The Worship of the Planets

Bhishma said:

1. I have heard about the worship of the Sun, the Moon and that of Mars also. (Please) now tell (me) about the worship of Budha (i.e Mercury), the son of Soma (i.e. the Moon). Pulastya said:

2. Budha or Saumya, the son of Candra (i.e. the Moon) and born from the womb of Tara should be known as a cruel planet, giving auspicious and inauspicious things to men.

3. The orb of Budha is said to be arrow-shaped. One should fashion the circle, the powders having colours like green gems.

4-5. There he should worship him with sandal etc., flowers and lovely incense. He should also make presents according to the rules when he is unfavourable at the time of birth or while passing to another zodiacal sign. He should also give camphor, kidney beans, green piece of cloth, gems, and gold according to his capacity to please Bodhana.

6. (He should recite the hymn: ) 'O son of Soma (i.e. the Moon), O you very intelligent one, O you who have mastered Vedas and Vedangas, O you who remain among the planets, be always pleased with me.'

7. O great king, thus praising Budha, and being absorbed in devotion to him, one would satisfy all one's desires by the favour of the son of Soma (Budha or Mercury).

8. The worship of Guru (i.e. Jupiter) is prescribed on a circle on a slab (drawn with) very lovely powders of yellow colour effected well, O king.

9. He should worship him with yellow, fragrant flowers, pieces of cloth and gold. When he is unfavourable at the time of (one's) birth or badly placed while passing to another zodiacal sign, a man should give gifts according to his capacity.

10. For the removal of evils he should give to a brahmana two-portioned grams, yellow garment, and gold and (the gem) pusyaraga.

11. (He should recite the hymn: ) 'O Brihaspati, O preceptor of gods, O you well-versed in all branches of knowledge be pleased with this present and now be soft towards me.'

12. O lord of kings, when this is done, Guru (i.e. Jupiter) becomes favourable (to the man). A man has all his desires fulfilled by worshipping Guru.

13. O king, I shall now tell you (the procedure of) the worship of Bhargava (or Shukra, i.e. Venus), by following which all the desires of men are properly satisfied.

14. The circle (i.e. the figure) for Shukra is said to be fiveangled fashioned duly by a very intelligent person with white powders.

15. A man, full of faith, should devoutly worship Shukra with white sandal, (white) flowers and pieces of white cloth.

16. The present of silver according to one's capacity is also recommended. If the planet is unfavourable at the time of one's birth or when passing from a zodiacal sign, one should present a white horse (to a brahmana).

17. Rice, white garment, silver, sandal, fragrant camphor should be given as gift to a brahmana.

18. (He should recite the hymn: ) 'O son of Bhrigu, O magnanimous one, O priest of the demons, O you worshipped by all demons, be pleased with this gift.'

19. Reciting this sacred hymn one should give the presents as mentioned. O you descendant of Kuru, Shukra is quickly pleased with him.

20-21a. For the worship of Sanaiscara (i.e. Saturn) one should draw a circle (i.e. figure) resembling a human figure, with black powders and there should devoutly worship (the planet) with black sandal, (black) flowers, pieces of cloth of that kind (i.e. of black colour).

21b-22. Iron and (other; gifts should be given, also oil cakes and Sheshamum. The piesent for Saturn being unfavourable is a black cow and a black garment. One should also give according to one's capacity gold and sapphire.

23. (One should recite the hymn: ) 'O Sun's son, O glorious one, O son of Chaya1, O you very mighty one, O you having a downward look, O Sani, be pleased by means of these presents made by me.'

24. He, who, having thus devoutly pleased Sani would give the presents to a brahmana, has Sani favourable to him if he was unfavourable at his birth and while passing to other zodiacal sign.

25. In the case of the worship of Rahu, the colour (of the objects) should be the same as in the case of Sani. It is recommended that the circle should be like the shape of the Sun and the worship (-procedure) would be the same like that in the case of the Sun's son (i.e. Sani).

