Chapter 35 - The Vow of Unmīlanī

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Mahādeva said:

1-9. Hereafter I shall narrate to you the excellent (vow of) the Unmīlanī (Ekādaśī), having just heard about which a man is free from the bondage of the worldly existence. A sinner is free from his sins and is honoured in heaven. His deities and manes would obtain a good position. A student gets knowledge and would have all his desires (fulfilled) by means of the vow of that (Ekādaśī). There is no doubt about that. He is honoured in heaven. There only he secures his position, and is honoured in the world of Śiva (also). Therefore, O king, do honour the devotees of Viṣṇu. O king, those who always serve the devotees of Viṣṇu (obtain good position). Do not punish them. O king, a king takes food after they have taken it. They alone have worshipped Viṣṇu who have devoutly honoured (Viṣṇu’s devotees). O king, having daily held the Śālagrāma stone on the head, every day very devoutly wear it round your neck. O king, devoutly partake of the remnant of the incense of (i.e. offered to) Viṣṇu. O king, you always inform the devotees on waving the light before the idol. Having devoutly turned water from the conch round the head of (the idol of) Viṣṇu, you bear it on your head and the remaining you give to Viṣṇu’s devotees.

10-17a. O brāhmaṇa, having every day offered eatables with all ingredients (to Viṣṇu) you eat them. Food offered to Viṣṇu is eaten along with (i.e. in the company of) Viṣṇu’s devotees. Every day devoutly praise him with (the hymn containing) his thousand names. Offer a light and respectful offering and sing and dance. O best king, worship him deserving worship with śyāmā shoots. O child, it is very difficult (to get an opportunity) to worship (the deity) with śyāmā shoots. The religious merit due to the worship performed with dūrvā sprouts is equal to (the one obtained by) the gift of the earth. Therefore, in this world, on this earth, there is nothing like dūrvā. He who desires absorption into Viṣṇu should worship (Viṣṇu) with dūrvā. You may not worship (him) especially with barley (grains) or sacred rice grains, O best king. Dvādaśī-vow which is observed in every fortnight destroys great sins, O great king. It always gives salvation, happiness and also (long) life.

17b-25a. This vow (in honour) of Viṣṇu is said to give salvation to Viṣṇu’s devotees. It gives happiness to the. householders and salvation to the ascetics. It cures all diseases etc., it is pure and it purifies the body. O king, do not observe it merely by words. Observe the tenth without penetration by another day and by keeping awake. Worship Viṣṇu every day with heaps of Tulasī-leaves, O best king. The gopīcandana leaf (i.e. a mark) put on the head purifies all the people, O best king. Therefore, put it made from gopīcandana (on your head). All those who have applied the mark—the killer of a brāhmaṇa, he who has stolen gold, a drunkard, he who has approached one (i.e. a woman) who should not be approached, and he who has told lies—obtain salvation. Put around your neck a garland—pre-eminent, disjoined and even—garland made of Dhātrī-fruits and of Tulasī-leaves. You worship it daily with the Śālagrāma stone having come up in Dvārakā. It gives the fruit of enjoyment and salvation.

25b-28. You read before Viṣṇu the Purāṇa called Padma, so also the account of Prahrāda, king of demons. O King, noting carefully the sacred texts, you keep away those men who observe the day (in honour) of Viṣṇu along with the proximate day. The king in that country in which the day (in honour) of Viṣṇu is observed along with its proximate day is smeared with sin and becomes a resident of hell. Abandoning the proximate (day) of four kinds and having observed a fast on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, a man, after having emancipated a crore (members of) his family, is honoured in Viṣṇu’s heaven.

Gautama said:

29-32a. O king, listen to the great vow called Vaiṣṇava, hearing which all sinners obtain salvation just at that moment. I have not told anyone (else) the religious merit due to Dvādaśī. O great king, you are a devotee of Viṣṇu and a follower of Viṣṇu among men. (Therefore) listen to that very secret vow (in honour) of Viṣṇu. Formerly, due to my devotion Viṣṇu who was very much pleased, told me about (the vow called) Unmīlanī.

32b-38. O king, I shall tell you (about) it. That day on which the Ekādaśī lasts for the day and night and for a ghaṭikā on the next day, should be known as Unmīlanī, and it is especially dear to Viṣṇu. All the holy places and sacred places that are there in the three worlds can be compared only with a croreth part of the merit of Unmīlanī, so also sacrifices and austerities. There was nothing and will be nothing like Unmīlanī. (Even) Prayāga, Kurukṣetra, Puṣkara, the mountains Himālaya, Meru, Gandhamādana, Nīla, Niṣadha, Vindhya, (the forest) Naimiṣa, (the rivers) Godāvarī, Kāverī, Candrabhāgā, Vedikā, Tāpī, Payoṣṇī, Kṣiprā, Candanā, Carmaṇvatī, Sarayū, Candrabhāgā, Gaṇḍikā, Gomatī, Vipāśā, and the great river called Śoṇa, are not like Unmīlanī.

