Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya, Chapter 9 | Skanda Purāṇa

Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 9

।। ब्रह्मोवाच ।। ।। नैवेद्यस्य विधिं ब्रूहि देव मे तत्त्वतः प्रभो ।। अन्नं कतिविधं चेष्टं व्यंजनादीन्यशेषतः ।। १ ।। ।।श्रीभगवानुवाच ।। ।। साधु पृष्टं त्वया वत्स मम प्रीतिकरं परम् ।। वक्ष्यामि तेऽन्नपानादिव्यंजनादीन्यशेषतः ।। २ ।। आदौ हिरण्मयं पात्रं तदभावे च राजतम् ।। तदभावे च पालाशं विस्तीर्णं बहुसुन्दरम् ।। ३ ।। कचोलाः शतशः कार्याः पात्रे वै परितोऽनघ ।। तन्मध्ये व्यंजना देया नानाफलमयाः शुभाः ।। ४ ।। पायसं चन्द्रसंकाशं पात्रे वै शर्करायुतम् ।। भक्तं कुमुदसंकाशं मुद्गान्काचप्रभाञ्छुभान् ।। ५ ।। नानाव्यंजनसंरुद्धं त्रिभिः पंक्तिभिरेव च ।। निंबूरसेन चंद्रेण फलमूलयुतेन च ।। ६ ।। वैकृताश्च तदा कार्याः शतशो भोजने मम ।। द्राक्षास्तु मिश्रिताश्चूतकरमर्द कृताः शुभाः ।। ७ ।। मरीचपिप्पलीसार्द्रकैलाचंद्रकसंयुताः ।। क्वाथिताः कथिकाः कार्याः शतशो भोजने मम ।। ८ ।। प्रलेहनास्तथा कार्याः कचोलशतसंकुलाः ।। नानाकुसुमसंमोदयुक्ताः सहसि मे प्रियाः ।। ९ ।। मंडका वर्तुला रम्याः समाः सर्वत्र बिंदुवत् ।। सितया सहितेनाऽथ दुग्धेन क्वथितेन च ।। 2.5.9.१० ।। मधुवर्णेन गव्येन युक्ते तस्मिन्सुभोजने ।। कचोले सुप्रभे वत्स स्थितं कांचनसुप्रभम् ।। ११ ।। घृतं सुवासितं प्रीत्या देयं हि मम भोजने ।। तत्र गोधूमपात्रेण चंद्रकेण हि चोज्ज्वलम् ।। १२ ।। सौवाह्लिकाः पूरिकास्तु शतच्छिद्राः सवेष्टिकाः ।। अपूपाश्च तथा क्षीरं प्रकारांस्तु प्रकारयेत् ।। १३ ।। मणयः सूत्रसंज्ञाश्च मालतीकुसुमादयः ।। पर्पटा वर्पटा रम्या माषकूष्मांडसंभवाः ।। १४ ।। वटकान्नवधा रम्यान्कुर्यान्मासे सहे मम ।। द्विधा जातीमरीचैश्च पूरिता द्रोणके शुभाः ।। १५ ।। युक्तेन लवणेनाऽतिशुद्धतैलेन पूरिताः ।। कुंकुमाभाः स्नेहहीनाः सक्षता इव दुर्जनाः ।। १६ ।। दधिदुग्धयुताः केचिच्चिंचिणीचूतसंभवाः ।। द्राक्षारसयुताः केचित्तथैवेक्षुरसैर्युताः ।। १७ ।। राजिका जलमध्यस्थास्तथाऽन्ये सितया सह ।। रसैश्चतुर्विधैश्चान्यैर्वटका नवधा मताः ।। १८ ।। वज्रप्रभाऽनुकणिकाचारबीजसुखारिकैः ।। शकलैर्नारिकेलस्य लवंगशतसंयुताः ।। १९ ।। घृतक्षीरसिताद्यास्ताः कटाहे सुप्रलोडिताः ।। लब्धासितादिकृसररम्याः स्निग्धाश्च फेणिकाः ।। 