Home > Library > New > Swami Vijnanananda > The Devi Bhagavatam > The Eleventh Book. Chapter 23

The Eleventh Book. Chapter 23

The Eleventh Book

Chapter Xxiii

On The Tapta Krichchhra Vrata And Others

p. 1127

1-20.
Nryana said :-- The best Sdhaka, then uttering after his meals, the mantra "Amritpidhnamasi." (O Water-nectar! Let Thou be the covering to the food that I have taken), should make chaman (sip one Gandusa water) and distribute the remnant food (the leavings) to those who take the leavings. "Let the servants and maid-servants of our family that expect the leavings of food be satisfied with what leavings I give to them. Let those inhabitants of the Raurava hell or other unholy places who have remained there for a Padma or Arbuda years and want to drink water, be satisfied with this water that I offer to them and let this water bring unending happiness to them." Repeating the above two mantras let the house-holder distribute the leavings of food to the servants and the water to those who want water respectively. Then opening the knot of the Pavitra (a ring of Kusa grass worn on the fourth finger on certain religious occasions), let him throw this on the square mandalam or the ground. The Brhmana that throws this Kusa grass on the vessel (Ptra) is said to defile the vow of Brhmanas, taking their food. The Brhmana that has not yet washed his face after taking the food, or touching another such Brhmana or a dog, or a Sdra, should fast one day and then drink Pachagabya and thus purify himself. And in case the Uchchista Brhmin (who has not washed his mouth and hands after meals) be touched by another Brhmin, who is not Uchchista, then simply bathing will purify him. By offering this Ekhuti (oblation once) according to rules mentioned above, one obtains the fruit of performing ten million sacrifices; and by offering this oblation five times one gets the

p. 1128

endless fruit, of performing fifty million sacrifices, and if one feeds such a man who knows well how to do this Prngnihoma, then he as well as he whom he feeds both derive full benefits and they ultimately go to heaven. The Brhmana acquires while taking each of his mouthful of food the fruit of eating Pachagavya, who takes his food duly with the holy Pavitra Kusa grass tied on his finger. During the three times of worship, the devotee is to do his daily Japam, Tarpanam and Homa and he should feed the Brhmins. Thus the five limbed Purascharana is completely done. The religious man should sleep on a low bedding (lie on the ground); he is to control his senses and anger; he is to eat moderately, the things that are light, sweet and good; he is to be humble, peaceful and calm. He is to bathe thrice daily and not to hold any unholy conversation with any woman, a Sdra, one who is fallen, without any initiation, and who is an atheist; as well he should not speak in a language spoken by the chndlas. One is to bow down before him who is in the act of performing the Japam, Homa and worship, etc; one is not to talk with him. Never by deed, mind or word, on all occasions never speak about sexual intercourses; nor hold any contact with such people. For the relinquishment of this subject is called Brahmacharyam (continence) of the kings as well as of the house-holders. But one should go to ones legal wife during the night time after her menstruation duly according to the rules of the Sstras; the Brahmacharyam is not thereby destroyed. Man cannot repay the three-fold debts and he cannot aspire for moksa without procreating sons or without doing the duties of the house-holders, as prescribed by the Sstras. An attempt to do so becomes entirely fruitless like the breast on the neck of a goat. Rather it drags one downward. So the Srutis say. So let yourself be free first from the debts due to the Devas, the debts due to the Risis and the debts due to the Pitris. Make sacrifices first and then be free from the Devas debt. Hold Brahmacharyam and be free from the Risis debt. Offer til and water; that is, do Srddhas and tarpanams and be free from the debt due to the Pitris. Then do readily practise your own Varnasrama Dharma.

21-33.
One is to practise Krichchra chndr yana Vrata and to take for his food, milk, fruits, roots and vegetables, Habisyannam and food obtained by begging so that one may become sinless. One is to make japam for Purascharanam. One is to avoid salt, salty or alkaline substances, acid, garlic, turnips, eating in Kmsa vessels, chewing betels, eating twice, putting on impure clothings, the intoxicating things and the unsstric nocturnal japam; also one is not to waste ones time over blaming and

p. 1129

trying to find faults with the relatives, playing at dice, or talking at random with ones wife (so that evil effects may arise). One is to spend ones time in worshipping the Devas, reciting the hymns of praise, and studying the Sstras. One is to sleep on the ground, practise Brahmacharyam, and the vow of silence, bathe thrice, not practise anything which befits the Sdras only. One is to worship everyday, make charities duly and be always happy, recite stotras daily, do occasional Deva worships, have faith in ones Guru and Deva. These twelve rules are to ensure success to the devotee who does Purascharanam. One is to daily praise the Sun, with ones face turned towards Him, do japam before Him; or one is to worship ones own Deity in front of fire or the image of any god, and do japam simultaneously. The devotee who practises Purascharanam is to bathe, worship, do japam, meditate, practise Homa, Tarpanam, is to have no desires and to surrender all fruits to ones own desired Deity, etc. These are necessarily to be observed by him. Therefore while doing japam, Homa, etc., the devotees mind is to remain always pleasant and satisfied. One should be ready to practise tapasy, to see the Sstras and be merciful to all the beings. As asceticism leads one to to heaven and to the attainment of ones desires, therefore know this that all the powers come to an ascetic. An ascetic can cause anothers death (mran); he can injure others, cure diseases and kill all. Whatever the several Risis wanted from the Dev Gyatr and to that end made Purascharanam and worshipped Her, they obtained from Her all those things. O Nrada! I will speak of Snti Karmas etc., in a future chapter. Here I will speak of those rules, etc., that are to be observed in Purascharanam in as much as they play the principal part to success.

