Payo Vrutham
According to our Purana’s, from Sukla Padyami to Dwadasi, first 12 days pooja should be done to Lakshmi sametha Narayana(Lord Vishnu along with goddess Lakshmi Devi). These twelve days resemble 12 months. Doing pooja in these 12 days is equivalent of praying Lord Vishnu throughout the year. It is called as “PAYO VRATHAM”. Only milk should be taken as food after offering milk as Nivedhyam to god. Donating cow (Godanam), clothes, money is very auspicious in this month.
PAYOVRUTHAM.
[This is a brief description of significance,procedure and benefits of Payo-vrata as told in conto 8 of Srimad bhagavadam which is explained in the following 44 verses.]
1. Once the enlightened Great Saint Katchyapa Maha Muni on retreating from his prolonged samadhi (Yogic trance) reached Athithi's ashrama and saw his sweet spouse Athithi without any joy and the mundane happiness in her face,He asked why.
2. Athithi performed the prescribed rituals of receiving her husband by herself with a sorrowful and heavy heart reflecting on her face. Accepting her prostrations at his feet and being seated in sitting place, Maharishi questioned her thoughtful of depression.
3. Maha Muni asked: “
a. Why are you sad?
b. Why is your auspicious face dull, My sweet wife?
c. Whether all the dharmic activities are carried out without any impediments during my absence?
d. Whether the Brahmins and cows are kept well?”
4. Also asked: “
a. Whether any athithi (guests) visited our house and left without any offerings?
b. Did you not performed the Agni Homa properly?
c. Are your children faring well, My lady?
d. Let me know the reason for your distress.”
5. Athithi replied: “Great Master! The cows, the guests, servants and the needy are well treated as should. All the dharmic activities were performed well with your gracious blessings.Hey Son of Mareechi Maharishi! Let me tell you the secret that all the devas and asuras were born of your mind and body. You are equal-minded to each of them.”
6.“Though as a father, treating both the children equally, I surrender myself fondly to you to find a solution for resolving the sorrows of my children as you are the resolver of the sufferings of one who surrender to you.”
7. Having heard this, the Maha Rishi with a smile on his face, told her “on account of emotional bondage, you said them as your children. But haven't you know that the body and soul are different? Also, understand that the mighty strength of Maha Vishnu is unlimited. He is Janardhana. He is parama purusha. He is Bhagawan Vasudeva.”
8. “Bodily Siblings are not the siblings of the souls. Because of the strength of both their body and soul, jeevas get happiness and sorrows. Learn the spiritual eternity and shed your worldly desires. For this, worship Vasudeva.”
9. “For those who worship Him in their hearts, He graciously blesses them. He lives in the hearts of every being. He is worshipped by all the well wishers of the humanity and the world. He is total (paripoorna). He gives all in abundance.”
10. “He is gracious to the pleading beings of the world. He is the Lord of the Lords. He is the boon giver. He effaces the sufferings of thesurrenderers. He is pure. He is eternal. He is the bhaktavatchalan. He is Srinivasan. He is the fulfiller of desires.”
11. Athithi told her husband:“Oh My Lord of Brahmins! Mahanubhaava! Please preach me the way to worship the true embodiment of Sathya so that he gets satisfied and bless me forever to fulfil my desires.”Maharishi told “I will tell you the code of conduct(vratham) which once I was taught by Brahma. Bhagawan will be easily satisfied by this vratham. In ascending period of the moon (suklapatcha) of palgunya month(Feb/Mar), perform this payo-vratham with patience and love for 12 days.”
13. “From the New Moon Day, worship the lotus eyed bhagawan(Aravindaakcha) with undistorted faith (bhakthi).Vishnu took an incarnation named Varaha to retrieve Goddess Earth from Pathaala.”.
14. “Say hymns of Devi and apply mud on the body and take bath in the river in order to remove the sins. After finishing the daily routine, choose a place on earth and decorate it to worship the Almighty.”
15. “Pray unto the Almighty with the hymns with a Holy potwater(poorna kumba jala) at decorated place, in the sun, withthe Guru, and with Agni with Love and compassion to get the real praise.”
16. “The prayers are as follows 'Oh Vasudeva! The Lord who showers rare boons! You are the eternal deity, indweller of the hearts of everybeing who exist in all places, preacher of all dharmas forever, the embodiment of all the pure qualities of these.' ”
17. “'Oh sarveshwara! You are the Maha Purusha worshipped in Purusha suktha. You are the factor of all the sense organs. You are predominantly existing in every minute beings. You are the witness of all happenings in the world (prakriti).'” “'You hold 24 principles(thathuvas) as your body. You are the eternal soul. You are limitless. For the personification of this world, you are the cause. You are the Narayana. I worship you to the fullest.'”
19. “'Hey Mahavishnu, You are the personification of spiritual sciences and you have the Vedas as your sareera which correlates the modern science with yagna sciences.'”
20. “'Materials on account of worldly existence are your place. Past, present and future times are your three feets(paathas). Sound,hymn, nama, Akyaatha nipaathas are your four horns.Differences are your seven hands. These are your marked postures.'”
21. “'The water that flows from your feet is held on your head and you are called as shiva. You are called as rudra when you were born in the world and cried when born. You are the Lord of the five elements of Nature in the name of umapathy-spouse of uma. Oh Madhava! You have outsourced the annihilating activities to your body which is named as Sankara.'”
22. “'You are residing in Brahmadeva for creating the world. All the creatures survive because of you secretly. You are the praana (life breadth) for all the dharmic world. You manage the world by giving pure yoga smrithi.'”
