124 - Worship in the Seasons

Varãha said:

1. On the Dvädašhi day in the bright half of the month of Phälguna, the devotee should collect the fragrant flowers blooming in spring.

2. Flowers that are white or pale yellow and auspicious and Offer them in the prescribed manner with a pleasant mind.

3. This ritual relating to the great God is to be done by one who knows the rules and rituals and is clean.

4. This is to be done according to rules and uttering the prescribed mantra and with pure mind.

5. First should be uttered corn, I bow to Näräyana’ and then the mantra: bow to you, the lord of Devas, holding the conch, disc and mace; I bow to you, the lord of the worlds; I bow to you, the great hero.

6. Splendid is the spring season with the trees full of fragrant and honeyed flowers”.

7. He, who worships in this manner in the month of Phälguna, goes to my world and is never born again.

8. I shall now tell you the result of worship on the Dvädashi day of the bright half of the month of Vaišhäkha which you asked about.

9. When the Shalas and other trees are in full bloom, the devotee should collect the flowers of the Šhäla for my worship.

10. Performing the rituals and honouring other devotees, he should lay them before me.

11. O Earth, the sages praise with Vedic mantras. Gandharvas and Apsarases sing and play instruments and dance.

12. The entire celestial world praises this most ancient and best Man. The Siddhas, Vidyädharas, Pišhächas, Uragas (snakes) and Räkshasas praise the god of all beings and the lord of all worlds.

13. The Ädityas, Vasus, Rudras, Ashvins and Maruts praise the god of gods who alone remains when everything else disappears.

14. Then Väyu, Višhvedevas and Ašhvins praise lord Kešhava who remains from the most early times.

15. Then Brahma, Soma, Indra and Agni come together and praise the lord of all worlds.

16-17. Närada, Parvata, Asita, Devala, Pulastya, Pulaha, Bhrugu, Añgiras and many other sages like Miträvasu and Paravasu, praise the lord of all beings and the greatest of yogins.

18. Hearing the reverberating sound of the praise by Devas, lord Näräyana told Earth:

19. “Do you hear this sound mixed with the recitation of the Vedas? Do you hear the sound of Devas?”

20. The lotus-eyed Earth endowed with all forms and qualities replied to the lord in the form of the boar:

21. “O lord, Devas desire that this boar form of yours be there for ever and they are all engaged towards that end”.

22. Then lord Näräyana told Earth: “I know that they have come here seeking this.

23. I have held you, with ease at the tip of one of my tusks, O Earth, for a thousand divine years.

 24. And you are quite safe. To see this have come here the celestials, Ädityas, Vasus, Rudras, Skanda, Indra and Brahmä”.

25. Hearing these words of Vishnu, Earth fell down at his feet with hands folded over the head.

26. She then requested the great lord in the form of the boar: “I who sank deep in the netherworld was raised by you.

27. I seek refuge in you as your devotee. You are my lord and saviour. What is Karma? By what karma can life’s aim be achieved?

28. How can you be propitiated? By what action can you be worshipped? I wish to do that which will be conducive to my happiness.

29. Being engaged in your service, I never feel fatigue or strain, nor do old age and birth and death affect me.

30. Where do the gods, demons and people, as also Rudra, Indra and Brahmä remain in pleasure?

31. What actions do those perform that realise you, O Mâdhava? What food do they take and what practices do they follow?

32. What should be the actions of the Brahmins, what should be the actions of the Kshatriyas? What actions should the Vaišhyas do and what the Shüdras?

33. By whom is yoga attained, by whom penance? What result does he attain who is devoted to you?

34. What should be the nature of living of your devotees? What food shall they take and what drink? What is the nature of their actions?

35. Which directions do they take? How can they attain cessation from birth, particularly in a despicable family?

36. By what action can they avoid being born as animals? Tell me all this by which they attain happiness?

37. By what action can they avoid old age and rebirth, O Achyutha? By the power of which action can they get relief from samsara?”

 38. Thus, requested by Earth, the lord replied.

39. “Know how my devotees are led to the path of liberation and what mantras please me.

40. The mantra: “O Mädhava, you are indeed the month Mädhava which is the chief of all months. May you be seen in the spring season when approached with sandal-paste. Lord Näräyana who is the greatest hero in all the seven worlds and ever present in sacrifices is invoked”

41. In summer also worship should be done as I have directed, and the following mantra, which is for the good of all devotees, should be uttered:

 42. “In summer occurs the most important of months. May you be seen, O lord, in summer so that all my sufferings may cease.”

43. O lovely damsel, my worship is to be performed in this way in summer so that there may not be any more births or deaths (for the devotee).

44. As long as there are flowering trees and sweet-smelling objects like sandal, so long I may be worshipped in this manner.

45. In the rainy season also, my worship may be performed. By this the intellect becomes pure and the soul never becomes subject to samsära.

46. I shall tell you another thing conducive to release from samsära.

47. After consecrating me, I should be ritualistically worshipped using the buds of Kadamba tree and the flowers of Sarala and Arjuna. Thc mantra Namo Nãräyanäya (Bow to Näräyana) should be uttered and then:

48. “The blessed people who contemplate on you and worship you find you of the hue of the cloud. May you enter into sleep, O lord of the worlds, during this rainy season seeing the colour of the cloud”.

49. He who performed my worship on Dvädašhi day in the month of Ashadha, never falls into samsära at any time.

  50. I have thus told you about the worship in the different seasons, by which the devotees cross samsära.

51. This secret is not known even to the gods, other than lord Näräyana in this form of the boar.

52. This should not be communicated to the uninitiated, the uneducated or the envious, nor to an undeserving disciple or one who finds fault with scripture.

53. This should not be read to those who slaughter cows or those who are wicked, as it will result in rapid loss of wealth and virtue.

54. It should be read only to devotees and those who are wedded to dharma.

55. I have thus told you what you desired to know in full, what else do you ask me?