Chapter 122 - The Vratas to be observed on Trayodaśī days

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: The Vratas to be observed on Trayodaśī (thirteenth day of the lunar fortnight)]

Sanātana said:

1. Henceforth, therefore, I shall relate to you comprehensively the Vratas to be observed on Trayodaśī days (i.e. thirteenth day of lunar fortnights). On observing these Vratas with devotion, the man becomes elegant and highly blessed in the world.

2-3a. On the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Caitra, an image of Madana is made with sandal
paste. After worshipping it assiduously, the devotee should waft it with a fan. Kāma excited thereby causes the multiplication of sons and grandsons.

3b-4. The worship of Anaṅga too is to be celebrated on this day. O leading sage, understand it. The devotee should draw the figure of Anaṅgas on a wooden plank with saffron, turmeric and red powder. He should be depicted as endowed with the love of Rati, smart and elegant and holding the flowery arrows and bow.

5. At midday, he should worship Kāmadeva, Vasanta (presiding deity of the spring), Vājivaktra (the horse-faced Lord Viṣṇu) and the bull-bannered Lord Śiva with devotion, by means of scents, garlands, ornaments and silken garments.

6-8. He should propitiate them with various kinds of foodstuffs. O Nārada, in the meantime he repeats this Mantra “Obeisance to Māra, Kāma, the deity of Kāmadeva, the exciter of the minds of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and Indra.” Then in front of him, he should worship Aṅganāpatī (the husband of a woman) with devotion, garments, garlands, ornaments and other things. He should regard that he (the Brāhmaṇa so worshipped) is Kāma himself. He should then worship a Brāhmaṇa couple with scents, garments and ornaments.

9. O Brāhmaṇa, he who performs the great festival thus, every year, becomes always delighted and well-nourished at the advent of the spring.

10-12a. Or he should worship the following (twelve forms of Kāma month by month till the year comes to a close: Madana, Hṛdbhava, Kāma, Manmatha, Ratipriya, Anaṅga, Kandarpa, (the god with the epithet) Makaradhvaja, Kusumāyudha, Manobhava, Viṣameṣu and Mālatīpriya. O Brāhmaṇa he should worship these twelve forms of Kāmadeva.

12b-13. The charitable gift of a she-goat is also recommended. After taking a holy dip in the river in accordance with the injunctions, the devotee should give milch goat to an indigent householder. Thanks to this charitable gift, he is not reborn in this world.

14. If this Trayodaśī coincides with Saturday, it is remembered as Mahāvāruṇī. If the devotee is able to get an opportunity to take bath in the Gaṅgā, it is more efficacious than a crore such baths at the juncture of solar eclipses.

15. This is an auspicious combination in regard to the worship of Kāma, viz: the constellation of Śatabhiṣak, Saturday and the bright half of the month of Caitra. It is famous by the name of Mahāmahā.¹ It yields salvation to a crore of the members of his family.

16-18a. On the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Vaiśākha, the holy rite of Kāmadevavrata is to be observed. The devotee should observe fast and worship Kāma. with scents etc. Thereafter, every month, on the thirteenth day in the bright halves, he should perform the holy rite in the same manner. At the end of the year, in order to achieve the: Sāṅgatva (the status of having the complete fulfilment of the Vrata) of the holy rite, he should give a cow bedecked with, ornaments to a Brāhmaṇa after duly honouring him.

18b-22a. The holy rite of a Daurbhāgya-Śamana-Vrata^[1] (i.e. the holy rite for quelling misfortunes) is to be observed on the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭhā. The devotee should take the holy dip in the river water and worship the following three plants growing in clean spots: the white Mandāra, the white Arka, (the sun-plant) and the red Karavīra (the oleander). Gazing at the sun in the sky, he should utter this mantra and pray: “O Mandāra, O Arka, O Karavīra, you are all born in the family of the sun. Worshipped by me, quell my misfortune; obeisance be to you all.” If any one devotedly worships the three plants thus every year, his misfortune is quelled. No doubt need be entertained in this, regard.

