Adhyaya 47: The Rite of Śrāvaṇa Bright-Fortnight Dvādaśī (Dāmodara Worship) and the Exemplum of King Nṛga

Verse 1

दुर्वासा उवाच । श्रावणस्य तु मासस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु द्वादशी । अर्चयेत् परमं देवं गन्धपुष्पैर्जनार्नम् ॥ ४७.१ ॥

Durvāsā said: “On the Dvādaśī, the twelfth lunar day in the bright fortnight of the month of Śrāvaṇa, one should worship the Supreme Deity with fragrant substances and flowers, invoking Him as Janārṇa.”

Verse 2

दामोदराय पादौ तु हृषीकेशाय वै कटिम् । सनातनेति जठरमुरः श्रीवत्सधारिणे ॥ ४७.२ ॥

“One should offer (assign) the feet to Dāmodara; indeed, the waist to Hṛṣīkeśa; the belly with the formula ‘Sanātana’; and the chest to the bearer of the Śrīvatsa mark.”

Verse 3

चक्रपाणयेति भुजौ कण्ठं च हरये तथा । मुञ्जकेशाय च शिरो भद्रायेति शिखां तथा ॥ ४७.३ ॥

Reciting “to Cakrapāṇi,” one should assign it to the two arms; likewise, the throat to Hari. The head is assigned to Muñjakeśa; and similarly the topknot (śikhā) to Bhadrā.

Verse 4

एवं सम्पूज्य संस्थाप्य कुम्भं पूर्ववदेव तु । विन्यस्य वस्त्रयुग्मं तु तस्योपरि ततो न्यसेत् ॥ ४७.४ ॥

Thus, having duly worshipped and established the ritual pot (kumbha) exactly as before, one should place a pair of cloths upon it, and then set (that) on the top of the kumbha.

Verse 5

काञ्चनं देवदेवं तु दामोदरसनामकम् । तमभ्यर्च्य विधानॆन गन्धपुष्पादिभिः क्रमात् ॥ ४७.५ ॥

Then, in accordance with the prescribed procedure, one should duly worship the golden “God of gods,” bearing the name Dāmodara, with fragrances, flowers, and related offerings in proper sequence.

Verse 6

प्राग्वत् तं ब्राह्मणे दद्याद् वेदवेदाङ्गपारगे । एवं नियमयुक्तस्य प्रभावं तच्छृणुष्व मे ॥ ४७.६ ॥

As before, one should give that to a brāhmaṇa who has mastered the Veda and its auxiliary disciplines (Vedāṅgas). Thus, hear from me the efficacy of one who is endowed with disciplined observances (niyamas).

Verse 7

एष ते विधिरुद्दिष्टः श्रावणे मासि वै विभो । एतस्याश्च प्रभावं यत् शृणु पापप्रणाशनम् ॥ ४७.७ ॥

O mighty one, this procedure has been set forth for you in the month of Śrāvaṇa. Now hear its efficacy—an account that brings about the destruction of sin and wrongdoing.

Verse 8

पुरा कृतयुगे राजा नृगो नाम महाबलः । बभ्राम स वनं घोरं मृगयासक्तमानसः ॥ ४७.८ ॥

Formerly, in the Kṛta Yuga, there was a king named Nṛga, of mighty strength. With his mind attached to the hunt, he wandered into a dreadful forest.

Verse 9

स कदाचित् तुरङ्गेण हृतो दूरं महद्वनम् । व्याघ्रसिंहगजाकीर्णं दस्युसर्पनिषेवितम् ॥ ४७.९ ॥

At one time, carried far away by a horse, he reached a great forest—thickly inhabited by tigers, lions, and elephants, and frequented by bandits and snakes.

Verse 10

एकाकी तत्र राजा तु अश्वं मुच्य तरोरधः । स्वयं कुशमथास्तीर्य सुप्तो दुःखसमन्वितः ॥ ४७.१० ॥

There, the king—alone—released his horse beneath a tree; and, having himself spread kuśa grass, he lay down to sleep, burdened with sorrow.

Verse 11

तावत् तत्रैव लुब्धानां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । आगतानि मृगान् हन्तुं रात्रौ राज्ञः समन्ततः ॥ ४७.११ ॥

Just then, right there, fourteen thousand hunters arrived at night, surrounding the king on all sides, intent on killing the deer.

