Acalā Saptamī Vrata
Acalā Saptamī Vrata · acalā saptamī vrata, “the vrata of the unmoving seventh day”
The Acalā Saptamī Vrata is the sacred bath and pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya kept on the saptamī (seventh tithi) of the bright fortnight of Māgha, with one meal on the shashṭhī (sixth tithi) before it. Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to King Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Chapter 53, and calls its rule most secret. The śukla saptamī of Māgha is also the day of the Ratha Saptamī.
Yudhishṭhira asks it for those who cannot keep the dawn bath of the whole month of Māgha, above all for women, who are tender and cannot bear that hardship. Śrī Kṛshṇa answers that one who bathes on this one day by the rule gains the fruit of the whole Māgha-snāna. He tells of Indumatī, a beautiful veśyā (courtesan) of Magadha who had never given a gift or kept a vrata. Moved by the passing nature of saṃsāra (the round of birth and death), she took refuge with Vasishṭha Maharshi. He taught her this bath, and after death she became chief among the apsarās of Devarāja Indra.
The keeper bathes before sunrise in water no one has yet stirred, with a lamp held on the head and the mind on Bhagavān Sūrya. Then the lamp is floated on the water, Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī are honoured at the centre of a lotus drawn in candana (sandal paste), and Bhagavān Sūrya is honoured on its eight petals by eight names. The rite ends with the gift of a vessel to a brāhmaṇa, gifts to the guru and the feeding of brāhmaṇas.
The question of Yudhishṭhira
King Yudhishṭhira said to Śrī Kṛshṇa: “You have told me the rule of the Māgha-snāna, which gives all excellent fruits. But what should one do who cannot bathe at dawn? Women are very tender; how can they bear the hardship of that bath? Tell me a way by which, with a little effort, women may gain beauty, saubhāgya (good fortune), children and endless puṇya.”
Śrī Kṛshṇa said: “Mahārāja, I tell you the most secret rule of the Acalā Saptamī, by which all excellent fruits are gained. Hear an account about it.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 53
Indumatī of Magadha
In the Magadha country there lived a very beautiful veśyā named Indumatī. One day, sitting at dawn, she began to reflect on the passing nature of saṃsāra:
- “See how terrible is this ocean of saṃsāra, made of the objects of the senses. Beings drowning in it are tormented by birth, death, old age and the like, and by its water-creatures, and still they cannot get across.”
- “This host of beings made by Brahmā is burned by the fire of Kāla (Time), with the karma they have done as its fuel.”
- “The days that pass empty of dharma, artha and kāma: from where do they ever come back?”
- “The day on which good acts such as snāna (sacred bath), dāna (gift), tapas, homa, svādhyāya (study of the Veda) and pitṛ-tarpaṇa (water offered to the ancestors) are not done is a wasted day.”
- “All of life goes by in anxiety over sons, wife, house, field and wealth, and then death comes and seizes one.”
Thinking so, weary of the world and shaken, Indumatī went to the āśrama of Vasishṭha Maharshi. She bowed and said with folded hands: “Mahārāja, I have never given any dāna, nor kept any good practice such as japa, tapas, vrata or fasting, nor done the ārādhanā of any devatā, of Bhagavān Śiva, Bhagavān Vishṇu or any other. Now, in fear of this terrible saṃsāra, I have come to your refuge. Tell me such a vrata as will raise me.”
Vasishṭha Maharshi said: “Varānanā (fair-faced one), bathe on the saptamī of the bright fortnight of Māgha, by which all fruits such as beauty, saubhāgya and a good gati (destination after death) are gained. On the shashṭhī eat once. On the saptamī, at dawn itself, go to a river bank or a tank whose water no one has yet stirred by bathing, and there do dīpa-dāna (the gift of a lamp) and snāna, for water washes away impurity. Afterwards give dāna according to your means. By this you will have welfare.”
Hearing these words, Indumatī returned home and did the snāna, the dhyāna and the other acts by the rule he gave. By the power of the saptamī bath she enjoyed the happiness of the world for many days. After leaving the body she was established as the chief nāyikā (leading lady) among all the apsarās of Devarāja Indra.
Śrī Kṛshṇa said: “This Acalā Saptamī stills all pāpas and increases happiness and saubhāgya.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 53
The vidhi
Yudhishṭhira asked to hear the rule of the bath, and Śrī Kṛshṇa gave it, step by step.
On the shashṭhī. Be ekabhukta (eating once) and do the pūjā of Sūryanārāyaṇa.
The bath before sunrise. On the saptamī, as far as possible, rise at dawn, go to a river or lake, and try to bathe very early, at the time of aruṇodaya (the first red of dawn).
The lamp on the head. In a vessel of gold, silver or copper put a wick dyed with kusumbha (safflower) and sesame oil, and light the lamp. Place the lamp on the head, and in the heart meditate on Bhagavān Sūrya with the three verses of the dhyāna. They offer namaskāra to him in the form of Rudra, as master of the rasas and as Varuṇa. They pray that Mākarī Saptamī, the Saptamī of Makara, may destroy the pāpa done through life and in seven births, and with it disease and grief. And they bow to Saptamī, mother of all beings, the Devī who takes away every illness, in the maṇḍala of Ravi.
The water. Then float the lamp on the water. Bathe, and do tarpaṇa (offering of water) to the devas and pitṛs.
The lotus of candana. With candana make a lotus of eight petals with a pericarp. In its centre establish Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī and do the pūjā with the praṇava (the syllable Oṃ).
The eight names. On the eight petals, in order from the east, do the pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya by these names, each with Oṃ before it and namaḥ after it, as in ॐ भानवे नमः (oṃ bhānave namaḥ) and ॐ रवये नमः (oṃ ravaye namaḥ):
- Bhānu
- Ravi
- Vivasvān
- Bhāskara
- Savitā
- Arka
- Sahasrakiraṇa
- Sarvātmā
The upacāras and the farewell. So do the pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya according to rule, with flowers, dhūpa (incense), dīpa (lamp), naivedya (food offered), cloth and the other upacāras. Take leave of him with the words स्वस्थानं गम्यताम् (svasthānaṃ gamyatām), “may you go to your own place”.
The gift of the vessel. In a vessel of copper or clay put tila (sesame) flour with guḍa (jaggery) and ghṛta (ghee), and an ear-ornament of gold shaped like a tāla leaf. Cover it with red cloth, do its pūjā with flowers, dhūpa and the rest, and give the vessel to a brāhmaṇa with the wish that misfortune and sorrow be destroyed.
The prayer. Then pray:
सपुत्रपशुभृत्याय मेऽर्कोऽयं प्रीयताम्
saputra-paśu-bhṛtyāya me ‘rko ‘yaṃ prīyatām
May Bhagavān Sūrya be gracious to me, with my sons, cattle and servants.
The close. Give the guru cloth, tila, a cow and dakshiṇā (the gift of honour), feed other brāhmaṇas according to your means, and so complete the vrata.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 53
The phala
- Vasishṭha Maharshi says the saptamī bath gives beauty, saubhāgya, a good gati and all fruits.
- The Acalā Saptamī stills all pāpas and increases happiness and saubhāgya.
- One who bathes on the Acalā Saptamī by this rule gains the fruit of the whole Māgha-snāna.
- The verses of the dhyāna ask that the pāpa of seven births, disease and grief be destroyed.
- One who with bhakti tells or hears this māhātmya (account of its glory), or teaches it to people, will surely reach an excellent loka.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 53
In the index of the Uttara Parva
The Acalā Saptamī is named among the saptamī rites in the list of vratas given in the last chapter of the Uttara Parva.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 208
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 53, 208