Tithi Dāna

Tithi Dāna · tithi-dāna, “the gift made on each lunar day”

The Tithi Dāna is the rite of giving a chosen gift on each of the fifteen tithis (lunar days), from Pratipadā to Pūrṇimā, each gift offered to its own deity. The Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa (Chapter 193) gives it as Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa taught it to Mahārāja Yudhishṭhira. It destroys all pāpa (sin) and removes every vighna (obstacle). By it the pāpa of body, speech and mind is cut off that very moment.

The gifts run through the deities in order: Brahmā on a golden lotus, Agni, Rādhādevī, the elephant for Gaṇeśa, the nāga, Kārttikeya on his mayūra, Sūrya with his horses, the bull for Vṛshabhadhvaja, the lion for Devī Bhagavatī, the ten Diśā-devīs, Bhagavān Vishṇu, a great gift of all good things on Dvādaśī, thirteen brāhmaṇas honoured in the name of Dharmarāja, the golden buffalo and the silver Candra. One who gives them in this order, from Pratipadā onward, dwells long in Brahmaloka, Vishṇuloka and other lokas, and at the end gains Śiva-sāyujya, union with Bhagavān Śiva.

When and where it is given

The giver begins from the Pratipadā of the śukla paksha (bright fortnight) of Śrāvaṇa, Kārttika, Caitra, Vaiśākha or Phālguna.

Śrī Kṛshṇa says that when wealth, śraddhā (faith), a helper and a worthy receiver all come together, that is the best time for dāna.

The gift may be made at a tīrtha, a devālaya, a goshṭha (cow-pen) or at home. Given with śraddhā, its fruit is endless.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 193

The gift of each tithi

Pratipadā: Brahmā

  1. Make a golden lotus of eight petals and set a golden image of Brahmā on it.
  2. Place this lotus in a vessel of udumbara wood filled with fragrant ghee.
  3. Do pūjā of Brahmā with flowers, dhūpa (incense) and the like.
  4. Honour a brāhmaṇa and give him the image.

Phala: the giver gains what he wishes. Given without desire, he becomes brahmībhūta, one with Brahman.

Dvitīyā: Agni

  1. Make a golden image of Agni.
  2. Place it in a copper vessel filled with jaggery and ghee, and set that vessel on a kalaśa (pot) full of water.
  3. With the vyāhṛtis offer a hundred āhutis of ghee and sesame, and then the pūrṇāhuti (the final offering).
  4. Do pūjā of the mūrti with cloth, a garland and many foods.
  5. Give it to a brāhmaṇa, saying:

वह्निर्मे प्रीयताम्

vahnirme prīyatām

May Vahni be pleased with me.

Phala: freed from the pāpas of a lifetime, he dwells in Vahniloka. So Nārada Muni has said.

Tṛtīyā: Rādhādevī

  1. Make a golden mūrti of Rādhādevī.
  2. Set it on salt in a copper vessel. Cover it with two red cloths and adorn it with kuṃkuma.
  3. Keep cumin, kaṭuka and jaggery beside it.
  4. Do pūjā with gandha (fragrant paste), flowers, dhūpa, dīpa (lamp), naivedya (food offering) and the like.
  5. Give it to a brāhmaṇa.

Phala: endless puṇya (merit). In lokas of golden palaces and rivers of milk, where gandharvas and apsarās dwell, he enjoys happiness for a long time. Then he is reborn in the mortal world beautiful, fortunate, a giver, an enjoyer, wealthy, with sons and grandsons. A woman who gives this dāna gains these same fruits.

Caturthī: Gaṇeśa

  1. Make an image of an elephant with an aṅkuśa (goad), of more than one pala of gold.
  2. Set it on one droṇa of sesame.
  3. Do pūjā with cloth, flowers, naivedya and the like.
  4. Give it to brāhmaṇas, saying:

गणेशो मे प्रीयताम्

gaṇeśo me prīyatām

May Gaṇeśa be pleased with me.

Phala: no vighna touches any of his works. For seven births he is master of great elephants and, riding a gajendra (king of elephants), conquers all lokas.

Pañcamī: the nāgas

  1. Make a nāga of one pala of gold.
  2. Set it in a vessel full of ghee and milk, and do pūjā by the vidhi (prescribed rule).
  3. Give it to a brāhmaṇa, bow, and ask forgiveness.

Phala: it removes the upadrava (harm) of nāgas, and the giver has happiness in both lokas. Bhagavān Śiva has declared this dāna the prāyaścitta (rite of atonement) for the uplift of a man who died of snake-bite.

Shashṭhī: Kārttikeya

  1. Make a golden image of Kārttikeya riding a mayūra (peacock), his divine śakti (spear) in hand, wearing a golden garland.
  2. Set it on one droṇa of rice.
  3. Do pūjā with all the upacāras (offerings of honour): gandha, flowers, dhūpa, dīpa and the rest.
  4. Give it to a brāhmaṇa with a family.

Phala: great aiśvarya (prosperity), and at the end svarga (heaven). A śūdra who gives this dāna becomes a brāhmaṇa in the next birth. A brāhmaṇa who does it gains brahmatva.

