Araṇya Dvādaśī Vrata
Araṇya Dvādaśī Vrata · araṇya dvādaśī vrata, “the vow of the twelfth day in the forest”
Śrīdhara has other meanings too: see all meanings of Śrīdhara.
The Araṇya Dvādaśī is the vrata of the forest, begun on the śukla ekādaśī (the eleventh day of the bright fortnight) of Mārgaśīrsha and kept for one year in honour of Bhagavān Janārdana. Sītā kept it in the forest in ancient times at the command of Rāmacandra, and she satisfied the wives of the munis with many kinds of food. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Chapter 66.
The keeper bathes, performs pūjā, fasts and keeps awake on the ekādaśī, then feeds Veda-knowing brāhmaṇas in a grove on the next day. Four times in the year, in Śrāvaṇa, Kārtika, Māgha and Caitra, the keeper seats forest-dwellers, munis and brāhmaṇas in a beautiful forest and feasts them, and twelve brāhmaṇas are fed by the twelve names of Bhagavān Vishṇu. The one who keeps it goes with his family in a divine vimāna to Śvetadvīpa, and at the pralaya attains mukti.
Sītā’s vrata in the forest
Yudhishṭhira says: “Śrī Kṛshṇacandra, tell me the rule of the Araṇya Dvādaśī vrata.”
Śrī Kṛshṇa, addressing him as Kaunteya, tells him that this is the vrata that Sītā kept in the forest in ancient times at the command of Rāmacandra. She satisfied the wives of the munis with many kinds of food.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66
When it is kept
The vrata begins on the śukla ekādaśī of Mārgaśīrsha and is kept by this rule for one year. Men and women may both keep it.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66
The vidhi
On the ekādaśī:
- In the morning, bathe and worship Bhagavān Janārdana with bhakti, with gandha (fragrant paste), flowers and the other upacāras (offerings).
- Fast, and keep awake at night.
On the next day:
- After bathing and the other duties, take brāhmaṇas who know the Veda to a grove (upavana), and feed them chiefly on fruit and the like.
- Then take pañcagavya and eat.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66
The four great feedings
In the months of Śrāvaṇa, Kārtika, Māgha and Caitra, in some beautiful forest graced with trees, seat forest-dwellers, munis and brāhmaṇas on seats facing east or north.
Satisfy them with these foods, and with many other cooked foods and various dishes, and give dakshiṇā:
- maṇḍaka
- ghṛtapūra
- khaṇḍaveshṭaka
- śāka (greens)
- vyañjana (relishes)
- apūpa
- modaka
- sohālaka
- fruit
Give them to drink pānaka (a sweet drink) perfumed with karpūra (camphor), elā (cardamom), kastūrī (musk) and the like.
Also feed the munis living in the forest and their wives, the ekadaṇḍīs or tridaṇḍīs, and other brāhmaṇas such as gṛhasthas (householders).
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66
The twelve names
With these twelve names, each with namaskāra, feed one brāhmaṇa for each name:
- Vāsudeva
- Janārdana
- Dāmodara
- Madhusūdana
- Padmanābha
- Vishṇu
- Govardhana
- Trivikrama
- Śrīdhara
- Hṛshīkeśa
- Puṇḍarīkāksha
- Varāha
Give each brāhmaṇa cloth and dakshiṇā, and say:
विष्णुर्मे प्रीयताम्
vishṇurme prīyatām
May Vishṇu be pleased with me.
Then eat with one’s friends, relations and kin.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66
The phala
One who keeps the Araṇya Dvādaśī in this way goes with his family in a divine vimāna and dwells in Śvetadvīpa, the dhāma (abode) of Bhagavān Vishṇu. He lives there until the pralaya and then attains mukti.
A woman who keeps this vrata also enjoys all the happiness of the world, and by the grace of Bhagavān Vishṇu she reaches Patiloka.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 66