Verse 12

तत्रापश्यन्त ते सुप्तं हेमरत्नविभूषितम् । नृगं राजानमत्युग्रं श्रिया परमया युतम् ॥ ४७.१२ ॥

There they saw Nṛga, the king, lying asleep, adorned with gold and jewels—most formidable, and endowed with supreme splendor.

Verse 13

ते गत्वा त्वरितं व्याधाः स्वभर्त्रे संन्यवेदयन् । सोऽपि रत्नसुवर्णार्थं राजानं हन्तुमुद्यतः ॥ ४७.१३ ॥

Having gone swiftly, the hunters reported it to their own leader; and he too, for the sake of jewels and gold, set out with the intention of killing the king.

Verse 14

तुरगस्य च हेतोस्तु निस्त्रिंशा वनचारिणः । राजानं सुप्तमासाद्य निगृहीतुं प्रचक्रमुः ॥ ४७.१४ ॥

But for the sake of the horse, the forest-dwellers—swords in hand—came upon the king while he was asleep and set about to seize him.

Verse 15

तावद् राज्ञः शरीरात् तु श्वेताभरणभूषिता । नारी काचित् समुत्तस्थौ स्त्रक्चन्दनविभूषिता । उत्थाय चक्रमादाय ते म्लेच्छा विनिपातिताः ॥ ४७.१५ ॥

Then, from the king’s body, a certain woman arose, adorned with white ornaments and decorated with garlands and sandal paste. Rising up and taking up a discus, she struck down those mlecchas.

Verse 16

दस्यून् निहत्य सा देवी तस्य राज्ञस्तनुं पुनः । प्रविशन्त्याशु राजा अपि प्रतिबुद्धोऽथ दृष्टवान् । म्लेच्छांस्तु निहतान् दृष्ट्वा सा स्वमूर्त्तिलयं गता ॥ ४७.१६ ॥

Having slain the bandits, that goddess then re-entered the king’s body. The king too quickly awakened and beheld; and seeing the mlecchas lying slain, she withdrew and dissolved back into her own form.

Verse 17

अश्वमारुह्य स पुनर्वामदेवाश्रमं ययौ । तत्रापृच्छदृषिं भक्त्या का स्त्री के ते निपातिताः । एतत्कार्यमृषे मह्यं कथयस्व प्रसीद मे ॥ ४७.१७ ॥

Mounting a horse, he again went to Vāmadeva’s hermitage. There, with devotion, he asked the sage: “Who is this woman, and who are those that have been struck down? Please explain this matter to me, O ṛṣi; be gracious to me.”

Verse 18

वामदेव उवाच । त्वमासीच्छूद्रजातीय अन्यजन्मनि पार्थिव । तत्र त्वया ब्राह्मणस्य प्रेषणं कुर्वता श्रुता । श्रावणस्य तु मासस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु द्वादशी ॥ ४७.१८ ॥

Vāmadeva said: “O king, in another birth you were of Śūdra origin. There, as you were sending a brāhmaṇa as a messenger, you heard of the Dvādaśī—the twelfth lunar day—in the bright fortnight of the month of Śrāvaṇa.”

Verse 19

सविधानात् त्वया राजन् भक्त्या वै समुपोषिता । उपोषितायां तस्यां तु राज्यं लब्धं त्वयानघ ॥ ४७.१९ ॥

O king, in accordance with the prescribed procedure, you duly observed that fast/vow with devotion; and when that observance was completed, you—O blameless one—obtained the kingdom.

Verse 20

सर्वापत्सु च सा देवी भवन्तं परिरक्षति । यया विनिहताः क्रूरा म्लेच्छाः पापसमन्विताः । भवांश्च रक्षितो राजन् श्रावणद्वादशी तु सा ॥ ४७.२० ॥

And in all calamities that Goddess protects you; by her the cruel mlecchas, tainted with sin, were destroyed. And you too were protected, O king; she indeed is the Śrāvaṇa Dvādaśī (the day/observance).

Verse 21

एकैव पाति चापत्सु राज्यं एकैव यच्छति । किं पुनर्द्वादशैतास्तु येनेन्द्रं न ददुः पदम् ॥ ४७.२१ ॥

A single one alone protects the kingdom in times of calamity; a single one alone also bestows its benefits. How much more, then, those twelve—by whom even Indra was not granted the sovereign station!