Adhyaya 62: Instruction on the ‘Health Vow’ and the Rite of Solar Worship

Verse 1

अगस्त्य उवाच । अथापरं महाराज व्रतम् आरोग्यसंज्ञितम् । कथयामि परं पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ॥ ६२.१ ॥

Agastya said: “Further now, O great king, I shall recount the vow called ‘Ārogya’ (Health)—a supremely meritorious observance, said to destroy all sins.”

Verse 2

तस्यैव माघमासस्य सप्तम्यां समुपोषितः । पूजयेद् भास्करं देवं विष्णुरूपं सनातनम् ॥ ६२.२ ॥

On the seventh lunar day of that same month of Māgha, having duly observed a fast, one should worship the god Bhāskara (the Sun), the eternal one understood as taking the form of Viṣṇu.

Verse 3

आदित्य भास्कर रवे भानो सूर्य दिवाकर । प्रभाकरेति सम्पूज्य एवं सम्पूज्यते रविः ॥ ६२.३ ॥

Having duly worshipped him with the names Āditya, Bhāskara, Ravi, Bhānu, Sūrya, Divākara, and Prabhākara—thus indeed Ravi is worshipped.

Verse 4

षष्ठ्यां चैव कृताहारः सप्तम्यां भानुमर्चयेत् । अष्टम्यां चैव भुञ्जीत एष एव विधिक्रमः ॥ ६२.४ ॥

On the sixth lunar day one should take regulated food; on the seventh one should worship Bhānu (the Sun); and on the eighth one should eat. This alone is the prescribed order of procedure.

Verse 5

अनेन वत्सरं पूर्णं विधिना योऽर्चयेद् रविम् । तस्यारोग्यं धनं धान्यमिह जन्मनि जायते । परत्र च शुभं स्थानं यद्गत्वा न निवर्तते ॥ ६२.५ ॥

Whoever, following the prescribed procedure, worships Ravi (the Sun) in this manner for a full year—for that person, in this very life, arise health, wealth, and grain-prosperity; and hereafter there is an auspicious realm, having reached which one does not return.

Verse 6

सार्वभौमः पुरा राजा अनरण्यो महाबलः । तेनायमर्चितो देवो व्रतेनानेन पार्थिव । तस्य तुष्टो वरं देवः प्रादादारोग्यमुत्तमम् ॥ ६२.६ ॥

Formerly there was a universal sovereign king, Anaraṇya, of great might. By this very vow, O king, he worshipped this deity; and the god, pleased with him, granted the boon of excellent health.

Verse 7

भद्राश्व उवाच । किमसौ रोगवान् राजा येनारोग्यमवाप्तवान् । सार्वभौमस्य च कथं ब्रह्मन् रोगस्य सम्भवः ॥ ६२.७ ॥

Bhadrāśva said: “Why was that king afflicted with disease, such that he later attained freedom from illness? And how, O Brahmin, could disease arise in the case of a universal sovereign?”

Verse 8

अगस्त्य उवाच । स राजा सार्वभौमोऽभूद् यशस्वी च सुरूपवान् । स कदाचिन्नृपश्रेष्ठो नृपश्रेष्ठ महाबलः ॥ ६२.८ ॥

Agastya said: That king became a universal sovereign—renowned and of handsome form. At a certain time, that best among kings, O best of kings, possessed of great strength…

Verse 9

गतवान् मानसṃ दिव्यं सरो देवगणान्वितम् । तत्रापश्यद् बृहद् पद्मं सरोमध्यगतं सितम् ॥ ६२.९ ॥

He went to the divine lake Mānasā, attended by hosts of devas; there he beheld a great white lotus situated in the middle of the lake.

Verse 10

तत्र चाङ्गुष्ठमात्रं तु स्थितं पुरुषसत्तमम् । रक्तवासोभिराच्छन्नं द्विभुजं तिग्मतेजसम् ॥ ६२.१० ॥

There, indeed, stood the Supreme Person (Puruṣa-sattama), only thumb-sized in measure—covered with red garments, two-armed, and possessed of keen radiance.

