199 - Vows relating to different seasons

Agni said:

1-3. Ishall describe the vows relating to the seasons that would bestow enjoyment and emancipation. A brahmin who gives away fuel in the four seasons beginning with the rainy season and gives ghee and cow at the end would become agnivrati. Maintaining silence at the twilight and giving a pitcher with ghee at the end of the month as well as sesamum, bell and clothes one would be happy. (He is known to be) the performer of Sarasvatavrata. One who bathes with the five sweet things for a year and gives away a cow would become a king.

4-5. Eating only in the night on the eleventh day in chaitra foodshould be offered to (lord Vishņu). That person who practises the Vishņu-maavrata would reach the golden feet of lord Vishnu at the end of the month. One who eats sweet gruel and offers a pair of cows as a gift would get fortune. He would be (known as) the performer of Devivrata. One who offers to the pitrudevas (the dead ancestors) and eats (the food) would become a king.

6-8. I have described the Varshavratas (the vows relating to rainy scason). Ishall describe the vows relating to the movement (of the Sun). A person who keeps awake in the night at the time of the movement (of the Sun from one constellation into another) would go to heaven. Similarly worship of Siva in the form of the Sun at the time of the new-moon and Sun's movement (would get the same result). Bathing (the image of) Keśava with a prastha (a kind of measure) of clarified butter of thirty-two pala measures one gets free from all sins. One who bathes (the lord) with ghec, milk etc. at the time of the equinox etc. (would get the ́same fruits).

9-10. The Umāvrata done on the third day and the eighth days confers fortune on women. One who worships (goddess) Gauri and lord Maheśvara would get all fortunes. After worshipping Umamaheśvara one gets non-separation. The main performer of the vow in the Umešavrata is the woman. A woman who is devoted to the Sun would certainly become a male.

Summary of chapter 199 of the Agni Purāṇa is as follows:

A collection of miscellaneous vratas of varied structure and purpose is presented. Ṛtu-vratas spanning the four seasons—varṣā, śarad, hemanta, śiśira—prescribe indhana-dāna (firewood gift) and mṛta-dhenu-dāna in succession. The Sarasvatī-vrata requires one month of mouna at the sandhyā-times with dāna of mṛta-kumbha, tila, ghaṇṭā, and vastra; it grants eloquence and Sarasvatī's blessing. Pañcāmṛta-snāna combined with go-dāna for one full year confers rājatva. The Makara-saṃkrānti prātaḥ-snāna followed by Keśava-arcana and the gift of thirty-two palas of gold removes all pāpa. The Umā-vrata performed on tṛtīyā and aṣṭamī with Gaurī-Maheśvara pūjā bestows akhaṇḍa-saubhāgya on women; remarkably, women who faithfully perform the Mūla-vrata, Umeśa-vrata, or Sūrya-bhakti are said to attain puruṣatva in their next birth.