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Karma Vipaka Samhita · Chapter 4
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
This chapter covers Ashvini 2nd pada, the second quarter of Ashvini. The book tells of Shvetavarma, a warrior near the Sarayu river east of Ayodhya.
Classical view, not medical advice.
He killed his mother's brother and the brother's son for a crore of gold. After death he passes through hell and several births. The remedy is gifts, hearing the Harivamsha, a gold image, Gayatri japa and homa. It ends with a bath at Prayaga in the month of Magha.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
॥ शिव उवाच ॥अथ द्वितीये वक्ष्यामि प्रायश्चित्तं तथाऽम्बिके ॥अश्विन्यां जायते देवि पूर्वकर्मविपाकतः ॥ १ ॥
Shiva said: Now I will tell the prayashchitta (remedy for a past wrong), O Mother. It is for the second charana (quarter of a star). O Goddess, this birth in Ashvini comes from the ripening of past deeds.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
अयोध्यापुरतो देवि पूर्वे क्रोशचतुष्टये ॥सरय्वा निकटे चैव वर्णसंकरक्षत्रियः ॥ २ ॥
East of Ayodhya, O Goddess, four krosha (a measure of distance) away, is the river Sarayu. Near it lived a kshatriya (warrior class) of mixed birth.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
नामतो श्वेतवर्मेति पुत्रदारसमन्वितः ॥एकदा मातुलो देवि पुत्रेण सह संयुतः ॥ ३ ॥
His name was Shvetavarma, and he had sons and a wife. One day his mother's brother came with his son, O Goddess.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
आगतो निकटे देवि स्वर्णकोटिसमन्वितः ॥आदरं बहुधा कृत्वा गृहे वासं ददौ च सः ॥ ४ ॥
He came near, O Goddess, carrying a crore (ten million) of gold. Shvetavarma greeted him warmly and gave him a place to stay in the house.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
तस्य पत्नी गुणवती रूपयौवनसंयुता ॥मासमेकं तदा देवि प्रत्यहं भगिनीगृहे ॥ ५ ॥
His wife was virtuous, with beauty and youth. For one month, O Goddess, every day, in his sister's house,
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
भुज्यते सह पुत्रेण चामिषं विविधं तथा ॥मासान्ते चावधीद्रात्रौ मातुलं सहपुत्रकम् ॥ ६ ॥
the uncle ate many kinds of meat with his son. At the month's end, at night, Shvetavarma killed the uncle and the uncle's son.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
भूमिमध्ये शवं ताभ्यां यत्नतः स्थापितं तदा ॥स्वर्णकोटिं प्रजग्राह पापात्मा गुरुघातकः ॥ ७ ॥
He and his wife carefully buried the body in the ground. The sinful killer of an elder took the crore of gold.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
पत्न्या सह ततो द्रव्यव्ययं कुर्वन् दिने दिने ॥एवं बहुतिथे काले क्षत्री कालवशोऽभवत् ॥ ८ ॥
Then he spent the wealth day by day with his wife. After a long time the kshatriya (warrior class) fell under the power of time.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
पश्चान्मृता ततः पत्नी निर्जले गहने वने ॥कर्दमे नरके घोरे यमदूतैर्यमाज्ञया ॥ ९ ॥
Afterward his wife died in a deep, waterless forest. By the order of Yama (the god of death), his messengers threw them into a dreadful hell of mud.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
निक्षिप्य महतीं पीडां तयोर्दत्त्वा ततः प्रिये ॥युगमेकं वरारोहे भुक्त्वा नरकयातनाम् ॥ १० ॥
Having thrown them in, they gave them great pain, dear one. O fair one, he suffered the pains of hell for one yuga (long age).
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
नरकान्निःसृतो देवि गर्दभत्वमजायत ॥पुनः सरट्योनिं तु भुक्त्वा मर्त्यस्ततोऽभवत् ॥११॥
He came out of hell, O Goddess, and was born as a donkey. Then he lived as a lizard and after that became a mortal. (Our text is unclear here: one letter in the word for 'was born' is damaged.)
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
हतोऽनेन पुरा देवि मातुलः पुत्रसंयुतः ॥तत्पापफलतो देवि वंशच्छेदश्च जायते ॥ १२ ॥
O Goddess, in the past he killed his mother's brother with his son. By the fruit of that sin, O Goddess, his line is cut off.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
रोगयुक्ताभवद्देवि पत्नी वै पूर्वजन्मनि ॥ततो विवाहिता जाता पुनर्वै पूर्वकर्मतः ॥१३॥
O Goddess, his wife of the past birth became sick. She was then married to him again because of past deeds. (Our text is unclear here: a letter in the word for 'past birth' is damaged.)