Verse 11

तं दृष्ट्वा सारथिं प्राह पद्ममेतत् समानय । इदं तु शिरसा बिभ्रत् सर्वलोकस्य सन्निधौ । श्लाघनीयो भविष्यामि तस्मादाहर माचिरम् ॥ ६२.११ ॥

Seeing the charioteer, he said: “Bring this lotus. Bearing it upon my head in the presence of all people, I shall become worthy of praise; therefore fetch it without delay.”

Verse 12

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन सारथिः प्रविवेश ह । ग्रहीतुमुपचक्राम तं पद्मं नृपसत्तम ॥ ६२.१२ ॥

Thus addressed by him at that time, the charioteer indeed went in and began to take hold of that lotus, O best of kings.

Verse 13

स्पृष्टमात्रे ततः पद्मे हुंकारः समजायत । तेन शब्देन स त्रस्तः पपात च ममार च ॥ ६२.१३ ॥

Then, as soon as the lotus was merely touched, a huṅ-sound arose. Frightened by that sound, he fell down—and he died as well.

Verse 14

राजा च तत्क्षणात् तेन शब्देन समपद्यत । कुष्ठी विगतवर्णश्च बलवीर्यविवर्जितः ॥ ६२.१४ ॥

And the king, at that very moment, was overtaken by that utterance: he became afflicted with leprosy, lost his complexion, and was deprived of strength and vigor.

Verse 15

तथागतमतात्मानं दृष्ट्वा स पुरुषर्षभः । तस्थौ तत्रैव शोकार्तः किमेतदिति चिन्तयन् ॥ ६२.१५ ॥

Then, seeing his own self in such a condition, that bull among men stood there indeed, afflicted with grief, reflecting, “What is this?”

Verse 16

तस्य चिन्तयतो धीमानाजगाम महातपाः । वसिष्ठो ब्रह्मपुत्रोऽथ तं स पप्रच्छ पार्थिवम् ॥ ६२.१६ ॥

While the wise one was reflecting, the great ascetic Vasiṣṭha—Brahmā’s son—arrived. Then he questioned the king.

Verse 17

कथं ते राजशार्दूल तव देहस्य शासनम् । इदानीमेव किं कार्यं तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः ॥ ६२.१७ ॥

“O tiger among kings, how is the governance— the discipline—of your body maintained? And what, at this very moment, is to be done? Tell me, as I ask.”

Verse 18

एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा वसिष्ठेन महात्मना । सर्वं पद्मस्य वृत्तान्तं कथयामास स प्रभुः ॥ ६२.१८ ॥

Thus addressed by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, the king, the sovereign, then recounted in full the entire account concerning Padma.

Verse 19

तं श्रुत्वा स मुनिस्तत्र साधु राजन्नथाब्रवीत् । असाधुरथ वा तिष्ठ तस्मात् कुष्ठित्वमागतः ॥ ६२.१९ ॥

Hearing that, the sage spoke there: “Good, O king.” But if you are not good, then remain as you are. Therefore leprosy came upon him.

Verse 20

एवमुक्तस्तदा राजा वेपमानः कृताञ्जलिः । पप्रच्छ साध्वहं विप्र कथं वा असाध्वहं मुने । कथं च कुष्ठं मे जातमेतन्मे वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ ६२.२० ॥

Thus addressed, the king—trembling and with hands joined in reverence—asked: “O brāhmaṇa, in what way have I acted rightly, and in what way wrongly, O sage? And how has this leprosy arisen in me? Please explain this to me.”

Verse 21

वसिष्ठ उवाच । एतद् ब्रह्मोद्भवं नाम पद्मं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । दृष्टमात्रेण चानेन दृष्टाः स्युः सर्वदेवताः । एतस्मिन् दृश्यते चैतत् षण्मासं क्वापि पार्थिव ॥ ६२.२१ ॥

Vasiṣṭha said: “This lotus, called ‘Brahma-born,’ is renowned throughout the three worlds. By merely seeing it, one is held to have seen all the deities. O king, this (lotus) is seen here for six months, at certain times.”

Verse 22

एतस्मिन् दृष्टमात्रे तु यो जलं विशते नरः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः परं निर्वाणमर्हति ॥ ६२.२२ ॥

But a man who, upon merely seeing this sacred place, enters its waters becomes freed from all wrongdoing and is said to be worthy of the supreme nirvāṇa (final release).

