Sri Bhagavan describes the festivals in Jeth Ashada and Sravana months.
Sri Bhagavan describes the festivals in Jeth Ashada and Sravana months.
Sri Narayanmuni said:-
In the month of Jyestha, on Dasami day of the brighter fortnight at Hasta-elephant constellation, the sacred Ganga river came down to the earth on a Monday. 1.
The Dasami tithi wipes out ten kinds of sins so it is called “Dasahara”. This Tithi should be taken for celebration of Gangavatar; incidentally, if it occurs earlier, it also should be taken with Dasahara. 2.
If there is Jyestha masa-adhika in a month, the Gangavatara celebration tithi should be undertaken but not the tithi falling in the actual Jestha month. Ganga should be considered in the form of idol of Laksmi and should be worshipped as per rituals. 3.
The worshipper with full faith should worship the idol of Laksmi with flowers, sandalwood paste and fruits taking ten each in number. He should offer oil lamp and betel leaves as well. 4.
In case the idol of Laksmi is not available, a golden idol with four hands should be made. She must be white as a moon holding a pot, a lotus, with a raised, blessing hand and assuring safety. 5.
The idol should have white costumes and white ornaments with a pleasant, lovely appearance. Such an idol should be worshipped at mid-day. 6.
Songs in praise of the Ganga’s coming down the earth should be sung and in the end all should take meals. No other rituals are required. 7.
Snanyatra festival.
When in the month of Jyestha, and when the Jyestha constellation pervades the sun rise, the Lord (Vishnu-Ramapati) should be given a holy bath with a continual sprinkling of water. 8.
Lord Krishna should be given a holy bath with pure, sandalwood water filled in a conch along with the chanting of Vedic hymns and Puranas. 9.
Then the God should be dressed with yellow costumes, a head dress and various ornaments. 10.
Rice with dal, flat cake, boiled cakes and various vegetables should be offered as naivedya during meals. 11.
Songs describing water sports of Lord Krishna should be sung and all should take meals after the ritual is over. No more special rituals other than these are necessary. 12.
Rathyatra festival.
On the Pusya constellation at sunrise, in the brighter fortnight of Asadha, a chariot adorned with ornaments should be installed before Lord Krishna’s idol. 13.
Costumes of yellow and red colors should be used to dress the idol along with various ornaments. Particularly, a golden bow and arrow should be placed in the Lord’s hands. 14.
For offering food with devotion there should be curds, sugar and Laddoos of jaggery (Guda). Then an oil lamp should be lit and Balakrishna should be installed in the chariots. 15.
Then you should sing a song of praise in honor of Lord, songs about Rathayatra, (chariot procession) should be sung.. Then the idol should be removed from the chariot. 16.
One month Hindola festival.
A swing, well-decorated and adorned with ornaments should be installed in the month of Asudha in the black (dark) Fortnight (Krishna paksha) on first or second day when the moon is in the Tauras sign. 17.
An idol of Balakrishna should be installed in it and the idol should be worshipped in the evening by singing songs of praise in honor of the Lord. 18.
This festival should be observed till the third day of the dark fortnight in the month of Sravana. Songs of swing festival should be sung during the festival. No other special rituals are required. 19.
Shri Varah Jayanti festival.
On Monday, in the month of Sravana in the bright moon lit fortnight, on fourth day at mid-day the Varaha incarnation took place. 20.
During the festival, the fourth day, i.e. Chaturthi should occur at mid-day. If not, the next day should be considered. Lord Krishna should be worshipped as Varaha on this day. 21.
The Lord should be adorned with red (Kusumbha) clothes and for Naivedya, there should be sweet milk and thick, small flat cakes (vada). 22.
Songs of the birth of Varaha should be sung on this occasion. Great worship should be performed and meals should be taken after that. 23.
Alternatively a golden idol of Varaha should be made according to economic capacity of the worshipper. The head of the idol should be depicting Varaha (boar) and the remaining body should be human - a plump and strong, adorned with ornaments. The face should look wild. 24.
The human body should have four hands with conch, discus, mace and lotus in each of them. Images of sages praying in honor of the Lord, with heads bowed down, should also be made. 25.
Thus the idol should be made ready for worship. Sri must be depicted as Goddess Laksmi praying, Shesanaga residing at the feet of Varaha should also be made. Thus, the God should be worshipped at mid-day. 26.
Now the Pavitra festival is described:
A Pavitra is made of threads. This Pavitra should be offered to the Lord on the eleventh day of the bright fortnight or on the twelfth day in the month of Sravana. 27.
This Pavitra should be made of golden, silver. silk or cotton threads spun by Brahmins and is considered sacred. 28.
Among all, a Pavitra made of 360 threads (fibers) is the best; a Pavitra made of 270 threads (fibers) is secondary. 29.
A Pavitra made of 180 threads should be considered as of low grade. An ordinary Pavitra should be made of three long threads. 30.
The Pavitra having 100 knots is the best; the one having 50 knots is secondary and the one of 36 knots is of low grade. The Pavitra rolling up to navel is of low grade; the one rolling up to chest is secondary and the best is one that rolls up to the thighs of the idol. 31 - 32.
This is the special ritual in the worship of Lord, other rituals being as usual. The Lord of Rama and Radha should be worshipped thus. 33.
Shri Ramanand Swami Prardurbhav festival.
On the eighth day of the dark fortnight of Sravana, Uddhav swami was born to Ajay and Sumati. 34.
So, on this day, a golden idol of Uddhav swami should be made according to one’s economic ability. This idol should be placed in the Sarvatobhadra mandal and the idol should be worshipped as per rituals. 35.
This idol should be strong, having two arms with bright white robes, possessing long eyes and having a very pleasant, bright lotus like face. 36.
There should be the rosary in the right hand and it should have a blessing, left hand. The devotees should worship with deep faith by offering flowers and sandalwood paste. 37.
Songs about the birth of Uddhav should be sung during the worship which should be followed by celebrating the Janmastami festival. 38.
‘O sons, I have narrated all the festivals related to Lord Vishnu throughout the year. All these should be celebrated by the devotees belonging to Uddhav tradition. 39.
The devotees should celebrate these festivals according to their financial capacity, considering the limits of time, place and land. I have also narrated the differences in costumes, the Naivedya accordingly. 40 - 41.
The devotees should perform these festivals according to financial capacity but with deep devotion and faith. The devotees should never show any greediness. And no one should take a loan to celebrate it because it is the devotion and faith that is very important. Even only a leaf offered with faith satisfies the lord. 42 - 43.
Anyone who has either a movable or a static idol should worship the same with deep devotion and faith. 44.
Thus, the rituals for worship are narrated here according to rules of religion and one should follow these according to his rights. 45.
Brahmins should perform the worship according to Vedic or Puranic verses (mantras). Women and Shudras should follow only the continual repetition of the God’s name. 46.
Conditions of non-violence and - celibacy should also be strictly followed while observing all these rituals. 47.
Persons who observe and follow all these rules, conditions and rituals annually during all the festivals will be lovable to God Vishnu-(Ramapati) and will rest at His feet in the end. 48.
Suvrat said:-
‘O, victorious king, in this way the annual festivals, their celebration and rituals were told in detail, the brothers of the king of Ayodhya followed these and became happy. Thus, all the disciples were also happy and contented. 49.
Thus ends the sixty-first chapter entitled ‘narrates the celebration of festivals in the months of Jyestha; Asadha and Aravana’ in the fourth Prakaran of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 61
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