Chapter 10 - The Concluding Rites in the Lord’s Worship

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Brahmā said:

1. O dear father, what should be done after the Naivedya (food offering) by men, O Lord? Mention everything accurately whatever is to be done in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

2-5. Ācamana should be offered to one who has taken food with water rendered fragrant with camphor. Then betel leaves, sandal-paste and water for washing the hands (and wiping it off with a cloth) should be offered.

Afterwards the devotee should offer a handful of flowers with devotion. Then he should show the mirror. Thereafter, the Nīrājana rite should be performed with camphor if one has the capacity for it.

The intelligent devotee should then offer a crown and other ornaments. Thereafter, O highly fortunate one, an umbrella and chowries should be offered.

The dark-coloured handsome personality of the Lord with a pleasant face ready to grant favour should be meditated upon. He should perform the Japa one hundred and eight times and eulogize the Lord with hymns.

6-12a. The rosary for japa^[1] may be of shells strung together by a silver wire or gold wire in particular. The beads may be beautiful lotus seeds, corals, jewels, pearls or artificial Indrākṣas (? Sapphire). Japa can be performed on the joints of fingers (i.e. for counting purposes). A necklace made of Putrajīva (Roxburghii) is also recommended for the purpose of Japa.

The learned devotee should not repeat my Mantras while walking about, laughing, looking over the sides, keeping one foot over the other, keeping the hands over the head or standing up. He shall not repeat the (god’s) names with an excited mind. At the time of Japa, Vrata, Homa, worship etc. the devotee shall not speak.

The merit of Japa performed at home is of one unit; that in a cowpen has ten times that merit; on the banks of a river the merit is hundredfold; in the sacred fire-chamber the merit is ten times more. In Tīrthas etc. the merit is a thousand times and in my presence it is infinite.

After doing all these in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa if one circumambulates,^[2] he attains for every step the merit of the gift of the earth consisting of the seven continents.

12b. While circumambulating the devotee should repeat the thousand names (of god) or repeat a single name several times.

13. A single circumambulation performed with devotion always dispels the sin of the day. It is as good as though the entire earth consisting of the seven continents has been circumambulated.

14. Three circumambulations of mine will dispel the sin committed in the course of a week, instantaneously; they dispel the sins of the body committed in ten days.

15. If twenty-one circumambulations are completed with devotion, sins of killing a foetus in the womb and similar sins are destroyed instantaneously.

16. If one hundred and eight circumambulations are performed by anyone, it is on a par with the performance of all sacrifices and concluding them with excellent monetary gifts.

17-22. It is as though he has circumambulated the earth as many times.

The circumambulations of the mother, of the earth, and of the Śālagrāma stone—these three are known to be on a par with one another.

One full prostration in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa is equal to seven circumambulations, or one prostration is rather superior (to the circumambulations).

He who always prostrates at the time of circumambulation especially in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, shall reside in heaven till the end of the Kalpa. After the Kalpa has passed, O dear one, he is born as an emperor.

He shall have longevity, shall enjoy all pleasures. He shall become rich and shall be extremely interested in virtue and piety. By repeating the thousand names sins committed in three ways (i.e. mentally, verbally and physically) will perish.

Well, of what avail is much talk? Listen to this secret from me, O son. By the (utterance of the) name Dāmodara I will have unparalleled delight.

23-30. This name signifying a quality has been given to me by my mother Yaśodā when the pot of curds was broken by me in Gokula (the cowherds’ colony). At that time Yaśodā tied me tightly to a mortar by means of Dāman (a rope). Ever since I became famous by the name Dāmodara.^[3]

With great concentration and purity of mind the devotee should repeat the Mantra “Obeisance to Dāmodara” at sunrise at the rate of three thousand per day. When it reaches ṃree hundred and fifty thousand, the learned devotee should perform the Udyāpana rite. The libation, Homa and feeding of Brāhmaṇas should be a tenth of this. If anyone does like this with devotion, I grant him everything wished for, viz. wealth, food grains, wife, sons and other desired objects. This has been stated by me with the utterance of “This is truth” three times. O highly intelligent one, believe it. This great Mantra has been revealed by me out of favour, O son.

After repeating (Mantra), “(Obeisance) to Dāmodara” the devotee should always circumambulate and prostrate, O son, with all the eight limbs of the body (Aṣṭāṅgas). Prostration with feet, hands, knees, chest, head, mind, words and eyes, is called Aṣṭāṅga.

31. He should keep the head near my feet and joining the palms together, should request thus: “O Lord, I am afraid of the ocean in the form of clutches of Death. I have resorted to you. Save me.”

32. Thereafter, the devotee should take upon his head the remnant given by me and should say with great respect as follows, O dear one, in order to complete the worship:

33. “The worship performed by me, O Janārdana, may be deficient in the mantras, or in holy rites or in devotion. But O Lord, let it be complete.”

34. During the month of Mārgaśīrṣa dancing programme must be staged along with drums, Mṛdaṅgas and Paṇavas. It yields merit unto men.

35. Songs, instrumental music, dance and the reading of books at the time of the worship—all these are always pleasing to me, O Fourfaced One.

36-37. If songs and instrumental music are not available Pañcastava (a group of five prayers^[4]) is highly delightful unto me, O highly fortunate one. It consists of Viṣṇu-Sahasra-Nāma (‘A Thousand Names of Viṣṇu’), Bhīṣma-Stavarāja (‘The Eulogy of Kṛṣṇa by Bhīṣma’), Gajendra-Mokṣa (‘The Liberation of the Elephant’), Anusmṛti and Bhagavad-Gītā. These five together constitute the Pañcastava (‘Five Prayer-hymns’).

38. If any devotee drinks the Pādodaka^[5] (the water with which feet are washed) issuing from the Śālagrāma, of what avail is the drinking of thousands of Pañcagavyas (five milk products)!

39. Even if a man drinks a drop of the water from the Śālagrāma stone, he will never drink the breast milk of a mother. He shall attain salvation.

40. Those who keep the Pādodaka on their heads, those who sip it, will not have the pollution due to birth or death (of relatives).

41. A man may have been excluded from the society of people of good conduct. But if he is given the Pādodaka at the time of death, he shall attain the best state (hereafter).

42-43. One who drinks forbidden beverage, eats forbidden foodstuffs and carnally approaches a forbidden woman, one who commits sinful activities, becomes immediately sanctified by resorting to the Pādāṃbu (i.e. Pādodaka).The water from the feet is superior to expiation rites of Cāndrāyaṇa or Pādakṛcchra.

44. Black aloewood, saffron, camphor and unguent—each one of these mixed with Pādodaka is the sanctifier of all sacred things.

45. The water that is sanctified by mere sight dispels sins of man, O excellent Brāhmaṇa. The water from the feet does so all the more!

46. You are my favourite. You are my eldest son. Particularly you are devoted to me. Hence everything, even the greatest of secrets, has been communicated to you.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Different materials for preparing beads are mentioned here but the Śaivite Rudrākṣa-seed is excluded from the list. The gradation of the places for performing Japa is interesting.

[2]:

VV 12-17 describe the sanctifying effect of circumambulation.

[3]:

The etymology based on the story mentioned here from BhP X, Part I is confirmed in Mbh, Udyoga 70.8.

[4]:

These are still read by us everyday.

[5]:

VV 38-45 extol the sanctifying effects of Pādodaka.