Daṇḍakara and the Vishṇupañcaka Vow
Chapter 23 of the Brahma Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa tells of Daṇḍakara, a Śūdra of the Tretā Yuga. He was a man of bad habits who did every kind of wrong, and even his own kin turned him out. In the forest he met brāhmaṇas who were devotees of Vishṇu, sitting under a Dhātrī tree. They told him to keep the Vishṇupañcaka vow. He kept it, and after death he reached the home and form of Vishṇu and was free from rebirth.
The Vishṇupañcaka vow
The Vishṇupañcaka is the last five days of the month of Kārtika. It is declared to be the best of the five vows of Kārtika. A man who in these days does pūjā to Śrī Hari (Kṛshṇa) with Rādhā, with sandal paste, flowers, incense, clothes and many kinds of fruit, is freed from all pāpa (sin) and goes to the home of Vishṇu. Without the Vishṇupañcaka vow, no student, householder, forest-dweller or renunciant reaches the highest place. A man who bathes in these days gets the fruit of bathing at all holy places.
The vow is kept like this:
- On the eleventh day (Ekādaśī) the man does pūjā to Vishṇu in purity and serves him with cow-dung and sacred hymns.
- On the twelfth day (Dvādaśī) he drinks cow’s urine with hymns.
- On the thirteenth day (Trayodaśī) the special rite is done.
- On the fourteenth day he drinks milk.
- On the fifth day (Kārtika pūrṇimā) he bathes and does pūjā to Vishṇu. He feeds brāhmaṇas with devotion and gives them gifts. At night he takes the pañcagavya (the mixture of five products of the cow), made holy with sacred hymns.
Vishṇu himself would honour the man who keeps the vow.
Daṇḍakara’s bad ways
In the Tretā Yuga there lived a Śūdra named Daṇḍakara, who had the ways of a habitual wrongdoer. He always spoke against dharma. He told lies and hurt his friends. He wanted prostitutes eagerly. He snatched the wealth of brāhmaṇas and was cruel. He wanted other men’s wives and killed those who came to him for shelter. He kept company with those who reject the Vedas. He ate cow’s flesh and drank liquor. He always spoke ill of others, was a traitor, and took away the living of his own kin.
Driven out by his family
His kin saw how he behaved and came to his house in anger. They said: “O fool, O man of wicked ways, you are destroying the good name of our pure family, won by our forefathers.”
Out of respect for their family and fear of a bad name, they gave Daṇḍakara up. His good name was gone. He went to a great forest and went on doing the deeds of wrongdoers with his companions.
Meeting the brāhmaṇas
One day, as he walked through the forest, Daṇḍakara and his companions could find no food. Pressed by hunger and fear, they went to another place. There they saw many fine brāhmaṇas of great puṇya (merit), devotees of Vishṇu, sitting at the root of a Dhātrī tree. All the robbers went up to them.
Daṇḍakara also went near and bowed. He said: “O best of brāhmaṇas, hunger is crushing me. Surely my life will leave me. Give me something to eat. I have come to you for shelter.”
The brāhmaṇas’ instruction
The brāhmaṇas, who held dharma in high regard, said: “How can you want to eat food on this day that belongs to Vishṇu, in the Vishṇupañcaka, which is well known as the remover of pāpa? Tell us about yourself. What is your name?”
He answered gladly: “O brāhmaṇas, my name is Daṇḍakara. I am a Śūdra. I am full of every pāpa. How can I be set free?”
They said: “Keep the best vow, called Vishṇupañcaka.”
At the order of the brāhmaṇas, Daṇḍakara kept the Vishṇupañcaka vow.
Liberation
After death Daṇḍakara got into a fine chariot. He reached the home of Vishṇu and the form of Vishṇu, and stayed there free from rebirth.
Sources
- Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 23