History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.464

v6.c81.464

On Āṣāḍha-śukla ekādaśī or dvādaśī or paurṇimā³¹⁷ or on the day when the Sun enters the Zodiacal sign Cancer, cāturmāsya-vrata is to be observed. Whenever it may be begun it is to be finished on Kārtika-śukla 12. The performer should observe a a fast that day, worship Viṣṇu (image) and pray as follows: (Garuḍapurāṇa I 121 2-3) 'O God! I have undertaken this vrata in your presence; may it succeed without obstacles if you become favourable to me, after I undertake this vrata if I die when it is half-finished, may it become completely fulfilled through your favour'! The vrata may be begun even when Jupiter or Venus has become invisible and the like The performer has to give up some edible during the four months, viz vegetables in Śrāvaṇa, curds in Bhādrapada, milk in Āśvina and pulses in Kārtika According to some authorities, he has to give up some or all vegetables for all the four months. The performer is asked to give up many other things also such as sleeping on a cot, meat, honey &c When the vrata is finished, he invites brāhmaṇas, announces to them what restrictions he had undertaken, feeds them, gives them dakṣiṇā, and recites the prayer 'O Lord! this vrata was undertaken by me in order to please you, O Janārdana! may it become complete through your favour, whatever defect there may be!' This vrata is even now observed, particularly by women The Kṛtyatattva (p 435), Vratārka, Vrataprakāśa (folio 105a) and other medieval digests quote long passages from the Matsya, Bhaviṣyottara (I. 6-9) and other purāṇas about the results of giving up certain things in the Cāturmāsyavrata A few passages are set out for sample. 'a man secures a sweet voice by giving up jaggery, has charming limbs by giving up oil, by giving up ghee he secures beauty, by giving up fruits he becomes intelligent and has many sons, by giving up vegetables and leaves he secures well-cooked dishes, by giving up curds and milk he goes to the world of cows'.³¹⁸