Chapter 84 - The holy rite of Umā-Maheśvara (umāmaheśvara-vrata)

Sūta said:—

1. For the welfare of men, women and other creatures, O excellent sages, I shall recount the holy rite of Umā-Maheśvara, mentioned by Īśvara himself.

2. For the period of a year the devotee shall prepare Haviṣya at night^[1] on the full moon and new moon days and on the eighth and fourteenth day and worship Bhava.

3-8. The devotee shall make a splendid image of Umā-Maheśa in gold or in silver and install it duly. At the end of the year, he shall feed the brahmins and give them gifts according to capacity. He shall take the lord of Devas to the temple of Rudra on chariots, etc., fitted with all excellent things and decorated with umbrellas and chowries. He shall dedicate the Vrata unto Śiva, Parameṣṭhin. He attains identity with Śiva. If the devotee is a woman she will attain Sāyujya (identity) with the goddess. If the devotee is a virgin or a widow she shall abstain from taking food on the eighth and fourteenth day. She shall observe celibacy and continue the holy rite for a year. At the end of the year she shall make an idol in accordance with the injunction laid down before and instal it duly. She shall then feed the brahmins after taking the idol to the temple of Rudra. Thanks to this holy rite she rejoices with Bhavānī.

9-14. If any woman continues for a year performing the rite only on the fourteenth day in the dark half, and, O brahmins, at the end of the year she makes an idol (of Śiva) in any material whatsoever and worships as mentioned above, she rejoices with Bhavānī.

The woman devotee shall take no food on the New moon day. She shall observe all other restraints and continue the holy rite for a year.

At the end of the year she shall make a trident in accordance with the injunctions and dedicate it to the lord. After the holy ablution she shall devoutly worship Īśāna with a thousand white lotuses. He shall dedicate a silver lotus with a gold pericarp. He shall give gifts to the brahmins. That woman undoubtedly dispels all wanton sins, such as the destruction of the foetus, by means of the holy rite of the dedication of the trident. O excellent brahmins, she thus obtains the Sāyujya with Bhavānī. If a man devotee performs this holy rite, he attains Sāyujya with Rudra.

15-18a. O excellent brahmins, a man or a woman can perform this holy rite. The devotee observes fast on the full moon and on New moon day devotedly for one year. O excellent brahmins, the holy rites, Japa, Dāna (charitable gift), penance and everything else should be performed by women, only at the behest of their husbands since women are never independent. Every month she shall dedicate all scented materials. At the end of the year that lady of holy rites attains Sāyujya (identity) and Sārūpya (similarity in form) with Bhavānī. Undoubtedly I am telling you the truth and truth alone.

18b-21. The woman devotee shall take food only once on the full moon day in the month of Kārttika. She shall observe forbearance, non-violence and other restraints and be celibate. She shall alertfully offer a Bhāra^[2] weight of black gingelly seeds cooked with ghee and jaggery to Parameṣṭhin and to brahmins in accordance with her means. She shall observe fast on the eighth and the fourteenth day. That lady of good holy rites attains Sārūpya (similarity in form) and rejoices along with Bhavānī.

22-23. The common characteristics of all vratas are:—Forbearance, truthfulness, mercy, charity, cleanliness, curb on the sense-organs and the worship of Rudra. I shall succinctly recount to you the extensive holy vrata for every month in due order beginning with Mārgaśīrṣa and ending with Kārttika. This has been recounted at the outset by Nandin.

24-31. In the month of Mārgaśīrṣa the woman devotee shall duly embellish an excellent bull having all limbs in perfect condition, and dedicate it to Śiva. There is no doubt about this that she rejoices along with Bhavānī.

In the month of Pauṣa after doing everything mentioned before, the devotee shall install the trident and then dedicate it to the lord. She rejoices with Bhavānī.

In the month of Māgha, the devotee shall make a chariot endowed with all characteristics. After worshipping the lord of Devas she shall offer the chariot to the deity and feed the brahmins. That highly blessed lady shall, no doubt, rejoice with the goddess.

In the month of Phālguna, she shall duly make an image of gold or radiant silver according to her means, install it and worship it. Then she shall deposit it in the shrine of Śaṅkara. Undoubtedly she rejoices along with the great goddess.

In the month of Caitra the woman devotee shall duly make the idols of Bhava, Kumāra and Bhavānī in copper or other metals, and install them duly. By offering them to Rudra, she rejoices along with Bhavānī.

32-34. In the month of Vaiśākha the devotee shall perform the excellent rite of Kailāsa vrata thus:—The shining abode of Kubera (i.e., Kailāsa mountain) shall be made out of silver with Iśvara and Uma therein along with the lords of Gaṇas. It must be embellished with all jewels and duly deposited in the splendid abode of Bhava, Parameśa. Thereby she attains the mountain Kailāsa and rejoices along with Bhavānī.

35-38a. In the month of Jyeṣṭha the image of Mahādeva, the consort of Umā, shall be made in Liṅga form out of copper or other metals. Brahmā and Viṣṇu should be depicted as praying with palms joined in reverence and seated on the swan and on the boar respectively. O excellent brahmins, the splendid Liṅga in the middle of which is Bhava, shall be installed duly. Thereafter she shall feed the brahmins. By duly depositing this image in an abode of Śiva for obtaining auspiciousness and by worshipping Śiva along with the brahmins the devotee will attain. Sāyujya with the goddess.

