Harivamsha MahA PurANam - ViShNu Parva
    athaikAshItitamo.adhyAyaH
    umAvratakathanasamAptiH
    harivamsha in the mahAbharata - viShNuparva
    Lesson 81 narration of umAvrata concluded
umovAcha
bAndhavAnsaguNAnichChedekabhaktena nityadA |
saptamIM saptamIM nityaM kshapetstrI patidevatA ||2-81-1
umA said:
If the woman who considers her husband as god desires to have relatives of good quality, she shall observe fast on all seventh days, eating only once in a day.
tataH samvatsare pUrNe vR^ikShaM dadyAddhiraNmayam |
sadakShiNaM brAhmaNAya shubhabandhumatI bhavet ||2-81-2
On the completion of one year, she shall offer a golden tree along with tribute to Brahmins. Then she shall have good relatives.
kara~nje dIpakaM dadyAtsadA yA pramadA vare |
pUrNe saMvatsare dadyAtsauvarNaM dIpakaM tataH ||2-81-3
O the best among women! She shall offer lamps of copper always. On the completion of one year, she shall offer a lamp of gold.
ruchyA sA strI bhavedbharturiShTA putravtI tathA |
sapatnInAmadhi tathA dIpavajjvalate shubhe ||2-81-4
O auspicious woman! She shall become dear to her husband. She shall be blessed with children. She will function as a leading light to her co-wives.
yA sheShabhojinI nityaM naiva cha syAdaruntudA |
na cha syAdvyashanA saumye nityaM cha patidevatA ||2-81-5
O gentle woman! She will eat always at the last. She will never use cruel, harsh words. The woman who considers her husband as god shall not have food twice a day.
shauchAnvitA cha satataM na cha rUkShAbhibhAShiNI |
shvashrUshvashurayornityaM shushrUShAbhiratA satI ||2-81-6
She will always be clean and pure. She will never say harsh words. The woman who is faithful to her husband, shall take care of her father and mother in law always.
kiM tasyA vratakaiH kAryaM kiM vA syAdupavAsakaiH |
yA bhartR^idevatA nityaM satyadharmaguNAnvitA ||2-81-7
All the vows and fasts are of no use to the woman who considers her husband as god and who is fixed in truth and dharma always.
vidhavA strI tu yA hi syAddaivayogAtsatI sati |
tasyA vakShyAmi yo dharmaH purANoktaH sumadhyame ||2-81-8
O woman who is faithful to your husband! If at all the woman who is faithful to her husband becomes a widow due to fate, O woman with a beautiful waist! I shall tell you her duties mentioned in ancient histories.
patiM sa~NkalpayitvA sA chitrasthaM vAtha mR^inmayam |
tasya pUjAM sadA kuryAtsatAm dharmamanusmaret ||2-81-9
She shall conceive her husband in a picture or in an idol of earth and offer worship daily, remembering her good duties.
tata evAbhyanuj~nAM sA nityaM yAcheta suvratA |
vratake chopavAse cha bhojane cha visheShataH ||2-81-10
The woman who observes good vows shall always seek his permission for vow, fast and specially for eating.
bhartR^ilokAnvrajatyeva na chedvyuchcharate patim |
shANDilI sUryavadbhAti satataM patidevatA ||2-81-11
She shall attain the world of her husband, who does not cheat her husband. She who considers her husband as god always shines like sun.
adyaprabhR^iti sarveShAM devAnAM chaiva yoShitaH |
drakShyanti puNyakavidhiM paurANo yaH sanAtanaH ||2-81-12
From today, all the women including those belonging to the gods will consider the vow of puNyaka, mentioned in ancient histories as eternal.
munishcha nAradaH kR^itsnaM paurANaM j~nAsyate vidhim |
upavAsasya dharmAtmA vratakAnAM tathaiva cha ||2-81-13
Especially sage nArada, expert on dharma will consider this ancient vow as suitable for all fasts.
aditistapasendrANI tvaM cha somasute vare |
pravartane puNyakAnAM vratakAnAM cha sarvadA ||2-81-14
O the daughter of moon! aditi, indrANi and you shall initiate observation of this puNyaka vow with penance.
kIrtanIyAH satInAM hi bhaviShyatha guNAnvitAH |
upavAsavratavidhiM yathAvadiha kR^itsnashaH ||2-81-15
This vow is shall be praised by all women faithful to their husbands and observed by them with the right schedule.
prAdurbhAveShu sarveShu bhAryA viShNormahAtmanaH |
j~nAsyanti puNyakavidhiM nityameva sanAtanam ||2-81-16
The wives of the great soul viShNu, in all the incarnations, always know the vow of puNyaka as eternal.
