Chapter 183 - Vows observed on the eighth lunar day

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

1-2. I shall describe the vows (to be performed) on the eighth lunar day. Lord Kṛṣṇa (one of the ten manifestations of lord Viṣṇu) was born in (the asterism) to rohiṇī on the eighth lunar day in the month of bhādrapada (September-October) at midnight. Hence the eighth lunar day would be victorious. By fasting on that day one would become free from sins committed in seven generations.

3. Fasting on the eighth lunar day in the dark fortnight in (the month of) bhādrapada (September-October) marked by (the asterism) rohiṇī one should worship lord Kṛṣṇa, the bestower of enjoyment and emancipation.

4-1 7. I invoke (the gods) Kṛṣṇa and Balabhadra (brother of the former) and Devakī (mother of the former), Vasudeva (father of the former), Yaśodā (the cowherdess who brought up Kṛṣṇa in his childhood) and the cows. I worship them. “Obeisance to you. Obeisance (repeated) to the communion, the master of the communion and the lord of the communion. Obeisance (repeated) to the one who grazes the cows and the one who is born of communion.” (Water for) bathing should be given and the libation should be made with this (utterance). Obeisance to the sacrifice, the lord of the sacrifice and the master of sacrifices. O Lord! Accept the fragrant flowers dear to you. O Lord! Saluted by the celestials! Be the bestower of all my desires. O Perfumed by the incense! You being incensed accept the incense (offered) by me. O Lord Hari! You make me always profusely perfumed. You accept the great lamp that is lighted and offered by me and be always conferer of the light of the lamp. Make me going upwards. Obeisance (repeated) to the universe, master of the universe and lord of the universe. It has been made known to the one born of the universe etc. and the cowherdsman. Obeisance (repeated) to virtue, master of virtue, lord of virtue and to the one born of virtue etc. O cowherdsman! You lie down. Obeisance (repeated) to one who is everything, to the master of everything, to the lord of everything and to the one born of everything. And to the cowherdsman, the purification. O The one born of the milky ocean! The one born of the eye of (the sage) Atri! O One having the spots resembling the hare! Accept libations of mine in the company of rohiṇi (the asterism, referred to as the wife of the moon). The lord should be established on the altar. Rohiṇī together with the moon should be worshipped. (In the same way) one should worship Devakī, Vasudeva, Yaśodā, Nandaka (foster father of Kṛṣṇa) and Bala (bhadra). Showers of milk together with molasses and clarified butter should be made to fall (on the image) in the midnight. Clothes, gold etc. should be given (to brahmins). The person who practises the vow should feed the brahmins. One who does the vow of janmāṣṭamī (the eighth lunar day, the birth-day of Kṛṣṇa) would have children and attain the world of Viṣṇu. One who does it every year seeking progeny does not know any fear. “Give me children. Give me riches, longevity, health, progeny, virtue, desire, fortune, heaven and emancipation.