Rudra Snāna

Rudra Snāna · rudra-snāna, “the holy bath of Rudra”

The Rudra Snāna is the holy bath of Rudra, which quiets all doshas. It is kept by a woman who is mṛtavatsā (whose sons die young), vandhyā (without child-bearing), durbhagā (ill-fated), without offspring, or who bears only daughters. In the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa (Chapter 124), Mahārāja Yudhishṭhira asks for its rule, and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa passes on what Bhagavān Skanda, commander of the deva army, told Maharshi Agastya when Agastya asked.

On an ashṭamī, a caturdaśī or a Sunday, a maṇḍapa is built with an eight-petalled lotus, Bhagavān Mahādeva is installed at its centre with Devī Pārvatī and Vināyaka, and the dikpālas on the petals. Homa and the recitation of the Ekādaśa Rudra follow, and in a second maṇḍapa the ācārya bathes the woman with consecrated water. She gains saubhāgya and happiness, and her children live.

When and where

She keeps it on an ashṭamī, a caturdaśī or a Sunday. The place is a river bank, a saṅgama of great rivers, a Śivālaya, a cow-shed, or her own house. She learns the rule of the snāna from a worthy brāhmaṇa and then bathes.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 124

The vidhi

  1. On a place smeared with cow-dung she has a fine maṇḍapa made, and in its middle an eight-petalled lotus.
  2. In the middle, on the karṇikā, she installs Bhagavān Mahādeva. On his left and right respectively she installs Devī Pārvatī and Vināyaka. On the eight petals she installs Indra and the other dikpālas.
  3. Pūjā of them is done with gandha and the other upacāras.
  4. Kalaśas are set at the four corners of the maṇḍapa, and bhūta-bali is given in the four directions.
  5. A kuṇḍa is made in the agni-corner, the south-east, of the maṇḍapa. Homa is done with salt, mustard, ghee and honey, with the Vaidic mantra mā nas toke tanaye (Yajus 16.16).
  6. Ācārya, Brahmā (the ritual office) and ṛtvijas are chosen, and also a jāpaka, a reciter. The recitation of the Ekādaśa Rudra is arranged.
  7. A second maṇḍapa is built in the same way. The woman sits in it, and the ācārya, a worshipper of Rudra, bathes her.
  8. For the abhisheka, water is taken in a cup of arka leaf, the Rudraikādaśinī is recited, and the woman receives abhisheka with that consecrated water.
  9. Then she is bathed with water mixed with the seven earths, with the water of the Rudra-kalaśa, and with the consecrated water of the kalaśas of Indra and the other dikpālas.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 124

The dakshiṇā

When the rite is complete, she gives a cow of gold, a living cow and other materials to the ācārya, feeds brāhmaṇas, gives them cloth and dakshiṇā, and asks forgiveness.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 124

The phala

A woman who bathes by this rule gains saubhāgya and happiness and becomes a mother of sons. All doshas dwelling in her body go away by the command of the brāhmaṇas and by the Rudra Snāna. A woman desiring sons, Lakshmī and happiness should certainly do this vrata; by it she becomes jīvadvatsā, one whose children live.

The index of the Bhavishyottara at the close of the Uttara Parva names this rite as Rudra Snāna Vidhi.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 124, 208

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 124, 208