Mahāśvetā
Mahāśvetā · mahā-śvetā, “the great white one”
Mahāśvetā is a devī worshipped together with Bhagavān Sūrya in the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa. Her japa runs through the Sūrya vratas that Brahmā teaches to Dindi. She is installed on a sthaṇḍila and worshipped at the close of the arcana of Sūrya, and in Nārada‘s teaching to Sāmba her place is in front of Sūrya, with Śrī.
The japa of Mahāśvetā
Brahmā tells Dindi that those who always fast on Sundays and do japa of Mahāśvetā obtain the things they desire. Those who do her japa under a day-and-night rule of nakta, or under a three-night rule, fulfil the wishes they hold. One who, especially on Sūrya‘s day, does japa of the Sūrya Shaḍaksharī and of Mahāśvetā goes to Sūryaloka. The last of the twelve vāras of Āditya is named Mahāśvetāpriya.
In the Putrada Vāra the vratī does her japa at night in front of Bhagavān Sūrya and sleeps on the ground. In the Ādityābhimukha Vāra he stands facing Sūrya until sunset doing japa of the Mahāśvetā mantra.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 82, 86, 89
The Mahāśvetā Vāra
When a solar eclipse falls on a Sunday, it is greatly excellent. At that eclipse, keeping upavāsa and pure, one does japa of Mahāśvetā, or of Sūryadeva, or of the Śiva Pañcākshari. First one worships Jagadīśvara, that is Bhagavān Sūrya, and after that does japa of Mahāśvetā. One completes the Sūrya arcana having worshipped Mahāśvetā.
The Mahāśvetā sthaṇḍila is prepared outside. With composed mind one installs the devī there and worships her with gandha and flowers. During the eclipse one keeps up her japa, and when the eclipse is released, one bathes with śraddhā and worships Mahāśvetā and Bhagavān Sūrya. The acts of this day have endless fruit: Bhāskaradeva himself declared this.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 92
Her place before Sūrya
Nārada Maharshi teaches Sāmba the places around Bhagavān Sūrya: in front of him is the place of Śrī and Mahāśvetā.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 130
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 82, 86, 89, 92, 130