Vijayā Saptamī Vrata
Vijayā Saptamī Vrata · vijayā saptamī vrata, “the vow of the victorious seventh day”
Vijaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Vijaya.
The Vijayā Saptamī is the śukla paksha Saptamī (the seventh day of the bright half of the month) that falls on a Sunday. It is a vrata of Bhagavān Sūrya. The Bhavishya Purāṇa tells it twice: in the Brahma Parva, where Brahmā teaches it to Diṇḍi as one of seven kinds of Saptamī, and in the Uttara Parva, where Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to Yudhishṭhira.
The vrata is kept with snāna (bath), dāna, japa, homa and upavāsa (fast). In Brahmā’s account the keeper fasts in order through the days before the Saptamī, worships Bhagavān Sūrya on the ground, lies before him at night with the Gāyatrī or the Saura Sūkta, and on the Saptamī worships, offers homa and feeds brāhmaṇas. In Śrī Kṛshṇa’s account the keeper goes round Bhagavān Sūrya seven times, each round with its own fruit, offers a stream of cow’s ghee, a flag and a white umbrella, keeps seven such Saptamīs, and closes with 108 homas and the gift of a Sūrya pratimā (image). It destroys even the greatest pāpas, gives health, long life, sons and learning, and gives vijaya (victory) to a king in war, and for this it bears its name. Its keeper dwells in Sūryaloka and is born again as a great king.
As Brahmā taught it
The seven kinds of Saptamī
Brahmā tells Diṇḍi that seven kinds of Saptamī tithi are told: Jayā, Vijayā, Jayantī, Aparājitā, Mahājayā, Nandā and Bhadrā. When a śukla paksha Saptamī falls on a Sunday (Bhānuvāsara), it is the Saptamī called Vijayā. Dāna given on that day gives great fruit. Snāna, dāna, homa and upavāsa done on it destroy even mahāpāpas (the greatest pāpas).
The fast
Brahmā gives two orders of the fast.
The first order.
- Pañcamī: ekabhukta (one meal).
- Shashṭhī: a night meal.
- Saptamī: upavāsa.
- Ashṭamī: pāraṇa (the breaking of the fast).
The second order. Some bring the deva under their sway by their own niyama and nishṭhā (rule and steadfastness), and some cannot do so. Because it is thought that one should fast on Shashṭhī also, Brahmā tells it thus:
- Caturthī: ekabhukta.
- Pañcamī: nakta bhojana (a night meal).
- Shashṭhī: worship Bhagavān Sūrya with gandha (sandal paste), pushpa (flowers) and the other upacāras (offerings).
The rite
- Set up the pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya on the ground itself, and at night lie down before him.
- Lie down doing japa of the Gāyatrī Mantra or reciting the Saura Sūkta.
- On the Saptamī rise and bathe, and do japa of the letters of the Mahāśvetā mantra or of the Shaḍakshari.
- Worship Bhagavān Sūrya and perform homa according to rule.
- According to ability and with bhakti, feed brāhmaṇas. The feast is śāli rice, bhakshyas (sweet foods), sweet cakes, ghee, pāyasa (sweet milk-rice) and the like.
- Give dakshiṇā with respect and send the brāhmaṇas on their way.
Red karavīra flowers, kuṅkuma ointment and Vijaya dhūpa (incense) in this vrata give satisfaction to Bhagavān Sūrya.
The phala
Done with upavāsa, this vrata gives the excellent state of Sūryaloka. It removes pāpa, gives puṇya and destroys even mahāpāpas. Dāna and havana (fire offering) made on this occasion are akshaya (undecaying). Snāna, dāna, homa and pitṛ-pūjana (the honouring of the ancestors) done on the Vijayā Saptamī destroy mahāpāpas. It grants all desires.
Brahmā closes, addressing his listener as Tripurāntaka: “I have thus told you this vrata, which grants all desires.” Remembering or hearing this rite is praised as bringing kīrti (fame), āyush (long life) and dhanyatā (good fortune).
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 81
Vijayā in Bhagavān Vishṇu’s question
In a later chapter of the Saptamī Kalpa, Bhagavān Vishṇu says to Brahmā that he has heard from him of the tithis Vijayā, Atijayā and the great tithi Jayantī, and he asks next of the Pāpanāśinī.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 106
As Śrī Kṛshṇa taught it
Yudhishṭhira asked Śrī Kṛshṇa whom one worships in the Vijayā Saptamī vrata, what its rule is and what its fruit is. Śrī Kṛshṇa answered that when a śukla Saptamī falls on an Ādityavāra (Sunday), it is called Vijayā Saptamī, and that it destroys all pāpas. Bath, dāna, japa, homa, fasting and the other acts done that day give endless fruit.
The pradakshiṇā of Bhagavān Sūrya
Whoever that day takes fruits, flowers and so on and does pradakshiṇā (reverent circling) of Bhagavān Sūrya gains an excellent son with all virtues. The seven rounds are made in this order:
- With coconuts.
