Caitra Māsa Māhātmya: Śrī Rāma’s Proclamation

Caitra Māsa Māhātmya means “the glory of the month of Caitra”. According to the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Bhagavān Rāma himself proclaimed this glory at the end of his Aśvamedha Yāga (the great horse sacrifice), at Śiva’s request. He did so at the avabṛtha snāna (the closing ritual bath of the yajña), held on Rāma Navamī. Rāma declared that from then on Caitra would be the first and foremost month of the year, in place of Mārgaśīrṣa, which had held that place before. He also declared that every good act done in Caitra, especially bathing at Rāma-tīrtha in Ayodhyā, gives a crore times the usual puṇya.

Pārvatī then asked Sītā to grant a vara (boon) for women. Sītā proclaimed the Akṣaya Māsa, “the month that never runs out”, from Caitra Śukla Tṛtīyā to Vaiśākha Śukla Tṛtīyā. During this time women should perform the Sītā-Gaurī bath at Rāma-tīrtha.

The Setting: Śiva’s Requests

At the close of Rāma’s Aśvamedha Yāga, after the avabṛtha snāna on Rāma Navamī (Caitra Śukla Navamī, the ninth day of the bright half of Caitra), Śiva and Brahmā came down with all the devas to praise Rāma. Śiva made four requests:

  1. That Rāma would give his darśana (sacred sight) at the tīrthas (holy places) every year
  2. That the Rāmeśvara liṅga would be the foremost of all liṅgas
  3. That Ayodhyā would be the foremost city
  4. That the Sarayū would be the foremost river

Rāma granted all four. Then, in the joy of that moment, he added his own proclamations about Caitra of his own accord.

Rāma’s Proclamation: Caitra as the First Month

Rāma declared:

“Parameśiva! What you have asked is exactly what is in my heart. Hear my auspicious words spoken with joy. Among all months, Caitra shall be the greatest. Vaiśākha is great; Kārttika is greater than Vaiśākha; Māgha is greater still than Kārttika. But Caitra surpasses all of these, for in Caitra I was born, and in Caitra the avabṛtha snāna of this Aśvamedha Yāga has occurred. Therefore, by these two special distinctions, Caitra shall henceforth yield the greatest fruit of all months.”

He declared that all good acts done in Caitra, whether puṇya-karma (meritorious deeds), dāna (giving), homa (fire offering), snāna (holy bathing) or smaraṇa (remembering Bhagavān Rāma), give a koṭi (crore, ten million) times the puṇya they give in other months. When they are done in Ayodhyā, the puṇya is even greater.

He further ordained: “Until now, Mārgaśīrṣa was counted as the first month (prathama). From this day, Caitra is the first month. As Śiva (Śaṅkara) is foremost among the devas, Caitra shall be foremost among the months.”

The Caitra Bath at Rāma-tīrtha

Rāma proclaimed that every human being, old, sick or woman, without exception, must bathe at Rāma-tīrtha in the month of Caitra every year, by his ājñā (command). He commanded all the devas to live in the outer waters (bahir-jala, the Sarayū) during Caitra, making the river especially powerful. He described the combined puṇya of a Caitra bath at Rāma-tīrtha:

“The puṇya of performing an Aśvamedha Yāga; the puṇya of a Gomedha Yāga; the puṇya of a Somayāga with subsequent Caitra snāna; the puṇya of bathing at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse; the puṇya of the Māgha snāna at Prayāga; the puṇya of the Kārttika pañca-Gaṅgā snāna at Kāśī; the puṇya of the Vaiśākha snāna at Dvārakā’s Cakra-tīrtha: all of these combined are the fruit obtained from a single Caitra snāna at Rāma-tīrtha in Ayodhyā.”

He also declared: “My tīrtha (Rāma-tīrtha) is made holy with my own tejas (radiance), and is hereby made the foremost of all tīrthas. It destroys all pāpa (wrongdoing); there is no doubt of this.”

Ayodhyā Proclaimed the Greatest City

As part of the Caitra proclamations, Rāma declared the greatness of Ayodhyā with these comparisons:

  • One day in Ayodhyā gives the puṇya of sixty years of good deeds in other places.
  • By Rāma’s command, Ayodhyā is one hundred times greater than Kāśī in its power to grant mokṣa.
  • Among all cities, Ayodhyā is supreme: the giver of mokṣa (liberation) itself.

These declarations, made at the high point of the Aśvamedha, are understood as Bhagavān Rāma’s own approval of Ayodhyā’s first place among the seven mokṣa-purīs (the seven holy cities that grant liberation).

The Akṣaya Māsa: Sītā’s Proclamation for Women

After Rāma’s proclamations, Pārvatī (Girijā) turned to Sītā and said: “Sītā, for the welfare of all women and for the good of the whole world, please give a vara (boon).” Sītā gladly answered by proclaiming the Akṣaya Māsa:

“Among all tīrthas, snāna here (at Rāma-tīrtha) is the most excellent. From Caitra Śukla Tṛtīyā to Vaiśākha Śukla Tṛtīyā, this month shall be called the Akṣaya Māsa, the inexhaustible month. During this time, women who faithfully perform the Sītalā-Gaurī snāna (the pure bathing ritual in the name of Sītā-Gaurī) for the full month at Rāma-tīrtha will obtain saubhāgya (auspiciousness and happiness in marriage) and putra-pautra-vṛddhi (increase of sons and grandsons). My tīrtha shall always be on the left side of Rāma-tīrtha; it will be called Sītā-tīrtha.”

After making this proclamation, Sītā returned to her quiet place at Rāma’s side, as her guru Vasiṣṭha directed.

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa’s proclamation of Caitra as the foremost month is mentioned alongside other texts:

  • Akṣaya Tṛtīyā (Vaiśākha Śukla Tṛtīyā), known from the Skanda Purāṇa and Viṣṇu Dharmottara traditions, is the last day of the Akṣaya Māsa declared here by Sītā.
  • The Ayodhyā Māhātmya of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa strongly supports the greatness of the Sarayū and of Rāma-tīrtha.
  • In the Bhagavad Gītā, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says that among months he is Mārgaśīrṣa (māsānāṃ mārgaśīrṣo ‘ham).

Sources

  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Yāga Kāṇḍa (Book 3), Sarga (Chapter) 9