Chapter on the Pacification of the Blemish of Birth during a Saṅkrānti — Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra, Adhyāya 91

संक्रान्तिजननदोषशान्त्यध्यायः

The complete Chapter on the Pacification of the Blemish of Birth during a Saṅkrānti chapter of the Bṛhat-Pārāśara-Horāśāstra — all 18 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 — The seven saṅkrāntis named by weekday

सूर्यादौ सूर्यसंक्रान्ति-र्घोरा ध्वांक्षी महोदरी । मन्दा मन्दाकिनी मिश्रा राक्षस्यश्येति सप्तधा ॥ १ ॥

Beginning with the Sun's day (Sunday), the Sun's saṅkrānti is of seven kinds: Ghorā, Dhvāṅkṣī, Mahodarī, Mandā, Mandākinī, Miśrā, and Rākṣasī.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 1

Śloka 2 — Result of birth in a saṅkrānti; promise of śānti

तत्र जातो भवेन्नूनं दुःखदारिद्र्यसंयुतः । शान्तितः शुभमाप्नोति तस्माच्छान्तिं ब्रवीम्यहम् ॥ २ ॥

One born therein (i.e., at such a saṅkrānti) will surely be beset with sorrow and poverty. Through the pacification rite he obtains auspiciousness; therefore I declare the śānti.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 2

Śloka 3 — Preparation of the ritual ground

तद्दोषशमनार्थं तु ग्रहाणां यज्ञमाचरेत् । स्वगृहात् पूर्वतो भागे शुचौ देशेऽवलिप्य वै ॥ ३ ॥

For the quelling of that blemish one should perform a sacrifice to the grahas; in a clean spot in the eastern quarter of one's own house, having smeared (the ground) —

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 3

Śloka 4 — Heaps of grain

गोमयेन, तत्र धान्य-राशिमेकत्र कारयेत् । पञ्चद्रोणात्मिकां व्रीहिं तदर्धं तण्डुलांस्तथा ॥ ४ ॥

— with cow-dung, one should there make a heap of grain in one place: paddy (vrīhi) amounting to five droṇas, and half that measure of husked rice.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 4

Śloka 5 — Sesame heap and eight-petalled lotus diagrams

तदर्धं सतिलान् सर्वान् पृथग्राशौ प्रकल्पयेत् । सर्वेषु विलिखेदष्ट-पत्रपद्मशुभाकृतीः ॥ ५ ॥

Half of that again in sesame — all of them he should arrange in separate heaps. Upon all (the heaps) he should draw the auspicious figures of eight-petalled lotuses.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 5

Śloka 6 — Puṇyāhavācana, choosing the ācārya, setting the jars

पुण्याहवाचनं तद्व-दाचार्यवरणं पुनः । धान्यराशिषु घटां-स्तीर्थोदकसमन्वितान् ॥ ६ ॥

Then likewise the puṇyāhavācana, and thereafter the formal choosing of the ācārya; upon the heaps of grain, jars filled with water from holy fords —

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 6

Śloka 7 — Contents of the jars

स्थापयेद् विधिवत् तेषु सप्तमृत्पञ्चपल्लवान् । शतौषधियुतान् पञ्च-गव्यं च प्रक्षिपेद् बुधः ॥ ७ ॥

— he should duly install; into them the wise man should cast the seven earths, the five sprouts, the hundred herbs, and the pañcagavya.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 7

Śloka 8 — Wrapping the jars; vessels for the adhidevatā and pratyadhidevatā

घटानावेष्ट्य वस्त्राभ्यां तेषु पात्राणि विन्यसेत् । सूर्याचन्द्रमसोः साधि-प्रत्यधिदैवत्वेन कल्पितान् ॥ ८ ॥

Having wrapped the jars with two cloths, he should set vessels upon them — vessels appointed as (the seats) of the Sun and the Moon in the capacity of presiding and co-presiding deities.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 8

Śloka 9 — Placing the Saṅkrānti image and worshipping the images

प्रतिमां पार्श्वयोर्मध्ये संक्रान्तेस्तेषु संन्यसेत् । ततस्ताः प्रतिमा मन्त्रै-स्तैस्तैरभ्यर्चयेत् सुधीः ॥ ९ ॥

