Adhyaya 178

Lord Agni opens by moving from Dvitīyā-vratas to Tṛtīyā-vratas, declaring them bestowers of both bhukti and mukti. He describes the Mūla-Gaurī observance on Caitra śukla tṛtīyā, commemorating Gaurī’s marriage to Hara: purification by a sesame bath, then joint worship of Śambhu with Gaurī using auspicious offerings such as “golden fruits.” The ritual’s core is an extended mantra-nyāsa with limb-wise invocations, assigning divine names and powers from feet and ankles up through knees, waist, belly, breasts, throat, hands and arms, face, nose, eyebrows, palate, hair, and head—embodying Śiva–Śakti theology in worship. Flowers, fragrances, and month-wise offering sequences are prescribed, and the rite concludes with dāna: honoring a brāhmaṇa couple, giving sets of items, and major gifts like a golden Umā–Maheśvara image with cattle. Alternative timings (Vaiśākha, Bhādrapada/Nābhasya, Mārgaśīrṣa) and a second method include repeated worship with Mṛtyuñjaya recitations. Finally, Agni introduces Saubhāgya-vrata (notably salt-abstinence from Phālguna tṛtīyā) and lists goddess-forms across successive tṛtīyās, promising saubhāgya and svarga.