Having truly seen the eternal Supreme Self, I honor him above all, bearing him upon my head as a shining ornament before the world. Thus, as you have spoken, this sin has been revealed by the god himself; now, O wise one, let us worship him alone. Agastya continued: After these words, the venerable Vasiṣṭha described the vow—divine worship of the sun, known as the vow for health. The king, following this vow with devotion, quickly attained the highest success and was freed from disease in an instant. Now, O great king, let me briefly tell you of the auspicious vow for obtaining a son; listen as I declare it. In the month of Bhādrapada, during the dark fortnight, on the eighth day, one should fast—this is indeed the vow for obtaining a son. On the sixth day, make your resolve; on the seventh, worship Hari, the Lord resting in Devakī’s lap, surrounded by the mothers. In the pure morning of the eighth day, worship Hari with devotion, performing the prescribed rites for Govinda. Afterwards, offer oblations of barley and black sesame mixed with ghee and curd, and feed the brāhmaṇas with devotion and gifts according to your ability. Then, eat first the finest bilva fruit, and afterwards, partake as you desire of all flavors and oils. By observing this procedure every month, even one who is sonless and fasts on the Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī will surely obtain a son without doubt. It is told that once, King Śūrasena—mighty yet sonless—performed austerities upon the excellent Himavat mountain. As he did so, the god revealed this vow to him; the king performed it and obtained a son, Vasudeva, blessed and a performer of many sacrifices. In this way, that royal sage attained supreme liberation. Thus, O king, I have described to you the vow of Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī. At the end of the year, a pair of black cows should be given to a twice-born brāhmaṇa. This vow for a son has been described by me; by performing it, a man is freed from all sins. Now, I shall declare to you the supreme vow of valor, by which even the fearful instantly attain great courage. In the month of Ashvayuja, one should fast on the pure ninth day; having resolved on the seventh, remain steadfast and restrained on the eighth. On the ninth, the king should offer flour as the first act with devotion, feed Brahmins with reverence, and worship the blessed goddess Durga, the great illusion, the mighty one. This vow should be observed for a full year according to the prescribed method. At its conclusion, the wise should feed maidens as able, adorning them with gold, garments, and ornaments, and then seek their forgiveness, praying, "May the goddess be pleased with me." By performing thus, one who has lost his kingdom will regain it; the unlearned will attain knowledge, and the fearful will become renowned for valor. Now, O king, I shall briefly describe another universal vow: when properly performed, a king swiftly becomes sovereign over all. On the tenth day of the bright fortnight in Kartika, eat only at night and offer pure oblations in all directions daily. With devotion and various flowers, worship the foremost Brahmins, and pray to the directions, "May all the goddesses grant me success in every birth." After offering oblations with a pure mind, eat well-prepared rice and curds at night, both first and last, as desired, for a year. Whoever performs this daily will achieve conquest of the directions. On the eleventh day, carefully perform the rite as prescribed, beginning from the bright fortnight of Margashirsha for a year. This vow is dear to the god of wealth and, when performed, brings riches. Whoever fasts on the eleventh day and eats on the twelfth, whether in the bright or dark fortnight, performs the great Vaishnava vow. These fierce vows, when observed, destroy sins, O king. On the thirteenth day, the vow of righteousness is performed by eating only at night. In the bright fortnight of Phalguna, the wise should begin; the fierce vow is especially performed on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, starting from the month of Magha, for a full year. On the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight, the moon vow is observed by eating at night; the ancestral vow is performed on the new moon, as prescribed. Whoever, O king, performs these lunar vows for ten or five years, what is the fruit according to the measure of the vow? He achieves the merit of thousands of Ashvamedha sacrifices and hundreds of Rajasuya rituals, and other rites prescribed in the scriptures. Even a single violation destroys the vow and brings constant sin; but, O prince among men, whoever completes all this becomes pure, free from stain, and attains all the worlds. Then Bhadraashva asked: "If you know of any marvel, or have seen one, O knower of dharma, please tell me, for my curiosity is great." Agastya replied: "The Blessed Lord Janardana himself is the source of wonders; many and various marvels of his have indeed been seen. Once, O king, Narada journeyed to Shvetadvipa, and there he beheld men bearing conch, discus, and lotus, radiant with intense brilliance. 'This is Vishnu, this is Vishnu, this is the eternal Vishnu,' he thought, yet wondered, 'Who among these is truly Vishnu, the Lord?' As he pondered thus, his mind turned to Krishna: 'How shall I worship the bearer of conch, discus, and mace?