savisheShaM cha dharmANAM strIdharmeShu prashasyate |
patibhaktiraduShTatvamavAgduShTatvameva cha ||2-81-17
Among all duties, especially in the duties of women, devotion to husband, absence of sinful deeds and the absence of use of bad words are considered the best.
nArada uvAcha
evamuktAstu tAH sAdhvyo mahAdevyA tapodhanAH |
jagmurhR^iShTA mahAdevIM praNipatya harapriyAm ||2-81-18
nArada said:
The good women with the wealth of penance who were told thus by the great goddess (umA) paid obeisance to the great goddess, dear to hara (shiva) and went away happily.
aditirvratakaM chakre shR^iNuyAddharmachAriNI |
umAvratavidhiH sarvaH pUrvoddiShTastayA kR^itaH ||2-81-19
O woman who proceeds in the path of dharma! (O rukmiNI! nAradA continued) aditi observed the vow of umA as described before. Hear that as well.
pArijAte nibadhyAtha mama dattastu kashyapaH |
aditivratakaM nAma taddattaM satyabhAmayA ||2-81-20
Tying kashyapa on the pArijAta tree, aditi gave me. That same vow called the vow of aditi was also offered by satyabhAmA.
tadeva vratakaM dattaM sAvitryA dharmanityayA |
taireva yuktaiH saMyuktamidaM tvabhyadhikaM kR^itam ||2-81-21
The same vow was offered by sAvitri, who is always fixed in dharma. Since it is joined with all appropriate items, it is considered to be the best.
saMdhyAkAle tu saMprApte sthAne sthAne tathaiva cha |
pUjanaM vA namaskAro japashcha dviguNaH smR^itaH ||2-81-22
As the evening arrives, the worship, obeisance and the chanting becomes twice powerful than otherwise.
sAvitrIvratakaM kR^itvA tathAdityA vrataM satI |
bhartuH kulaM pitR^IkulamAtmAnaM chaiva tArayet ||2-81-23
If the vow of sAvitri and the vow of aditi are observed by a woman, she saves the race of her husband, the race of her father as well as her own race.
indrANI vratakaM chakre tadevaumaM yathAvidhi |
raktamabhyadhikaM vAso bhojanaM chaiva sAmiSham ||2-81-24
indrANi also observed the same vow as per the schedule with red clothes, food as well as meat.
chaturthe divase vApi puNyakArthaM vidhiH punaH |
ahorAtropavAsashcha deyaM kumbhashataM tathA ||2-81-25
On the fourth day, the rule for puNyaka is to observe fast during the day and night. Also one hundred pots shall be offered.
ga~NgayA vratakaM dattaM tadevaumaM yashaskari |
snAnamabhyadhikam tvatra pratyUShasyAtmano jale ||2-81-26
The famous ga~NgA also offered the vow. Bathing in the early morning in ga~NgA is considered the best in this.
anyasminvA jale mAghashuklapakShe haripriye |
etadga~NgAvrataM nAma sarvakAmapradaM smR^itam ||2-81-27
O the woman dear to hari (kR^iShNa)! (nArada continued,) bathing can also be in some other water. It is said that this vow of ga~NgA is good for obtaining all desires.
sapta sapta cha saptAtha kulAni harivallabhe |
strI tArayati dharmaj~nA ga~NgAvratakachAriNI ||2-81-28
O the wife of hari (kR^iShNa)! (nArada continued) The woman who is fixed in dharma who observes the vow of ga~ngA will save twentyone races.
deyaM kumbhasahasraM tu ga~NgAyA vratake shubhe |
tAraNaM pAraNaM chaiva tadvrataM sArvakAmikam ||2-81-29
In the auspicious vow of ga~NgA, a thousand pots shall be offered. This vow will fulfill all desires and save from all worries.
yamabhAryA chakArAtha vrataM yAmarathaM shubham |
hemante tattu kartavyamAkAshe harivallabhe ||2-81-30
The wife of the god of death also performed this auspicious vow named yAmarathaM. O the wife of hari! (nArada continued). This vow shall be observed in the autumn season under the open sky.
imAni chaiva vAkyAni brUyAdAkAshamAsthitA |
snAtvA shuchisamAchArA namaskR^itya patiM shubhe ||2-81-31
O auspicious woman! After bathing and paying obeisance to the husband, the following words shall also be pronounced under the open sky:
charAmyahaM yAmarathaM himaM pR^iShThena dhAraye |
pativratA jIvaputrA bhaveyaM cha puro.adhikA ||2-81-32
I am observing the vow yAmarathaM bearing the ice on my back. May I become the foremost, may I be faithful to my husband and may my sons live long.