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
कासश्वाससमायुक्तो विषमज्वरपीडितः ॥प्रायश्चित्तं ततस्तस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि दयानिधे ॥ १४ ॥
He has cough and breathlessness and is tormented by an irregular fever. Now I will tell his prayashchitta (remedy for a past wrong), O treasure of kindness.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
प्रत्यहं ब्राह्मणे दानं भक्तिपूर्वं वरानने ॥दशधेनुं प्रयत्नेन हरिवंशश्रुतिं तथा ॥१५॥
Every day, with devotion, give gifts to a brahmin, O fair-faced one. With care give ten cows, and hear the Harivamsha (a sacred book about Krishna).
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
सुवर्णप्रतिमां कृत्वा पलं पञ्चदशस्य च ॥वर्तुलाकारकुण्डे वै होमं कृत्वा प्रसन्नधीः ॥ १६ ॥
Make a gold image of fifteen pala (a unit of weight). With a cheerful mind, do a homa (fire offering) in a round fire pit.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
गायत्रीलक्षजाप्यं च कारयेत्तु प्रयत्नतः ॥दशांशहोमः कर्तव्यो विप्राणां भोजनं ततः ॥ १७ ॥
With care have the Gayatri (a sacred Vedic chant) japa (repeating a mantra) done a lakh (100,000) of times. A tenth part is to be offered in homa (fire offering). Then feed brahmins.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
शय्यादानं विशेषेण प्रतिमां पूजयेत्ततः ॥षोडशाङ्गुलिका वेदी मृत्तिका सप्तसंयुता ॥चतुरस्रा विचित्रा च गन्धपुष्पसमन्विता ॥तत्रैव प्रतिमां कृत्वा स्थापितां पूजयेत्ततः ॥ १८ ॥
Give a bed as a gift, especially. Then worship the image. Now the worship of the image. The altar is sixteen finger-widths across, with seven kinds of earth. It is square, beautiful, with perfume and flowers. Put the image there and worship it.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
ॐ चक्रधराय नमः ॥ ॐ गदाधराय नमः ॥ॐ शार्ङ्गिणे नमः ॥ ॐ गरुडाय नमः ॥ ॐविष्णवे नमः ॥ ॐ शिवाय नमः ॥ ॐ ब्रह्मणेनमः ॥ ॐ प्रजापतये नमः ॥ ॐ सर्वेश्वरायनमः ॥ ॐ लक्ष्म्यै नमः ॥ॐ देवदेव महादेव शङ्खचक्रगदाधर ॥मम पूर्वं कृतं पापं हर त्वं धरणीधर ॥ १९ ॥
Om chakradharaya namah (Om, salutation to the bearer of the discus). Om gadadharaya namah (Om, salutation to the bearer of the mace). Om sharngine namah (Om, salutation to the holder of the Sharnga bow). Om garudaya namah (Om, salutation to Garuda). Om vishnave namah (Om, salutation to Vishnu). Om shivaya namah (Om, salutation to Shiva). Om brahmane namah (Om, salutation to Brahma). Om prajapataye namah (Om, salutation to Prajapati). Om sarveshvaraya namah (Om, salutation to the lord of all). Om lakshmyai namah (Om, salutation to Lakshmi). O god of gods, O Mahadeva, bearer of the conch, discus and mace. O holder of the earth, take away the sin I did before.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
एवं पूजां समाप्यैव प्रतिमां तां च दापयेत् ॥आचार्याय तदा देवि सुवर्णं दक्षिणां ततः ॥ २० ॥
Having finished the worship in this way, he should give that image to the teacher. Then he should give gold as the fee.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
ततः प्रदक्षिणां कृत्वा ब्राह्मणे व्यासरूपिणे ॥माघे मासि प्रयागे तु स्नानं पत्नीसमन्वितः ॥ २१ ॥
Then he should walk around the brahmin, who is Vyasa in form. In the month of Magha, he should bathe at Prayaga with his wife.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
एवं कृते न संदेहो वंशो भवति नान्यथा ॥मृतवत्सा लभेत्पुत्रं वन्ध्यात्वं च विनश्यति ॥ २२ ॥
When this is done there is no doubt: a line of descendants arises, not otherwise. A woman who is mritavatsa (one whose children die young) gets a son. The state of being vandhya (a woman who cannot bear children) is destroyed.
अश्विनी नक्षत्र द्वितीय चरण
रोगी च मुच्यते रोगात् कन्यका नैव जायते ॥२३॥
The sick person is freed from the disease. No daughter is born.
Verses 4.15 to 4.18 give gifts of cows and a bed, a gold image, Gayatri japa a lakh times and homa. Verse 4.21 adds a bath at Prayaga in Magha.
Verse 4.2 sets it four krosha east of Ayodhya, near the river Sarayu. The man is a warrior of mixed birth named Shvetavarma in verse 4.3.