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438
Harivamsha Purana
The food of the Kavala, which is increased by one each day, starting with fasting on the first day and ending with seven Kavalas on the eighth day, and then decreasing by one each day until fasting on the last day, is to be performed for seven weeks. This is the Sapta-Saptama Tapa-Vidhi. ||11||
The Ashta-Ashtama, Nava-Navama, Dasha-Dashama, Ekadasha-Ekadasha, and Dvadasha-Dvadasha, etc., up to the Dvatrimsha-Dvatrimsha, are to be performed in the same way as the Sapta-Saptama Tapa-Vidhi. In each of these, the first day is a fast, and then the number of Kavalas is increased by one each day until the number of the Vidhi is reached. Then the number of Kavalas is decreased by one each day until one Kavala is reached, and the last day is a fast. The natural food of a human being is said to be thirty-two Kavalas, so this Vrata is limited to thirty-two Kavalas. ||12||
Another way to perform the Sapta-Saptama Tapa-Vidhi is to eat one Kavala on the first day, two Kavalas on the second day, three Kavalas on the third day, and so on, until seven Kavalas are eaten on the seventh day. This cycle is then repeated seven times. ||13||
The Ashta-Ashtama, etc., are to be performed in the same way, starting with a fast on the first day and increasing the number of Kavalas by one each day. ||14||
In the Achaamla-Vardhamana Vidhi, the first day is a fast, the second day one meal, the third day two meals, and so on, until the eleventh day, when ten meals are eaten. Then the number of meals is decreased by one each day until the tenth day, when one meal is eaten, and the last day is a fast. In the first ten days of this Vrata, Nirvikruti (bland) food should be eaten, and in the last ten days, the first food served should be eaten. ||15||
The first day is a fast, then the number of Kavalas is increased by one each day until the eighth day, when seven Kavalas are eaten, then the number of Kavalas is decreased by one each day until the last day, which is a fast. This is to be done for seven weeks. ||16||