Chapter 41 - The Festival of Holy Bath on Puṣya Day

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Jaimini said:

1-2. I shall describe the festival of the holy bath on the Puṣya day^[1] as approved by Brahma formerly. The devotee should perform the festival of the holy bath on Puṣya day in the month of Pauṣa, when the full moon coincides with the Puṣya constellation. On the eleventh day the offering of germinating seeds^[2] should be done in the North-East.

3-6. Thereafter, worship should be continued everyday of the idol of Hari in the abode (Temple) of Hari. Every night an oblation should be offered with dances, songs and other offerings and services.

The pots should be consecrated in the preliminary consecration rite on the night of the fourteenth. These pots should be eighty-one in number. There should be twenty-one gold pots too, filled with cow’s ghee. In front of Hari the devotee should make the mystic diagram of Sarvatobhadra. In their middle he should fix an auspicious mirror with a broad base. In the night everyone should keep awake with elaborate arrangements for dance, music etc.

7-13. In the morning, O Brāhmaṇas, the devotee should perform the holy rites in the sacred fire for those deities. With sacrificial twigs of Palāśa (Butea frondosa), Caru as well as ghee oblations with their Liṅga Mantras are offered to Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva a thousand times for each. At the conclusion of the Homas with the respective Mantras and Symbols (of the deities), he should worship Puruṣottama reflected in the mirror. Thereafter, he should charge the pots with the Mantras of Puruṣa Sūkta.

Reciting the same, he should bathe Puruṣottama with an unbroken flow of water.

Reciting the Pāvamānīyaka hymns he should bathe the Devas and again reciting Śrī Sūkta.

Thereafter, he should bathe the Lord with the pots of ghee reciting the Vaiṣṇavī Gāyatrī. Then he should worship the Lord with scented water dropping in a thousand streams (i.e. water is poured from a pot with many holes pierced therein) while reciting Śrī Sūkta.

Thereafter, the Nirmālya should be cast off. He should then smear the body of the Lord with scents and sandal-paste. He should then adorn the Lord with ornaments in the proper places so that their charm shall be displayed. Thereafter, he should adorn (the Lord) with sweetsmelling flower-garlands.

14-18. He should place the eight weapons beginning with the discus in front of the Lord. After holding the gem-set umbrella aloft, he should worship once again Puruṣottama accompanied by Lakṣmī, O Brāhmaṇas, with rich offerings. Then the conch-shells should be blown for their pleasing and resonant sounds. Beautiful courtesans should be employed for the waving of chowries constantly. There should be auspicious songs, dances etc. The bards should recite eulogies and panegyrics. The Brāhmaṇas should repeatedly give shouts of “Be victorious”.

The devotee should then worship Keśava with three handfuls of Dūrvā blades and raw rice grains. He should then perform the Nīrājana¹ rite to the Lord of the universe by means of lamps with wicks burning with cow’s ghee in gold vessels of great purity along with camphor.

19-20. Excellent betel leaves kept in a gold vessel should be well prepared and offered slowly near the mouth (of the Lord) one by one.

Monetary gifts should be given to the preceptor and the Brāhmaṇas should be honoured.

21-23. Those who joyfully witness the festival of the holy bath on the Puṣya day shall realize all their desires fully and go to the region of Viṣṇu. A king dislodged from his kingdom shall regain the realm. He shall even become an Emperor. A lady having no son or with a dead child shall get a son with a long life.

Puṣyasnāna (Puṣya bath) festival is destructive of poverty. It is conducive to wealth. It is a producer of Brahminical splendour. It has been glorified unto you. Now listen to the Uttarāyaṇa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This festival of the bath ceremony of the Lord is performed on the full-moon day of Pauṣa, when the Moon coincides with the Puṣya asterism in the sky.

[2]:

As is seen in the procedure of the Yātrās, this rite is to be performed at the beginning of religious functions.