Daśamī Vratas (Nārada Purāṇa)
Daśamī Vrata, simply known as Dashami Vratas, Sanskrit: दशमी व्रत, Telugu: దశమి వ్రతాలు, Hindi: दशमी व्रत.
Daśamī is the tenth lunar day (tithi) of each fortnight. Dharmarāja (Yama) and the Dik-devatās, the devas of the directions, preside over Daśamī. Sanātana Maharshi teaches the Daśamī vratas of the twelve months in the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 119.
Special observances are Gaṅgā Daśaharā (Jyeshṭha Śukla Daśamī), Vijayadaśamī (Āśvayuja Śukla Daśamī, with the worship of the Śamī tree and the pūjā of Rāma, Lakshmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna), the Daśāvatāra vrata (Bhādrapada Śukla Daśamī) and the worship of the fourteen Yamas in Phālguna. Keeping these vratas gives the grace of Dharmarāja, svarga and in the end Vishṇu-loka.
Month-by-month vratas
Caitra Śukla Daśamī
Honour Dharmarāja with fruits and flowers of the season, gandha (sandal paste) and the upacāras (offerings). Fast, or keep eka-bhukta (one meal). Feed fourteen brāhmaṇas and give dakshiṇā.
Phala: the grace of Dharmarāja; rising to equality with the devas.
Vaiśākha Śukla Daśamī
Honour Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu with gandha and white fragrant flowers. Make one hundred pradakshiṇas (circumambulations). Feed brāhmaṇas with great effort.
Phala: Vishṇu-loka.
Jyeshṭha Śukla Daśamī: Gaṅgā Daśaharā
This is the most sacred Daśamī. On this day Gaṅgā came down from svarga to Bhūloka. The ten-fold yoga that makes this day a supreme puṇya-kāla (time of merit) is:
- Jyeshṭha māsa (the month of Jyeshṭha)
- Budha-graha (Wednesday)
- Daśamī tithi
- Gara (the karaṇa)
- Ānanda (the yoga) or Vyatīpāta (the yoga)
- Kanyā nakshatra
- Vṛshabha (Sūrya in Vṛshabha)
- Sūrya present
This Daśahara-yoga is the combination that destroys ten pāpas. Bathing in the Gaṅgā on this day leads to Śrī Hari-loka.
Āshāḍha Śukla Daśamī
The Manus and the forefathers declared this Āshāḍha Śukla Daśamī to be pavitra (pure). Snāna, japa, dāna and homa on this day all give svarga.
Śrāvaṇa Śukla Daśamī
This Daśamī fulfils all hopes (sarva-āśāpūraka). Honour Bhagavān Śiva with gandha and the upacāras. Fast, or keep eka-bhukta. Feed brāhmaṇas. Do japa, tarpaṇa and go-anna-dāna (giving cows and food). All of these destroy all pāpa (sarva-pāpa-nāśaka).
Bhādrapada Śukla Daśamī: Daśāvatāra vrata
Bathe in a lake or river. Perform sandhyāvandana. Offer tarpaṇa to the devas, the ṛshis and the pitṛs. Then honour the Daśāvatāras, the ten avatāras, with full devotion:
- Matsya
- Kūrma
- Varāha
- Nārasiṃha
- Vāmana
- Śrī Rāma
- Paraśurāma
- Kṛshṇa
- Buddha
- Kalki
Make mūrtis of the ten avatāras in gold and honour them. Feed ten brāhmaṇas and give them gifts. Fast, or keep eka-bhukta. Feed the brahmacārīs and then eat.
Phala: all bhoga (enjoyment) in this world; at death one boards a vimāna (celestial car) and reaches Vishṇu-loka.
Āśvayuja Śukla Daśamī: Vijayadaśamī
This is Vijayadaśamī, the greatest Daśamī.
