Vrata literally means "vow, resolve, devotion"<ref>Monier Monier-Williams (1899), Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, page 1042</ref>. It refers to pious observances of spiritual practices such as fasting and pilgrimage (Tirtha). | Vrata literally means "vow, resolve, devotion"<ref>Monier Monier-Williams (1899), Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, page 1042</ref>. It refers to pious observances of spiritual practices such as fasting and pilgrimage (Tirtha). |