Pāñcajanya Pūjā

Pāñcajanya Pūjā, simply known as Panchajanya Puja, Sanskrit: पाञ्चजन्य पूजा, Telugu: పాంచజన్య పూజ, Hindi: पांचजन्य पूजा.

Pāñcajanya is the divine conch (śaṅkha) of Bhagavān Vishṇu. It was born from the ocean and Bhagavān Vishṇu holds it in his hand for ever. Its pūjā is a central part of the Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya in the Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa (Chapters 4–5). It is kept in the month of Mārgaśīrsha.

The Māhātmya gives mantras for the pūjā of the conch. It also tells at length the merit of bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu with water poured through the conch. It says that all tīrthas in the three worlds live inside the conch by Bhagavān Vishṇu’s order, and that water kept in a conch, from whatever source, becomes Gaṅgā water. The conch is also the main vessel for pañcāmṛta-snāna (the bath with the five nectars), for arghya (the water offering) and for pādodaka (the water that has washed the feet of Bhagavān Vishṇu).

The three Pāñcajanya mantras

At the time of the pūjā, after the nyāsa (the placing of mantras on the body), the Pāñcajanya conch is honoured with three mantras:

1. “O Pāñcajanya, formerly you were born of the ocean. You have been held by Vishṇu in his hand. You have been made by all the devas. Obeisance to you.”
2. “On account of your sound, clouds and suras and asuras become afraid. Obeisance to you, O Pāñcajanya of the bright lustre of ten thousand moons.”
3. “The unborn children of the women of the asuras perish in thousands in the nether worlds, O Pāñcajanya. Obeisance to you.”

Merely seeing the conch makes pāpa (sin) vanish, like mist before sunrise. Touching it gives a far greater result, beyond measure. A Vaishṇava who bows to the conch and holds it in his hand while bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu and saying these mantras gains endless puṇya (merit).

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 4, gives this.

The conch as a vessel of tīrthas

Bhagavān Vishṇu says: “At my order, all the tīrthas in the three worlds live inside the conch. So the śaṅkha is the most excellent.” Any water, from a river, lake, well or tank, becomes Gaṅgā water when it is kept in a conch.

Each part of the conch has its own presiding devatā:

• the first part: the Moon
• the belly: Varuṇa
• the back: Prajāpati
• the tip: Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī

The names of these devatās should be said while bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu. The suras cannot measure the merit of such a devotee.

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 5, gives this.

The merit of bathing with conch water

These merits, one above the other, are given for bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu with conch water in Mārgaśīrsha:

• A single drop of conch water poured in Mārgaśīrsha saves the devotee’s family.
• Milk of a tawny cow poured through a conch gives the merit of all tīrthas.
• Water with raw rice and kuśa grass in a conch gives the merit of all tīrthas.
• 8 conchfuls: the devotee becomes an excellent man, honoured in the world of Vishṇu.
• 16 conchfuls: he is freed from pāpa and is honoured in svarga (heaven) for a very long time.
• 24 conchfuls: he lives in Indraloka for a long time and is born again as a king.
• 108 conchfuls: merit equal to a gold coin for each conchful.
• Bathing with the conch every day: the merit of bathing in the Gaṅgā, and constant joy like the devas.
• Blowing the conch while bathing: the pitṛs (forefathers) pass towards svarga.
• 1008 conchfuls: he becomes a gaṇa (divine attendant) until the final pralaya (dissolution).

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 5, gives this.

More merits of conch pūjā

• Filling the conch with unguents and offering pūjā to Bhagavān Vishṇu increases his pleasure for a hundred years.
• Taking arghya in a conch with flowers, water and raw rice gives endless merit.
• Walking round (pradakshiṇā) while taking arghya in a conch equals walking round the earth of seven continents.
• Sprinkling the temple with conch water leaves nothing inauspicious in the house.
• Pādodaka taken in a conch and put on the head gives freedom from worry, tiredness and fear of naraka (hell). Evil spirits, rākshasas and dānavas run away in all ten directions.
• Bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu with conch water to the sound of musical instruments makes the devotee a jīvanmukta (one freed while living).

The Vaishṇava who takes the pādodaka of Bhagavān Vishṇu in a conch and carries it on his head is called a ṛshi (seer). He is the best of all those who blaze with tapas (austerity).

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 5, gives this.

Pāñcajanya in the Akhaṇḍa Ekādaśī udyāpana

The Pāñcajanya mantra also appears in the udyāpana (concluding rite) of the Akhaṇḍa Ekādaśī Vrata. The conch is placed to the east of the maṇḍala and invoked with its own mantra. This is the formal setting up of the divine presence for the concluding rite.

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 12, gives this.

Pañcāmṛta-snāna

The merit of bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu with the pañcāmṛta in Mārgaśīrsha is ranked as follows.

A person who bathes Bhagavān Vishṇu with pañcāmṛta in Mārgaśīrsha never falls into a pitiable state. The milk of a tawny (kapilā) cow is the best. Using it equals the gift of a hundred tawny cows.

The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 5, gives this.

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 4 (the three mantras, the sight and touch of the conch)
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 5 (the conch as a vessel of tīrthas, the merit of conch bathing, arghya and pādodaka, pañcāmṛta-snāna)
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Mārgaśīrsha Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 12 (the Akhaṇḍa Ekādaśī Vrata udyāpana)