Morning rite. In the courtyard place four gomaya piṇḍas (balls of cow dung) in a circle (cakravāla-ākāra). In the middle honour Rāma, Lakshmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna. Place wet grain in four covered vessels of gomaya, with a cloth. Honour the four brothers together with father, mother, brother, wife, son and servant, with gandha, pushpa (flowers) and naivedya (food offering). Prostrate. Feed brāhmaṇas, give dakshiṇā and eat.
Phala: wealth and plenty of grain for that year.
Śamī pūjā. In the aparāhṇa (afternoon) honour the Śamī tree, facing east. Take earth from the foot of the tree (śamī-mūla-mṛttikā). Bring it home with songs and music. Honour this holy earth and give it out to others.
Phala: all desired objects.
The ten-direction bali (daśa-diśā bali). Offer bali while reciting prayers to the Lokapālas (guardians of the directions) in the ten directions. Name each one and pray:
“O [Indra / Agni / Yama / Nirṛti / Varuṇa / Vāyu / Soma / Īśāna / Brahma / Ananta], you who grant all desired objects, let my gathered pāpas in the [east / south-east / south / south-west / west / north-west / north / north-east / upper / lower] direction be destroyed!”
After the bali, spend the rest of the night with maṅgala-gītas (auspicious songs), stuti-pāṭha (reciting praises) and japa. At dawn honour the Lokapālas and the brāhmaṇas. Feed twelve brāhmaṇas and give dakshiṇā.
Phala: all bhoga in this world; the joy of svarga for one yuga; birth as a sārvabhauma emperor.
Mārgaśīra Śukla Daśamī: Ārogya vrata
Honour ten brāhmaṇas with gandha and the upacāras. Drink their pādodaka (water that has washed their feet). Give dakshiṇā. Keep eka-bhukta.
Phala: ārogya (health) in Bhūloka; in svarga, enjoyment like a deva, by the grace of Dharmarāja.
Pushya Śukla Daśamī: Viśvedeva vrata
Honour the ten Viśvedevas, who are all forms of Bhagavān Keśava:
- Kratu
- Daksha
- Vastu
- Satya
- Kāla
- Kāma
- Muni
- Guru
- Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
- Rāma
Seat each one on a darbha āsana. Honour each with gandha, dhūpa, dīpa and naivedya. Give a separate dakshiṇā to each. Give gifts to brāhmaṇas or to the guru.
Phala: all bhoga in this world and the next.
Māgha Śukla Daśamī: Daśa-Aṅgiras vrata
Fast. Honour ten golden mūrtis of the Daśa-Aṅgiras devatās with gandha and the upacāras. They are:
- Ātmā
- Āyus
- Manas
- Daksha
- Mada
- Prāṇa
- Barhishmān
- Ganishṭha
- Datta
- Satya
Feed ten brāhmaṇas with sweet food. Give the ten golden mūrtis as dāna, one after another.
Phala: all desired objects.
Phālguna Śukla Daśamī: the vrata of the fourteen Yamas
Honour the fourteen Yamas:
- Yama
- Dharmarāja
- Mṛtyu
- Antaka
- Vaivasvata
- Kāla
- Sarva-bhūta-kshaya
- Audumbara
- Dadhna
- Nīla
- Parameshṭhi
- Vṛkodara
- Citragupta
- (the fourteenth)
Honour them with gandha and the upacāras. Offer tarpaṇa three times to each, with tila-ambumilāmbas (water mixed with sesame) and flowers. Give arghya to Bhagavān Sūrya in a copper vessel, with water mixed with red sandal and lākshatā, and say:
“O Sūrya! O Sahasrāṃśu! O Tejorāśi! O Jagatpati! Come! Accept this arghya that I give with devotion, and be gracious to me.”
Feed fourteen brāhmaṇas. Give silver as dakshiṇā.
Phala: the grace of Dharmarāja; all bhoga with sons; at death a divine vimāna; Vishṇu-loka.
Sources
- Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 119