The Pushya Bathing Festival

Verse 1 (skanda.2.81.1)

जैमिनिरुवाच। पुष्यस्नानोत्सवं वक्ष्ये यथोक्तं ब्रह्मणा पुरा। पुष्यर्क्षेण च संयुक्ता पौर्णमासी यदा भवेत्

jaiminiruvāca puṣyasnānotsavaṁ vakṣye yathoktaṁ brahmaṇā purā puṣyarkṣeṇa ca saṁyuktā paurṇamāsī yadā bhavet

Jaimini said: I shall now declare the Pushya-bathing festival, as formerly declared by Brahma; when the full-moon day falls joined with the Pushya asterism,

Verse 2 (skanda.2.81.2)

पौषे मासि तथा कुर्यात्पुष्यस्नानोत्सवं हरेः। एकादश्यां प्रकुर्वीत ऐशान्यामंकुरार्पणम्

pauṣe māsi tathā kuryātpuṣyasnānotsavaṁ hareḥ ekādaśyāṁ prakurvīta aiśānyāmaṁkurārpaṇam

then, in the month of Pausha, one should perform Hari's Pushya-bathing festival. On the eleventh day, one should perform the sprout-offering in the north-east.

Verse 3 (skanda.2.81.3)

ततः प्रतिदिनं कुर्यात्प्रतिमायां हरेर्गृहे। नृत्यगीतोपहारैश्च प्रतिरात्रं वलिं हरेत्

tataḥ pratidinaṁ kuryātpratimāyāṁ harergṛhe nṛtyagītopahāraiśca pratirātraṁ valiṁ haret

Then daily, before the image in Hari's temple, with dance, song, and offerings, one should present bali each night.

Verse 4 (skanda.2.81.4)

चतुर्दशीनिशायां तु कुंभानामधिवासनम्। एकाशीतिप्रमाणानां तथा स्वर्णमयाञ्च्छुभान्

caturdaśīniśāyāṁ tu kuṁbhānāmadhivāsanam ekāśītipramāṇānāṁ tathā svarṇamayāñcchubhān

On the night of the fourteenth day, one should perform the placing-in-rest of the vessels — eighty-one in measure — and auspicious ones made of gold,

Verse 5 (skanda.2.81.5)

गव्यसर्पिःप्रपूर्णांश्च स्थापयेदेकविंशतिम्। कारयेत्सर्वतोभद्रं मंडलं पुरतो हरेः

gavyasarpiḥprapūrṇāṁśca sthāpayedekaviṁśatim kārayetsarvatobhadraṁ maṁḍalaṁ purato hareḥ

filled with cow's ghee, twenty-one in number, should be set up; one should have a Sarvatobhadra diagram made before Hari.

Verse 6 (skanda.2.81.6)

तन्मध्ये बृहदाधारं स्थापयेद्दर्पणं शुभम्। रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्याद्गीतनृत्यादिविस्तरैः

tanmadhye bṛhadādhāraṁ sthāpayeddarpaṇaṁ śubham rātrau jāgaraṇaṁ kuryādgītanṛtyādivistaraiḥ

In its centre one should set a large stand and an auspicious mirror; at night one should keep vigil with abundant song and dance.

Verse 7 (skanda.2.81.7)

प्रभाते वह्निकार्यं च कुर्यात्तद्दैवतं द्विजाः। पालाशीभिः समिद्भिस्तु चरुणा सर्पिषा तथा

prabhāte vahnikāryaṁ ca kuryāttaddaivataṁ dvijāḥ pālāśībhiḥ samidbhistu caruṇā sarpiṣā tathā

In the morning, O brahmins, one should perform the fire-rite for that deity, with fuel-sticks of palasha wood, with the oblation, and with ghee.

