Aparādhaśataśamana Vrata
Aparādhaśataśamana Vrata · aparādha-śata-śamana vrata, “the vrata that stills a hundred offences”
Sudarśana has other meanings too: see all meanings of Sudarśana. Smṛti has other meanings too: see all meanings of Smṛti. Vijaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Vijaya. Jaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Jaya. Jayantī has other meanings too: see all meanings of Jayantī.
The Aparādhaśataśamana Vrata is the vrata (sacred vow) that stills a hundred offences. Vasishṭha Maharshi teaches it to King Ikshvāku in the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146. It is kept for a year, through the twelve months that begin with Mārgaśīrsha, on Dvādaśī, Amāvāsyā or Ashṭamī, in both pakshas, with an upavāsa (fast). Its devatā is Bhagavān Satyeśa, who is Bhagavān Vishṇu standing with Lakshmī on a dhvaja that is Satya in form.
Vasishṭha names the offences a person commits, one by one, and the list in the chapter runs to eighty-five. He then describes Bhagavān Satyeśa, the five forms around him who are called the Brahmapañcaka, and his eight śaktis. The vratī has a golden image made, sets it on a golden lotus on a kumbha of milk, and does pūjā, and at the year’s end gives the image to a brāhmaṇa. By merely keeping this vrata, says Vasishṭha, all grave pāpas (sins), done and not done, burn to ash like a heap of cotton.
The teaching of Vasishṭha
Vasishṭha Maharshi said to King Ikshvāku: “Rājan, I now tell you a vrata by which great fruit is gained and hundreds of doshas and pāpas are stilled.”
Ikshvāku asked four things. Which are chiefly the hundred offences? What is the vrata by whose mere performance they are stilled? Which devatā receives pūjā in it? And at what time is it done?
Vasishṭha answered: “Mahābāho, hear the Aparādhaśataśamana Vrata. By merely performing it a person gains every kind of desire and of mukti (release). All grave pāpas, done and not done, burn to ash like a heap of cotton.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
The offences
Vasishṭha then gave the names and marks of the offences (aparādha). They stand here in the order of the chapter, eighty-five in all:
- anāśramitva: living outside the four āśramas, in a self-willed nāstika way;
- anagnitā: giving up agnihotra, havana and all such works;
- vratahīnatā: keeping no vrata, of satya, brahmacarya, Ekādaśī and the like;
- adātṛtva: never giving anything, whether food, wealth or blessing;
- aśauca (impurity);
- nirdayatā (lack of compassion);
- lobha (greed);
- kshamāśūnyatā (lack of forbearance);
- janapīḍā (hurting people);
- falling into prapañca (entanglement);
- amaṅgala (inauspiciousness);
- vratabhaṅga (breaking a vrata);
- nāstikatā;
- vedanindā (reviling the Veda);
- harshness;
- untruth;
- hiṃsā;
- theft;
- being given over to the senses;
- not keeping the mind in control;
- krodha (anger);
- īrshyā (envy);
- dvesha (hatred);
- dambha (pretence);
- śaṭhatā (crookedness);
- dhūrtatā (cunning);
- harsh speech;
- pramāda (heedlessness);
- not supporting one’s wife, son, mother and the like;
- doing pūjā of one unfit for it;
- giving up śrāddha;
- not doing japa;
- giving up balivaiśvadeva and the pañcayajña;
- giving up the daily rites of sandhyā, tarpaṇa, havana and the like;
- letting the fire go out;
- union with one’s wife outside the ṛtu time;
- union on parva days and the like;
- slander;
- going with another’s wife;
- going to courtesans;
- giving dāna to an unfit person;
- giving too small a dāna;
- antyaja-saṅga (association with antyajas);
- not serving mother and father;
- quarrelling with everyone;
- disrespect for the Purāṇas and Smṛtis;
- eating what must not be eaten;
- svāmi-droha (betraying one’s master);
- acting without reflection;
- doing farm work;
- bhāryā-saṅgraha;
- not conquering the mind;
- forgetting vidyā;
- abandoning the śāstra;
- taking a loan and not repaying it;
- citrakarma (painting work);
- being ever a slave of desires;
- selling wife, son, daughter and the like;
- union with animals;
- cutting trees for fuel;
- pouring water and the like into burrows;
- fouling the water of tanks and the like;
- selling vidyā;
- giving up one’s own vṛtti (calling);
- begging;
- being a bad friend;
- killing a woman;
- killing a cow;
- killing a friend;
- killing an unborn child;
- paurohitya (serving as a priest);
- taking another’s food and the food of a śūdra;
- performing the agni-karma of a śūdra;
- doing a rite without its vidhi;
- being a bad son;
- begging though learned;
- talkativeness;
- taking pratigraha (gifts);
- being without the śrauta saṃskāras;
- not removing the pain of one in distress;
- brahmahatyā;
- surāpāna;
- theft of gold;
- going to the guru’s wife;
- keeping company with pātakīs.
