Appendix 1 - Translation of Saura-purāṇa chapter 15 (partially)

A segment of the chapter fifteen of the Manuscript No. G 8202 of the Saura-purāṇa preserved in the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, contains two vratas of Sūrya.^[1] The verses 1-27 describe the two vows which are not available in any printed versions of the Saura-purāṇa There are total sixty-six verses in the said chapter of the above Manuscript Apart from the verses 1-27 of the Manuscript, the rest verses (containing the glories of Śiva and his devotees) are almost the same (barring some different readings) as the verses of chapter fifteen (the colophon mentioned the title as “Śiva-bhakta-mahimādi-kathanaṃ”) (verses 1-39) of the printed versions of this Purāṇa.

In the second chapter of our thesis we have discussed about the available Manuscripts of the Saura-purāṇa Among the manuscripts we had gone through two Manuscripts nos. G. 8202 and G. 1402.^[2] The Manuscript no. G. 1402 does not have any segment containing the vows of Sūrya as available in Manuscript 8202. Regarding the other Manuscript, the respective cataloguers do not provide us with any information about the existence of the mentioned vows.

Now, we discuss regarding the vow whether it is interpolated or not. The Brāhmaṇas of Prayāga are preferred in the verse of no. 14 of the segment of the Manuscript G. 8202. Therefore it can be assumed that this portion was composed in the northern or western part of India where, according to the scholars, the present Saura-purāṇa was composed.

It is noteworthy that in the Saura-purāṇa the available vows are not only related to Śiva. The Śravaṇa-dvādaśī vow of the Vaiṣṇavas is also described there.^[3] Moreover, the vow performed by the worshippers of Devī, viz. Ulkā-navami-vrata, and a vow of Dūrvāgaṇapati observed by the Gāṇapatyas are also described in this Purāṇa.^[4] Another god, Sūrya have played an important role in the Saura-purāṇa There are many the verses of the Saura-purāṇa where Sūrya has been eulogised. The power of Śiva to dissolute the universe acts through Sūrya.^[5] So, it is possible that the vow related to Sūrya who described as the narrator of Saura-purāṇa and for which the Purāṇa so-named, might be occurred there.^[6]

Moreover, the first verse of the eleventh chapter of the printed versions of the Saura-purāṇa begins in this way:

“anyad-vratamidaṃ vakṣye śṛṇuddhvaṃ munipuṅgavā|
śivena kathitaṃ sākṣāt skandāya pṛcchate||”^[7]

Skanda is mentioned as the speaker of this verse, and the interlocutors of this chapter are Skanda and Śiva. In the above mentioned verse, there is a promise to speak about another vow, but there are only verses related to the glorification of Śiva and the devotes of Śiva in the printed version, but no vow has been mentioned. However, in the segment of the Manuscript the interlocutors of this vow is Śiva and Pārvatī. Therefore it is very difficult to say the final word. We hope that this problem could be solved by preparing a critical edition of this text by using all the available Manuscripts

The text of the segment of the Manuscript no. G. 8202 containing the vow of Sūryā is as follows:

Sanskrit text :

