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Karma Vipaka Samhita · Chapter 36
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
This chapter covers Ashlesha 1st pada, the first quarter of Ashlesha, the serpent star. The book tells of Dindibha, a salt maker of Mandavya town west of Kashi who saved wealth and never gave a gift.
Classical view, not medical advice.
A quarrel with a brahmin over a cow ended in the brahmin's death. After death he passes through hell, a snake's birth and a vulture's. The remedy is five lakh japa, a homa, a gold image of sixty pala and a gift in the Ganga.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
॥ शिव उवाच ॥अथातः संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु देवि सुशोभने ॥जातस्य सर्पनक्षत्रे प्रथमे चरणे शुभे ॥ १ ॥
Shiva said: Now I will tell you in full. Listen, O lovely Goddess. This is for one born in the serpent star (Ashlesha), in its good first quarter.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
पुरी काशी समाख्याता त्रैलोक्ये देवि पूजिता ॥तस्यास्तु पश्चिमे भागे क्रोशपञ्चदशे मिते ॥ २ ॥
The city of Kashi is famed, O Goddess, and honoured in the three worlds. To its west, at a distance of fifteen krosha (a measure of distance),
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
माण्डव्यस्य पुरे शुभ्रे वसन्ति बहवो जनाः ॥तन्मध्ये शूद्र एको हि प्राकरोल्लवणं सदा ॥ ३ ॥
is the bright town of Mandavya, where many people live. Among them one shudra (servant class) always made salt.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
डिण्डिभेति समाख्यातो गौरी तस्य वरानना ॥बह्वर्थं सञ्चितं तेन न दानमकरोत् क्वचित् ॥ ४ ॥
He was named Dindibha. His wife was Gauri, fair-faced. He saved much wealth. He never gave a gift anywhere.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
एकदा दैवयोगेन ब्राह्मणानां निमन्त्रणम् ॥भोजनं प्रददौ कृत्वा दक्षिणां वै समर्पयेत् ॥ ५ ॥
Once, by chance, he invited brahmins. He fed them and gave them a gift of money.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
गामेकां कपिलां दत्त्वा भूपितां स्वपुरोधसे ॥ब्राह्मणोऽकथयत् कश्चित् शूद्रं प्रति तदा प्रिये ॥६॥
He gave one tawny cow, decorated, to his own family priest. Then, dear one, a certain brahmin spoke to the shudra.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
अहं ग्रामस्य वै पूज्यो मदीया गौः कथं प्रभो ॥पुरोहिताय दत्तासि प्राणं ते च ददाम्यहम् ॥ ७ ॥
He said: I am the one honoured in the village. How was my cow given to the priest, O lord? I will give up my life on your account.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
क्रोधेन महता देवि ब्राह्मणाय तदाधमः ॥ ८ ॥
Hearing his words, the low man answered the brahmin. He was in great anger, O Goddess.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
तदा क्रोधेन महता स शूद्रोऽताडयद्द्विजम् ॥मरणं तस्य वै जातं तद्धस्ताद्वै वरानने ॥ ९ ॥
Then, in great anger, the shudra (servant class) struck the brahmin. The brahmin died by his hand, fair-faced one.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
ततो बहुतिथे काले सस्त्रीकः प्रमृतः खलः ॥पातनं तस्य वै जातं कर्मपाके तदा खलु ॥ १० ॥
After a long time the wicked man died with his wife. Then, in the ripening of his deeds, his fall came.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
निक्षिप्य यमदूतेन तत्रैव च यमाज्ञया ॥पञ्चलक्षं ततो वर्षं कष्टं दत्तं मुहुर्मुहुः ॥११॥
By the order of Yama (the god of death), Yama's messenger threw him down there. For five lakh years (a lakh is 100,000) he was given pain again and again.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
तत्र जाता महापीडा नरकान्निःसृतस्ततः ॥सर्पयोनिं स वै यातो गृध्रयोनिस्ततोऽभवत् ॥१२॥
Great pain arose there. Then he came out of hell. He went into a snake's birth, and after that he became a vulture.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
मानुषत्वं ततो लब्धं मध्यदेशे वरानने ॥पूर्वपापाच्च भो देवि पुत्रो नैव प्रजायते ॥ १३ ॥
