Jātismara Bhadra Vrata

Jātismara Bhadra Vrata · jāti-smara bhadra vrata, “the auspicious vow that brings memory of former births”

The Jātismara Bhadra Vrata is the vrata by which a person comes to remember his former birth. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa (Chapters 13–14), and calls its rite most hidden, told by him to no one before. It is kept in four parts within one year, in Mārgaśīrsha, Phālguna, Jyeshṭha and Bhādrapada. These four are its Bhadras, and each is one pāda (quarter) of the vrata. In each, the vratī takes one meal on the śukla Pratipadā and then keeps the four days from Dvitīyā to Pañcamī. By day he offers pūjā to Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa under four names, and at moonrise he gives arghya (a respectful offering) to Candra.

Śrī Kṛshṇa tells the account of the vaiśya Śubhodaya, who kept this vrata on the bank of the Yamunā. By its power he was born as Svarṇashṭhīvī, son of King Sañjaya, and he knew his former birth. All women and men should keep this vrata, Śrī Kṛshṇa says. It gives birth in an excellent family, beauty, long life and the memory of the past, with śrī and vijaya from Candradeva.

The question of Yudhishṭhira

Yudhishṭhira said to Śrī Kṛshṇa that the knowledge of one’s former births is very hard to gain. He asked whether it comes by the vara of ṛshis, by the ārādhanā (devoted service) of devatās, or by tīrtha, snāna, homa, japa, tapas, vrata and the like. If there is a vrata by which former births are remembered, he said, let it be told.

Śrī Kṛshṇa answered that a person who fasts with śraddhā (faith) in the Bhadravrata in the four months of Mārgaśīrsha, Phālguna, Jyeshṭha and Bhādrapada, in order, within one year, remembers his former birth. Then he told the account.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

The account of Śubhodaya and Svarṇashṭhīvī

In ancient times a vaiśya named Śubhodaya lived on the bank of the Yamunā, and he used to keep this vrata. In time he died, and by the power of the vrata he was born as the son of King Sañjaya, with the name Svarṇashṭhīvī. He remembered his former birth. After some days thieves killed him, and by the power of Nārada he came back to life. By the power of the vrata he knew all these past events well.

Yudhishṭhira asked how he got that name, why the thieves killed him, and by what means he lived again. Śrī Kṛshṇa told it in full.

King Sañjaya lived in the city of Kuśāvatī. One day two munis, Nārada and Parvata, both friends of the king, came to him, and he honoured them with arghya, pādya (water for the feet), a seat and other upacāras (offerings of service). At that moment the king’s most beautiful daughter came there. Parvata Muni saw her and was enchanted, and he asked who she was. “Muni, she is my daughter,” said the king.

Then Nārada said: “Rājan, give this daughter of yours to me, and ask of me whatever rare vara you wish.” The king, delighted, said: “Devarshi, give me a son such that wherever he passes urine, stool or spittle, all of it becomes the finest gold.” “So it shall be,” said Nārada. Having the vara he sought, the king adorned his daughter with cloth and ornaments and gave her in marriage to Nārada.

Seeing this līlā of Nārada, Parvata Muni’s lips trembled with anger and his eyes grew red. “Nārada, you have married her,” he said, “so you shall not be able to go with me to svarga and the other lokas. And the son for whom you gave this king the vara shall be killed by thieves.”

Nārada answered: “Parvata, you pronounce a śāpa on me without knowing dharma. She is a kanyā; no one has a right over her. He to whom her mother and father give her by dharma becomes her svāmī. You have pronounced this śāpa on me in delusion, so you too shall not be able to go to svarga. Though King Sañjaya’s son be killed by thieves, I shall bring him back from Yamaloka.” Having pronounced śāpas on each other, and honoured by King Sañjaya, the two munis went to their own āśramas.

Then, in the seventh month, a son was born to the king, as beautiful as Kāmadeva, and he knew his former births. By Nārada’s vara, wherever he passed urine, stool and the like, it became gold, and so the king named him Svarṇashṭhīvī. The prince understood the speech of all living beings.

Gaining great wealth through his son, King Sañjaya performed the Rājasūya and other yajñas by the rule. He built many wells, tanks and devālayas, and he appointed a great army to protect his son. Great heaps of gold gathered with him by Svarṇashṭhīvī’s power.

After some time thieves, proud and maddened by greed, heard of the prince’s great fame and carried him off. When they saw no gold anywhere in his body, they killed him and threw him in the forest. The king grieved greatly and lamented. Then Nārada came there again. He told the gāthās (sung accounts) of many ancient kings and removed the king’s sorrow. Then he went to Yamaloka and brought back the prince.