22b-28a. On the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Āṣāḍha, the devotee should take in only one meal a day. According to his ability, he should get the image of Umā and Maheśvara made in gold, silver or clay. The goddess and the Lord of the universe are represented as seated respectively on a lion and on a bull. O Nārada, the images are installed and consecrated in a temple or in a cowpen or in the house of a Brāhmaṇa, by the divine Mantras. Then the worship is continued for five days and the Vrata (vow) of taking a single meal is kept up. On the Tṛtīyā (third) day, the devotee takes his bath in the morning and worships the deities once again. The images are to be given to a Brāhmaṇa who is a master of the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas (ancillaries of Vedas). This Vrata is continued from year to year for full five years. At its end, he should give those images (to a Brāhmaṇa) along with a pair of cows, If the devotee, whether a man or a woman, performs this auspicious Vrata thus, he never experiences a break in the conjugal love in the course of seven births.

28b-32. The auspicious, holy rite of Ratikāma-vrata is to be observed on the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Śrāvaṇa. It prevents widowhood of ladies. It is conducive to the increase in the number of children, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, the virgin or the woman devotee observes fast. The images of Rati and Kāma are made of copper, clay, gold or silver and placed in a similar vessel. She should then properly (according to injunctions) worship them with scents etc. Then she invites a Brāhmaṇa couple for the following Caturḍaśī day. After honouring them and feeding them, she should give them images along with monetary gifts. This excellent Vrata is continued for fourteen years. For completing the Vrata, the images are to be given along with a pair of cows.

33-40. The holy rite of go-trirātra^[2] is to be observed on the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Bhādrapada. The image of Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa is made of gold or silver. On an auspicious Maṇḍala (mystic diagram) of a lotus of eight petals, the image is to be placed on a pedestal covered with a cloth, after bathing the image with Pañcāmṛta. He should duly worship the deity with scents and other things. After the rite of waving the light, (Ārātrika) he should make a gift of a pot of water and cooked rice. This rite is performed for three days. At the conclusion of the Vrata, he should worship the deity for a month. O Nārada, after gathering enough wealth, he should offer it as gift along with this Mantra:—“When the great ocean was being churned, five cows were born. Nandā is in the middle of them. Repeated Obeisance to that cow.” After circumambulating the cow, he should give it to a Brāhmaṇa with this Mantra:—“May cows be in front of me. May cows be behind me. May cows be on my sides. I stay in the midst of the cows.” Thereafter, he should duly honour a Brāhmaṇa couple and feed them. After honouring them suitably, the devotee should give them an image of Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa. One shall obtain from the holy rite of Gotrirātravrata, the same benefit as one obtains by performing thousands of horsesacrifices and hundreds of Rājasūyas.

41-45. The holy rite of Tri-rātāśoka-Vrata^[3] is to be observed on the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Āśvina. The replica of the Aśoka tree is made in gold. The woman devotee observes fast. After worshipping the image in accordance with the injunctions, she should circumambulate it for a hundred and eight times every day. O Brāhmaṇa, she should repeat this mantra with respect—“O Aśoka, formerly you have been created by Hara, the merciful deity! You are the cause of rendering help to the whole world. O favourite one of Śiva, be gracious unto me.” On the third day thereafter, she should worship the bull emblemed deity on that tree, in accordance with the injunctions. A Brāhmaṇa should be fed and given this as a gift. The woman who observed the holy- rite thus, is never visited by widowhood. She will be blessed with sons, grandsons, etc. She will also be the great beloved of her husband.

46-47. The devotee should take only one meal on the thirteenth day in the dark half of the month of Kārttika, and with great concentration, he should light an oil lamp and assiduously worship it. Thereafter, he should keep it outside his front door saying “May Yama be pleased with me”. O leading Brāhmaṇa, if this is done, one is not afflicted by Yama.

