Cāturmāsya Vrata
Cāturmāsya Vrata, “the vow of the four months”
The Cāturmāsya Vrata is the vrata (sacred vow) of the four months during which Bhagavān Vishṇu and the devas sleep. The Vāmana Purāṇa, in Chapter 17, teaches it as Pulastya Maharshi explains to Nārada the vratas for pleasing Śarva and Keśava: it is begun with the pūjā of Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa on the Aśūnyaśayana Dvitīyā and kept until Sūrya enters Vṛścika rāśi (Scorpio), when the devatās wake from sleep one by one. One who keeps it, the Purāṇa says, never in life suffers separation from anyone.
The Agni Purāṇa (Chapter 198) teaches the Cāturmāsya vrata among the vratas of the months, told by Agni Deva. It is begun with a fast on the Āshāḍha śukla ekādaśī and the pūjā of Śrī Mahāvishṇu at the Karkaṭa-saṅkrānti; the keeper gives up meat and oil, and prays to Keśava that, even if he dies before the vrata is complete, it may become complete by the compassion of Bhagavān Vishṇu. The Agni Purāṇa also gives the sannyāsī’s Cāturmāsya, from Āshāḍha Paurṇamāsī to Kārttika śukla navamī (Chapter 161), and teaches that one who gives lamps during Cāturmāsya goes to Vishṇuloka (Chapter 200).
The season of the devas’ sleep
When Uttarāyaṇa has passed and the month of Āshāḍha comes, the Devādhideva, Lakshmīpati, sleeps on the bed of Śesha, and as soon as Prabhu Vishṇu, their master, sleeps, the devas, the gandharvas, the yakshas and their mothers one after another sink into deep sleep. On the Āshāḍha śukla ekādaśī, when Sūrya enters Mithuna rāśi, Jagannātha begins his sleep; when Sūrya enters Karkaṭa, the night of the devas, Dakshiṇāyana, begins; and in Śrāvaṇa the devas sleep tithi by tithi, and the rainy season begins.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 17
The vrata
The day on which Prajāpati Viśvakarmā sleeps, the dvitīyā (second tithi) of that sequence, is the holy Aśūnyaśayana Dvitīyā. On it the four-armed Mahāvishṇu, who bears the Śrīvatsa, is placed on a bed with Mahālakshmī and worshipped with fragrances and flowers; fragrant fruits are laid on the bed; and he is prayed to as Trivikrama, Ananta and Jagannivāsa, that the vratī’s bed, like his, may never be empty. That day one eats only at night, food without oil and salt, and the next day gives a fruit with dakshiṇā to an excellent brāhmaṇa.
“In this way,” Pulastya Maharshi says, “one should keep the cāturmāsya vrata until Sūrya enters Vṛścika rāśi. Then the devatās wake from sleep one by one.” After that, on the dvitīyā, one gives away the image of Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa together with its bed and bedding, in a manner fitting one’s wealth.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 17
The phala
“Thus I have told you the first vrata,” Pulastya Maharshi says. “One who performs it never in life suffers separation from anyone.”
When the city of the rākshasa king Sukeśī shone so brightly by the light of dharma that night could not be told from day, some of the people said that they had worshipped Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa for four months, beginning with the month of Śrāvaṇa in which the Aśūnyaśayana Dvitīyā falls, and that Śriyaḥpati, the husband of Śrī, had granted them the supreme happiness of a bed never empty, full of great enjoyments and always resplendent.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 16–17
Per Agni Purāṇa
Agni Deva says: “I shall now tell the vratas of the months, which give bhukti and mukti.” Among them he gives the Cāturmāsya vrata.
The vidhi
- Fast on the Āshāḍha śukla ekādaśī.
- Worship Śrī Mahāvishṇu at the Karkaṭa-saṅkrānti (the Sun’s entry into Karkaṭa) that comes in Āshāḍha.
- Take the vrata with this prayer: “O Deva! I have taken up this vrata before you. O Keśava! By your grace may it be accomplished without obstacle. O Devādhideva! O Janārdana! If, having begun this vrata, I die before it is complete, by your compassion may it become complete!”
- The dvija who keeps the vrata gives up meat and the like, and oil, and worships Śrī Mahāvishṇu.
(Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 198)
Observances of the four months
In the same chapter Agni Deva names other observances of these months:
- In the four months beginning with Āshāḍha one should not take an abhyaṅga-snāna (an oil bath); by this one gains excellent buddhi (understanding).
- In the four months from Āshāḍha, one who bathes at dawn under rule reaches Vishṇuloka.
- In the Phala vrata, during Cāturmāsya one gives up fruits and gives them away in dāna.
- By keeping vratas in the four months from Śrāvaṇa, one gains everything.
(Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 198)
The festivals of Śrī Mahāvishṇu’s sleep
In his teaching of the jyotiḥśāstra (the science of auspicious times), Agni Deva gives the times of the festivals of Śrī Mahāvishṇu’s sleep. When the Sun is in Mithuna, on the dvādaśī after amāvāsyā, his śayana-utsava (festival of sleep) is held. When the Sun is in Siṃha, on the dvādaśī after amāvāsyā, his parivartana-utsava (festival of his turning) is held. When the Sun is in Tulā, on the dvādaśī after amāvāsyā, his jāgaraṇa-utsava (festival of his waking) is held. Marriage is not auspicious while Śrī Mahāvishṇu is sleeping. (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 121)
The sannyāsī’s Cāturmāsya
Among the observances of the sannyāsī, the Agni Purāṇa teaches that he should begin and keep the Cāturmāsya vrata on Āshāḍha Paurṇamāsī (the full moon of Āshāḍha), and resume his wandering from Kārttika śukla navamī. (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 161)
Lamps and the king’s pūjā
- One who gives lamps during Cāturmāsya goes to Vishṇuloka; one who gives lamps in the month of Kārtika goes to svarga (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 200).
- Among the yearly rites for the king, Pushkara teaches that Hari is worshipped in Cāturmāsya, and that a festival of five days is held on the Śayana and Utthāna Ekādaśīs (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 268).
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 16–17
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 121, 161, 198, 200, 268