Chapter 178 - Origin of Pañcapiṇḍā Gaurī

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Lakṣmī said:

1-4. O Lord, as a result of the adoration of Gaurī the kingdom was obtained by me. So also excellent conjugal felicity very rare in the case of all women (was obtained).

Still, O great Lord, no child was begotten by me in spite of such a conjugal felicity and the prime of youth.

I was being burnt day and night due to that grief. I did not get any happiness at all.

Once the excellent sage Durvāsas came to the mansion of the king of Ānarta, out of deference to him for accepting Mṛttikā (clay) and for spending the Cāturmāsya (four months of the rainy season when itinerant recluses do not go out of a fixed locality).

5. He was duly honoured by King Ānarta. After offering Arghya and Madhuparka, the king bowed down to the sage and said:

6-8. “Welcome to you, O excellent one among sages, a hearty welcome unto you. No other king is as blessed as I am.

The particles of dust of your feet have been removed by my hair and the feet are rendered clean. O sage, you are a guest in our house. Tell me what can I do for you. I shall offer even my kingdom. What to say about other things?”

Durvāsas said:

9. O king, I will conduct my Cāturmāsya rites in your palace. Arrangement regarding Mṛttikā Grahaṇa (taking up clay) and attendance upon me may be made.

The excellent king promised, “So it shall be" and spoke to me:

10. “O fair-faced one, he should be attended upon always till the completion of the Cāturmāsya rite, along with the adoration of the deity.”

11. After saying, “So it shall be” everything was carried out by me in regard to the activities of service unto him, like a daughter unto her father.

12. After the completion of the Cāturmāsya rite, when the sage started to go, he asked me "Dear daughter, what shall I do for you?”

13-15. Thereupon, after bowing down repeatedly, the holy sage was told by me, “O Brāhmaṇa, I have no child. Therefore; I experience a burning sensation day and night.

This is the condition when the youth of the king is at its zenith and perfect. So, O excellent sage, advise me on that course whereby I shall get a child. Let it be a Vrata, an observance, a gift or a Homa.”

Thereupon, he thought for a long time and spoke to me smilingly:

16. “Dear daughter, in your previous life at a time when you were about to die, you adored Gaurī by means of hot particles of sand.

17. Although you attained a kingdom by her worship, yet you still continue to experience the burning sensation in the manner that Gaurī was made to experience by you through the hot particles of sand.

18. The Lord is not present in wood, stone or earth. The deity is present in the feeling of devotion in conjunction with the Mantras uttered.

19. Urged by emotional purity and devout feelings with the Mantras added on, the goddess who came to you through the invocation of Mantras was adored by you with sand particles.

20. Therefore, the burning sensation continues in your body forever. Hence you must make a Pañcapiṇḍikā wholly of Ratnas and install it in the holy spot of Hāṭakeśvara, O lady of splendid face.

21. The installation shall be when the Sun is in Taurus. Thereafter, assiduously fix over it a Jalayantra that drips down water day and night.

22. As the idol continues to get the coolness, your burning sensation will get reduced day and night.

23. When the scorching feeling has completely disappeared, you will conceive a son of heroic nature, capable of bearing the burden of the kingdom and of being well-known in the three worlds.

24. Any other lady who adores the idol here in the month of Jyeṣṭha shall also be in the same position as yours.”

Lakṣmī said:

25-27a. Then the holy, leading sage was told again by me: “I am completely unattached. I have no passionate liking for human birth. I have this feeling because I have noticed that the life of all embodied beings is like the current of a river. Hence, O highly esteemed one, tell me some excellent Vrata by adopting and practising which I can cease to be in human form, O excellent Brāhmaṇa.”

27b. Then, O great Lord, he thought for a long time and said to me:

28-30a. “Dear daughter, there is a meritorious Vrata that delights Gaurī much. If that is practised well, a lady shall attain divinity.

The great goddess named Gomayā has been prepared with cow-dung (by many ladies). O lady of excellent complexion, all of them have attained Goloka. O lady of excellent features, perform that rite yourself. You will attain divinity.”

30b. Then, O excellent one among Suras, the sage was once again addressed by me:

31. “O excellent sage, on what occasion (month-days) and along what line of procedure should that rite be performed? Mention everything in detail so that I can duly perform it.”

Durvāsas said:

32. On the third lunar day in the dark half of the month of Nabhasya, the devotee gets up early in the morning and then washes the teeth.

33. Then the devotee observes all regulations pertaining to fast and utters the name of Gaurī with the mind sanctified by perfect faith.

34. At nightfall Gaurī-Catuṣṭaya (four images of Gaurī) is made out of clay. Listen with attention to how it should be done.

35. At the beginning of every Prahara (watch of the night) an idol should be made in the form of Pañcapiṇḍa as mentioned before. Then the adoration is to be performed. Listen the Mantras to be recited separately.

36. “(Mantra) O goddess, O favourite of Śaṅkara, you were born in the abode of Himācala, from the womb of Menā. Accept my adoration. Obeisance to you.”

37. Then the devotee offers incense and camphor with faith. The Dīpa (lamp) is to be offered with (the wick of) red thread and ghee.

38. After adoring with Jāti flowers, sweetmeat is offered as Naivedya covering it with a red cloth. Thereafter, Arghya is to be offered.

39-40. The general rule is that the devotee should use as toothpick a twig of the same tree from which the flower has been taken. For this goddess Mātuliṅga (Pomegranate) is to be used with this Mantra for Arghya offering along with scents, flowers and raw rice grain: O goddess, O beloved of Śaṅkara. O splendid daughter of Himālaya mountain, Arghya has been offered by me; do accept it. Obeisance to you.”

