Chapter 4 - The Holy Rites to be Observed in Vaiśākha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-6. One who observes vows during the month of Vaiśākha shall avoid the (following) eight acts^[1]: smearing the body with oil, sleeping during day-time, taking food in a bell-metal vessel, sleeping on a cot, taking bath in the house, eating forbidden food, taking food twice a day and taking food at night.

He who observes the vows in the month of Vaiśākha and takes his meal on a lotus leaf, shall be rid of sins. He shall go to the world of Viṣṇu.

One shall wash the feet of Brāhmaṇas who are tired at midday in the month of Vaiśākha. That shall be a holy rite, the most excellent one among all holy rites.

If a Brāhmaṇa fatigued by travelling on foot comes to one’s house at midday and if one makes that Brāhmaṇa occupy a beautiful seat and washes his feet and sprinkles that water over his (own) head, he shall have all the fetters (of Saṃsāra) broken down. He is certainly on a par with that person who has taken his holy bath in Gaṅgā and all other Tīrthas.

7. A person who does not take bath in the month of Vaiśākha, one who passes the month of Vaiśākha without taking food on Palāśa leaf, shall be reborn first as a donkey and thereafter as a mule.^[2]

8. If a healthy man of a strong constitution, devoid of ailments, takes bath in the house during Vaiśākha, he shall attain rebirth in the womb of a Cāṇḍāla woman.

9. O great king, if a person does not take bath outside (i.e., in rivers, lakes etc.) in the month of Vaiśākha when the Sun is in Aries, he shall be born as a dog a hundred times.

10. If the month of Vaiśākha is passed without the stipulated baths and charitable gifts, the person shall certainly become a ghost. By not observing the holy rites pertaining to the month of Vaiśākha, one shall go down (i.e. become degraded).

11. A man of greedy mind who does not offer water and cooked food in the month of Vaiśākha, never gets his sins and miseries destroyed. There is no doubt about it.

12. He who is devoted to Viṣṇu and takes bath in a river in the month of Vaiśākha, is liberated from the sins accumulated in the course of three births. There is no doubt about it.

13. If a person takes his bath at sunrise^[3] in a river that flows into a sea, he shall at the very instant be released from sins acquired in the course of seven births.

14-15. Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā), Vṛddhagaṅgā (Būḍhī Gaṅgā), Kālindī (Yamunā), Sarasvatī, Kāverī, Narmadā and Veṇī (Kṛṣṇā)—these are glorified as the “Seven Gaṅgās”. A man who takes his holy bath early in the morning in (anyone of) the “Seven Gaṅgās” is liberated from the sins acquired in the course of a crore of births. There is no doubt about this.

16. A person who takes the holy plunge in the morning during the month of Vaiśākha in natural reservoirs of water, shall be liberated from the sins committed ever since his birth. There is no doubt about this.

17. He who, at the advent of the month of Vaiśākha, takes his bath in wells (outside the house) in the morning, gets (his) great sins destroyed.

18-20. It is certain that all the rivers including Gaṅgā are present in water-receptacles outside, even if they be small like the pits made by cows’ hoofs. He who realizes this, attains the benefit more than from all the Tīrthas.

(Just as) Milk is superior to water, O king, curd is superior to milk and ghee superior to curd, so Kārttika is superior to the other months, the month of Māgha is superior to Kārttika and Vaiśākha is superior to Māgha. The holy rite performed in that month grows like the (minute) seed of a banyan tree (into a big tree).

21-22. A man may be rich or extremely poor or dependent, but whatever object he obtains should be given to a Brāhmaṇa, whether it is a bulb, root, fruit, vegetable, salt, jaggery, jujube fruit, leaf, water or buttermilk. It is conducive to infinite benefit.

23-28a. Nowhere does a man get anything if it has not been given by him (previously), not from even Devas including Brahmā. One who has never given charitable gifts will become indigent. Due to poverty he commits (further) sin. Due to sinfulness he falls into hell. Hence charitable gifts should be made by one who wishes for happiness.

Just as a house endowed with all good features is not (considered) splendid if it is devoid of goods and chattels, so also holy rites and pious observances performed in all the months go in vain, if the vows of the month of Vaiśākha are not observed.^[4]

lust as a girl though endowed with all good qualities and features (does not shine) should she not have a living husband, so also a holy rite may be perfect in every detail with all ancillaries, but they know that it is futile if it is bereft of the Vaiśākha vows.