48-51. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, the devotee should take a single meal on the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Kārttika. At sunset, he should take bath again and observing silence, light a thousand, a hundred or a row of thirty- two lamps for Śiva. O Brāhmaṇa, he should do so with great concentration. He should light the lamp with ghee. With scents and other things he should worship Śiva. O Nārada, he should propitiate the Lord with fruits of various kinds and other items of Naivedya. Then, he should eulogise Śiva, the Lord of the Devas, with the following hundred names.^[4] Those names, the bestowers of all desired benefits, are being detailed (as follows):

52. Obeisance to Rudra, the terrible, to the bluenecked God, to the Creator, to one with matted hair, to the Lord of the Devas, bow to Vyomakeśa (one whose tresses constitute the firmament.)

53. Hail to the bull-emblemed one, to Soma (God accompanied by Umā), obeisance to Somanātha. Obeisance to Digambara (i.e. one with the quarters for garments i.e. Naked); Obeisance to Bhṛṅga; Obeisance to the deity who causes plentitude.

54. Bow to the deity full of penance (Tapas). Obeisance to the pervaded one. Obeisance to Śipiviṣṭa (pervaded by rays). Salutations to one fond of serpents. Obeisance to Vyāla. and to the Lord of serpents (Vyāla).

55. Hail to the supporter of the Earth, obeisance to (the god of the form of) Vyoma (ether), to the Lord of Paśus and to the lion that destroyed the three Puras (cities) (of asuras). Obeisance to Śārdūla (Tiger), Obeisance to Ṛṣabha (the bull, the chief).

56. Obeisance to Mita (the measured one), to Mitanātha (to the Lord of the measured ones); to Siddha (one who has realised the soul), to Parameṣṭhin (one stationed in the highest being), Obeisance to one who is sung about by the Vedas; to one who is concealed in the Vedas; Obeisance to one who is worthy of being kept as a secret in the Vedas.

57. Hail to the long one, to one of a long form, to one of large objects; to the greater one (than all); obeisance to the deity in whom the universe is installed; obeisance to one of the form of the sky.

58. Obeisance to one who causes welfare; obeisance to one of special nature; obeisance to Śiṣṭa (the disciplined one); to Paramātman (the greatest soul), to one who wears the elephant’s hide and to one who split the demon Andhaka.

59. Obeisance to one who is blue, red and white (in complexion), to one who is the favourite of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa; to the Lord fond of devotion, to the destroyer of the Yajña, to the unchanging one.

60. Hail to you, O Mahādeva, to Maheśa; to Hara, to the three-eyed one; obeisance to Triveda (one described in three Vedas). Repeated obeisance to one who is the embodiment of the Vedas.

61. Obeisance to the Artha (wealth), to one whose form is Artha, to one who is in the highest reality; obeisance to one whose form is the Universe, to the Universe itself, to one who is verily the Lord of the Universe.

62. Obeisance to Śaṅkara, to Kāla, to one of the form of the units of Kāla, obeisance to Arūpa (one without form), to Virūpa (the deformed), to the subtlest of the subtle.

63. Obeisance to you the resident of the cremation ground, to the wearer of the hide garment; to one with the moon for crest jewel, obeisance to one who has resorted to Rudrabhūmi (i.e. cremation ground).

64-66. Obeisance to Durga (very difficult to know), to Durgapāra (one who is on the other side of Saṃsāra), to the witness of the limbs of Durgā, obeisance to one of the form of Liṅga, to Liṅga and to the Lord of Liṅgas, obeisance to one of the form of Prowess; Obeisance to one whose object is prowess. Repeated salutes to the cause of causes, to you, the conqueror of Death, to one of the form of the self-born; obeisance to the three-eyed one; to the bluenecked, obeisance to one full of splendour; to one united to Gaurī and the cause of auspiciousness.

67. O Brāhmaṇa, this is the century of names glorifying the attributes of the Pināka-bearing Lord. The devotee should recite this, make circumambulation and go back to his own abode.

68. O Brāhmaṇa, by performing this holy rite, the devotee enjoys all worldly pleasures here, thanks to the grace of Mahādeva. In the end he shall attain the region of Śiva.

