THE GARUDA PURANA 24 страница

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas).

Brahmd said:

1-2. In the month of Margagir^a (Oct-Nov. ) on the thirteenth day of the bright half, which is called Ananga Trayodafi,

Lord Siva shall be worshipped with Dhattura flowers and tooth pick twigs of the tree Maliika, 4 with the Naivedya

(food offering) of honey saying that it is for the Cupid. In die month Pttufa, Yogegvara should be worshipped with the Bilva Bowers; the Kadamba 5 twig is the tooth pick; sandal paste and Naivedya of Saskuli (rice dough fried in ghee or oil) should be given.

1. The sun.

2. Siva.

3. Perhaps the same as dhett& ra — datttra, GVDB, p. 214.

4. Jasminum sambac.

5. Aathocephahn iadkus.

3. In the month of Magha (Dec-Jan. ) Lord NaJeSvara 1 2

should be worshipped with Kunda flowers and necklace of pearls. The tooth pick is of Plak$a tree and the Naivedya, O sage, is fried pancake.

4. In the month of Phalguna (Jan-Feb. ) Lord VireSvara 1 should be worshipped with Maruvaka 3 flowers. The Naivedya consists of sugar candy, vegetables and rice gruel.

The tooth pick is of mango 4 5 tree.

5. In the month of Caitra (Feb-Mar. ) Lord Suriipa shall be worshipped. Flowers of Karpura 6 plant shall be taken if no fast is undertaken. The tooth pick is of Vaja tree and Naivedya is & a§kuli (rice dough fried in ghee or oil).

6-8. In the month of Vai£ akha (Mar-April) Lord Sambhu is worshipped with Aioka 7 8 9 flowers and Modakas and the Naivedya of cooked rice with jaggery is offered to Mah& rupa. Jatiphala (nutmeg) too should be offered and the tooth pick is of Udumbara tree. In the month of Jye^ha (Apr-May)

Pradyumna should be worshipped with Campaka 3 flowers and Lavanga 0 (clove) offered. The tooth pick should be of Bilva twigs. In the month of Asarjha lord Uma-Bhadra should be worshipped with Apamarga 10 flowers. The tooth pick is of Aguru tree.

9. In the month of Srava^a (June-July) Lord Sambhu with the trident in his hand should be worshipped with Karavira 1 flowers. Fragrant pastes and seat are offered. The Naivedya is ghee, etc. and the tooth pick is of Karavira tree.

1. Siva.

2. Siva.

3. Perhaps the same as Phaoijjhaka — Ocimurn basilic tun. But identity is not certain. ( GVDB, p. 266), 4. Mangifera indica.

5. Siva.

6. Either Cinnamomum camphora or D. aromatica, GVDB, p. 82.

7. Saraca indica.

8. Michelia champaka.

9. Syzygium aromaticum.

10. Achyranthes aspera.

10-12. In the month of Bhidrapada (July-Aug. ) lord Sadyoj& ta 2 should be worshipped with Bakula 3 flowers. Pupaka

(cake) is the naivedya. In the month of A$vina (Aug-Sep. )

the gandharva lord Madanaja and Indra, the lord of the deities should be worshipped in water in a gold pot, with the offerings ofModaka. The tooth pick is of Khadira 3 tree (catechu). In the month of Karttika ( Sep-Oct. ) Rudra should be worshipped.

The tooth pick should be of Badari 4 tree. The devotee should either fast or take one tenth of the usual food. At the end of the year he should worship Siva with lotuses offering milk and vegetables as naivedya.

13. Lord Anariga accompanied by Rati should be worshipped on a golden throne. Gingelly seeds and rice grains should be offered in the fire ten thousand times.

14. He should keep awake in the night in singing songs or playing on instruments. In the morning worship should again be performed. Bed, vessels, cloth, umbrella and shoes should be given to brahmins.

15. He should feed cows and brahmins with devotion.

He should be delighted. This is the concluding rite for all Vratas. The fruit of all these Vratas is prosperity, health, and good fortune.

