माघस्यामलपक्षे तु पंचम्यां लघुभुङ्नरः।। दंतकाष्ठं ततः कृत्वा षष्ठीमुपवसेद्बुधः
On the fifth day of the bright half of Māgha, a man should eat lightly; then, after making a tooth-stick, the wise should fast on the sixth day.
विप्रान्संपूजयित्वा तु मंदारं प्रार्थयेन्निशि।। ततः प्रभात उत्थाय कृत्वा स्नानं पुनर्द्विजान्
Having honored the Brāhmaṇas, he should pray to Maṇḍāra at night; then, rising at dawn and bathing, he should again honor the twice-born.
भोजयेच्छक्तितः कुर्यान्मंदारकुसुमाष्टकं।। सौवर्णं पुरुषं तद्वत्पद्महस्तं सुशोभनं
He should feed the Brāhmaṇas according to his ability and prepare eight Maṇḍāra flowers; likewise, a golden figure of a man, beautiful and holding a lotus.
पद्मं कृष्णतिलैः कृत्वा ताम्रपात्रेष्टपत्रकं।। हेममंदारकुसुमैर्भास्करायेति पूर्वतः
He should make a lotus with black sesame seeds in a copper vessel, with a leaf as a base; with golden Maṇḍāra flowers, he should worship Bhāskara in the east.
नमस्कारेण तद्वच्च सूर्यायेत्यमले दले।। दक्षिणे तद्वदर्काय तथार्यम्णे च नैर्ऋते
With reverence, in the same way, he should worship Sūrya on a spotless petal; to the south, likewise to Arka, and to Aryaman in the southwest.
पश्चिमे वेदधाम्ने च वायव्ये चंडभानवे।। पूष्णे चोत्तरतः पूज्य आनंदायेति तत्परम्
To Vedadhāmā in the west, to Caṇḍabhānu in the northwest, to Pūṣan in the north, he should worship, and then to Ānanda as the highest.
कर्णिकायां च पुरुषः स्थाप्यः सर्वात्मनेपि च।। शुक्लवस्त्रैः समावेष्ट्य भक्ष्यैर्माल्यफलादिभिः
In the center of the lotus, the figure of a man should be placed, representing the Supreme Soul; wrapped in white cloths, with offerings of food, garlands, fruits, and the like.
एवमभ्यर्च्य तत्सर्वं दद्याद्वेदविदे पुनः।। भुंजीतातैललवणं वाग्यतः प्राङ्मुखो गृही
Having thus worshipped all these, he should give them again to a knower of the Veda; then, facing east and observing silence, the householder may eat food with oil and salt.
अनेन विधिना सर्वं सप्तम्यां मासिमासि च।। कुर्यात्संवत्सरं यावद्वित्तशाठ्यविवर्जितः
In this manner, on every seventh day of the month, he should perform all this for a year, free from miserliness regarding wealth.
एतदेव व्रतांते तु निधाय कलशोपरि।। गोभिर्विभवतः सार्द्धं दातव्यं भूतिमिच्छता३०० 1.21.
At the end of the vow, placing all this upon a pot, one desiring prosperity should give it, along with cows according to his means.
नमो मंदारनाथाय मंदारभवनाय च।। त्वं रवे तारयस्वास्मानस्मात्संसारसागरात्
Salutations to the Lord of Maṇḍāra, and to the Dweller in Maṇḍāra; O Sun, deliver us from this ocean of worldly existence.
अनेन विधिना यस्तु कुर्यान्मंदारसप्तमीम्।। विपाप्मा स सुखी मर्त्यः कल्पं च दिवि मोदते
Whoever performs the Maṇḍāra Saptamī with this procedure, that mortal becomes free from sin, happy, and enjoys in heaven for an age.
इमामघौघपटलभीषणध्वांतदीपिकां।। गच्छन्संगृह्य संसारशर्वर्यां न स्खलेन्नरः
Taking up this lamp that dispels the terrible darkness of the mass of sins, a man does not stumble in the night of worldly existence.
मंदारसप्तमीमेतामीप्सितार्थफलप्रदां।। यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि सोपि पापैः प्रमुच्यते
Whoever recites or hears this Maṇḍāra Saptamī, which grants the fruits of desired aims, is also freed from sins.
अथान्यामपि वक्ष्यामि शोभनां शुभसप्तमीं।। यामुपोष्य नरो रोगशोकौघात्तु प्रमुच्यते
Now I will describe another, the auspicious Śubha Saptamī, by observing which a man is freed from the multitude of diseases and sorrows.
पुण्यमाश्वयुजे मासि कृतस्नानजपः शुचिः।। वाचयित्वा ततो विप्रानारभेच्छुभसप्तमीं
In the holy month of Āśvayuja, having bathed and recited prayers in purity, then, after having Brāhmaṇas recite, he should begin the Śubha Saptamī.
