Eleventh Skandha · Chapter 10
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच आग्नेयं गौणमज्ञानध्वंसकं ज्ञानसाधकम् । गौणं नानाविधं विद्धि ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मविदांवर ॥ १ ॥ अग्निहोत्राग्निजं तद्वद्विरजानलजं मुने । औपासनसमुत्पन्नं समिदग्निसमुद्भवम् ॥ २ ॥ पचनाग्निसमुत्पन्नं दावानलसमुद्भवम् । त्रैवर्णिकानां सर्वेषामग्निहोत्रसमुद्भवम् ॥ ३ ॥ विरजानलजं चैव धार्यं भस्म महामुने । औपासनसमुत्पन्नं गृहस्थानां विशेषतः ॥ ४ ॥ समिदग्निसमुत्पन्नं धार्यं वै ब्रह्मचारिणा । शूद्राणां श्रोत्रियागारपचनाग्निसमुद्भवम्॥ ५ ॥ अन्येषामपि सर्वेषां धार्यं दावानलोद्भवम् । कालश्चित्रा पौर्णमासी देशः स्वीयः परिग्रहः ॥ ६ ॥ क्षेत्रारामाद्यरण्यं वा प्रशस्तः शुभलक्षणः । तत्र पूर्वत्रयोदश्यां सुस्नातः सुकृताह्निकः ॥ ७ ॥ अनुज्ञाप्य स्वमाचार्यं संपूज्य प्रणिपत्य च । पूजां वैशेषिकीं कृत्वा शुक्लाम्बरधरः स्वयम् ॥ ८ ॥ शुद्धयज्ञोपवीती च शुक्लमाल्यानुलेपनः । दर्भासने समासीनो दर्भमुष्टिं प्रगृह्य च ॥ ९ ॥ प्राणायामत्रयं कृत्वा प्राङ्मुखो वाप्युदङ्मुखः । ध्यात्वा देवं च देवीं च तद्विज्ञापनवर्त्मना ॥ १० ॥ व्रतमेतत्करोमीति भवेत्सङ्कल्पदीक्षितः । यावच्छरीरपातं वा द्वादशाब्दमथापि वा ॥ ११ ॥ तदर्धं वा तदर्धं वा मासद्वादशकं तु वा । तदर्धं वा तदर्धं वा मासमेकमथापि वा ॥ १२ ॥ दिनद्वादशकं वापि दिनषट्कमथापि वा । तदर्धं दिनमेकं वा व्रतसङ्कल्पनावधि ॥ १३ ॥ अग्निमाधाय विधिवद्विरजाहोमकारणात् । हुत्वाऽऽज्येन समिद्भिश्च चरुणा च यथाविधि ॥ १४ ॥ पूताहात्पुरतो भूयस्तत्त्वानां शुद्धिमुद्दिशन् । जुहुयान्मूलमन्त्रेण तैरेव समिदादिभिः ॥ १५ ॥ तत्त्वान्येतानि मे देहे शुध्यन्तामित्यनुस्मरन् । पश्चाद्भूतादितन्मात्राः पञ्चकर्मेन्द्रियाणि च ॥ १६ ॥ ज्ञानकर्मविभेदेन पञ्च पञ्च विभागशः । त्वगादिधातवः सप्त पञ्च प्राणादिवायवः ॥ १७ ॥ मनो बुद्धिरहङ्कारो गुणाः प्रकृतिपूरुषौ । रागो विद्या कला चैव नियतिः काल एव च ॥ १८ ॥ माया च शुद्धविद्या च महेश्वरसदाशिवौ । शक्तिश्च शिवतत्त्वं च तत्त्वानि क्रमशो विदुः ॥ १९ ॥ मन्त्रैस्तु विरजैर्हुत्वा होतासौ विरजो भवेत् । अथ गोमयमादाय पिण्डीकृत्याभिमन्त्र्य च ॥ २० ॥ न्यस्याग्नौ तं च संरक्ष्य दिने तस्मिन् हविष्यभुक् । प्रभाते च चतुर्दश्यां कृत्वा सर्वं पुरोदितम् ॥ २१ ॥ तस्मिन्दिने निराहारः कालशेषं समापयेत् । प्रातः पर्वणि चाप्येवं कृत्वा होमावसानतः ॥ २२ ॥ उपसंहृत्य रुद्राग्निं गृहीत्वा भस्म यत्नतः । ततश्च जटिलो मुण्डः शिखैकजट एव च ॥ २३ ॥ भूत्वा स्नात्वा पुनर्वीतलज्जश्चेत्स्याद्दिगम्बरः । अन्यः काषायवसनश्चर्मचीराम्बरोऽथवा ॥ २४ ॥ एकाम्बरो वल्कलवान्भवेद्दण्डी च मेखली । प्रक्षाल्य चरणौ पश्चाद्द्विराचम्यात्मनस्तनुम् ॥ २५ ॥ सङ्कलीकृत्य तद्भस्म विरजानलसम्भवम् । अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मन्त्रैः षड्भिराथर्वणैः क्रमात् ॥ २६ ॥ विमृज्याङ्गानि मूर्धादिचरणान्तं च तैः स्पृशेत् । ततस्तेन क्रमेणैव समुद्धूल्य च भस्मना ॥ २७ ॥ सर्वाङ्गोद्धूलनं कुर्यात्प्रणवेन शिवेन वा । ततश्च पुण्ड्रं रचयेत्त्रियायुषसमाह्वयम् ॥ २८ ॥ शिवभावं समागम्य शिवभावमथाचरेत् । कुर्यात्त्रिसन्ध्यमप्येवमेतत्पाशुपतं व्रतम् ॥ २९ ॥ भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं चैव पशुत्वं विनिवर्तयेत् । तत्पशुत्वं परित्यज्य कृत्वा पाशुपतं व्रतम् ॥ ३० ॥ पूजनीयो महादेवो लिङ्गमूर्तिः सदाशिवः । भस्मस्नानं महापुण्यं सर्वसौख्यकरं परम् ॥ ३१ ॥ आयुष्यं बलमारोग्यं श्रीपुष्टिवर्धनं यतः । रक्षार्थं मङ्गलार्थं च सर्वसम्पत्समृद्धये ॥ ३२ ॥ भस्मस्निग्धमनुष्याणां महामारीभयं न च । शान्तिकं पौष्टिकं भस्म कामदं च त्रिधा भवेत् ॥ ३३ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca āgneyaṃ gauṇamajñānadhvaṃsakaṃ jñānasādhakam | gauṇaṃ nānāvidhaṃ viddhi brahmanbrahmavidāṃvara || 1 || agnihotrāgnijaṃ tadvadvirajānalajaṃ mune | aupāsanasamutpannaṃ samidagnisamudbhavam || 2 || pacanāgnisamutpannaṃ dāvānalasamudbhavam | traivarṇikānāṃ sarveṣāmagnihotrasamudbhavam || 3 || virajānalajaṃ caiva dhāryaṃ bhasma mahāmune | aupāsanasamutpannaṃ gṛhasthānāṃ viśeṣataḥ || 4 || samidagnisamutpannaṃ dhāryaṃ vai brahmacāriṇā | śūdrāṇāṃ śrotriyāgārapacanāgnisamudbhavam|| 5 || anyeṣāmapi sarveṣāṃ dhāryaṃ dāvānalodbhavam | kālaścitrā paurṇamāsī deśaḥ svīyaḥ parigrahaḥ || 6 || kṣetrārāmādyaraṇyaṃ vā praśastaḥ śubhalakṣaṇaḥ | tatra pūrvatrayodaśyāṃ susnātaḥ sukṛtāhnikaḥ || 7 || anujñāpya svamācāryaṃ saṃpūjya praṇipatya ca | pūjāṃ vaiśeṣikīṃ kṛtvā śuklāmbaradharaḥ svayam || 8 || śuddhayajñopavītī ca śuklamālyānulepanaḥ | darbhāsane samāsīno darbhamuṣṭiṃ pragṛhya ca || 9 || prāṇāyāmatrayaṃ kṛtvā prāṅmukho vāpyudaṅmukhaḥ | dhyātvā devaṃ ca devīṃ ca tadvijñāpanavartmanā || 10 || vratametatkaromīti bhavetsaṅkalpadīkṣitaḥ | yāvaccharīrapātaṃ vā dvādaśābdamathāpi vā || 11 || tadardhaṃ vā tadardhaṃ vā māsadvādaśakaṃ tu vā | tadardhaṃ vā tadardhaṃ vā māsamekamathāpi vā || 12 || dinadvādaśakaṃ vāpi dinaṣaṭkamathāpi vā | tadardhaṃ dinamekaṃ vā vratasaṅkalpanāvadhi || 13 || agnimādhāya vidhivadvirajāhomakāraṇāt | hutvā''jyena samidbhiśca caruṇā ca yathāvidhi || 14 || pūtāhātpurato bhūyastattvānāṃ śuddhimuddiśan | juhuyānmūlamantreṇa taireva samidādibhiḥ || 15 || tattvānyetāni me dehe śudhyantāmityanusmaran | paścādbhūtāditanmātrāḥ pañcakarmendriyāṇi ca || 16 || jñānakarmavibhedena pañca pañca vibhāgaśaḥ | tvagādidhātavaḥ sapta pañca prāṇādivāyavaḥ || 17 || mano buddhirahaṅkāro guṇāḥ prakṛtipūruṣau | rāgo vidyā kalā caiva niyatiḥ kāla eva ca || 18 || māyā ca śuddhavidyā ca maheśvarasadāśivau | śaktiśca śivatattvaṃ ca tattvāni kramaśo viduḥ || 19 || mantraistu virajairhutvā hotāsau virajo bhavet | atha gomayamādāya piṇḍīkṛtyābhimantrya ca || 20 || nyasyāgnau taṃ ca saṃrakṣya dine tasmin haviṣyabhuk | prabhāte ca caturdaśyāṃ kṛtvā sarvaṃ puroditam || 21 || tasmindine nirāhāraḥ kālaśeṣaṃ samāpayet | prātaḥ parvaṇi cāpyevaṃ kṛtvā homāvasānataḥ || 22 || upasaṃhṛtya rudrāgniṃ gṛhītvā bhasma yatnataḥ | tataśca jaṭilo muṇḍaḥ śikhaikajaṭa eva ca || 23 || bhūtvā snātvā punarvītalajjaścetsyāddigambaraḥ | anyaḥ kāṣāyavasanaścarmacīrāmbaro'thavā || 24 || ekāmbaro valkalavānbhaveddaṇḍī ca mekhalī | prakṣālya caraṇau paścāddvirācamyātmanastanum || 25 || saṅkalīkṛtya tadbhasma