99 - Greatness of Tiladhenu

Hollow metal cow filled with sesamum.

Earth said;

1. She who is Mäyä and arose out of the body of Brahma who was born of Avyakta, became the eight-armed Gäyatri and fought Chaiträsura.

2. The same goddess became Nandà to achieve the purpose Of Devas. Then she became Vaishnavi at the instance of Brahma for killing Mahishäsura. Be pleased to tell me how all this was done.

Varäha said:

3. She is the goddess Gañgä very much loved by Lord Shiva. Being given his own abode, she is omniscient.

4. In Sväyambhuva (time), she killed as Vaishnavi in the Mandara mountain the demon Mahisha.

5. Then in the Vindhya as Nandä, the demon Chaitra was killed.

6. Or (it may also be understood) she is the power of knowledge and Mahisha the embodiment of ignorance. Doubtless, ignorance is to be overcome by knowledge.

7. For the embodied form we get the story. For the abstract form the place is the heart itself. This is proclaimed by Vedic statements and established by the exponents of the Vedas.

8. Now listen, O Earth, to the propitiation of Vishnu, the greatest of gods, as a result of which the five great sins are destroyed and sons and wealth are acquired.

9. And he who is oppressed by poverty and diseases like leprosy and is issueless, attains quickly prosperity, long and healthy life and children.

10. He who sees Lord Näräyana with goddess Lakshmi in the mandala with due rites.

11. The lord who is self-born and is the embodiment of mantra, as directed by the priest.

12. During all Dvädašhi days, particularly on the Dvädašhi day in the bright half of the month Kàrttika.

13. Or during the change of month or solar and lunar eclipses.

14. To him occurs great happiness, dissolution of all sins, and other deities also get propitiated.

15. The priest should test for one year whoever approaches him, be he Brahmin, or Vaišhya, as to his conduct and eligibility as true devotee.

16. The devotee should also treat the priest with the same constant devotion as for Vishnu.

17. At the end of the year he should propitiate the priest saying.

18. “O worthy lord, I desire by your grace all prosperity in this world and then to cross this ocean of worldly existence”.

19. Thus should he worship the Guru taking him to be Lord Vishnu before him.

20. Thus worshipped, the Guru should on the Dašhami day in the month of Kärttika, get him clean the teeth with mantras using the twig of a sappy tree and sleep near the deity.

21. He will see dreams and he should tell them to the Guru, who will then know whether it augurs well or ill.

22. On the Ekädašhi day the devotee should fast and go to the temple after bath.

23. Then Guru should prepare the mandala on the floor according to prescription and draw there the chakra Shodašhära, Sarvatobhadra or Ashtapatra¹ and ask the devotee to see it.

24. Then he should cover the eyes of the devotees with white cloth and ask them to enter the place of worship in the order of their Varna (Brähmana, Kshatriya and Vaišhya).

1. These are diagrams of different kinds to be drawn on the floor according to specifications.

25. The mandala Navanäbha should then be arranged with different colours.

26. Then worship should be done for the Dikpälas in their respective positions in the mandala, Indra in the east, Agni in the south-east.

27. Yama in the south, Nirruti in the south-west, Varuna in the west, Väyu in the south-west.

28. Kubera in the north and Išhäna in the north-east.

29. At the centre of the Padma (lotus in the middle of the diagram), worship should be done to the great lord Vishnu.

30. In the petal on the cast of the Padma, worship should be offered to Balabhadra, in the one on the south to Pradyumna, in the one on the west to Aniruddha and in the one on the north to Väsudeva, the destroyer of all sins.

31. (Of the four objects in the hands of Vishnu) the conch should be placed on the north-east, the disc on the south-east, the club on the north-west and the lotus on the south-west.

32. In the north-cast, again, may be placed the mace (musala). Garuda should be on the right and Lakshmi on the left of the lord.

33. The bow and the sword are to be placed in front, special position is to be given for Shrivatsa (the mark on Vishnu body) and Kaustubha (the jewel he wears).

34. After performing worship to lord Janärdana in this way, in the petals in the diagram on the eight directions, a pot each filled with water should be placed. A ninth pot pertaining to Vishnu also should be placed (in the middle).

  35. The water in the pot pertaining to Vishnu should be poured on the devotee desirous of Moksha.

36. The water in the pot pertaining to Indra (the one placed on the east) should be poured on him who is desirous of prosperity and the same in the one pertaining to Agni (the one placed on north-east) on him who is desirous of great fame.

37. The water in the pot pertaining to Yama (the one placed on the South) should be poured on the devotee desirous of long life, and the same on the one relating to Nirruti (placed on the south-west) on him who desires the annihilation of the wicked.

38. The water in the pot pertaining to Varuna (the one placed on the west) should be poured on him who is desirous of tranquillity and the same on the one relating to Väyu (the one placed on the north-west) on him who desires the destruction of his sins. The water in the pot pertaining to Kubera (the one placed on the north) should be poured on him who desires wealth.

39. The water in the pot pertaining to Išhäná (the one placed on the north-west) should be poured on him who desires knowledge or kingship.

40. Even when bathed in the water of one of these, one becomes free from sins, acquires profound knowledge and attains great skill. What then, when he is bathed in all the nine? All his sins disappear, he becomes equal to Vishnu and becomes a king.

41. The Guru may also perform worship to the guardian deities of different directions (Indra and others) one after another in the respective spots.

