Chapter 109

“Yudhishthira said, ‘It behoveth thee, O grandsire, to tell me what arethe highest, the most beneficial, and the most certain fruit of all hindsof fasts k this world.’

“Bhishma said, ‘Listen, O king, to what was sung by the Self-born himselfand by accomplishing which a person, without doubt, attains to thehighest happiness. That man who fasts on the twelfth day of the moon inthe month called Margasirsha and worships Krishna as Kesava for the wholeday and night, attains to the merit of the Horse-sacrifice and becomescleansed of all his sins. He who; after the same manner, fasts on thetwelfth day of the moon in the month of Pausha and worships Krishna asNarayana, for the whole day and night, attains to the merits of theVajapeya sacrifice and the highest success. He who fasts on the twelfthday of the moon in the month of Magha and worships Krishna as Madhava,for the whole day and night, attains to the merits of the Rajasuyasacrifice, and rescues his own race (from misery).[504] He who fasts onthe twelfth day of the moon in the month of Phalguna and worships Krishnaas Govinda, for the whole day and night, attains to the merit of theAtiratra sacrifice and goes to the region of Soma. He who fasts on thetwelfth day of the moon in the month of Chaitra and worship Krishna asVishnu, for the whole day and night, attains to the merit of thePundarika sacrifice and proceeds to the region of the deities. Byobserving a similar fast on the twelfth day of the month of Vaisakha andworshipping Krishna as the slayer of Madhu for the whole day and night,one attains to the merits of the Agnishtoma sacrifice and proceeds to theregion of Soma. By observing a fast on the twelfth lunar day in the monthof Jyaishtha and worshipping Krishna as him who had (in Vali’s sacrifice)covered the universe with three steps of his, one attains to the meritsof the Gomedha sacrifice and sports with the Apsaras in great happiness.By observing a fast on the twelfth day of the moon in the month ofAshadha and worshipping Krishna as the dwarf (who beguiled the Asura kingVali), one attains to the merits of the Naramedha[505] sacrifice andsports in happiness with the Apsaras. By observing a fast for the twelfthlunar day of the month Sravana and worshipping Krishna for day and nightas Sridhara, one attains to the merits of the sacrifice calledPanchayajna and acquires a beautiful car in Heaven whereon he sports injoy. By observing a fast on the twelfth day of the moon in the month ofBhadrapada and worshipping Krishna as Hrishikesa for the whole day andnight, one attains to the merits of the Sautramani sacrifice and becomescleansed of all sins. By observing a fast for the twelfth day of the moonin the month of Aswin and worship-ping Krishna as Padmanabha, one attainswithout doubt, to the merits of the sacrifice in which a thousand kineare given away. By observing a fast for the twelfth day of the moon inthe month of Kartika and worshipping Krishna as Damodara, one attains,without doubt, to the combined merits of all the sacrifices. He who, inthis way, adores Krishna for a whole year as Pundarikaksha, acquires thepower of recollecting the incidents of his past births and wins muchwealth in gold. Similarly, he who worships Krishna every day as Upendraattains to identity with him. After Krishna has been worshipped in thisway, one should, at the conclusion of one’s vow, feed a number ofBrahmanas or make gifts unto them of ghee. The illustrious Vishnu, thatancient Being, has himself said that there is no fast that possessesmerits superior to what attach to fast of this kind.'”