Rejoicing to have his son, the king asked by the power of what karma his son had become Svarṇashṭhīvī and by what karma he remembered his former birth. Nārada said: “Rājan, he has performed the vrata named Bhadra by the rule four times. This is its power.” Saying this, Nārada went away.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

The four Bhadras

The four Bhadras of this vrata are its four pādas. The first is in Mārgaśīrsha, the second in Phālguna, the third in Jyeshṭha and the fourth in Bhādrapada. Each has its own name, for the three months that begin with that month’s śukla paksha:

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

Who may keep it

All women and men should keep this Bhadravrata. The four varṇas are entitled to its mantras; varṇasaṅkaras are not. A widow of good conduct is also entitled to it. A married woman takes it up with her husband’s permission.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

The vidhi

Yudhishṭhira asked for the rite of these Bhadras in detail. Śrī Kṛshṇa said: “This most hidden rite I have told to no one. I tell it to you; listen with care.”

The days

In Mārgaśīrsha śukla paksha, the tithis Dvitīyā, Tṛtīyā, Caturthī and Pañcamī are held most excellent. On Pratipadā the vratī keeps the senses under control and takes one meal (ekabhukta).

The bath at midday

On Dvitīyā, after the morning’s daily rites, at midday, the vratī applies gomaya (cow dung), earth and the like with mantras and bathes. With the earth he prays to Mṛttikā, the sacred earth: “You are revered by the devas who destroy the wicked daityas. I too revere you with bhakti. Make me pure as well.”

Then, going before the water, he applies a paste of white mustard, black tila, vaca and sarvaushadhi (all herbs). He draws a maṇḍala in the water and recites these mantras, which salute the one who is first of all devas and of the worlds, the pati (master) of beings, plants and rasas, and call here the waters of Gaṅgāsāgara, Pushkara, the Narmadā, the Yamunā and Sānnihatya:

त्वमादिः सर्वदेवानां जगतां च जगन्मये।
भूतानां वीरुधां चैव रसानां पतये नमः ।।
गङ्गासागरजं तोयं पौष्कर नार्मदं तथा।
यामुनं सांनिहत्यं च संनिधानमिहास्तु मे ॥

tvamādiḥ sarvadevānāṃ jagatāṃ ca jaganmaye |
bhūtānāṃ vīrudhāṃ caiva rasānāṃ pataye namaḥ ||
gaṅgāsāgarajaṃ toyaṃ paushkara nārmadaṃ tathā |
yāmunaṃ sāṃnihatyaṃ ca saṃnidhānamihāstu me ||

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

After reciting them he bathes, wears clean cloth, and does sandhyā and tarpaṇa (offering of water). He comes home, stays under niyama (rule of restraint), and speaks to no one until moonrise.

The pūjā of the four days

On Dvitīyā and the following tithis the vratī offers pūjā with bhakti to Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa, under a name for each day and to one part of his form, with excellent flowers, dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya and the like. At night, at moonrise, he gives arghya to Candra under the name of that day.

The arghya to Candra

The arghya is made with candana, agaru, karpūra, dadhi (curd), dūrvā grass, akshata (unbroken rice), many gems, flowers, fruits and the like. As the moon grows day by day, the arghya too is increased. The mantra says: “O Ramānuja! At the end of each month you appear in ever new form. You nourish with havishya the devas together with the three agnis. You arose from the churning of the Kshīra Sāgara. By your light the directions and the spaces between are lit. You are the shining lamp in the courtyard of the sky. Salutations to you.”

After offering the arghya to the moon, the vratī gives that arghya to a brāhmaṇa.

The meal at night

Then, in silence, he spreads padma leaves on the ground to eat. The purified ground or stone surface is cleansed with palāśa or aśoka leaves, and he prays to Bhūmi with this mantra:

त्वत्तले भोक्तुकामोऽहं देवि सर्वरसोद्भवे ॥
मदनुग्रहाय सुस्वादं कुर्वन्नममृतोपमम् ।

tvattale bhoktukāmo’haṃ devi sarvarasodbhave ||
madanugrahāya susvādaṃ kurvannamamṛtopamam |

“O Pṛthvī Devī, source of all rasas! I wish to eat in your shelter. To show me favour, make this food of excellent taste, like amṛta.”

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

Then he eats vegetables and cooked food, each day the food of its tithi. In this Bhadravrata, sāvāṃ millet, rice, cow’s ghṛta and other cow products, and forest fruits obtained without asking are held excellent. After the meal he does ācamana, touches the limbs, does dhyāna of the moon, and sleeps on the ground.

The close

Then in the morning he bathes, does tarpaṇa of the pitṛs, feeds brāhmaṇas, gives them dāna and dakshiṇā and sends them off. Afterwards he eats with his servants and relatives.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

The phala

Śrī Kṛshṇa says that by this vrata the vratī is born in an excellent kula (family), and is beautiful, long-lived and knows his former birth.

• One who keeps the four Bhadravratas of three months each for a full year, with bhakti and without negligence, is blessed by Candradeva, who grants śrī, vijaya and the like.
• A kanyā who keeps it gains a good husband.
• A durbhagā, an unfortunate woman, becomes subhagā, fortunate, and a sādhvī, and gains lasting saubhāgya (good fortune).
• One seeking a kingdom gains a kingdom, one seeking wealth gains wealth, one seeking a son gains a son.
• A woman is married into an excellent kula, and gains an excellent bed, food, vehicle, seat and other good things.
• A man gains wealth, sons and a wife, together with knowledge of his former birth.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 13–14