History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.525

v6.c81.525

It has already been stated above that every vrata requires a pāraṇa as the last item, that pāraṇa takes place the day after the day of the fast and that it is generally performed in the morning. There are certain special rules about the pāraṇa of Janmāṣṭamī fast and Jayantī fast. A few dicta of the purāṇas may be first noted. The Brahmavaivarta³⁵¹ states 'one should never perform pāraṇa while aṣṭamī tithi is running or Rohiṇī nakṣatra is still there on the Aṣṭamī; (if one does so) one destroys what he has done previously and the fruits acquired by the fast. A tithi destroys eight-fold, while a nakṣatra does so fourfold; therefore one should perform the pāraṇa (of Janmāṣṭamī) at the end of the tithi and nakṣatra'. The Nāradapurāṇa³⁵² remarks 'when a fast has to be observed on the conjunction of a tithi and nakṣatra, pāraṇa should not be done until at least one of the two has ended; when a vrata falls on a conjunction (of tithi and nakṣatra), pāraṇa should be done only when one of the two is separated (i e. ends)'. The Vahni-purāṇa provides 'pāraṇa is commended at the end of the nakṣatra or at the end of the tithi'. Both the Tithitattva and the Kṛtyatattva³⁵³ arrive on interpreting these and other verses at the following conclusions. 'Pāraṇa is to be observed on the day after the fast, but after the end of the tithi (aṣṭamī) and the nakṣatra (Rohiṇī), but when one of 'the two ends before *mahāniśā* and the other during mahāniśā 'or after it, pārana should be observed at the end of one of the two; when both exist during the period of mahāniśā then one should perform pārana in the morning at the end of the festival'. At the end of the pārana the performer repeats the 'mantra 'salutations to Govinda, who is Being, who is the ruler of (all) beings, who is the lord of (all) beings and who is the source of all beings'.³⁵⁴ The above statement shows that in certain cases the pārana of Janmāṣṭamīvrata may be at night,³⁵⁵ 'particularly for vaiṣṇavas who perform the vrata as a duty and 'not for any reward.