[Folio. No. 28b] Kāśyapa ṛṣaya ūcuḥ||
sūtasuta mahāvāho sarvatattva-viśārada|
sūryasya hi vrataṃ puṇyaṃ bruhi me kṛpayā yadi|| 1
Sūta uvāca||
nandīśvareṇa saṃproktaṃ nāradāya viśeṣataḥ||
mārtaṇḍasya vrataṃ divyaṃ tacchrutvā nīṃ[idānīṃ?] caiva kartavyam|| 2
Nandikeśvara uvāca||
kailāsa śikhare ramye sthitvā [Folio. No. 28b] sāmvaṃ sukhāsanam [|]
harṣacittaṃ śivaṃ dṛṣṭvā pārvatī paripṛcchati|| 3
Śrīdevyuvāca|| idānīṃ caiva kartavyaṃ mārtaṇḍasya vrataṃ dhruvaṃ||
kena māsena kartavyaṃ vidhinā kena vā tadā|| 4
dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṇāṃ ārogyaṃ ca viśeṣataḥ|
putram-aiśvarya-bṛddhi-syāt-kuṣṭhādīnāṃ vināśanam|| 5
Śiva uvāca|| pūrvaṃ ca mārgaśīrṣeṇa vratamārabhyate budhaiḥ|
kārtikāntaṃ ca kartavyaṃ vidhiṃ caiva pṛthak pṛthak|| 6
tulasī-ghṛta-tilaṃ caiva dadhi-dugdhaṃ tathaivaca|
gomayaṃ [jīlaṃ?] ca nīra[ṃ] maricaṃ śuddhaṃ dhātṛphalaṃ tathā|| 7
gomūtraṃ śarkarā caiva kṣīraṃ ca taṇḍulaṃ tathā|
guḍāṃ pūrṇāṃ tathāpalpyaṃ muṣṭikaṃ ca tathāsmṛtam|| 8
palpyaṃ palpyam tathā palpyam guḍanetraṃ suṃsara|
vyākṛtya-tryañjaliṃ ca trimaricam nīrapalyaṃ guṇānvitaṃ|| 9
trayaṃ caiva paraṃ proktaṃ palpya-palpyaṃ tathāsmṛtam|
muṣṭika-tritayaṃ proktaṃ vidhimedudāhṛtam|| 10
evaṃ dvādaśa-māsāni ye kurvanti raverdinaṃ|
svārthaṃ labhate kānte rūpaṃ svarṇopamaṃ bhavet|| 11
m[j]āyā-putraṃ ca labhate nara-nārī samedhate|
teṣāṃ rogādi śokādika cchinnaiva dṛśyate|| 12
gaṅgā-gayā-tīrthaguṇaṃ kurukṣetra ca naimiṣe|
yat puṇyaṃ labhate devi tat puṇyaṃ ravi-vāsare|| 13
aṣṭāśīti-sahasrāṇāṃ prayāge ṛṣi-bhojanaṃ|
koṭi-yajñādikaṃ puṇyaṃ tat puṇyaṃ ravi-vāsare|| 14
[Folio. No. 29a] koṭi janmāni sevyante cinteyeśca viśeṣataḥ|
yat puṇyaṃ labhate devi tat puṇyaṃ ravivāsare|| 15
jagannātha-trayā-vṛttiṃ yaḥ kaścit kriyate naraḥ|
yat puṇyaṃ labhate devi tat puṇyaṃ ravivāsare|| 16
rudro-brahmā-hariścaiva bipatsu devānstathā|
yat puṇyaṃ labhate devi tat puṇyaṃ ravivāsare|| 17
prātaḥ-snānaṃ ca śartādayoḥ karoti raverdine|
vyādhikaṃ ca dāridryaṃ yamalokaṃ na paśyati|| 18
ādityaṃ caiva mām viddhi śivaṃ viddhi raviṃ tathā|
ubhayor-antaraṃ naiva kadācit śiva-sūryayoḥ|| 19
idaṃ vrataṃ mayā proktaṃ tava snehāt suvallabhe|
anyad vrataṃ pravakṣyāmi sarvapāpa-praṇāśakam|| 20
ravi saptamī samāyāti kadācit yadi labhyate|
mārgaśīrṣe tathā māse śrāvaṇe yadi vā bhavet|| 21
puṣya nakṣatra prāpte[ṣu] śukla-pakṣe viśeṣataḥ|
tadā-rambhaṃ prakartavyaṃ vrataṃ ca ravisaptamī|| 22
aneka janmajaṃ pāpaṃ vilayaṃ yānti tatkṣanāt|
pūrvoktaṃ ca phalaṃ jñeyaṃ jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ|| 23
uṣñaṃ jalaṃ ca tāmbulaṃ āmiṣānnaṃ ca maithunam|
ādarśa-kāṃśa-pātreṣu bhojanaṃ na ravi[e]rdine|| 24
sūryaṃ ca pūjayan nityaṃ dhanaṃ putraṃ labhenna[r]ḥ|
pūjayet saptabhāvena vāñchitaṃ la-[Folio no. 29b] bhet dhruvam|| 25
bhoktavya-mekavāraṃ tu ravāvastena kiñca na|
yāva[d]-ntarīkṣaṇāṃ bhāva-stāvat kārye tu bhojanam|| 26
ādityasya vrataṃ samyak saptami-ravi-saṃyutā|
ye kurvanti narāḥ samyak jīvanmuktā na saṃśayaḥ|| 27

Translation in English:

1. Kāśyapa sages spoke, o the son of the sūta, you he possesses of mighty-arm and expert in all the scriptures, would you please tell us the virtuous vow of Sūrya.

