Chapter 26 - The vow of Rohiṇīcandraśayana

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Bhīṣma said:

I. Tell me properly about the vow of the cool-rayed one (i.e. the Moon), by (the observance of) which a man would be endowed with a long life, good health and his family’s great prosperity, as well as a (handsome) form and (noble) family, in every existence.

Pulastya said:

2-3. I shall (now) tell you fully the secret (vow) leading to the unending (residence in) heaven, (and) which those who are well-versed in the Purāṇas know. This vow is here called Rohiṇīcandra-śayana. A man should perform Nārāyaṇa’s worship with the accompaniment of the epithets of the Moon in (i.e. while observing) that vow.

4-5. When the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight (i.e. the full-moon day) falls on Monday or the Brahmanakṣatra appears on the full-moon day, a man should bathe with the mixture of the five products of the cow and with mustard; the wise one should again mutter the text ‘(Please) grow’ for one hundred and eight times.

6. Even a Śūdra, free from (the company of) heretics, should devoutly repeat (the text:) ‘My repeated salutations to Soma Varada and to Viṣṇu’.

7. Having muttered the text, and having come (back) to his own house, he should, repeating the names of Soma, worship Madhusūdana with fruits and flowers.

8. He should worship the feet (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Soma Śānta.’ (He should worship) the knees and shanks (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Anantadhāman (i.e. having unending lustre)’. He should worship the pair of the thighs (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Jalodara’. He should worship the organ of generation (ofthe image, saying, ‘My salutation to Anaṅgadhāman’.

9. The waist of Śaśāṅka (i.e. of the image of Śaśāṅka, the Moon) should always be worshipped (with the utterance of the text:) ‘My repeated salutations to Kāmasukhaprada’. Similarly he should worship the belly (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Amṛtodara’. The navel of the image should be worshipped (to the accompaniment of the text:) ‘My salutation to Śaśāṅka.’

10. He should always worship the mouth (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Candra’; the teeth (of the image) should be worshipped (to the accompaniment of the text: ‘My) salutation to the lord of brāhmaṇas (i.e. the Moon)’. The smile (of the deity) should be honoured (by saying:) ‘My salutation to Candramas’. He should worship the lips (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Kaumodavanapriya.’

11. (He should worship) the nose (of the image saying, ‘My salutation to the lord of the excellent herbs’, and (should worship) the eyebrows (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Ānandabīja.’ He should similarly worship the pair of the eyes (of the image) of Indu (i.e. the Moon, saying:) ‘My salutation to him who causes Viṣṇu’s lotus to bloom’.

12. He should worship the pair of the ears (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Samastādhvarapūjita (i.e. who is honoured in all sacrifices and) to Daityaniṣūdana (i.e. the killer of the demons)’. He should worship the forehead (of the image) of Indu saying, ‘My salutation to Udadhipriya (i.e. he who is dear to the ocean)’; the hair of the lord of rays should (also) be worshipped.

13. The head of Murāri (should be worshipped by a man saying’:) ‘My salutation to Śaśāṅka’; (he should worship) the crown (of the image saying:) ‘My salutation to Viśveśvara’; he should also salute the Moon’s spouse by name Rohiṇī addressing her as Padmapriyā, Lakṣmī, (and should also say:) ‘My salutation to Saubhāgya-saukhyāmṛta-sāgara (i.e. to the ocean of the nectar of good fortune and happiness)’.

14-15a. Having honoured the goddess, viz. the wife of Indu (i.e. the Moon), with fragrant flowers and with offerings and incense etc. and having slept on the (bare) ground, and having got up and bathed and having enjoyed the offerings, he should give, in the morning, a golden water-pitcher to a brāhmaṇa, (to the accompaniment of the text) ‘My salutation to Pāpavināśana (i.e. the destroyer of sins).’

15b-16a. Having drunk cow-urine and having eaten food void of flesh and free from salt and having eaten eight and thirty and three morsels with ghee, he should for a while, listen (to accounts from) history.

16b-17. He should offer the flowers of Kadamba and blue lotuses and Ketaka-flowers, jasmine flowers, lotuses, (other) fresh flowers, Sinduvāra-flowers and the flowers of jasmine to the Moon, O you descendent of Bharata. He should also offer to the Moon a white flower, a Karavīra-flower and a Campaka-flower.

18. Beginning with the month of Śrāvaṇa, he should, in the serial order, always offer these flowers to Hari (i.e. Viṣṇu); he should offer in that month the flowers at the observance of the vow, which are available in that month.

19. Thus having fasted for a year according to the prescribed rules, he should give a furnished bed (to a brāhmaṇa) at the end of the vow.

20-23. Having got fashioned golden (images of) Rohiṇī and Candra—the image of Candra should be six fingers (in length) and that of Rohiṇī (should be) four fingers—he should, (placing the images) on the pitcher (containing) sweetened milk, give in the morning, (to a brāhmaṇa couple) the images with eight pearls and having silver eyes, along with a vessel of bell-metal and sacred grains, and with rice and sugar-cane, to the accompaniment of a religious text. Having decorated a virtuous brāhmaṇa-couple with ornaments he should give the couple a cow with garments and pots, and also a shell-pot.

24-26a. He should imagine that the Brāhmaṇa along with his wife is Candra himself. (He should pray as follows:) ‘O Kṛṣṇa, as Rohiṇi [Rohiṇī?] would never abandon the bed of you of the form of Candra, so (should I have) food and absence of separation from welfare. Since, O Candra, you are the giver of great joy and salvation to all, may I have enjoyment and salvation (due to you, and may I have) firm devotion to you.’

26b-27. Thus, O sinless one, this vow is excellent (as) it gives a handsome form, good health and long life to one who is afraid of the mundane existence and desires salvation. O king, this (vow) alone is always dear to the manes.

28. Being the lord of the three worlds for three hundred Kalpas, he obtains (i.e. goes to) the world of the Moon from which return (to the mortal world i.e. rebirth) is difficult.

29. If a lady observes (this vow of) Rohiṇīcandra-śayana, she too gets that fruit whereby return (to the mortal world) is difficult.

30. By thus narrating(the account ofthe vow) of the Moon, he, who recites or listens to the worship of Madhumathana (i.e. destroyer of Madhu, i.e. Viṣṇu) or intends to perform it, too, having gone to the residence of Śauri (i.e. Viṣṇu) is honoured by streams (i.e. groups) of gods.