Mārgaśīrsha Śukla Dvādaśī Vrata

Mārgaśīrsha Śukla Dvādaśī Vrata, simply known as Margashirsha Shukla Dvadashi Vrata, Sanskrit: मार्गशीर्ष शुक्ल द्वादशी व्रत, Telugu: మార్గశిర శుక్ల ద్వాదశి వ్రతం, Hindi: मार्गशीर्ष शुक्ल द्वादशी व्रत.

The Nārada Mahā Purāṇa gives a series of twelve monthly Dvādaśī vratas, one for each month of the year, beginning from Mārgaśīrsha. They are kept on Śukla Dvādaśī, the twelfth tithi of the bright fortnight. Each month, a different name of Bhagavān Vishṇu is worshipped with a fast (upavāsa), worship three times a day, a homa, a night vigil and a special gift. The phala goes from many Agnishṭoma yajñas to an Aśvamedha and a Purushamedha. The twelve vratas together make a whole year of Vishṇu-Dvādaśī practice. The text is the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17.

What is common to all the vratas

  1. Upavāsa on Dvādaśī, with control of the mind and senses (manojaya, indriya-jaya).
  2. Worship three times a day (trishkāla arcana) of the form of Bhagavān Vishṇu named for that month.
  3. Abhisheka (bathing the mūrti) with milk, pāyasa or ghee, depending on the month.
  4. Homa, in general with 108 āhutis (offerings), with the materials of that month.
  5. Jāgaraṇa (night vigil) on the night of Dvādaśī.
  6. Dāna to a brāhmaṇa on the morning of Trayodaśī, with a mantra of that month.
  7. Brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas), and then the keeper eats with his family.

The monthly vratas

1. Mārgaśīrsha Śukla Dvādaśī: Nārāyaṇa

  • Name worshipped: Nārāyaṇa.
  • Mantra: Namo Nārāyaṇāya.
  • Abhisheka: Milk (pāyasa).
  • Homa: Sesame with ghee.
  • Dāna: Nuvvula (sesame) pōṅgal with dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Sarvātmā sarvalokeśaḥ sarvavyāpī sanātanaḥ, Nārāyaṇaḥ prasannas syāt kṛśarānna-pradānataḥ

May Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa, the self of all, the master of all worlds, the all-pervading and eternal, be pleased by this gift of kṛśarānna food.

  • Phala: Eight Agnishṭoma yajñas.

2. Māgha Śukla Dvādaśī: Mādhava

  • Name worshipped: Mādhava.
  • Mantra: Namaste Mādhavāya.
  • Abhisheka: One śera of milk, with eight ghee āhutis into the fire (agni).
  • Homa: 108 sesame āhutis with ghee.
  • Dāna: Tila (sesame seeds), one kilo, with dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Mādhavaḥ sarvabhūtātmā sarvakarmaphalapradaḥ, tiladānena mahatā sarvān kāmān acchatu

Mādhava is the self of all beings and the giver of the fruit of all actions. By this great gift of sesame, may he grant all wishes.

  • Phala: The merit of 100 Soma-pāya yāgas.

3. Phālguṇa Śukla Dvādaśī: Govinda

  • Name worshipped: Govinda.
  • Mantra: Govindāya namastu bhyam.
  • Abhisheka: One śera of milk, with 108 ghee-and-sesame āhutis.
  • Dāna: Four śeras of dhānya (grain) with dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Namo Govinda sarveśa gopikā-jana-vallabha, anena dhānya-dānena prīto bhava jagadguro

Salutation to Govinda, master of all, dear to the gopikās. By this gift of grain, be pleased, teacher of the world.

  • Phala: The full phala of the Gomedha yāga.

4. Caitra Śukla Dvādaśī: Vishṇu

  • Name worshipped: Vishṇu.
  • Mantra: Namo’stu Vishṇave tubhyam.
  • Abhisheka: Milk and ghee, one śera of each.
  • Homa: 108 āhutis with honey, ghee and sesame.
  • Dāna: Four śeras of rice (tāṇḍula) with dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Prāṇarūpī Mahāvishṇuḥ prāṇadas sarvavallabhaḥ, tāṇḍulādaka-dānena prīyatāṃ me Janārdanaḥ

Mahāvishṇu is the very breath, the giver of breath, dear to all. By this gift of rice, may Janārdana be pleased with me.

