History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.331

v6.c81.331

The important tithi in Vaiśākha is the third of the bright half. It is called Akṣayya-tṛtīyā The earliest reference to it is probably in the Viṣṇu-dharmasūtra where it is said that one should fast on this tithi, worship Vāsudeva with whole grains of rice, should offer them into fire and donate them; thereby one becomes purified from all sins, whatever a man donates on that day becomes inexhaustible. The Matsyapurāṇa (chap 65, verses 1-7), Nāradīya I 112 10 ff treat of this The former states that whatever is donated or sacrificed or muttered on this tithi becomes inexhaustible (in reward), that a fast thereon yields inexhaustible results, that if this tṛtīyā has Kṛttikā asterism then it is specially commended. The Bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa²²² (chap 30 1-19) deals at some length with it. It says: 'this tithi is one of the Yugādi tithis because the Kṛta age began on it; whatever is done on it, such as bath, gifts, muttering of sacred texts (*japa*), offerings into fire, Veda study, satiating deceased ancestors (with water)—all that becomes inexhaustible'. It provides that gifts of jars of water and of umbrellas and of footwear should be made (to brāhmaṇas) on this day and that what is sacrificed or donated on this day never comes to an end and therefore this tithi is called akṣaya (inexhaustible) by the sages V. Dh also refers to it²²³ The Lar plates of Govindacandra of Kanauj recite that the king after bathing in the Ganges on the occasion of the Akṣayya-tṛtīyā festival on Monday in *saṁvat* 1202 (i e 15th April 1146 A. D) made the grant of a village to one Śrīdhara Thakkura (E I vol. VII p 98). The third is to be taken for these religious rites when it exists in the forenoon, but if it exists in the forenoon on two days the one that exists on the later day should be chosen for vrata. Vide Hemādri on Kāla p 618 and on vrata vol I. pp 500-502, Vratarāja pp 93-96, Sm K. p. 109 for further details. It is provided in the Purāṇas that śrāddha performed on the tithis called *Yugādi* gives inexhaustible gratification to the pitṛs. But no piṇḍas (rice-balls) are to be offered in Yugādi-śrāddha. Akṣayyatṛtīyā is one of the 3½ days popularly believed to be most auspicious in the year (it is itself ½).