virajānalasambhavam | agnirityādibhirmantraiḥ ṣaḍbhirātharvaṇaiḥ kramāt || 26 || vimṛjyāṅgāni mūrdhādicaraṇāntaṃ ca taiḥ spṛśet | tatastena krameṇaiva samuddhūlya ca bhasmanā || 27 || sarvāṅgoddhūlanaṃ kuryātpraṇavena śivena vā | tataśca puṇḍraṃ racayettriyāyuṣasamāhvayam || 28 || śivabhāvaṃ samāgamya śivabhāvamathācaret | kuryāttrisandhyamapyevametatpāśupataṃ vratam || 29 || bhuktimuktipradaṃ caiva paśutvaṃ vinivartayet | tatpaśutvaṃ parityajya kṛtvā pāśupataṃ vratam || 30 || pūjanīyo mahādevo liṅgamūrtiḥ sadāśivaḥ | bhasmasnānaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sarvasaukhyakaraṃ param || 31 || āyuṣyaṃ balamārogyaṃ śrīpuṣṭivardhanaṃ yataḥ | rakṣārthaṃ maṅgalārthaṃ ca sarvasampatsamṛddhaye || 32 || bhasmasnigdhamanuṣyāṇāṃ mahāmārībhayaṃ na ca | śāntikaṃ pauṣṭikaṃ bhasma kāmadaṃ ca tridhā bhavet || 33 ||
English translation
1-33. Narayana said O Knower of Brahma! O Narada! The ashes prepared from ordinary fire are secondary (Gauna). The greatness of this secondary ashes is to be considered by no means trifling; this also destroys the darkest ignorance and reveals the highest knowledge. It is of various kinds. Amongst the secondary ashes, that prepared from Virajagni is the best; it is equivalent to that obtained from Agnihotra Yajha and it is as glorious. The ashes obtained from the marriage sacrificial fire, that obtained from the burning of the Samidh fuel, what is obtained from the conflagration of fire are known as the secondary ashes. The Brahmanas, Ksattriyas and Vais'yas should use the ashes from the Agnihotra and the Viraja Fire. For the householders, the ashes from the marriage sacrificial fire are good. For the Brahmacharis, the ashes from the Samid fuel are good and for the S’udras the fire of the cooking place of the Veda knowing Brahmanas is good. For the other persons, the ashes obtained from the conflagration of fire are good. Now I will talk of the origin of the ashes obtained from the Viraja fire. The chief season of the Viraja fire sacrifice is the Full-moon night with Chitra asterism with the Moon. If this does not take place, the sacrifice may be performed at other seasons; and it should be remembered that the fit place is where one adopts as one's dwelling place. The auspicious field, garden or forest is also commendable for the above sacrifice. On the Trayodas'i Tithi, the thirteenth night preceding the full-moon night, one is to complete one's bathing and Sandhya; then one is to worship one's Guru and bow down before Him. Then, receiving his permission, the sacrificer is to put on pure clothing and perform the special Puja. Then with his white sacrificial thread, white garlands, and white sandal paste one is to sit on the Kus'a seat with sacrificial (Kus'a) grass in one's hands. With his face towards the east or north he is to perform Pranayama thrice.
