In Praise of a Fast for a Month

1-3. O best of Vishnu's devotees, listen to the importance of the (daily) bath in Magha. O you very intelligent one, there is no (other) devotee of Vishnu like you in this world. A man gets that fruit by a (daily) bath in Magha, which he gets on seeing Vishnu at Cakratirtha or Mathura. He who, with his senses conquered, with his mind tranquil, and endowed with moral conduct, bathes (everyday) in Magha, does not again come to this mundane existence. Shri Krishna said:

4. To you I shall tell about the greatness of (the holy place called) Sukara, by merely knowing which (a man would) always have my proximity. Siita said:

5. Saying so, lord Krishna spoke to Satya in many ways. I shall tell it (to you). O you (sages) having penance as your treasure; listen to it. Shri Krishna said:

6-13. A being, even a donkey, that lives in Vishnu's temple at Sukara extended over five yojanas, becomes the Four-armed (Vishnu). The measure of Sukara is laid down to be three thousand cubits, three hundred cubits and three. O goddess, a man gets that fruit in half a watch (i.e. three hours), (which he would get when) he practises penance for sixty thousand years at another place. The (same) fruit is said (to be obtained) by tulapurusa dana1 in Kuruksetra when the Sun is seized by Rahu. It is said to be tenfold in Kasi, and would be hundredfold in Veni, and said to be thousandfold at the confluence of Ganga and the ocean. It is said to be endless in Vishnu's temple at Sukara. A man gives duly a lakh (of gifts) at another place. (The fruit) would be similar by giving one only at Sukara. By bathing but once at Sukara, in Veni, and at the confluence of Ganga and the ocean, a man removes (the sin of) the murder of a brahmana. Alarka formerly got (the kingdom of) the earth with the seven islands after hearing the greatness of Sukara, O Kartikeya. (O son, go thereon the DvadasI of the bright half of Margasirsa.) Kartikeya said:

14-16. O lord, I desire to listen to (the description of) the best of vows; so also the proper manner and the fruit of a fast for a month. (So also I desire to hear) how it should be observed by men, what would be (the way of) observing the vow, (how) it is duly commenced and duly completed. O Mahesvara, tell me in detail how many times this vow, giving happiness and wealth, is to be observed, O sinless one. ShriRudra said:

17-29. O Kartikeya, since you have asked all this with devotion, listen to me explaining it, O best among the intelligent. As Vishnu is the greatest of the gods, as the Sun is the greatest of the luminaries, as Meru is (the greatest) of the mountains, as Garuda is the greatest among the birds, as Ganga is (the greatest) of the holy places, as vaisya is (the greatest) of the subjects, similarly observing the fast for a month is the greatest among the vows. He who observes the fast for a month would obtain the religious merit due to all vows, all holy places and gifts. A man does not get that religious merit by means of various sacrifices like Agnistoma in which many presents are given as he gets by observing the fast for a month. That man who observes the fast for a month according to the rule has (indeed) muttered (hymns), has offered oblations (into fire), has given (gifts), has observed penance, has made oblations to his dead ancestors. Dedicating a sacrifice to me, Vishnu, and worshipping me, and then receiving an order from his preceptor he should observe the fast for a month. Having observed all vows (in honour) of Vishnu and observed the auspicious (vow) of Dvadasi etc. he should observe the fast for a month. O brahmana, after having observed the vows like Atikrcchra, Paraka,1 and Candrayana he should fast for a month by the order of his preceptor. Having observed a fast on the Ekadashi of the bright half of Asvina, he should take up this vow for thirty days. A man who worships Vishnu and fasts for the entire month of Kartika would enjoy the fruit in the form of salvation. In the temple of Vishnu he should three times a day devoutly worship Vishnu with the fragrant flowers of malatl (jasmine), blue lotuses, arka flowers, lotuses, (other) flowers, usira-roots, camphor etc. and with the offerings of eatables, cakes, lights etc. aftersmearing (the lord's image) with excellent sandal.

1. Tulapurusa — Gift to a brahmana of as much gold or silver as equals the weight of one's body.

1. Paraka — Name of a vow of religious penance said to consist in fasting for twelve days and nights, keeping the mind attentive and organs subdued.

30-43. A man, a woman or a widow, having great devotion and with his/her senses conquered, should worship the Garudabannered god (Vishnu) with mind, deeds and words and should day and night utter the names of Vishnu. He should devoutly and without false words utter Vishnu's praise. Full of compassion for all beings, of a tranquil temperament, harmless, sleeping and sitting on a seat outside he should narrate (the praise of) Vishnu. He should avoid recollection, sight, enjoying fragrant articles and talking of food, and should give up (taking) morsels. He should avoid smearing his body with oil, smearing his head with oil, (chewing) tambiila, smearing his body when he is observing the vow, and should avoid everything that is prohibited. While observing the vow he should not touch any thing and should not disturb anyone doing a deed. A householder, remaining in a temple, should certainly observe the vow. A man, a good woman or a widow, having duly observed the fast for a month, should worship Vishnu properly. With his mind controlled and senses conquered, he should observe this vow without anything wanting or adding for thirty days and should observe the fast for a month, and then on the Dvadasi (day) he should worship the auspicious Garuda-bannered (god). He should worship him with garlands of flowers, sandal, incense, and by besmearing (his image). A man should please Vishnu with clothes, ornaments and (by playing upon) musical instruments. With water (from) holy (places mixed) with sandal he should devoutly bathe (the image of) Vishnu. He should (worship) the image besmeared with sandal and adorned with incense and flowers. Having fed best brahmanas (and pleased them) with gifts of garments etc. he should give them daksina (i.e. presents), and saluting them he should apologise to them. Having thus fasted for a month, and having worshipped Vishnu, and having fed the brahmanas, he is honoured in Vishnu's heaven. Thus he should engage thirteen brahmanas. Listen to the manner in which he should dismiss them at the end of the fast for a month. Fasting on the Ekadashi day he should perform a sacrifice (in honour) of Vishnu.

44-53. Having with the permission of his preceptor worshipped the lord of gods, he should, according to his capacity, worship the preceptor. Then saluting the brahmanas of a pure family and character and devoted to Vishnu's worship, he should feed them. Then he should honour them all. Having fed thirteen brahmanas, he should salute and honour the best brahmanas with tambula, pairs of garments, food coverings, yogapattas, threads, sacred threads, and then he should get fashioned a bed furnished with a cover, well-covered, beautiful, excellent, with pillows and decorated. Then, having according to his capacity got fashioned his golden image, he should put it on the bed after worshipping it with garlands etc. On the bed he should put a seat, wooden sandals, an umbrella, a pair of garments and shoes, and pure flowers. Having thus made the bed, and having saluted those brahmanas, he should request the brahmanas for their consent and say: "I am going to Vishnu's world." Then the best man would go to Vishnu's healthy abode. He should repeatedly say to the brahmanas seated in the pavilion: "O best brahmanas, may all that is without the (proper) hymns and (proper) acts, be fully accomplished due to the favour of your words." I have (thus) properly told (you) the manner of (observing) the vow of the fast for a month.

1. Hearing these words, Kartikeya again asked about the worship of Salagrama. O you having penance as your wealth, listen to it again. Kartikeya said:

2. O lord, O greatest among the meditating saints, I have heard about all religious practices. O lord, tell me in detail about the worship of Salagrama. The lord said:

3-23. Well, well, I shall tell you what you ask, O you very intelligent one; O dear to me, listen to it. O you noble-hearted Kartikeya, on a Salagrama stone the three worlds with the mobile and immobile always stay together. He who has seen, saluted, bathed and worshipped it, would get religious merit as the fruit, a crorefold more, of sacrifices, and that of the gift of a crore of cows. O child, he who has always drunk the water (flowing) from Vishnu's Salagrama, has cutoff the very tormenting stay in the embryo. O son, even he, always attached to passion and without devotion, would become Vishnu after worshipping a Salagrama stone. The round Salagrama stone, when remembered, glorified, meditated upon, worshipped and saluted, destroys a crore (of sins). As the herds of beasts in a forest go (away) through fear on seeing a lion, so sins in large numbers go (away) on seeing a Salagrama stone. A man saluting with or without devotion a Salagrama stone at the time of its worship would obtain salvation. A man who everyday worships the Salagrama stone, has no fear of Yama, so also of death and birth. A man who, in the Kali age greatly devoted, everyday worships the Salagrama stone with sandal, water for washing the feet, respectful offerings, offerings of eatables, lights, incenses, unguents, songs, musical instruments and hymns, enjoys for thousands of crores of kalpas in the abode of Vishnu. How can those men, my devotees on the earth, have manhood (i.e. birth as a human being) who have devoutly saluted Salagrama? Those of my devotees, the most sinful ones, who do not salute my lord, Vishriu, are not my devotees, being deluded by sins. Even he, being my devotee, who eats on the Ekadashi day, harms me, and goes to the Andhatamisra hell. One should touch my (symbol, the) Phallus. No other purification is told for him. That day which is dear to Vishnu, is dear to me. That mortal who would not fast on that day, is a sinner and worse than a candala. O son, I always live in the Salagrama stone. The god, being pleased, has given me that place. That fruit which is obtained by worshipping me with thousands of lotuses is obtained, a crore times more, by worshipping a Salagrama stone. Those men who have not worshipped a Salagrama stone in the mortal world, have not worshipped and saluted me. O Kartikeya, he who worships me before a Salagrama stone, has worshipped me for twentyone yugas. What is the use of worshipping hundreds of Lingas (i.e. my symbols) without devotion to Vishnu? If the round Salagrama stone is not worshipped, then, O son, offerings of eatables, leaves, flowers, fruits, water, offered to me, is not fit.

24-5la. Everything in front of a Salagrama stone is purified. A man eating the eatables offered to another deity would observe the Candrayana(-vow, i.e. would get its fruit). (But) by eating the eatables offered to Vishnu, he would obtain the fruit of a crore of sacrifices. There is no doubt that by means of the water flowing from the feet of god (Vishnu), so also by means of the water in a conch, (men) having committed a crore of murders are purified. He who being a devotee of ava, would not honour a devotee of Vishnu, so also his hater, goes to (and lives in) hell as long as the fourteen Indras (rule). He in whose house a householder rests for a while, drinks nectar for eight ages of Brahma. Mean men, avoiding Krishna's worship, perish in the painful forest of the mundane existence for thousands of crores of years. By means of worshipping the Lingas coming up from Salagrama stones, through love, men devoid of Sarhkhya or Yoga, obtain salvation. That fruit which would be got by seeing crores of my Lingas, worshipping or eulogising them, would be (obtained) (just) on (worshipping) the Salagrama stone. There are TWELVE

stones coming up (i.e. formed) from the Salagrama. Listen to the religious merit of him who worships them daily. The religious merit (obtained by) worshipping thousands of crores of Lingas on the bank of Jahnavi, by living for eight yugas at Kasi, would be had in one day (by worshipping the Salagrama). Then (what would be the religious merit) of a man who would worship it for many (days)? I or deities like Brahma do not endeavour to measure it. Therefore, O son, my devotees should do devoutly, to please me, the worship of a Salagrama stone. At that place where Vishnu in the form of a Salagrama stone lives, live gods, demons, yaksas, and the fourteen worlds. That fruit which a man would get by means of all the crores of recitals (of the names) of deities, would be got by the good deed, viz. recital (of the names) of Vishnu, in the Kali age. His dead ancestors once gratified with a pinda in front of the Salagrama stone live (in Vaikuntha). They cannot be counted. For those men who devoutly drink the water dropping from the Salagrama stone, what is the use of drinking thousands of the paficagavyas (i.e. the five products obtained from a cow)? When an expiation has succeeded after having drunk the water (flowing) from Vishnu's feet, what is the use of (giving) gifts, observing fasts, and properly practising Candrayana vows? What is the use of worshipping crores of other deities for him who fashions an image of Vishnu lying in water in a tank? They say 'Gods have Vishnu as their chief. O son, for the fruit of every religious act, there is a limit. (But) there is absolutely no measure of the fruit of the worship of the Salagrama stone. He who gives a stone of (i.e. sacred to) Vishnu originating from Salagrama to a brahmana, a devotee of Vishnu, has performed hundreds of sacrifices. Even though he stays at home, he has everyday bathed in Ganga. He has bathed at all holy places, and is initiated for all sacrifices. One should do sprinkling with water flowing from a Salagrama stone. O Kartikeya, there are stones in heaven, in the mortal world, and in the nether world. But there is no (other) stone like the Salagrama stone. The life of him in the world of human beings, difficult to obtain, who everyday gives a prastha of Sheshamum is fruitful. He gets that fruit by worshipping a Salagrama stone. A leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, a root or so also a blade of durva offered to the Salagrama become equal to Mem. A man may be without a rite or having no (religious) act or hymns; but if he has a mark of the disc on his arm, he gets the proper fruit as is told in the sacred texts. All that I have seen in Vishnu as destroying affliction, I shall tell you, O son. "O Vishnu, where do you stay? What is your prop? What is your resort? O god, how are (can) you (be) pleased? Tell me all that." Shri Krishna said:

51b-73. O Shiva, I always stay in the stone produced in Salagrama. Listen to my names which are there on the chariotwheel mark. If on the wheel resembling an opening, there is no hole, then that should be known as Vishnu, pure and very handsome. That which has a long size, a cavity and many holes, is Pradyumna, having the Sun's face and of bright lustre. Aniruddha has a yellow lustre, is round and very beautiful, is marked with three lines at the opening, and has a mark of a lotus. God Narayana is dark, has a raised wheel of the navel, has long lines, and has a cavity on the right side. One should know that a stone having an opening above, and beautiful, is of the form of Vishnu, giving desired objects, salvation, and especially wealth. The highest lord has a white lustre and is endowed with a lotus and a disc. On its surface are a round figure and very many holes. Similarly Vishnu is of a dark complexion on the basic, very beautiful disc (like figure). Similarly on the opening, in the middle part, a line is noticed. Kapila, Narasimha has a large disc and is very beautiful. He should be worshipped with celibacy; otherwise he creates difficulties. Varaha has strength as his symbol, the two discs are said to be uneven. He resembles a sapphire, has three lines, and is beautiful from (i.e. due to) the navel. That stone which is long, has a golden complexion, and adorned with three lines, is known as 'Matsya', and gives the fruit like enjoyments and salvation. Similarly Kurma is raised, round on the surface, and is filled with a disc (like figure). Marked with Kaustubha, it has a green colour. Hayagriva has the shape of a horse, and is adorned with five lines, is full of many marks, and on the surface has a blue sign. Vaikuntha has an undivided body, and has mark of a disc and a banner. Similarly on the hole there is a very beautiful line, of the shape of a gufija-fruit. Similarly god isrldhara is marked with a garland of wood-flowers; has the form of a kadamba flower, and is adorned with a group of five lines. The round and small one is called Vamana. It is like the atasi flower, and is adorned with a mark. Similarly the handsome god is dark-complexioned and very lustrous. On its left side there are a mace and a disc, and on the right side of it there is a line. Similarly Damodara is big; in its centre is a disc. It resembles durva, is crowded with openings, and has yellow lines. Ananta has many colours, and is marked with various circuits. It is of various forms, and grants all desired objects. He whose face is seen in all quarters and intermediate quarters and above, should be known as Purushottama who grants the fruit in the form of pleasures and salvation. That whose Linga is seen on the top of a stone coming up from Salagrama, is god Yogesvara (i.e. the lord of abstract meditation), and removes (the sin of) a brahmana's murder. Padmanabha is reddish. A lotus is in contact with his face. Due to worshipping him daily a poor man would become rich.

74-83. One should point out one that is marked with a disc, having a golden body, and a collection of rays, full of many golden lines, and adorned with crystal-lustre. A very glossy (stone) gives success; a black one gives fame; a white one burns sins, and gives a father long life and sons. A dark blue one gives wealth; a red one diseases; a rough one gives dejection; and a crooked one causes poverty. One(discona stone) should be known to be the Sudarsana; the second (i.e. having two discs) the couple Lakshmi and Narayana. One should know the third one (i.e. having three discs) to be Acyuta; the fourth one (i.e. having four discs) to be Janardana; the fifth one (having five discs) to be Vasudeva; and the sixth one (having six discs) to bePradyumna; the seventh (having seven discs) to be Samkarsana; the eighth one (having eight discs) to be Purushottama; the ninth one (having nine discs) to be the nine modes; the tenth one (having ten discs) of his own nature; the eleventh (having eleven discs) to be Aniruddha; and the twelfth one (having twelve discs) is of the twelve forms. Discs more than these are seen on the stone called Ananta. A broken, cut or broken Salagrama does not have a flaw. He should carefully worship that image which is liked by him. He who carries the lord of stones after placing him on his shoulder, would subjugate the three worlds with the mobile and the immobile. Vishnu resides there where there is the Salagrama stone. The gift (given) there or the muttering of hymn or bathing done there is hundred times superior to that at Varanasi, Kuruksetra, Prayaga, Naimisa and Puskara.

84-92. The religious merit there is a crore times more. It gives great fruit at Varanasi. All (such) sins like the murder of a brahmana that a man commits, are quickly burnt by the worship of Salagrama stone. Where there is the deity coming from Salagrama stone, and where there is the (deity) from Dvaravati, and where there is the union of the two, there is salvation. There is no doubt about this. Celibates, householders, recluses and mendicants should eat the eatables offered to Vishnu. No doubt should be raised about it. For its worship no hymns, no muttering, no faith are (necessary). For the worship of a Salagrama stone, no eulogy, no formality is needed. The auspicious circle drawn before a Salagrama stone, especially (the one drawn) in Kartika purifies the family up to the seventh (descendant). He who would draw an auspicious circle even of a size of an atom before (the image of) Vishnu, with clay or metalproducts, and he who observes the worship of the sacred fire for a full year, (the latter) being equivalent to drawing an auspicious circle in Kartika, come to me. The sin due to cohabiting with a woman not fit to be approached, due to eating what is prohibited, perishes by means of decorating Vishnu's temple. That woman who draws an auspicious circle before (the image of) Vishnu everyday, never obtains widowhood for seven existences.

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