Praneetha
Canto 6
Chapter 19
Performing the Pumsavana Ritualistic Ceremony
This chapter explains how Diti, Kaśyapa Muni's wife, executed Kaśyapa Muni's instructions on devotional service. During the first day of the bright fortnight of the moon in the month of Agrahāyaṇa (November-December), every woman, following in the footsteps of Diti and following the instructions of her own husband, should begin this puḿsavana-vrata. In the morning, after washing her teeth, bathing and thus becoming purified, she should hear about the birth mystery of the Maruts. Then, covering her body with a white dress and being properly ornamented, before breakfast she should worship Lord Viṣṇu and mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, Lord Viṣṇu's wife, by glorifying Lord Viṣṇu for His mercy, patience, prowess, ability, greatness and other glories and for how He can bestow all mystic benedictions. While offering the Lord all paraphernalia for worship, such as ornaments, a sacred thread, scents, nice flowers, incense and water for bathing and washing His feet, hands and mouth, one should invite the Lord with this mantra: oḿ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya mahānubhāvāya mahāvibhūtipataye saha mahā-vibhūtibhir balim upaharāmi. Then one should offer twelve oblations in the fire while chanting this mantra: oḿ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya mahāvibhūti-pataye svāhā. One should offer obeisances while chanting this mantra ten times. Then one should chant the Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa mantra.
If either a pregnant woman or her husband regularly discharges this devotional service, both of them will receive the result. After continuing this process for one full year, the chaste wife should fast on the pūrṇimā, the full-moon day, of Kārttika. On the following day, the husband should worship the Lord as before and then observe a festival by cooking nice food and distributing prasāda to the brāhmaṇas. Then, with the permission of the brāhmaṇas, the husband and wife should take prasāda. This chapter ends by glorifying the results of the puḿsavana function.
6.19.1
śrī-rājovāca
(1) The king said: 'I want to know about the vow called pumsavana that you spoke of o brahmin and by which Lord Vishnu is pleased.
6.19.2-3
yoṣid bhartur anujñayā
vasītālańkṛtāmbare
(2-3) S'rî S'uka said: 'From the first day during the bright fortnight of Agrahâyana (November-December), should a woman with the permission of her husband begin with this vow which fulfills all desires. Before breakfast hearing about the birth of the Maruts and taking instruction from the brahmins, she should bathe and have her teeth cleaned white, put on ornaments and garments and worship the Supreme Lord who is with the Goddess of Fortune as follows:
6.19.4
mahāvibhūti-pataye
(4) 'May there be all the obeisances unto You o Lord indifferent, whose will is always done; unto the husband of Lakshmî Devî, the Master of all Perfection, my respects.
A devotee knows how to appreciate the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
oḿ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaḿ
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate
[Īśopaniṣad, Invocation]
"The personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance." Therefore, to take shelter of the Supreme Lord is required. Whatever a devotee needs will be supplied by the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead (teṣāḿ nityābhiyuktānāḿ yoga-kṣemaḿ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22]). Therefore a pure devotee will not ask anything from the Lord. He simply offers the Lord his respectful obeisances, and the Lord is prepared to accept whatever the devotee can secure to worship Him, even patraḿ puṣpaḿ phalaḿ toyam — a leaf, flower, fruit or water. There is no need to artificially exert oneself. It is better to be plain and simple and with respectful obeisances offer to the Lord whatever one can secure. The Lord is completely able to bless the devotee with all opulences.6.19.5
tejasā mahimaujasā
(5) You as the One endowed with mercy, opulence, prowess, glory and strength o my Lord therefore art of all the divine qualities the One Supreme Master.
6.19.6
(6) O Lakshmî espoused to Lord Vishnu, you are His energy and have all the qualities of the Supreme Personality, I beg you be pleased with me o Goddess of Fortune, o Mother of the World, may there be all reverential homage unto you.
