The Matsya Purana (critical study)

by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058

This page relates ‘Samkranti-vrata’ of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.

The 98th Chapter of the Matsyapurāṇa deals with Saṃkrāntivrata. Saṃkrānti means the passage of the Sun from one rāśi to the following rāśi. And thus the rāśi in which the Sun enters is designated as the saṃkrānti of that name.[1] Each of the twelve saṃkrānti is regarded as auspicious. The Saṃkrāntivrata is observed on the day of equinoxes or solstices.[2] This vrata leads a man to heaven and begets everlasting bliss and it washes off all the sins of the devotee. One who observes this vrata enjoys the honour in the next world and is respected by the Gandharvas, Indra and other gods.[3]

The description of the Saṃkrāntivrata found in this Purāṇa runs thus: the day prior to saṃkrānti the devotee takes his food only once. And on the following day he cleanses teeth and takes bath in water mixed with sesame. On the saṃkrānti day he draws a lotus with eight petals with sandal on the earth in the centre of which the presence of the Sun is invoked. A golden vessel of clarified butter, a pitcher of water and a golden lotus are donated to a brāhmaṇa according to one’s own capacity.[4]

Thereafter, the arghya consisting of sandal, water and flowers is placed on the earth as an oblation to the Sun uttering the mantra:

viśvāya viśvarūpāya viśvadhāmne svayambhūve namoˊnanta namo dhātre ṛkṣāmayajuṣāmpate.[5]

This ritual is observered in each month or at the end of the year. Rice cooked in milk and sugar is poured into fire as oblation. Then the brāhmaṇa is fed with eatables. On that occasion twelve (12) pitchers of water with a few gems, twelve (12) golden lotus flowers and twelve (12) milch cows are given to poor and well deserved brāhmaṇas. In case of a poor person it is mentioned that he may give only one cow. Afterwards an image of earth along with that of serpent Śeṣa is made of gold, silver, copper or even of kneaded flour, in accordance with the means of the devotee and given away to the brāhmaṇa along with the golden image of the Sun. Miserliness should be avoided in this vrata. One who does this mistake goes to hell inspite of having riches.

Now-a-days people take special snānas or baths in the river Ganges or any other holy rivers on saṃkrānti days. The digests also prescribe different gifts on the saṃkrānti day from which great merit is collected. Among all saṃkrāntis Makarasaṃkrānti is observed all over India as a religious and social festival. No fast is observed now on this day. But bathing in holy rivers and giving gifts are very much in vogue. The Makarasaṃkrānti coincides with the Māghabihu of Assam which is actually a social festival and is totally different from Saṃkrāntivrata of the Matsyapurāṇa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

P.V.Kane, History of Dharmaśāstra, Vol.V, Part.I, p.211

[2]:

ayane viṣuve vāpi saṃkrāntivratamācaret/ Matsyapurāṇa, 98.2

[3]:

Cf., yāvanmahendrapramukhairnagendraiḥ pṛthvī ca saptābdhiyuteha tiṣṭhet/ tāvatsagandharvagaṇairaśeṣaiḥ saṃpūjyate nārada nākapṛṣṭhe// Ibid., 98.13

[4]:

dvijāya sodakumbhañca ghṛtapātraṃ hiraṇmayam/ kamalañca yathāśaktyā kārayitvā nivedayet// Ibid., 98.8

[5]:

Ibid., 98.3-8

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