Saptamī: Sūrya

  1. Make a golden image of Bhagavān Sūrya with his horses.
  2. Do pūjā with all the upacāras.
  3. Give it to a brāhmaṇa with dakshiṇā (the gift to the brāhmaṇa).

Phala: the gandharvas are satisfied, and he reaches Sūryaloka.

Ashṭamī: the bull

  1. Take a bull having all the good marks.
  2. Cover it with two white cloths, tie a bell at its neck, and do pūjā.
  3. Give it to a brāhmaṇa, saying:

वृषभध्वजो मे प्रीयताम्

vṛshabhadhvajo me prīyatām

May Vṛshabhadhvaja be pleased with me.

  1. Do pradakshiṇā (going round it reverently) of the bull, and go with it as far as the brāhmaṇa’s door.

Phala: Śivaloka. The fourteen bhuvanas (worlds) are established in the shoulder of the bull, so by the gift of a bull one gains the fruit of giving the fourteen bhuvanas.

  1. Make a golden lion, cover it with blue cloth, and set eight pearls in it.
  2. Meditate on Devī Bhagavatī, destroyer of the daityas.
  3. Give the image to an excellent brāhmaṇa.

Phala: all good fruits. He has no fear in dreadful forests or forts, nor from thieves, snakes and other harmful creatures, and no harmful creature can hurt him. At the end, honoured by the devatās, he reaches Devīloka. After long happiness there, when his puṇya is spent, he is born in the mortal world as a dharmātmā (righteous) king.

Daśamī: the ten Diśā-devīs

  1. Make golden images of the ten Diśā-devīs, the devīs of the directions.
  2. Fill ten vessels with salt, jaggery, milk, nishpāva, sesame, curd, ghee, cow dung, rice and black gram.
  3. Place one devī on each vessel.
  4. Do pūjā with cloth, flowers and the like, and give to a brāhmaṇa.

Phala: all the giver’s wishes are fulfilled. After death he is honoured in svarga, and after long happiness there he is born on earth in a high kula (family).

Ekādaśī: Bhagavān Vishṇu

  1. Make a golden image of Bhagavān Vishṇu.
  2. Set it on a copper vessel full of ghee, and do pūjā with all the upacāras.
  3. After the pūjā, give it to a paurāṇika brāhmaṇa who practises pañcāgni tapas (the tapas of the five fires).

Phala: Vishṇuloka.

Dvādaśī: the gift of all good things

  1. Gather according to capacity: a cow, a bull, gold, saptadhānya (the seven grains), jaggery, fruit, ghee, many kinds of rasas (flavours), fruit-bearing trees, flowers, fragrant things and the like.
  2. Cover all with new cloth.
  3. Give to worthy brāhmaṇas, or to one brāhmaṇa.

Phala: great kīrti (fame) and aiśvarya, and at the end Vishṇuloka. After long dwelling there, when his puṇya is spent, he is born on earth a king who performs yajñas, generous and mighty, and lives a hundred years.

Trayodaśī: Dharmarāja

  1. Have thirteen worthy brāhmaṇas bathe, and dress them in fine cloth.
  2. Adorn them with gandha, flowers and the like, and do their arcanā (reverent honouring).
  3. Feed them excellent food.
  4. Give gold as dakshiṇā, saying:

धर्मो मे प्रीयताम्

dharmo me prīyatām

May Dharma be pleased with me.

  1. With śraddhā utter the thirteen names of Dharmarāja, bow, and do visarjana (the leave-taking).

The thirteen names are:

  1. Dharmarāja
  2. Kāla
  3. Citragupta
  4. Daṇḍī, the bearer of the rod
  5. Mṛtyu
  6. Kshayarūpa, of the form of decay
  7. Antaka, the ender
  8. Yama
  9. Pretanātha, master of the pretas (the departed)
  10. Raudra, the fierce
  11. Vaivasvata, son of Vivasvān
  12. Mahishastha, seated on the buffalo
  13. Deva

Phala: one who does arcanā of Yamarāja by this vidhi is rid of all diseases and has no suffering on the path of Yama. After long dwelling in Pitṛloka he is born in the mortal world, happy, with sons.

Caturdaśī: the buffalo

  1. Make a fine, beautiful golden image of a buffalo.
  2. Set it on a kalaśa full of water, cover it with cloth, and grace it with cloth and ornaments.
  3. Keep a bull with it.
  4. Give it to a brāhmaṇa with a family.

Phala: Śivaloka. After long happiness there he has health, wealth and birth in a high kula, and all his wishes are fulfilled.

Pūrṇimā: Candra

  1. Do vṛshotsarga, the setting free of a bull.
  2. Make a silver image of Candra.
  3. Do pūjā with gandha, flowers, naivedya and the like.
  4. Give it to a brāhmaṇa with cloth and ornaments.

Phala: the giver has radiance like Candra and is honoured by apsarās.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 193

The phala of the whole sequence

The man who in this order, from Pratipadā onward, gives to brāhmaṇas on the tithis dwells long in Brahmaloka, Vishṇuloka and other lokas, and at the end gains Śiva-sāyujya.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 193

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 193