* Salient features of Chandrayana and other vows.
Salient features of Chandrayana and other vows.
Shri Narayan Muni said:-
At this instant, I shall tell you the nature of the Chandrayana vow and other vows, as directed by the ancient sages, for washing away the pre-committed sins. 1.
A person should start from one morsel of food unit, of the size of a myrobalan (Amla fruit), from the first day of the bright fortnight. Thereafter, increase it by one more mouthful on each day; and in the same order, decrease it, in the dark fortnight. 2.
A vow-abider (Vratin), should choose either of these below, as his food, as per his ability for the vow. These are: oblation of rice, barley or any pulse, wheat, vegetables, milk, curds, ghee, roots, fruits, or water. Every successive term recommended is better for a Vrati. 3 - 4.
Yava Chandrayana vow:-
A person, who performs this vow, should not eat on a moon-day. If there is an increase of one day (in the fortnight), he should eat one mouthful more. However, if one day is less, then he should eat only fourteen morsels. This should therefore, be decided according to the days of the fortnight. This Chandrayana vow is the mitigator of all sins, increases merit and is called Yava-madhya (Yava-barley, lowest in unit at both ends and highest in the middle). 5 - 6.
Pipilika Chandrayana vow:-
A person should eat fourteen mouthfuls, in the beginning of dark fortnight; then decrease the diet, by one mouthful or morsel, until the end of the fortnight. Moreover, in the beginning of the fortnight, he should start from one mouthful and increase it by one, up to the end of the fortnight. This type of Chandrayana-vrata is called Pipilika-madhya. Hence, one should choose, either of these, as per his choice. 7 - 9.
Indu Chandrayana vow:-
A person can eat two hundred and forty lumps of food, in a month and can adjust the diet by his choice. This is also known as Indu-vrata (Chandrayana-vrata). 10.
Yati Chandrayana vow:-
A controlled person can eat eight mouthfuls of the oblational item (unbaked grain), at midday. This is known as Yati-chandrayana Vrata (vow of the ascetics). 11.
Shishu Chandrayana vow:-
A balanced Brahmin can eat four mouthfuls in morning and four at sunset. This is known as Shishu- chandrayana-vrata. 12.
Rushi Chandrayana vow:-
A controlled and firm minded person can eat three mouthfuls of oblation food, everyday for a month. This is known a Rushi-chandrayana vow (Chandrayana of seers). 13.
Somayana vow:-
A Brahmin, who has taken a vow, should drink milk, from all the four udders of a cow, for seven days (litnights); from three udders; for the next seven days; from two udders, for the next six days; and he should fast for three days. That is, he should only eat wind. Thus, the vow named Somayana, removes all the blemishes. 14 - 15.
Krucchra vow:-
The procedure of Krucchra vow is as follows. For four days, that person should eat at midday. For the next four days, at night and for the next four days, he should live upon the food which he gets without asking for it; and for the remaining next four days, he should fast. 16.
Tapta-krucchra vow:-
A person should, eat or drink the mixture of boiled milk, ghee and water for one day and the following day, he should fast. This is known as Tapta-krucchra vow. 17.
Maha-tapta-krucchra vow:-
Hot boiled milk, ghee and water, each of these items should be taken separately for three days and on the very next day, that person should fast. This is called Maha-tapta-krucchra-vrata. 18.
A person, who observes Tapta-krucchra vow, should be stable minded, bathe once a day and drink hot water for three days, hot milk for three days, and hot ghee for the next three days; and hot wind for three days i.e. observe a fast for the remaining three days. 19.
He should drink three spoons of water for three days, two spoons of milk for next three days; one spoon of ghee for next three days and then next three days on hot vapour. 20.
Sheet-krucchra vow:-
If in this vow, cold water, milk or ghee is taken instead of hot; then it is called Sheet-krucchra, by the Yama sage. 21.
Santapana vow:-
A person should eat the five products from a cow. These are: milk, curds, ghee, cow urine and cow dung, mixed with water of kusha grass; for one day and fast on the next day. This vow is known as Santapana vow. 22.
A person should take all these six items of Santapana vow separately, on each day and fast for one day. In that case, this vow is known as Maha-santapana Vrata. 23.
A person should take each of the items (cow dung, cow urine, milk, curds, ghee and water mixed with Kusha grass) separately, one each day and on the following day he should fast. 24.