2.5.9.२० ।। पराकिकासु वै पक्वाः कृताश्चंद्रेण पोलिकाः ।। मोदकास्तत्र वै कार्याश्चारबीजभवाः परे ।। २१ ।। सितया सहिताः कार्या अन्ये दुग्धेन निर्मिताः ।। नारिकेलफलैश्चाऽन्ये वृक्षनिर्यासनिर्मिताः ।। २२ ।। बदामैश्च शुभाश्चाऽन्ये तिलैश्च कणबीजकैः ।। ईदृशान्मोदकांश्चान्यांस्तुष्ट्यर्थं मम कारयेत् ।। २३ ।। अर्शोघ्नं मोचनीकंदं तथाऽऽर्द्रं करमर्दकम् ।। नारिंगं चिंचिणीकं च कंकोलफलमेव च ।। २४ ।। दशारं त्रिपुरीजातं शुभं निंबफलं बिसम् ।। तिंदूफलं लवंगं च श्रीफलं तिलकं लुति ।। २५ ।। वल्कलं वंशकारीरं तथा कायफलं बलम् ।। द्राक्षाफलं चूतफलं रम्यं कंटकिनीफलम् ।। २६ ।। धात्रीफलं शुक्तिभवं फलमंबाडवं तथा ।। रंभाफलं पिप्पली च मरीचाश्च मनोहराः ।। २७ ।। शुद्धसर्षपतैलेन लवणेन सुवेधितम् ।। तथा राजिकया विद्धं त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्घटे स्थितम् ।। २८ ।। एवंविधानि जातानि व्यंजनानि च मानद ।। कर्तव्यानि सहोमासे मम प्रीतिकराणि वै ।। २९ ।। एतादृशे भोजने चेदसामर्थ्यं भवेद्यदि ।। एवं कार्यं तदा तेन संक्षेपेण शृणुष्व मे ।। 2.5.9.३० ।। लड्डूकमेकं घृतपूरमेकं फेनद्वयं कोकरसत्रयं च ।। घृतप्लुतं मंडकषोडशानां वटाष्टदायी नरकं न पश्येत् ।। ३१ ।। आढकं सुचिरपर्युषितं च दुग्धं खंडस्य षोडशपलानि शशिप्रभस्य ।। सर्पिष्पलं मधुपलं मरिचं द्विकर्षं शुंठ्याः पलार्धमथवाऽर्धपलं चतुर्णाम् ।। ३२ ।। श्लक्ष्णे पटे ललनया मृदुपाणिघृष्टां कर्पूरधूलिधवलीकृतभांडसंस्थाम् ।। एतां शुभां रसवतीं प्रकरोति यो वै कामान्ददामि सकलान्मनुजस्य तस्य ।। ३३ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे ब्रह्मविष्णुसंवादे मार्गशीर्षमाहात्म्ये नैवेद्यविधिकथनंनाम नवमोऽध्यायः ।। ९ ।।