1. Nerium indicum.

2. Siva.

3. Mixnusops elengi.

4. Zizyphui jqjuba.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas).

Brahma said:

1-2. I shall expound Akharida-Dvada£ i-Vrata that yields salvation: quelling of all evils. In the bright half of the month of Marga£ Ir$a the devotee should fast on the eleventh day taking in only Paficagavya. On the twelfth day he should worship Lord Visnu. For four consecutive months he shall give vessels containing the five kinds of food grains to a brahmin and say: —

3-5. “Whatever, O noble sir, I have done in seven previous births shall, by your grace, be unsevered. Just as the entire universe is one complete whole, let all the vratas performed by me be one whole. You are Purusottama himself. ’ In the four months from Caitra he should give vessels of flour and in the four months from Sravana he shall give vessels of butter. The devotee who performs this Vrata would obtain good wife, sons and attain heaven after death.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahmu said:

1-2. I should now expound Agastyarghya Vrata which yields worldly enjoyment and salvation. Three days before the transit of the Sun to Kanyarasi (Virgo), an image of the sage should be made with KaSa 1 flowers in a vessel and Arghya shall be offered after duly worshipping it. Tiie devotee should keep awake in the night.

3-4. The worship should be with curd rice grains, flowers and fruits too. The pot should be painted in five colours.

It may be of gold or silver. It should contain seven types of grains. It should be smeared with curd and sandal paste. While giving “Arghya” the mantra “Agastyah Khanamanah” etc. shall be recited.

5. While worshipping, the devotee should say: — “O sage Agastya! obeisance unto thee. Thou art the son of Mitra and Varuna. Thou art born of Fire and Wind. Thou art like the K& £ a flower. ”

6. Sudras and women should use only this mantra for offering grains, fruits and juice. The devotee shall give the vessel to a brahmin withdaksinas and feed brahmins. By doing so for seven years he will get every thing he wants.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brakmd said:

1-2. I shall now expound Rambha-Trtlya-Vrata that yields good fortune, wealth and sons. In the month of

M& rga£ r? a, on the third day in the bright half, the devotee should worship Gauri with the leaves of Bilva after duly fasting.

He should wash his hands with -water from Ku£ a grass. The tooth pick should be of the Kadamba twig. In the same way in the month of Pau$a he should worship Girisuta 1 with Maruvaka flowers.

3-4. He should take in only the leaves of Karpura plant.

He should offer KrSaras (balls of gingelly seeds in treacle).

The tooth pick should be of Mallika twig. In the month of M& gha, the devotee should worship Subhadra with Kalhara flowers. He should take only butter. Ma$< jaka should be offered. The tooth pick should be Gitimaya? In the month of Philguna, Gomati shall be worshipped. The tooth pick should be of Kunda twigs. He should offer & a? kulfs and take only just a little food to keep him active. I. P& rvati, the daughter of Himalaya.

5. In the month of Caitra, the devotee should take only Curd. “ViSalaksi should be worshipped with Madanaka flowers offering Krsaras. The tooth pick shall be of Tagara twig. In the month of Vai sakha, Srimukhi should be worshipped with Karnikara flowers. The tooth pick is of Aloka twigs and the devotee should take only A£ oka leaves.

6. In themonthof Jye§fha, NarayanI should be worshipped with lotus flowers. Sugar candy should be offered. He should take in only clove. In the month of A§adha, Madhavl should be worshipped.

7. The devotee should take only gingclly seeds. The worship should be performed with Bilva leaves. He should offer milk pudding and Vafakas (fried pies). The tooth pick shall be either Udumbara twigs or Tagari. Goddess Sri should be worshipped in Sravana.

8. The tooth pick should be of Mallika and milk offerings should be made. In the month of Bhadrapada, Uttama should be worshipped with lotuses. Offerings are jaggery, etc.

The devotee should take in Srngada (aloe wood).

9. In the month of Alvina, the goddess Rajaputri should be worshipped with Japa flowers (China rose), the devotee taking only Jiraka in the night. The Naivedya is Kfgara. 10. In the month of Karttika, the goddess Padmaj&

should be worshipped with Jatl flowers. He shall take only Paflcagavya. At the end of the year, he should worship Brahmin couples. He himself should take butter and cooked rice.

1 1. After worshipping Umamahesvara jaggery should be given along with cloth, umbrella, gold, etc. He should keep awake the whole of the night engaged in singing. In the morning he should give cows, etc. The devotee would get everything.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYONE.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

BrahmA said:

1. I shall now mention the Caturmasya Yratas These rites can be taken either on the eleventh day or on Full moon day, in the month of A$adha. The devotee should pray thus at the outset.

2-3. t? 0 Kesava, I have taken up this Vrata before you.

If you are pleased may, it be completed without hindrances.

