Sri Krishna Jayanti Nirnaya

Sriman MadhwAcharya has composed a work known as jayantIkalpaH — also known as shrIjayantInirNayaH.

This is a small work describing the process of observance of “Sri Krishna Jayanti”. On this day, one has to fast and give arghya to Sri Krishna and Chandra. One should also worship Balarama, Vasudeva, Devaki, Nanda and Yashoda.

Note: The verses that are found in Sri hR^ishIkeshapATha are given with “two character offset”. The ones in prachalitapATha only are given with no offset. Further pAThAntara or Sri hR^ishIkeshatiirtha pATha is given in parantheses. Where it is Sri hR^ishIkeshatiirtha pATha, it is specifically mentioned. There may be variations in the mode of numbering the verses.

rohiNyAmardharAtre tu yadA kAlAshhTamI (kR^ishhNAshhTamI) bhavet.h |
jaya.ntInAma sA proktA sarvapApapraNAshini (praNAshanam.h) || 1||

The day on which during midnight, along with Rohini star, Ashtami tithi of dark fortnight occurs, that day is known as “Jayanti”, according to sacred scriptures. This “Jayanti” will destroy all the sins (if observed properly).

yasyAM jAto hariH sAxAt.h nishIthe bhagavanajaH |
tasmAt.h taddinamatyantaM puNyaM pApaharaM param.h (smR^itam.h) || 2||

On that auspicious day, Lord Bhagavan Sri Hari Himself, though is free from any normal birth process, incarnated on His own free will. For that reason that day is known to be highly supreme, bringing forth punya and destroying sins.

tasmAt.h sarvairuposhhyA sA jayantI nAma vai sadA |
dvijAtibhirvisheshheNa tadbhaktaishcha visheshhataH (vidhAnataH) || 3||

For that reason, always and surely, all the devotees and especially the dvijas (brahmanas, Kshatriyas and vaishyas) must observe fasting on Jayanti day [in a special way] according to shAstras.

yo bhuN^kte taddine mohAt.h (lobhAt.h) pUyashoNitamatti saH |
tasmAdupavaset.h puNyaM taddinaM shraddhyAnvitaH || 4||

One who partakes food on Sri Krishna Jayanti day, due to delusion, is like eating puss and blood. For that reason, one must fast on that day, with shraddha, thereby acquiring puNya.

kR^itvA shauchaM yathAnyAyaM snAnaM kuryAdatandritaH |
prabhAtakAle medhAvI yogAyeti yathAvidhi || 5||

Having finished the purifying process, a wise person must take bath by reciting the mantra “yogAya…*”, with proper anusandhAna, as prescribed in the shAstras.

nityAhnikaM prakurvIta bhagavantamanusmaran.h |

(By meditating upon the Lord, nityAhnika is to be performed.)

yogAya yogapataye yogeshvarAya
yogasambhavAya shrI govindAya namo namaH ||

madyAhnakAle cha pumAn.h sAyaMkAle tvatandritaH |
snAyIta pUrvamantreNa vAsudevamanusmaran.h || 6||

Without laziness, one has to take bath, for sure, in the afternoon and also evening, by reciting the above mantra and meditating upon Lord VAsudeva.

tataH pUjAM prakurvIta vidhivatsusamAhitaH |
yaj~nAyeti cha mantreNa shraddhAbhaktiyutaH pumAn.h || 7||

The person has to perform Lord’s worship, with concentration, as prescribed in the shAstras and also reciting the mantra with faith and devotion.

yaj~nAya yaj~napataye yaj~neshvarAya
yaj~nasambhavAya shrI govindAya namo namaH

kR^ishhNaM cha balabhadraM cha vasudevaM cha devakIM |
nandagopaM yashodAM cha subhadrAM cha tatra pUjayet.h || 8||

There one must worship Lord Krishna, BalarAma, Vasudeva, Devaki, Nandagopa, Yashoda, and Subhadra.

Note : Thus on this day, the sAligrAma pUja is done both in the morning and evening. A combination of three factors gives one the eligibility to perform evening pUja – the special day, the fasting for whole day and also taking the bath three times (morning, afternoon and evening).

arghyaM datvA samabhyarchyAbhyutthite sashimaNDale || 9||

As the moon raises, one must offer arghya and perform Lord’s worship.

