The Definition of Vows

Verse 1 (garuda.1.128.1)

ब्रह्मोवाच । व्रतानि व्यास वक्ष्यामि यैस्तुष्टः सर्वदो हरिः । शास्त्रोदितो हि नियमो व्रतं तच्च तपो मतम्

brahmovāca vratāni vyāsa vakṣyāmi yaistuṣṭaḥ sarvado hariḥ śāstrodito hi niyamo vrataṁ tacca tapo matam

Brahma said: O Vyasa, I shall declare the vows by which Hari, the giver of all, becomes pleased. That observance enjoined by scripture is called a vow, and it is held to be austerity.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.128.2)

नियमास्तु विशेषाः स्युः व्रतस्यास्य दमादयः । नित्यं त्रिषवणं स्नायादधः शयी जितेन्द्रियः

niyamāstu viśeṣāḥ syuḥ vratasyāsya damādayaḥ nityaṁ triṣavaṇaṁ snāyādadhaḥ śayī jitendriyaḥ

The particular observances of this vow are self-restraint and the like: one should bathe daily at the three times of day, sleep on the ground, and remain one who has conquered the senses.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.128.3)

स्त्रीशूद्रपतितानां तु वर्जयेदभिभाषणम् । पवित्राणि च पञ्चैव जुहुयाच्चैव शक्तितः

strīśūdrapatitānāṁ tu varjayedabhibhāṣaṇam pavitrāṇi ca pañcaiva juhuyāccaiva śaktitaḥ

One should avoid conversing with women, shudras, and outcastes, and offer the five pure products of the cow into the fire according to one's ability.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.128.4)

कृच्छ्राण्येतानि सर्वाणि चरेत्सुकृतवान्नरः । केशानां रक्षणार्थं तु द्विगुणं व्रतमाचरेत्

kṛcchrāṇyetāni sarvāṇi caretsukṛtavānnaraḥ keśānāṁ rakṣaṇārthaṁ tu dviguṇaṁ vratamācaret

A man of good deeds should perform all these Krichchhra penances; but to preserve his hair instead of having it shaved, he should perform the vow in double measure.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.128.5)

कांस्यं माषं मसूरं चचणकं कोरदूषकम् । शाकं मधु परान्नं च वर्जयेदुपवासवान्

kāṁsyaṁ māṣaṁ masūraṁ cacaṇakaṁ koradūṣakam śākaṁ madhu parānnaṁ ca varjayedupavāsavān

One who is fasting should avoid bell-metal vessels, black gram, lentils, chickpeas, and kodo millet, vegetables, honey, and food cooked by another.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.128.6)

पुष्पालङ्कारवस्त्राणि धूपगन्धानुलेपनम् । उपवासेन दुष्येत्तु दन्तधावनमञ्जनम्

puṣpālaṅkāravastrāṇi dhūpagandhānulepanam upavāsena duṣyettu dantadhāvanamañjanam

Flowers, ornaments, fine garments, incense, perfume, and unguents are permitted; but tooth-cleaning and applying collyrium vitiate the fast.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.128.7)

दन्तकाष्ठं पञ्चगव्यं कृत्वा प्रातर्व्रतं चरेत् । असकृज्जलपानाच्च ताम्बूलस्य च भक्षणात्

dantakāṣṭhaṁ pañcagavyaṁ kṛtvā prātarvrataṁ caret asakṛjjalapānācca tāmbūlasya ca bhakṣaṇāt

Having used a tooth-twig and taken the five products of the cow, one should keep the vow from the morning; but from repeated drinking of water and from chewing betel —

Verse 8 (garuda.1.128.8)

उपवासः प्रदुष्येत दिवास्वप्ना क्षमैथुनात् । क्षमा सत्यं दया दानं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः

upavāsaḥ praduṣyeta divāsvapnā kṣamaithunāt kṣamā satyaṁ dayā dānaṁ śaucamindriyanigrahaḥ

the fast becomes vitiated, as also by sleeping in the daytime and by sexual union. Forbearance, truthfulness, compassion, giving, purity, and control of the senses —

Verse 9 (garuda.1.128.9)

देवपूजाग्निहवने सन्तोषोस्तेयमेव च । सर्वव्रतेष्वयं धर्मः सामान्यो दशधास्मृतः

devapūjāgnihavane santoṣosteyameva ca sarvavrateṣvayaṁ dharmaḥ sāmānyo daśadhāsmṛtaḥ

worship of the gods, oblation into fire, contentment, and abstention from theft — this tenfold duty is held to be common to all vows.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.128.10)

नक्षत्रदर्शनान्नक्तमनक्तं निशि भोजनम् । गोमूत्रं च पल दद्यादर्धाङ्गुष्ठं तु गोमयम्

nakṣatradarśanānnaktamanaktaṁ niśi bhojanam gomūtraṁ ca pala dadyādardhāṅguṣṭhaṁ tu gomayam

Eating at night after the stars appear is called 'nakta'; eating at night without waiting for them is 'anakta'. One should administer cow's urine to the measure of one pala, and cow-dung to the measure of half a thumb.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.128.11)

