Candrasahasra Vrata
Candrasahasra Vrata, simply known as Chandrasahasra Vrata, Sanskrit: चन्द्रसहस्र व्रत, Telugu: చంద్రసహస్ర వ్రతం, Hindi: चंद्रसहस्र व्रत.
The Candrasahasra Vrata is a major śānti (peace-making) rite. It is done by a person who has lived long enough to see one thousand full moons. By the reckoning of the text, this is eighty-three years and four months. The udyāpana (concluding rite) is done at the Candrahari tīrtha in Ayodhyā on Jyeshṭha Pūrṇimā, the full-moon day of Jyeshṭha. It is offered to Candra, the deva of the Moon, who is worshipped by sixteen names. The Skanda Purāṇa gives it in the Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, in the Ayodhyā Māhātmya, Chapter 3.
The rite uses gold models of the moon’s disc, a homa with Soma mantras, and the gift of vessels of milk. It ends with the worship of a brāhmaṇa couple. The text says that even a person guilty of brahmahatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa), drinking liquor, theft, or defiling the guru’s bed is made pure by this vrata and reaches Candraloka.
One thousand moons
When a person has lived eighty-three years and four months of solar time, he has seen one thousand full moons. The Māhātmya gives the count. Every 2 years, 6 months, about 5 fortnights and more than 2 days make one adhikamāsa (extra month), which brings the lunar and solar reckonings together. So one thousand moons come to eighty-three solar years and four months.
Such a long life is itself a mark of blessing. The puṇya of one who lives to see a thousand moons is said to equal:
- the puṇya of those who perform sattra-yajñas (long yajñas) without a break
- the puṇya of those who speak the truth all their lives
- the puṇya of those who give gold all their lives
The udyāpana of the vrata is to be done in the presence of Bhagavān Candrahari at Ayodhyā.
The occasion
Candra himself set up the mūrti of Candrahari at Ayodhyā. He came to Ayodhyā as a pilgrim after hearing of its glory, and he did tapas to please Bhagavān Vishṇu. He won the favour of Bhagavān Vishṇu and set up Hari with his own name before it. So the mūrti became Candrahari.
The yearly festival of Candrahari is on the fifteenth day (Pūrṇimā) of the bright half of Jyeshṭha. This is the day laid down for the udyāpana of the Candrasahasra Vrata.
The observances before
On Caturdaśī (the fourteenth day):
- The devotee cleans his teeth, takes a holy bath, and stays pure in mind, speech and body.
- He keeps control of speech, body and mind.
- He takes the vow of brahmacarya (celibacy).
- These rules continue on Pūrṇimā (the full-moon day) also.
The udyāpana
The first worship
At the start the devotee worships the Mātṛkās, beginning with Gaurī and the others. Then he worships the ṛtviks (officiating priests) with devotion and performs the Vṛddhi Śrāddha, a śrāddha for prosperity and growth.
The gold moon discs
The central object of the vrata is the making of gold models of the moon’s disc:
- Full set: one thousand discs, for the thousand moons seen
- Half set: five hundred discs
- Quarter set: two hundred and fifty discs
- Least: as one’s means allow, even down to one-fourth of the quarter set
- Other way: sixteen auspicious discs, each made of sixteen māsha of gold
Each disc stands for one full moon seen in the long life. The discs are given to brāhmaṇas.
The homa with Soma mantras
The devotee does a homa with Soma mantras, as large as his wealth allows. He sets up the models and recites the Soma mantras. He reads aloud the account of the origin of Soma and recites the Soma Sūkta.
The nyāsa
The devotee does nyāsa (placing the deva on the parts of the body) of these:
- Candra
- The kalās, the sixteen digits or phases of the Moon
- The eleven organs of sense and action
The maṇḍala
A maṇḍala (sacred diagram) is made in the form of the moon’s disc, using auspicious rice grains. A kalaśa (pot) filled with cow’s milk is placed in the centre. Four full kalaśas are placed at the four corners of the outer square.
Worship of Candra by sixteen names
Candra is worshipped in the maṇḍala by calling these sixteen names in order:
- Himāṃśu (cool-rayed)
- Somacandra
- Candra
- Vidhu
- Kumudabandhu (kinsman of the lilies)
- Soma
- Sudhāṃśu (nectar-rayed)
- Oshadhīśa (lord of medicinal herbs)
- Abja (born of water)
- Mṛgāṅka (marked with the image of a deer)
- Kalānidhāna (storehouse of the digits)
- Nakshatranātha (lord of the stars)
- Śarvarīpati (lord of the night)
- Jaivātruka (the long-lived one)
- Dvijarāja (king of the twice-born)
- Śaśāṅka (marked with a hare)
The arghya
The pure devotee offers water from a conch, with this mantra:
“Obeisance to you, O Śaśāṅka, who are born again and again at the end of every month. Accept my arghya together with Rohiṇī.”
The dāna to brāhmaṇas
After the arghya, sixteen kalaśas filled with milk and covered with cloths and jewels are given to a brāhmaṇa, for śānti (peace). The devotee takes a ritual bath with milk and water. He pleases the ṛtviks as his means allow. He feeds brāhmaṇas, especially those with large families, and he worships a brāhmaṇa couple with clothes. He gives money gifts freely.
The gold moon discs are given to brāhmaṇas, together with cows, gold, silver, clothes and cooked rice, to please Candra.
The close
The devotee spends the rest of the day fasting. On the next day, after worshipping Bhagavān Candrahari, he may eat with his kinsmen. The special restraints of the rite are then ended.
The phala
The Māhātmya makes a bold statement about this vrata:
“If a person performs this excellent Candrasahasra Vrata, even if he is a Brāhmaṇa-slayer, a drinker, a thief, or one who defiles the guru’s bed, he shall become pure by this vrata.”
The one who does it goes to Candraloka. Whatever his earlier state, he becomes dear to Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa. Those who do the vrata regularly become blessed and content.
Sources
- Skanda Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Ayodhyā Māhātmya, Chapter 3