Kāmya Vratas and the Rules of Vratas

A vrata for Sūrya kept on Sundays that fall on Hasta nakshatra, with a lotus drawn in red sandal, arghya, and a night meal without oil.

A fourteen-year vrata in which Bhagavān Śiva is worshipped by the twenty-five names of Sūrya, limb by limb, on the days of the nakshatras.

A thirteen-month Sunday vrata in which Bhagavān Vishṇu is worshipped as Manmatha by fifteen names, taught by Dālbhya to the queens of Kṛshṇa.

A vrata kept on Śrāvaṇa Śukla Dvitīyā to Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa and Lakshmī so that married partners are never parted, from the Matsya Purāṇa.

A four-month vrata begun on Śrāvaṇa Śukla Dvitīyā for the welfare and long life of a woman's husband, told in the Skanda Purāṇa's Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa.

The Aśūnyaśayana Vrata of the Vāmana Purāṇa: Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa worshipped on a bed on the dvitīyā when Viśvakarmā sleeps, so that one is never separated.

A vrata kept on Phālguṇa Caturthī in worship of Bhagavān Gaṇeśa, remover of obstacles, one of the twelve monthly vratas of the Varāha Purāṇa.

A vrata kept on a Caturthī that falls on a Tuesday, offered to Aṅgāraka (Maṅgala, Mars), giving beauty, saubhāgya and rule over seven dvīpas.

A great śānti rite for one who has seen a thousand full moons, ended on Jyeshṭha Pūrṇimā at Candrahari in Ayodhyā with gold moon discs and sixteen-name worship.

Cāndrāyaṇa is the vrata of prāyaścitta whose mouthfuls follow the moon: its rule, kinds, uses and phala in the Agni and Vāmana Purāṇas.

The Gaurī Mārgaśīra Vrata is a month-long worship of Durgā as Gaurī in Mārgaśīra, kept by women for a good husband and Hari-bhakti (Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa).

The Jayantī Vrata is the fast kept on the birth-anniversary of Bhagavān Vishṇu or Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, taught by Brahmā to Nārada in the Padma Mahā Purāṇa.

The Kāma Vrata is kept on Pushya Shashṭhī for Kumārasvāmī (Skanda), one of the twelve monthly vratas of the Varāha Purāṇa, and it fulfils righteous desires.

The Kānti Vrata is kept on Kārtika Śukla Dvitīyā for Soma (Chandra) as Bala-Keśava, to gain radiance, beauty and the grace of Lakshmī.

The Kātyāyanī Vrata is the month-long vrata of the gopikās of Vṛndāvana in Mārgaśīrsha, to Devī Kātyāyanī, asking for Kṛshṇa as husband (Bhāgavata 10.22).

The Mahākārtikī Vrata is kept on Kārtika Paurṇamī, best when it falls on Kṛttikā nakshatra on a Monday or Thursday (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva).

A month-long complete fast in Āshāḍha, Śrāvaṇa, Bhādrapada or Āśvayuja, kept in a Hari temple with an unbroken lamp, as taught in Nārada Purāṇa chapter 22.

Month, day and season vratas of the Agni Purāṇa: Cāturmāsya, Bhīma, Kaumuda, Tri-rātra, Kārtika, Agni, Sārasvata and saṅkrānti vratas, and the Māsopavāsa.

The Māsopavāsa Vrata of the Agni Purāṇa: a thirty-day fast to Bhagavān Vishṇu from Āśvayuja śukla Ekādaśī to his waking in Kārtika.

A month-long fast in Āshāḍha, Śrāvaṇa, Bhādrapada or Āśvayuja in a Hari temple, taught by Sanakar Maharshi, whose phala grows each time it is kept.

The Phala-tyāga Vrata is a year without fruits, ending with the dāna of forty-eight fruit pratimās, taught by Nandikeśvara to Nārada in the Matsya Mahā Purāṇa.

The Putra-Prāpti Vrata is kept on Bhādrapada Kṛshṇa Ashṭamī for Bhagavān Kṛshṇa by those who long for a son, as the Varāha Purāṇa teaches.

A year-long vrata on a Pūrṇimā that falls on Somavāra or in Rohiṇī nakshatra, in which Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa is worshipped with eighteen names of Soma.

A vrata for Mahādeva Rudra whose origin is Brahmā's fifth head and Bhagavān Śiva's twelve years as Kapālin, ending at Kapāla-mocana in Kāśī.

A month-long moon-meditation vrata from the Mahābhārata, begun on the Mārgaśīrsha Śukla Pratipat, that gives beauty and good fortune.

The Śanaiścara Vrata is the Saturday vrata of Śani, with oil bath, an iron mūrti, mantras and a yearly dāna of a black cow, blanket and sesame oil.

The Śānti Vrata is kept on Kārtika Pañcamī for Bhagavān Vishṇu and the Nāgas led by Śesha, and gives peace of mind and freedom from fear.

A thirteen-month vrata to Gāyatrī-Sarasvatī on the Śukla Pañcamī of each month, giving jñāna, saubhāgya, skill in the vidyās and long life.

The Sārvabhauma Vrata is kept on Kārtika Daśamī for the ten lokapālas and Bhagavān Vishṇu, and gives rule over all ten directions.

The Saubhāgya-Karaṇa Vrata is kept on Phālguṇa Tṛtīyā for Lakshmī and Bhagavān Vishṇu, or Gaurī and Rudra, to gain saubhāgya, good fortune in the home.

The Saubhāgya Śayana Vrata honours Lalitā and Parameśvara on Caitra Śukla Tṛtīyā and every śukla tṛtīyā for twelve months, and ends with the gift of a bed.

The Śaurya Vrata is kept on Āśvayuja Navamī for Durgā-Devī and gives valour, strength and victory over enemies.

A vrata for Bhagavān Sūrya kept at the Vishuvas and Ayanas, with a lotus of nine names, an arghya, and twelve cows given at the year's end.

The Trirātra Vrata is a three-night fast; kept for Janārdana it leads to Vaikuṇṭha with a hundred generations of one's family.

A graduated system of fasting taught by the ṛshi Aṅgiras, through which even the poor gain the fruit of the great yajñas.

The Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, in which Bhagavān Kṛshṇa teaches Yudhishṭhira the vratas, the mahā-dānas and sadācāra.

Seven weekday vratas of the Agni Purāṇa, each kept as seven nakta-vratas on one weekday under its own nakshatra, for freedom from that day's planetary affliction.

The Vrata Paribhāshā is the general rule for all vratas: the ten common dharmas, the fast, foods, prāyaścitta, timing and what breaks a vrata, from the Agni and Garuḍa Purāṇas.