84 - (The holy rite of Uma-Maheshvara)

Sūta said: 

1. For the welfare of men, women and other creatures, O excellent sages, I shall recount the holy rite of Umā-Maheśhvara, mentioned by Ishvara himself. 

2. For the period of a year the devotee shall prepare Havişhya at night746 on the full moon and new moon days and on the eighth and fourteenth day and worship Bhava. 

746. naktam-a vow of night. For detail, see v-12 of this chapter. 

3-8. The devotee shall make a splendid image of UmāMahesha in gold or in silver and instal it duly. At the end of the year, he shall feed the brahmins and give them gifts according to capacity. He shall take the lord of Devas to the temple of Rudra on chariots, etc., fitted with all excellent things and decorated with umbrellas and chowries. He shall dedicate the Vrata unto Shiva, Parameșhthin. He attains identity with Shiva. If the devotee is a woman she will attain Sayujya (identity) with the goddess. If the devotee is a virgin or a widow she shall abstain from taking food on the eighth and fourteenth day. She shall observe celibacy and continue the holy rite for a year. At the end of the year she shall make an idol in accordance with the injunction laid down before and instal it duly. She shall then feed the brahmins after taking the idol to the temple of Rudra. Thanks to this holy rite she rejoices with Bhavāni. 

9-14. If any woman continues for a year performing the rite only on the fourteenth day in the dark half, and, o brahmins, at the end of the year she makes an idol (of Shiva) in any material whatsoever and worships as mentioned above, she rejoices with Bhavani. 

'The woman devotee shall take no food on the New moon day. She shall observe all other restraints and continue the holy the for a year. 

At the end of the year she shall make a trident in accordance with the injunctions and dedicate it to the lord. After the holy ablution she shall devoutly worship Ishāna with a thousand white lotuses. He shall dedicate a silver lotus with a gold pericarp. He shall give gifts to the brahmins. That woman undoubtedly dispels all wanton sins, such as the destruction of the foetus, by means of the holy rite of the dedication of the trident. O excellent brahmins, she thus obtains the Säyujya with Bhavāni. If a man devotee performs this holy rite, he attains Sãyujya with Rudra. 

15-18a. O excellent brahmins, a man ur a woman can perform this holy rite. The devotee observes fast on the full moon and on New moon day devotedly for one year. O excellent brahmins, the holy rites, Japa, Dāna (charitable gift), penance and everything else should be performed by women, only at the behest of their husbands since women are never in dependent. Every month she shall dedicate all scented materials. At the end of the year that lady of holy rites attains Sãyujya (identity) and Sārūpya (similarly in form) with Bhavani. Undoubtedly I am telling you the truth and truth alone. 

18b-21. The woman devotee shall take food only once On the full moon day, in the month of Kārttika. She shall observe forbearance, non-violence and other restraints and be celibate. 

She shall alertsully offer a Bhära747 weight of black gingely seeds cooked with ghee and jaggery to Parameşhthin and to brahmins in accordance with her means. She shall observe fast on the eighth and the fourteenth day. That lady of good holy rites attains Sárūpya (similarity in form) and rejoices along with Bhavānī. 

747. bhåra: a particular weight equal to 20 tulás, measuring 2000 palas of gold. ST. quotes päsupata tantra to define bhāra:

22-23. The common characteristics of all vratas are: Forbearance, truthfulness, mercy, charity, cleanliness, curb on the sense-organs and the worship of Rudra. I shall succinctly recount to you the extensive holy vrata for every month in due order beginning with Mārgashīrsa and ending with Kárttika. This has been recounted at the outset by Nandin. 

24-31. In the month of Märgaśhīrsa the woman devotee shall duly embellish an excellent bull having all limbs in perfect condition and dedicate it to Shiva. There is no doubt about this that she rejoices along with Bhavānī. 

In the month of Paușha after doing everything mentioned before, the devotee shall instal the trident and then dedicate it to the lord. She rejoices with Bhavāni. 

In the month of Māgha, the devotee shall make a chariot endowed with all characteristics. After worshipping the lord of Devas she shall offer the chariot to the deity and feed the brahmins. That highly blessed lady shall, no doubt, rejoice with the goddess. 

In the month of Phålguna, she shall duly make an image of gold or radiant silver according to her means, instal it and worship it. Then she shall deposit it in the shrine of Shankara. Undoubtedly she rejoices along with the great goddess. 

In the month of Chaitra, the woman devotee shall duly make the idols of Bhava, Kumāra and Bhavānī in copper or other metals, and instal them duly. By offering them to Rudra, she rejoices along with Bhavāni. 

32-34. In the month of Vaišhākha the devotee shall perform the excellent rite of Kailāsa vrata thus: - The shining abode of Kubera (i.e., Kailasa mountain) shall be made out of silver with Ishvara and Umā therein along with the lords of Ganas. It must be embellished with all jewels and duly deposited in the splendid abode of Bhava, Paramesha. Thereby she attains the mountain Kailāsa and rejoices along with Bhavāni. 