Verse 23

ब्रह्मणः प्रागवस्थाया मूर्तिरप्सु व्यवस्थिताः । एतां दृष्ट्वा जले मग्नः संसाराद् विप्रमुच्यते ॥ ६२.२३ ॥

In the waters is established a form (mūrti) of Brahmā pertaining to his primordial state. Having beheld it, one who is immersed in the water is completely released from saṃsāra (the cycle of worldly existence).

Verse 24

इमं च दृष्ट्वा ते सूतो जले मग्नो नरोत्तम । प्रविष्टश्च पुनरिमं हर्तुमिच्छन्नराधिप । प्राप्तवानसि दुर्बुद्धे कुष्ठित्वं पापपूरुष ॥ ६२.२४ ॥

“And having seen this, your charioteer, O best of men, sank into the water. Then, O ruler of men, he entered again, wishing to seize it. You have incurred, O evil-minded one—O sinful man—the affliction of leprosy (kuṣṭha).”

Verse 25

दृष्टमेतत् त्वया यस्मात् त्वं साध्विति ततः प्रभो । मयोक्तो मोहमापन्नस्तेनासाधुरितीरितः ॥ ६२.२५ ॥

Since you have seen this, O Lord, you therefore said, “You are virtuous (sādhu).” But I, having spoken thus, fell into delusion (moha); therefore I was described as “not virtuous.”

Verse 26

ब्रह्मपुत्रो ह्यहं चेमं पश्यामि परमेश्वरम् । अहन्यहनि चागच्छंस्तं पुनर्दृष्टवानसि ॥ ६२.२६ ॥

Truly I am the son of Brahmā, and I behold this Supreme Lord. And you, coming day after day, have seen Him again and again.

Verse 27

देवा अपि वदन्त्येते पद्मं काञ्चनमुत्तमम् । मानसे ब्रह्मपद्मं तु दृष्ट्वा चात्र गतं हरिम् । प्राप्स्यामस्तत् परं ब्रह्म यद् गत्वा न पुनर्भवेत् ॥ ६२.२७ ॥

Even the gods speak of this supreme golden lotus. Having beheld the Brahmā-lotus at Mānasā and seen Hari who has come here, we shall attain the highest Brahman—having reached which, one does not come to be again.

Verse 28

इदं च कारणं चान्यत् कुष्ठस्य शृणु पार्थिव । आदित्यः पद्मगर्भेऽस्मिन् स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः ॥ ६२.२८ ॥

Hear, O king, another cause of leprosy: in this lotus-womb (padmagarbha), Āditya—the Sun—is established by his own inherent presence.

Verse 29

तं दृष्ट्वा तत्त्वतो भावः परमात्मैष शाश्वतः । धारयामि शिरस्येनं लोकमध्ये विभूषणम् ॥ ६२.२९ ॥

Having seen Him in accordance with reality, I understand that He is the eternal Paramātman, the Supreme Self. I bear Him upon my head, as an ornament in the midst of the world.

Verse 30

एवं ते जल्पता पापमिदं देवेन दर्शितम् । इदानीमिममेव त्वमाराधय महामते ॥ ६२.३० ॥

Thus, while you were speaking, this sinful matter has been made manifest by the deity. Now, O great-minded one, worship this very Lord (this present divine manifestation).

Verse 31

अगस्त्य उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा वसिष्ठस्तु इममेव व्रतं तदा । आदित्याराधनं दिव्यमारोग्याख्यं जगाद ह ॥ ६२.३१ ॥

Agastya said: Having spoken thus, Vasiṣṭha then, at that time, described precisely this observance—the divine worship of Āditya, known as the “Ārogya (Health) Vrata.”

Verse 32

सोऽपि राजा अकारोच्चेमं व्रतं भक्तिसमन्वितः । सिद्धिं च परमां प्राप्तो विरोगश्चाभवत्क्षणात् ॥ ६२.३२ ॥

That king too performed this observance, endowed with devotion; he attained the highest accomplishment, and became free from disease in an instant.