Satyatapa, eager to know the path to attain the eternal God with ease, approached the sage Durvasa and asked, “By what means may the eternal God be attained with little effort? Please tell me, in general, what is suitable for all classes.” Durvasa replied, “I will reveal to you the supreme secret, a mystery created by the gods themselves. This was the practice performed by the Earth when she was sinking into the netherworld. When the Earth was submerged in the waters, her earthly nature was not excessive, and she descended to the netherworld.” There, the auspicious goddess Earth, who supports all beings, undertook worship of the Supreme Lord Narayana. She observed fasting, took vows, and practiced various disciplines with great devotion. After a long period of such worship, the Lord Narayana, bearing the Garuda banner and ever imperishable, was pleased with her and lifted her up, restoring her to her proper place. Satyatapa then asked Durvasa, “O great sage, what was the fast observed by the Earth? What vows did she undertake? Please describe them to me.” Durvasa explained, “In the month of Margashirsha, on the tenth day, a self-controlled person should worship the gods and perform the prescribed fire ritual. One should wear clean clothes, maintain a serene mind, and eat well-prepared sacrificial food. After walking five steps, wash the feet again. Using a stick about eight finger-breadths long from a milk-bearing tree, clean the teeth and then carefully perform ācamana, the ritual sipping of water. Next, touch all the doors and meditate for a long time on Janārdana—he who holds the conch, discus, and mace, wears a crown and yellow garments. Picture the Lord’s gracious face, adorned with all auspicious signs, and again take water in hand, contemplating Janārdana, radiant like the sun. After this meditation, offer arghya—water in the hand—as a mark of respect, reciting these words: ‘On the day of Ekādaśī, I will remain without food, and on the following day I shall eat, O lotus-eyed one. O Acyuta, be my refuge.’ Having spoken thus, at night, in the presence of the Lord of gods, sleep there according to the rule, reciting ‘Nārāyaṇāya’—obeisance to Nārāyaṇa. In the pure morning, go to a river flowing to the ocean, or to another pond, or even at home, maintaining a controlled mind. Bring pure clay, reciting this mantra: ‘O goddess, from you comes the support and nourishment of beings always; by that truth, O virtuous one, free me from sin.’ Also recite: ‘O god, the sacred places within the cosmic egg have been touched by your hands; by touching this clay, may I not obtain what you have declared.’ And: ‘In you, O Varuṇa, all waters always abide; by that, make this clay, after washing, pure for me without delay.’ Having thus purified oneself with clay and water, cleanse the body three times. Then, draw a circle with the remaining clay in the water. Following the proper procedure as for a universal monarch, bathe and perform the necessary rites, then return again to the temple of the gods. There, worship the great yogi, Lord Nārāyaṇa, saying: ‘Obeisance to Keśava’ at the feet, ‘to Dāmodara’ at the waist, ‘to Nṛsiṃha’ at both thighs, ‘to the bearer of Śrīvatsa’ at the chest, ‘to the Lord of Kaustubha’ at the neck, and ‘to the Lord of Śrī’ at the bosom. Say ‘to the conqueror of the three worlds’ at the arms, ‘to the soul of all’ at the head, ‘to the bearer of the discus’ at the wheel, and ‘to Śaṅkara’ at the lotus. Offer ‘to the deep one’ at the mace, ‘to the embodiment of peace’ at the lotus. Thus, worship the Lord of gods, Nārāyaṇa. Next, in front of him, place four pots filled with water, adorned with garlands and smeared with white sandalwood. Decorate the pots with mango leaves around their necks, cover them with white cloth, and set them on copper vessels filled with sesame seeds and gold. Arrange the four pots as the four oceans are described. In their midst, establish an auspicious seat wrapped in cloth. Upon this seat, place a vessel made of gold, silver, copper, or wood; if none of these are available, a vessel of palāśa wood will suffice. Fill it with water, and within it, place an image of the deity Janārdana in the form of a fish, made of gold, adorned with the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, and embellished with Śruti and Smṛti. Adorn the image with various kinds of food, fruits, and flowers, and honor it with fragrances, incense, and cloths, performing worship according to proper procedure. Recite: ‘Just as, O Lord, you retrieved the Vedas from the netherworld in the form of a fish, so too, O Keśava, may you uplift me.’ Having recited this before the image, keep vigil there. In the clear morning, according to one’s means and resources, give the four pots to four brāhmaṇas. First, give the eastern pot to one versed in the Bahvṛca (Ṛgveda); the southern to one of the Chāndogya (Sāmaveda); the western pot to one versed in the Yajurveda; the northern as one wishes—this is the prescribed rule. Recite: ‘May the Ṛgveda be pleased in the east, the Sāmaveda in the south, the Yajurveda in the west, and the Atharvaveda in the north. May they be pleased in this order.’ Present the golden fish-form to the teacher. Having worshipped it properly with fragrance, incense, and cloths in due order, whoever presents this secret mantra and the procedure receives a reward multiplied a crore-fold. But whoever, after accepting the teacher, acts wrongly out of delusion, that lowest of men is cooked in hell for ten million births; the giver of the procedure is called ‘teacher’ by the wise. Having thus given according to the procedure, and worshipped Vishnu on the twelfth day, one should feed the brāhmaṇas to the best of one’s ability, with proper gifts. Prepare pots made of copper, filled with sesame seeds; among them, the pot filled with water should be given to a brāhmaṇa who is a householder. Give the deity to him, O highly fortunate one, and then feed the brāhmaṇas with abundant and excellent food. Afterwards, the person himself should eat, together with children, observing silence and self-control. Thus, Durvasa imparted the sacred procedure, revealing the path by which the eternal God may be attained, suitable for all classes, and blessed by the gods themselves.