- With raktanāgara.
- With bijaurā limes.
- With kadalī (banana) fruit.
- With an excellent kūshmāṇḍa (ash gourd).
- With ripe tendū fruits.
- With vṛntāka (brinjal) fruits.
Or one may do 108 pradakshiṇās.
Pradakshiṇā may also be done with pearl, parāga, sapphire, emerald, gomeda, diamond, vaidūrya and the like. It may be done with walnut, bera (jujube), bilva, karauṃdā, mango, āmrātaka, jāmuna, or whatever fruits and flowers are found at that time.
The rules of the pradakshiṇā: do not sit down midway, do not touch anyone, do not speak to anyone. By pradakshiṇā with a single mind Bhagavān Sūrya is pleased.
The offerings and the prayer
- Give a vasordhārā (a stream) of cow’s ghee.
- Offer a flag with small bells and a white umbrella.
- Perform the pūjā with kuṅkuma, gandha, flowers, dhūpa, naivedya (food offering) and the other upacāras, and with all this pray to Bhagavān Sūrya for kshamā (forgiveness):
भानो भास्कर मार्तण्ड चण्डरश्मे दिवाकर।
आरोग्यमायुर्विजयं पुत्रं देहि नमोऽस्तु ते॥bhāno bhāskara mārtaṇḍa caṇḍa-raśme divākara |
ārogyam āyur vijayaṃ putraṃ dehi namo’stu te ||“O Bhānu, Bhāskara, Mārtaṇḍa, Caṇḍaraśmi, Divākara, give health, long life, victory and a son. Namaskāra to you.”
In this vrata keep upavāsa, or naktavrata (a meal only at night), or ayācitavrata (taking only what comes unasked).
By keeping the Vijayā Saptamī with niyama (the rules of the vrata), the sick man is freed of sickness, the poor gains Lakshmī, the sonless gains a son, and the student gains vidyā (learning).
The seven Saptamīs and the close
On seven śukla Saptamīs that fall on an Ādityavāra keep naktavrata and eat mūṅga (green gram). Sleep on palāśa leaves on the ground.
At the close of the vrata perform the pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya and do 108 homas with the six-syllable mantra “Khakholkāya namaḥ” (खखोल्काय नमः).
Install a pratimā of Bhagavān Sūrya in a gold vessel, and give a brāhmaṇa a red cloth, a cow and dakshiṇā, reciting this mantra:
ॐ भास्कराय सुदेवाय नमस्तुभ्यं यशस्कर।
ममाद्य समीहितार्थप्रदो भव नमो नमः॥oṃ bhāskarāya sudevāya namas tubhyaṃ yaśaskara |
mamādya samīhitārtha-prado bhava namo namaḥ ||“Oṃ, to Bhāskara, the good deva; namaskāra to you, giver of fame. Today be the giver of what I desire. Namaskāra, namaskāra.”
Then do śayyā-dāna (the gift of a bed), śrāddha, pitṛ-tarpaṇa and the other acts.
Why it is called Vijayā, and the phala
By this vrata the journeys of travellers become favourable, and a king wishing for victory surely gains victory in war. So it is known in the world as the Vijayā Saptamī.
The man who keeps it enjoys all the happiness of the world and dwells in Sūryaloka. Then he is born again on earth as a great and mighty king: generous, enjoying, learned, long-lived, free of disease, happy, rich in elephants, horses and jewels. A woman who keeps it gains puṇya and excellent fruits. “Rājan,” says Śrī Kṛshṇa, “have not the least doubt in this.”
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 43
The Āditya-maṇḍala dāna on this day
Śrī Kṛshṇa also tells Yudhishṭhira of the dāna of the Āditya-maṇḍala, which brings good and removes everything inauspicious, and which is given on the Vijayā Saptamī. Mix guḍa (jaggery) into flour of barley or wheat, cook it well in cow’s ghee, and make a very beautiful apūpa (cake) like the disc of Bhagavān Sūrya. Perform the pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya. Before him draw a maṇḍapa with red sandal, and on it place this cake, the maṇḍaka. Invite a brāhmaṇa with respect, and give him the maṇḍaka with a red cloth and dakshiṇā, reciting the mantra; the brāhmaṇa accepts it with his own mantra. If one is able, give the maṇḍaka every day with a pure bhāva (heart), for the pleasure of Bhagavān Sūrya.
Whoever gives the maṇḍaka by this rule becomes a king by the grace of Bhagavān Sūrya, and shines in svarga like Bhagavān Sūrya.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 44
The name Kalyāṇa Saptamī
In a later chapter Śrī Kṛshṇa says that the śukla Saptamī on which there is an Ādityavāra is called Vijayā Saptamī or Kalyāṇa Saptamī, and that this tithi is full of great puṇya.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 48
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 81, 106; Uttara Parva, Chapters 43–44, 48