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Karma Vipaka Samhita · Chapter 21
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
This chapter covers Mrigashira 2nd pada, the second quarter of Mrigashira. The book tells of Bodhasharma, a poor brahmin of Nandana in Kanyakubja who lived by begging.
Classical view, not medical advice.
He ate other people's food and took gifts all his life. After death he passes through hell and the births of a crow, a deer and a sheep. The remedy is 200,000 japa, a homa, tarpana and a bull.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
॥ शिव उवाच ॥कान्यकुब्जे शुभे देशे कश्चिच्च नन्दने पुरे ॥बोधशर्मा द्विजश्चासीत् भिक्षुवृत्तिस्तु निर्धनः ॥१॥
Shiva said: In the good land of Kanyakubja, in a town named Nandana, lived a brahmin named Bodhasharma. He was poor and lived by begging.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
परान्नं भुज्यते नित्यं परप्रेष्यरतः सदा ॥तस्य पत्नी समाख्याता बाधमा नाम वै पुरा ॥ २ ॥
He always ate other people's food and always loved serving others. His wife was known by the name Badhama.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
जन्मतो मरणं यावत् परान्नं भुज्यते च वै ॥नरके पतनं तेन तयोर्जातं प्रतिग्रहात् ॥ ३ ॥
From birth to death he ate other people's food. Because of taking gifts, both of them fell into hell.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
बहुवर्षसहस्राणि प्रवासो नरकेऽभवत् ॥नरकान्निःसृतो देवि काकश्चैव मृगोऽभवत् ॥ ४ ॥
He lived in hell for many thousands of years. O Goddess, coming out of hell, he became a crow and a deer.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
पुनर्वै मेषयोनिश्च पूर्वकर्मविपाकतः ॥ततो वै मानुषो जातो मध्यदेशे वरानने ॥ ५ ॥
Then, by the ripening of his past deeds, he was born a sheep. Then he became human in the Middle Country, O lovely one.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
रोगवान्नृत्यशीलश्च पुत्रकन्याविवर्जितः ॥परान्नं प्रत्यहं भुङ्क्ते श्राद्धं नैव कृतं पुरा ॥ ६ ॥
He is sick and loves to dance, and he has no son or daughter. Each day he eats other people's food. He did not do a shraddha (rite for the dead ancestors) before.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
अतो वंशस्य वै च्छेदः फलं चैव तु पूर्वजम् ॥शान्तिं तस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि पूर्वपापक्षयो यतः ॥ ७ ॥
So his family line is cut off. That is the fruit of the past. I will tell his peace rite, by which the old sin is destroyed.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
गायत्रीजातवेदाभ्यां द्विलक्षं जापयेच्छिवे ॥ततः पापविशुद्धिः स्याद्दशांशहवनं यदा ॥ ८ ॥
O auspicious one, let him have 200,000 japa (repeating a mantra) done. The mantras are the Gayatri (a sacred Vedic chant) and the Jatavedas (a name of the fire god) mantra. Then sin is cleansed, when the homa (fire offering) of one tenth is done.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
तर्पणं मार्जनं देवि ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेत्ततः ॥शतसंख्यामितान् शुद्धान्गृहस्थानतिभक्तितः ॥ ९ ॥
O Goddess, then come tarpana (water offering to the ancestors and gods) and marjana (sprinkling). Then let him feed one hundred pure brahmins, householders, with great devotion.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
वृषमेकं प्रदद्यात्तु नीलवर्णं विभूषितम् ॥एवं कृते न संदेहो रोगनाशो भवेद् ध्रुवम् ॥ १० ॥
Let him give one bull, dark blue and decorated. When this is done, there is no doubt. The illness surely goes away.
मृगशिरा नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
पुत्रस्तु जायते देवि वन्ध्यात्वं च प्रणश्यति ॥ ११ ॥
O Goddess, a son is born. The state of a vandhya (a woman who cannot bear children) is destroyed.
Verse 21.8 gives 200,000 japa with the Gayatri and Jatavedas mantras and a homa of one tenth. Verses 21.9 and 21.10 add tarpana, a feast for a hundred brahmins and a dark blue bull.
Verse 21.1 names him Bodhasharma, a poor brahmin of Nandana in Kanyakubja. He lived by begging and by eating other people's food.