Manoratha Pūrṇimā Vrata

Manoratha Pūrṇimā Vrata · manoratha-pūrṇimā-vrata, “the full-moon vow of the heart’s wishes”

The Manoratha Pūrṇimā Vrata is a vrata kept from the pūrṇimā (full moon) of Phālguna for a full year, on the pūrṇimā of every month. By it all the wishes (manoratha) of the vratī are fulfilled. The year falls into three pāraṇās (completions) of four months each: Bhagavān Janārdana is worshipped with Lakshmī, then Bhagavān Śrīdhara with Śrī, then Bhagavān Keśava with Bhūti, and each night arghya is offered to the moon.

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells it to King Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Chapter 104. For many births the vratī does not suffer separation from what is dear, and remembering Nārāyaṇa he reaches a divine loka.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 104

The rule of the first pūrṇimā

  1. On the pūrṇimā of Phālguna the vratī bathes and does pūjā of Bhagavān Janārdana together with Lakshmī.
  2. Walking, moving, rising and sitting, he keeps remembering Janārdana at every moment.
  3. He does not speak with a pākhaṇḍa, a patita, a nāstika, a cāṇḍāla and the like, and stays jitendriya (master of the senses).
  4. At night, contemplating Nārāyaṇa and Lakshmī in the moon, he offers arghya.
  5. Then he eats food without oil or salt.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 104

The three pāraṇās

In the same way he goes on through the year. At the end of each pāraṇā he gives dakshiṇā to brāhmaṇas.

PāraṇāMonthsPūjā ofArghyaPrāśana
FirstPhālguna, Caitra, Vaiśākha, JyeshṭhaBhagavān Janārdana with LakshmīTo the moon, contemplating Nārāyaṇa and LakshmīPañcagavya
SecondĀshāḍha, Śrāvaṇa, Bhādrapada, ĀśvinaBhagavān Śrīdhara with ŚrīTo CandraKuśodaka (water with kuśa)
ThirdKārtika, Mārgaśīrsha, Pausha, MāghaBhagavān Keśava with BhūtiTo CandraWater heated by the rays of the sun

At night he sings the praise of Bhagavān Janārdana with song and instruments.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 104

The monthly dāna

Each month he gives a brāhmaṇa a water pot, sandals, an umbrella, gold, cloth, food and dakshiṇā.

If he cannot give dāna every month, then at the end of the year, as his means allow, he makes a gold disc of the moon, does pūjā with fruit, cloth and the like, and offers it to a brāhmaṇa.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 104

The twelve names

One who recites the names of Bhagavān Vishṇu, master of the devatās, in the twelve months from Mārgaśīrsha, in order, is lifted out of durgati (an evil state). The names, in order, are:

  1. Keśava
  2. Nārāyaṇa
  3. Mādhava
  4. Govinda
  5. Vishṇu
  6. Madhusūdana
  7. Trivikrama
  8. Vāmana
  9. Śrīdhara or Hṛshīkeśa
  10. Rāma
  11. Padmanābha or Dāmodara
  12. Devadeveśa

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 104

The phala

For many births the vratī does not suffer separation from what is dear. All his wishes are fulfilled. Remembering Nārāyaṇa, he reaches a divine loka.

The list of vratas at the close of the Uttara Parva names it the Pūrṇamanoratha Vrata, of Phālguna pūrṇimā.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 104, 208

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 104, 208