Eleventh Skandha · Chapter 11
Sourceनारद उवाच त्रिविधत्वं कथं चास्य भस्मनः परिकीर्तितम् । एतत्कथय मे देव महत्कौतूहलं मम ॥ १ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच त्रिविधत्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि देवर्षे भस्मनः शृणु । महापापक्षयकरं महाकीर्तिकरं परम् ॥ २ ॥ गोमयं योनिसम्बद्धं तद्धस्तेनैव गृह्यते । ब्राह्मैर्मन्त्रैस्तु सन्दग्धं तच्छान्तिकृदिहोच्यते ॥ ३ ॥ सावधानस्तु गृह्णीयान्नरो वै गोमयं तु यत् । अन्तरिक्षे गृहीत्वा तत्षडङ्गेन दहेदतः ॥ ४ ॥ पौष्टिकं तत्समाख्यातं कामदं च ततः शृणु । प्रासादेन दहेदेतत्कामदं भस्म कीर्तितम् ॥ ५ ॥ प्रातरुत्थाय देवर्षे भस्मव्रतपरः शुचिः । गवां गोष्ठेषु गत्वा तु नमस्कृत्य तु गोकुलम् ॥ ६ ॥ गवां वर्णानुरूपाणां गृह्णीयाद्गोमयं शुभम् । ब्राह्मणस्य च गौः श्वेता रक्ता गौः क्षत्रियस्य च ॥ ७ ॥ पीतवर्णा तु वैश्यस्य कृष्णा शूद्रस्य कथ्यते । पौर्णमास्याममावास्यामष्टम्यां वा विशुद्धधीः ॥ ८ ॥ प्रासादेन तु मन्त्रेण गृहीत्वा गोमयं शुभम् । हृदयेन तु मन्त्रेण पिण्डीकृत्य तु गोमयम् ॥ ९ ॥ रविरश्मिसुसन्तप्तं शुचौ देशे मनोहरे । तुषेण वा बुसैर्वापि प्रासादेन तु निक्षिपेत् ॥ १० ॥ अरण्युद्भवमग्निं वा श्रोत्रियागारजं तु वा । तदग्नौ विन्यसेत्तं च शिवबीजेन मन्त्रतः ॥ ११ ॥ गृह्णीयादथ तत्राग्निकुण्डाद्भस्म विचक्षणः । नवपात्रं समादाय प्रासादेन तु निक्षिपेत् ॥ १२ ॥ केतकी पाटली तद्वदुशीरं चन्दनं तथा । नानासुगन्धिद्रव्याणि काश्मीरप्रभृतीनि च ॥ १३ ॥ निक्षिपेत्तत्र पात्रे तु सद्योमन्त्रेण शुद्धधीः । जलस्नानं पुरा कृत्वा भस्मस्नानमतः परम् ॥ १४ ॥ जलस्नाने त्वशक्तश्च भस्मस्नानं समाचरेत् । प्रक्षाल्य पादौ हस्तौ च शिरश्चेशानमन्त्रतः ॥ १५ ॥ समुद्धूल्य ततः पश्चादाननं तत्पुरुषेण तु । अघोरेण तु हृदयं नाभिं वामेन तत्परम् ॥ १६ ॥ सद्योमन्त्रेण सर्वाङ्गं समूद्धूल्य विचक्षणः । पूर्ववस्त्रं परित्यज्य शुद्धवस्त्रं परिग्रहेत् ॥ १७ ॥ प्रक्षाल्य पादौ हस्तौ च पश्चादाचमनं चरेत् । भस्मनोद्धूलनाभावे त्रिपुण्ड्रं तु विधीयते ॥ १८ ॥ मध्याह्नात्प्राग्जलैर्युक्तं परतो जलवर्जितम् । तर्जन्यनामिकामध्यैस्त्रिपुण्ड्रं च समाचरेत् ॥ १९ ॥ मूर्ध्नि चैव ललाटे च कर्णे कण्ठे तथैव च । हृदये चैव बाह्वोश्च न्यासस्थानं हि चोच्यते ॥ २० ॥ पञ्चाङ्गुलैर्न्यसेन्मूर्ध्नि प्रासादेन तु मन्त्रतः । त्र्यङ्गुलैर्विन्यसेद्भाले शिरोमन्त्रेण देशिकः ॥ २१ ॥ सद्येन दक्षिणे कर्णे वामदेवेन वामतः । अघोरेण तु कण्ठे च मध्याङ्गुल्या स्पृशेद्बुधः ॥ २२ ॥ हृदयं हृदयेनैव त्रिभिरङ्गुलिभिः स्पृशेत् । विन्यसेद्दक्षिणे बाहौ शिखामन्त्रेण देशिकः ॥ २३ ॥ वामबाहौ न्यसेद्धीमान्कवचेन त्रियङ्गुलैः । मध्येन संस्पृशेन्नाभ्यामीशान इति मन्त्रतः ॥ २४ ॥ ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानास्तिस्रो रेखा इति स्मृताः । आद्यो ब्रह्मा ततो विष्णुस्तदूर्ध्वं तु महेश्वरः ॥ २५ ॥ एकाङ्गुलेन न्यस्तं यदीश्वरस्तत्र देवता । शिरोमध्ये त्वयं ब्रह्मा ईश्वरस्तु ललाटके ॥ २६ ॥ कर्णयोरश्विनौ देवौ गणेशस्तु गले तथा । क्षत्रियश्च तथा वैश्यः शूद्रश्चोद्धूलनं त्यजेत् ॥ २७ ॥ सर्वेषामन्त्यजातीनां मन्त्रेण रहितं भवेत् । (अदीक्षितं मनुष्याणामपि मन्त्रं विना भवेत्) ॥ २८ ॥
nārada uvāca trividhatvaṃ kathaṃ cāsya bhasmanaḥ parikīrtitam | etatkathaya me deva mahatkautūhalaṃ mama || 1 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca trividhatvaṃ pravakṣyāmi devarṣe bhasmanaḥ śṛṇu | mahāpāpakṣayakaraṃ mahākīrtikaraṃ param || 2 || gomayaṃ yonisambaddhaṃ taddhastenaiva gṛhyate | brāhmairmantraistu sandagdhaṃ tacchāntikṛdihocyate || 3 || sāvadhānastu gṛhṇīyānnaro vai gomayaṃ tu yat | antarikṣe gṛhītvā tatṣaḍaṅgena dahedataḥ || 4 || pauṣṭikaṃ tatsamākhyātaṃ kāmadaṃ ca tataḥ śṛṇu | prāsādena dahedetatkāmadaṃ bhasma kīrtitam || 5 || prātarutthāya devarṣe bhasmavrataparaḥ śuciḥ | gavāṃ goṣṭheṣu gatvā tu namaskṛtya tu