39-50. O King, what is the use of saying (these things) again and again? There is nothing superior to Unmīlanī, and none greater than Viṣṇu. The heaps of the groups of sins of those who have, on obtaining the Unmīlanī (day), worshipped Viṣṇu, fall at that moment only. O king, Viṣṇu should be carefully worshipped with the name of that month in which Unmīlanī day would fall. A silver (image of) Viṣṇu, giving it the name of the month, and of a universal form, should be fashioned according to one’s capacity and with faith and devotion. A pitcher should be made (ready) containing pure water, and five jewels, and sandal, flowers and sacred grains, and adorned with a chaplet and a garland. A vessel should be made (ready) containing water and filled with wheat, with many gems and adored with many kinds of sandal, with the fragrance of jasmine flowers and adored with jasmine flowers. It should be carefully filled with rice called śveta. O royal sage, he should give (to a brāhmaṇa) a pair of garments, a sacred thread with an upper garment, a pair of shoes, and an umbrella (to be held) over his head. (So also he should give) food, a water-pot, seven kinds of corn along with sesamum-seeds, (also) silver, cotton, sweetened milk, and the image of Viṣṇu. Or a cow along with her calf and ornaments, and having golden horns, silver hoops and red back should be given. Or he should give the representation of a cow having bell metal udders and a jewelled tail, to his preceptor. He should devoutly give a furnished bed to a good (brāhmaṇa). He should offer incense, lamp, articles of food, fruits, leaves to the deity.

51-56a. The great devotees should worship Viṣṇu with Tulasī-leaves and seasonal flowers, and with the hymn. (He should touch his) feet, with (i.e. uttering) the name of the month. (He should touch his) knees (saying ‘My homage) to him of the form of Viṣṇu’. (He should touch his) private parts (saying ‘My homage) to Guhyapati (i.e. the lord of secrets)’. (He should touch his) waist (saying ‘My homage) to Pītavāsas’ (i.e. to him who has put on a yellow garment)’. (He should touch his) navel (saying ‘My homage) to Brahmamūrtibhṛt (i.e. one who holds Brahmā’s form)’. (He should touch his) belly (saying ‘My homage) to Viśvayoni (i.e. the source of all)’. (He should touch his) heart (saying ‘My homage) to Jñānagamya (i.e. to him who is reached through knowledge)’. (He should touch his) throat (saying ‘My homage) to Vaikuṇṭhamūrti (i.e. to him of the form of Vaikuṇṭha)’. (He should touch his) forehead (saying ‘My homage) to Ūrdhvaga (i.e. to him who goes up)’. (He should touch his arm (saying ‘My homage) to Dakṣāntakārin (i.e. to him who destroyed Dakṣa)’. (He should touch his) head (saying, ‘My homage) to Sureśa (i.e. the lord of gods)’. He should touch his) entire body (saying ‘My homage) to Sarvamūrti (i.e. to the universal form)’. With (i.e. uttering) his name he should devoutly worship all (Viṣṇu’s) weapons. With coconuts etc. he should offer an oblation. He should make a respectful offering after putting water over the conch, after wrapping it with a thread, and with sandal, flowers and sacred grains.

56b-62a. (He should say): ‘O Devadeva (i.e. god of gods), O Mahādeva (i.e. great god), O Śrī Keśava, Janārdana, Subrahmaṇya, my salutation to you who increase the heap of religious merit. Emancipate me from the ocean of the mundane existenee full of grief, infatuation and great sin. I have not done any good deed even during hundreds of crores of existences. Yet, O great master, emancipate me from the ocean of the worldly existence. O lord of gods, by means of this vow emancipate my ancestors who have gone to evil stocks, who have been overpowered by sinful death, or those who will be or who were born from the world of the goblins. I am tired. The devotion of me who am dependent on you is faithful. I have devoutly made a respectful offering (to you). O Gadādhara, (please) accept it’. Having made a respectful offering with incense, lamp etc. due to Viṣṇu, he should please Viṣṇu with hymns of praise, by waving light in front (of his image), songs and dances.

62b-68. He should please his teacher with (gifts of) garments, (other) gifts, gifts of cows and meals. He should do (these)in such a way as the preceptor would be pleased; since the Creator has created the preceptor for emancipating the people, he should carefully honour the preceptor. He who always destroys what is harmful and shows what is beneficial and he who knows all righteous acts and worldly prosperity should be known to be the preceptor. Without practising guile about wealth he should present it to the preceptor. O king, it becomes complete on its being presented to the preceptor. O best king, having done the daily duty he should take food in the company of brāhmaṇas. He should pass the day in (telling or listening to) stories (about Viṣṇu). He who observes the Unmīlanī-vow in this manner, lives near Viṣṇu for thousands of crores of kalpas.