History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.413

v6.c81.413

One important rule has to be remembered,²⁸² viz whatever *nakṣatra* or whatever *tithi* has a certain deity as its lord, the sleeping, turning from one side to another and the rest (i. e. getting up &c.) take place on that tithi or nakṣatra. Some celebrate the śayana of a god relying on the tithi, others rely on the nakṣatra. But the trouble is that one tithi has several lords, according to various authorities. For example, pratipad has three lords, Agni, Brahmā and Kubera (Garuḍa I. 116. 3–8). For reasons of space it is not possible to refer to the texts on which different tithis are assigned for the śayana of Viṣṇu. The Samayamayūkha (p. 79), K. T. V. p. 172 and Vrataprakāśa²⁸³ (part of Vīramitrodaya) espouse the view of Āṣāḍha eleventh (of bright half) relying on the Brahmapurāṇa. Many digests favour the 12th as the tithi of śayana and prabodha of Viṣṇu relying on the several verses in the Varāha, Viṣṇudharmottara and other Purāṇas. Vide Kālaviveka p. 175 (ff), V. K. K. 286–288, Kṛtyatattva p. 436, K. R. p. 209. In an inscription referred to in I A vol 25 p 290 we have the words 'puṇyā utthānadvādaśī' (the holy 12th tithi on which Viṣṇu gets up from his couch), the inscription being dated in śake 1462 (1540 A. D) In some works Āṣāḍha Full moon is advocated for the śayana of Viṣṇu ²⁸⁴ Vide K R p. 208, K V p 188, Kṛtyatattva p 436 These works provide how śayana and prabodha are to be celebrated On the śayanī day, the devotee prepares a couch in the evening with a piece of cloth or with flowers, worships Viṣṇu (image) at night, repeats the mantra 'om namo Nārāyaṇāya' and then puts Viṣṇu to sleep and repeats two verses, one of which is quoted below ²⁸⁵ On the day of prabodha the image of Viṣṇu is given an elaborate bath and a full worship is done and several mantras from Varāha-purāṇa are recited and a Vedic verse (idam viṣṇur, Ṛg I 22. 17) also is recited