नमो वाराहदेवाय नरसिंहाय वै नमः । नमोऽस्तु बुद्धदेवाय कल्किने च नमोनमः
Salutations to the god Vārāha, salutations to Narasiṃha; salutations to the god Buddha, and again, salutations to Kalki.
नमोऽस्तु रामदेवाय विष्णुदेवाय ते नमः । नमः सर्वात्मने तुभ्यं शि रइत्यभिपूजयेत् । केशवादीनि नामानि तैर्वा संपूजयेद्धरिम्
Salutations to the god Rāma, salutations to you, O god Viṣṇu; salutations to you, the soul of all; one should worship you with these names, such as Keśava, and thus worship Hari.
वनस्पतिरसो दिव्यः सुरभिर्गंधवाञ्छुचिः । धूपोऽयं देवदेवेश नमस्ते प्रतिगृह्यताम्
This incense is divine, fragrant, pure, and from the essence of trees; O Lord of gods, accept this incense, salutations to you.
धूपमंत्रः । दीपस्तमो नाशयति दीपः कांतिं प्रयच्छति । तस्माद्दीपप्रदानेन प्रीयतां मे जनार्दनः
Incense mantra: The lamp destroys darkness, the lamp bestows radiance; therefore, by offering the lamp, may Janārdana be pleased with me.
दीपमंत्रः । नैवेद्यमिदमन्नाद्यं देवदेव जगत्पते । लक्ष्म्या सह गृहाण त्वं परमामृतमुत्तमम्
Lamp mantra: This food offering, O Lord of gods, master of the world, together with Lakṣmī, accept it; it is supreme nectar.
नैवेद्यमंत्रः । अर्घ्यं दद्यात्ततो भक्त्या एवं ध्यात्वा जनार्दनम् । फलेन चैव हस्तेन शंखेनादाय चोदकम्
Offering mantra: Then one should give arghya with devotion, thus meditating on Janārdana; with fruit in hand, and water taken with a conch.
जन्मांतरसहस्रेण यन्मया पातकं कृतम् । तत्सर्वं नाशमायातु प्रसादात्तव केशव
O Keśava, by your grace, may all the sins I have committed over thousands of lifetimes be destroyed.
इति अर्घमंत्रः । ततः कुंभं नवं शुभ्रं घृतपूर्णं समानयेत् । लक्ष्मीनारायणस्याग्रे तैलपूर्णमथापि वा
This is the arghya mantra. Then, one should bring a new, spotless pot filled with ghee, or else filled with oil, and place it before Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa.
तस्योपरि न्यसेत्पात्रं ताम्रं मृन्मयमेव च । नवतंतुसमां वर्तिं तस्मिन्पात्रे तु निर्वपेत्
Upon that, one should set a vessel, either copper or clay, and in that vessel place a wick made of nine threads.
ततः प्रबोधयेद्दीपं स्थाप्य कुंभं सुनिश्चलम् । पुष्पगंधादिभिः पूज्य ततः संकल्पयेच्छुचिः
Then, having kindled the lamp and set the pot firmly, one should worship it with flowers, fragrance, and the like, and then, being pure, make a resolve.
मंत्रेणानेन देवर्षे असमीरेषु धामसु । कामो भूतस्य भव्यस्य सम्राडेको विराजते
With this mantra, O divine sage, in the dwellings where there is no wind, the one sovereign desire of what has been and what will be shines forth.
दीपः संवत्सरं यावत्मयायं परिकल्पितः । अग्निहोत्रमविच्छिन्नं प्रीयतां मम केशव
This lamp, which I have established for a year, may it, like an unbroken agnihotra, bring you pleasure, O Keśava.
ततो जितेंद्रियो भूत्वा श्रुतिज्ञानपरायणः । नालपेत्पतितान्पापांस्तथा पाखण्डिनो नरान्
Then, having mastered the senses and devoted to the knowledge of the scriptures, one should not converse with fallen sinners or heretical men.
रात्रौ जागरणं गीतं नृत्यवाद्यादिकैस्तथा । पुण्यपाठैश्च विविधैर्धर्माख्यानैरुपोषणैः
At night, one should remain awake, with singing, dancing, and instrumental music, as well as various recitations of sacred texts, stories of dharma, and observances.
ततः प्रभातसमये कृतपूर्वाह्णिक क्रियः । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेद्भक्त्या यथाशक्त्या प्रपूजयेत्
Then, at dawn, having performed the morning rituals, one should feed the brāhmaṇas with devotion and honor them according to one's ability.
