Adhyaya 60: The Rite of the Śāntivrata: A Yearlong Observance with Viṣṇu-on-Śeṣa and Nāga-Anganyāsa Worship
Śāntivrata-vidhiḥ (Ananta-Śeṣa-nāga-pūjā-sahitaḥ)
Ritual-Manual
ໃນກອບການສອນລະຫວ່າງ ວະຣາຫະ–ປຣິຖະວີ ບົດນີ້ນໍາເສີນຄໍາສອນທີ່ສືບຕໍ່ກັນມາ: ິສີ ອະກັສຕະຍະ ກ່າວກັບພະຣາຊາ ແລະອະທິບາຍ “ຊານຕິວຣະຕະ” ເປັນລະບຽບປະຕິບັດສໍາລັບຄົນຄອບຄົວເພື່ອໄດ້ຮັບ ຊານຕິ (ຄວາມສະງົບ) ຢ່າງຍືນຍົງ. ເລີ່ມໃນວັນທີ 5 (pañcamī) ຂອງຂ້າງຂຶ້ນເດືອນ ກາຣຕຕິກະ ແລະຖືຕໍ່ເນື່ອງ 1 ປີ ໂດຍຫ້າມອາຫານລົດສົ້ມ. ຜູ້ປະຕິບັດບູຊາຕອນກາງຄືນແດ່ ຮະຣິ ໃນພາບພຣະອົງບັນທົມເທິງ ເສສະ (ອະນັນຕະ) ແລ້ວບູຊານາກແຕ່ລະອົງໂດຍກໍານົດລົງຕາມອະໄວຍະວະຈາກຕີນເຖິງສີສະ (ຄ້າຍອັງຄະນຍາສ). ພິທີມີການອາບພຣະມູຣຕິດ້ວຍນົມ, ໂຮມະນົມກັບງາ, ແລະເມື່ອຄົບປີໃຫ້ອາຫານແກ່ພຣາຫມະນະ ພ້ອມຖວາຍຮູບນາກຄໍາ. ຄໍາພີເຊື່ອມລໍາດັບພິທີກັບຄວາມມັ່ນຄົງຂອງສັງຄົມ, ຄວາມສະຫງົບໃນເຮືອນ ແລະການຫຼຸດຄວາມຢ້ານງູ ອັນສອດຄ່ອງກັບຄວາມຜາສຸກແຫ່ງພື້ນດິນ.
Speakers
Key Concepts
Shlokas in Adhyaya 60
Verse 1
अगस्त्य उवाच । शान्तिव्रतं प्रवक्ष्यामि तव राजन् शृणुष्व तत् । येन चीर्णेन शान्तिः स्यात् सर्वदा गृहमेधिनाम् ॥ ६०.१ ॥
ອະກັດສະຕະກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ຈົ່ງຟັງ. ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະອະທິບາຍ ສານຕິ‑ວຣະຕະ (Śānti‑vrata); ໂດຍການຖືປະພຶດນີ້ ຄວາມສະງົບສຸກຈະເກີດຂຶ້ນເສມອສໍາລັບຄົນຄອບຄົວ.”
Verse 2
पञ्चम्यां शुक्लपक्षस्य कार्त्तिके मासि सुव्रत । अरभेद् वर्षमेकं तु भुञ्जीयादम्लवर्जितम् ॥ ६०.२ ॥
ໃນວັນທີ 5 ຂອງຂ້າງຂຶ້ນ (ສຸກລະປັກສະ) ໃນເດືອນກາຣຕິກະ, ໂອ ຜູ້ມີວິໄນດີ, ຄວນເລີ່ມຖືວຣະຕະ ແລະດໍາລົງຊີວິດຕະຫຼອດໜຶ່ງປີ ໂດຍກິນອາຫານທີ່ບໍ່ມີຂອງສົ້ມ.
