Skandapurana 2.2.32
English (machine translation) 2.2.32
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Jaimini said:
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Henceforth I shall describe the vision of the south-facing image,
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wherein the fruit of the horse-sacrifice is obtained at every step. // 1
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Then, with various divine food items to be chewed and eaten,
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and with offerings to the best of one's ability, with perfumes and garlands, one should worship // 2
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Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Subhadrā, as well as with singing, dancing, and the like,
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and with diverse spectacles presented with faith. // 3
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Having honored the best of the twice-born with garments, sandalwood, garlands, and so forth,
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and [honored] these devotees of the Lord, the brahmins who are great Bhagavatas, // 4
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he should then lead those lords of the gods facing southward,
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having celebrated a great festival, just as in the previous bringing of Hari. // 5
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The mortal who at that time beholds Hari moving southward,
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together with Subhadrā, is no ordinary human being. // 6
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The gods, having arrived for the ablution and having bathed the Teacher of the World,
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crowded even in the sky, stood for that long to behold Hari
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moving with His face towards the southern quarter, the destroyer of mundane existence. // 7
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As many righteous deeds as there are in the scriptures on Dharma,
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[one attains them] all by beholding Him moving facing south. // 8
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He indeed obtains the entire merit born of seeing the ceremonial bath,
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who beholds Murāri bathed and proceeding facing southward. // 9
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Having performed the waving of lights before the Lord of the gods along with Rāma and Bhadrā,
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and having made Him enter within the temple, one must not look upon Him by any means. // 2.2.32.10
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This has indeed been described in detail by me previously, O twice-born! // 11
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The sages said:
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O venerable one, tell us of the fruit that one unfailingly obtains
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from witnessing the ritual ablution in Jyeṣṭha, O best of the wise! 12
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Jaimini said:
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Ah, I shall describe to you that observance, the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka;
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nothing higher than this has been declared by the seers who have crossed to the further shore of the scriptures. 13
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This is the foremost of the observances taught in the Śruti, Smṛti, and Purāṇas;
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this was first proclaimed by Brahmā, the Supreme Lord. 14
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Because it is the eldest among the principal observances, it is known as the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka.
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The ocean grants the greatest fruit, and the Lord grants the greatest fruit. 15
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The merit from seeing [Him] for an entire year is obtained merely on the platform;
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and whatever is obtainable on the platform, one obtains that indeed on the Mahājyaiṣṭhī. 16
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O brahmins, the fruit arising from witnessing the ritual ablution that was declared by me before—
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one attains all of it on the Mahājyaiṣṭhī; there is no doubt. 17
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The sages said:
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Describe the Mahājyaiṣṭhī, where ritual ablution bears great fruit;
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our curiosity in that matter, O brahmin, is indeed great. 18
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Jaimini said:
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That which is the fifteenth day in the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha,
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when the Moon and Jupiter occupy the same degree of Jyeṣṭhā on a Thursday, 19
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in an auspicious conjunction, is the Mahājyaiṣṭhī, which destroys all sins.
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Every sacred field, every sacred ford, and likewise the seven oceans, 20
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sacrifices, the collection of great gifts, austerities,
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the eighteen branches of learning, and various observances, 21
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rites for peace and prosperity, as well as Sāṃkhya and Yoga—
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all these together go to the sacred field of Śrī Puruṣottama. 22
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Divided into groups, they turn toward each resident of the sacred field, [wondering:]
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‘Into which fortunate person, as he watches the ritual ablution in Jyeṣṭha
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on the Mahājyaiṣṭhī, shall we enter?’ full of mutual pride,
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they go during that great conjunction to that supreme sacred field of the Lord. 24
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The Mahājyaiṣṭhī is exceedingly holy, increasing the delight of the Lord.
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Having worshipped the God of gods, Jagannātha, an ocean of compassion,
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and having seen Him being bathed on that [day], one is freed from the sheath of sins. 25
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Hereafter I shall describe that observance, the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka.
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I tell you exactly that which is obtained by this observance. 26
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Having bathed according to rule in the morning on the tenth day, one should undertake the vow;
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there one should choose as preceptor an eminent Vaiṣṇava brahmin. 27
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Thus one should make the pure resolve and undertake the supreme observance: 28
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‘O God of gods, Jagannātha, deliverer across the ocean of worldly existence!
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Starting today, O God, until that lunar day which is Jyaiṣṭhī,
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so long shall I perform the observance for Your pleasure, O Keśava. 29
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Ablution in all sacred fords, food suitable for the vow every day,
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and the worship of even one of Your five images
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on each single day, at the three junctures of the day, by Your grace, O God—
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let this observance be brought to completion, and let it be fruitful through You, O Lord!’ 31
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Then, having bathed in the five sacred fords and returned home,
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one should draw an eight-petaled lotus with a pericarp on a cleared ground. 32
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In its center one should set up a pot filled with water from sacred fords,
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provided with sandalwood and fruits; and on its mouth, a copper vessel 33
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wrapped at the neck with a cloth, and a vessel filled with unbroken grains.