gokulam || 6 || gavāṃ varṇānurūpāṇāṃ gṛhṇīyādgomayaṃ śubham | brāhmaṇasya ca gauḥ śvetā raktā gauḥ kṣatriyasya ca || 7 || pītavarṇā tu vaiśyasya kṛṣṇā śūdrasya kathyate | paurṇamāsyāmamāvāsyāmaṣṭamyāṃ vā viśuddhadhīḥ || 8 || prāsādena tu mantreṇa gṛhītvā gomayaṃ śubham | hṛdayena tu mantreṇa piṇḍīkṛtya tu gomayam || 9 || raviraśmisusantaptaṃ śucau deśe manohare | tuṣeṇa vā busairvāpi prāsādena tu nikṣipet || 10 || araṇyudbhavamagniṃ vā śrotriyāgārajaṃ tu vā | tadagnau vinyasettaṃ ca śivabījena mantrataḥ || 11 || gṛhṇīyādatha tatrāgnikuṇḍādbhasma vicakṣaṇaḥ | navapātraṃ samādāya prāsādena tu nikṣipet || 12 || ketakī pāṭalī tadvaduśīraṃ candanaṃ tathā | nānāsugandhidravyāṇi kāśmīraprabhṛtīni ca || 13 || nikṣipettatra pātre tu sadyomantreṇa śuddhadhīḥ | jalasnānaṃ purā kṛtvā bhasmasnānamataḥ param || 14 || jalasnāne tvaśaktaśca bhasmasnānaṃ samācaret | prakṣālya pādau hastau ca śiraśceśānamantrataḥ || 15 || samuddhūlya tataḥ paścādānanaṃ tatpuruṣeṇa tu | aghoreṇa tu hṛdayaṃ nābhiṃ vāmena tatparam || 16 || sadyomantreṇa sarvāṅgaṃ samūddhūlya vicakṣaṇaḥ | pūrvavastraṃ parityajya śuddhavastraṃ parigrahet || 17 || prakṣālya pādau hastau ca paścādācamanaṃ caret | bhasmanoddhūlanābhāve tripuṇḍraṃ tu vidhīyate || 18 || madhyāhnātprāgjalairyuktaṃ parato jalavarjitam | tarjanyanāmikāmadhyaistripuṇḍraṃ ca samācaret || 19 || mūrdhni caiva lalāṭe ca karṇe kaṇṭhe tathaiva ca | hṛdaye caiva bāhvośca nyāsasthānaṃ hi cocyate || 20 || pañcāṅgulairnyasenmūrdhni prāsādena tu mantrataḥ | tryaṅgulairvinyasedbhāle śiromantreṇa deśikaḥ || 21 || sadyena dakṣiṇe karṇe vāmadevena vāmataḥ | aghoreṇa tu kaṇṭhe ca madhyāṅgulyā spṛśedbudhaḥ || 22 || hṛdayaṃ hṛdayenaiva tribhiraṅgulibhiḥ spṛśet | vinyaseddakṣiṇe bāhau śikhāmantreṇa deśikaḥ || 23 || vāmabāhau nyaseddhīmānkavacena triyaṅgulaiḥ | madhyena saṃspṛśennābhyāmīśāna iti mantrataḥ || 24 || brahmaviṣṇumaheśānāstisro rekhā iti smṛtāḥ | ādyo brahmā tato viṣṇustadūrdhvaṃ tu maheśvaraḥ || 25 || ekāṅgulena nyastaṃ yadīśvarastatra devatā | śiromadhye tvayaṃ brahmā īśvarastu lalāṭake || 26 || karṇayoraśvinau devau gaṇeśastu gale tathā | kṣatriyaśca tathā vaiśyaḥ śūdraścoddhūlanaṃ tyajet || 27 || sarveṣāmantyajātīnāṃ mantreṇa rahitaṃ bhavet | (adīkṣitaṃ manuṣyāṇāmapi mantraṃ vinā bhavet) || 28 ||
English translation
Greatness Of The Three Kinds Of Bhasmas
Narada asked O Bhagavan! How is the above Bhasma of three kinds? I am eager to hear this. Kindly describe this to me. Narayana said O Narada! I am now talking of the three kinds of ashes; hearing this even destroys one's sins and brings in good fame. When a cow evacuates her dung, just as the cow dung leaves her and is far from reaching the ground, one should catch it with one's hand and this cow-dung burnt with “Sadyojatadi,” i.e., Brahma Mantra, becomes ashes which are called “S’antika Bhasma,” i.e., ashes producing peace. Before the cowdung is about to reach the ground, the devotee should take it with his hand and uttering the six lettered Mantra, he is to burn the cowdung. The ashes from this are called Paustik Bhasma, i.e., ashes leading to nourishment.