6.19.7
oḿ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya mahānubhāvāya mahāvibhūti-pataye saha mahā-vibhūtibhir balim upaharāmīti; anenāhar-ahar mantreṇa viṣṇor āvāhanārghya-pādyopasparśana-snāna-vāsa-upavīta-vibhūṣaṇa-gandha-puṣpa-dhūpa-dīpopahārādy-upacārān susamā-hitopāharet
(7) My obeisances unto the Supreme Lord and Personality of all Power, the husband of that Greatness of Wealth with His associates; unto Him I offer my presentations'. By the invocation of Lord Vishnu thus with this mantra every day must she then offer attentively presentations of gifts, lamps, incense flowers, scents, ornaments, garments, a sacred thread, bathing water and water for the hands, feet and mouth.
6.19.8
anale dvādaśāhutīḥ xxx
(8) Next should the remnants of the sacrifice be offered in the fire with twelve oblations hailing Him thus: 'O My Lord all my respects for You as the One Supreme, the Greatest Enjoyer who is the husband of the Goddess of Fortune'.
6.19.9
(9) Lord Vishnu and the goddess are the bestowers of all benedictions and together the source of all blessings; if one desires all the opulences one should with devotion daily be of worship.
Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa — Lord Viṣṇu and mother Lakṣmī — are always situated in everyone's heart (īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]). However, because nondevotees do not realize that Lord Viṣṇu stays with His eternal consort, Lakṣmī, within the hearts of all living entities, they are not endowed with the opulence of Lord Viṣṇu. Unscrupulous men sometimes address a poor man as daridra-nārāyaṇa, or "poor Nārāyaṇa." This is most unscientific. Lord Viṣṇu and Lakṣmī are always situated in everyone's heart, but this does not mean that everyone is Nārāyaṇa, especially not those in poverty. This is a most abominable term to use in connection with Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa never becomes poor, and therefore He can never be called daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is certainly situated in everyone's heart, but He is neither poor nor rich. Only unscrupulous persons who do not know the opulence of Nārāyaṇa try to afflict Him with poverty.
6.19.10
praṇamed daṇḍavad bhūmau
(10) Stretched out straight on the ground [dandavat] one in devotion should be of sacrifice in a humble state of mind uttering this mantra ten times and then chant the next prayer:
6.19.11
(11) 'The both of You are indeed the proprietors of the universe, the Supreme Cause. This external world of Yours is certainly difficult to fathom and the internal potency is difficult to surpass.
6.19.12
(12) You as the Supreme Personality, You are her direct Master, the one of all sacrifices; this goddess ruling all that I do and this Enjoyer of the Fruits that You are I worship.
6.19.13
śrīḥ śarīrendriyāśayāḥ
pratyayas tvam apāśrayaḥ
(13) To this devî as the reservoir of all qualities are You indeed the Manifester and Enjoyer, the Supersoul of all embodied souls; You are the support and the cause of the manifestation of the name, form, body, senses and mind of her as Lakshmî, the Goddess of Fortune.
6.19.14
varadau parameṣṭhinau
(14) May, since the both of You are the benedictors and supreme rulers of the three worlds, therefore, o Uttamas'loka, o Lord Praised in the Verses, my great ambitions be fulfilled.'
6.19.15
ity abhiṣṭūya varadaḿ
tan niḥsāryopaharaṇaḿ
dattvācamanam arcayet
(15) Thus one should pray to Vishnu who with Lakshmî is the abode of the goddess and the bestower of benedictions. Next one should remove the things of worship and wash one's hands and mouth after the offering and homage.
6.19.16
yajñocchiṣṭam avaghrāya
punar abhyarcayed dharim
(16) Then should one appreciate with devotion and a humble mind, the remnants of the sacrifice smelling them and again be of worship for Lord Vishnu.
6.19.17
priyais tais tair upanamet
(17) By those offerings should the wife, with love for the husband who himself then also executes all the menial and elevated duties, with devotion accept the dear husband as if he were the Supreme Personality himself.
6.19.18
kṛtam ekatareṇāpi
patnyāḿ kuryād anarhāyāḿ
patir etat samāhitaḥ
(18) When the wife is unable to do so should the husband execute this attentively, because when even but one of them performs the sacrifice, still both the wife and the husband may enjoy the result.