Verse 3
नक्तं देवं तु सम्पूज्य हरिं शेषोपरि स्थितम् । अनन्तायेति पादौ तु वासुकायेति वै कटिम् ॥ ६०.३ ॥
ໃນຍາມຄ່ໍາ ຈົ່ງບູຊາພຣະຫຣິ (Hari) ຜູ້ເປັນເທວະ ຜູ້ປະທັບເທິງເສສະ (Śeṣa) ຢ່າງຖືກຕ້ອງ; ແລ້ວໃຫ້ເອີ້ນພຣະບາດວ່າ “ອະນັນຕະ” (Ananta) ແລະເອີ້ນສ່ວນແອວວ່າ “ວາສຸກະ” (Vāsuka).
Verse 4
तक्षकाश्येति जठरमुरः कर्कोटकाय च । पद्माय कण्ठं सम्पूज्य महापद्माय दोर्युगम् ॥ ६०.४ ॥
ເວົ້າວ່າ “(ນະມະ) ແດ່ ຕັກສະກະ” (Takṣaka) ແລ້ວບູຊາທ້ອງ; ແລະເວົ້າວ່າ “ແດ່ ກັຣໂກຕະກະ” (Karkoṭaka) ແລ້ວບູຊາອົກ. ບູຊາຄໍດ້ວຍຄໍາວ່າ “ແດ່ ປັດມະ” (Padma) ແລ້ວບູຊາແຂນທັງສອງດ້ວຍ “ແດ່ ມະຫາປັດມະ” (Mahāpadma).
Verse 5
शङ्खपालाय वक्त्रं तु कुटिलायेति वै शिरः । एवं विष्णुगतं पूज्य पृथक्त्वेन च पूजयेत् ॥ ६०.५ ॥
ໃຫ້ກໍານົດໃບໜ້າ (vaktra) ເປັນຂອງ “ສັງຄະພາລະ” (Śaṅkhapāla) ແລະກໍານົດສີສະ (śiras) ເປັນຂອງ “ກຸຕິລະ” (Kuṭila). ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເມື່ອບູຊາອົງປະກອບທີ່ຈັດໄວ້ໃນພຣະວິສນຸ (Viṣṇu) ແລ້ວ ຈົ່ງບູຊາແຍກຕ່າງຫາກຕາມສ່ວນຂອງມັນດ້ວຍ.
Verse 6
क्षीरेण स्नपनं कुर्यात् तानुद्दिश्य हरेः पुनः । तदग्रे होमयेत् क्षीरं तिलैः सह विचक्षणः ॥ ६०.६ ॥
ພຶງເຮັດພິທີສະງົດດ້ວຍນ້ຳນົມ ໂດຍອຸທິດແດ່ພວກນັ້ນ ແລະຖວາຍແດ່ພຣະຫຣິອີກຄັ້ງ. ແລ້ວຕໍ່ໜ້າພິທີນັ້ນ ຜູ້ມີປັນຍາພຶງໂຮມນ້ຳນົມລົງໃນໄຟພ້ອມກັບເມັດງາ.
Verse 7
एवं संवत्सरस्यान्ते कुर्याद् ब्राह्मणभोजनम् । नागं तु काञ्चनं कुर्याद् ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् ॥ ६०.७ ॥
ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເມື່ອສິ້ນປີ ພຶງຈັດອາຫານເລີ້ຍງພຣາຫມັນ. ແລະພຶງໃຫ້ເຮັດຮູບນາກດ້ວຍຄຳ ແລ້ວນໍາໄປຖວາຍແກ່ພຣາຫມັນ.
Verse 8
एवं यः कुरुते भक्त्या व्रतमेतन्नराधिपः । तस्य शान्तिर्भवेन्नित्यं नागानां न भयṃ तथा ॥ ६०.८ ॥
ໂອ ຜູ້ປົກຄອງມະນຸດ, ຜູ້ໃດປະຕິບັດວຣະຕະນີ້ດ້ວຍຄວາມເຊື່ອມັ່ນແລະພັກດີ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມສະຫງົບເປັນນິດ ແລະບໍ່ມີຄວາມຢ້ານກົວຈາກພວກນາກ.