sapatnIradhitiShTheyaM pashyeyaM chaiva mA yamam |
sabhartR^iputrA jIveyaM chiraM cha sukhameva cha ||2-81-33
May I become foremost among the co-wives, let me not face death for long, may I along with my husband and children live comfortably for long.
patilokaM cha gachCheyaM bhaveyaM nandinI tathA |
suchailA mR^iShTahastA cha svajaneShTA guNAnvitA ||2-81-34
let me go to the world of my husband, let me be praised there. Saying these words, the woman, wearing good clothes, with her hands full, who is liked by all her relatives, who is with all good qualities
evaM kR^itvA tato vipraM madhunA svasti vAchayet |
tilairapi tathA kR^iShNaiH pAyasena tu bhojayet ||2-81-35
shall make a Brahmin pronounce auspicious words. She shall offer the Brahmin sesame and seeds and milk.
evaM vratAni devIbhiH kR^itAnyamaravarNini |
mahAdevyA puroktAni rudrapatnyA haripriye ||2-81-36
O woman as beautiful as goddess! (nArada continued) The goddesses performed such vows, O the woman who is dear to hari, as spoken before by the great goddess, wife of rudra (shiva).
ahaM bravImi tapasA madIyena samanvitA |
sarvA drakShyatha guNyAni vratakAni tathaiva cha ||2-81-37
O goddesses! I shall tell you, all the vows with auspicious qualities. All these can be visualized by you, enriched by the strength of my penance.
paurANAnyumayA devyA yAni dR^iShTAni vai purA |
kalyANaguNayuktAni pAvanAni shubhAni cha ||2-81-38
These ancient vows visualized by umA earlier are auspicious, sacred and combined with good qualities.
vaishampAyana uvAcha
rukmiNI vratakaM chakre dR^iShTvA vratakavistaram |
umAyA varadAnena dR^iShTvA divyena chakShuShA ||2-81-39
vaishampAyana said:
RukmiNI realized the greatness of the vow with the divine eye obtained by the boon granted by umA. Then she observed the vow.
umAvrateShu sarveShu vR^iShadAnaM tathAdhikam |
ratnamAlApradAnaM cha yathAnnaM sArvakAmikam ||2-81-40
In all the vows of umA, the offering of bull is prominent along with the offerings of garlands of jewels as well as food liked by all.
tathA jAmbavatI chakre puromAvratakaM yathA |
dadAvabhyadhikaM sA tu ratnavR^ikShaM manoharam |2-81-41
jAmbavatI also observed the vow in the same manner in which umA observed the vow earlier. Beautiful trees of jewels were offered by her mostly.
satyA dadau tathaivAtha puromAvratakaM tathA |
pItamabhyadhikaM vAsastayA dattamumAvrate ||2-81-42
satyAbhAmA also observed the vow in the same manner in which umA observed the vow earlier. She offered mostly yellow clothes in the vow.
rohiNyAtha cha phAlgunyA maghayA cha purAtane |
vratAni khalu dattani bahUni kulavardhane ||2-81-43
rohiNi, phAlguni and magha also observed many types of vows earlier leading to the flourishing of their races.
dadau shatabhiShA chaiva vratakaM puNyalakShaNam |
yena nakShatramukhyatvaM jagAma kurunandana ||2-81-44
O the son of kuru (janamejaya)! (vaishampAyana continued) shatabhiShA also observed the auspicious vow and obtained importance among the stars.
iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe viShNuparvaNi pArijAtaharaNe umAvratakathanasamAptau pArijAtaharaNakathanasamAptau chaikAshItitamo.adhyAyaH ||
Thus this is eightyfirst lesson of viShNuparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahAbhArata, in the taking of pArijAta, narration of umAvrata concluded
samAptaM chedaM harivaMshasya pUrvArdham
Thus ends the first part of harivaMsha
    nIlakaNTha commentary
ekAshItitame.adhyAye sauShThavaM svajanasya cha |
bhaveddhairyervratairyadyattattatspaShTaM nirUpyate || 1 ||
Iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe viShNuparvaNi TIkAyAM KupArijAtaharaNe ekAshItitamo.adhyAyaH ||
## Itranslated by K S Ramachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca November 22, 2008
Note : Verse 33, line 1 : tiShTheyaM is correct
Further proof-read by Gilles Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
August 30, 2010 ##