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Matsyapurana 54

English (machine translation) 54

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English

54.1

Sūta said: / Hereafter I shall declare without omission the duties of giving, / accompanied by vows and fasts, as spoken here by Matsya.

54.2

In the dialogue of Mahādeva and the wise Nārada, / I shall relate how it occurred, fulfilling duty, desire, and wealth.

54.3

Formerly, Nārada questioned Hara, who was seated on the peak of Kailāsa, / the enemy of the Bodiless One, bowing with humility to the destroyer of the body of the Bodiless One.

54.4

Nārada said: / O Lord, sovereign of the god of gods, leader of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Indra, / endowed with glory, health, beauty, longevity, good fortune, and the wealth of prosperity, / how may a man become a devotee of yours or of Viṣṇu?

54.5

Or how a widow endowed with all virtues and auspicious fortune? / O Lord, let some vow that gradually bestows liberation be spoken here.

54.6

The Lord said: / Well asked by you, O holy one, bringing benefit to all the world! / Listen, Nārada, to that vow for the pacification of which it has been heard here.

54.7

There is a vow named Nakṣatrapuruṣa, whose nature is Nārāyaṇa; / one should perform according to rule the recitation of Viṣṇu's names beginning with the feet.

54.8

One should worship the image of Vāsudeva under the asterisms beginning with Mūla, / after reaching the month of Caitra and performing the formal blessing of the Brahmins.

54.9

Under Mūla, [saying] 'Homage to the Bearer of the Universe,' the feet; the ankles under Rohiṇī to the Infinite One; / under the asterism of the Aśvins, the shanks to the Bestower of Boons, and the two knees are to be worshipped;

54.10

under the pair of Pūrvāṣāḍhā and Uttarāṣāḍhā, likewise the thighs are to be worshipped with 'Homage to Śiva'; / and under the pair of Pūrvaphalgunī and Uttaraphalgunī, the penis is to be worshipped with 'Homage to the One of Five Arrows';

54.11

under the Kṛttikās, Nārada, one should worship the waist of Viṣṇu with 'Homage to the Bearer of the Śārṅga Bow'; / and under the pair of Bhādrapadās one should worship both sides with 'Homage to the Slayer of Keśin';

54.12

under the Revatīs, Nārada, both sides of the abdomen are to be worshipped with '[Homage] to Dāmodara'; / and under the asterism Anurādhā, the chest alone is to be worshipped with 'Homage to Mādhava';

54.13

And the back should be worshipped under Dhaniṣṭhā with the mantra: 'Homage to the Destroyer of the stream of sins'; / and the arms should be worshipped under Viśākhā with the mantra: 'Homage to the Bearer of the auspicious conch, discus, sword, and mace.'

54.14

Under Hasta, the hands of the enemy of Kaiṭabha should be worshipped with: 'Homage to Madhusūdana'; / under Punarvasu, the fingertips should be worshipped with: 'Homage to the Lord of the Sāman hymns.'

54.15

On the day of the serpent asterism, one should worship the nails of him who assumed the body of a fish; / [praying,] 'I take refuge in the feet of the tortoise.' Under Jyeṣṭhā, Hari's neck should be worshipped.

54.16

The two ears of Janārdana should be properly worshipped with: 'Homage to the Boar' under Śravaṇa; / under Puṣya, the mouth should be worshipped with: 'Homage to the Slayer of the Dānavas, to Nṛsiṃha.'

54.17

Under Svātī, the tips of the teeth should be worshipped with: 'Homage, homage to the Causal Dwarf'; / O twice-born one, Hari's face should be worshipped under Vāruṇa with the mantra: 'Homage to the son of Bhṛgu.'

54.18

Under Maghā, the nose of the delight of the Raghus should be worshipped with: 'Homage to Rāma'; / under Mṛgaśīrṣa, his two eyes should be worshipped with: 'Homage to you, O Rāma with rolling eyes.'

54.19

The forehead of the enemy of Mura should be worshipped under Citrā with: 'Homage to the tranquil Buddha'; / under Bharaṇī, Viṣṇu's head should be worshipped with: 'Homage to the Lord of the Universe in the form of Kalki.'

54.20

Under Ārdrā, the hair of Puruṣottama should be worshipped with: 'Homage to Hari, obeisance to you.' / Having fasted on the lunar mansion days, excellent twice-born men should be worshipped with devotion.

54.21

When the vow is complete, to a chanter of the Sāman possessed of all virtues, endowed with eloquence, good appearance, and character, [one should give] / a golden image with broad and long arms, adorned with pearls, moonstones, and diamonds,

54.22

set upon a water jar filled with water, along with clothing and a cow; / likewise, one should give a bed furnished with utensils, vessels, and other accessories to an excellent twice-born man.

54.23

Whatever there is in this world that can be given, one should give it all to a twice-born man for one's own welfare, [saying:] / 'Fulfill our wishes, O you who have the form of Hiraṇyagarbha, Acyuta, and Rudra!'

54.24

One should give the golden Puruṣottama together with Lakṣmī to a [Brahmin] who has a wife, / and present the bed, free of knot-flaws, reciting the mantra:

54.25

'Just as Viṣṇu's devotees never meet with distress, / so may there be handsome form, health, and supreme devotion to Keśava.

54.26

Just as your bed is never void of Lakṣmī, O Janārdana, / so may my bed also never be empty, O Kṛṣṇa, birth after birth.'

54.27

Having offered all that—garments, garlands, and unguents— / to the Brahmin knowledgeable in the Nakṣatrapuruṣa rite, he should then dismiss him.

54.28

Having fasted on all asterisms, one should eat food free from oil and salt, / and feast [others] according to one's means, free from stinginess with wealth.

54.29

Having thus properly worshipped the Nakṣatrapuruṣa himself according to the rules, / he attains all desires and is glorified in the world of Viṣṇu.

54.30

Whatever [sin], such as killing a Brahmin, was committed here or in the other world, / by oneself or by the ancestors, all of it attains destruction.

54.31

If a foremost man recites or listens to this vow of the enemy of Mura with great devotion, or if a woman performs it, / it destroys the impurities of the Kali age and bestows the fruit of all prosperity upon men.

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