|| brahmovāca || || naivedyasya vidhiṃ brūhi deva me tattvataḥ prabho || annaṃ katividhaṃ ceṣṭaṃ vyaṃjanādīnyaśeṣataḥ || 1 || ||śrībhagavānuvāca || || sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vatsa mama prītikaraṃ param || vakṣyāmi te'nnapānādivyaṃjanādīnyaśeṣataḥ || 2 || ādau hiraṇmayaṃ pātraṃ tadabhāve ca rājatam || tadabhāve ca pālāśaṃ vistīrṇaṃ bahusundaram || 3 || kacolāḥ śataśaḥ kāryāḥ pātre vai parito'nagha || tanmadhye vyaṃjanā deyā nānāphalamayāḥ śubhāḥ || 4 || pāyasaṃ candrasaṃkāśaṃ pātre vai śarkarāyutam || bhaktaṃ kumudasaṃkāśaṃ mudgānkācaprabhāñchubhān || 5 || nānāvyaṃjanasaṃruddhaṃ tribhiḥ paṃktibhireva ca || niṃbūrasena caṃdreṇa phalamūlayutena ca || 6 || vaikṛtāśca tadā kāryāḥ śataśo bhojane mama || drākṣāstu miśritāścūtakaramarda kṛtāḥ śubhāḥ || 7 || marīcapippalīsārdrakailācaṃdrakasaṃyutāḥ || kvāthitāḥ kathikāḥ kāryāḥ śataśo bhojane mama || 8 || pralehanāstathā kāryāḥ kacolaśatasaṃkulāḥ || nānākusumasaṃmodayuktāḥ sahasi me priyāḥ || 9 || maṃḍakā vartulā ramyāḥ samāḥ sarvatra biṃduvat || sitayā sahitenā'tha dugdhena kvathitena ca || 2.5.9.10 || madhuvarṇena gavyena yukte tasminsubhojane || kacole suprabhe vatsa sthitaṃ kāṃcanasuprabham || 11 || ghṛtaṃ suvāsitaṃ prītyā deyaṃ hi mama bhojane || tatra godhūmapātreṇa caṃdrakeṇa hi cojjvalam || 12 || sauvāhlikāḥ pūrikāstu śatacchidrāḥ saveṣṭikāḥ || apūpāśca tathā kṣīraṃ prakārāṃstu prakārayet || 13 || maṇayaḥ sūtrasaṃjñāśca mālatīkusumādayaḥ || parpaṭā varpaṭā ramyā māṣakūṣmāṃḍasaṃbhavāḥ || 14 || vaṭakānnavadhā ramyānkuryānmāse sahe mama || dvidhā jātīmarīcaiśca pūritā droṇake śubhāḥ || 15 || yuktena lavaṇenā'tiśuddhatailena pūritāḥ || kuṃkumābhāḥ snehahīnāḥ sakṣatā iva durjanāḥ || 16 || dadhidugdhayutāḥ kecicciṃciṇīcūtasaṃbhavāḥ || drākṣārasayutāḥ kecittathaivekṣurasairyutāḥ || 17 || rājikā jalamadhyasthāstathā'nye sitayā saha || rasaiścaturvidhaiścānyairvaṭakā navadhā matāḥ || 18 || vajraprabhā'nukaṇikācārabījasukhārikaiḥ || śakalairnārikelasya lavaṃgaśatasaṃyutāḥ || 19 || ghṛtakṣīrasitādyāstāḥ kaṭāhe supraloḍitāḥ || labdhāsitādikṛsararamyāḥ snigdhāśca pheṇikāḥ || 2.5.9.20 || parākikāsu vai pakvāḥ kṛtāścaṃdreṇa polikāḥ || modakāstatra vai kāryāścārabījabhavāḥ pare || 21 || sitayā sahitāḥ kāryā anye dugdhena nirmitāḥ || nārikelaphalaiścā'nye vṛkṣaniryāsanirmitāḥ || 22 || badāmaiśca śubhāścā'nye tilaiśca kaṇabījakaiḥ || īdṛśānmodakāṃścānyāṃstuṣṭyarthaṃ mama kārayet || 23 || arśoghnaṃ mocanīkaṃdaṃ tathā''rdraṃ karamardakam || nāriṃgaṃ ciṃciṇīkaṃ ca kaṃkolaphalameva ca || 24 || daśāraṃ tripurījātaṃ śubhaṃ niṃbaphalaṃ bisam || tiṃdūphalaṃ lavaṃgaṃ ca śrīphalaṃ tilakaṃ luti || 25 || valkalaṃ vaṃśakārīraṃ tathā kāyaphalaṃ balam || drākṣāphalaṃ cūtaphalaṃ ramyaṃ kaṃṭakinīphalam || 26 || dhātrīphalaṃ śuktibhavaṃ phalamaṃbāḍavaṃ tathā || raṃbhāphalaṃ pippalī ca marīcāśca manoharāḥ || 27 || śuddhasarṣapatailena lavaṇena suvedhitam || tathā rājikayā viddhaṃ tribhirvarṣairghaṭe sthitam || 28 || evaṃvidhāni jātāni vyaṃjanāni ca mānada || kartavyāni sahomāse mama prītikarāṇi vai || 29 || etādṛśe bhojane cedasāmarthyaṃ bhavedyadi || evaṃ kāryaṃ tadā tena saṃkṣepeṇa śṛṇuṣva me || 2.5.9.30 || laḍḍūkamekaṃ ghṛtapūramekaṃ phenadvayaṃ kokarasatrayaṃ ca || ghṛtaplutaṃ maṃḍakaṣoḍaśānāṃ vaṭāṣṭadāyī narakaṃ na paśyet || 31 || āḍhakaṃ suciraparyuṣitaṃ ca dugdhaṃ khaṃḍasya ṣoḍaśapalāni śaśiprabhasya || sarpiṣpalaṃ madhupalaṃ maricaṃ dvikarṣaṃ śuṃṭhyāḥ palārdhamathavā'rdhapalaṃ caturṇām || 32 || ślakṣṇe paṭe lalanayā mṛdupāṇighṛṣṭāṃ karpūradhūlidhavalīkṛtabhāṃḍasaṃsthām || etāṃ śubhāṃ rasavatīṃ prakaroti yo vai kāmāndadāmi sakalānmanujasya tasya || 33 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe brahmaviṣṇusaṃvāde mārgaśīrṣamāhātmye naivedyavidhikathanaṃnāma navamo'dhyāyaḥ || 9 ||