Among them, in the middle between the two flanking (vessels), he should place the image of the Saṅkrānti; then the wise man should worship those images with their several (appropriate) mantras.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 9

Śloka 10 — Two garments and the Tryambaka mantra for the Saṅkrānti image

संक्रान्तिप्रतिमां पूर्वं वस्त्रद्वितयमर्पयेत् । त्र्यम्बकेण तु मन्त्रेण सह व्याहृतिकेन च ॥ १० ॥

To the image of the Saṅkrānti he should first offer a pair of garments, with the Tryambaka mantra together with the vyāhṛtis.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 10

Śloka 11 — Special worship of Saṅkrānti; mantras for Sun and Moon

पूजयेत्तां विशेषेण धूपदीपप्रदर्शनैः । सूर्यं 'उत्सूर्यं' मन्त्रेणा-प्यायस्वेतिविधुं तथा ॥ ११ ॥

He should worship her (the Saṅkrānti) with special care, showing incense and lamps; the Sun with the mantra 'ut sūryam', and likewise the Moon with 'āpyāyasva'.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 11

Śloka 12 — Sixteen or five upacāras for the three images

उपचारैः षडधिकै-र्दशभिर्वाऽर्धापि पञ्चभिः । अर्चयेद् भक्तिपूर्वं त-न्मूर्तित्रितयमादरात् ॥ १२ ॥

With the ten upacāras increased by six (i.e., sixteen), or else with five, he should worship that triad of images with devotion and reverence.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 12

Śloka 13 — Mṛtyuñjaya japa counts

मृत्युञ्जयमहामन्त्र-जपमष्टोत्तरं शतम् । सहस्रमष्टाभ्यधिकं कुर्याद् विघ्नोपशान्तये ॥ १३ ॥ अष्टाविंशतिमितं जपेन्मन्त्रमथापि वा ।

For the quelling of all obstacles he should perform japa of the great Mṛtyuñjaya mantra one hundred and eight times, or a thousand and eight; or else he may recite the mantra twenty-eight times.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 13

Śloka 14 — Invoking and consecrating the fire

घटेभ्यः पश्चिमदिशि स्थण्डिले वह्निमाह्वयेत् । गृह्योक्तविधिना तस्य संस्कारमपि कारयेत् ॥ १४ ॥

To the west of the jars, on the altar-ground (sthaṇḍila), he should invoke the fire; and he should have its consecration performed by the procedure stated in the Gṛhya (sūtra).

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 14

Śloka 15 — Oblations with the Tryambaka mantra

समिद्घृतचरूंस्तत्र जुहुयात् त्र्यम्बकादिना । मन्त्रेणाष्टोत्तरशतं सहस्रं वाष्टसंयुतम् ॥ १५ ॥

There he should offer fuel-sticks, ghee and cooked oblation (caru) with the mantra beginning 'tryambaka', one hundred and eight times, or a thousand and eight.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 15

Śloka 16 — Reduced count; sesame homa and sviṣṭakṛt

अष्टाविंशतिसंख्याक-मथवा हवनं चरेत् । तिलहोमं ततः स्विष्ट-कृतं हुत्वा घटोदकैः ॥ १६ ॥

Or else he may perform the oblation twenty-eight times. Thereafter, having offered the sesame homa and the sviṣṭakṛt, then with the water of the jars —

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 16

Śloka 17 — Aspersion of child and parents; feeding brāhmaṇas

अभिषेकं जातकस्य पित्रोरपि च कारयेत् । विप्राणां भोजनमिति शान्तिं संक्रान्तिजां चरेत् ॥ १७ ॥

— he should have the aspersion of the child performed, and of the parents as well; and the feeding of the brāhmaṇas. Thus should one carry out the śānti for (the blemish) born of the saṅkrānti.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 17

Śloka 18 — Fruit of the rite

एवंकृते जातकस्य कल्याणं निश्चितं भवेत् ॥ १८ ॥

When this has been done, the welfare of the native is assured.

BPHS Adhyāya 91, śloka 18