Saubhāgya
Saubhāgya · saubhāgya, “good fortune”
Grammar: neuter noun; from subhaga (fortunate, lovely): “the state of being fortunate”.
Meaning: good fortune, especially of form and of marriage; a goal of many vratas.
In the scriptures: Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira that before the pralaya, when Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ and all the lokas were burned, the saubhāgya of all beings gathered and stood in the chest of Bhagavān Vishṇu in Vaikuṇṭha. When creation came again Daksha drank half of it, and his beauty, lāvaṇya, strength and tejas became greater than all. From the remaining half arose eight things: ikshu, stavarāja, nishpāva, rājidhānya, cow’s milk and its products, the kusumbha flower, kuṅkuma and lavaṇa. Their name is Saubhāgyāshṭaka (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 25). In the Rambhā vrata the Saubhāgyāshṭaka offered before Mahādevī Rudrāṇī is jīrā, kaḍuhuṇḍa, apūpa, flowers, nishpāva, lavaṇa, sugar and guḍa (Uttara Parva, Chapters 18–19).
In the Brahma Parva, Gaurī Devī says that the vrata of Chapter 21 gives saubhāgya to human beings, and that a woman who keeps it lives happily with her husband. Rohiṇī gave up salt, kept this vrata and by the grace of Devī Gaurī gained unmoving saubhāgya in the sky. Among the lakshaṇas of women, thick smooth nails, fine shins, knees like those of a cat or a lion and bow-shaped brows bring saubhāgya (Brahma Parva, Chapter 5).
Related terms: Vrata · Tṛtīyā · Daksha
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 5, 21; Uttara Parva, Chapters 18–19, 25