इदं वसिष्ठेन पुरार्जुनेन कृतं कुबेरेण पुरंदरेण यत्कीर्तनेनाप्यखिलानि नाशम् आयान्ति पापानि न संशयो ऽस्ति
This was performed by Vasiṣṭha, by the conqueror of cities, by Kubera, and by Indra; by the mere praise of which, all sins are destroyed—of this there is no doubt.
कृष्णाष्टमीमथो वक्ष्ये सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् शान्तिर्मुक्तिश्च भवति जयः पुंसां विशेषतः
Now I will declare the Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī, which destroys all sins; it brings peace, liberation, and especially victory to men.
शंकरं मार्गशिरसि शम्भुं पौषे ऽभिपूजयेत् माघे महेश्वरं देवं महादेवं च फाल्गुने
One should worship Śaṃkara in Mārgaśīrṣa, Śambhu in Pauṣa, Maheśvara in Māgha, and Mahādeva in Phālguna.
स्थाणुं चैत्रे शिवं तद्वद् वैशाखे त्वर्चयेन्नरः ज्येष्ठे पशुपतिं चार्चेद् आषाढे उग्रमर्चयेत्
One should worship Sthāṇu in Caitra, likewise Śiva in Vaiśākha; in Jyeṣṭha, worship Paśupati, and in Āṣāḍha, worship Ugra.
पूजयेच्छ्रावणे शर्वं नभस्ये त्र्यम्बकं तथा हरमाश्वयुजे मासि तथेशानं च कार्त्तिके
One should worship Śarva in Śrāvaṇa, Tryambaka in Nabhasya, Hara in Āśvayuja, and Īśāna in Kārttika.
कृष्णाष्टमीषु सर्वासु शक्तः सम्पूजयेद्द्विजान् गोभूहिरण्यवासोभिः शिवभक्तानुपोषितः
On all Kṛṣṇāṣṭamīs, one who is able should worship Brāhmaṇas with cows, land, gold, and garments, having fasted as a devotee of Śiva.
गोमूत्रघृतगोक्षीरतिलान् यवकुशोदकम् गोशृङ्गोदशिरीषार्कबिल्वपत्त्रदधीनि च पञ्चगव्यं च संप्राश्य शंकरं पूजयेन्निशि
Having consumed the five products of the cow—urine, ghee, milk, sesame, barley, kusa-water, cow horn, cow dung, sirisha, arka, bilva leaves, and curd—one should worship Shankara at night.
अश्वत्थं च वटं चैवो-दुम्बरं प्लक्षमेव च पलाशं जम्बुवृक्षं च विदुः षष्ठं महर्षयः
The great sages know these six trees: asvattha, vata, udumbara, plaksha, palasha, and jambu.
मार्गशीर्षाषाढमासाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यामितिक्रमात् एकैकं दन्तपवनं वृक्षेष्वेतेषु भक्षयेत्
In the months of Margashirsha and Ashadha, one should, every other month, eat a single dantapavana leaf from each of these trees.
देवाय दद्यादर्घ्यं च कृष्णां गां कृष्णवाससम् दद्यात्समाप्ते दध्यन्नं वितानध्वजचामरम्
One should offer arghya to the deity, a black cow with black garments, and at the conclusion, curd-rice, a canopy, a banner, and a fan.
द्विजानामुदकुम्भांश्च पञ्चरत्नसमन्वितान् गावः कृष्णाः सुवर्णं च वासांसि विविधानि च अशक्तस्तु पुनर्दद्याद् गामेकामपि शक्तितः
To the twice-born, one should give water pots adorned with five jewels, black cows, gold, and various garments; but if unable, one should at least give a single cow according to one's means.
न वित्तशाठ्यं कुर्वीत कुर्वन्दोषमवाप्नुयात् कृष्णाष्टमीमुपोष्यैव सप्तकल्पशतत्रयम् पुमान्सम्पूजितो देवैः शिवलोके महीयते
One should not act with deceit regarding wealth; doing so incurs fault. Having observed Krishna Ashtami and the seven hundred and three kalpas, a man, worshipped by the gods, is honored in Shiva's realm.
दीर्घायुरारोग्यकुलाभिवृद्धियुक्तः पुमान्भूपकुलायुतः स्यात् मुहुर्मुहुर्जन्मनि येन सम्यग् व्रतं समाचक्ष्व तदिन्दुमौले
A man endowed with long life, health, and the growth of his lineage, accompanied by a royal family, is born again and again; tell me in detail, O moon-crested one, the vow by which this is accomplished.
त्वया पृष्टमिदं सम्यग् उक्तं चाक्षय्यकारकम् रहस्यं तव वक्ष्यामि यत्पुराणविदो विदुः
You have rightly asked this, which bestows inexhaustible merit; I shall tell you the secret known to those versed in the Puranas.
रोहिणीचन्द्रशयनं नाम व्रतमिहोत्तमम् तस्मिन्नारायणस्यार्चाम् अर्चयद् इन्दुनामभिः
Here is the excellent vow called Rohini-Chandra-Shayana; in it, one should worship Narayana with names of the moon.
यदा सोमदिने शुक्ला भवेत्पञ्चदशी क्वचित् अथवा ब्रह्मनक्षत्रं पौर्णमास्यां प्रजायते
When, on a Monday, the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight occurs, or when the full moon falls on a Brahman or Kshatra nakshatra, O Brahman,
तदा स्नानं नरः कुर्यात् पञ्चगव्येन सर्षपैः आप्यायस्वेति तु जपेद् विद्वानष्टशतं पुनः
Then, a man should bathe with pancagavya and mustard seeds; the wise should recite 'Apyayasva' eight hundred times again.
