Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura points out that there are thirty-five items up to the point of observing special vows in the month of Karttika. To these thirty-five items, another four are added-namely marking tilaka on different parts of the body, writing the names of the Lord all over the body, accepting the Deity's garland and accepting caranamrta. These four items are understood to be included by Kaviraja Gosvami within arcana, worship of the Deity. Although these items are not mentioned here, they are to be added to the previous thirty-five items. Thus the total number becomes thirty-nine. To these thirty-nine should be added five others: association with devotees, chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, reading Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly, residing in Mathura, the birthplace of Krsna, and worshiping the Deity with great respect and veneration. The thirty-nine items plus these five come to a total of forty-four. If we add the previous twenty items to these forty-four, the total number becomes sixty-four. The five items mentioned above repeat previously mentioned items. In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami states:

"The glorification of these five items [association with devotees, chanting the holy name and so on] is to make known the complete superiority of these five practices of devotional service.