Having taken up this rite if I die before completing the same,, O Lord, may it be treated as completed through your grace. ”

4. One should take up the Vrata, Arcana, Japa, etc after praying at the outset like this. The sins of those who even desire to perform Lord Hari’s Vrata perish entirely.

5. He who takes his bath daily and worships Vi$nn continuously for four months taking a single meal every day attains the region of Visnu, free from impurities.

6. The devotee should abstain from taking wine, meat and oil bath and perform the worship of Hari. He should continue his study of Vedas and perform the Krcchra rite He will attain the region of Visnu and become Vi$nu himself.

7. By fasting for a night the devotee becomes a deity moving about in aerial car. By fasting for three nights or taking only a sixth of his usual diet he attains Svetadvipa.

8. A devotee who performs Gandrayana attains the region of Hari. He who performs Prajapatya attains salvation unsolicited. He who performs Parakavrata attains Viftiuloka and becomes Hari Himself.

9. The devotee should sustain himself on grain flour, barley, alms, milk, curd, ghee, cow’s urine and Paficagavya; he should avoid vegetables, roots, fruits and juice. He will thus attain Vi$$u.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYTWO.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahmd said:

1. I shall now mention the Vrata Masopavasa that lasts for a month and is the most excellent of all Vratas. This fast for a month should be undertaken by an ascetic in his Vanaprastha stage of life or by an elderly lady.

2. The devotee should inaugurate the fast for a month on the eleventh day in the bright half of the month of Alvina.

3-4. He should first pray like this “From this day onwards O Visnu, I shall worship Thee for thirty days without taking food till Utthana Dvadaii’ (the day of rising up) in the month of Karttika. May not there be any sin of cutting Vrata if I were to die in the midst of the bright twelfths of Alvina and Karttika.

5-7. Taking three baths every day, the devotee shall worship Hari with sweet scents. He should refrain from taking oil bath and not smear his body with sweet scents within the precincts of the temple. The fasting devotee shall perform the worship on the twelfth day, feed the brahmins and then do the Parana (taking of food), If in the course of Vrata he falls unconscious he can drink milk. This Vrata is not spoiled by drinking milk. He will enjoy worldly pleasures and salvation.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYTHREE.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahmd said:

1. I shall mention some Vratas in themonth of Karttika.

The devotee should worship Vi? i? u after bathing. He should take a single meal a day in the night or live on alms for a whole-month.

2. He should take milk, vegetables and fruits or take fast. Freed from his sin he should attain everyone of his desires and attain Hari.

3. Hari’s Vrata is always excellent. In Daksinayana it is still more excellent. In the Caturmasya the excellence is heightened further and the Bhismapaflcaka in the month of Karttika is better still.

4. Hence, this excellent Vrata should be performed on the eleventh day in the bright half. He shall take three baths.

Lord Hari, and the manes should be worshipped with barley grains.

5. While worshipping he should be silent. The idol should be bathed with butter Paficagavya and water and smeared with camphor.

6-7. During the five days of Vrata, the devotee should burn incense sticks with ghee-smeared Guggulu. The Naivedya is sweet rice porridge. He should recite c Om obeisance to Vasudeva’ one hundred and eight times and with this same eight-syllabled mantra ending with Svaha he shall perform Homa with butter, rice grains and gingelly seeds.

8-10. On the first day of the Vrata he should worship Hari’s feet with lotus flowers; on the second day he should worship the knees with Bilva leaves; on the third day the navel with scents; on the fourth day the shoulders with water from Bilva leaves and on the fifth day he should worship the head with Malati flowers. During these days he should sleep only on the bare ground. The five constituents of Paficagavya should be taken in order on each day thus: — first day cowdung;

second day urine, third day milk, fourth day curd and on the fifth day all five ones. On the night of the fifteenth day (Full Moon) the Vrata shall conclude. He who performs this Vrata attains to worldly pleasures and salvation.

1 1. Fasting on EkadaSI days ( eleventh day) in both halves of the month shall be observed. It removes all sins and wards off hell — nay it enables one to attain Vi§nuloka and gives everything desired.

12-13. For authentic fasts, the eleventh and twelfth phases of the moon should cover the full day from sunrise to sunset and the thirteenth phase should be at sunrise. The Parana should be on the twelfth day. This Vrata can be performed even when there is impurity due to birth or death. If the eleventh phase covers the whole day from sunrise to sunset Lord Hari is present. If part of the day is covered by the tenth phase and part by the eleventh phase, demons permeate that.

Fasts shall not be undertaken then.