The following mantra/verse is present in prachalitapATha (but not in Sri HrishIkeshatiirtha pATha).

jAtaH kamsavadhArthAya bhUbhArottAraNAya cha
kauravANAM vinAshAya daityAnAM nidhanAya cha |
pANDvAnAM hitArthAya dharmasaMsthApanAya cha
gR^ihANArghyaM mayA dattaM devakyA sahito hare ||

(The Lord incarnated for killing Kamsa, removing the excessive load on the Earth, terminating the demons, for the welfare and good of the pANdavas, and for establishing the dharma. Please accept, O Lord Hari along with Devaki (which also means Laxmi), this arghya that I am offering.)

There are sAmpradAya variations. According to one sAmpradAya, One arghya is given with the above mantra and then chandrArghya is given. According to another sAmpradAya, 3 arghyas are given with the following 3 mantras and then chandrArghya is given.

jAtaH kamsavadhArthAya bhUbhArottAraNAya cha |
dAnavAnAM vinAshAya vasudevakulodbhava ||
OM Sri kr^ishhNAya namaH prathamArghyaM samarpayAmi – 1

pANDvAnAM hitArthAya dharmasaMsthApanAya cha |
kauravANAM vinAshAya vasudevakulodbhava ||
OM Sri kr^ishhNAya namaH dvitIyArghyaM samarpayAmi – 2

shrAvaNyAM kR^ishhNapaxe tu ashhTamI rohiNI yadA |
tasyAM chandrodaye rAtrau bAlakR^ishNaH samudbhavaH ||
OM Sri kr^ishhNAya namaH tR^itIyArghyaM samarpayAmi – 3

Then chandrArghya is given with the following mantra.

xirodArNavasambhUta atrigotra (atrinetra) samudbhava |
gR^ihANArghyaM mayA dattaM rohiNyA sahitaH shashin.h (mama) || 10 ||

“atrinetra” and “mama” are Sri hR^ishIkeshatiirtha pATha.

O Moon, thou springeth forth from the milk ocean and in the gotra of the saint Atri (from the eye of the saint Atri). Please accept, O Shashi along with RohiNi, this arghya that I am offering.

datvAnena manunAnena hyupasthAya vidhuM budhaH ||11||

After giving that arghya, with the following mantra, one must rise (get up) and bow to Chandra.

shashine chandradevAya somadevAya chendave |
mR^igine shIta (sita) bimbAya lokadIpAya dIpine |
shItadIdhitibimbAya tArakApataye namaH || 12 ||

(I bow to Shashi, who is also known as Chandradeva, Somadeva Indu, Deer-marked, and having cool and pleasant (white and pure) form, brighten the worlds with cool rays and lord of the stars.)

upasmhR^itya tatsarvaM brahmachArI jitendriyaH |
vishvAyeti cha mantreNa tataH svApaM samAcharet.h || 13 ||

One can go to sleep after concluding this part of the vrata and offering to the Lord as Krishnarpana, by adopting the path of Brahmachari and controlling the senses and reciting the mantra.

vishvAya vishvapataye vishveshvarAya
vishvasambhavAya shrI govindAya namo namaH ||

Note: This is granting permission to sleep and this does not mean that one has to go to sleep. It is quite beneficial to do jAgaraNe (keeping awake) all night with kathAshravaNa, manana, dhyAna, bhajana, ityAdi.

(tato jAgaraNaM kuryAt.h yAvachchodeti bhAskaraH |
gItAshAstrakathAlApaiH harivamshakathAdibhiH |
yastu bhAgavataM shastraM vAchayedarthato nishi |
janmakoTikR^itaM pApaM prayAtyeva na smashayaH..jayantIkalpa)

tato nityAhnikaM kR^itvA shaktito dIyatAM dhanam.h |
sarvAyeti cha mantreNa tataH pAraNamAcharet.h |
dharmAyeti tataH svastho muchyate sarvakilbishhaiH || 14||

The next day, after the sleep, one must complete the daily prescribed duties like Sandhyavandana and by reciting the mantra “sarvAya…”*1, one must do “dAnadharma” to the best of one’s ability. After that by reciting the mantra “dharmAya…” *2, one must do pAraNa. One who performs this Jayanti vrata, procures heavenly joys and thereafter gets liberated from all the sins [procures moxa].

*1
sarvAya sarvapataye sarveshvarAya
sarvasambhavAya shrIgovindAya namo namaH

*2
dharmAya dharmapataye dharmeshvarAya
dharmasambhavAya shrIgovindAya namo namaH

bhArateeramaNa mukhyaprANAntargata shree gOpAlakRiShNa preeyatAM

~~~ Sri KrishNArpaNamastu ~~~

Translator : Sri Keshava Rao Tadipatri
Source : www.dvaita.org
Courtesy : Sri Adithya Das
Edited by : Sri Balachandra Achar