114 - The Exposition of Holy Vratas to be performed on Pañchami days (fifth days of Lunar fortnight) 

Sanātana said: 

1. O Brāhmaṇa, I shall recount to you the Vratas to be performed on Pañchamis1 (fifth days in the halves of Lunar months). On observing these rïtes with devotion, one shall attain all cherished desires. 

1. Just as Chaturthi Vratas are mainly concerned with god Ganesha, Vratas on the 5th days of lunar fortnights are auspicious for the worship of serpents (NP. verse 61 below), though worship of Sages (Rushi-panchami) in VV. 34b-48, and of goddess Lalità (Lalità Panchami VV. 49-53) is also given importance in the NP. 

2. The Pañchami (fifth day) in the bright half of the month of Chaitra is called Matsya jayanti. On this day, the worship of the incarnation of the Lord as (Divine) Fish is to be performed with great festivities, by devotees. 

3-4a. This is called Śhripañchamī1 also. On this day, the worship of Shri is to be performed by the articles of worship such as scents etc., and the Naivedyas of milk pudding etc., Lakshmi never forsakes a person who worships Lakshmi here (on this day). 

1. There are a number of days (e.g. Märgashirsha Shu.5, Mågha Shu. 5) on which a Shri Panchami Vrata is prescribed. The Shri Vrata described in the NP. is mentioned in the Smruti Kaustubha 92. VRJ, is silent about it. On this day (Chaitra Śhu, 5) Vratas called Pruthvi, Chandra and Hayagriva are also observed. 

4b-5a. Pruhthvivrata, Chändravrata and Hayagrīvavrata are also to be performed by those who wish to attain different Siddhis, in accordance with the respective injunctions. 

5b-6a. On the Pañchami day in the month of Vaišhākha, the man shall worship Shesha, endowed with the attributes of serpents. He shall attain the desired benefit. 

6b-7a. The intelligent devottee shall worship the Pitris (Manes) on the Pañchami day in the month of Jyeshtha. He shall have the acquisition of all desired benefits through feeding the Brāhmaṇas. 

7b-11a. O sage, Väyu who is present everywhere is to be worshipped on the Pañchami day in the month of Āshādha. He should go out of the village and climb up to the ridge of a mountain. To a bamboo pole he should tie a banner of five colours. It should be succintly high. He should fix the pole in the middle of the mystic diagram of a lotus. O Nārada, at its root in all the quarters, he should worship the guardians of the quarters and test the direction of the blow of the wind. Beginning with the first Yama, (period of three hours), he shall duly worship the Lord of that quarter in which the wind blows. 

11b. He shall thus stay there for four Yamas without taking food. 

12. He should then return home in the evening. He should partake light food. With concentration of mind and after bowing down to the guardians of the world, he should lie down on bare yet clean ground and go to sleep. 

13. The dream that comes to him in the fourth Yama (quarter) on that night shall come true. So says Shiva. 

14. If anything inauspicious happens in the dream, the devotee should be engaged in the worship of Shiva and observe fast for all the eight subsequent Yamas (i.e. 24 hours) or for the day alone (i.e. 12 hours). 

15-16a. He should then feed eight Brähmaņas. Thereby he shall attain auspicious benefits. This holy rite is called “Shubha-śhubha-Nidarśhana”1 (The test for auspicious and inauspicious results). It causes blessedness to men in this world as well as in other world. 

1. VV. 7b-16a describe a peculiar Vrata leading to veridical or prognosticating dreams or omens by worshipping the wind-god. No primitive Meteorology should be read in the prescription of setting up a flag on a hill-top and notice the direction of the wind per three-hour period and worship the wind-god according to its direction of blowing. 

16b. The auspicious rite called Anna-samruddhi-da2 (the bestower of plentitude of food) is to be observed on the Pañchami day in the dark half of the month of Shrāvaņa. 

2. VV. 16b-26b deal with a Vrata giving abundance of food in every birth and aptly called Anna-samruddhi-Vrata or briefly as Anna. The NP. prescribes this Shaiva Vrata as goddess Annapurņå is Parvati, the spouse of Shiva. Kane (HD.V. i) does not mention it. It is probably an original contribution of the NP, to Vratas. 

