Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī Vrata

Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī Vrata, simply known as Vaikuntha Chaturdashi Vrata, Sanskrit: वैकुण्ठ चतुर्दशी व्रत, Telugu: వైకుంఠ చతుర్దశి వ్రతం, Hindi: वैकुंठ चतुर्दशी व्रत.

Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī is the fourteenth tithi (caturdaśī) of the bright fortnight (śukla paksha) of the month of Kārtika. It is kept as a vrata of Bhagavān Vishṇu and Bhagavān Śiva together. The Skanda Mahā Purāṇa tells of it in the Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Kārtika Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 35.

The origin of the tithi

In the Kṛtayuga, on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārtika, in the year called Hemalamba, Bhagavān Vishṇu went from Vaikuṇṭha to Vārāṇasī. He rose before sunrise, in the Brahma Muhūrta, and bathed at the Maṇikarṇikā ghat on the bank of the Gaṅgā. Then, with great devotion, he went to the shrine of Bhagavān Viśveśvara to worship the liṅga of Śiva with a thousand golden lotuses.

Bhagavān Mahādeva wished to test the depth of Vishṇu’s devotion. While the pūjā was going on, he secretly took away one lotus. When Vishṇu finished his count, he found only nine hundred and ninety-nine. He searched carefully but could not find the missing lotus anywhere.

Then he remembered that the great ṛshis had given him the name Puṇḍarīkāksha, the one whose eyes are like lotuses. He thought that his own eye was like a lotus in form and quality, and he decided to offer it in place of the missing flower. Without delay he took out his own eye with his finger and offered it to Śiva.

Śiva’s vara and the Sudarśana cakra

Mahādeva was moved by this nirākāṅkshā-bhakti, devotion that wants nothing in return. He appeared before Vishṇu and said: “In all three worlds there is no one so devoted to me. I give you rule over the three worlds and the work of Protector.”

Bhagavān Vishṇu asked how the proud Daityas could be overcome. Bhagavān Śiva then gave him the Sudarśana cakra and said: “This disc can cut down the great Daityas. Take it and work havoc among them.” So the Sudarśana cakra was given on the occasion of Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī.

The naming of the tithi

Śiva himself named this tithi. He said: “In the year called Hemalamba, on the fourteenth day in the bright half of the glorious month of Kārtika, in the Brahma Muhūrta, you bathed at Maṇikarṇikā and worshipped the liṅga of Viśveśvara with a thousand lotuses. Therefore this tithi shall be forever my favourite. It shall be famous in all the worlds as Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī.”

The vidhi

Śiva also gave a vara on how all people are to keep this tithi for all time.

  • In the first part of the night, people of all varṇas are to worship Bhagavān Vishṇu.
  • The devotee fasts during the day and does the pūjā of Vishṇu in the evening, offering a thousand lotus flowers.
  • After the pūjā of Vishṇu is finished, the pūjā of Śiva must be done. If the pūjā of Śiva is left out, the whole vrata is fruitless.

Śiva said: “Those men by whom Vishṇu is worshipped first with a thousand lotuses and then Śiva is worshipped afterwards are jīvanmuktas” (those freed while still living).

The circuit of tīrthas at Kāśī

For those who keep this tithi at Kāśī, the Purāṇa gives a round of tīrthas, each with its presiding deva. At each, one bathes and then worships:

  1. Pañcanada (Pañcagaṅgā): bathe here and worship Bindu Mādhava.
  2. Vishṇu-Kāñcī: bathe here and worship Anantaśesha.
  3. Rudra-Kāñcī: bathe here and worship Praṇaveśa.
  4. Vahni-Tīrtha: bathe here and worship Nārāyaṇa.
  5. Retodaka: bathe here and worship Kedāreśa.
  6. Yamunā: bathe here and worship Veṇī Mādhava.
  7. Gaṅgā: bathe here and worship Saṅgameśa.

Tripurī Pūrṇimā

The day after Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī is the full-moon day of Kārtika, called Tripurī Pūrṇimā. On this day Bhagavān Śiva destroyed the asura Tripura. Tripura had gained a vara of immortality from Brahmā through fierce tapas at Prayāga. He rode a flying chariot, also named Tripura, built for him by Viśvakarmā. Śiva brought him down with a single arrow, and all the devas celebrated the victory with lamps.

In memory of this, lamps are to be offered in Śiva temples on the full-moon day of Kārtika. The Purāṇa says: “He who offers a lamp with 720 lighted wicks on this full-moon day shall be freed from all pāpa. Even Cāṇḍālas become Brāhmaṇas. All beings cease to have rebirth on seeing the lamp.”

Śiva and Vishṇu

Śiva himself is the one who gives Vishṇu the cakra that protects the worlds. Śiva also says that one who hates Janārdana while claiming devotion to Śiva shall fall into naraka.

Sources

  • Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Kārtika Māsa Māhātmya, Chapter 35