Parva 2 Chapter 77: punyākavidhiḥ - the description of observance of puṇyaka

janamejaya said: O the best among Brahmins! (O vaiśampāyana!) Tell me about the origin of puṇyaka (vows). Due to the blessings of dvaipāyana (vyāsa) everything is known to you. vaiśampāyana uvāca umayā puṇyakavidhirnarendrotpāditaḥ purā | śṛṇu yena vidhānena loke dharmabhṛtāṁ vara ||2-77-2 vaiśampāyana said O king! (janamejaya!) The vow of puṇyaka was created long ago by uma. O the best among those fixed in dharma! Listen to the scheme of observing puṇyaka to be followed in the world. svargānnīte pārijāte kṛṣṇenākliṣṭakarmaṇā | yayau dvāravatīṁ dhīmānnārado munisattamaḥ ||2-77-3 As kṛṣṇa who does difficult tasks brought the pārijāta tree from heaven, the best among sages, nārada, with high intellect went to dvārakā. devāsure nṛpaśreṣṭha saṅgrāme samupasthite | ṣaṭpurasya vadhe ghore mahādevājṣayānagha ||2-77-4 O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) O the one without any sins! By the order of the great deva (shiva), the time for destruction of ṣaṭpura in a terrible battle between the deva-s and asura-s approached. kṛṣṇena sahitaṁ vipraṁ nāradaṁ dharmavittamam | āsīnaṁ paripapraccha rukmiṇī bhaiṣmikī nṛpa ||2-77-5 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) As nārada, the best among the observers of dharma was sitting with kṛṣṇa, rukmiṇī, the daughter of bhīṣmaka asked. tatra jāmbavatī devī satyabhāmā ca bhāminī | gāndhārarājaputrī ca yogayuktā narādhipa ||2-77-6 O the king of men! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) There, goddess jāmbavatī, the beautiful satyabhāmā, the daughter of the king of gāndhāra and others firm in yoga were also present. devyashcha nṛpa kṛṣṇasya bahvyo'nyā vai samāgatāḥ | kulaśīlaguṇopetā dharmaśīlāḥ pativratāḥ ||2-77-7 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) There were many goddesses (wives) of kṛṣṇa, who are with best qualities suitable for the race, fixed in dharma and faithful to the husband. rukmiṇyuvāca mune dharmabhṛtāṁ śreṣṭha dharmajṣānabhṛtāṁ vara | utpattiṁ puṇyakānāṁ tvaṁ vaktumarhasyaśeṣataḥ ||2-77-8 rukmiṇī said: O sage! The best among those fixed in dharma! The best among observers of dharma! Tell us completely about the origin of puṇyaka (vow). vidhiṁ ca phalayogaṁ ca dānakālaṁ tathaiva ca | kautūhalaṁ nastatsiddhiṁ vadasva vadatāṁ vara ||2-77-9 Tell us about the observance, the offerings and the timings and the results accrued. O the best among speakers! Please satisfy our curiosity. nārada uvāca śṛṇu vaidarbhi dhamajṣe sapatnībhiḥ sahānaghe | puṇyakānāṁ vidhiḥ prokto yathā devi purā mayā ||2-77-10 nārada said: Listen! O the daughter of the king of vidarbha, along with your co-wives. O the one who is fixed in dharma! O the one without any sin! I shall tell you about the observance of puṇyaka vows as was told by the goddess (uma) before. cacāromā vrataṁ devī puṇyakānāṁ śuchivratā | vratāvasāne'tha tathā sakhyo devi nimantritāḥ ||2-77-11 The goddess, pure and fixed in vows, observed the puṇyaka vow. At the conclusion of the vow, the goddess invited her friends. adityādyāḥ sutāḥ sarvā dakṣasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | paulomī ca śacī devī khyātā loke pativratā ||2-77-12 (The goddess invited), beginning with aditi, all the daughters of dakṣa, who does difficult tasks, paulomī, the goddess śacī, famous in the world as faithful to her husband. rohinī ca mahābhāgā somasya dayitā satī | phālgunī ca tathā pūrvā revatī ca viśāṁpate ||2-77-13 rohiṇī, the great woman, wife of soma, and O ruler of men (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), phālgunī and revatī, tathā śatabhiṣā caiva maghā ca kurunandana | etābhirhi mahādevī pūrvamārādhitā satī ||2-77-14 and also, O the son of kuru! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), śatabhiṣā, maghā. In former times, they had worshipped, satī (umā), the great goddess. gaṅgā sarasvatī caiva veṇī godā ca nimnagā | tathā vaitaraṇī caiva gaṇḍakī yā ca bhārata ||2-77-15 O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), (The goddess also invited) the river goddesses, gaṅgā, sarasvatī, veṇī, godāvarī, vaitaraṇī and gaṇḍakī anyāścha sarito ramyā lopāmudrā ca bhārata | satyaścānyā jagaddevyo dhārayanti hi tāḥ śubhāḥ ||2-77-16 and other beautiful river goddesses, O the one of bharata race! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), such as lopāmudrā and other auspicious goddesses who supports the world, śubhāścha girinandinyo vahnikanyāścha suvratāḥ | svāhā vahnipriyā devī sāvitrī ca yaśasvinī ||2-77-17 the auspicious daughters of the mountains and the daughters of fire, fixed in vows, svāhā, the dear (wife) of the fire god and the goddess sāvitrī of great fame, ṛddhiḥ kuberakāntā ca jaleśamahiṣī tathā | bhāryā pitṛpateścaiva vasupatnyastathā ca yāḥ ||2-77-18 ṛddhi, the dear wife of kubera and the wife of the god of water, the wife of the lord of pitṛ-s and the wives of vasu, hrīḥ śrīrdhṛtistathā kīrtirāśā medhā ca suvratāḥ | prītirmatiścha khyātiścha sannītiścha tapodhanāḥ ||2-77-19 hrīḥ, śrīḥ, dhṛti, kīrti, āśā, medhā, suvratā, prītiḥ, matī, khyāti and sannati who have the wealth of penance, devyaḥ satyastathaivānyāḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ | tāsāṁ vratāvasāne ca pūjāṁ cakre'mbikā tadā ||2-77-20 goddesses, other auspicious women who are always interested in the welfare of all beings. ambikā (umā) worshipped all of them at the conclusion of the vow. tilaratnamayaṁ dattvā parvataṁ sarvadhānyavat | vāsobirbhūṣaṇairmukhyairnānārāgaiḥ sumadhyame ||2-77-21 A heap of sesame seeds and jewels along with all grains was offered, O woman with a beautiful middle, and clothes of many colours and ornaments. pratigṛhya tu tāṁ pūjāṁ dattāṁ devyā tapodhanāḥ | upaviṣṭāḥ kathāścitrāḥ kurvantyo bhartṛdevatāḥ ||2-77-22 The auspicious women, having a wealth of penance received the worship offered by the goddess (umā). The women who consider their husband as god stayed there reciting wonderful stories. puṇyakārthaṁ kathāstāsāmāsandevī śaśaṁsa yāḥ | vidhiṁ ca puṇyakasyātha satīnāṁ bhartṛdevate ||2-77-23 O one who consider your husband as god! The goddess told them the stories of puṇyaka vow one by one and the scheme for observing the puṇyaka vow. tāsāṁ matena sādhvīnāṁ savāsāṁ somanandinī | paryapṛcchadumāṁ devīṁ puṇyakānāṁ vidhiṁ varā ||2-77-24 As desired by all the auspicious women, the daughter of soma, arundhati asked the goddess umā about the scheme for observing puṇyaka. umā tāsāṁ priyārthaṁ tu puṇyakānyabravīttadā | samakṣaṁ mama vaidarbhi sarvabhūtahite ratā ||2-77-25 O the daughter of king of vidarbha (rukmiṇī, nārada continued) As liked by them, umā, who is always interested in the welfare of all beings, told them the scheme for observing puṇyaka, in my presence. mamaiva chomayā dattaḥ sa tadā ratnaparvataḥ | pratigṛhya mayā caiva kṛto brāhmaṇasācchubhe ||2-77-26 A heap of jewels was given to me as well as an offering. O auspicious woman! (rukmiṇī, nārada continued) I accepted the offering and offered it to the Brahmins. umā tvarundhatīṁ sādhvīmāmantrya yadabhāṣata | śṛṇu kalyāṇi vakṣyāmi sarvābhiḥ sahitā śubhe ||2-77-27 O auspicious woman! (rukmiṇī, nārada continued) I shall recite what was told by umā to arundhati then. O auspicious woman! (rukmiṇī, nārada continued), please listen along with all. puṇyakānāṁ vidhiṁ kṝtsnaṁ yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ | yathā caiva mayā dṛṣṭastata eṣa vidhiḥ śubhe ||2-77-28 O auspicious woman! (rukmiṇī, nārada continued) I shall recite the scheme for observing the vow of puṇyaka, as understood by me then and there. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi puṇyakavidhikathane saptasaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the seventy seventh chapter of viṣṇuparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, the description of observance of puṇyaka nīlakaṇṭha commentary saptādhike saptatike puṇyakānāṁ nirūpyate | pārvatyā tapasā yuktaṁ svarūpaṁ tadvidhistathā || 1 || · 2-77-1 puṇyakanāmiti || · 2-77-4 vadhe kṛti sati || · 2-77-6 tatra jāmbavatyādayo'pi samāgatāḥ || · 2-77-15 gaṅgādyā nadyābhimāninyo devatāḥ || · 2-77-23 bhartṛdevate pativratāsamudāye || · 2-77-24 somanandinī arundhatī || īti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ saptasaptatime'dhyāyaḥ ||