Agastya, the revered sage, addressed the king with gentle wisdom: “Now, O King, I shall reveal to you the supreme Kānti vow, a sacred observance by which Soma—the moon god—once regained his lost radiance. Long ago, Soma was afflicted by consumption, a wasting disease brought upon him by the curse of Dakṣa. In his distress, Soma performed this very vow, and through its power, his brilliance was immediately restored. On the bright second day of the month of Kārttika, one should undertake this vow with earnest devotion. The observance begins with a night-long fast, accompanied by the worship of Balakeśava. The worship is performed by venerating the feet of Baladeva and the head of Keśava, thus honoring the supreme Vaiṣṇava form in its entirety. On this auspicious day, the devotee should offer arghya—an offering of water—to the supreme Lord, reciting the prescribed mantra to the twofold form known as Soma, the highest manifestation. The mantra is: ‘Obeisance to you, who are of the form of nectar, lord of all herbs, ruler of the world of sacrifice, Soma, the supreme self.’ After making this offering, the devotee, along with a brāhmaṇa, partakes of barley food mixed with ghee at night. For the four months beginning with Phālguna, rice pudding is to be served; in Kārttika, a rice offering with barley is added. In the four months starting from Āṣāḍha, sesame offerings are made, and sesame food is consumed, as prescribed. At the completion of a year, a silver image of the moon, adorned with a pair of white garments and anointed with white flowers, should be worshipped and then presented to a brāhmaṇa. By performing this act with self-control and reciting the mantra, the devotee becomes radiant, wise, and pleasing to behold in this world, receiving the grace of Nārāyaṇa in the form of Soma. This very vow was performed in ancient times by Soma, the son of Atri. At the conclusion of his observance, Janārdana himself was pleased and swiftly removed Soma’s consumption, bestowing upon him the portion called nectar. Through such austerity, King Soma attained his exalted state and became the lord of herbs. On the second day, the Aśvins—the divine twins who partake of Soma—are especially celebrated. They are renowned as Śeṣa and Viṣṇu, the chief wings of the divine, and there is no deity apart from Viṣṇu; the supreme lord pervades all, appearing under many names. Agastya continued: “Now, O King, listen further to a vow that bestows good fortune, bringing prosperity quickly to both women and men. On the third day of the bright fortnight in the month of Phālguna, one should observe this vow, fasting at night, with purity and truthfulness. The worship is performed for Hari with Lakshmi, or Rudra together with Uma—recognizing that Shri is Girija, and Hari is also the three-eyed one. This unity is taught in all the scriptures and Purāṇas; to separate them is to misunderstand the truth. Anyone who claims that Rudra is not the author of the scriptures, or that Vishnu is not made by Rudra, or that Shri is not Gauri, speaks with the voice of non-belief, as discerned by the wise. Knowing this, one should devoutly worship Hari with Lakshmi, using the prescribed mantra, and then the Supreme Lord. The mantra is recited in this order: ‘To the deep one’ at the feet, ‘to the auspicious one’ at the waist, ‘to the god of gods’ at the belly, ‘to the three-eyed one’ at the face, ‘to the lord of speech’ at the head, and ‘to Rudra’ everywhere. Thus, with sandalwood, flowers, and other offerings, one worships Vishnu with Lakshmi or Hara with Gauri. After the worship, a fire offering is made with honey, ghee, and sesame seeds, reciting ‘for the lord of prosperity.’ The devotee then partakes of wheat food, prepared without salt, alkaline, or oily substances, placed on the ground; this same rule applies during the dark fortnight. From the second day of Āṣāḍha onwards, one breaks the fast and eats. In Kārttika and the following months, barley food or shyamaka grain is consumed for three months, with discipline and purity. Then, on the third day of the bright fortnight in Māgha, the wise should fashion a golden image of Gauri and Rudra together. According to one’s means and with a joyful heart, an image of Hari with Lakshmi may also be made and given to a worthy, discerning brāhmaṇa. If food is scarce, the gift may be given to a Veda-learned brāhmaṇa of good conduct, or to one of righteous behavior, especially if wealth is limited. Six vessels are offered to the brāhmaṇa: one filled with honey, another with ghee, a third with sesame oil, a fourth with jaggery, a fifth with salt, and a sixth with cow’s milk. By giving these, one becomes fortunate and attractive for seven lifetimes, whether woman or man. Agastya then spoke of the means to remove obstacles: “O King, hear now the vow that dispels hindrances, so that no obstacle may arise even in well-performed acts. This vow is to be undertaken on the fourth day of Phālguna. The devotee eats only at night, breaking the fast with sesame rice, which is also offered into the fire and given to a brāhmaṇa. After performing this four-month vow five times, a golden image of the elephant-faced one—Ganesha—is to be made and presented to a brāhmaṇa, accompanied by five vessels of milk-rice and sesame seeds. By thus performing the vow, one is freed from all obstacles. In ancient times, when an obstacle threatened Sagara’s horse sacrifice, this very vow enabled him to complete it. Similarly, when Rudra destroyed Tripura, he performed this vow and thus succeeded. Even I, Agastya, performed this vow when I drank the ocean. Many kings of old, seekers of austerity and knowledge, have also undertaken this vow for the removal of obstacles. Thus, O King, these sacred observances bring radiance, prosperity, and the removal of all impediments, as taught by the wise and practiced by the great.