Nine Namaskāras of the Saṅkrānti Lotus

Nine Namaskāras of the Saṅkrānti Lotus · saṅkrānti padma nava-namaskāra, “the nine salutations of the saṅkrānti lotus”

The nine namaskāras of the Saṅkrānti lotus are the nine name-mantras with which Bhagavān Sūrya is invoked on an eight-petalled lotus in the Saṅkrānti vrata. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa gives them to King Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa.

The setting

Śrī Kṛshṇa describes a vrata in the form of an udyāpana done at saṅkrānti, which gives the fruit of all desires here and imperishable fruit hereafter. It begins on the day of Sūrya‘s uttarāyaṇa or dakshiṇāyana, or at the vishuva yoga. The day before, one eats once; on the saṅkrānti day one bathes in water mixed with sesame, draws an eight-petalled lotus with its pericarp on the ground with sandal, and invokes Sūrya on it with these mantras.

The nine namaskāras

The phala

Having established Sūrya Deva with these mantras, one worships him again and again with sandal, garlands, fruit and foods, gives a golden lotus with a vessel of ghee and a kalaśa, and offers arghya on the ground, praising him as Ananta, whose form is the universe, self-born, the Dhātā and master of the Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur Vedas. This is done every month, or twelve times on the day the year ends. At the end of the year twelve cows with gems and a golden lotus are given, with an image of Pṛthvī with Śesha Nāga. As long as the earth, the devas, the mountains and the seven oceans endure, the gandharvas in svarga honour that vratī; when his puṇya is spent he is born in a noble family and becomes master of the seven dvīpas. Whoever reads or hears this rule with bhakti, or assents to its being done, is honoured by the devas in Indraloka.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 115–116

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 115–116