Part 4.2g - Ādityaśayana-vrata

This is also known as Ādityaśayanaśankarārcana observance.^[1] This auspicious vrata falls on the Sunday when there is saṃkrānti and also on the seventh day of dark fortnight when the moon is in the Hasta nakṣatra.^[2] In this vrata Śiva is shown as non different from Āditya and consequently the devotee uttering the mantras addressing Āditya worships Śiva.^[3] The 55^th chapter of the Matsyapurāṇa discusses the Ādityaśayanavrata elaborately. This vrata is observed by both man and woman. By observing this vrata the devotee attains divine facility and remains free from all diseases, grieves, and sufferings.^[4]

The Matsyapurāṇa describes the procedure of observing this vrata thus:

One who wants to observe this vrata should worship Maheśvara and Umā. Reciting the names of Āditya he also worships the Sun on a liṅga of Śiva. Lord Śiva is non-different from Sūrya and hence Śiva is worshipped with the mantra:

“sūryāya namaḥ”.

The mantras are also chanted for different limbs honouring different Nakṣatras starting with Hastā, Citrā etc. The devotee, during this vrata, does not take oil, flesh, green vegetables, and take food only at night. On the Punarvasu nakṣatra the devotee offers rice along with clarified butter to the brāhmaṇa in a vessel made of fig-leaves putting there some gold. On the 7^th year of the fast the devotee gives gifts of a pair of clothes to the brāhmaṇa. On completion of the 14^th year the brāhmaṇa is offered molasses, milk, and clarified butter. And after that the devotee gives golden lotus along with gems, bedsheets, pillow, shoes, utensils, cāmara etc. to the needy brāhmaṇa. A cow is also given to the brāhmaṇa on that occasion. ^[5] And then the Sun is prayed for getting lustre, fortune, and prosperity.^[6]

This vrata is also found treated in the same way in the Padmapurāṇa.^[7] No reference of the prevalence of this vrata in the present day society is found by us. It is not known whether this vrata is observed in any part of India.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ādityaśayanam nāma yathāvacchaṅkārārcanam/ Ibid., 55.3

[2]:

yadā hastena saptamyāmādityasya dinaṃ bhavet/ suryyārcyāṃ cātha samkrāntistithiḥ sā sārvakāmikī// Ibid., 55.4

[3]:

umāpateravervāpi na bhedo dṛsyate kvacit/ yasmāttasmānmuniśreṣṭha gṛhe śambhuṃ samarcayet // Ibid., 55.6

[4]:

Ibid., 55.31

[5]:

Ibid., 55.7-25

[6]:

yathaivādityaśayanamaśūnyaṃ tava sarvadā/ kāntā dhṛtyā śriyā ratyā tathā me santu siddhayaḥ// Ibid., 55.26

[7]:

Padmapurāṇa, V.24.64-96