The Padma Purana

by N.A. Deshpande | 1951 | 1,261,945 words | ISBN-10: 8120838297 | ISBN-13: 9788120838291

This page describes the damanaka festival which is chapter 84 of the English translation of the Padma Purana, one of the largest Mahapuranas, detailling ancient Indian society, traditions, geography, as well as religious pilgrimages (yatra) to sacred places (tirthas). This is the eighty-fourth chapter of the Uttara-Khanda (Concluding Section) of the Padma Purana, which contains six books total consisting of at least 50,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

Disclaimer: These are translations of Sanskrit texts and are not necessarily approved by everyone associated with the traditions connected to these texts. Consult the source and original scripture in case of doubt.

Chapter 84 - The Damanaka Festival

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Mahādeva said:

1-19. In this month of Caitra itself, the Damanaka festival should be celebrated; and especially on the twelfth day the rite should be properly performed. (This festival) meritorious and enhancing the joy of the people, should be devoutly celebrated by the devotees of Viṣṇu. The blossom of Damanaka that has originated from the joy of gods should be offered by the devotees, the followers of Viṣṇu, desiring the fruit of the entire worship on the twelfth day of the bright half of Caitra, O daughter of the (Himālaya) Mountain. With the mind fixed on the great festival a man should celebrate it with great devotion. O you sinless one, having first gone to a grove, (a man) should worship (the deity) with Rati, according to the preceptor’s order (saying), ‘Salutation to you, O Kāmadeva, deluding all. I shall look out (for you) for Viṣṇu. (Please) favour me.’ He (i.e. his image) should be brought home to the accompaniment of the sounds of singing and musical instruments. O best among the gods, Viṣṇu’s devotees should devoutly worship him at night after preliminary consecration of his image at night. Then before him (i.e. his image) an auspicious circle should be drawn all round. Then he should install him there with Rati. The wise one should (then) cover the image with a white (piece of) cloth; and should place damanaka. The best brāhmaṇas, the devotees of Viṣṇu, should perform the worship there only. ‘Klīṃ, salutation to Kāmadeva. Hrīṃ, salutation to Rati also.’ A wise man, -after installing (the image of) Kandarpa in the quarter of Indra (i.e. the east), should worship (the image). O chief among gods, at nightoffering of sandal, flowers, so also incense, lamp, waving of lights should be devoutly and in the proper manner done. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Madana’ (he should) worship in the east. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Manmatha’ (he should) worship in the south-east. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Kandarpa’ (he should worship) in the south. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Anaṅga’ (he should worship) in the rakṣa (i.e. the south-west) direction. (Saying) ‘Salutation to him whose body was reduced to ash’ (he should worship) in the west. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Smara’ (he should worship) in the north-east. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Īśvara’ (he should worship) in the north. (Saying) ‘Salutation to Puṣpa-bāṇa’ (i.e. having arrows of flowers) (he should worship) in the north-east. In all the four directions he should worship (the image of) him. Then worshipping damanaka with sacred rice grains, incense, lamps, offerings of eatables, tāmbūlas, he should salute damanaka after consecrating it with the recitation done one hundred and eight times of the Kāma-Gāyatrī (hymn): ‘We know that Puruṣa. Kāmadeva. We reflect on him. May that Anaṅga urge us on’. (Then he should say:) ‘Salutation to Puṣpabāṇa giving joy to the world; (salutation) to Manmatha, the eye of the world, and to him who delights Rati. Salutation to you, O god of gods. O Śrī Viśveśa (i.e. the lord of the universe), salutation to you. Salutation to you, O lord of Rati; salutation to you, O ornament of the universe. O lord of the world, salutation to you. Salutation to you, O origin of everything.’ With such various types of hymns, especially with those that are told in the sacred texts, Janārdana, along with Lakṣmī, should be carefully worshipped. Then the wise (man) should report the act (to the lord), and keep awake. (He should say), ‘O god of gods, O lord of the world, O you who give the desired objects, O you dear to Kāmeśvarī, O Viṣṇu, fulfil the desire in my heart’. Śrīnivāsa, Jagannātha (i.e. Viṣṇu) who desires the good of his devotees, should be carefully worshipped with many such hymns. He should offer damanaka to deities like Lakṣmī and Viṣṇu. Then (he should offer) a great worship with incense etc. And a great festival should be celebrated with songs, musical instruments, dancing etc. A pitcher is placed before the deity. Having poured water from the pitcher on the feet of the deity, he should have water-sport on that day. Then he should devoutly worship his preceptor with garments, ornaments and money. Then he should eat along with his kinsmen—the devotees of Viṣṇu.

Mahādeva said:

20-31. Then he should worship Viṣṇu with damanaka-sprouts. When Viṣṇu is worshipped, I am always worshipped. O goddess, on seeing the damanaka festival, he who has killed a brāhmaṇa, or snatched away gold, or is a drunkard, or eats flesh, is freed from the sin. O goddess, those good devotees of Viṣṇu who have worshipped the deity with damanaka, with damanaka-sprout, have visited all the sacred places. He who has worshipped Viṣṇu with a (damanaka-)sprout, has studied the Vedas, all holy texts, and maintained the sacred fire. His family—whether of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra or (of) any other (caste)—is lucky, is said to be very lucky. Being born in a family in which the damanaka festival is celebrated, is blessed. So also he who has worshipped Viṣṇu. O goddess, having worshipped (Viṣṇu) with damanaka when spring has arrived, he gets the fruit of the gift of a thousand cows. He who would with great devotion worship Viṣṇu with jasmine flowers in the spring, would obtain salvation. Maruka and damanaka instantly pleased Viṣṇu. Therefore, the best men, Viṣṇu’s devotees, should worship (Viṣṇu with these). When he has worshipped Viṣṇu, he has made (a gift of) a thousand cows, has given his daughter (in marriage to a worthy groom), has given the gift of the earth. Of him who, having taken but one damanaka-sprout, worships the lord of gods when spring has come, O daughter Of the (Himālaya) Mountain, I do not know the measure of his religious merit. He having four arms enjoys the fruits of merit, worldly objects, sensual desires here (i.e. in this world) and in the next world, and enjoys Viṣṇu’s position.

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