Chapter 265 - Aśūnyaśayana-Vrata

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The sages said:

1-2. The Vratas and Niyamas mentioned by you are numerous. They are to be observed when the Lotus-eyed Lord is asleep There is no limit to their number.

How shall a man of delicate limbs observe these Niyamas in view of the weakness of his body? Or can charity be an alternative to that? Tell us.

Sūta said:

3. If anyone is of delicate limbs and if he is incompetent to observe the Niyamas, the reputed Bhīṣma-pañcaka is to be performed by him.

4. O leading Brāhmaṇas, he should get up early in the morning with mental concentration and purity, on the eleventh day in the bright half of the month of Kārttika. Then he should brush his teeth.

5. Thereafter, with devotion to Vāsudeva, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he should perform the Niyama representative of all the Niyamas mentioned before.

6. Fast is to be observed on that day with devotion. Or if there be weakness in the body he should give (as religious gift) gold according to his capacity.

7. Haviṣyānna (rice cooked in ghee) should be given to a Brāhmaṇa by those men who are devotees of Viṣṇu. This excellent Virata should be observed for five days.

8. Hṛṣīkeṣa in the form of Jalaśāyin (one who lies in water) should be adored through scents, incense, food offerings and keeping awake during the nights.

9. On the arrival of the sixth day, the observer of the Niyama should adore with great devotion excellent Brāhmaṇas with garments, gold and delicious food.

10. He should then remain with palms joined in reverence and request the excellent Brāhmaṇas thus: “Thanks to your favour, all the observances have become (successfully) complete in my case.”

11. Then the Brāhmaṇas should say: May (the credit of duly observing) this representative of Vratas and Niyamas pertaining to Cāturmāsya be entirely yours.

12. Thereafter, he sends those Brāhmaṇas away and takes food himself. O great king, anything can constitute his diet but Pañcagavya must be taken at the outset.

13. If anyone observes Vrata thus, he will earn much merit as a result thereof. He who undertakes this Vrata observing fast for five days, the benefit he gets is hundredfold.

14-18. The devotee performs Hari’s worship on the eleventh day by means of Jāti flowers, on the twelfth day by means of Bilva leaves, on the thirteenth day with Śatapatrī (lotus) and on the fourteenth day by means of fragrant Kalhara flower with great devotion.

He should worship with the meritorious Bhṛṅgarāja flower on the Full-Moon day. Janārdana should be worshipped with all these flowers on the Pratipad day.

For the sake of the purity of the body the devotee should take in all these on the Pratipad day: Cow’s urine, dung, milk, curds, ghee and water mixed with Kuśa grass.

For the purpose of incense these are used severally (on the eleventh, twelfth etc.)—Aguru, Guggulu, Karpūra, Tagara and Tvacā and all these on the Pratipad day.

The Mantra for the offering of Arghya is as follows: “May the Lord, the original cause of the universe, lying on the watery expanse, resorting to the bed of serpent Śeṣa, accept this Arghya in order to facilitate the fulfilment of Bhīṣmapañcaka.” With this Mantra, the Arghya is to be offered to the Lord devoutly.

19. Water in a conchshell along with flowers, sandal-paste and fruits should be offered as Arghya.

Paramānna (milk pudding) should be offered as Naivedya, O Brāhmaṇas. It should be offered in accordance with one’s capacity.

20. Thus the Vrata called Bhīṣmapañcaka has been entirely described to you. The fruit of the Vratas is obtained along with that of the Niyamas.

The sages said:

21. The Vrata named Aśūnyaśayanī Vrata has been described by you as was performed earlier by Indra, for the propitiation of the sleeping Discus-holding Lord, O highly esteemed one.

22. At what time should it be performed? By what procedure? Hence, O Sūta, describe its procedure in detail.

Sūta said:

23. On the second day after the Full-Moon in the month of Śrāvaṇa, when there is the asterism Viṣṇu-Daivata (i.e. Śravaṇa) a devotee should get up in the morning, O leading Brāhmaṇas. He Should not talk to sinners, barbarians and fallen ones.

24. At mid-day he should take his bath and remain clean, wearing washed cloth. Approaching Jalaśāyin (Lord Viṣṇu) he should worship the Lord reciting this Mantra:

25-28. “O Lord having the mark Śrīvatsa, O Consort of Śrī, O Śrīdhāman (abode of glory), O immutable Lord of Śrī, let not my Gārhasthya (state of being a householder) be ruined. It yields virtue, wealth and love.

May the Pitṛs be not destroyed. May the sacred fires be not extinguished. May the deities be not destroyed through my default in the practice of Dāṃpatya (state of being a married householder),

O Kṛṣṇa, just as you are not separated from Lakṣmī at any time, so also, O Lord, may there not be the destruction of my association with my wife.

Just as your bed is never bereft of Lakṣmī, so also let not my bed be bereft (of my wife) in the course of every birth.”

29. Having prayed thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, the devotee honours a Brāhmaṇa in accordance with his capacity. He shall avoid Vittaśāṭhya (villainy or dishonesty in regard to money in giving Dakṣiṇā).

30. In this same manner, the devotee should worship Acyuta, the Lord of universe, lying in the watery expanse in the months of Bhādrapada, Āśvina and Kārttika.

31. The diet should be without salt and oil should be excluded. At the conclusion, the devotee offers (these) to a leading Brāhmaṇa devoutly:

32. A bed is given along with garments, grains and food. Gold is to be offered as monetary gift. He attains the benefit in the same manner.

33. If the devotee perfectly observes this Vrata with concentration and mental purity, Jalaśāyin, the preceptor of the universe, shall be pleased with him.

34. He will be pleased with him, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, in the same way as he was pleased formerly with Śakra. His bed shall never be empty in the course of any birth.

35. The devotee shall dispel all the sins committed in the course of eight months knowingly or unknowingly. Thanks to the Aśūnyaśayanavrata, all (evil) gets destroyed.

36. If a woman without a son, or a woman who has only one child, or a widow observes this Vrata with concentration, the Lord of the universe becomes pleased with her and bestows bodily purity.

37. Her intellect never turns to evil. Her intellect is not at all overwhelmed by lust.

38. If a virgin perfectly observes this Vrata, O Brāhmaṇas, she obtains a noble-born handsome husband from a noble family.

59. If a devotee without any specific desire observes this Vrata with concentration, he shall get the benefit of the Niyamas pertaining to Cāturmāsya.