17-19. O Nārada, on the previous Chaturthi day when there is yet some part of the day, the intelligent devotee shall put all cooked food in different vessels and pour water therein. Then he should put it in another vessel after draining off all water. The next day, after sunrise, he should worship the Pitris, the sages and the Devas after due ablution. He should then offer Naivedya to the Devas. With delighted mind, he shall give cooked food to beggars. 

20. He shall spend the whole of the day in this activity. At sunset he shall go to Shiva’s temple and worship the Lord Iśhvara in the form of Linga. 

21. After duly worshipping Maheśhvara with scents, frag rant flowers, etc he shall repeat the five-syllabled Mantra (Om Shivāya Namaḥ) a hundred or thousand times. 

22-23a. After dedicating the benefit of Japa to Lord Shiva, the embodiment of the universe, he should eulogise the Lord with all Vedic and Paurāņic hymns. Without agitation or perturbation, he should pray to Lord Iśhāna for the sake of perpetual acquisition of cooked food. 

23b-24a. “In all my births may I be richly blessed with all those foodgrains whether harvested during the autumn or during the spring.” 

24b-26. After praying thus to the Lord of the Devas, he should come back to his own house. He should give cooked food to the Brāhmaṇas and eat it himself silently. O Brāhmaṇa, this Annavrata (Holy rite of cooked food), if observed duly by men, is conducive to the production of all food and wealth in this world, and yields salvation in the other world. 

27-29. This rite (in propitiation of serpents) is performed on the fifth day in the bright half of the month of Śhrāvaņa, by men firm in their belief in the Vedas. On either side of the door-way, figures of poisonous serpents should be drawn in cow dung. He should worship them with scents, etc. Thereafter he should worship Indrāņi with gold, silver, etc, curds, raw rice-grains, water from Kuśha grass, scents, fragrant flowers, incense, lights and hoards of Naivedyas. After circumambulating and bowing down, he should pray with great devotion. He should give the articles of worship to leading Brahmaņas. 

30. “In all my births, may these gold, silver, etc. that have been given to Brāhmaṇas be productive of endless benefit.” 

31. O Nārada, he who gifts away along with this utterance, the articles with great devotion, will delight Kubera, the presiding deity of wealth, who bestows affluence like gold, upon his devotees. 

32. After observing the holy rite, the man should feed Brāhmaṇas with devotion. Thereafter, he should partake of his food surrounded by his wife, children and friends. 

33-34a. The devotee should propitiate serpents with milk on the fifth day in the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada, (thereby) the entire family up to the seventh generation shall be free from the fear of serpents. 

34b. One should worship the excellent sages1 on the fifth day in the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada. 

1. This is the well-known Rushi-panchami Vrata. The NP. records an early stage when this Vrata was performed both by men and women. Later on it came to be regarded as efficacious in warding off sin in ‘polluting’ things with their touch by women in their menses, as monthly course or menstruation came to be regarded as part of the sin of Brahmana-slaughter (Brahmahatya) committed by Indra in killing Vrutra. Naturally women (especially in Maharashtra) begin to perform it after attaining puberty. VRJ. (pp. 91-96) records a story from the Bhavishyottara P. how the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter perpetrated by Indra (in killing Vrutra) came to be equally distributed in Fire, rivers, mountains and women (viz. the menstruation of women) to expiate which women should observe this Vrata. 

VRJ-also quotes CC-Vrata I. 568-572 which records the account of this Vrata according to the Brahmanda P. There are some differences in the details of the worship as given in the NP. and other works (for example non-inclusion of Arundhati in seven sages in the NP.), prescription of this Vrata even to men. Vratärka and VRJ. specifically assert that this Vrata is to be observed by women only to ward off the sin of polluting’ things by their touch during their monthly course.

The prescription to eat food that is naturally grown without ploughing the field in this Vrata shows that it belongs to the period of food-gathering economy. This explains why men and women were eligible for this Vrata in the older stage. 

35.37a. In the morning, he should take his bath in the river etc. and perform Nitya rites, Sandhya prayers etc. He should then return home and make a platform with clay. He should smear and clean it with cow dung and decorate it with flowers. O Brahmaņa, he should then strew Kusha grass thereon and worship the seven sages, by means of scents, different flowers, incense and splendid lights. 

