This chapter describes the festivals that are to be celebrated in the month of Asvin.(Aaso) Vijayadashmi festival.
This chapter describes the festivals that are to be celebrated in the month of Asvin.(Aaso) Vijayadashmi festival.
Sri Narayan muni said:-
In the evening, when the stars have just risen in the sky, that time, which is known as ‘Vijay’ is considered auspicious to carry out all important tasks successfully. 1.
At that time, two days- Navami and Dasami whether they come in kaal or not, Vijyautsav should be celebrated as a festival by the devotees of Krishna- servants of Krishna. 2.
For this purpose, in the mouth of Asvin of the tenth Tithi of the brighter fortnight, Lord Ramachandra had gone on exile so all the people should cross the outskirts of their village or town during Shravan constellation. 3.
The Lord should be dressed in the costume of a king on that day. He should also be decorated with flowers, garlands and sandal-wood paste and fragrant materials. 4.
The Lord should be worshipped and be offered Payas (Dudhpak) and other delicious food items as Naivedya. In the evening, the Lord should be adorned with sprouts of barley as crown on the head. 5.
A great festival should be celebrated with full deep devotion and the songs of victory should be sung and repeated constantly. 6.
Sharadpunam festival.
On the full moon light of Asvin Purnima, the Lord Shri Krishna performed Rasa Leela. With Radha and Gopis 7.
So all the devotees should perform the Rasa festival on this full moonlight night of Asvin month . 8.
This Rasa festival should be celebrated on the full moon night which is totally pervaded by sixteen phases of the moon ( Raka). But when the full moon is affected by Pradipada of the next black fortnight it is called as ‘Anumati’. This Puurnima should not accepted for Rasa festival. 9.
In this festival, the idol of Radha with Gopis should be adorned with ornaments and clothes. The festival should be celebrated in the presence of the idols. 10.
If there is no idol of Radha with Sri Krishna, then the idol of Laksmi should be assumed as Radha and it should be decorated. 11.
The idol should be dressed with red (Kusumba) color and the top should be of yellow color. On the fore head Bindi spot of Kumkum should be applied. 12.
Lord Krishna’s idol should be adorned with rich yellow dhoti (Peetambara) and a crown of various beautiful jewels should put on the Lord’s head. 13.
A beautiful, golden and jeweled flute should be placed in Krishna’s hands and delicious Penda or Barfi should be offered to Lord as Naivedya. 14.
The temple’s premises and the Lord should then be made fragrant with rose water, perfumed oil and the costumes should also be perfumed. 15.
Then at night. Balakrishna should be placed on a beautiful seat on the terrace- (Chandrashala). Lord should then be worshipped and songs of praise have to be sung. 16.
The devotees should then prepare a sweet dish of fresh puffed rice, milk and sugar and offer it to the Lord as Naivedya. 17.
Lord Krishna had played Raaskreeda with Gopis for three nights in Vrindavan, In remembrance of this Leela, raas-kirtans should be sung on this day. 18.
Festival of Alankar Marjan on the pious day of Dhanteras.
On the this tenth Tithi of the black fortnight of Asvin (during Trayodashi) all the utensils and apparatus of the worship should be cleaned along with ornaments. 19.
All the temple premises should be washed and cleaned with water, cow-dung etc. Then a Kumkum spot should be applied on Lord Krishna’s forehead. 20.
Lord Krishna’s head should be adorned with a cloth worked with a golden thread and Laxmi should be adorned with a rich beautiful red sari and with a rich beautiful yellow blouse. 21.
For the offerings in Naivedya, there should be Jilebi and smooth Khajakas. These are the special rituals and others are as common. 22.
Chaudas and Deepawali Utsav.
On this Tithi of Trayodashi- thirteenth day of the black fortnight of Asvin- the Deepotsava, the festival of lights should be started and observed for three days with singing the songs in praise of Lord Krishna. 23.