41. For the purity of the body, the same is taken in after the end of every Prahara and the deity Ardhanārīśvara is to be worshipped.

42. Then the devotee worships with (scents?) uttering this Mantra: “O Pārvatī, Obeisance to you who constitute the left half of the body of Hara. May that goddess accept my worship.”

43. Then, with devotion Again is offered as incense Gaṇakas (threads) are placed on the Naivedya offering. The Arghaka is offered with coconut.

44-45. It should be offered with this Mantra: The Prāśana (what is taken in) is the same. “O Ardhanārīśvaras, O two great deities, you are the bestowers of happiness on all. Ṃay the Arghya be received.”

In the third Prahara, the devotee worships with Śatapatrī (lotus leaves).

46. The devotee shall worship the deities Umā and Maheśvara with this Mantra:

47. “May the deities Umā and Maheśvara who are invariably present at the time of creation and dissolution accept this adoration of mine offered with great devotion.”

48. The incense is from Guggula and the Naivedya is in the form of Ghārikā (a fried pie). The Arghya consists of Jātī fruit and the same is remembered as Prāśana (things taken in or eaten).

49-51. Thereafter the Arghya is to be given devoutly with this Mantra: “May the deities Umā and Meheśvara who bestow all desires and happiness, take great pity on me and accept this Arghya.” The incense is in the form of Granthicūṛna (fragrant powder of Granthiparṇa); the Arghya is Madana fruit. For the sake of the purity of the body, the same is taken in.

52. In the fourth Prahara, the devotee worships Gaurī Pañcapiṇḍikā by means of Bhṛṅgarāja, uttering this Mantra with devotion:

53. “O goddess of Devas, your five forms are Pṛthivī etc., that have been mentioned as the five Bhūtas (five elements). Accept this adoration. Obeisance to you.”

54. By way of Naivedya, the devotee should give pies cooked in ghee to the goddess with great devotion. The incense is in the form of Granthicūrṇa. The fruit of Madana is used for Arghya. The same is to be taken in as Prāśana. The following is remembered as Arghya Mantra:

55. “Let that goddess of Suras accept this Arghya offered by me to the goddess who appears in five ways consisting of the five Bhūtas.”

56. In this manner, the entire night should be passed in front of them (i.e. the five Piṇḍikās) while listening to vocal and instrumental music etc. all the time. The devotee should not go to sleep (during that night).

57. When the day has dawned and the solar disc devoid of impurities has risen, the devotee with great devotion should complete bath and adoration and honour a Brāhmaṇa, along with his wife.

58. O princess of pure smiles, the Brāhmaṇa should be honoured with garments and ornaments according to one’s capacity. Food along with sweet pudding should be given to a Gaurī (girl of eight years).

59. Then, O lady of excellent waistline, either a mare or a she-elephant should be brought and the four images of Gaurī should be placed on her.

60. The procession is to be taken out with the accompaniment of singing and playing musical instruments and the chanting of the Vedas. The images are to be immersed in a lake or a tank.

61. The following Mantras should be uttered with excellent devotion. O beautiful lady, I shall mention it to you:

62. “O goddess of great splendour, you have been invoked and adored by me. Now may it please you to grant conjugal felicity to me and to proceed ahead as you please.”

Lakṣmī said:

63. Thus, O Lord, the adoration was performed by me on that third lunar day in the month of Nabhasya with great devotion.

64. The second and third Praharas passed by and at the time of dawn what do I see? The four images of Gaurī that had been adored by me had become embellished with jewels.

65. Thinking ‘I shall perform the Visarjana (ritualistic dismissal)’ I set off towards the banks of the river. Then the goddess of Suras manifested herself and said:

66-68. “O daughter, do not cast my four images into the water. Listen to my words, Ponder over them and carry out the injunctions.

Do not cast them away. Install them in Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra. It will remain everlasting and be conducive to the welfare of all women. Do request for the boon. On being adored here I shall grant you everything.”

The goddess of Suras, the Daughter of the Mountain was adored by me and told thus:

69-72. “O goddess of Suras, if you are pleased and if you wish to grant me a boon, let me not be born in human womb at all. Let Viṣṇu, the bestower of what is always desired, be my husband. Nothing else such as splendid heavenly kingdom, is desired by me. If any other woman performs this Vrata with great concentration, O goddess, let the satisfaction be the same as with the performance of all the Vratas (collectively). O Pārvatī, you must bring that about solely through this one Vrata.”

Gaurī told me “So be it” and then vanished.

73. O my Lord, that goddess, namely the four images of Gaurī, were installed by me in the splendid Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra.

74. By her power, O great Lord, you are obtained by me as my husband. You are eternal and everlasting. You are always my Mukhaprekṣa (one who eagerly looks at the face of another).

75. O god of Suras, I have entirely told you what I had been asked. O Lord of Devas, as the proof of the veracity of this I touch your feet.

Sūta said:

76. On hearing her words the weilder of conch, discus and club became delighted. He laughed and repeatedly embraced her keeping her close to his chest and said:

77. “O highly esteemed one, excellent! excellent! It is the truth that has been mentioned by you. O lady of excellent complexion, you were asked by me, though I already knew it.”

Sūta said:

78. Thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, everything that I was asked has been narrated to you all as to how the four-armed Gaurī became one of five Piṇḍikās.

79. A man who gets up early in the morning and read this devoutly will never be bereft of Lakṣmī (prosperity and glory) nor will he meet with bad luck.

80. Hence, O Brāhmaṇas, this splendid narrative of Gaurī expatiated upon by me, should be read with all efforts.