Then he gained a human birth in the Middle country, fair one. Because of the old sin, O Goddess, no son is born.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
शरीरे रोग उत्पन्नो विग्रहस्तु वरानने ॥प्रायश्चित्तं प्रवक्ष्यामि पूर्वकिल्विषशान्तये ॥ १४ ॥
Illness arose in his body, and quarrels. I will tell the prayashchitta (remedy for a past wrong), to calm the old sin.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
गायत्रीसूर्यमन्त्राभ्यां पञ्चलक्षजपं शिवे ॥करोतु विधिवद्भक्त्या तदा वै वरवर्णिनि ॥ १५ ॥
O dear one, he should do five lakh (a lakh is 100,000) japa (repeating a mantra). He uses the Gayatri (a sacred Vedic chant) and the Surya (the Sun god) mantras. He should do it by the rule and with devotion.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
होमं कारयितुं प्राज्यं कुण्डे चाष्टदले तथा ॥दशांशतर्पणं तस्य मार्जनं तद्दशांशतः ॥ १६ ॥
He should have a rich homa (fire offering) done in a fire pit shaped with eight petals. Tarpana (water offering to the ancestors and gods) is a tenth part of it. Marjana (sprinkling) is a tenth part of that.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
प्रतिमां रुचिरां कृत्वा सुवर्णस्य महेश्वरि ॥पलषष्ट्याः प्रयत्नेन पूजयित्वा यथाविधि ॥ १७ ॥
O Great Goddess, he should make a lovely image in gold, of sixty pala (a unit of weight). He should worship it with care, by the rule.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
मन्त्रेणानेन विधिना गन्धधूपादिभिस्तथा ॥दुर्गे देवि नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वसिद्धिप्रदेश्वरि ॥ १८ ॥
With this mantra (sacred words) and this rite, with scents, incense and the like, he says: Durga, O Goddess, salutation to you, giver of all success.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
इमां पूजां गृहीत्वा तु मम कार्यं प्रसाधय ॥ॐ ह्रीम् महेश्वर्यै नमः ॐ दुर्गायै नमः ॐ सर्वका-मप्रदे तुभ्यं नमः ॐ ईश्वर्यै नमः ॐ त्र्यम्बकायनमः ॐ ब्रह्मणे नमः ॐ विष्णवे नमः ॐ सर्वेश्वरायनमः ॐ भैरवाय नमः ॐ मार्त्तण्डाय नमः ॥एतैश्च दशभिर्मन्त्रैः प्रतिमां पूजयेत्प्रिये ॥ब्राह्मणाय ततो दद्याद्भक्तियुक्तेन चेतसा ॥ १९ ॥
Accept this worship and complete my work. Om hrim maheshvaryai namah: Om, salutation to the Great Goddess. Om durgayai namah: Om, salutation to Durga. Om sarvakamaprade tubhyam namah: Om, salutation to you, giver of all wishes. Om ishvaryai namah: Om, salutation to the Goddess. Om tryambakaya namah: Om, salutation to Tryambaka, three-eyed Shiva. Om brahmane namah: Om, salutation to Brahma. Om vishnave namah: Om, salutation to Vishnu. Om sarveshvaraya namah: Om, salutation to the Lord of all. Om bhairavaya namah: Om, salutation to Bhairava. Om martandaya namah: Om, salutation to Martanda, the Sun. With these ten mantras (sacred words), dear one, he should worship the image. Then he should give it to a brahmin with a devoted mind.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
पञ्चपात्रं ततो दद्यात्तदुद्देशेन पार्वति ॥तिलदानं ततो दद्याद्वस्त्रदानं यथाविधि ॥ २० ॥
Then, O Parvati, he should give a five-vessel gift in her name. He should give sesame and clothes by the rule.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
कूष्माण्डं नारिकेरं च पञ्चरत्नसमन्वितम् ॥गङ्गामध्ये प्रदातव्यं पूर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ॥ २१ ॥
He should give a pumpkin and a coconut with the five gems in the middle of the Ganga. It destroys the past sin.
आश्लेषा नक्षत्र प्रथम चरण
रोगात्प्रमुच्यते देवि वन्ध्यापि पुत्रमाप्नुयात् ॥ २२ ॥
He is freed from illness, O Goddess. Even a vandhya (a woman who cannot bear children) gets a son.
Verse 36.15 gives five lakh japa with the Gayatri and Surya mantras. Verses 36.16 to 36.21 add a homa, a gold image, a five-vessel gift and a gift of a pumpkin and coconut in the Ganga.
Verse 36.1 calls Ashlesha the serpent star. The chapter covers its first quarter.