English translation

Brahmā said :

1. O Lord, tell me the procedure for Naivedya (food-offering) as it is actually practised. State fully how many kinds of cooked food are desired and what are the side dishes etc.?

Śrī Bhagavān said :

2. Well asked by you, O dear one. It is extremely liked by me. I shall state fully the (varieties) of food, drinks etc. and side dishes as well.

3. The first thing is a gold plate. [1] If it is not available a silver one can be used. If that is not available, a Pālāśa plate that is large and beautiful should be used.

4. Hundreds of Kacolas should be made and placed all round in the vessel, O sinless one. In its middle the side dishes must be placed. They should be splendid and must consist of different kinds of fruits.

5. In the vessel there must be milk-pudding resembling the moon (in colour) with sugar adequately added to it.

Rice should resemble white lilies. Mudga pulse should be splendid and crystal like.

6-7. Different kinds of pickles and condiments must be placed in between. The foodstuffs should be arranged in three rows. There must be various kinds of side dishes with fruits and roots mixed with lemon juice. There must be hundreds of such varieties of side dishes in the food offered to me. Grapes should be mixed with good mango and Karamarda ( Carissa carandas ).

8. Pepper, long pepper, ginger and cardamom should be mixed. They should be boiled and Kathikās [2] (?) should be prepared in hundreds for my food (Naivedya).

9. Pralehanas (broths or articles for licking) should be made along with hundreds of Kacolas(?). They should be rendered fragrant by means of many flowers. During the month of Mārgaśīrṣa they are very much liked by me.

10. Maṇḍakas (a thin flat circular cake-like dish ) beautiful, circular, even and symmetrical everywhere like (the arithmetical figure for) zero, along with boiled milk mixed with sugar should be kept therein.

11-12. In that foodstuff of mine (mixed) with the milk of cow, having the colour of honey, sweet-smelling ghee must be affectionately and devoutly poured, O dear one, the ghee that is kept in a lustrous Kacola (vessel of wheat flour). It must be sparkling with cardamom.

13. He should prepare Pūrikās (thin pan-cakes fried in edible oil or ghee) mixed with (sufficient quantity) of asafoetida (each) having a hundred holes and with Veṣṭikās (savouries made of ground flour of rice, gram etc. and shaped in many coils and fried in oils). He also should get prepared Apūpa (small pies) and varieties of milk-preparations.

14. These sweet pies should be strung together like jewels and beads or Mālatī flowers etc. There must be Parpaṭas and Varpaṭas (circular cake-like stuff made of flour and dried in the sun to be fried in oil i.e. pāpaḍs and Varpaṭas are other stuffs similarly prepared in coils, cones, globular ones etc. made of flour or vegetables dried—all to be fried) beautifully prepared from Māṣa pulse or Kūṣmāṇḍas (ash gourds).

15. In the month of Mārgaśīrṣa nine kinds of Vaṭakas should be beautifully prepared and offered to me. (They are made of dough of pulse and prepared like cutlets.) Two types of Vaṭakas are prepared with Jātī (nutmeg), Maricī (pepper) etc. and put in big wooden troughs.

16. One type is prepared in highly refined oil. Salt is put (in the dough before preparing the Vaṭakas). The other type is devoid of Sneha (oil, love) like wicked people. They have the colour of saffron. They appear to be full of holes.

17. Some are put in curds and milk; some in tamarind or mango juice. Some are put in grape juice and some in sugarcane juice.

18. Others are put in black mustard water. Some with sugar along with the four kinds of juice mentioned before. These are considered the nine kinds of Vaṭakas.

19-22. The following thiṅgs should be mixed together and boiled well in a big cauldron: very small seeds of Buchanania latifolia lustrous like diamonds and Sukhārikas (?), bits of coconut kernels and a hundred cloves, ghee, milk, sugar etc. (This foodstuff is also one of the Naivedyas .) There must be glossy smooth Pheṇikās (sweetmeats with wheat flour fried in ghee in the form of coils). These Pheṇikās must be served along with the dark-coloured Kṛsaras (sweet balls made of white gingelly seeds). Polikās ( Pāpaḍ -like cakes deep-fried) with cardamoms and camphor must be cooked (i.e. fried) in Parākikās (? large circular cauldrons).