Then he is to meditate on S’iva and Bhagavati and get mentally their permissions. “O Deva Bhagavan! O Mother Bhagavati! I will perform this vow for my life-time.” Thus making the resolve, he should start with this sacrifice. But this is to be known that this Vrata can be performed for twelve years, for six years, for three years, for one year, for six months, for twelve days, for six days, for three days, even at least for one day. But in every case, he must take mentally the permission of the Deva and the Devi. Now, to perform the Viraja Homa, one is to light the fire according to one's Grihya Sutras and then perform Homa with ghee, Samidh (fuel) or with charu (an oblation of rice, milk, and sugar boiled together). Then on the fourteenth lunar day (Chaturdas'i) one is to pray “Let the tattvas (principles) in me be purified” and then perform the Homa ceremony with Samidh, etc., as above-mentioned. Now recollecting that “My principles in my body are purified,” he is to offer oblations to the fire. In other words, uttering “Priththitattvas me sudhyatam jyotiraham viraja vipapma bhuyasam Svaha” one is to offer oblations to the Fire. Thus uttering the five element (Mahabhutas), five tanmatras, five Karmendriyas (organs of action), five Jhanendriyas (organs of perception), five Pranas, seven dhatus Tvak, etc., mind, buddhi (intellect), Ahamkara (egoism), Sattva, Raja, Tamah gunas, Prakriti, Purusa, Raga, Vidya, Kala (arts etc,) Daiva (Fate), Kala (time), Maya S’uddhavidya, Mahes'vara, Sada S’iva, S’akti S’ivatattva, etc., respectively by its own name, one is to offer oblations to the fire by the five-lettered Viraja Mantra; then the sacrificer will become pure. Then form a round ball of fresh cowdung and purifying it by Mantram place it on fire and carefully watch it. On that day, the devotee is to take Havisyanna (a sacred food of boiled rice with ghee). On the morning of the Chaturdas'i, he is to perform his daily duties as above and then to perform Homa on that fire; uttering the five lettered Mantra. He is not to take any food the rest of the time. On the next day, that is, on the full-moon day, after performing the morning duties, he is to do the Homa ceremony, uttering the Five lettered Mantra and then take leave of the Fire (invoked for worship). He is, then, to raise up the ashes. Then the devotee is to keep data (matted hair) or to shave clean his head or to keep only one lock of hair on
the crown of the head. He is to take his bath, then; and if he can, then he should be naked or put on a red coloured cloth, hide, or one piece of rag or bark; he is to take a staff and a belt. Washing his hands and feet and sipping twice he by his two hands, is to pulverise the ashes and, uttering the six Atharvan Mantras, “Fire is ashes” and so forth, apply ashes from his head to foot. Then, as before, he is to apply ashes, gradually to his arms, etc., and all over the body uttering the Pranava of S’iva, “Vam, Vam.” He is to put on the Triyayusa Tripundra on his forehead. After he has done this, the Jiva (the embodied self) becomes S’iva (the Free Self) and he should behave himself like S’iva. O Narada! Thus, at the three Sandhya- periods; he is to do like this. This Pas’upata vrata is the source of enjoyment as well as liberation and as well as of the cessation of all brutal desires. By the performance of this vrata the devotee is to free himself gradually of his animal feelings and then to worship Bhagavan Sada S’iva in the form of a phallic symbol. The above bath ashes is highly meritorious and it is the source of all happiness. By holding the ashes, one's longevity is prolonged, one gets even great bodily strength, becomes healthy and his beauty increases and he gets nourishment. This using of ashes is for the preservation of one's own self; it is the source of one's good and of all sorts of happiness and prosperity. Those who use ashes (Bhas'ma) are free from the danger of plague and other epidemic diseases; this bhasma is of three sorts as it leads to the attainment of peace, nourishment, or to the fufilment of all desires.
Here ends the Tenth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the subject Gauna Bhasma (secondary ashes) in the Mahapuranam S’rimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24036, revision 73847 (2016-07-09T16:42:09Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk11ch10.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.