69-71. On the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, the devotee should duly worship Anaṅga who had become so, due to his contact with Śiva. He should worship him thrice or once per day. After worshipping with scents and other Upacāras in accordance with the injunctions, he should feed a Brāhmaṇa couple in a pot or on an auspicious cloth. Then, he should give them Dakṣiṇā and take only a single meal. If this vrata is duly performed, O prominent Brāhmaṇa, the devotee becomes the object of blessedness on Earth, thanks to the grace of Mahādeva.

72. The devotee shall worship Hari—Acyuta on the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Pauṣa. For the achievement of everything, he should give a pot of ghee to a leading Brāhmaṇa.

73-75a. O Brāhmaṇa, the holy rite of Māgha snāna is to be observed for three days beginning with the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Māgha. It is conducive to the attainment of many desired benefits. On this earth even with a thousand horse-sacrifices, that benefit cannot be attained, which one gets on taking the holy dip in Prayāga for these three days in the month of Māgha. The holy dip, Japa, Homa and charitable gifts on this day yields endless benefits.

75b-84. On the thirteenth day in the bright half of the month of Phālguna, the devotee observes fast. After bowing to the Lord of the Universe at the outset, he performs the holy rite of Dhanada Vrata.^[5] The picture of the great king, the Lord of the Yakṣas, is painted in colours on a cloth. The devotee worships the Lord with scents and other Upacāras with noble emotions of devotion in the mind. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, in this same manner, he should worship the deity every month on the thirteenth day in the bright half, after observing fast or taking a single meal. At the end of the Vrata he gets the image of the Lord of wealth made along with the image of the lord of Nidhis (Treasure) made in gold. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, with all the sixteen Upacāras, with the ablutions with Pañcāmṛta etc. and with different kinds of Naivedyas, he should with great concentration and devotion worship the deity. O Brāhmaṇa, thereafter, he adorns a cow with its calf by means of cloths, garlands, scents and ornaments. He then gifts it away to a knower of the Vedas. He feeds twelve or thirteen Brāhmaṇas with sweet cooked rice. The preceptor is propitiated with clothes and other things and the gold image (Kubera) is given to him. According to his ability, he should give Dakṣiṇā to the Brāhmaṇas, bow to them and bid farewell to them. The intelligent devotee, thereafter, takes his food along with friends and kinsmen. O Brāhmaṇa, if the Vrata is performed thus, the indigent devotee attains great wealth. He rejoices in the world. He becomes well-known on the Earth as another Rājarāja (King of Kings or Kubera).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

This Vrata shows how the cult of ‘tree-worship’ of Pre-Aryans in India was observed in Hinduism. A number of trees e.g. The Pippala (Aśvattha), Vaṭa Bilva, Tulasī-Aśoka (vide VV. 41-45 below) and others, have been firmly established as ‘deities’ in Puranic Hinduism.

[2]:

Kane records three varieties of Gotrirātra Vrata out of which this is the second and is described by Hemādri (Vrata II. 293-303). It is a synthesis of Viṣṇu-worship and cow-worship.

[3]:

This is an amalgamation of the ancient cult of tree-worship and Śaivism. This blesses one with Saubhāgya (life on one’s husband) and progeny. Kane records a number of Saubhāgya Vratas (History of Dharma Śāstra V. i. 455-57) but this is not included therein.

[4]:

This ‘Century of Rudra’s names’ bears a strong influence of the Fifth Prapāṭhaka in the IV Kāṇḍa of the Taittirīya Saṃhitā, popularly known as Rudrādhyāya, The so called Namakas beginning with namas te rudra manyave etc. have subsequently strongly influenced the ‘century of names’ and ‘Thousand of names’ of Rudra or god Śiva first, then Viṣṇu down to a river like the Gaṅgā.

It is significant that the author of the Nārada-purāṇa is not a fanatic Vaiṣṇava like his later descendants in the south. He treats fairly both the deities, as they are but two names of the Supreme Deity, Para Brahman.

[5]:

This is the Dhana Vrata given in the Viṣṇu-dharmottara III. 184. 1-3 and quoted by Hemādri as Nanda-Vrata. What Hemādri calls Dhanada Vrata (Vrata I. 1161-62), begins on the 11th of Mārgaśīrṣa Śu. though both have Kubera as the deity to be propitiated.