Now the celebration of Abhyanga snan (Ablution after function) is described- When the fourteenth Tithi of the black fortnight of Asvin- Chatturdashi is with the moon by sunrise, it is acceptable for the ablution after function- Abhyanga snan- the sacred bath with hot water, incense and fragrant cleansing stuff made of sandal wood saw dust and fragrant herbs- 24.
On this day, idols of Lord Krishna and Laksmi should be rubbed with fragrance perfumed oil and then a warm water bath should be given by the devotees. 25.
Both the idols- Lord Krishna and Laksmi should be dressed in rich red robes and should be offered delicious foods like Malapuva, Laddoos, Vadas, Bhajis, Apoopas etc. as Naivedya. 26.
A special devotional song in praise of bath’s the God and Goddess should be sung while performing Aarti and rituals are common. 27.
Kalichuadas-Hanumanji Pooja -
On this day, particularly God Hanuman worshipped. Oil, sindoor, flowers of Aakdo (a kind of Tree) and Vadas made of Ulad dal should be specially be offered as Naivedya. 28.
For this worship of Hanuman- the Chaturdashi should be in transitional joining period (Sangavyapini). If both the Tithis are of the above mentioned period the constellation should be Purva and not Uttara. 29.
Deepotsav and Laxmipoojan.
On the day of Amavasya- the new moon (no moon) day Deepadana festival should be observed in for Goddess Laksmi popularly known as Laksmi pooja. The Amavasya should be pervaded by Pradosha the first part of the night should be considered auspicious. 30.
The devotees should adorn the Bhagavan with valuable ornaments which should be rich and beautiful clothes. 31.
At the first part of night on this day of Laksmi pooja, Goddess Rukmini should be worshipped by men. If there is no idol of Rukmini, the idol of Radha should be assumed as Rukmini and then it should be worshipped. 32.
Then Goddess Radha should be remembered silently in mind and she should be worshipped according to all the formalities and adorning material. If the idol of Radha is not available, then a golden image of Laksmi should be assumed as Radha and worshipped. 33.
The idol of Laksmi should be as follows, it should with four arms, seated on a throne of lotus (Padmasana), in her upper right arm there should be long-stemmed lotus, in her upper left arm should be a pot of nectar (Amrut kalash) and in other arms there should be a fruit of Bela (Vilva) and a conch. 34 - 35.
There should be two elephants in the background with pots (Kumbhas) in their trunks. A beautiful Lotus should be there on Laksmi’s head. 36.
Such an idol should be installed in a Sarvatobhadra square mandap each column of the Mandap should be tied with banana stems. The goddess Laksmi should then be worshipped with Laksmi sukta. 37.
The goddess should be adorned with rich, valuable robes and ornaments. beautiful row of lamps should be placed around the Mandap according to your economic ability. 38.
If this idol of Laksmi is with Hari-Vishnu, it should be adorned with red robes. If it is to be made separate from Hari, it should be clothed in white robes. 39.
Then on Laksmi’s forehead red Kumkum should be put and in the middle or at the centre unbroken rice grains (Aksata) should be stuck. 40.
The goddess Laksmi should then be worshipped with garlands of flowers and her arms should be beautified with flower bracelets. Lotus flowers and Dhoop sticks and ghee lamps should also be lit during the Pooja. 41.
For Naivadya there should be - Jalebi, Sutaarpheni, Gheevar, Revdees, Pattasa, Barfi, Pendas and sweet Vadas boiled in pure ghee, cardamom grains smeared in sugar, sugarcoated grams and rice. 42.
The goddess Laksmi should then be offered a betel-leaf arranged with betel nut, aniseeds, and then a Neeranjana- lamp of pure ghee should be moved round clock wise around the idol. songs, hymns in praise of Laksmi should sung along. 43 - 44.
So the festivals in Asvin have been described by me which are in honor of Vishnu. Now I will describe the festivals that occur in the month of Kartika ,so listen carefully. 45.
Thus ends the fifty-seventh chapter entitled ‘which describes the annual festivals that occur in the month of Asvin’ in the fourth Prakaran of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 57.
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