With reverence and devotion, the sacred observances of the Saptamī vow are set forth, each step a luminous path leading to prosperity and liberation. It begins with salutations to the radiant Sun—“Salutations to the Sun, salutations to the radiant one.” At both the dawn and dusk of the day, one prepares with a water pot, offering worship at the proper times. The devotee then honors a Brahmin with garments, garlands, and ornaments, and according to their means, gives a decorated brown cow as prescribed in the tradition. After a full day and night have passed, on the eighth day, Brahmins are to be fed with pure food, carefully avoiding meat and oil, and the devotee partakes of the same, within their ability. This entire procedure is to be performed on the bright seventh day of each month, always with sincere devotion and without any deceit regarding wealth. At the conclusion of the vow, a bed adorned with a golden lotus is given away. According to one’s capacity, cows that yield milk and golden cows are also gifted, along with vessels, seats, lamps, and other desired utensils. Whoever observes the lotus Saptamī in this manner attains unending prosperity and dwells in happiness in the realm of the Sun. In each cycle, such a devotee ascends through the seven worlds, surrounded by celestial apsarās, ultimately attaining the highest path. Even those who merely see, hear, or recite this sacred account at the appropriate time, with devotion, are blessed with wisdom and pure prosperity, entering the realms of the Gandharvas and Vidyādharas. Next is described the Mandāra Saptamī, a vow that destroys all sins, fulfills every desire, and is supremely holy. On the fifth day of the bright half of Māgha, one eats lightly. The following day, after making a tooth-stick, the wise devotee fasts. Honoring the Brahmins, he prays to Maṇḍāra at night, and at dawn, after bathing, he again offers respect to the twice-born. Brahmins are fed according to one’s means, and eight Maṇḍāra flowers are prepared, along with a golden figure of a man, beautiful and holding a lotus. A lotus is crafted from black sesame seeds in a copper vessel, with a leaf as its base. Using golden Maṇḍāra flowers, Bhāskara, the Sun, is worshipped in the east. In the same way, Sūrya is worshipped on a spotless petal; Arka in the south; Aryaman in the southwest; Vedadhāmā in the west; Caṇḍabhānu in the northwest; Pūṣan in the north; and Ānanda as the highest. In the center of the lotus, the golden figure is placed, representing the Supreme Soul, wrapped in white cloths and adorned with offerings of food, garlands, fruits, and the like. After worshipping all these, the gifts are presented to a knower of the Veda. Then, facing east and observing silence, the householder partakes of food with oil and salt. This entire observance is performed on every seventh day of the month for a year, without miserliness. At the end of the vow, all these offerings are placed upon a pot and given away with cows, as prosperity is desired. With heartfelt prayers, one offers salutations to the Lord of Maṇḍāra and the Dweller in Maṇḍāra, imploring the Sun to deliver them from the ocean of worldly existence. Whoever performs the Mandāra Saptamī in this way becomes free from sin, enjoys happiness, and resides in heaven for an age. This vow is like a lamp that dispels the terrible darkness of sin, ensuring the devotee does not stumble in the night of worldly existence. Even those who recite or listen to this account are freed from sins and attain their desired fruits. Now follows the description of the auspicious Śubha Saptamī, which liberates the observer from countless diseases and sorrows. In the holy month of Āśvayuja, after bathing and reciting prayers in purity, and having Brahmins recite, the devotee begins the Śubha Saptamī. With devotion, a tawny cow is worshipped with fragrances, garlands, and ointments, with the prayer: “I bow to her who was born from the Sun, the abode of all worlds.” The devotee honors the cow for the purification of their own body. A measure of sesame seeds is prepared in a copper vessel, and a golden bull is adorned with cloth, garlands, and jaggery, together with a cushion, a resting vessel, and a seat. With various fruits and foods, mixed with ghee and sweet rice, offerings are made at both times of day, saying, “May Aryaman be pleased.” At dawn, the Brahmins are respectfully satisfied. Each month, the devotee gives garments, a golden bull, and a golden cow. At the end of the year, a bed furnished with a sugarcane staff and jaggery, a copper vessel with a prastha of sesame, and a golden bull are offered. All these are given to a knower of the Veda with the prayer, “May the Soul of the Universe be pleased.” Thus, the learned perform the auspicious Saptamī. For such a devotee, pure fortune and fame arise in every birth; they are honored by hosts of Apsarases and Gandharvas in the abode of the gods. They dwell as a lord of hosts until the dissolution of beings, and at the beginning of the kalpa, are born as sovereign of the seven continents. This auspicious Saptamī is powerful enough to destroy the gravest sins, including a thousand acts of abortion and a hundred acts of Brahmin-killing. Whoever reads, hears, or even witnesses these gifts, even for a moment, is freed from all sins and attains lordship among the Vidyādharas. One who observes the Saptamī for seven years, following its sevenfold observance, becomes lord of the seven worlds in turn and ultimately attains the supreme abode of Murāri. At this point, Bhīṣma, ever eager for dharma, asks, “O foremost of Brahmins, tell me about those Vaiṣṇava dharmas which Rudra has spoken here—what are they like, and what is their fruit?” Pulastya replies: Long ago, in the Rathantara kalpa, the great-souled Brahmā himself approached Mahādeva, the wielder of the Pināka bow, who was then dwelling on Mandara, to inquire of these very matters. Thus, the story of the sacred Saptamī observances is woven—each act, prayer, and gift a step toward purity, prosperity, and the highest path, as spoken by the wise in the ancient scriptures.