Modakas (a variety of sweetmeats) must be made with Cārabījas (seeds of Buchanania latifolia ).

Others must be made with sugar and soaked in milk. Other varieties should be made with coconut fruits (i.e. kernels) and still others with exudations of trees.

23. Other sweetmeats are to be prepared with almond seeds and splendid sweets with gingelly seeds and cummin seeds. These sweetmeats and still others (not mentioned here) should be made for propitiating me.

24-29. Pickles of the following fruits etc. should be made for propitiating me in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa: (The fruits mentioned below can be used separately or in groups of two, three or four as mixed pickles.) the bulbous root of Mocanī ( Solanum jacquine , a species of plant which cures piles), ginger, Karamardaka ( Carīssa carandas ), orange, tamarind, Kaṃkola (?), Daśāra (?) Tripurījāta (? originating from that city), the splendid lemon fruit, lotus stalk, Tindu fruit ( Diospyros embryopteris ), clove, Tilaka ( Sypiocos racemosa? ), Bilva ( Aaglemarmelos ), Luti (?) Valkala (bark of Cassia), Vaṃśakarīra (sugarcane manna), Kāyaphala ( Emblica officinalis ), Bala ( Crataeva roxburghie ), grape fruit, mango fruit, beautiful Kaṇṭakinī fruit ( Vanguiera spimosa ?), Dhātrī fruit, fruit of Tamarindus indica (?) and Aṃbādava fruit (?), plantain, long pepper and chillies. These should be soaked in pure mustard oil and salt must be added to taste. They should be seasoned with mustard. They must be put in an earthen pot and kept for three years before use. Such pickles, bestower of honour, should be offered to me in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa. They are pleasing to me.

30. If the devotee is incapable of offering all these foodstuffs, he should do as follows. I shall state it succinctly.

31. The devotee who offers one Laḍḍū (sweetmeat) and one Pūra ( Pūrī or circular pan-cakes deep-fried in ghee), two Pheṇas (coiled and deep-fried in ghee) three Kokarasas (wild date fruit extract), sixteen Māṇḍakas (pastries, soaked in ghee) and eight Vaṭakas will never see a hell.

32-33. Half an Āḍhaka (a measure) of milk kept over for a long time, sixteen Palas of sugar- candy resembling the moon in lustre, one Pala of ghee, one Pala of honey, two Karṣas of pepper and half a Pala of dried ginger (the last mentioned four may each be half a Pala)—all the above-mentioned ingredients should be well-mixed and ground into a paste in a smooth soft cloth with her slender hands by a woman. They should then be put into a pot rendered white (glittering) by means of camphor powder. He who makes this juicy stuff, may wish for anything. I will grant that man all he wishes for.

Notes regarding dishes offered:

Offering of food, fruits and other eatables to the deity is an important Upacāra . Generally, ‘whatever food a man (devotee) eats, the same food is to be offered to his deities’ (VR, Ayodhyā 103,30, 104.15 as quoted by Medhātithi on Manu V.7). The list of vegetarian dishes as given here in vv 5-30 are hyper-sanskritised forms of the names of dishes still current in Maharashtra , e.g. Maṇḍaka for Marathi (M) Māṇḍe , Laḍḍu for (M) Lāḍu ; Polikā for (M) Poḷī , Modaka , the same in (M), Pūrīkā for (M) Purī , Parpaṭa for (M) Pāpaḍ , Kathikā for (M) Kaḍhī (both are derivable from SK ^ kvath ‘to boil’); Vaṭaka for (M) Vaḍā , Pheṇikā for (M) Pheṇī , to mention a few. The cuisine is the same as found in Maharashtrian kitchens. This shows the Purāṇa -writer’s intimate familiarity with Maharashtra.

It is to be noted that this Naivedya is ‘as it is actually practised’ (vl) at the time of this Purāṇa.

[1]: [1] : Padma Purāṇa as quoted in Smṛti-Candrikā states that Naivedya should be offered in a vessel of gold, silver or Palāśa leaves but adds vessels of bronze, copper , clay or a lotus leaf.

[2]: [2] : Hyper-sanskritization of Kaḍhī.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23021, revision 329301 (2022-01-02T00:54:31Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371688.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.