If the cowdung be burned with the Mantra “Haum,” the ashes of this are called “Kamada Bhasma,” i.e., ashes leading to the granting of desires. O Narada! On the full moon day, new moon day or on the eighth lunar day, a man is to get up from his bed early in the morning and be pure and go the cow enclosure. He is to salute the cows and take the cowdung, uttering the Mantra Haum. If he be a Brahmin, he is to collect the white cow dung; if he be a Ksattriya, he would take the red cow dung; a Vais'ya, yellow cow dung and if he be a S’udra, he would take the black cow dung. Then by the mantra “Namah” he is to form that into a ball and cover it with the husk of rice or some other grain and dry it in a sacred place, repeating the mantra “Haum.” Bring fire from a forest or from the house of a Veda-knowing Brahmin and reduce the cowdung to ashes by this mantra, uttering the mantra Haum. Next take out the ashes carefully from the fire place (Agni Kunda) and place it in a new jar or pot, again remembering the mantra “Haum”. Mix with the ashes the Ketaki dust, the Patala flower dust, the root of the fragrant grass called khas
khas, saffron and other sweet scented things with the mantra “Satyojatam prapadyami,” etc. First perform the water bath, then the bath of the ashes. In case one cannot have the water bath, one is to have the ash bath. Washing the hands, feet and head with the mantra “Is'anah Sarvavidyanam,” etc., and uttering “Tatpurusa” one is to besmear one's face with ashes and by the mantra “Aghora” apply ashes on one's chest; with the mantra Vamadeva. He is to use ashes on his navel; and with the mantra “Sadyo data,” etc., all over his body; he is to quit his former cloth and put on another fresh cloth. Wash your hands and feet and sip (do Achaman). It will serve the purpose if one simply uses Tripundrak and if one does not besmear the whole body with ashes. Before the midday one is to use Bhasma with water; but after the midday with dry ashes one is to draw the Tripundra lines of ashes with the forefinger, middlefinger and ringfinger. The head, forehead, ears, neck, heart, and the arms are the places whereon the Tripundras are used. On the head the ashes are applied with five fingers and with the mantra “Haum”; on the forehead, the Tripundra is applied with mantra Svaha by the forefinger, mindlefinger and ringfinger; on the right ear, it is applied with “Sadyojata” mantra; on the left ear, with “Vamadeva” Mantra; on the neck with Aghora mantra by the middlefinger; on the chest with “Namah” mantra by the forefing middlefinger and ringfinger; on the right arm with vasat mantra by the three fingers; on the left arm with “Ham” mantra by the three fingers; and on the navel, the ashes are to be applied with the mantra Is'anah sarva devanam by the middlefinger. The first line in every Tripundra is Brahma; the second line is Visnu; and the third, the topmost line is Maha Deva. The line of ashes that is marked by one finger is Is'vara. The head is the place of Brahma; the forehead is the site of Is'vara; the two ears are the seats of the two As'vins and the neck is where Ganes'a resides. The Ksattriyas, Vais'yas, and S’udras are to use Tripundras without any mantra; they are also not to use the ashes on the whole of the body. The lowest classes (e.g. the chandalas, etc.,) and the uninitiated persons are to use the Tripundraks without any mantra.
Here ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the description of the greatness of the three kinds of Bhasmas in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24037, revision 73848 (2016-07-09T16:44:32Z). 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/bk11ch11.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.