35-38a. In the month of Jyeștha, the image of Mahädeva, the consort of Umā, shall be made in Linga form out of copper or other metals. Brahmã and Vişhņu should be depicted as praying with palms joined in reverence and seated on the swan and on the boar respectively. O excellent brahmins, the splendid Linga in the middle of which is Bhava, shall be installed duly. Thereafter she shall feed the brahmins. By duly depositing this image in an abode of Shiva for obtaining auspiciousness and by worshipping Shiva along with the brahmins the devotee will attain Säyujya with the goddess. 

38b-46a. In the splendid month of Āşhādha the devotee shall duly make a splendid abode with baked bricks in accordance with her means. It must be filled with all necessary seeds and liquids, with all splendid household effects and utensils, the mortar, pestle etc., and furnished with maids and men servants, with all foodstuffs, bedding outfits, clothes etc. They shall be covered with cloths all round. The lord Mahādeva, consort of Umā, shall be bathed in ghee etc. A thousand brahmins shall be duly fed. A brahmin who is richly endowed with lcarning and humility and who has mastered the Vedas and who is in the first Aśhrama748 shall be duly and devoutly worshipped. A virgin of good waist line, accompanied by the necessary requisites for the whole life shall be offered to him. So also a piece of land, a cow and a bull and a house shall be offered to him along with the different kinds of divine perquisites as massive as the Meru mountain, she attains the world Goloka and rejoices with Bhavāni. Undoubtedly she will become similar to Bhavani and remain unchanged throughout the kalpas, and shall in the end attain Sãyujya with Bhavāni. 

748. prathamäshramiņam-brahmachäriņam ST, one who lives a student's life.

46b-48a. In the month of Shrāvana the devotee shall make a hillock of gingelly secds scattered with minerals and embellished with banners and dedicate these to Sharva. The offering shall be made along with the canopy, banners, clothes and all the minerals. By feeding the brahmins, everything mentioned before will happen. 

48b-50a. In the month of Bhadrapada, the devotee shall make a splendid hillock of Shāli rice and dedicate it to the lord along with canopy, banners, clothes as well as minerals. After seeding the brahmins duly she shall present these to them. She shall then become as resplendent as the rays of the sun and rejoice along with Bhaváni. 

50b-51. In the month of Aśhvayuja she shall make a massive hillock of grains along with clothes of good colour. By worshipping Shiva with this offering and feeding the brahmins she will attain all things mentioned before. 

52-65. Mahameru vrata. 

The devotee shall make a huge mountain with all grains, all seeds and juices. It shall have all minerals and shall be bedecked in all jewels. It shall have four peaks. Its beauty shall be enhanced by canopies and umbrellas, scented garlands and incenses of diverse kinds. There shall be dances and songs and the instruments of lute, conch, etc. of diverse kinds. It shall be rendered highly meritorious by auspicious chanting of sacred hymns. There shall be eight great banners dazzling with different flowers. It shall represent the great mountain Meru, the excellent support of the three worlds. Shiva shall be depicted on its top, in the centre, by means of minerals. In the south the four-faced Brahmã shall be duly represented. In the north the devotee shall depict Nārāyana the lord of the chiefs of Devas, devoid of ailments. Indra and other guardians of the quarters shall be duly represented with devotion. After installing the deity, the devotee shall bathe and worship Maheśhvara. In the right hand of the lord shall be depicted the trident worshipped by Devas and in the left the noose. The lotus bedecked in gold shall be depicted in the hand of Bhavānī. The devotee shall assiduously represent the conch, discus, iron club and lotus in the hands of Vişhņu. In the hands of Brahmã shall be placed the rosary and the excellent Kamandalu (water-pot). The respective weapons of the following shall be duly depicted: the thunderbolt of Indra; the great weapon Shakti of Agni; the staff of Yama; the sword of Nirruti the night walker; the terrible and wondrous noose; Nāga of Varuņa; the baton of Väyu; the iron club of Kubera that is worshipped by all the worlds and the axe of lord iśhāna. Naivedya shall be duly offered in the above order. The great worship of Shiva shall be performed with Charu. T'he devotee shall worship all Devas in accordance with one's means. After performing the worship assiduously, the devotee shall feed the brahmins. After performing the Mahameru vrata she shall offer it to Mahādeva. Attaining Mahāmeru she rejoices along with Māhādevi. Undoubtedly she will attain thc Sāyujya of the great goddess for a long time. 

66-72. In the month of Kärttika the woman shall make a splendid image of goddess Umā fully bedecked in all ornaments and marked with all auspicious characteristics. The image may be made in gold, copper etc. and shall be duly installed. The image of the lord of Devas shall be equipped with all characteristics. In front the fire-god shall be depicted. Brahmã shall be depicted holding the sacrificial ladle. Nārāyana the munificent shali bc depicted bedecked in all ornaments and surrounded by the guardians of quarters and Siddhas. The vrata shall be offered in the temple of Rudra with devotion. By observing this vrata she will attain the body of Bhavānī and rejoice with Bhava. In every month it is meritorious to have the holy rite with one meal a day. Thus, the holy rites beginning with the month of Vargashirsha and, ending with Karttika have been observed. O excellent sages, they are for the benefit of all creatures, men or women. The devoted man will attain Sayujya with Shiva by performing the vrata and the devoted woman will attain Säyujya with the goddess. There is no doubt that this has been so ordained by Shiva.