The Chapter on the Propitiation (śānti) for Birth on Amāvāsyā — Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra, Adhyāya 87

अमाजन्मशान्त्यध्यायः

The complete The Chapter on the Propitiation (śānti) for Birth on Amāvāsyā chapter of the Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra — all 9 verses, each in the original Sanskrit with VedicSpace's clean-room English translation, cited by śloka. Translated from the Chaukhamba (Devachandra Jha) edition and audited against the printed plates.

Śloka 1 — Birth on amāvāsyā — its evil effect and the need for śānti

अमावस्योद्भवो जातः पित्रोर्दारिद्र्यदो मतः । दोषप्रशमनायैव शान्तिं कुर्वीत यत्नतः ॥ १ ॥

One born on amāvāsyā (the new-moon tithi) is held to be a bringer of poverty to his parents. Precisely in order to quell that doṣa, one should perform the śānti diligently.

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 1

Śloka 2 — Ritual set-up — installing a water-filled pot (ghaṭa-sthāpana) and the trees whose parts are used

विधाय वारिणा पूर्णं घटं तं स्थापयेद् बुधः । कोविदारवटाम्राणां निम्बपिप्पलयोरपि ॥ २ ॥

Having prepared a pot filled with water, the wise one should install it; and [taking] of the kovidāra, the vaṭa (banyan) and the mango, and of the nimba and the pippala as well —

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 2

Śloka 3 — Placing bark, root and sprout plus the five gems in the pot; wrapping and consecrating it

त्वग्मूलपल्लवांश्चापि पञ्चरत्नानि तत्र वै । निक्षिप्यारक्तवस्त्राभ्यामावेष्ट्य त्वभिमन्त्रयेत् ॥ ३ ॥

— having cast into it the bark, the roots and the sprouts [of those trees], and also the five gems, and having wrapped it round with two red cloths, he should then consecrate it with mantras.

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 3

Śloka 4 — The consecrating mantras, and the golden image of Sun and Moon

आपोहिष्ठेत्यादि ‘सर्वे समुद्र’ इति च त्रिभिः । मन्त्रैरथ स्वर्णमयीं मूर्तिं वा सूर्यचन्द्रयोः ॥ ४ ॥

[He should consecrate it] with the three mantras beginning ‘āpo hi ṣṭhā …’ and [ending with] ‘sarve samudrāḥ …’. Then [he should have made] a golden image of the Sun and the Moon —

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 4

Śloka 5 — Alternative copper and silver images of the two darśa deities; their installation and worship

ताम्रोद्भवां राजतीं च दर्शदेवतयोः क्रमात् । विरचय्य च संस्थाप्य विधिवत् तामिहार्चयेत् ॥ ५ ॥

— or one made of copper and one of silver, for the two deities of the darśa (new moon) respectively. Having fashioned and duly installed [the image], he should worship it here.

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 5

Śloka 6 — Mantras for the worship and the number of upacāras

सवितेत्यादिनाऽऽप्याय-स्वेतिमन्त्रेण च क्रमात् । पञ्चोपचारैर्वा षड्भि-रधिकैर्दशभिर्बुधः ॥ ६ ॥

With the mantra beginning ‘savitā …’ and with the mantra ‘āpyāyasva …’ respectively, the wise one [should worship] with five upacāras, or with ten increased by six [i.e. sixteen].

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 6

Śloka 7 — Homa with the Savitṛ and ‘somo dhenum’ mantras — 108 oblations

अर्चयेच्च ततो होमं कुर्यात् सवितृमन्त्रतः । ‘सोमो धेनु’ रित्यतश्चा-ष्टाधिकं शतसंख्यकम् ॥ ७ ॥

And having worshipped, he should thereafter perform the homa with the Savitṛ mantra and with ‘somo dhenum …’, to the number of one hundred increased by eight [i.e. one hundred and eight].

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 7

Śloka 8 — The alternative count of 28; sprinkling of the couple with their son; feeding of brāhmaṇas

अष्टाविंशतिसंख्याक-मपि वाऽथाभिषिञ्चयेत् । सपुत्रदम्पती तत्र ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेत्ततः ॥ ८ ॥

Or else [the oblations may be] twenty-eight in number. Then he should have the husband and wife, together with their son, sprinkled [with the water of the pot] there, and thereafter should feed brāhmaṇas.

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 8

Śloka 9 — The dakṣiṇā and the fruit of the rite

रजतस्वर्णधेनूश्च दक्षिणात्वेन दापयेत् । एवं कृतेऽमोद्भवस्तु नियतं क्षेममाप्नुयात् ॥ ९ ॥

And he should have silver, gold and milch-cows given as dakṣiṇā. When it has been done thus, the one born on amāvāsyā assuredly attains well-being.

BPHS Adhyāya 87, śloka 9