Āśā Daśamī Vrata
Āśā Daśamī Vrata · āśā-daśamī-vrata, “the tenth-day vow of hope”
The Āśā Daśamī Vrata is a vrata kept on the daśamī (tenth tithi) of the śukla paksha of any month, for the ten Āśā Devīs, the devīs of the directions. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa (Chapter 64). It is kept every month until one’s wish is fulfilled, and then closed with an udyāpana.
Śrī Kṛshṇa tells how Damayantī, left alone by Nala in the forest, reached her parents’ home and there, taught by the purohita Damana, kept this vrata and by its power regained her husband. By it, he says, a prince gains his kingdom, a maiden a bridegroom and the sick their health. It is kept whenever anyone has any trouble, and it is especially good for women.
The account of Nala and Damayantī
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells this to Pārtha Yudhishṭhira. In ancient times in the land of Nishadha there was a king named Nala. His brother Pushkara defeated him at dice, and Nala left the kingdom with his wife Damayantī. Every day they wandered from one forest to another, living on water alone, through terrible forests empty of people.
Once the king saw in the forest some birds with the lustre of gold. Wishing to catch them, he spread his cloth over them, but they all flew off into the sky with the cloth. Deeply grieved, and seeing Damayantī in deep sleep, he left her as she was and went away.
Damayantī woke, did not find Nala, and wept aloud in that terrible forest. Burning with grief, she wandered here and there, longing to see him. After many days she reached the land of Cedi, and there she lived as one distracted, with little children crowding round her.
One day the mother of the king of Cedi saw her lying on the ground like the digit of the moon, her face shining. She called her to the palace and asked: “Lovely one, who are you?” Damayantī, abashed, said: “I am a sairandhrī. I wash no one’s feet and I eat no one’s leavings. If anyone tries to win me while I live here, he must be punished by you. Devī, on this condition I can stay here.” The Rājamātā agreed, and some time passed.
Then a brāhmaṇa brought Damayantī to her parents’ home. Though she had the love of her parents and brothers, she was very unhappy without her husband. She called an excellent brāhmaṇa and asked: “Revered brāhmaṇa, tell me a dāna and vrata by which my husband may come back to me.” This was the purohita named Damana, learned in the Purāṇas, and he said: “Bhadrā, keep the Āśā Daśamī vrata, which gives the fulfilment of what the mind desires.” Damayantī kept the vrata, and by its power she regained her husband.
Then Yudhishṭhira asked: “Govinda, how is this vrata kept? You know all things; tell me.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 64
What the vrata gives
- A prince gains his kingdom.
- A farmer gains his crop.
- A merchant gains in trade.
- One seeking a son gains a son.
- A human being gains the fulfilment of dharma, artha and kāma.
- A maiden gains an excellent bridegroom.
- A brāhmaṇa completes a yajña without obstacle.
- The sick is freed from sickness.
- A woman whose husband has been long away soon regains him.
- In a child’s teething pain, the pain goes and there is no trouble.
It should be kept for the success of other undertakings too, and whenever anyone has any trouble, for its removal.
When it is kept
It is kept on the daśamī of the śukla paksha of any month, and every month in this order until one’s wish is fulfilled.
The vidhi
- In the morning, bathe and worship the devatās.
- At night, worship the ten Āśā Devīs with flowers, alakta, candana and so on.
- In the courtyard of the house, with barley or pishṭātaka (flour), form images of the guardians of the ten directions, beginning with the east, with their vāhanas and weapons. Regard these as the direction-devīs beginning with Aindrī, and worship them.
- Offer to all of them naivedya full of ghee, a separate lamp for each, seasonal fruit and so on.
- Pray for the success of your purpose: “O Āśā Devīs, may my hopes always bear fruit, may my wishes be fulfilled, and by your grace may it always go well with me.”
- Give dakshiṇā to a brāhmaṇa and take the prasāda.
The ten Āśā Devīs
- Aindrī
- Āgneyī
- Yāmyā
- Nairṛti
- Vāruṇī
- Vāyavyā
- Saumyā
- Aiśānī
- Adhaḥ
- Brāhmī
The udyāpana
When the wish is fulfilled, make images of the Āśā Devīs of gold, silver or pishṭātaka and worship them in the courtyard of the house. Pray to the ten for the fulfilment of your wishes, and for the same end to the nakshatras, grahas, tārāgrahas, nakshatra-mātṛkās, bhūtas, pretas and vināyakas. Worship them with flowers, fruit, dhūpa, gandha, cloth and so on. Suhāginī women keep the night awake with dance and song. In the morning give all the things that were worshipped to a learned brāhmaṇa, bow to him and ask forgiveness. Then eat with a glad mind with kin and friends.
The phala
“O Pārtha! One who keeps this Āśā Daśamī vrata with śraddhā has all wishes fulfilled.” The vrata is especially good for women.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 64
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 64, 208