Skandapurana 2.2.32

Jaimini said:

Henceforth I shall describe the vision of the south-facing image,

wherein the fruit of the horse-sacrifice is obtained at every step. // 1

Then, with various divine food items to be chewed and eaten,

and with offerings to the best of one's ability, with perfumes and garlands, one should worship // 2

Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Subhadrā, as well as with singing, dancing, and the like,

and with diverse spectacles presented with faith. // 3

Having honored the best of the twice-born with garments, sandalwood, garlands, and so forth,

and [honored] these devotees of the Lord, the brahmins who are great Bhagavatas, // 4

he should then lead those lords of the gods facing southward,

having celebrated a great festival, just as in the previous bringing of Hari. // 5

The mortal who at that time beholds Hari moving southward,

together with Subhadrā, is no ordinary human being. // 6

The gods, having arrived for the ablution and having bathed the Teacher of the World,

crowded even in the sky, stood for that long to behold Hari

moving with His face towards the southern quarter, the destroyer of mundane existence. // 7

As many righteous deeds as there are in the scriptures on Dharma,

[one attains them] all by beholding Him moving facing south. // 8

He indeed obtains the entire merit born of seeing the ceremonial bath,

who beholds Murāri bathed and proceeding facing southward. // 9

Having performed the waving of lights before the Lord of the gods along with Rāma and Bhadrā,

and having made Him enter within the temple, one must not look upon Him by any means. // 2.2.32.10

This has indeed been described in detail by me previously, O twice-born! // 11

The sages said:

O venerable one, tell us of the fruit that one unfailingly obtains

from witnessing the ritual ablution in Jyeṣṭha, O best of the wise! 12

Jaimini said:

Ah, I shall describe to you that observance, the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka;

nothing higher than this has been declared by the seers who have crossed to the further shore of the scriptures. 13

This is the foremost of the observances taught in the Śruti, Smṛti, and Purāṇas;

this was first proclaimed by Brahmā, the Supreme Lord. 14

Because it is the eldest among the principal observances, it is known as the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka.

The ocean grants the greatest fruit, and the Lord grants the greatest fruit. 15

The merit from seeing [Him] for an entire year is obtained merely on the platform;

and whatever is obtainable on the platform, one obtains that indeed on the Mahājyaiṣṭhī. 16

O brahmins, the fruit arising from witnessing the ritual ablution that was declared by me before—

one attains all of it on the Mahājyaiṣṭhī; there is no doubt. 17

The sages said:

Describe the Mahājyaiṣṭhī, where ritual ablution bears great fruit;

our curiosity in that matter, O brahmin, is indeed great. 18

Jaimini said:

That which is the fifteenth day in the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha,

when the Moon and Jupiter occupy the same degree of Jyeṣṭhā on a Thursday, 19

in an auspicious conjunction, is the Mahājyaiṣṭhī, which destroys all sins.

Every sacred field, every sacred ford, and likewise the seven oceans, 20

sacrifices, the collection of great gifts, austerities,

the eighteen branches of learning, and various observances, 21

rites for peace and prosperity, as well as Sāṃkhya and Yoga—

all these together go to the sacred field of Śrī Puruṣottama. 22

Divided into groups, they turn toward each resident of the sacred field, [wondering:]

‘Into which fortunate person, as he watches the ritual ablution in Jyeṣṭha

on the Mahājyaiṣṭhī, shall we enter?’ full of mutual pride,

they go during that great conjunction to that supreme sacred field of the Lord. 24

The Mahājyaiṣṭhī is exceedingly holy, increasing the delight of the Lord.

Having worshipped the God of gods, Jagannātha, an ocean of compassion,

and having seen Him being bathed on that [day], one is freed from the sheath of sins. 25

Hereafter I shall describe that observance, the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka.

I tell you exactly that which is obtained by this observance. 26

Having bathed according to rule in the morning on the tenth day, one should undertake the vow;

there one should choose as preceptor an eminent Vaiṣṇava brahmin. 27

Thus one should make the pure resolve and undertake the supreme observance: 28

‘O God of gods, Jagannātha, deliverer across the ocean of worldly existence!

Starting today, O God, until that lunar day which is Jyaiṣṭhī,

so long shall I perform the observance for Your pleasure, O Keśava. 29

Ablution in all sacred fords, food suitable for the vow every day,

and the worship of even one of Your five images

on each single day, at the three junctures of the day, by Your grace, O God—

let this observance be brought to completion, and let it be fruitful through You, O Lord!’ 31

Then, having bathed in the five sacred fords and returned home,

one should draw an eight-petaled lotus with a pericarp on a cleared ground. 32

In its center one should set up a pot filled with water from sacred fords,

provided with sandalwood and fruits; and on its mouth, a copper vessel 33

wrapped at the neck with a cloth, and a vessel filled with unbroken grains.

In its middle one should place the golden Lord Madhusūdana, 34

peaceful, with auspicious limbs and parts, the Lord accompanied by Śrī on His left, 35

and on the right Garuḍa touching His rear side,

bearing the conch and the discus aloft, the all-pervading Lord seated upon a lotus seat. 36

O brahmins, he or the preceptor should worship Him with offerings;

and with devotion one should offer a garland of blue water-lilies to the God. 37

Having thus worshipped on the tenth day the Destroyer of hundreds of millions of sins,

one should pray with folded hands, uttering this mantra: 38

‘O Madhusūdana, God of gods, salutations to You, beloved of Mādhavī!