Verse 8 (skanda.2.81.8)

ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवेभ्यस्तु प्रत्येकं तु सहस्रकम्। स्वलिंगमन्त्रैर्जुहुयात्तदंते पुरुषोत्तमम्

brahmaviṣṇuśivebhyastu pratyekaṁ tu sahasrakam svaliṁgamantrairjuhuyāttadaṁte puruṣottamam

To Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, one should offer a thousand oblations each, with their own respective mantras; at its end, one should offer to Purushottama.

Verse 9 (skanda.2.81.9)

पूजयेदुपचारैस्तैरादर्शं प्रतिबिंबितम्। ततः पुरुषसूक्तेन कुम्भांस्तानभिमन्त्रयेत्

pūjayedupacāraistairādarśaṁ pratibiṁbitam tataḥ puruṣasūktena kumbhāṁstānabhimantrayet

One should worship, with those same ritual honours, the mirror bearing his reflection; then, with the Purusha-sukta, one should consecrate those vessels.

Verse 10 (skanda.2.81.10)

तेनैवाच्छिद्रधारेण स्नापयेत्पुरुषोत्तमम्। पावमानीयकैर्देवाञ्छ्रीसूक्तेन ततः परम्

tenaivācchidradhāreṇa snāpayetpuruṣottamam pāvamānīyakairdevāñchrīsūktena tataḥ param

With that very unbroken stream, one should bathe Purushottama; then, with the Pavamani hymns, one should bathe the deities, and thereafter with the Shri-sukta.

Verse 11 (skanda.2.81.11)

सर्पिः कुंभैः स्नापयेच्च गायत्र्या च ततः परम् .। वैष्णव्या गन्धतोयेन श्रीसूक्तेन समर्चयेत्

sarpiḥ kuṁbhaiḥ snāpayecca gāyatryā ca tataḥ param . vaiṣṇavyā gandhatoyena śrīsūktena samarcayet

One should bathe him with vessels of ghee, and thereafter with the Gayatri; with the Vaishnavi mantra and fragrant water, and worship him with the Shri-sukta.

Verse 12 (skanda.2.81.12)

सहस्रधारया देवं ततो निर्माल्यमुत्सृजेत्। देवांगं लेपयेद्गन्धैश्चंदनेन च विग्रहे

sahasradhārayā devaṁ tato nirmālyamutsṛjet devāṁgaṁ lepayedgandhaiścaṁdanena ca vigrahe

One should bathe the deity with a thousand streams, and then remove the sacred remnant; one should anoint the deity's body and image with fragrances and sandal,

Verse 13 (skanda.2.81.13)

यथास्थानं यथाशोभमलंकारांश्च योजयेत्। सुगन्धसुमनोमाल्यैर्भूषयेत्तदनंतरम्

yathāsthānaṁ yathāśobhamalaṁkārāṁśca yojayet sugandhasumanomālyairbhūṣayettadanaṁtaram

and apply ornaments each in its proper place, with due beauty; thereafter one should adorn him with fragrant, sweet-flowered garlands.

Verse 14 (skanda.2.81.14)

अष्टायुधानि देवस्य चक्रादीनि न्यसेत्पुरः। रत्नच्छत्रं समुच्छ्रित्य पूजयेत्पुरुषोत्तमम्

aṣṭāyudhāni devasya cakrādīni nyasetpuraḥ ratnacchatraṁ samucchritya pūjayetpuruṣottamam

One should set the eight weapons of the deity — the discus and the rest — before him; having raised the jewelled umbrella, one should worship Purushottama,

Verse 15 (skanda.2.81.15)

लक्ष्म्या युक्तं पुनर्विप्रा उपहारैः समृद्धिमत्। शंखेषु पूर्यमाणेषु स्निग्धगंभीरनादिषु

lakṣmyā yuktaṁ punarviprā upahāraiḥ samṛddhimat śaṁkheṣu pūryamāṇeṣu snigdhagaṁbhīranādiṣu

joined with Lakshmi, again with rich offerings, O brahmins — while conches are being blown, their sound smooth and deep,

Verse 16 (skanda.2.81.16)