क्षीरं सप्तपलं दद्याद्दध्नश्चैव पलत्रयम् । घृतमेकफलं दद्यात्पलमेकं कुशोदकम्

kṣīraṁ saptapalaṁ dadyāddadhnaścaiva palatrayam ghṛtamekaphalaṁ dadyātpalamekaṁ kuśodakam

One should give seven palas of milk and three palas of curd; one phala of ghee should be given, and one pala of kusha-water.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.128.12)

गायत्त्र्या चैव गन्धेति आप्यायस्व दृ दधिग्रहः । तेजोऽसीति च देवस्य ब्रह्मकूर्चव्रतं चरेत्

gāyattryā caiva gandheti āpyāyasva dṛ dadhigrahaḥ tejo'sīti ca devasya brahmakūrcavrataṁ caret

With the Gayatri mantra for the sandal-paste, with the mantra 'Apyayasva' for taking the curd, and with 'Tejo'si' for the god, one should perform the Brahmakurcha vow.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.128.13)

अग्न्याधानं प्रतिष्ठां तु यज्ञदानव्रतानि च । वेदव्रतवृषोत्सर्गचूडाकरणमेखलाः

agnyādhānaṁ pratiṣṭhāṁ tu yajñadānavratāni ca vedavratavṛṣotsargacūḍākaraṇamekhalāḥ

The setting up of the sacred fire, consecration, the vows of sacrifice and giving, the Veda-vow, the releasing of the bull, the tonsure rite, and the girding with the sacred cord —

Verse 14 (garuda.1.128.14)

माङ्गल्यमभिषेकं च मलमासे विवर्जयत् । दर्शाद्दर्शस्य चान्द्रः स्यात्त्रिंशाहोभिस्तु सावनः

māṅgalyamabhiṣekaṁ ca malamāse vivarjayat darśāddarśasya cāndraḥ syāttriṁśāhobhistu sāvanaḥ

and any auspicious rite, together with consecration — all these should be avoided in the intercalary month. The month reckoned from new moon to new moon is the lunar month; one of thirty days is the savana month.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.128.15)

रविसंक्रमणात्सौरो नाक्षत्रः सप्तविंशतिः । सौरो मासो विवाहाय यज्ञादौ सावनस्थितिः

ravisaṁkramaṇātsauro nākṣatraḥ saptaviṁśatiḥ sauro māso vivāhāya yajñādau sāvanasthitiḥ

The month from one solar transit to the next is the solar month, while the lunar-asterism month runs twenty-seven days. The solar month is used for marriage; for sacrifice and the like, the savana reckoning is used.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.128.16)

युग्माग्नियुगभूतानि षण्मुन्योर्वसुरन्ध्रयोः । रुद्रेण द्वादशी युक्ता चतुर्दश्याथ पूर्णिमा

yugmāgniyugabhūtāni ṣaṇmunyorvasurandhrayoḥ rudreṇa dvādaśī yuktā caturdaśyātha pūrṇimā

By this reckoning of numbers — the Dvadashi joined to the count of Rudra becomes twelve; then the Chaturdashi, then the full moon —

Verse 17 (garuda.1.128.17)

प्रतिपद्यप्यमावास्या तिथ्योर्मस्यं महाफलम् । एतद्व्यस्तं महाघोरं हन्ति पुण्यं पुरा कृतम्

pratipadyapyamāvāsyā tithyormasyaṁ mahāphalam etadvyastaṁ mahāghoraṁ hanti puṇyaṁ purā kṛtam

and the new-moon day together with the Pratipada — the joining of these tithis bears great fruit, but their disjunction is greatly to be dreaded, and destroys even merit earned in the past.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.128.18)

प्रारब्धतपसा स्त्रीणां रजो हन्याद्व्रतं न हि । अन्यैर्दानादिकं कुर्यात्कायिकं स्वयमेव च

prārabdhatapasā strīṇāṁ rajo hanyādvrataṁ na hi anyairdānādikaṁ kuryātkāyikaṁ svayameva ca

For women, once austerity has begun, the onset of menstruation does not break the vow; giving and other such acts may be performed through others, but the bodily observance she must keep herself.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.128.19)

क्रोधात्प्रमादाल्लोभाद्वा व्रतभङ्गो भवेद्यदि । दिनत्रयं न भुञ्जीत शिरसो मुण्डनं भवेत्

krodhātpramādāllobhādvā vratabhaṅgo bhavedyadi dinatrayaṁ na bhuñjīta śiraso muṇḍanaṁ bhavet

If a vow should be broken through anger, negligence, or greed, one should not eat for three days, and the head should be shaved.

Verse 20 (garuda.1.128.20)

असामर्थ्ये शरीरस्य पुत्रादीन्कारयेद्व्रतम् । व्रतस्थं मूर्छितं विप्रं जलादीन्यनुपाययेत्

asāmarthye śarīrasya putrādīnkārayedvratam vratasthaṁ mūrchitaṁ vipraṁ jalādīnyanupāyayet

If the body is unable to bear it, one should have the vow performed by one's sons or others; if a Brahmin keeping the vow should faint, he should be given water and the like to drink.