Aśokanidhi at the nose, and to Vāsudeva at the eyes; to Vāmana at the forehead, to Hari at the brows, to Mādhava at the hair, and to Viśvarūpin at the crown. Thus, at the head, obeisance is given to the all-pervading soul. In this manner, Govinda is worshiped with incense, garlands, and fragrant ointments. Afterwards, a circle is drawn, and a square, raised platform of clay is prepared, measuring a ratni on each side and surrounded by water. This platform, smooth and pleasing, is bordered by three embankments on all sides, each three fingers high and two fingers wide. Upon it, with river sand, an image of Lakṣmī is placed facing the sun. In the center of the sun on the platform, Lakṣmī is worshiped with reverence: “Obeisance to the goddess, to Peace, to Lakṣmī, to Śrī. Obeisance to Tuṣṭi, to Puṣṭi, to Creation, to Vision—repeated obeisance! O Viśokā, destroyer of sorrow, bestower of boons, grant me freedom from grief. Grant freedom from sorrow for prosperity, and for all accomplishments.” Then, with pure white garments, the devotee enwraps the Sun and worships him with offerings of fruits. Various foods are offered, as well as a golden lotus, and water is placed in silver vessels with darbha grass. Throughout the night, there is singing and dancing, and when three watches of the night have passed, the devotee rises. Approaching the Brahmins and their wives, one worships them, and to the women, according to one’s ability, garments, garlands, and ointments are given—even if only to one. Those who are lying down are to be honored, with obeisance to the Lord who lies upon the waters. With songs and instrumental music, the night is kept in vigil. In the morning, after bathing, the married couple is worshiped and, as best as possible, fed generously, shunning all miserliness. The day is spent listening devotedly to the Purāṇas, and all these acts are performed month after month. At the conclusion of the vow, a bed is to be given, furnished with a lump of jaggery and a cow, complete with pillow, resting place, and a fine covering. The devotee prays, “Just as fortune never leaves you, O king, may beauty, health, and freedom from sorrow always be mine. Just as fortune is never born anywhere without the god, so may I have freedom from sorrow and unwavering devotion to Keśava.” With this mantra, a bed with a lump of jaggery and a cow is given, along with Lakṣmī and the Sun, by one who seeks prosperity. The offerings should include blue lotuses, oleander, fresh saffron, ketaka, sindhuvāra, jasmine, and pāṭalā flowers, as well as kadamba, kubjaka, and jātī blossoms—all suitable for the worship. Bhishma then inquires further, “O best of sages, describe the procedure for the jaggery-cow. Of what form, with what mantra should it be given? Tell me the form and the result.” Pulastya replies, “Now I shall explain that which destroys all sins. On the ground, a black antelope skin four hands in length is placed with its neck to the east. The surface is smeared with cow dung, and darbha grass is spread all around. A small goat skin and a calf are also prepared. “One should fashion a cow facing east, made of clay or with a calf. The best jaggery-cow always has four measures of weight. The calf is made with one measure; with two measures it is middling, with half a measure it is lesser, and with a quarter measure, least. In the fourth part, there should be a calf, according to the wealth of the household. Both cow and calf are to be clothed in fine white garments. “Their ears are shaped like conch shells, their feet like sugarcane, their pure eyes like pearls, adorned with white thread and garlands, covered with white blankets. Both have coppery cheeks and backs, white chowrie-like hair, eyebrows like coral, and breasts of fresh butter. They are furnished with a pair of golden eyes, with pupils like blue sapphires, tails of fine cloth, forelegs like bronze—exceedingly beautiful and radiant.” Thus is the sacred vow, its worship, and the giving of the jaggery-cow, which brings freedom from sorrow and bestows prosperity, as revealed by Pulastya to the devoted Bhishma.