26. The presents (in honour) of Rahu are said to be gomeda, 2 mustard, Sheshamum, black beans, a buffalo, and a goat.

27. (He should recite the hymn: ) 'O son of Simhika, O lord of demons, O you who torment the Moon and the Sun, O you of a good vow, be pleased with this present, O you glorious one.'

28. One should draw a very lovely, flag-shaped, circle (i.e. figure) (for the worship) of Ketu. O king, the procedure of his worship and the colour of the objects presented should be known to be like that of Sani and the like.

29-30a. The present for Ketu is said to be the seven (kinds of) grains and gold. O king, if this is done, the two (i.e. Rahu and Ketu) would be favourable to men, and would give wealth, sons, happiness and good fortune.

30b-32. The sacred hymn for Ravi i.e. the Sun is 'AKrishna.' For the Moon it is 'Imam devah...' For Mars it is 'Agnimurdha' for muttering and also for worship. The hymn for Budha (i.e. Mercury) is 'Udbudhyasva...' and for Guru (i.e. Jupiter) is 'Brhaspate...'. For Shukra (i.e. Venus) it is 'Annat pari...'; for Sani (i.e. Saturn) it is 'Sanno devl..'; for Rahu it is 'Kaya nah...' and for Ketu it is said to be 'Ketum..'.

1. Chayaputra — Chaya is the name of a wife of the Sun. She was but a shadow or likeness of Samjfia, the wife of the Sun. Samjfia on one occasion wished to go to her father's house and asked her husband's permission; but he did not grant it. Determined to carry out her purpose, she created, by means of her superhuman power, a woman exactly like herself, who was, as it were, her own shadow and was therefore called Chaya. She bore to the Sun three children — Savarni, Sani and a daughter Tapati.

2. Gomeda — A gem brought from the Himalaya and Indus, described as of four different colours — white, pale-yellow, red and dark-blue.

33-34a These hymns are intended at the time of worshipping or muttering prayers. O best among men, when this is done, all planets, always become favourable to men and give them ample wealth.

34b-35. O great king, I have in due order told you everything. Hearing it — the essence of the meaning of all scriptures — a man reaches the presence of god. This is pure, it is the treasure of glory, it would be very dear to the manes.

36-38a. It leads to immortality among gods; it gives religious merit (even) to sinful men. He who recites this (account) leading to glory, he who devoutly listens to this or sees the worship of the enemy of Madhu, Mura and Naraka, he who gives the idea (about this) to people, is honoured for one kalpa in the heaven of Indra by Brahma, Shiva and other lords of gods. He who everyday listens to this auspicious practice of sages, is free from all sins and is honoured in heaven.

38b-39. The (wise) recommend penance in Krta (-yuga); they recommend knowledge in Treta; they say sacrifice (is important) in Dvapara; and they recommend giving gifts alone in Kaliyuga. Of all the gifts this one viz. making all beings fearless is the best.

40-41. There is no greater gift than it. The revered lord said that for a shudra the most important (thing) is giving a gift. By giving a gift all his desires are satisfied, and (merit due to) penance arises for him; it is auspicious, sacred, (giving a long) life, and destroys all sins.

42-43a. Here old accounts are narrated; descriptions of sacred places and sraddha are given. The man, who listens to or would recite it becomes rich. Being free from all sins, he would obtain (i.e. reach) Vishnu with Lakshmi.

43b-45. O great king, I have narrated to you this Purana which is auspicious and which destroys great sins. This is very much honoured by Brahma, Arka (i.e. the Sun) and Rudra, and the wise say that it should be listended to. O prince, I have narrated this Srstikhanda to you. It forms the beginning of the Purana. This first or Pauskara Parvan (describes) the nine kinds of creation. A learned man who would recite this to brahmanas or would listen to or recite this, would be happy in Brahma's world for a full hundred crores of kalpas.

 

 

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