Maha-santapana vow:-
This Santapana vow consists of seven days, in total. If it is observed thrice, then, it is called Maha- santapana-vrata. 25.
A person should drink cow urine for three days; cow dung for next three days; curds and ghee successively for the following three days. This vow, the remover of sins is known as Mahasantapana. Whereas; drinking five cow products for three days is called Yati-santapana vow. 26 - 27.
Parnna-krucchra vow:-
If a person drinks water, mixed and boiled with the leaves of each; palash tree, Umra leaves, lotus, bay leaf (Bilva-patra) and Kusha grass separately, on each consequent day; then it is called Parnna-krucchra-vrata. 28.
Parnna-kurca vow:-
A Brahmin should fast for three days, after that, he gets purified and thereafter, drinks the boiled crushed mixture, of all these leaves. This vow is then called Parnna-kurca- vrata. 29.
If a person eats fruits for a month, it is called Phala-krucchra, if Shree-phal (coconut) is eaten, it is called Shree-krucchra and on the other hand, if a lotus fruit is eaten, it is called Padma- krucchra vow. 30.
If the person eats Amalka fruit (Amala), then it is additionally classed as the other type of Shri-krucchra vow. Furthermore, if it is by leaves; then it is called Patra-krucchra and if by flowers, it is Pushpa-krucchra vow. 31.
If a person eats roots then, it is Mool-krucchra vow. Likewise, by drinking water for twelve days, it is called Jala-krucchra. By drinking milk only, it is known as Kshira-Krucchra-vrata. Thus, smart people should understand it accordingly. 32.
Pada-Krucchra vow:-
If a person eats only at midday for one day, only at night for the next day or unbegged food, for the following day and completes a fast on the last day, then, this is known as Pada-Krucchra vow. 33.
Prajapatya vow:-
If a person eats in the afternoon, for three days; in the evenings only for the next three days, unasked food for next three days and a complete fast for the next three days, then, such a vow is called Prajapatya vow. 34.
Ati-krucchra vow:-
O Brahmin! If a person eats food by a measured handful in the morning, except during the three days of the fast; then this particular vow is known as Ati-krucchra vow. 35.
The sage Apastamba now discusses the divisions of Prajapatya vow and Pada-krucchra vow, in accordance to the caste of that person. 36.
First quarter of Krucchra vow, is fasting for three days. 1) Fast for three days, 2) eating unasked food for three days, 3) eating in the evening and 4) eating in the afternoon, for three days. Shudra should observe the vow by eating in afternoon; Vaishya in the evening; Kshatriya for unasked food and Brahmins should fast completely. In addition to the above, a person who eats in the evening, should eat only twelve mouthfuls; the one who eats in the afternoon, should eat fifteen mouthfuls only; and in case of unasked food, twenty four mouthfuls and then, observe a fast for three days. 37 - 39.
Krucchradhra vow:-
If a person eats in the morning for one day, in the evening for the next day, unasked food, for the following two days and fasts for the remaining two days then, this vow is known as Krucchradhra-vrata. 40.
Krucchrati-krucchra vow:-
If a person drinks milk only, for twenty one days or drinks water only, for twelve days; then that vow is known a Krucchrati-krucchra. 41.
Parakakrucchra vow:- O you best among the Brahmins! The Sages have recommended complete fasts for twelve days, in order to clean all the sins. This is known as the Paraka vow. 42.
Saumya-krucchra vow:-
If a person eats oil cake (residue of oil seeds), on the first day; wheat (barley) on the second day; buttermilk on the third day and observes complete fast on the fourth day; then, this is known as Saumya-krucchra. 43.
If a person drinks; oil cake of sesame, buttermilk, water and water mixed with Kusha grass on each successive days and fasts on the fifth day, it is also known as the Saumya-krucchra vow. 44.
If a person drinks: liquid oil cake, soup, buttermilk, water and barley for five days and thereafter fasts for one day, then it is also known as Saumya-krucchra-vow. 45.
Tula-purusha-krucchra-vow:-
From the above said material, that is; liquid oil cake and so forth, if taken one by one, continuously for three days and thus, if it is carried out for fifteen days, this type of vow is known as Tula-purusha-krucchra-vow. 46.
