Adhyaya 35: The Account of Soma’s Decline and Restoration, and the Paurṇamāsī Observance

Verse 1

महातपा उवाच । ब्रह्मणो मानसः पुत्रः अत्रिर्नाम महातपाः । तस्य पुत्रोऽभवत्सोमो दक्षजामातृतां गतः ॥ ३५.१ ॥

Mahātapā said: “Atri, renowned for great austerity, was a mind-born son of Brahmā. His son was Soma (the Moon), who attained the status of being Dakṣa’s son-in-law.”},{

Verse 2

सप्तविंशति याः कन्या दाक्षायण्यः प्रकीर्तिताः । सोमपत्‍न्योऽतिमन्तव्यास्तासां श्रेष्ठा तु रोहिणी ॥ ३५.२ ॥

The twenty-seven maidens celebrated as the daughters of Dakṣa are to be understood as the wives of Soma (the Moon); among them, Rohiṇī is regarded as the foremost.

Verse 3

तामेव रमते सोमो नेतराः इति शुश्रुमः । इतराः प्रोचुरागत्य दक्षस्यासमतां शशेः ॥ ३५.३ ॥

“We have heard that Soma delights only in her, and not in the others.” The other wives came and reported to Dakṣa the Moon’s unequal conduct.

Verse 4

दक्षोऽप्यसकृदागत्य तमुवाच स नाकरॊत् । समतां सोऽपि तं दक्षः शशापान्तरहितो भव ॥ ३५.४ ॥

Dakṣa too, having come repeatedly, addressed him; but he did not comply. Then Dakṣa cursed him: “Become hidden (disappear from view).”

Verse 5

एवं शप्तस्तु दक्षेण सोमो देहं त्यजेदथ । उवाच सोमो दक्षं तु भवानेवं भविष्यति । अनेकजो विहायेमं ब्रह्मदेहं सनातनम् ॥ ३५.५ ॥

Thus, when cursed by Dakṣa, Soma would then abandon his body. Soma said to Dakṣa: “So it shall come to be for you as well; having many births, you too will relinquish this ancient, Brahmā-bestowed body.”

Verse 6

एवमुक्त्वा क्षयं सोम आगमद् दक्षशापतः । देवा मनुष्याः पशवो नष्टे सोमे सवीरुधः ॥ ३५.६ ॥

Having spoken thus, Soma (the Moon) came to a state of decline due to Dakṣa’s curse. When Soma was diminished, the gods, humans, and animals—together with the vegetation—fell into ruin.

Verse 7

क्षीणाभवंस्तदा सर्वा ओषध्यश्च विशेषतः । क्षयं गच्छद्भिरत्यर्थमोषधीभिः सुरर्षभाः ॥ ३५.७ ॥

Then all the plants became diminished—medicinal herbs in particular. O bulls among the gods, as the herbs were excessively undergoing decline, they came to a state of depletion.

Verse 8

मूलेषु वीरुधां सोमः स्थित इत्यूचुरातुराः । तेषां चिन्ताऽभवत् तीव्रा विष्णुं च शरणं ययुः ॥ ३५.८ ॥

Distressed, they said: “Soma is stationed in the roots of the plants.” Their anxiety then grew intense, and they went to Viṣṇu as their refuge.

Verse 9

भगवानाह तान् सर्वान् ब्रूत किं क्रियते मया । ते चोचुर्देव दक्षेण शप्तः सोमो विनाशितः ॥ ३५.९ ॥

The Blessed One said to them all: “Tell me—what is to be done by me?” They replied, “O god, Soma has been destroyed, having been cursed by Dakṣa.”

Verse 10

तानुवाच तदा देवो मथ्यतां कलशोदधिः । ओषध्यः सर्वतो देवाः प्रक्षिप्याशु सुसंयतैः ॥ ३५.१० ॥

Then the Deity addressed them: “Let the Ocean of the Jar (Kalasha) be churned. O gods, swiftly cast in medicinal herbs from all directions, with disciplined restraint.”

Verse 11

एवमुक्त्वा ततो देवान् दध्यौ रुद्रं हरिः स्वयम् । ब्रह्माणं च तथा दध्यौ वासुकिं नेत्रकारणात् ॥ ३५.११ ॥

Having spoken thus, Hari himself then meditated upon the gods—upon Rudra; likewise he meditated upon Brahmā; and upon Vāsuki, on account of a matter concerning the eye.

Verse 12

ते सर्वे तत्र सहिताः ममन्थुर्वरुणालयम् । तस्मिंस्तु मथिते जातः पुनः सोमो महीपते ॥ ३५.१२ ॥

All of them, assembled there, churned Varuṇa’s abode, the ocean. When that churning took place, O lord of the earth, Soma (the Moon) was produced once again.

Verse 13

योऽसौ क्षेत्रज्ञसंज्ञो वै देहेऽस्मिन् पुरुषः परः । स एव सोमो मन्तव्यो देहिनां जीवसंज्ञितः । परेच्छया स मूर्तिं तु पृथक् सौम्यां प्रपेदिवान् ॥ ३५.१३ ॥

That transcendent Person who, in this body, is designated as the “knower of the field” (kṣetrajña)—he alone is to be understood as Soma, identified among embodied beings as the “living principle” (jīva). By a higher will, he has assumed a distinct, gentle (saumya) form.

Verse 14

तमॆव देवमनुजाः षोडशेमाश्च देवताः । उपजीवन्ति वृक्षाश्च तथैवोषधयः प्रभुम् ॥ ३५.१४ ॥

Humans, the sixteen groups of deities, and likewise the trees and medicinal plants all subsist upon that very Lord as their sustaining master.

Verse 15

रुद्रस्तमेव सकलं दधार शिरसा तदा । तदात्मिका भवन्त्यापो विश्वमूर्तिरसौ स्मृतः ॥ ३५.१५ ॥

Then Rudra bore that entire reality upon his head. The waters become of that very nature; he is remembered as the one whose form is the universe.

Verse 16

तस्य ब्रह्मा ददौ प्रीतः पौर्णमासीं तिथिं प्रभुः । तस्यामुपोषयेद् राजंस्तमर्थं प्रतिपादयेत् ॥ ३५.१६ ॥

Pleased, the Lord Brahmā granted him the lunar date of the Full Moon (Paurṇamāsī). On that day, O King, one should undertake a fast and fulfill that intended purpose for which the observance is performed.

Verse 17

यवान्नहारश्च भवेत् तस्य ज्ञानं प्रयच्छति । कान्तिं पुष्टिं च राजेन्द्र धनं धान्यं च केवलम् ॥ ३५.१७ ॥

If one subsists on barley (yava) as food, it bestows knowledge upon him; and, O best of kings, it grants radiance and nourishment, as well as wealth and grain in particular.