14. O sage, if the Full moon or New moon phase is mixed with either the fourteenth or the first phase, fast shall be undertaken.

15. Similarly, fast can be undertaken when the third fourth, fifth or the sixth phase gets mixed with each other in the course of the day.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYFOUR.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahma, said:

1. I shall now mention the “Sivaratri-Vrata’, and the story connected with the same that yields everything one desires. Goddess Gauri was told this Vrata by Siva when she asked him about it.

Iivara said:

2. The fourteenth phase of the moon in the dark half between the months of Maghaand Phalguna is the day fixed for this Vrata. The devotee shall keep awake for the whole night and worship Lord Rudra. He should attain worldly pleasures and salvation.

3. Lord Siva should be worshipped in the company of Lord Cupid just as Lord Kesava is worshipped on Dvadasi days. If after fast, the lord is worshipped he will enable the devotee to cross the Hell.

4. Once Sundara Senaka, the sinful king of Ni$adas went ahunting into a forest along with his dogs.

5. He was unable to bag any game. He became exhausted due to hunger and thirst. He took rest in a bower on the banks of the lake on a mountain, but could not get even a wink of sleep.

6. In his attempt to balance himself on the tree he let fall a few leaves from the tree on a Linga (the phallic emblem of Siva) at the foot of the tree but he was not aware of the same.

7-8. An arrow fell from his quiver. He jumped down to retrieve it. In his search for the arrow he crawled up to the linga and touched it. To wash himself of the dust he brought some water, a few drops of which fell on the linga too. Thus all the items in a worship — bathing, worshipping with leaves, prostration and touching the linga and keeping awake — had been performed unconsciously.

9. In the morning he returned home and had his food brought by his wife. After some time when he died he was dragged by the soldiers of Yama with a noose.

10. Then my followers fought with them and released him. Thus purified along with his faithful dog of that day he became one of my attendants (Ganas).

11. Thus, even without knowing he got the fruits of worship. He who knowingly performs worship will derive everlasting benefit. The devotee shall first worship Siva on the thirteenth day and pray thus:

12-13. “O God, I shall keep awake on the CaturdaSi night. The worship, charitable gift, penance and Homa shall be performed according to my ability. O Sambhu after fasting lor the whole of Caturda£ i (fourteenth) I shall take food only the next day. O Lord, be my refuge and accord me worldly pleasures and salvation. ”

14. After bathing the linga with Paflcagavya and water, at the close of worship, the devotee should approach his preceptor and worship Lord Siva again with the mantra “Om obeisance, obeisance to Siva” and offer scents.

15. Then he should perform Homa with gingelly seeds, rice and other grains as well as butter. After Purnahuti he should listen to songs of prayer and mythological stories.

16. The worship should again be performed at midnight and at the end of third and fourth Yamas. The concluding rites should be performed in the morning with the Mulamantra.

17-19. “O Lord, with your favour I have concluded the rites unhindered. O lord of the universe, forgive me. O lord of the three worlds, O Hara, the merit that I derived today due to the naivedya offering to the lord Rudra is immense. O Lord with thy grace the Vrata has been concluded. O Lord, be pleased. Return to Thy region. I have become purified by “Thy holy sight. ” The devotee should feed brahmins stable in their contemplation and give clothes, umbrella, etc, to them.

20-2 1. “O Lord of gods, lord of goblins, the blesser of the world, what I have offered out of faith be delightfully received by Thee”, saying this he shall conclude the final rites. If the devotee does this for twelve years he will attain glory, fortune, children, realm as well as Siva’s region.

22-23. This rite can be performed in twelve months by keeping awake at night. He should feed twelve brahmins and make gift of lamps to them. He will attain heaven hereafter.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYFIVE.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahmd said:

1. Mandhatf became an emperor by fasting on Ekadaii days. In both halves of the month none shall take anything on the eleventh day.

2. Gandhari fasted on a day when the tenth and eleventh phases of the moon were mixed. Her hundred sons perished. Hence such days shall be avoided for fasting purposes.

3-4. Where the tenth and eleventh phases of the moon are on separate full days, Lord Hari is present there. When there is any doubt about the mixture of Daiami and Ekadait the fast shall be undertaken where the mixture of Ekadaii and Dvadail is present and the Parana shall be had on Trayodaii (the thirteenth day).

5w Where Ekadail, Dvadaii and Trayodaii are mixed, that is a very auspicious occasion.