Inside Adhyaya 60
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Within the Varāha–Pṛthivī instructional frame, the chapter introduces a transmitted upadeśa: sage Agastya teaches a rājā a practical vrata meant to establish durable śānti for household life, emphasizing time-bound discipline and correct ritual order.
- Central event
Agastya details the Śāntivrata beginning on Kārttika śuklapakṣa pañcamī and continuing for one year: nakta (night) worship of Hari visualized as reclining on Ananta/Śeṣa, coupled with nāga-aṅganyāsa—mapping specific nāgas onto bodily loci from feet to head—and regular offerings including kṣīra-snāna and a milk-and-sesame homa.
- Climax resolution
At the completion of the year, the observance culminates in social and apotropaic closure: brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas) and kāñcana-nāga-dāna (gifting a golden serpent image), sealing the vow’s protective and pacifying intent and aligning household order with reduced fear of serpents and broader stability.
- Closing phalashruti
The rite is presented as conferring sustained peace (śānti), domestic harmony, and protection—especially mitigation of nāga-related fear and harm—through disciplined observance, proper worship, and concluding dāna and communal feeding.
Geographical context
No explicit toponyms or regional ecologies are named in these verses. The chapter’s setting is ritual-temporal (Kārttika; śuklapakṣa; pañcamī) rather than geographic; its ecological referent is indirect through nāga symbolism and the household’s harmony with terrestrial forces.
Ritual instructions
- Primary RitualŚāntivrata: a yearlong peace-making vow with nightly Viṣṇu-on-Śeṣa worship and nāga-aṅganyāsa veneration.
- BenefitCultivation of enduring śānti in household life through regulated conduct and worship; apotropaic protection (notably reduction of fear and harm associated with serpents/nāgas); reinforcement of social stability via concluding feeding and gifting.
The narrative frame
- Varāha (as overarching teacher) transmitting Agastya’s instructionPṛthivī (primary listener); within the transmitted discourse, Agastya addresses a rājā · Didactic and procedural (ritual-manual style), with an ethical subtext linking self-restraint, correct order, and social peace.
The emotional journey
- Dominant RasaŚānta
- Emotional ProgressionFrom concern for lasting peace and protection, to steady confidence through disciplined nightly worship and bodily nāga-mapping, culminating in reassurance and communal harmony through brāhmaṇa-feeding and dāna.
Planning a pilgrimage
- Visit FeasibilityNot tirtha-specific in this adhyāya; the observance is primarily home-based (gṛhamedhin) and can be performed wherever a household shrine and homa arrangement are feasible, optionally supplemented by visits to local Viṣṇu or Nāga shrines.
- Best SeasonKārttika (start), with continuity through the year; Kārttika is especially suitable for initiating the vow due to its strong Vaiṣṇava devotional associations.
- Related FestivalKārttika observances in general (month-long Vaiṣṇava devotion); the chapter specifically anchors to Kārttika śuklapakṣa pañcamī rather than a named pan-Indian festival.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text frames peace (śānti) as a household virtue cultivated through disciplined, time-bound observance: regulated diet, regular worship, and socially redistributive acts (brāhmaṇa-bhojana and dāna). The underlying logic links ritual order and self-restraint to sustained domestic stability and the mitigation of harms symbolized by nāgas.
The observance begins on pañcamī (the fifth tithi) of the śuklapakṣa (bright fortnight) in the month of Kārttika and is performed for one full year (saṃvatsara). The worship is specified as nakta (night-time) devotion.
While not explicitly ecological in vocabulary, the chapter employs nāga symbolism—often associated with subterranean waters, land stability, and liminal terrestrial forces—within a protective and harmonizing rite. By prescribing non-violent, regulated conduct and offerings that culminate in communal feeding and gifting, the text can be read as aligning household practice with the maintenance of social and terrestrial equilibrium.
The speaker identified in the transmitted instruction is the sage Agastya, addressing a rājā (king). No dynastic genealogy is specified in these verses, but the presence of Agastya situates the instruction within a sage-to-king didactic model common to Purāṇic legal-ritual discourse.
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