Sun-worship Vratas (11) Kamala-saptamī

The Kamalasaptamīvrata starts on the seventh day of the bright fortnight in the month of the Caitra and lasts for a year. Lord Divākara is worshipped by it. On the specific day of its observance, the worshipper completing his morning bath with water mixed with white mustard, makes a golden Lotus and places it in a golden vessel, full of Sesamum.

After that, covering the Lotus with a pair of clothes, he worships the Sun-god there, with incense, flowers, etc., and utterance of the words,

namaḥ kamalahastāya namaste viśvadhāriṇe/
divākara namastubhyaṃ prabhākara namoʹstute/^[1]

On the evening hour, a cow is gifted to a Brāhmaṇa, ornamented with vastra, mālya and alaṃkāra, etc., along with a vessel full of water.^[2] On the next day, food is given to the Brāhmaṇas. The worshipper should observe this vrata on the seventh day of the bright fortnight in each month, following the same rituals. As the merit of it, he achieves inexhaustible money and the region of the Sun after his death. The Kamalasaptamīvrata is also referred to in the Padmapurāṇa^[3] and the Bhaviṣyottarapurāṇa.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 77.3,4

[2]:

cf., viprāya dadyātsampūjya vastramālyavibhūṣaṇaiḥ/ śaktyācakapilāṃdadyādalaṃkṛtyavidhānataḥ//

[3]:

Padmapurāṇa,5.21.281-290

[4]:

Bhaviṣyapurāṇa, 4.50.1-11