6. O Brahmin, thus fast can be undertaken when there is full Ek& da£ i, or mixture of Ek£ da£ i and Dvada£ i or mixture of the three but never on the day when there is mixture of the tenth with the eleventh day.

7. King Rukmangada undertook fast on two Ekada£ i days, kept awake during the night listening to Puranas and worshipping Gadadhara. He attained Salvation. Others too have attained salvation by undertaking Ekadas! Vrata.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYSIX.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahmd said:

1. I shall now explain a means of worship by which people attain salvation and which yields worldly enjoyment and salvation together.

2. The usual mystical diagram shall be drawn and Dhatr shall be placed at the entrance. So also Vidhatr, Ganga, Yamuna and MahanadI shall be placed at other entrances.

3. DvaraSri, Dan< Ja, Pracancja and V& stupurusa shall be placed at other entrances. In the middle the Adharaiakti (the supporting power), Kurina (the tortoise) and Ananta (Lord Vi? rms serpent bed) should be worshipped.

4-6. In the comers the earth, virtue, knowledge, renunciation, prosperity, the four i. e. Adharma, Ajftana, Avairagya and Anaiivarya (opposite of the foregoing four)

Kandan& la (the inner stalk) lotus, the petals, Sattva, Rajas, Tamas, the spheres sun, etc., Vimaia and other Saktis, Durga, the attendants, Sarasvati and Ksetrap& la should be worshipped.

The seats should be worshipped and then the idol, Vasudeva and Bala and Smara should be worshipped.

7-8. Aniruddha and Mah& tm& N& riyagta should be worshipped. The limbs, hearts, etc., Sankha and otter weapons, Sri, Pusti, Garu< ja, the preceptor and the preceptor’s preceptor should be worshipped. In the quarters Indra and others (fire, etc. ) should be worshipped. The Naga (serpent) should be worshipped below and Brahma above.

9-10. The worship of Visvaksena is in the north-east.

The above worship is narrated in the Vedas. He who worships like this even for once duly, has no re-birth in the world.

Worship of Pun< JarIka, Brahma and Gadadhara is also necessary.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYSEVEN.

Sacred Riles ( Vratas ).

Brahma said:

1. Bhlma undertook fast for a day on the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Magha, when there was the star Hasta too present.

2. After performing this wonderful Vrata he became free from the indebtedness to the Manes. This Bh! madvada£ i is very famous and makes the merit of every one flourish.

3. Even when the Hasta star is not conjoined with the Ekada^I, the fast undertaken is so powerful as to remove the sin of slaying a brahmin. It removes all great sins like the bad king destroying his own realm.

4-8. A bad son destroys his family; a bad wife destroys her husband; virtue destroys evil; a bad minister destroys his king; ignorance destroys knowledge, purity destroys impurity, lack of faith destroys Sraddha; untruths destroy Truth; the heat destroys the effect of snow; hoarded wealth destroys illness, boasting destroys the. merit of charity; haughtiness destroys the power of penance; absence of education spoils a boy; too much of walking destroys cattle; anger destroys mental peace, absence of means to increase it spoils wealth; knowledge destroys ignorance and absence of desire and attachment spoils the fruit. This auspicious Vrata is recommended for the destruction of all sins.

9-11. The sins of slaying a brahmin, drinking wine, stealing gold, illicit intercourse with preceptor’s wife acquired simultaneously cannot be wiped off even if one makes pilgrimage to Pusikara three times (but this Vrata wipes them off).

Neither Naimis^i, Kuruksetra, Prabhasa nor Kalindi, Yamuna, Ganga, Sarasvatl nor any of the other holy rivers, can equal this Ekada£ I. Nor charitable gifts nor japa, nor homa nor any other sacred rite can equal this Ekada£ i.

12. If on one pan the merit of making a gift of the whole world is placed and on the other pan the merit of this Vrata the latter alone will be found excellent.

13-14. A golden image of the Boar incarnation of the Lord should be placed in a copper vessel over another vessel. All grain seeds should be placed in it and the vessel shall be covered with a white cloth. With gold (for Daksina) lamp, etc. the worship should be performed duly.

15-17. With the mantras specified the respective limbs should be worshipped duly:

Mantra Limbs Obeisance to Varaha two feet Obeisance to Krodakjrti hip Obeisance to GabhIragho§a navel

Obeisance to Srlvatsadharin chest Obeisance to Sahasraiiras arms Obeisance to SarveSvara neck Obeisance to Sarvatman face Obeisance to Prabhava forenead Obeisance to Satamayukha hair After worshipping duly, the devotee shall keep awake during the night.

