Gathering all the prescribed items—footstools, sandals, umbrellas, fly-whisks, seats, mirrors, vessels, fruits, cloths, and ointments—the devotee prepares for the sacred ritual. Upon a carefully arranged lotus, adorned with virtues, he places a tawny cow, dressed in fine garments, of gentle nature and abundant milk. The cow is further embellished with silver hooves and golden horns, accompanied by her calf and a bronze milking vessel. With proper mantras and mindful of the auspicious morning hour, the cow is offered. The devotee then prays: “O Sun, just as your resting place is never empty, may my prosperity, steadfastness, fortune, and nourishment always increase. As the gods recognize none greater than you, O flawless one, may you lift me from the endless ocean of suffering and worldly existence.” After circumambulating and bowing, the devotee respectfully dismisses the bed, the cow, and all accompanying items, taking them to the home of a Brahmin. This sacred vow, taught by the moon-crested one, is not to be revealed to the unvirtuous or the deceitful, nor to those who revile cows, Brahmins, gods, sages, or yogis. Instead, this secret of joy and auspiciousness should be shared only with the devoted and self-controlled, for the knowers of the Veda declare it destroys even the gravest sins. Whoever performs this rite, even when separated from family, wealth, or spouse, brings joy to the gods and is freed from disease, sorrow, and delusion; the same holds true for any woman who undertakes it with devotion. This vow was practiced by Vasiṣṭha, Arjuna, Kubera, and Indra; even reciting its glory destroys all sins without doubt. Anyone who reads or hears this account of the Sun’s resting place becomes beloved of Indra. By performing this, he uplifts his ancestors—even those fallen into hell—and brings them to heaven. The great sages declare the aśvattha, vaṭa, udumbara, nandīśa, jambu, and bilva trees as suitable for ritual use. Beginning with the month of Mārgaśīrṣa and continuing through the year, one should fashion a tooth-cleaning stick from each tree in turn. At the conclusion of the vow, the devotee gives curd-rice, canopies, banners, fly-whisks, and water-pots adorned with five gems to Brahmins. He must act without deceit regarding wealth, for deceit incurs faults. Bhīṣma then asks, “By what vow, performed in every birth, does a man attain long life, health, prosperity, and beauty? Please describe in detail the vow of the cool-rayed one.” Pulastya replies, “Your question leads to inexhaustible merit and heaven. I will now reveal the secret known to those learned in the Purāṇas: the vow called ‘Rohiṇī-candra-śayana.’ In this vow, one worships an image of Nārāyaṇa with the names of the moon. When the full moon falls on a Monday, or when the Brahma constellation arises on the full moon, the devotee bathes with five products of the cow mixed with mustard seeds. The wise recite ‘āpyāyasva’ eight hundred times. Even a Śūdra, with utmost devotion and avoiding heretical speech, should worship Soma, the peaceful one, saying: ‘Homage to you, O endless abode, at your feet and shanks.’ He worships the thighs as belonging to Jalodara, and the genital as the abode of Kāma. He offers repeated homage to the giver of pleasure and delight, worshipping the moon’s waist, belly as Amṛtodara, and navel as belonging to the moon. The face is honored as Candra; the teeth as lords of the twice-born; the smile as Candramas; the lips as dear to the Kumuda flowers. The nose is worshipped as lord of the best herbs, eyebrows as sources of joy, eyes as lotus-like and belonging to the moon, hands as creators of blue lotuses. Homage is offered to the one worshipped in all sacrifices; ears as destroyers of demons; forehead as dear to the lord of the moon; hair as belonging to the lord of Suṣumnā. The head is worshipped as belonging to the moon; homage to Murāri and the lord of the universe. The crown is honored as dear to Lakṣmī, named Rohiṇī, beloved of the lotus and ocean of fortune. After worshipping the goddess Rohiṇī, wife of the moon, with fragrant flowers, offerings, and incense, the devotee sleeps on the ground. Upon rising and bathing, he offers food to a Brahmin. In the morning, he gives a water pot with gold, saying, ‘Homage to the destroyer of sins.’ He tastes cow’s urine and eats non-meat, non-salty food, eight or twenty times. Three morsels mixed with ghee are taken, fasting is observed, and stories are listened to for a while. The flowers used include kadamba, blue lotus, ketaka, jasmine, red lotus, and a hundred-petaled lotus. Unwithered flowers, sinduvāra, mallikā, white flowers, karavīra, and śrī-campaka are offered to Candramas. In the months beginning with Śrāvaṇa, these flowers are offered in order; in whichever month the vow is performed, Hari is worshipped with those flowers. This vow is observed for a year. At its end, a bed with bedding is given. An image of Rohiṇī and Candra is made of gold—the moon six fingers in size, Rohiṇī four. Adorned with eight pearls and white eyes, it is placed upon a milk pot, with a bronze vessel and rice grains. In the morning, rice grains joined with sugarcane fruit are given in a white vessel with a golden mouth and silver hoof attached. A cow with clothing and a vessel, as well as a conch used as a vessel, is given. The Brahmin couple, endowed with virtues, is adorned with ornaments. The devotee conceives this Brahmin couple as the moon, just as Rohiṇī never abandons Krishna’s bed. There is no difference between the moon-form and this offering in splendor; just as the moon alone grants supreme bliss and liberation to all. The devotee prays, “May enjoyment, liberation, and devotion to you, O moon, be steadfast in me—for one afraid of worldly existence and desiring liberation, O sinless one.” This vow is the unsurpassed bestower of beauty, health, and longevity, and is always dear to the ancestors. Thus, the sacred rites, if performed faithfully, bestow great blessings, destroy sins, and uplift both the performer and their lineage.