37b-39. The sages are Kaśhyapa, Atri, Bharadvaja, Vishvāmitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasishtha. Arghya should be duly offered to these. The intelligent devotee should cook Śhyāmaka and other grains that have not been cultivated, as Naivedya. After the food offerings, he should ritualistically bid farewell to them and eat the same cooked grains himself. 

40-41. In this manner, he should perform this holy rite every year, for seven years. At the conclusion of the Vrata, he should choose seven Vedic scholars as his Acharyas (preceptors). He should make seven images in gold, according to his capacity. They must have matted hair, rosary and water pot. 

42. These images should be placed in copper vessels or clay pots and the rite of ablution is performed severally with Panchamruta. 

43-44. With sixteen types of services and articles of worship, they are worshipped with devotion. Arghya is offered then, and the homa is performed with gingelly seeds, grains, or barley grains etc. The Rk. ‘Sahastoma’ (RV X.130.7) should be used while performing homa or the names of the sages shall themselves be the Mantras. Or with other holy mantras also the homa can be performed. Then the Pūrņahuti is offered. 

45-46. He should then give seven cows as gifts, fully bedecked in ornaments and clothes. He should worship his preceptor also with clothes, ornaments, etc. With the permission of the preceptor, he should thereafter dedicate the images unto the Brāhmaṇas. After feeding them with devotion, he should bow down to them and bid them farewell. 

47. Thereafter, the food left over by the Brāhmaṇas consisting of articles of six different tastes should be taken by him along with kinsmen. 

48. After performing this holy rite with its ancillaries he shall enjoy all desired worldly pleasures, thanks to the grace of seven sages. He shall go hence in an excellent aerial car. 

49-52. On the fifth day in the bright half of the month of Āśhvina, the holy rite of Upånga-Lalitä-Vratat1 is to be observed. O Nārada, the image of the goddess should be made in gold in accordance with one’s ability. The devotee should worship her in accordance with the injunctions, with all the sixteen types of services. In order to make the Vrata perfect and complete, cooked rice alongwith fruits, ghee and monetary gifts should be given to an excellent Brāhmaṇa- “The boon-granting deity accompanied by Śhakti has been worshipped by me alongwith her vehicle. O Mother, you may be pleased to go to your own abode after blessing me” (The foregoing is the final prayer). 

1. VV. 49-52 briefly describe Upanga-Lalita-Vrata popularly known in Maharashtra as Lalita Panchami. The detailed procedure of this Vrata as observed in the Deccan is given in VRJ. (pp. 97-103) and the story about its importance is quoted from the SK. P. It is probably a development. 

For Lalita-Shashthi Vrata vide infra Ch. 115.8-29. 

53. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, the holy rite of the excellent Jayā vrata is to be observed on the fifth day in the bright half of the month of Kärttika with good faith, for the destruction of sins. 

54-55. O Brāhmaṇa, the devotee should, with great concentration, worship Jay, according to injunction. Clean (in body and mind) and bedecked in ornaments, he should worship her with sixteen types of services. He should feed a single Brāhmaṇa and give him monetary gifts. Then he should bid farewell to him and himself partake of his food silently. 

56. If any one takes his holy dip on the day of Jaya, with great devotion, all his sins perish like dear attacked by a lion. 

57. O Brāhmaṇa, the fruit that has been glorified as the result of the Avabhrutha (concluding) bath in a horse sacrifice, is attained by bath on the day of Jaya. 

58. One devoid of sons gets a son, a barren woman becomes pregnant, a sick man is freed from ailments and a prisoner is released from bondage. 

59. By worshipping serpents duly on the fifth day in the bright half of the month of Märgaśhīrṣha one attains fearlessness from serpents and rejoices alongwith the kinsmen. 

60. In the month of Pausha too, on the fifth day in the bright half, one attains all cherished desires by worshipping Madhusudana. No doubt need be entertained in this matter. 

61. O Nárada, the worship of the Pitris and the serpents on the fifth day in the bright or dark half of any month is recommended in every respect.