कपिलां पूजयेद्भक्त्या गंधमाल्यानुलेपनैः।। नमामि सूर्यसंभूतामशेषभुवनालयां
With devotion, he should worship a tawny cow with fragrances, garlands, and ointments, saying: 'I bow to her who was born from the Sun, the abode of all worlds.'
त्वामहं शुभकल्याणि स्वशरीरविशुद्धये।। अथ कृत्वा तिलप्रस्थं ताम्रपात्रेणसंयुतम्
O auspicious and blessed one, I honor you for the purification of my own body; then, having prepared a measure of sesame seeds with a copper vessel,
कांचनं वृषभं तद्वद्वस्त्रमाल्यगुडान्वितं।। सोपधानं च विश्रामभाजनासनसंयुतम्
A golden bull, likewise adorned with cloth, garlands, and jaggery, together with a cushion, a resting vessel, and a seat.
फलैर्नानाविधैर्भक्ष्यैः घृतपायससंयुतैः।। दद्याद्द्विकालवेलायामर्यमा प्रीयतामिति३१० विकाल ततः प्रभाते संजाते भक्त्या संतर्पयेद्द्विजान्
With various kinds of fruits, eatables, and mixed with ghee and sweet rice, one should offer at the two times of day, saying, 'May Aryaman be pleased.' Then, at dawn, one should respectfully satisfy the Brahmins.
अनेन विधिना दद्यान्मासिमासि सदा नरः।। वाससी वृषभं हैमं तद्वद्गां कांचनोद्भवाम्
In this manner, a man should give every month: garments, a golden bull, and likewise a cow born from gold.
संवत्सरांते शयनमिक्षुदंडगुडान्वितम्।। ताम्रपात्रे तिलप्रस्थं सौवर्णं वृषभं तथा
At the end of the year, a bed furnished with a sugarcane staff and jaggery, a copper vessel with a prastha of sesame, and likewise a golden bull.
दद्याद्वेदविदे सर्वं विश्वात्मा प्रीयतामिति।। अनेन विधिना विद्वान्कुर्याद्यः शुभसप्तमीम्
He should give all these to a knower of the Veda, saying, 'May the Soul of the Universe be pleased.' In this way, the learned should perform the auspicious Saptamī.
तस्य श्रीर्विमला कीर्त्तिर्भवेज्जन्मनि जन्मनि।। अप्सरोगणगंधर्वैः पूज्यमानः सुरालये
For him, pure fortune and fame arise in every birth; honored by hosts of Apsarases and Gandharvas in the abode of the gods.
वसेद्गणाधिपो भूत्वा यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्।। कल्पादाववतीर्णश्च सप्तद्वीपाधिपो भवेत्
He dwells as a lord of hosts until the dissolution of beings; at the beginning of the kalpa, he is born as the sovereign of the seven continents.
भ्रूणहत्यासहस्रस्य ब्रह्महत्याशतस्य च।। नाशायालमियं पुण्या पठ्यते शुभसप्तमी
This auspicious Saptamī is recited for the destruction of a thousand acts of abortion and a hundred acts of Brahmin-killing.
इमां पठेद्यः शृणुयान्मुहूर्तं पश्येत्प्रसंगादपि दीयमानम्।। सोप्यत्र सर्वाघविमुक्तदेहः प्राप्नोति विद्याधरनायकत्वम्
Whoever reads, hears, or even sees this being given, even for a moment, is freed from all sins and attains the lordship of the Vidyādharas.
यावत्समास्सप्त नरः करोति यः सप्तमीं सप्तविधानयुक्ताम्।। स सप्तलोकाधिपतिः क्रमेण भूत्वा पदं याति परं मुरारेः
As long as a man performs the Saptamī for seven years with its sevenfold observance, he becomes the lord of the seven worlds in order and attains the supreme abode of Murāri.
भीष्म उवाच वैष्णवा ये तु वै धर्मा यान्रुद्रः प्रोक्तवानिह तान्मे कथय विप्रेंद्र कीदृशास्ते फलं तु किम्
Bhīṣma said: O foremost of Brahmins, tell me about those Vaiṣṇava dharmas which Rudra has spoken here—what are they like, and what is their fruit?
पुलस्त्य उवाच पुरा रथन्तरे कल्पे परिपृष्टो महात्मना मन्दरस्थो महादेवः पिनाकी ब्रह्मणा स्वयम्
Pulastya said: Long ago, in the Rathantara kalpa, the great-souled Brahmā himself questioned Mahādeva, the wielder of Pināka, who was on Mandara.