38b-46a. In the splendid month of Āṣāḍha the devotee shall duly make a splendid abode with baked bricks in accordance with her means. It must be filled with all necessary seeds and liquids, with all splendid household effects and utensils, the mortar, pestle etc., and furnished with maids and men servants, with all foodstuffs, bedding outfits, clothes etc. They shall be covered with cloths all round. The lord Mahādeva, consort of Umā, shall be bathed in ghee etc. A thousand brahmins shall be duly fed. A brahmin who is richly endowed with learning and humility and who has mastered the Vedas and who is in the first Āśrama^[3] shall be duly and devoutly worshipped. A virgin of good waist line, accompanied by the necessary requisites for the whole life shall be offered to him. So also a piece of land, a cow and a bull and a house shall be offered to him along with the different kinds of divine perquisites as massive as the Meru mountain. She attains the world Goloka and rejoices with Bhavānī. Undoubtedly she will become similar to Bhavānī and remain unchanged throughout the kalpas, and shall in the end attain Sāyujya with Bhavānī.

46b-48a. In the month of Śrāvaṇa the devotee shall make a hillock of gingelly seeds scattered with minerals and embellished with banners and dedicate these to Śarva. The offering shall be made along with the canopy, banners, clothes and all the minerals. By feeding the brahmins, everything mentioned before will happen.

48b-50a. In the month of Bhādrapada the devotee shall make a splendid hillock of Śāli rice and dedicate it to the lord along with canopy, banners, clothes as well as minerals. After feeding the brahmins duly she shall present these to them. She shall then become as resplendent as the rays of the sun and rejoice along with Bhavānī.

50b-51. In the month of Āśvayuja she shall make a massive hillock of grains along with clothes of good colour. By worshipping Śiva with this offering and feeding the brahmins she will attain all things mentioned before.

52-65. Mahāmeru vrata.

The devotee shall make a huge mountain with all grains, all seeds and juices. It shall have all minerals and shall be bedecked in all jewels. It shall have four peaks. Its beauty shall be enhanced by canopies and umbrellas, scented garlands and incenses of diverse kinds. There shall be dances and songs and the instruments of lute, conch, etc. of diverse kinds. It shall be rendered highly meritorious by auspicious chanting of sacred hymns. There shall be eight great banners dazzling with different flowers. It shall represent the great mountain Meru, the excellent support of the three worlds. Śiva shall be depicted on its top, in the centre, by means of minerals. In the south the four-faced Brahmā shall be duly represented. In the north the devotee shall depict Nārāyaṇa the lord of the chiefs of Devas, devoid of ailments. Indra and other guardians of the quarters shall be duly represented with devotion. After installing the deity the devotee shall bathe and worship Maheśvara. In the right hand of the lord shall be depicted the trident worshipped by Devas and in the left the noose. The lotus bedecked in gold shall be depicted in the hand of Bhavānī. The devotee shall assiduously represent the conch, discus, iron club and lotus in the hands of Viṣṇu. In the hands of Brahmā shall be placed the rosary and the excellent Kamaṇḍalu (water-pot). The respective weapons of the following shall be duly depicted: the thunderbolt of Indra; the great weapon Śakti of Agni; the staff of Yama; the sword of Nirṛti the night walker; the terrible and wondrouṣ noose; Nāga of Varuṇa; the baton of Vāyu; the iron club of Kubera that is worshipped by all the worlds and the axe of lord Īśāna. Naivedya shall be duly offered in the above order. The great worship of Śiva shall be performed with Caru. The devotee shall worship all Devas in accordance with one’s means. After performing the worship assiduously the devotee shall feed the brahmins. After performing the Mahameru vrata she shall offer it to Mahādeva. Attaining Mahameru she rejoices along with Māhādevī. Undoubtedly she will attain the Sāyujya of the great goddess for a long time.

66-72. In the month of Kārttika the woman shall make a splendid image of goddess Umā fully bedecked in all ornaments and marked with all auspicious characteristics. The image may be made in gold, copper etc. and shall be duly installed. The image of the lord of Devas shall be equipped with all characteristics. In front the fire-god shall be depicted. Brahmā shall be depicted holding the sacrificial ladle. Nārāyaṇa the munificent shall be depicted bedecked in all ornaments and surrounded by the guardians of quarters and Siddhas. The vrata shall be offered in the temple of Rudra with devotion. By observing this vrata she will attain the body of Bhavānī and rejoice with Bhava. In every month it is meritorious to have the holy rite with one meal a day. Thus, the holy rites beginning with the month of Mārgaśīrṣa and, ending with Kārttika have been observed. O excellent sages, they are for the benefit of all creatures, men or women. The devoted man will attain Sāyujya with Śiva by performing the vrata and the devoted woman will attain Sāyujya with the goddess. There is no doubt that this has been so ordained by Śiva.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

nakta [naktam]—a vow of night. For detail, see v-12 of this chapter.

[2]:

bhāra: a particular weight equal to 20 tulās, measuring 2000 palas of gold. Śivatoṣiṇī. quotes pāśupata tantra to define bhāra—[taladvayaṃ tu prasṛta taddvayaṃ kuḍvaṃ bhavet | kuḍvasya caturthaṃ syātprasthamityabhidhīyate || āḍhaka taddvayaṃ proktaṃ taddvayaṃ śivamucyate | taddvayaṃ droṇamityuktaṃ khārī taddvayamucyate | khārītrayaṃ ca bhāraḥ syādācito navabhārataḥ]

[3]:

prathamāśramin [prathamāśramiṇam]—brahmacārin [brahmacāriṇam] Śivatoṣiṇī. one who lives a student’s life.