2. Sūta replied, now I tell the divine vow of Mārtaṇḍa, which was narrated by Nandīśvara to Nārada especially.

3. Nandīkeśvara said, (once) Śiva with his consort was sitting at ease in the beautiful peak of Kailāsa. Observing him in delightful mood Pārvatī asked.

4-5. Devī asked, in which month the glorious vow of Mārtaṇḍa should be performed. By which can one achive dharma, wealth, desires, liberation, and recovery from ailment? And which (vow) is enhancer of sons, prosperities as well as destroyer of leprosy? And how should it be performed?

6. Śiva replied, the vow is started by the learned persons from the month of Mārgaśīrṣa till the last day of Kartika next, comprising of different vidhis.

7-8. Tulsi, ghee, tila, curd, milk, cow-dung, water, pepper, pure emblica, cow-urine, sugar, kṣīra, rice, and treacle should be offered in a handful or a little bit.

9-10. A little bit of water including treacle and three piece of peppers should be offered thrice with cupped palms. Again three handful offerings (of the same items) should be made accordingly later on.

11-12. Like this, o dear (Pārvatī), they who perform this vow of Sunday for twelve months, obtain benefits, beauty as gold, wives and sons and both males and females prosper. They keep away from diseases and sorrows.

13. O goddess, the results achieved from the vow of Sunday is same as that achieved (by visiting) the holy places of Gaṅgā, Gayā, Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa-forest.

14. By performing this vow of Sunday one can achieve the same as is achieved from feeding eighty-thousand sages at Prayāga and doing crores of sacrifices.

15. O goddess, by performing this vow of Sunday one can achieve the result that one can gain by serving others and by good thoughts in numerous births.

16. O goddess, the result which is obtained from the worship of the three gods (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva) of the world, can be achieved from the vow of Sunday.

17. O goddess, the gods propitiated Rudra, Brahmā and Hari in danger. The same can be obtained (i.e. free from danger by worshiping Sūrya) on Sunday.

18. One who takes bath at dawn and maintain other rituals on Sunday, never faces diseases, poverty and never visits the abode of Yama.

19. Know me (Śiva) as Āditya and Āditya as Śiva. There is no difference between Śiva and Sūrya.

20. O dear, out of love towards you (Pārvatī), I (Śiva) have narrated this vow. Another vow which destroys all sins, will be narrated (now).

21-22. If sometimes the seventh day (Sunday) of the bright fortnight is united with Puṣyā (nakṣatra) in the month of Mārgaśirṣa or Śrāvaṇa, then the vow of Sūryasaptamī should be initiated.

23. By performing this vow the sins of many births are destroyed immediately. The performer also secures the above-mentioned results undoubtedly.

24. Taking warm-water, tāmbula, non-veg food; mating; using of mirror, and eating in bronze plates are prohibited in Sunday.

25. One who worships Sūrya daily, gets wealth, sons. All his desires shall be fulfilled by worshipping Sūrya by seven ways (or for seven days).

26. On Sunday, the performer of the vow should take food only once after sunset when darkness prevails.

27. Those who perform appropriately the vow of Āditya when Sunday and the seventhday (saptamī-tithi, “Ravi-saptamī”) of lunar-day united together, no doubt, they are liberated persons.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Title: Saura-purāṇaṃ. Medium: country made paper. Size: 13 x 7 inches. Folios: 160. — Lines: 16 on a page. Script: Nāgarī. Language: Sanskrit. Date of coping: Saṃvat 1906. — (see: Haraprasad Shastri: A Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Govt. Collection Under the care of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, p. 758)

[2]:

Ibid., loc. cit.

[3]:

Saura-purāṇa, 15. 1ff.

[4]:

Ibid., 43. 27ff; 50. 26ff.

[5]:

See 6.2 of this thesis.

[6]:

Saura-purāṇa, 1.6, 30ff; 53. 4ff.

[7]:

Ibid., 11. 1.