Ashṭamī Vratas (Nārada Purāṇa)

Ashṭamī Vrata, simply known as Ashtami Vratas, Sanskrit: अष्टमी व्रत, Telugu: అష్టమి వ్రతాలు, Hindi: अष्टमी व्रत.

Ashṭamī is the eighth lunar day (tithi) of each fortnight. Devī Bhavānī is the chief presiding devī of Ashṭamī, and each month a particular form of her is honoured, such as Aparājitā. Sanātana Maharshi teaches the Ashṭamī vratas of all twelve months in the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 117.

Caitra Śukla Ashṭamī is the birthday of Devī Bhavānī. Śrāvaṇa Bāhula Ashṭamī is the great Kṛshṇa Janmāshṭamī. Its central rite is the ten-day daśa-phala vrata, with the repetition of ten names of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa. It gives the phala of a koṭi (ten million) Ekādaśī vratas, and in the end Goloka.

Caitra Śukla Ashṭamī: the birth of Bhavānī

This day is the birth of Devī Bhavānī. Make one hundred pradakshiṇas (circumambulations) and arrange a yātrā-mahotsava (a festival procession). Darśana of Jagadambā gives all joy (sarva-ānanda) to everyone.

Another rite is also set for this day, the Aśoka-kalikā-prāśana. When Caitra Śukla Ashṭamī joins with Punarvasu nakshatra, one drinks (prāśana) eight buds of the Aśoka flower. This makes sure that one never knows sorrow.

The same day is called Mahāshṭamī in the tradition of Devī-pūjā.

Vaiśākha Śukla Ashṭamī: Aparājitā vrata

Fast (upavāsa) on this day. Bathe in water. Bathe Aparājitā Devī with māṃsī-bālaka water. Honour her with gandha and the upacāras (offerings), and offer śarkarā-naivedya (food made with sugar). On Navamī feed kanyakās (young girls).

Phala: by the grace of the Devī, the devotee shines like the sun in a luminous vimāna (celestial car) and moves freely through the worlds.

Jyeshṭha Bāhula Ashṭamī

Honour the Devī. The devotee moves joyfully in a vimāna with Gandharvas and Apsarases.

Āshāḍha Śukla Ashṭamī

  1. Bathe in water at night.
  2. Bathe the Devī in the same water.
  3. Honour her with all the upacāras.
  4. Bathe her again with pure water and apply candana (sandal paste).
  5. Offer śarkarā-naivedya.
  6. Offer ācamana (water for sipping).
  7. Feed brāhmaṇas and give them hema-dakshiṇā (gold as dakshiṇā), then let them go.
  8. Eat in silence.

Phala: Devī-loka.

Śrāvaṇa Śukla Ashṭamī

Honour the Devī with all the upacāras. Bathe her with milk. Offer mishṭānna-naivedya (sweet food). The next day feed brāhmaṇas.

Phala: increase of children.

Śrāvaṇa Bāhula Ashṭamī: Kṛshṇa Janmāshṭamī

This is the great Kṛshṇa Janmāshṭamī, the birthday of Śrī Kṛshṇa. This Ashṭamī destroys the pāpas of all people. Fasting (upavāsa) through the day destroys the pāpas of seven births (janmas).

Daśa-phala Kṛshṇa vrata

Honour ten names of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa for ten days, each day with ten tulasī leaves. The ten names are:

  1. Kṛshṇa
  2. Vishṇu
  3. Ananta
  4. Govinda
  5. Garuḍa-dhvaja
  6. Dāmodara
  7. Hrishīkeśa
  8. Padmanābha
  9. Hari
  10. Prabhu

Make pradakshiṇā and namaskāra (circumambulation and prostration) as well.

The full procedure of Janmāshṭamī

  1. The one who keeps the vrata bathes in a clean river with tila (sesame).
  2. He makes a maṇḍala (a sacred diagram) on a clean place.
  3. In the centre of the maṇḍala he sets a kalaśa (water-pot) of copper or clay.
  4. He places a pātra (vessel) on the kalaśa.
  5. He covers a golden pratimā (image) of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa with two cloths.
  6. He honours it with pādya (water for the feet) and all the upacāras.
  7. On all sides he honours Devakī Devī, Vasudeva, Yaśodā Devī, Nanda, Vṛndāvana, the Gopālas, the Gopikās, and the cows, in all directions.
  8. He offers nīrājana (waving of lights), asks forgiveness (kshamā), and bows in devotion. He stays like this until midnight.
  9. At midnight he gives the image a snāna (bath) with pañcāmṛta and then with pure water, and honours it with gandha.
  10. He offers naivedya of voma (ajwain), jilakara (cumin), śuṇṭhi (dry ginger) and kalakanda mixed with ghee, in a silver vessel.
  11. He offers nīrājana again and meditates on the form of the Daśāvatāra, the ten avatāras.
  12. He gives arghya to the rising moon.
  13. He asks Śrī Kṛshṇa’s forgiveness again. He spends the rest of the night in reciting Purāṇas and stotras (Purāṇa-stotra-pāṭha) and in song and music (gīta-vādya).
  14. At dawn he feeds the best of brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇottamas) with sweet food and gives dakshiṇā gladly.
  15. He gives to the guru a golden pratimā of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, a svarṇa-dhenu (a cow made of gold), and gold. Then he eats.
  16. The whole household and the relatives eat together.

Phala: at death he boards an excellent vimāna and reaches Goloka. No vrata equal to this exists in the three worlds. The one who keeps it gets the phala of a koṭi Ekādaśī vratas.

On the Navamī that follows the Devī Ashṭamī vratas, feed kanyakās, young girls.

Sources

  • Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 117