Having bathed and emerged from the waters, the devotee puts on fresh, clean garments. With reverence, they offer libations to the ancestors and the gods, honoring those who have gone before. Only then do they turn their heart and hands to the worship of Vishnu. For this sacred rite, a flawless pot is prepared, adorned with five kinds of leaves and set with five precious gems. Divine garlands and fragrances surround it, filling the air with their scent. The pot is filled with water and the proper substances, and a copper vessel is placed nearby. In this sanctified space, Sridhara, the lord of gods and the treasury of austerity, is established. With care and devotion, the worship is performed according to the full procedure. A sacred mandala is prepared, shaped from clay, cow dung, and other pure materials. Rice grains, washed until gleaming white and ground on stone, are used to fashion the image of Dharmaraja. Barley is placed in the hand of the image and elsewhere, signifying abundance and virtue. In front of this image, the copper-colored river Vaitarani is symbolically placed. The devotee then invites the deities, and worships them separately and properly. They invoke the lord of gods, Yama, of universal form, calling him to make his presence felt. They invite Keshava, the greatly fortunate one, to come and accept their worship. Water for washing the feet is offered to Hari, the beloved of Shri, the lord ever engaged in the garden of the universe. The devotee prays for mercy, bowing at every step: to the giver of prosperity at the feet, to the remover of sorrow at the knees, to Shiva at the thighs, and to the universal form at the waist. Obeisance is offered to Kamadeva at the genitals, to Aditya at the testicles, to Damodara at the abdomen, and to Vasudeva at the breasts. Sridhara is worshipped at the face, Keshava at the hair, Sharngadhara at the back, and Varada at the feet. Names of Vishnu as holder of conch, discus, sword, mace, and axe are recited as salutations to the soul of all, directed to the head. The devotee bows to the ten avatars: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Rama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. For the destruction of all heaps of sin, they worship with repeated salutations, meditating on Vishnu in every way with all these mantras. Turning to the Lord of Dharma, the devotee offers salutations and bows, honoring the ruler of the southern region, the one who rides the buffalo. Citragupta is invoked with repeated salutations, and the devotee prays for the appeasement of suffering in hell and the granting of their desires. They offer salutations to Yama, Lord of Dharma, Death, the Ender, Vaivasvata, Time, and the destroyer of all beings. Vṛkodara, Citrā, Citragupta, Nīla, and Dadhna are all honored with repeated salutations. Dharmarāja is worshipped with twelve names. The river Vaitarani, difficult to cross, destroyer of sin, fulfiller of desires, is invoked. The devotee calls upon her, asking her to accept the offering made, knowing that at the dreadful path at Yama’s gate, the river Vaitarani awaits. For deliverance from birth, death, and old age, the devotee worships the river, which is hard to cross for sinners and remover of fear for all creatures. Because of fear in her, beings sink and suffer extreme torments. Whoever wishes to cross that dreadful river bows to her, seeking her grace. Within that river, the gods reside; when Vaitarani is worshipped with devotion, it is for the pleasure of Keshava as well. On her banks, sages and ancestors enter, and she, in the form of a river, is worshipped as the remover of sin. To cross her, the devotee offers for liberation from all sin, and for the sake of merit, explains the river Vaitarani. Worship is offered with devotion for the pleasure of Keshava, and the devotee prays to Krishna, Lord of the Universe, to lift them up from worldly existence. By merely uttering Krishna’s name, the devotee seeks the removal of all sin. The sacred thread, supreme, is made with ninety threads and offered. The devotee asks the Lord of gods to accept it, to grant their desires with pleasure. Betel, beautiful and given to the best of their ability, is offered. The devotee prays for deliverance, asking the Lord to lift them up from the ocean of worldly existence. A five-wicked lamp is offered as worship to the Lord. The sun, dispelling the darkness of delusion, is invoked, endowed with devotion and the power to remove worldly suffering. Supreme food, well-cooked and with all flavors combined, is offered with devotion. The Lord is asked to accept it, accompanied by the twelve-syllable mantra, recited the prescribed number of times. May Śriyaḥkānta be pleased and kindly grant what is desired. The devotee remembers the five cows that arose when the great ocean was churned, offering repeated salutations to Nandā, the sacred cow. Having worshipped the cow, arghya is offered with a focused mind. The devotee prays to Nandinī, wish-fulfilling and remover of all death, to grant health and long progeny. Kapilā, worshipped by Vasiṣṭha and the wise Viśvāmitra, is invoked to remove past sins. The devotee wishes for cows to be before and behind them, for golden-horned, milk-giving cows to attend them in heaven. Surabhi and her descendants, like rivers and oceans, are honored as goddesses composed of all the gods, auspicious and lovers of devotees. Having worshipped properly, the daily offering is given to the cows. The descendants of Surabhi are beneficial to all, pure, and destroy sin. The devotee prays that the cows, mothers of the three worlds, accept their offering, and offers salutations to Gaṅgā, to prosperity, to the destruction of all sins. With this mantra, the wise ward off disease: “Paṃ, salutations to Padmanābha,” and bear the lotus, signifying purity and devotion.