शूद्रो ऽपि परया भक्त्या पाषण्डालापवर्जितः सोमाय वरदायाथ विष्णवे च नमो नमः
Even a Shudra, with supreme devotion and avoiding heretical speech, should repeatedly offer salutations to Soma, the bestower of boons, and to Vishnu.
कृतजप्यः स्वभवनम् आगत्य मधुसूदनम् पूजयेत्फलपुष्पैश्च सोमनामानि कीर्तयन्
Having completed his recitation, returning to his own house, he should worship Madhusudana with fruits and flowers, chanting the names of Soma.
सोमाय शान्ताय नमो ऽस्तु पादाव् अनन्तधाम्नेति च जानुजङ्घे ऊरुद्वयं चापि जलोदराय सम्पूजयेन्मेढ्रमनन्तबाहवे
He should bow to Soma, the peaceful one, and worship his feet as the abode of infinity, his knees and shanks, his two thighs as Jalodara, and his loins as Anantabahava.
नमो नमः कामसुखप्रदाय कटिः शशाङ्कस्य सदार्चनीया तथोदरं चाप्यमृतोदराय नाभिः शशाङ्काय नमो ऽभिपूज्या
Salutations again and again to the giver of desire and happiness; the waist of Shashanka is always to be worshipped, and likewise the belly as Amritodara; the navel of Shashanka is to be especially honored.
नमो ऽस्तु चन्द्राय मुखं च पूज्यं दन्ता द्विजानामधिपाय पूज्याः हास्यं नमश्चन्द्रमसे ऽभिपूज्यम् ओष्ठौ कुमुद्वन्तवनप्रियाय
Salutations to Chandra; the face is to be worshipped, the teeth as lords of the twice-born are to be honored, the smile is to be especially revered as Chandra, and the lips as beloved of the night-lotuses.
नासा च नाथाय वनौषधीनाम् आनन्दभूताय पुनर्भ्रुवौ च नेत्रद्वयं पद्मनिभं तथेन्दोर् इन्दीवरश्यामकराय शौरेः
The nose is to be worshipped as lord of forest herbs, the brows and the two lotus-like eyes as Indu, and the hands of Shouri as dark as blue lotuses.
नमः समस्ताध्वरवन्दिताय कर्णद्वयं दैत्यनिषूदनाय ललाटमिन्दोरुदधिप्रियाय केशाः सुषुम्नाधिपतेः प्रपूज्याः
Salutations to him who is honored in all sacrifices; the two ears are to be worshipped as destroyers of demons, the forehead of Indu as beloved of the ocean, and the hair as worthy of worship for the lord of Sushumna.
शिरः शशाङ्काय नमो मुरारेर् विश्वेश्वरायेति नमः किरीटिने पद्मप्रिये रोहिणि नाम लक्ष्मीः सौभाग्यसौख्यामृतचारुकाये
Salutations to the moon-headed one, to Murāri, to the Lord of all; salutations to the crowned one, beloved of the lotus, Rohiṇī, named Lakṣmī, whose beautiful form is the nectar of fortune and happiness.
देवीं च संपूज्य सुगन्धपुष्पैर् नैवेद्यधूपादिभिरिन्दुपत्नीम् सुप्त्वाथ भूमौ पुनरुत्थितेन स्नात्वा च विप्राय हविष्ययुक्तः
Having worshipped the goddess with fragrant flowers, offerings, incense, and so forth, to the moon’s consort, then sleeping upon the ground, upon rising again, one should bathe and, with sacrificial food, offer it to a brāhmaṇa.
देयः प्रभाते सहिरण्यवारिकुम्भो नमः पापविनाशनाय संप्राश्य गोमूत्रममांसमन्नम् अक्षारमष्टावथ विंशतिं च ग्रासान्पयःसर्पिर्युतानुपोष्य भुक्त्वेतिहासं शृणुयान्मुहूर्तम्
In the morning, one should give, along with a golden water-pot, salutations to the destroyer of sin; having tasted cow’s urine, food without meat or salt, eight or twenty morsels mixed with milk and ghee, having fasted, after eating, one should listen to a history for a moment.
कदम्बनीलोत्पलकेतकानि जाती सरोजं शतपत्त्रिका च अम्लानकुब्जान्यथ सिन्दुवारं पुष्पं पुनर्नारद मल्लिकायाः शुभ्रं च विष्णोः करवीरपुष्पं श्रीचम्पकं चन्द्रमसः प्रदेयम्
Kadamba, blue lotus, ketaka, jasmine, water-lily, hundred-petaled lotus, amlāna, kubjā, sinduvāra flowers, and again, O Nārada, white mallikā, karavīra flowers for Viṣṇu, campaka for Śrī, and moonflowers should be offered.
श्रावणादिषु मासेषु क्रमादेतानि सर्वदा यस्मिन्मासे व्रतादिः स्यात् तत्पुष्पैरर्चयेद्धरिम्
In the months beginning with Śrāvaṇa, these flowers should always be offered in order; in whichever month the vow is observed, one should worship Hari with those flowers.
एवं संवत्सरं यावद् उपास्य विधिवन्नरः व्रतान्ते शयनं दद्याद् दर्पणोपस्करान्वितम्
Thus, for a full year, a person should worship according to the prescribed method; at the end of the vow, one should give a bed furnished with a mirror and other items.