23. “'You are the deva for all the devas. You are NaraNarayana. For the three, you are the principal. You are the Narayana, the eternal. Give us the deathlessness for the beings who have come to you. I pray unto you who embrace the Goddess Mahalakshmi.'” “'You resemble the bluish Indrakanti stone. You are the indweller for both – creator and annihilator. You have become the twelve beautiful kesava murthis. My peethaambarathaari! I worship you.'”
25. “'You are the greatest of all the boon-givers. Contented pundits take your feet's dust onto their heads. Devas and lakshmi willingly associate with you. Oh, merciful vasudeva! Please grace the devotees.'”
26. “'Oh Devaki's son! I surrender at your feet. Along with Rukmini Devi, please have a cordial spirit towards us. Please remove the sins from misdeeds and mistakes of me. Let me merge with the feet of your avowed greatness. '”
27. Telling the above slokas, Maharishi told: “By chanting these mantras with utmost faith and devotion, prathista the Almighty and honour Him in every respect with the help of the necessities of worship. You should bathe him with milk and pure water and then dress Him with new clothes, a sacred thread (Yagnopavithram) and ornaments. ”
28. “Along with chanting of the sacred twelve mantras rendered to the Lord daily, You should also present the daily upacharas to Him. Also offer pure rice with ghee, molasses and milk and request Him to partake them as Naivedhya.”
29. “Having offered the naivedhya to the deity, offer the sweet rice (payaasanna) chanting the (12) dwadasa mantras as oblations in the fire. After offering the oblations, offer them to Brahmins and if they are not available, have the prasaada by yourself at least. ” “To the Brahmins- the devotees of the Lord, after offering them the upacharas, offer the betel nuts with spices by yourself. By repeating the dwadasa mantras 108 times, pray to Bhagawan Vasudeva and circum ambulate them joyously with much devotion and charm them. ”
31. “After removing the flowers decorated for the Deity and adoring it to your head with devotion, feed the qualified Brahmins as per the rituals. Once properly having honoured them, with their permission, eat the remnants of the prasaada yourself.”
32. “At night, observe celibacy for the duration of the payo-vrata. On the next day, after having bathed, with pure faith and devotion, continue the worship of Vishnu with the oblations closely following the prescribed procedures as done on the previous day. ”
33. “With drinking milk only (vratha), with faith and devotion,continue with the worship of Vasudeva, as stated with bathing three times a day and also be faithful to the obligations of feeding the Brahmins. Also, observe celibacy and sleep on the floor during the entire course.”
34. “Beginning with the day of pratipat (pradama) until the thirteenth day of the bright half of the month (suklapatcha),refrain yourself from great and small sensual pleasures from discussing trivial subjects and from splendours and resort your thoughts on the Supreme - Vasudeva.”
35. “Next, on the thirteenth day (thriyodasi day) proceeding in accordance with the regulations as laid down in the scriptures,the Almighty should be bathed with five substances(panjaamrutham- milk, yogurt, ghee, sugar and honey). This ceremony should be done in grandeur with the help of four meritorious veda pundits.”
“Chant purusha sukta mantras on Maha Vishnu and oblate the
prasaada meticulously prepared with milk (havis) in Homa and
offer the Bhagawan, various tasty food items and then feed theBrahmins as well.”
37. “The spiritual masters who are well versed in the spiritual knowledge (Acharya ridwik) should be rewarded to your mite and worship them. Offer them, excellent drinks and various food items along with thaamboolam.”
38. “After also having fed all the poor, Brahmins, the averse and so on with the pure food, with that kind of understanding having pleased Lord Vasudeva, together with friends and relatives eat the prasaada yourself.”
39. “From the first day till the last, worship the Original personality with this payo-vrata to the fullest with dancing, playing various instruments, reciting Vedic recitation, mantras, songs and hymns praising Him, offering prayers, reading and telling the stories of Him.”
40. “Oh greatly fortunate one, now worship the Almighty with a pure state of mind and with devotion by following the payovrata process. Oh good lady, Of all religious ceremonies, this one is called 'sarva yagna'(the one covering all sacrifices) and is the essence of all austerities.” said Kashyapa Mahamuni to get rid of his wife's distress.
41. “Of all the austerities, this payo-vrata is the greatest one and it tantamount to the doings of all the donations. The Supreme Lord, being satisfied by you faithfully observing this vow according to the rules, will therefore soon bestow upon you all benedictions.
42.”Athithi Devi, thus being advised by her husband unrelentingly and faithfully executed this payo-vrata for twelve days. The Supreme Lord overwhelmed by her devotion, appeared before her and uttering that her long standing desires would be fulfilled,He joyously incarnated Himself as a son in her holy belly.
43. This Sathya vrata will
a. shower all benedictions;
b. give birth to son;(vamsa vrithi)
c. retrieve the lost wealth;
d. bestow happiness along with friends and relatives and
e. uplift to higher posts with dexterity.
44. Mangalam and victory to Vasudeva bhagawan; Mangalam to Kashyapa; Mangalam to Devas and Rishis; Mangalam to Vamana; Mangalam to Mother Athithi; Mangalam to Thejomaya Thrivikrama;Mangalam to dhivya paadhuka.
Every day from pratipat to trayodaśī, one should continue the ceremony, to the accompaniment of dancing, singing, the beating of a drum, the chanting of prayers and all-auspicious mantras, and recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way, one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore, my dear gentle lady, follow this ritualistic vow, strictly observing the regulative principles. By this process, the Supreme Person will very soon be pleased with you and will satisfy all your desires.