  • Phala: Eight times the phala of the Ātyagnishṭoma yāga.

5. Vaiśākha Śukla Dvādaśī: Madhusūdana

  • Name worshipped: Madhusūdana.
  • Mantra: Namaste Madhuhane.
  • Abhisheka: With the thirty-two names of Madhusūdana, in milk.
  • Homa: 108 ghee āhutis.
  • Phala: Eight Aśvamedha yāgas.

6. Jyeshṭha Śukla Dvādaśī: Trivikrama

  • Name worshipped: Trivikrama.
  • Abhisheka: Four śeras of milk.
  • Homa: 108 pāyasa āhutis.
  • Dāna: Twenty apūpas (sweet cakes) with a coconut and dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Deva deva jagannātha! prasīda parameśvara! upāyanaṃ ca saṃgṛhya mama’bhīshṭa-prado bhava

Deva of devas, Jagannātha! Be pleased, Parameśvara! Take this offering and give me what I wish.

  • Phala: Eight Naramedha yāgas.

7. Āshāḍha Śukla Dvādaśī: Vāmana

  • Name worshipped: Vāmana.
  • Mantra: Namaste Vāmanāya.
  • Homa: 108 āhutis of ghee and garika (khas-khas, poppy seed).
  • Abhisheka: Four śeras of milk.
  • Dāna: Dadhy-anna (curd rice) with a coconut and dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Vāmano vṛddhido hotā dravyastho Vāmanapradā, Vāmanas tārako’smāc ca Vāmanāya namo namaḥ

Vāmana gives growth. He is the hotā (the priest of the fire) and abides in things. He is the giver of Vāmana. Vāmana carries us across from this world. Salutation, again and again, to Vāmana.

  • Phala: 100 Agnishṭoma yāgas.

8. Śrāvaṇa Śukla Dvādaśī: Śrīdhara

  • Name worshipped: Śrīdhara.
  • Mantra: Namo’stu Śrīdharāya.
  • Abhisheka: Milk mixed with honey.
  • Homa: 108 āhutis of curd mixed with ghee.
  • Dāna: Four śeras of milk, with gold earrings, cloth and dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Kshīrābdhi-śāyin! Deveśa! Ramākānta! Jagatpate! kshīra-dānena suprīto bhava sarva-sukha-pradaḥ

Bhagavān Vishṇu who sleeps on the ocean of milk! Deveśa! Husband of Ramā! Master of the world! Be well pleased by this gift of milk, you who give all happiness.

  • Phala: 1,000 Aśvamedha yāgas.

9. Bhādrapada Śukla Dvādaśī: Hṛshīkeśa

  • Name worshipped: Hṛshīkeśa.
  • Mantra: Hṛshīkeśa namastubhyam.
  • Abhisheka: 32 śeras of milk.
  • Homa: 108 āhutis of honey and pāyasa.
  • Dāna: Six śeras of wheat (godhūma) with gold and dakshiṇā.
  • Dāna mantra:

Hṛshīkeśa namastubhyaṃ sarvalokaika-hetave, mahyaṃ sarvasukhaṃ dehi godhūmasya pradānataḥ

Hṛshīkeśa, salutation to you, the one cause of all the worlds. By this gift of wheat, give me all happiness.

  • Phala: The phala of the Brahmamedha yāga.

10. Āśvayuja Śukla Dvādaśī: Padmanābha

  • Name worshipped: Padmanābha.
  • Mantra: Namaste Padmanābhāya.
  • Abhisheka: Milk.
  • Homa: Sesame (tila), grain (dhānya) and barley (yava), with ghee.
  • Dāna: Curd rice with gold and dakshiṇā. The text goes on with a dāna mantra; it is not given here.
  • Phala: Not given.

The last two months

The remaining two months are Kārtika and one more month. They follow the same pattern, with Dāmodara and Keśava, in that order.

The phalaśruti

Each monthly vrata carries the phala named above, from the merit of many Agnishṭoma yāgas to the Aśvamedha and the Brahmamedha. One who completes the whole year of twelve Dvādaśī vratas gains the phala of all twelve together.

Sources

  • Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17