With a heart full of devotion, one should begin by meditating upon the Lord—His countenance radiant and gracious, adorned with all auspicious marks. Holding water in the hand, and with the mind fixed on Janārdana, who shines like the sun, the devotee prepares for the sacred rite. After this meditation, water is offered as arghya, and at that moment, O sage, the following words are spoken with reverence: “On this day of Ekādaśī, I shall remain without food, and on the day that follows, I will partake of a meal. O lotus-eyed Acyuta, O unfailing one, be my refuge.” Having thus declared one’s intent, the devotee spends the night in the presence of the Lord of gods, observing the prescribed rules, and softly chanting the holy name “Nārāyaṇāya”—obeisance to Nārāyaṇa. When the pure morning dawns, the devotee proceeds—whether to a river that flows to the ocean, to a pond, or at home—with a mind disciplined and serene. There, pure clay is gathered, accompanied by the recitation: “O goddess, from you comes the constant support and nourishment of all beings. By that truth, O virtuous one, free me from sin.” Further prayers are offered: “O god, the sacred places within the cosmic egg have been touched by your hands. By my touching this clay, may I not incur any impurity you have forbidden.” And to Varuṇa, the lord of waters: “In you, O Varuṇa, all waters always abide. By that, make this clay, once washed, pure for me without delay.” With these mantras, the devotee purifies himself using the clay and water, cleansing the body three times. With the remaining clay, a circle is drawn in the water. After bathing and performing all necessary rites as prescribed for a universal monarch, the devotee returns to the temple of the gods. There, the worship of the great yogi, Lord Nārāyaṇa, commences. The devotee offers salutations in this order: “Obeisance to Keśava” at the feet, “to Dāmodara” at the waist, “to Nṛsiṃha” at the thighs, “to the bearer of Śrīvatsa” at the chest, “to the Lord of Kaustubha” at the neck, “to the Lord of Śrī” at the bosom, “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, “to Śaṅkara” at the lotus, “to the deep one” at the mace, and “to the embodiment of peace” at the lotus. Having thus worshipped Nārāyaṇa, four pots are placed before Him, each filled with water, adorned with garlands, and smeared with white sandalwood. Mango leaves are placed around the necks of the pots, which are covered with white cloth and set upon copper vessels filled with sesame seeds and gold. These four pots represent the four oceans. In their midst, an auspicious seat wrapped in cloth is established. Upon this seat, a vessel is placed—made of gold, silver, copper, or wood; if none are available, one fashioned from palāśa wood suffices. This vessel is filled with water, and within it, an image of Janārdana in the form of a fish is placed, crafted from gold and adorned with the Vedas, Vedāṅgas, Śruti, and Smṛti. The image is honored with various foods, fruits, flowers, fragrances, incense, and cloth. Worship is performed according to the prescribed procedure. The devotee then prays: “O Lord, just as you retrieved the Vedas from the netherworld in the form of a fish, so too, O Keśava, may you uplift me.” After reciting this prayer, the devotee keeps vigil through the night. At daybreak, according to one’s means, the four pots are given to four brāhmaṇas: the eastern pot to one versed in the Bahvṛca (Ṛgveda), the southern to one of the Chāndogya (Sāmaveda), the western to a knower of the Yajurveda, and the northern as one wishes. The devotee recites: “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.” The golden fish image is then presented to the teacher. This offering is made with due worship—fragrance, incense, and cloths. Whoever presents this secret mantra and the procedure receives a reward multiplied a crore-fold. Yet, if one, having accepted the teacher, acts wrongly out of delusion, he is condemned to suffer in hell for ten million births; for the giver of the procedure is rightly called ‘teacher’ by the wise. Having thus performed the offering and worshipped Viṣṇu on the twelfth day, the devotee should feed the brāhmaṇas as generously as possible, with suitable gifts. Pots made of copper, filled with sesame seeds, are prepared; among them, the water-filled pot is given to a householder brāhmaṇa. The deity is given to him as well, and then the brāhmaṇas are fed with abundant and excellent food. Only after this does the devotee eat, together with the children—maintaining silence and self-control. Whoever observes the Earth-vow in this manner, O wise one, attains supreme merit. Even if I had a thousand mouths and a lifespan as long as Brahmā’s, I could not fully describe the fruits of this observance. Yet, I will tell you its outline: Ten, seven, ten, two, eight, and four—these numbers, totaling four lakhs and ten thousand, make a caturyuga. Seventy-one such yugas form a Manvantara, and fourteen Manvantaras make a day of Brahmā, with a night of equal length. A month has thirty days, twelve months make a year, and a hundred such years is Brahmā’s lifespan. Whoever observes this Dvādaśī even once, according to these rules, attains Brahmaloka and remains there for that duration. Then, at the dissolution of Brahmā, he remains merged for a long time, and at the next creation, he is born as a god among the Vairājas, the great ascetics. All sins—killing a Brāhmaṇa and others, whether done knowingly or unknowingly—are instantly destroyed by this observance. In this world, even a poor man or a king who has lost his kingdom, by following this vow, will surely become a king again. Thus is the supreme merit and reward of this sacred observance, faithfully preserved and passed down through the ages.