18. He should listen to the Pur& gas illustrating the greatness of the lord. In the morning gifts should be given to brahmins and beggars of auspicious nature.

19. Cloth bordered with gold should be given to brahmins. Meals at the completion of the Vrata should then be had but not upto satiety.

20. Even if the devotee does this only once he will not be born again to be suckled at the breasts of a mother. By fasting on Ekadasi days the devotee is freed from the three debts. He will get everything he desires by this Vrata.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYEIGHT.

Sacred Rites ( Vratas ).

Brahmd said:

1. O Vyasa I shall mention the rules governing all Vratas by which Lord Hari will be pleased and bestow everything. A Vrata should be performed together with the observation of Niyamas (restraints) mentioned in the scriptures.

A Vrata is a form of penance.

2. Yamas (self-restraints) along with Niyamas (External restraints) should be equally observed. He should take three baths every day and lie on the bare ground. He should have perfect control on his sense-organs.

3. He should not speak to women, Sudras and degraded persons. He should make offering into fire of five sacred articles to the extent of his monetary capacity.

4. Krcchra type of Vratas should be performed for mere merit. If the devotee wants preservation of wealth (and similar things) the Vrata should be performed twice.

5. Persons observing fasts should not drink water out of a bell-metal vessel. During other Vratas he should abstain from taking black grain, Masur Dala, Bengal grain, and grains of Koradusaka variety; he should avoid vegetables, honey and other’s food.

6. Wearing flower garlands, ornaments and gaudy clothes, smearing of scented unguents, washing the teeth and applying Collyriurn spoil the fast.

7. Before starting Vrata he should wash his teeth and take in Pancagavya in the morning. Constant drinking of water, chewing betel leaves, sleeping during the day, gambling and sexual intercourse spoil a Vrata.

8-9. In all Vratas ten virtuous practices should be followed, viz: — forbearance, truthfulness, sympathy, charity, purity control over the sense-organs, worship of gods, sacrificial offering into the fire, contentment and non-stealing.

10-12. Night-meal means taking food after seeing the starsr When a person performs a Brahmakfcchra Vrata the Paficagavya is constituted thus: — One pa la of cow’s urine is taken and consecrated by Gayatri, Cowdung of half the size of the thumb and consecrated by the mantra Gandha 1 etc; One pala of ghee consecrated by the mantra “Tcjosi”

2 etc; s? ven palas of milk consecrated by the mantra “Apyayasva” 3 etc; three palas of curd consecrated by the mantra “Dadhikravno” 4 etc; one pala of KuSa water consecrated by the mantra “Devasya” 6 etc.

13 During Malamasa or the intercalary month many auspicious rites are not performed e. g. Agnyadhana (the first kindling of the sacrificial fire); installation of idols, sacrifices, charities, Vratas, Vedic rites, Vfsotsarga (setting free of a bull) rites, tonsure ceremony, investiture with the sacred thread, marriages and crowning of kings.

14-17. Savana calculation of month consists of thirty days from one New moon to another. Saura calculation of a month is based on the transit of the sun from one zodiac sign to the next. A stellar month consists of twenty seven days. Saura month is taken for the celebration of marriages. For sacrifices etc. Savana calculation is followed. Two phases of the moon on the same day are very auspicious such as — second and third;

third and fourth and fourth and fifth; sixth and seventh, eighth and ninth; eleventh and twelfth; fourteenth and the full moon and the New moon with the first. The conjunction of Tithis other than these is very frightful destroying all previous merits.

18. When a woman after starting a Vrata menstruates, the Vrata need not be stopped; all physical activities she can continue but charity, etc. shall be performed through proxies.

19. If there is a cessation of a Vrata in the middle due to anger, greed or mistakes, the devotee should observe fast for three days and completely tonsure the head.

20. If there is physical incapacity due to illness the devotee should ask his son to continue the Vrata. If a brahmin becomes unconscious during the Vrata, he can be allowed to drink water.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTYNINE.

Sacred Ri tes ( Vrala r ).

Brakmd said:

1. I shall mention the Vratas for Pratipad and other days, O Vyasa. This is called Sikhivrata. He should take one meal on the first day. At the close, he should make a gift of a brown cow. He would attain Vaisvanara region.

2. This can be perfoimed in the beginning of Caitra too with due worship of Brahma, due offerings of fragrant flowers, garlands and homas into the fire. The devotee shall attain all desires.

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