42. And then lead there the blind-folded devotees and make them circumambulate the mandala.

43. The rituals relating to Varuna, Vàyu and Soma should then be performed and the order of propitiation should be told.

44. Namely, high Brahmins, Vedas, Vishnu, Brahma, Rudra, Äditya, Agni, the lokapälas (deities guarding the eight directions), the planets, preceptor, Vaishnavas and the devotee who has taken the Vow.

45. Then the homa should be performed with the mantra 0m namo Bhagavate sarvarupine hum phat svähä.

46. Homa should be made in the blazing fire with the (above) Shodašhkshara mantra, and rituals like Garbhädhäna should be done.

47. The offering should be made thrice in fire in front of the deity. At the end of the homa, the devotee who has undertaken the vow should give Dakshina to the Guru.

48. A king may give as elephants, horses, jewels, gold and land; others according to capacity.

49. O Earth, the merit attained by this cannot be described even for a hundred years.

50. If the person with the vow listens to Varäha, it is equivalent to reciting the Vedas, Purànas and mantras.

51-52. He gets double the merit of reciting them at Pushkara tirtha, Prayäga, or Väränasi or during eclipses or Vishnu.

53. Even Devas perform penance and meditation, and wonder when they will be born in   Bharatavarsha.

54. Become devotees with vow, listen to Varäha, and leaving the body with its sixteen elements.

55. Reach the position from which there is no return. They think so and say the same.

56. An old story is illustrated in this connection in the form of conversation between and Sveta. 

57. In the region Ilävruta there lived a highly saintly king named Shveta.

58. He wished to gift away all his verdurous land and consulted sage on the matter.

59. “O great sage, I wish to give away the entire continent of mine to Brahmins. Please permit me”. Vasishtha told the king.

60. “O king, give them food conducive to all times. If food is given, what does become not given?

61. The gift of food is superior to all other gifts. All beings arise from food, and they all grow by food.

  62. Therefore, O king, resort to giving food”. The king, however, did not follow the advice of Vasishtha.

63. He called Brahmins and gave them gems, cloth, ornaments and fine urban land with money.

64. He even gave them majestic elephants. After this, once having conquered the whole earth, he called his family priest Vasishtha again and told him:

65. “O great sage, I wish to perform a hundred Ašhvamedha sacrifices”

 66. He then performed the sacrifice and gave the Brahmins gold, silver and copper but not food or drink thinking it to be an insignificant thing.

67. O Earth, this affluent king, in due course, became dead.

68. In the world beyond, he became oppressed by hunger, and thirst in particular.

69-70. He went to the mountain Shveta and from there collected from the place where his mortal body was cremated, all the bones and began to lick them.

71. He then got into his aerial car and returned to heaven. (He used to do this quite often).

72. After a long time, the king was seen thus licking the bones by sage Vasishtha The sage asked him why he Was feeding   on his own bones.

73. Thus asked by Vasishtha, king Shveta replied.

74. ‘‘O sage, I am hungry and as I have not gifted food or drink, so hunger and thirst overpower me”.

75. Told thus by the king, addressed him again.

76. ‘‘What can I do for you, particularly now that you are hungry. What is not given never serves any one at any time.

77. By giving gold and gems, one enjoys pleasures. But by giving food and drink, one attains everything.

78. That was not given by you, being under the impression that it was a trifle.

Shveta said:

79. Please tell me how I can attain its fruit, although 1 have not given food. I request you most earnestly.

Vasishtha said:

80. There is one way to attain it. I shall tell you that. Please listen.

81. In days of yore, there was a famous king named Vinitäšhva. He began a great sacrifice called Sarvamedha.

82, During the sacrifice, he gave to the Brahmins cows, elephants and money, but not food, just as you did.

83. After a long time he died in river Gañgà and because of the great merit he had acquired, he went to heaven as you too did.

84-85. He too became very much hungry in the same manner and went to the Nila mountain on the bank of the river Gañgä, in a resplendent aerial car and saw there his own body.

86. He also saw there on the bank of Gañgä his priest and asked him the cause of his hunger (and the means to overcome it).

87-88. The priest asked him to quickly make gifts of Tiladhenu, Jaladhenu, Ghrutadhwnu and Rasadhenu so that he may be rid of his extreme hunger.¹

1. These are models of cows with sesamum, water, clarified butter and sugarcane juice inside.

89. The effect will last as long as the sun and moon are in the sky”.

The king then asked him again:

Vinitãshva said:

90. O Brahmin, tell me how Tiladhenu (cow of sesamum) is to be given so that I may peacefully enjoy heaven.

The priest said:

91. Listen to me. I shall tell you how Tiladhenu is to be given.

92. Four Kudavas make one Prastha. The cow should be of sixteen prasthas and the calf of four prasthas. The nose should be of sandal and the tongue of gur.

93. The tail should be adorned with bells and the horns should be made of gold.

94. The body should be of bronze and hoofs of silver. As is the cow (so should be the calf). This should be then given to the Brahmin.

95. On its back should be placed antelope’s skin and the rope should be adorned with gems.

96. The gift should be made with mantra and with herbs uttering.

97. “May I get food, may I get water good, O cow of sesamum given to the Brahmin, I hold you with devotion for the sake of my family. I bow to you, may you be pleased to grant my desire”. 

98. Give away Tiladhenu in this way. I fulfil all your desires.

99. He who listens to this intently or makes the gift or makes one give such a gift, gets freed of all sins and reaches the abode of Vishnu.