Then, at the appointed time, one should honor the excellent Brāhmaṇa with offerings of red garlands, garments, and similar auspicious items. With the same sacred mantra, it is prescribed to give land together with a pair of cows. In addition, a bed, complete with all the necessary furnishings, should be gifted, along with whatever is most valued in the world and whatever is especially dear to the giver at home. All these cherished possessions are to be presented to a worthy recipient—one who embodies the proper qualities—by anyone who seeks inexhaustible merit through such gifts. After making these offerings, the giver should circumambulate the Brāhmaṇa and, with utmost respect, offer him farewell. On that night, the devotee should observe a fast, taking only milk as sustenance, and conduct the ritual using eight pieces of charcoal. The merit gained from this observance is profound: a person so devoted is blessed, life after life, with beauty, good fortune, and prosperity. He becomes a steadfast devotee of Viṣṇu or Śiva, and attains lordship over the seven continents. For seven thousand aeons, he is honored in the world of Rudra. Therefore, O lord of the Daityas, you too should undertake this vow. Thus instructed by the sage descended from Bhṛgu, the Daitya performed the entire vow as prescribed. And you too, O king, are urged to do likewise, for those learned in the Veda declare that the merit from this observance is truly inexhaustible. Even one who listens to this account with focused mind is granted every blessing by the Lord. At this point, Bhīṣma inquired, “O venerable one, what vow is prescribed for one who is unable to fast but still desires the same result, perhaps due to lack of practice or illness?” Pulastya replied, “For those unable to fast, it is prescribed to eat only at night. Now, listen as I describe the great vow in which this practice is included. The worship of Śaṅkara known as Ādityaśayana, as described in the Purāṇas by the learned, is to be performed on certain auspicious conjunctions of stars. When the seventh lunar day falls under the Hasta constellation and coincides with Sunday, or when there is a solar transit, that date is considered to fulfill all desires. On these occasions, one should worship the images of Umā and Maheśvara, invoking the names of the Sun. Both the worship of the Sun and the Śiva liṅga are to be performed together, for there is no distinction anywhere between Umāpati (Śiva) and Ravi (the Sun). Therefore, O best of kings, one should also worship Bhānu, the Sun, at home. The worship proceeds as follows: With the Hasta constellation, offer obeisance to Sūrya at the feet; with Citrā, at the ankles; with Svātī, at the shanks, to Puruṣottama the Sustainer; with Viśākhā, at the knees. With Anurādhā, worship both thighs of the thousand-rayed one; with Jyeṣṭhā, offer salutations to Anaṅga at the secret parts; with Mūla, to Bhīma at the hips. When Pūrvāṣāḍhā and Uttarāṣāḍhā are present, worship the navel with obeisance to Tvaṣṭṛ, lord of the seven horses; with Śravaṇa, the belly to Tīkṣṇāṃśu; with Dhaniṣṭhā, the back to Vikartana. The chest is to be worshipped as the destroyer of darkness in Śatabhiṣā; in Pūrvabhādrapadā and Uttarabhādrapadā, the arms are to be worshipped as best, to Caṇḍakara. In Revati, worship both hands as the lord of the Sāman hymns; in Aśvinī, the nails with obeisance to the bearer of the seven-horsed chariot. In Bharaṇī, the throat as the abode of firmness, with words of homage to the illuminator of the day; in Rohiṇī, the neck as the seat of fire. In Mṛgaśīrṣa, worship the tongue as belonging to the enemy of Pura; in Ārdrā, the teeth as those of Hara; in Punarvasu, the nose as Śaṅkara’s, with the words ‘obeisance to Savitṛ.’ On Puṣya, the forehead is to be worshipped as dear to the lotus-faced one; on Ēlākā, as the bearer of the Vedic body; in Āśleṣā, the ears as dear to the gods, on the head. In Pūrvaphālgunī, worship the eyes of Śaṃbhu as most worthy, the delight of cows and Brāhmaṇas; in Uttaraphālgunī, the eyebrows as belonging to the Lord of all. Offer salutations to Śiva, the wielder of the noose, goad, lotus, trident, skull, serpent, and the bow of the moon—the root cause of the destruction of Gayāsura, Anaṅga, Purā, Andhaka, and others. Having thus worshipped all the limbs in this manner, the head is to be worshipped as belonging to the Lord of all. During this observance, one must not consume oil, meat, salt, or leftovers. After performing night vigils, at the time of Punarvasu, one should offer a prastha of rice grown in wet fields, a fig, and clarified butter. These should be placed in a vessel and presented to a Brāhmaṇa along with gold. On the seventh day, a pair of garments should also be offered at the conclusion of the vow. On the fourteenth day, at the vow’s conclusion, beginning with Bhāratī, a Brāhmaṇa should be fed with devotion, with offerings of jaggery, milk, ghee, and the like. A golden lotus with eight petals and a central seed-vessel, pure and eight finger-breadths in size, adorned with ruby petals, should be made. A well-formed bed, free from knots and defects, furnished with pillows and canopies, and covered with a soft spread and bedding, should be prepared. It should be equipped with footstools, sandals, umbrellas, fly-whisks, seats, mirrors, and vessels, along with fruits, cloths, and ointments. Upon this bed, after arranging the lotus and adorning it with virtues, a tawny cow, clothed in garments, of gentle disposition and rich in milk, should be placed. The cow should have silver hooves and golden horns, be accompanied by a calf, and have a bronze milking vessel. This cow should be given with a mantra, at the proper morning hour. One should pray: “Just as your resting place, O Sun, is never empty, may my prosperity, steadfastness, fortune, and nourishment always increase in the same way. Just as the gods know no one greater than you, O flawless one, so may you lift me from the endless ocean of suffering and worldly existence.” After circumambulating and bowing, the bed, cow, and all the rest should be taken to the house of a Brāhmaṇa. This vow of the moon-crested one should not be revealed to the unvirtuous, the deceitful, or those who revile cows, Brāhmaṇas, gods, sages, or yogis. This secret, which brings joy and auspiciousness, should be shared only with a devoted and self-controlled person, for the knowers of the Veda say it destroys even the gravest sins. Whoever performs this vow, even if separated from relatives, sons, wealth, or wives, brings joy to the gods and does not suffer from disease, sorrow, or delusion—nor does any woman who performs it with devotion. This vow was performed by Vasiṣṭha, by Arjuna in ancient times, by Kubera, and by Indra. Simply by reciting its glory, all sins are destroyed—of this, there is no doubt.