“These are the offences,” said Vasishṭha. “Other knowers of the truth have told of offences of various other kinds.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
Bhagavān Satyeśa
“Anagha,” said Vasishṭha, “by pūjā of Bhagavān Satyeśa all offences perish at once. Through a person’s vrata and pūjā, Bhagavān Satyeśa himself comes under the devotee’s control.”
Bhagavān Vishṇu, Jagatpati (master of the world), stands with Lakshmī on a dhvaja that is Satya in form. He holds the padma, the divine Kaumodakī gadā, the divine Pāñcajanya śaṅkha and the Sudarśana cakra. The holy Gaṅgā arose from the tip of his lotus foot. Bhagavān Vishṇu as Satyeśa wears white cloth. He is saumya (gentle), of pleased face, adorned with all ornaments and radiant, and he is the giver of bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti.
The Brahmapañcaka
Five forms stand around Bhagavān Satyeśa:
- to the east, Vāmadeva;
- to the south, Bhagavān Nṛsiṃha;
- to the west, Bhagavān Kapila;
- to the north, Varāha;
- above, Acyuta.
These five are to be known as the Brahmapañcaka. They are Satyeśa himself, and they should always receive pūjā.
The eight śaktis
His eight śaktis (divine powers) are:
- Jayā
- Vijayā
- Jayantī
- Pāpanāśinī
- Unmīlanī
- Vañjulī
- Trispṛśā
- Vivardhanā
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
When it is kept
The vrata is kept in the twelve months beginning with Mārgaśīrsha, on Dvādaśī, Amāvāsyā or Ashṭamī, without regard to śukla or kṛshṇa paksha. It is kept in both pakshas. Being purified, one keeps it with an upavāsa.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
The vidhi
- Take the saṅkalpa (the solemn resolve) to do pūjā of Janārdana in both pakshas.
- Having taken the niyama (the rule of the vrata), clean the teeth, bathe in a tank, a pushkara or at home, and do the nitya (daily) and naimittika (occasional) rites.
- Have an image of Satyeśa with Lakshmī made, of one pala of gold, seated on a padmāsana with the eight śaktis.
- Set the image on a golden lotus resting on a kumbha filled with milk.
- On the karṇikās (the pericarp of the lotus) do pūjā of the eight śaktis of the Devādhideva.
- Then do pūjā of Bhagavān Satyeśa (Vishṇu) and Satyā (Lakshmī) with the various upacāras (offerings) beginning with pādya (water for the feet).
- Then pray with these words.
कृष्ण कृष्ण प्रभो राम राम कृष्ण विभो हरे।
त्राहि मां सर्वदुःखेभ्यो रमया सह माधव ॥
पूजा चेयं मया दत्ता पितामह जगद्गुरो।
गृहाण जगदीशान नारायण नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
kṛshṇa kṛshṇa prabho rāma rāma kṛshṇa vibho hare
trāhi māṃ sarvaduḥkhebhyo ramayā saha mādhava
pūjā ceyaṃ mayā dattā pitāmaha jagadguro
gṛhāṇa jagadīśāna nārāyaṇa namo’stu te
Kṛshṇa, Kṛshṇa, Prabhu Rāma, Rāma, Kṛshṇa, Vibhu, Hari: save me from all sorrows, Mādhava, together with Ramā. This pūjā is given by me, Pitāmaha, Jagadguru. Accept it, Jagadīśāna, Nārāyaṇa; namaḥ to you.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
After the prayer, give dāna (a gift) to a brāhmaṇa as one is able, and close the vrata.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
The udyāpana
The udyāpana (concluding rite) is done at the end of the year. The vratī prays to the brāhmaṇa: “O brāhmaṇa devatā, may all my pāpas go.” The brāhmaṇa says: “May all your pāpas and sorrows go.” Then the vratī gives the image to the brāhmaṇa and closes the vrata.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
The phala
Vasishṭha gives the phala (fruit) of the vrata as Brahmā has told it:
- endless fruit comes from this vrata;
- it gives a koṭi times the fruit gained from the study of all the Vedas and from travel to all the tīrthas;
- in this world it gives wealth, grain, sons, grandsons, friends and happiness;
- it gives vidyā and good health;
- it gives dharma, artha, kāma and moksha, without doubt;
- all the pāpas of one who reads or hears this also go.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 146