चामरांदोलव्यग्रासु वेश्यासु रुचिरासु च। मांगल्यगीतनृत्याद्यैः स्तुतिपाठेषु बन्दिनाम्

cāmarāṁdolavyagrāsu veśyāsu rucirāsu ca māṁgalyagītanṛtyādyaiḥ stutipāṭheṣu bandinām

while lovely courtesans are busy waving chowries, amid auspicious songs and dances, amid the recitation of praises by bards,

Verse 17 (skanda.2.81.17)

जयशब्दं प्रकुर्वत्सु द्विजातिषु मुहुर्मुहुः। दूर्वाक्षतांजलिभिस्त्रिभिः संपूज्य केशवम्

jayaśabdaṁ prakurvatsu dvijātiṣu muhurmuhuḥ dūrvākṣatāṁjalibhistribhiḥ saṁpūjya keśavam

while the twice-born again and again raise the cry of 'Victory!' — having worshipped Keshava thrice with handfuls of durva grass and unbroken rice,

Verse 18 (skanda.2.81.18)

गोसर्पिर्दीपकैः स्वर्णपात्रकैरतिनिर्मलैः। नीराजयेज्जगन्नाथं कर्पूरयुतवर्तिभिः

gosarpirdīpakaiḥ svarṇapātrakairatinirmalaiḥ nīrājayejjagannāthaṁ karpūrayutavartibhiḥ

with lamps of cow's ghee in utterly pure golden vessels, with wicks steeped in camphor, one should perform the waving-lamp rite for Jagannatha.

Verse 19 (skanda.2.81.19)

स्वर्णपात्रस्थितं चारु तांबूलं सुपरिष्कृतम्। शनैःशनैर्मुखाभ्याशे प्रत्येकं विनिवेदयेत्

svarṇapātrasthitaṁ cāru tāṁbūlaṁ supariṣkṛtam śanaiḥśanairmukhābhyāśe pratyekaṁ vinivedayet

A fine roll of betel, well prepared, set in a golden vessel, should be slowly and individually offered near his mouth.

Verse 20 (skanda.2.81.20)

आचार्ये दक्षिणां दद्याद्ब्राह्मणांश्चैव पूजयेत्

ācārye dakṣiṇāṁ dadyādbrāhmaṇāṁścaiva pūjayet

One should give the sacrificial fee to the acharya, and worship the brahmins as well.

Verse 21 (skanda.2.81.21)

पुष्यस्नानोत्सवं पुण्यं ये पश्यंति मुदान्विताः। संपूर्णसर्वकामास्ते व्रजेयुर्वैष्णवं पदम्

puṣyasnānotsavaṁ puṇyaṁ ye paśyaṁti mudānvitāḥ saṁpūrṇasarvakāmāste vrajeyurvaiṣṇavaṁ padam

Those who behold this holy Pushya-bathing festival with joy have all their desires fulfilled, and attain the Vaishnava state.

Verse 22 (skanda.2.81.22)

राज्यभ्रष्टो लभेद्राज्यं सार्वभौमं च विंदति। अपुत्रा मृतवत्सा वा पुत्रं दीर्घायुषं लभेत्

rājyabhraṣṭo labhedrājyaṁ sārvabhaumaṁ ca viṁdati aputrā mṛtavatsā vā putraṁ dīrghāyuṣaṁ labhet

One fallen from a kingdom regains his kingdom, and even attains sovereignty over the whole earth; a childless woman, or one whose children have died, obtains a long-lived son.

Verse 23 (skanda.2.81.23)

दारिद्र्यनाशनं धन्यं ब्रह्मवर्चसकारणम्। पुष्यस्नानं कीर्तितं वः शृणुध्वं चोत्तरायणम्

dāridryanāśanaṁ dhanyaṁ brahmavarcasakāraṇam puṣyasnānaṁ kīrtitaṁ vaḥ śṛṇudhvaṁ cottarāyaṇam

It destroys poverty, brings prosperity, and is the cause of spiritual splendour. Thus has the Pushya-bathing been declared to you; now hear also of the festival of Uttarayana.