First of all shave yourself and have your hairs and nails, etc., cut off and bathe and be pure. Then perform the Prjpatya pryaschitta for ones peace and purification and next do the purascharanam of the Gyatr. Do not speak the whole day and night. Keep your thoughts pure. If words are to be spoken, speak only what you take as true. First recite Mahvyrhiti and then the Svitr mantra with Pranava prefixed. Then recite the sin-destroying mantra "pohisth, etc.," and Svasti mat Skta and "Pvamn Skta." In every action, in its beginning and at its end one is to understand the necessity of doing the Japam, why and what for one is doing that.

One is to repeat the Pranava, the three Vyrhitis and Svitr ayuta times or one thousand times or one hundred times or ten times. Then offer with water, the peace offerings (tarpanam) to the chrya, Risi, Chhandas, and the Devas. Being engaged in action, do not speak any impure language

p. 1130

of the Mlechchhas or talk with any Sdra or any bad person. Do not talk with wife in the period of menstruation, with one who has fallen, with the low-class person, with any hater of the Devas and the Brhmanas, chryas and Gurus, with those who blame the fathers and mothers; nor show any disrespect to anybody. Thus I have spoken in due order about all the rules of Krichchhra vrata. Now I will speak of the rules of the Prjpatya Krichchhra, Sntapana, Parka Krichchhra and Chndryana.

34-54.
One becomes freed of all the sins, if one performs the above five Chndryanas. By the performance of the Tapta Krichchhra, all sins are burnt off in an instant. By the performance of the three Chndryanas the people get purified and go to the Brahma Loka. By doing eight Chndryanas, one sees face to face ones Devat, ready to grant boons. With ten Chndryanas, one gets the knowledge of the Vedas and one acquires all what one wants.

In the observance of the Krichchhra Prjpatya Vrata, one has to take food once in midday for three days, once in the evening for three days, and for the next three days whatever one gets without asking anything from anybody. For the next three days one is not to take any thing at all and go on with ones work. These twelve days work constitutes the Prjpatya Vrata.

Now about the rules of the Sntapana Vrata. On the preceding day one has got to eat food consisting of the mixture of cow urine, cow-dung milk, curd, ghee and the water of the Kusa grass; the day following he is to fast. These two days work constitutes the Sntapana Vrata.

Now about the Ati Krichchhra vrata. For the first three days, one is to eat one mouthful of food a day and for the next three days one is to fast. This is the Ati Krichchhra vrata. This vrata repeated three times is called Mah Sntapana vrata. Note :-- According to the opinion of Yama, the fifteen days work constitutes Mah Sntapana. For the three days one has to eat cow-urine; for the next three days, cow-dung, for the next three days, curd; for the next three days milk; and for the next three days one has to take ghee. Then one becomes pure. This is called the all sin-destroying Mah Sntapan Vrata. Now I am speaking of the nature of the Tapta Krichchhra Vrata.

The Tapta Krichchhra vrata is carried out for the twelve days. For the first three days, one has to drink hot water; for the next three days, hot milk; for the next three days, the hot ghee and for the next three days, air only. Everyday one has to bathe once only under the above rules,

p. 1131

and remain self-controlled. If one drinks water simply everyday under the above conditions, that is called the Prjpatya vrata.

To remain without any food for twelve days according to rules is called the Parka Krichchhra vrata. By this vrata, all sins are destroyed.

Now about the rules of taking food in the Chndryana vrata. In the dark fortnight one will have to decrease one mouthful of food every day and in the bright fortnight one will have to increase one mouthful every day and one has to fast completely on the Amvasy (new moon) day. One has to bathe thrice daily during every Sandhy time. This is known as the Chndryana Vrata.

In the Sisu Chndryana Vrata one will have to take four mouthfuls of food in the midday and four mouthfuls in the evening. In the Yati Chndryana one has to take eight mouthfuls in the midday and to control his passions.

55.
These abovementioned vratas are observed by the Rudras, dityas, Vsus, and Maruts; and they are enjoying thereby their full safety.

Each of the above vratas purifies the seven Dhtus of the body in seven nights simply! First skin, then blood, then flesh, bones, sinews, marrows and semen are purified. There is no doubt in this. Thus purifying the tman by the above vratas, one is to do religious actions. The work done by such a purified man is sure to be met with success. First control the senses, be pure and do good actions. Then all your desires will be undoubtedly fructified. Fast for three nights, without doing any actions and see the result. (You will not do anything and you want self control! Is this a childs play?) Perform for three days the nocturnal vratas. Then proceed with your desired duties. If one works according to these methods, one gets the fruits of Purascharanam. O Nrada! By the Purascharanam of Sr Gyatr Dev all desires are fulfilled and all sins are destroyed. Before doing Purascharanam purify your body by performing the above vratas. Then you will get all your desires completely fulfilled. O Nrada! Thus I have spoken to you of the secret rules of Purascharanam. Never disclose this to any other body. For it is recognised equivalent to the Vedas.

Here ends the Twenty-third Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the Tapta Krichchhra vrata and others in the Mah Purnam Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vysa.
plantin polyglot bible| antwerp polyglot bible
Home > Library > New > Swami Vijnanananda > The Devi Bhagavatam > The Eleventh Book. Chapter 23