Budhāṣṭamī / Mahārudra Vrata: Procedure, Mantra, and the Story of Kauśika and Vijayā
(इति कृष्णाष्टमीव्रतम्) / ना मैकत्रिंशदुत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / नक्ताशी त्वष्टमीं यावद्वर्षान्ते चैव धेनुदः / पौरन्दरपदं याति सद्गतिव्रतमुच्यते !
(iti kṛṣṇāṣṭamīvratam) / nā maikatriṃśaduttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / naktāśī tvaṣṭamīṃ yāvadvarṣānte caiva dhenudaḥ / paurandarapadaṃ yāti sadgativratamucyate !
ఇట్లు కృష్ణాష్టమీ వ్రతము సమాప్తము. బ్రహ్ముడు పలికెను—అష్టమీనాడు నక్తభోజనము (రాత్రి మాత్రమే భోజనం) ఆచరించి, సంవత్సరాంతమున గోవును దానమిచ్చువాడు పౌరందర (ఇంద్ర) పదమును పొందును; దీనినే సద్గతివ్రతమని చెప్పుదురు.
Brahma
Afterlife Stage: Svarga
Concept: Vrata (Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī) with niyama (night-only eating) and dāna (cow-gift at year’s end) yields heavenly attainment; disciplined action shapes destiny.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa efficacy: puṇya accrues through vrata and dāna; ‘sadgati’ as fruit within saṃsāra (not final mokṣa).
Application: Observe periodic fasting/regulated diet with devotional intent; practice meaningful charity (supporting sustenance and dharmic livelihoods); keep vows sustainable and ethically sourced.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial abode/position
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: vrata-kathā and phalaśruti sections describing aṣṭamī observances and dāna leading to svarga/sadgati (general motif)
This verse defines Sadgati-vrata as a disciplined Aṣṭamī observance with night-only eating and concludes it with go-dāna, promising an elevated post-mortem destiny.
It links ethical-ritual discipline (vrata) and charitable giving (cow donation) to karmic results after death, described here as reaching Indra’s realm/status (paurandara-pada).
Practice periodic self-restraint (fasting/regulated diet) with sincere charity; the teaching emphasizes that disciplined living plus giving produces uplifting karmic outcomes.