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In its middle one should place the golden Lord Madhusūdana, 34
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peaceful, with auspicious limbs and parts, the Lord accompanied by Śrī on His left, 35
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and on the right Garuḍa touching His rear side,
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bearing the conch and the discus aloft, the all-pervading Lord seated upon a lotus seat. 36
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O brahmins, he or the preceptor should worship Him with offerings;
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and with devotion one should offer a garland of blue water-lilies to the God. 37
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Having thus worshipped on the tenth day the Destroyer of hundreds of millions of sins,
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one should pray with folded hands, uttering this mantra: 38
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‘O Madhusūdana, God of gods, salutations to You, beloved of Mādhavī!
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O ocean of compassion, protect me who have fallen into the ocean of worldly existence!’ 39
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On the eleventh day, one should worship the four-armed one, holding a conch, discus, and mace,
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Nārāyaṇa seated on a lotus, fashioned from five niṣkas [of gold],
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or fashioned from half of that, with a garland of lotuses.
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One should offer milk-rice as an offering, and white sugar and plantain fruits,
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and having offered various kinds of food-offerings, one should pray with joy:
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"O Nārāyaṇa, homage to you, O savior from the ocean of worldly existence!
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Protect me, O lotus-eyed one, O you who are affectionate to those who take refuge!"
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When worshipped, the Lord destroys the immense mass of sins
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committed by the eleven senses, accumulated through beginningless existence.
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On the twelfth day, one should worship the Sacrificial Boar fashioned from gold,
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with ointments of sandalwood, agallochum, and camphor, and with a garland of campaka flowers.
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Having offered various kinds of choice cakes, along with edible dishes, foods, and fruits,
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one should pray to the Lord, reciting this praise:
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"You bore up the earth submerged in the ocean of dissolution;
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are you not able to deliver me, who have fallen at your lotus feet?
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Therefore, O Govinda, deliver me who am drowned in an ocean of sorrow!"
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A year indeed has twelve months; whatever sins—
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great or small—have been committed throughout the years in previous births up to this one,
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all that the Lord destroys for people when worshipped on the twelfth day.
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On the thirteenth day, however, one should worship Pradyumna holding conch, discus, boon, and fearlessness,
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seated upon a lotus, fashioned from four niṣkas [of gold].
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A man should worship him with devotion using the rituals as prescribed,
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[offering] an intensely radiant garland of aśoka and trumpet-flowers, filled with moon-[white blossoms].
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And having offered cooked food as an offering and charming ripe fruit,
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making obeisance, pure, with folded hands, he should pray:
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"O God Pradyumna, fulfiller of desires, assuming any form at will,
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may my desires be fruitful! O protector of desires, homage to you!"
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On the fourteenth day, one should worship Narahari whose form is of gold,
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delighted by Lakṣmī resting upon his chest, radiant with his mane,
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with an open mouth, laughing loudly, seated upon a lotus with a meditation-band,
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the god with exceedingly sharp claws, the remover of all misfortunes,
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fashioned from four gold niṣkas, possessing auspicious marks.
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One should worship the god as before with devotion, together with offerings,
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and having offered a garland of hibiscus flowers and a garland of jasmine flowers,
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and handfuls of flowers at his feet, bowing low and circumambulating [him]:
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"Just as you tore apart Hiraṇyakaśipu out of a desire for the welfare of the worlds,
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so, being worshipped, destroy the multitude of [my] sins!"
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Having prayed thus to Nṛhari, bowing like a staff upon the ground,
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having thus carried out that five-day vow, the observer of the vow
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should present five lamps each during day and night.
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Five pairs of garments, five umbrellas, and five pairs of sandals,
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and five water-pots accompanied by sacred threads and endowed with fruits,
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he should bestow with faith upon brahmins at the conclusion of the meal.
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At night, through vigils, songs, and the like, and also through various offerings,
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and by the recitation of the Purāṇa, he should propitiate Vāsudeva.
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Having bathed at dawn on the full moon day, he should approach the presence of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
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Having duly worshipped Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Subhadrā,
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and having caused the ceremonial bath prescribed by scripture to be performed, or having watched it,
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having bathed again in the ocean, and having returned home there,
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where those images of Viṣṇu are stationed on jars, worshipped with mantras,
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having properly established a fire to the west of them,
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the family priest should perform the fire-rite with their respective mantras.
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He should utter the name beginning with the syllable Oṃ, ending in the dative case, and ending with "namaḥ".
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The basic mantra of the deities, however, ends with "svāhā" in the rite of oblation.
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Of sacrificial boiled rice, clarified butter, and kindling sticks of palāśa wood, severally,
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he should offer one hundred oblations for each single deity.
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Immediately afterwards, he should also offer a hundred flowers to each [deity].
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Then, having offered the final oblation, he should give a sacrificial fee to the supervising priest.
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He should give a sacrificial fee to the master: gold and a cow—
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a cow with golden horns and silver hooves, furnished with various articles.
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[and] gifts of costly garments by which the preceptor is pleased.
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And he should present the idols furnished with all implements.
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He should feed the brahmins with pāyasa mixed with clarified butter and sugar candy.
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This has been declared as the supreme Jyeṣṭhapañcaka vow.
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Having observed [it] with devotion, a man [attains] the fruit born of the ritual ablution and darśana
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in its entirety, O brahmins; then there is no doubt about this.
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The ekādaśī that [falls] in the middle is known as Nirjalā.
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Those who, endowed with devotion, observe that single one according to rule,
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[attain the fruit of] all ekādaśīs performed throughout one's life, no doubt.
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Having performed this king of vows, one attains the fruit of all vows;
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whatever desires he longs for, he attains them without a doubt.
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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.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit