Description of the Vow Janmashtami (Krishnashtam.) and of Udyapan.
Description of the Vow Janmashtami (Krishnashtam.) and of Udyapan.
Shri Narayan Muni said:-
O devotees, listen all of you, to my speech which is beneficial for you. Tomorrow is the famous birthday of Vasudev. 1.
All of you, who are my followers, should observe the vow of this birthday, because just like Lord Krishna himself is, his birthday too is dear to us. 2.
O people, I will narrate to you all, the manner (of celebration) in detail as it is recorded in the scriptures. Hearing the same, you should perform the vow in a similar manner. 3.
The mid-night of Ashtami, which is not penetrated by Saptami and is accompanied by Rohini constellation on a Wednesday, is the day of Krishnashtami. 4.
The mid-night of Ashtami accompanied by Rohini constellationn, is supposed to be the proper time when Lord Shri Hari was born. OR When Ashtami is accompanied by Rohini constellation at mid-night, it is supposed to be the proper time of birth when Lord Shri Hari was born. 5.
As regards the decision of the vow of Krishnashtami, many learned Brahmins argued as they wanted to establish their opinions. 6.
Some say that Janmashtami and Jayanti are two different vows, while some scholars say that it is only one vow. 7.
Some said that the night of Lord Shri Hari’s birth is his Jayanti, while some others say that Jayanti is the Ashtami accompanied by Rohini constellation. 8.
Some learned people interpret the word ‘Udaya’ as the rise of the moon, while some others interpret it as the rise of the sun. 9.
Some disputants believed that the end of the (Ashtami) ‘tithi’ is proper for concluding the fast. Hence they recommend Ashtami penetrated by Saptami as suitable for the vow. 10.
Some others view concluding the fast at the end of the function. So they do not respect the view of Ashtami penetrated by Saptami because they accept the excellence of Ashtami accompanied by Navami. 11.
Some scholars think that the Ashtami seen by the sunrise is proper for concluding the fast while some think that the mid- night of the function is the proper time for ending fast. 12.
Some scholarly Brahmins do not respect Ashtami (whether accompanied or not by Saptami), but observe the vow depending on the Rohini constellation. 13.
Thus there are many controversies regarding this vow. All scholars have put forth these opinions, with the support of statements of seers. 14.
All of them are established by proper authority. Of them all, the one which is finally decided by the great thinkers, I will explain to you. 15.
That Ashtami which is preceded by Rohini constellation and is a Wednesday is appropriate for concluding fast and not the next one after the mid-night. 16.
That Ashtami, even though penetrated by Saptami should be taken for the vow. The fasting should be completed at the end of the day by those who observe the vow. 17.
It is said in Agnipuran that the Ashtami along with Saptami should be accepted for the vow if it is a special union; otherwise Ashtami alone should not be accepted. 18.
If all the combinations as described above is found on Saptami and the mid-night of Ashtami occurs without the union of Rohini constellation and a Wednesday, then the observer of the vow should fast for two days. However, a weak person may fast only on the next day. 19-20.
The wise people should not accept (for practicing the vow) that mid-night which occurs without the union of Rohini constellation and Wednesday as Janmashtami. 21.
It is said that if a day is not a Wednesday but occurs with Saptami, then such a day should not be accepted. The mid-night of the next day should be accepted as Janmashtami. 22.
Ashtami without Rohini but combined with Navami should be accepted. But Ashtami along with Saptami even though combined with Rohini should not be accepted as Janmashtami. 23.
If Janmashtami is overlaps the Tithi of Navami by an hour, a minute or a second, that Navami should be accepted as Krishnashtami. But Ashtami combined with Saptami should not be accepted. 24.
If Ashtami is combined with Saptami then that Ashtami is lost. In such a condition, the next day i.e. Navami is the birthday of Lord Krishna. 25.
Scholars say that if Ashtami grows i.e. that day is seen by two sun-rises, then also the latter i.e. Navami should be accepted. 26.
The opinion of Vitthalesha Goswami.
In the opinion of Goswami, the previous Ashtami should be accepted because the major portion of the day is occupied by Ashtami and there is absence of Vedha (i.e. perforation). We too accept the opinion of Goswami. 27.
Thus the whole essence is explained briefly. Keeping this in mind, the decision of Janmashtami should be taken. 28.
Rules to be observed along with the ritual of Vrata.
The person who observes this vow should take light food on the previous day (i.e. Saptami). Exercising control of his senses, he should sleep at night thinking of Lord Krishna only. 29.
Getting up early in the morning, performing his regular daily rites like sandhya etc., he should go to the river at mid-day and take bath as prescribed. 30.
First he should clean his teeth with the sticks of Aghedo ( the kind of herb) plant, then take soil-bath and then take bath applying the paste of sesame and Analaka. 31.
Performing the mid-day rites like mid-day Sandhya, becoming pure externally and internally, the vow observer should come home. Then he should erect a Mandapa decorated with the plantain trunks. 32.
He should beautify it with colorful clothes, different flowers and leaves of mango tree. It should be painted with various auspicious colors. 33.
It should be decorated on all sides with white, yellow, red and spotted clothes, new pictures, different leaves, fruits, lamps, garlands and it should be made fragrant with sandal and Agaru. 34-35.
In the midst of the Mandapa, a maternity chamber for Devaki should be prepared and an image of a nurse has to be placed there with scissors for cutting the umbilical cord. 36.
Then at the centre (of the Mandapa), on a beautiful and a comfortable bed, place the idol portraying with infant Krishna sucking the breast of Devaki. 37.
On one side of the maternity chamber, prepare (an illustration of the town of) Gokul and in its place Yashoda with a newborn baby girl. 38.
(The images of) Nand, Vasudev, Gopa-Gopi, Cows, Radha etc. and images depicting the sports Krishna played as a child should be arranged as and where possible. 39.
(The images of) Rohini, Baladev, Shashthidevi, Bhumidevi, Brahma and Rohini-nakshatra (depicting the day of Krishnashtami) should be arranged in the mandapa. 40.
Markandeya, Bali, Vyas, Hanuman, Vibhishan, Kripacharya, and Parashuram- these seven immortals, the Gandharvas expert in dancing and singing, a group of Apsaras, alongwith Kaliya in the deep pool representing river Yamuna should also be painted. 41-42.
In this way, one should do whatever is possible, according to one’s own imagination and worship with devotion. 43.
The idols of Krishna etc. should be made of gold according to one’s own capacity and should be worshipped with devotion at night. 44.
The observer of the vow (i.e. Vrata) should worship with mantras given in the book of vow, Shri Krishna along with other deities with the pure gifts which are received by him. 45.
Following the proper procedure of worship, the devotee should worship with songs and instrumental music, Lord Krishna united with Devaki etc and then he should worship the companions. 46.
Worshipping all the Gods and prostrating at them, he should worship the Brahmins and give them monetary gifts (i.e. Dakshina). 47.
Then for a moment, respectfully worshipping baby Krishna in a cradle decorated with waving lights, he should very tenderly rock the cradle. 48.
He should then listen devotedly to the story narrated in the chapter of his birth. After this, the vow observer should sit on the seat of kusha grass and stay awake the whole night. 49.
Next morning, after Uttarapuja, he should donate the idol of Lord Krishna to Brahmins, offer them a feast and should conclude his fasting. 50.
All fasting should be concluded during the day alone, not at night. He should drink only Panchamrita of Lord Shri Hari. 51.
He who observes the vow of Krishnashtami every month in this manner, gets all his desires fulfilled. 52.
In this manner, he who has controlled his limbs, observes the vow for the whole year and performs Mahapuja at the end, should donate a mattress and cows. 53.
The concluding ceremony should be performed either in the beginning, in the end or in the middle, because of which the vow along with its associated parts will definitely fulfill all his desires. 54.
Yearly vow should be observed according to the same procedure every year. This makes Lord Krishna become pleased with the vow-observer. 55.
The concluding ceremony of the vow.
Now I will narrate briefly the concluding ceremony of this vow. A temporary hall should be erected for the concluding ceremony. In that fine hall, a perfectly auspicious circular orb should be drawn. 56.
A copper picture studded with jewels, filled with water, decorated with five types of leaves, along with another vessel full of water should be placed on the circular orb and it should be covered with a white cloth. Then an idol of Lord Shri Hari along with Devaki should be made of 12 grams gold. 57-58.
He who is unable (to do this), should make a model of Lord Shri Hari with half the gold and make a silver moon along with Rohini and should worship them. 59.
Then he should take twenty four vessels full of Payasa, present them as offerings to God and then give them all to the Brahmins. 60.
The lamps in the temple of Lord Shri Hari should be lit with ghee and a sacrifice should be performed uttering the Purushasukta or the Nama Mantra. 61.
After that, twenty-four Brahmins should be offered a feast and they should be worshipped according to one’s capacity by offering them sandal paste, clothes and ornaments. 62.
To please Lord Krishna, the vow observer should give to Brahmins the copper pictures along with an ornament and a cow made of gold according to his capacity. 63.
In particular, the ghee-vessels, sesame holding vessel, gold coins, kamandalu (the water vessel), shoes, clothes, and beds should be given (to the Brahmins). 64.
At the time of vow of Shraddha (i.e. ceremony in honor of the dead relatives), donation, sacrifice and pilgrimage, the vow observer should not be miserly if he (the Brahmin) seeks a lot of money. 65.
If one acts miserly in case of these worthy activities, he is treated as an outcast by all religions and he ultimately goes to hell. 66.
The religious duties like celibacy etc. are common to all vows. Those are to be observed entirely with efforts by women as well as men. 67.
This vow of Lord Krishna who is the Dvarakadhisha, who is born in Mathura and who is the husband of Rukmini, is said to be very meritorious. 68.
He who takes meal on the day of Lord Krishna’s birth, is the meanest man, he is as bad as one committing incest with his mother and is treated as equivalent to the killer of a Brahmin. 69.
He who is unable to fast, should observe the vow by eating fruits etc according to his capacity; but in no case he should break his vow. 70.
‘O dear devotees, thus I have explained to you in brief, the procedure of the vow of Lord Krishna, which should be observed by all depending on me. 71.
He who listens to this with devotion or who reads it with concentration avails the fruit of the vow of Lord Krishna. 72.
Suvrat said:-
Thus addressing own devotees, and saluted by those who were pleased, He returned to His own abode and the people also went to their own respective places. 73.
Performing the evening ritual there, all the people chanted the names of Lord Krishna; the king slept on the bed of grass spread on the earth for the middle two Praharas of night (i.e. six hours). 74.
Thus ends the elevanth chapter entitled ‘narration of procedure of the vow’ in the fourth Prakaran of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 11
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