O ocean of compassion, protect me who have fallen into the ocean of worldly existence!’ 39

On the eleventh day, one should worship the four-armed one, holding a conch, discus, and mace,

Nārāyaṇa seated on a lotus, fashioned from five niṣkas [of gold],

or fashioned from half of that, with a garland of lotuses.

One should offer milk-rice as an offering, and white sugar and plantain fruits,

and having offered various kinds of food-offerings, one should pray with joy:

"O Nārāyaṇa, homage to you, O savior from the ocean of worldly existence!

Protect me, O lotus-eyed one, O you who are affectionate to those who take refuge!"

When worshipped, the Lord destroys the immense mass of sins

committed by the eleven senses, accumulated through beginningless existence.

On the twelfth day, one should worship the Sacrificial Boar fashioned from gold,

with ointments of sandalwood, agallochum, and camphor, and with a garland of campaka flowers.

Having offered various kinds of choice cakes, along with edible dishes, foods, and fruits,

one should pray to the Lord, reciting this praise:

"You bore up the earth submerged in the ocean of dissolution;

are you not able to deliver me, who have fallen at your lotus feet?

Therefore, O Govinda, deliver me who am drowned in an ocean of sorrow!"

A year indeed has twelve months; whatever sins—

great or small—have been committed throughout the years in previous births up to this one,

all that the Lord destroys for people when worshipped on the twelfth day.

On the thirteenth day, however, one should worship Pradyumna holding conch, discus, boon, and fearlessness,

seated upon a lotus, fashioned from four niṣkas [of gold].

A man should worship him with devotion using the rituals as prescribed,

[offering] an intensely radiant garland of aśoka and trumpet-flowers, filled with moon-[white blossoms].

And having offered cooked food as an offering and charming ripe fruit,

making obeisance, pure, with folded hands, he should pray:

"O God Pradyumna, fulfiller of desires, assuming any form at will,

may my desires be fruitful! O protector of desires, homage to you!"

On the fourteenth day, one should worship Narahari whose form is of gold,

delighted by Lakṣmī resting upon his chest, radiant with his mane,

with an open mouth, laughing loudly, seated upon a lotus with a meditation-band,

the god with exceedingly sharp claws, the remover of all misfortunes,

fashioned from four gold niṣkas, possessing auspicious marks.

One should worship the god as before with devotion, together with offerings,

and having offered a garland of hibiscus flowers and a garland of jasmine flowers,

and handfuls of flowers at his feet, bowing low and circumambulating [him]:

"Just as you tore apart Hiraṇyakaśipu out of a desire for the welfare of the worlds,

so, being worshipped, destroy the multitude of [my] sins!"

Having prayed thus to Nṛhari, bowing like a staff upon the ground,

having thus carried out that five-day vow, the observer of the vow

should present five lamps each during day and night.

Five pairs of garments, five umbrellas, and five pairs of sandals,

and five water-pots accompanied by sacred threads and endowed with fruits,

he should bestow with faith upon brahmins at the conclusion of the meal.

At night, through vigils, songs, and the like, and also through various offerings,

and by the recitation of the Purāṇa, he should propitiate Vāsudeva.

Having bathed at dawn on the full moon day, he should approach the presence of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Having duly worshipped Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Subhadrā,

and having caused the ceremonial bath prescribed by scripture to be performed, or having watched it,

having bathed again in the ocean, and having returned home there,

where those images of Viṣṇu are stationed on jars, worshipped with mantras,

having properly established a fire to the west of them,

the family priest should perform the fire-rite with their respective mantras.

He should utter the name beginning with the syllable Oṃ, ending in the dative case, and ending with "namaḥ".

The basic mantra of the deities, however, ends with "svāhā" in the rite of oblation.

Of sacrificial boiled rice, clarified butter, and kindling sticks of palāśa wood, severally,

he should offer one hundred oblations for each single deity.

Immediately afterwards, he should also offer a hundred flowers to each [deity].

Then, having offered the final oblation, he should give a sacrificial fee to the supervising priest.

He should give a sacrificial fee to the master: gold and a cow—

a cow with golden horns and silver hooves, furnished with various articles.

[and] gifts of costly garments by which the preceptor is pleased.

And he should present the idols furnished with all implements.

He should feed the brahmins with pāyasa mixed with clarified butter and sugar candy.

This has been declared as the supreme Jyeṣṭhapañcaka vow.

Having observed [it] with devotion, a man [attains] the fruit born of the ritual ablution and darśana

in its entirety, O brahmins; then there is no doubt about this.

The ekādaśī that [falls] in the middle is known as Nirjalā.

Those who, endowed with devotion, observe that single one according to rule,

[attain the fruit of] all ekādaśīs performed throughout one's life, no doubt.

Having performed this king of vows, one attains the fruit of all vows;

whatever desires he longs for, he attains them without a doubt.

Thus ends the thirty-second chapter, named 'Description of the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka Vow,' in the Puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmya of the second [part], the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the Skandapurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.