स्वयं च पारणं कृत्वा प्रणिपत्य विसर्जयेत् । एवं संवत्सरं यावदहोरात्रं दृढव्रतः
Having broken the fast oneself, one should bow and take leave; in this way, with firm resolve, one should continue day and night for a year.
दीपं पलसुवर्णेन तदर्द्धार्द्धेन वा पुनः । वर्तिस्तु राजती प्रोक्ता द्विपलार्द्धार्द्धिकापि वा
The lamp should be of a weight of a pala of gold, or half of that, or even a quarter; the wick is said to be of silver, or even half or a quarter of two palas.
घृतपूर्णं तथा कुंभं ताम्रपात्रसमन्वितम् । लक्ष्मीनारायणो देवो यथाशक्त्या हिरण्मयः
The pot should be filled with ghee and furnished with a copper vessel; the image of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa should be made of gold, according to one's means.
कार्यो भक्तिमता पुंसा मुक्तिद्वारमभीप्सता । ततो निमंत्रयेद्विद्वान्ब्रह्मणान्साधुसत्तमान्
This should be done by a devoted person who desires the gateway to liberation; then, the wise one should invite excellent and virtuous brāhmaṇas.
द्वादशोत्तमपक्षे तु विप्रान्षण्मध्यमे तथा । अन्यथा कारयेत्त्रीन्वा एकं कर्मकरं द्विजम्
In the bright half of the month, one should invite twelve brāhmaṇas, or six in the middle, or otherwise have three or even one brāhmaṇa perform the rite.
सपत्नीकं द्विजं शांतं क्रियावंतं विशेषतः । इतिहासपुराणज्ञं धर्मज्ञं मृदुमेव च
The brāhmaṇa should be peaceful, accompanied by his wife, skilled in rituals, especially learned in history and Purāṇas, knowledgeable in dharma, and gentle.
पितृभक्तं गुरुपरं देवब्राह्मणपूजकम् । पादार्घदानविधिना वस्त्रालंकारभूषणैः
He should be devoted to his ancestors, respectful to his teacher, a worshipper of gods and brāhmaṇas, and should be honored with water for washing the feet, garments, and ornaments.
संपूज्य पत्न्या सहितमेकं भक्त्या च पूर्ववत् । लक्ष्मीनारायणं देवं दीपवर्तियुतं तथा
Together with his wife, one should worship with devotion, as before, the god Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, along with the lamp and wick.
ताम्रपात्रोपरिस्थाप्य घृतकुंभेन संयुतम् । ब्राह्मणाय ततो दद्याद्ध्यात्वा नारायणं परम् । मंत्रेणानेन देवर्षे तमहं कथयामि ते
Placing the copper vessel above, together with the ghee-filled pot, one should then give it to the brāhmaṇa, meditating on the supreme Nārāyaṇa, with this mantra, O divine sage, which I shall now tell you.
अविद्या तमसा व्याप्ते संसारे पापनाशनः । ज्ञानप्रदो मोक्षदश्च तस्माद्दत्तो मयानघ
In the world pervaded by ignorance and darkness, the lamp destroys sin, grants knowledge, and bestows liberation; therefore, O sinless one, I have given it.
इति दीपमंत्रः । दक्षिणां च यथाशक्त्या दत्त्वा विप्राय भक्तितः । भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणान्पश्चाद्घृतपायसमोदकैः
Thus is the lamp-mantra. One should give a donation to a Brahmin according to one's ability, with devotion, and afterwards feed Brahmins with ghee, rice pudding, and sweet drinks.
वस्त्रैराच्छादयेत्पश्चात्सपत्नीकं तथा द्विजम् । शय्यां सोपस्करां दद्याद्धेनुं चैव सवत्सकाम्
Afterwards, one should cover the Brahmin and his wife with garments, give a furnished bed, and also a cow with her calf.
तेभ्यस्तु दक्षिणां दद्याद्यथावित्तानुसारतः । सुहृत्स्वजनबंधूश्च भोजयेत्पूजयेत्तथा
To them, one should give gifts according to one's wealth, and likewise feed and honor friends, relatives, and family members.
एवं महोत्सवं कुर्याद्दीपव्रत समापने । ततो विसर्जयेत्पश्चात्प्रणिपत्य क्षमापयेत्
In this way, one should celebrate a great festival at the conclusion of the lamp vow; then, after bowing, one should dismiss them and ask forgiveness.
एवं कृते तु यत्पुण्यं तथा सांक्रांतिकैश्च यत् । संवत्सराख्य दीपस्य तत्फलं प्राप्यते नरैः
Whatever merit is gained by doing this, and by the solstitial lamp rites, that fruit of the lamp called 'annual' is obtained by people.