6.19.19-20
viprān striyo vīravatīḥ
arced ahar-ahar bhaktyā
(19-20) One should not break with the execution of this vow to Lord Vishnu for any reason; daily should one in a regulated manner grant the brahmins and the women with their husbands and children, the offerings with garlands, sandalwood, food and ornaments to the Godhead. As a consequence of placing it before Him does one, having put the Godhead to rest, eating of what was offered and as should dividing it among others, find purification of one's soul and the fulfillment of all desires.
One should accept this viṣṇu-vrata, which is a vow in devotional service, and should not deviate from its execution to engage in anything else. By offering the remnants of prasāda, flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and ornaments, one should daily worship the brāhmaṇas and worship women who peacefully live with their husbands and children. Every day the wife must continue following the regulative principles to worship Lord Viṣṇu with great devotion. Thereafter, Lord Viṣṇu should be laid in His bed, and then one should take prasāda. In this way, husband and wife will be purified and will have all their desires fulfilled.
6.19.21
nītvāthoparamet sādhvī
(21) With this regulated pûjâ must after the time of twelve months, a year, the wife then fast on the last day [the full moon] of Kârttika [October-November].
6.19.22
dvādaśaivāhutīḥ patiḥ
(22) The next morning contacting water should in worship of Lord Krishna according the injunctions of cooking for a sacrifice [as stated in the Grihya-sûtras] as before sweet rice with ghee boiled in milk be offered, with the husband twelve times doing oblations in the fire.
6.19.23
āśiṣaḥ śirasādāya
(23) With the permission of the brahmins, whose blessings he accepted on his head after pleasing them expressing his obeisances, should he then in devotion eat.
6.19.24
suprajāstvaḿ susaubhagam
(24) With friends and relatives controlling the speech, should he first of all properly welcome the teacher of example and next should he give the wife the remnant of the offering. That will ensure him progeny and good fortune.
6.19.25
(25) Performing this vow to the instructions gets a man in this life all things desired from the Almighty and is a woman performing this able to achieve all fortune, opulence, progeny, a long living husband and a good reputation and home.
even today if a woman lives for a long time with her husband, she is considered very fortunate. A woman generally desires a good husband, good children, a good home, prosperity, opulence and so on. As recommended in this verse, a woman will receive all these desirable benedictions, and a man will also be able to receive all benedictions, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus by performing this particular type of vrata, a man and a woman in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be happy in this material world, and because of being Kṛṣṇa conscious they will be promoted to the spiritual world.
6.19.26-28
(26-28) Unmarried she can [to this vrata] get a husband with all good qualities and reaches she, free from faults with no husband or son, the divine abode; with a child dead she may have one living long, unfortunate will she find fortune and fare well, and ugly she finds beauty and excellence. A diseased man is freed from his disease and will be an able man again; reciting this in ceremony to the forefathers and the gods will please the both of them as well as the Lord, the enjoyer of all sacrifice, very much, so that satisfied they, upon the completion of the ceremony, will fulfill all one's desires. O King, thus I extensively explained to you about the great birth of the Maruts and the piety of Diti taking to the vow.'
If an unmarried girl observes this vrata, she will be able to get a very good husband. If a woman who is avīrā — who has no husband or son — executes this ritualistic ceremony, she can be promoted to the spiritual world. A woman whose children have died after birth can get a child with a long duration of life and also become very fortunate in possessing wealth. If a woman is unfortunate she will become fortunate, and if ugly she will become beautiful. By observing this vrata, a diseased man can gain relief from his disease and have an able body with which to work. If one recites this narration while offering oblations to the pitās and demigods, especially during the śrāddha ceremony, the demigods and inhabitants of Pitṛloka will be extremely pleased with him and bestow upon him the fulfillment of all desires. After one performs this ritualistic ceremony, Lord Viṣṇu and His wife, mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, are very pleased with him. O King Parīkṣit, now I have completely described how Diti performed this ceremony and had good children — the Maruts — and a happy life. I have tried to explain this to you as elaborately as possible.
Thus the sixth Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam ends named: 'Prescribed Duties For Mankind'.
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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