Matsya Purana (critical study)
by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058
This page relates 鈥楢dityashayana-vrata鈥� of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.
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Part 4.2g - 膧诲颈迟测补艣ayana-vrata
This is also known as 膧诲颈迟测补艣ayana艣ankar膩rcana observance.[1] This auspicious vrata falls on the Sunday when there is 蝉补峁僰谤腻苍迟颈 and also on the seventh day of dark fortnight when the moon is in the Hasta 苍补办峁迟谤补.[2] In this vrata 艢颈惫补 is shown as non different from 膧诲颈迟测补 and consequently the devotee uttering the mantras addressing 膧诲颈迟测补 worships 艢颈惫补.[3] The 55th chapter of the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 discusses the 膧诲颈迟测补艣ayanavrata elaborately. This vrata is observed by both man and woman. By observing this vrata the devotee attains divine facility and remains free from all diseases, grieves, and sufferings.[4]
The 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 describes the procedure of observing this vrata thus:
One who wants to observe this vrata should worship 惭补丑别艣惫补谤补 and Um膩. Reciting the names of 膧诲颈迟测补 he also worships the Sun on a 濒颈峁単补 of 艢颈惫补. Lord 艢颈惫补 is non-different from 厂奴谤测补 and hence 艢颈惫补 is worshipped with the mantra:
鈥�蝉奴谤测腻测补 苍补尘补岣�鈥�.
The mantras are also chanted for different limbs honouring different 狈补办峁迟谤补蝉 starting with 贬补蝉迟腻, 颁颈迟谤腻 etc. The devotee, during this vrata, does not take oil, flesh, green vegetables, and take food only at night. On the Punarvasu 苍补办峁迟谤补 the devotee offers rice along with clarified butter to the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 in a vessel made of fig-leaves putting there some gold. On the 7th year of the fast the devotee gives gifts of a pair of clothes to the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺. On completion of the 14th year the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 is offered molasses, milk, and clarified butter. And after that the devotee gives golden lotus along with gems, bedsheets, pillow, shoes, utensils, 肠腻尘补谤补 etc. to the needy 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺. A cow is also given to the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 on that occasion. [5] And then the Sun is prayed for getting lustre, fortune, and prosperity.[6]
This vrata is also found treated in the same way in the 笔补诲尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺.[7] No reference of the prevalence of this vrata in the present day society is found by us. It is not known whether this vrata is observed in any part of India.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
yad膩 hastena saptamy膩m膩dityasya 诲颈苍补峁� bhavet/ suryy膩rcy膩峁� c膩tha samkr膩ntistithi岣� s膩 s膩rvak膩mik墨// Ibid., 55.4
[3]:
um膩pateraverv膩pi na bhedo d峁泂yate kvacit/ yasm膩ttasm膩nmuni艣re峁ａ弓ha g峁沨e 艣补尘产丑耻峁� samarcayet // Ibid., 55.6
[4]:
Ibid., 55.31
[5]:
Ibid., 55.7-25
[6]:
yathaiv腻诲颈迟测补艣补测补苍补尘a艣奴nya峁� tava 蝉补谤惫补诲腻/ 办腻苍迟腻 诲丑峁泃测腻 艣谤颈测腻 raty膩 tath膩 me santu 蝉颈诲诲丑补测补岣�// Ibid., 55.26
[7]:
笔补诲尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, V.24.64-96