If a person drinks: soup, liquid oil cake, buttermilk, water and wheat soup each for three days, thus, that adds up to fifteen days and for another six days observes complete fasts, this, then comes to twenty one days, this is called twenty one day’s Tula-purushakrucchra- vow. Beside the latter point, the personal capacity of the performers should be considered in all these types of vows. 47 -48
Brahma-krucchra vow:-
Now, I shall tell you about the vow, Brahma-krucchra (the remover of all blemishes of human being), that is the best of all the vows. 49.
With a prepared mind, he should fast on a previous day and the next day, he should drink Panchgavya and water mixed with Kusha grass. 50.
Cow-urine, cow dung, milk, curds, ghee and water mixed kusha grass; these five products of a cow are sacred and a purifier of the body. Cow urine from a red coloured cow; cow dung from a white cow; milk from a golden coloured cow; curds from a dark blue and ghee from a black cow, should be taken. If all the above said colours are not available, then, the five products can be taken from a kapila kind of a cow. 51 - 53.
A unit of each of the five items is described below. These are: cow-urine in eight Mashas; cow dung sixteen; milk twelve; curds ten; ghee eight and just like the cow-urine, the Kusha grass water should be half of the urine: that is four units. In addition to the above, all these items are to be purified with special chants for each. This means; ‘Gayatri’ chant for cow-urine, ‘Gandhadwara’ for cow dung; ‘Apyayasva’ for milk; ‘Dadhikravana’ for curds, ‘Tejosi-shukram’ for ghee and ‘Devasyatwa’ for Kusha grass water. 54 - 56
He should first purify the five cow products, by Vedic chants and give oblation into the fire. Thereafter, he should take the five cow products by Kusha grass; and then, give oblation as directed. Likewise, the grass should be parrot green in colour, sharp-tipped and in seven units. Oblation should be accompanied by the Vedic chant ‘Iravati-idam-vishnur man-stokecha shamvati.’ The Brahmins can drink the leftover of the Panchgavya. Therefore, he should take it by chanting Pranava, spell it by pranava, take it with pranava and drink it with pranava. 57 - 60.
He should drink the Panchgavya from: golden, silver or leaf- made cup. This Brahma-krucchra vow burns all physical sins. 61.
Agneya-krucchra vow:-
If he practises it for three days, then, this vow is called ‘Yati-santapana’ and if a person lives only on sesame for twelve days, then, it is called Agneya-krucchra. 62.
Yamya-krucchra vow:-
The cow is fed wheat or barley, which then, comes out in its cow dung. This grain is later on separated from the cow dung, then baked and then eaten. So, if a person lives on such grains, for a month, it is called Yamya-krucchra. 63.
Yavaka-vrata vow:-
If a person eats only such left over’s of barley grains, from the cow dung, without baking them; it is called Yavaka-vrata. 64.
Kaubera-vrata vow:-
If, a person eats a handful of sesame oil cake for a month, then it is known as Kaubera-vrata. 65.
Go-vow:-
cow pen, if the cow does not drink water then he should not drink, likewise, if the cow does not eat, he should not eat as well and if the cow stands up he should stand up. O you best of Brahmins! If all of them sit, he should then sit. As a result, if a person follows such a mode of behaviour for a month, it is known as Go-vrata. 66 - 68
Uddalaka vow:-
If, a person lives on mixture of curds and milk for two months; only on milk, for a fortnight; on ghee, for three days and for three days observes a complete fast, then, this vow is known as Uddalaka-vrata. If Krucchra vow is accompanied by Virasana, it gives better fruits. If a person stands whole day and sits at night, it is called Virasana. This particular Virasana removes major sins. 69 - 71.
O Suvrat! I have now discussed the various types of Krucchra vow and expiatory of all sins. O best of Brahmins! One should undergo at least one of these, in a year, for any item eaten unknowingly, and if he performs for a known one, it is good and for his own betterment. 72 - 73.
A Krucchra vow clears all sins (known or unknown). The sins, cleared by Krucchra vow, do not lead that person to hell. 74.
A person who desires wealth, prosperity, heaven or who wants to please The Lord, should, by all means, observe Krucchra vow. 75.
A person should take bath, with cow urine and eat cow dung. He should always stay with the cows and live in the If a person commits minor or major sin and does not repent for it, here in this world; then, he suffers in hell, in the other world after death. 76.
As a result, that person gets punishment for his sins for a long time, due to the orders of Yama, and is born in a lower type of (animals) species, again and again. 77.
Thus ends the forty-seventh chapter entitled, ‘narration of the characteristics of Chandrayana and other vows in atonement rite,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 47