Just as all other qualities are futile if there is no mercifulness, so also all holy rites are futile if they are without the Vaiśākha vows. A vegetable dish may have all the good features and ingredients, but it is not relished if there is no salt therein. Similarly a meritorious deed unconnected with Vaiśākha should not be resorted to by good people. Nor is it conducive to the attainment of the good.

28b-30. A young woman may be exceedingly beautiful and may have all the ornaments, but she does not shine without (adequate) clothing. So also a series of holy rites performed exceedingly well by men does not shine without the Vaiśākha rites. So it is decided that holy rites are to be performed in the month of Vaiśākha by all means by every type of living being.

With the Slayer of Madhu in view, the devotee shall take holy bath in the morning when the Sun is in Aries and then worship Viṣṇu. Otherwise he will fall into hell.

31-32. There was a king named Mahīratha.^[5] He was lecherous and lustful without any control over his passions. But due to holy ablution in the month of Vaiśākha he went to Vaikuṇṭha directly. Vaiśākha is a beneficial month with Madhusūdana as the deity. It yields more benefit for (the various holy rites such as) pilgrimages, austerities, Yajñas, charitable gifts and Homas.

The Mantra for prayer:

33. “O Madhusūdana, O lord of the Devas, I shall take the holy bath in the morning in the month of Vaiśākha when the Sun is in Aries. Make it free from hindrances, O Mādhava.”

The Mantra for Arghya:

34. “In the month of Vaiśākha when the Sun is in Aries, I am engaged in the early morning ablution. I shall give you Arghya. Accept it, O Madhusūdana.

35. O ye all rivers including Gaṅgā, accept the Arghya offered by me. O Tīrthas and whirlpools, accept the Arghya offered by me. Be well pleased.

36. O Yama, you are the leader. You are the chastiser of sinners. You view (everyone) impartially. Accept the Arghya offered by me. Be the bestower of the benefit mentioned.”

37-39. The devotee should offer Arghyas thus and then take the holy bath. He then wears two clothes and performs all the rites. He worships Madhusūdana with flowers growing in the vernal season. He shall then listen to the divine narratives and anecdotes of Viṣṇu praising this month. He shall be liberated from sins acquired in the course of a crore of births and attain salvation.

40. He will never undergo distress on the earth, neither in heaven nor in the nether worlds. He is not born anywhere again in any womb. He does not suck the breasts further (i.e. is liberated).

41. One who takes food in a bell-metal vessel in the month of Vaiśākha, one who does not listen to good stories, one who does not take holy bath or make charitable gifts, falls into hells.

42-47. Somehow the sin of killing a thousand Brāhmaṇas can be dispelled, but the sin of that person who has not taken holy bath in the month of Vaiśākha can never be dispelled. That base man is undoubtedly dead though living, who does not take holy bath in the month of Vaiśākha, though he has his body under his control, can freely enter and stay in water and his tongue is free enough to utter the two syllables HA-RI (but does not do so). If a stupid and deluded soul does not worship Madhusūdana in the month of Vaiśākha, by some means or the other, he shall be reborn as a pig. He who worships Madhusūdana in the month of Vaiśākha with Tulasī leaves, shall become an emperor and enjoy pleasures in a crore of births. Afterwards, he attains Sāyujya with Viṣṇu along with a crore of the members of his family. The devotee shall serve Viṣṇu both Saguṇa and Nirguṇa (with or without attributes) by means of different paths of devotion. He shall meditate upon him always with the mind not dwelling on anything else.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

VV 1-6 enumerate the don’ts and dos in Vaiśākha.

[2]:

VV 7-11 describe the punishment for violation of the Vrata-injunctions of Vaiśākha.

[3]:

VV 13-19 describe the meritorious effects of morning bath, especially outside one’s house.

[4]:

VV 25-30: importance of observing rites in Vaiśākha.

[5]:

For the story of Mahīratha see PdP V (Pātāla Khaṇḍa), Ch. 99. The king improved his conduct and performed Vaiśākha-rites. After death he expressed his desire to see hells. When he went to have a view, the hellish beings felt happy. Seeing their plight, the king-offered his merit of Vaiśākha-rites and then the hellish beings went to heaven and only after their redemption the king agreed to go to Vaikuṇṭha.