Sukṛta Dvādaśī
Sukṛta Dvādaśī · su-kṛta dvādaśī, “the twelfth day of good deeds”
The Sukṛta Dvādaśī is a vrata that begins with a fast on the Phālguna śukla ekādaśī and the pūjā of Bhagavān Madhusūdana on the dvādaśī, and runs through a year in three pāraṇās. It destroys pāpas and brings puṇya, and for that reason it is called the Sukṛta Dvādaśī. The Bhavishya Purāṇa gives it in Uttara Parva, Chapter 82, where Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to Yudhishṭhira.
With it Śrī Kṛshṇa tells of the vaiśya Sīrabhadra of Vidiśā, who gave no thought to the next world and became a preta in the Vindhya forest. The brāhmaṇa Vipīta told him that a single fast on this dvādaśī, ten births before, had already destroyed a very large part of his pāpa, and by the fruit of that fast Sīrabhadra attained moksha after a short time. A man or woman who keeps the vrata by its rule never goes to naraka.
The account of Sīrabhadra
Yudhishṭhira asks what act removes all troubles and leaves no anguish, and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa answers with this ākhyāna.
In former times in the city of Vidiśā lived a vaiśya named Sīrabhadra. He was wholly taken up with supporting his sons, grandsons, daughters, wife and others, and even in dream gave no thought to the next world. He gathered wealth by just means and unjust. He never so much as named dāna, homa or deva-pūjā, and he gave up his own nitya and naimittika karmas. After some time he died, and lived as a preta in a yātanā-deha (a body of suffering) in Vindhyāraṇya.
One day in the hot season a Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa named Vipīta saw that preta rolling in the sand of a river, scorched by the sun’s rays, with blisters on all his limbs, his throat dry with thirst, his tongue hanging out, drawing long breaths. Seeing his state the brāhmaṇa felt great compassion and asked his account.
The preta said: “Brahman, I burn because in my former birth I did no act for the next world. I was ever attached to thoughts of wealth, house, fields, sons and wife, and never thought of my true good. ‘This is done and this is to be done’: my whole life went in that weaving and unweaving, and this is its fruit. Through greed I bore every hardship of cold and heat, yet for dharma I bore not the least hardship, and now I repent. I never honoured devas, pitṛs or guests, and that is why I do not now get even food and water. Others must be enjoying the wealth I gathered by injustice, and the thought gives me no rest. I never honoured brāhmaṇas nor did deva-arcana. I gathered only pāpa, so I alone taste its fruit. I reap only what I did. So, Munīśvara, if there is any means by which I may be raised from this evil state, tell it.”
Vipīta Muni said: “Sīrabhadra, ten births ago, wishing to do ārādhanā of Bhagavān Acyuta, you fasted on the Sukṛta Dvādaśī. By its power a very large part of this pāpa has already been destroyed. Now in a short time you will reach a good state.”
Having comforted Sīrabhadra thus, Vipīta Muni went to his āśrama. Sīrabhadra too, as the fruit of the dvādaśī vrata, attained moksha after a short time.
Śrī Kṛshṇa concludes: “Mahārāja, such is the power of upavāsa that so much pāpa was destroyed in so short a time. So a person should always strive for puṇya and keep up fasts and the like for his own good.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 82
The rule
Yudhishṭhira then asks: “By pāpas one must bear the most dreadful yātanā of naraka. What vrata destroys all pāpas and gives moksha?” Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches:
- Fast on the Phālguna śukla ekādaśī. Give up kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, dambha and the like. Contemplate the emptiness of saṃsāra, and do japa of the eight-syllable mantra oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya.
- In the same way on the dvādaśī do the pūjā of Bhagavān Madhusūdana.
- At the pāraṇā of the first four months, Phālguna to Jyeshṭha, give brāhmaṇas vessels of silver, copper or clay filled with barley.
- At the second pāraṇā, from Āshāḍha, give a vessel of ghṛta.
- In the four months from Kārtika, offer a vessel of tila to brāhmaṇas.
- After pūjā pray to Bhagavān Madhusūdana for his anugraha, and then eat.
- When the year is complete have a gold pratimā of Bhagavān Vishṇu made, do its pūjā, and give it with cloth, gold and dakshiṇā, and a cow with her calf, to brāhmaṇas.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 82
The phala
A man or woman who keeps this Sukṛta Dvādaśī by this rule never goes to naraka. No hindrance of naraka comes to a bhakta of Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa. On uttering the name of Bhagavān Vishṇu all pāpas are destroyed; what then is the question of fear of naraka? So too one who utters the names of Vāsudeva Nārāyaṇa never sees the face of Yama. Therefore the pure names of Bhagavān Vishṇu should be uttered.
The list of vratas in Uttara Parva, Chapter 208, names the Sukṛta Dvādaśī.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 82, 208
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 82, 208