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Significance:鈥擳he month of Vaisakha is held to be very sacred. Out of all days of the month, it is the full-moon day which is considered most auspicious. And, if on this day asterism, Visakha is in conjugation with moon then, it is held in supreme regard. And it is said that the virutes of Pula, homa or japa to lord Madhava performed on this day by a king, are said to be characterised by a sort of permance (87-1-3). And, similar is the case with a number of other religious deeds. en We reproduce below , in a tabular forms various rituals and articles of gift performed and presented on this day with the corresponding virtue attributed to those in Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika

Sr.No. Rituals & articles of gifts 280 Merit/Virtue attributed 1. 2. Oblation of sesame and water offered to the manes (pitrs) Feeding of brahmins with a variety of food stuff, pavasa and fruits. 3. Gift of umbrella 4. Gift of chowry-fans 5. 65 Gift of Palmleares Gift of fan to brahmin Ends up in their salvation (moksa). The donor is said to attain a region of abundance where rivers carry milk and butter and mountains, food. Makes the king capable of ruling the whole earth under one parasol. Causes one to be fanned by celestial fans in heaven. The donor gets the same in heav heaven. Leaves ane glorious in the world of the wind - god. of 7. Gift/fruits to brahmin gets his wishes fulfilled. 8. Gift of betel leads to great prosperity. 9. Gopi-Candana 10. Gift of Candana 11. Gift of Camphor equals to merit arising out of Brahma-pratistha. attains the lotus-feet of Hari replete with intense joy. attains the world of moon.

Sr.No. Rituals & articles of gifts. 281 Merit/Virtue attributed 12. Gift of kukuma (saffron) 13. Gift of kasturi (musk) 14. Gift of flowers 15. Gift of clover & Cinnaman 16. Gift of Bed 17. Gift of Usira (fragrant root of plant) 18. Gift of Campaka buds attains the saffron world of gods. eternally attains the world of prosperity (Laksmi) enables one to attain the kingdom of nymphs. enables one to attain the world of Indra and that of eternal bliss, respectively. One becomes a sleeper on the cosmic-snake (ananta) i.e. Visnu in this world. respected with bowing heads in heaven. One gets all forms of wealth. 19. Gift of A patt of slippers (Paduka) 20. Gift of a pair of sandles (upanat) 21. Gift of Pavasa & fruits. 22. Gift of Rice & Curd One escapes the road of death (yama). gets the celestial car. One attains heaven (goloka). one attains the pleasant heaven (Svarga).

Sr.No. Rituals & articles of gifts. 282 Merit/Virtue attributed Gift of 23. Drink 24. Gift of Sugar-canejuice 25. Gift of water-jar One attains creator's world (Brahmaloka). One attains the world of Laksmi. One does not see the world of death. 26. Gift of Butter (NavanIta) Leaves one happy and blissful. 27. Gift of Curd 28. Gift of Milk to brahmin. Gift of 29. Barley-groats (saktu) 30. Gift of Karaka (water jar used by ascetics) One attains fame in this world. Leads one to the feet of Visnu. is said to bestow great knowledge (Sarasvata). is said to please Yama the death-god (4-21). King's resolve (Samkalpa) : The king, who wishes to make such gifts is required make a resolve to the effect that to attain prosperity, longevity, destruction of enemies, victory and above all,

283 for pleasing Vasantamadhava, he would be performing various gifts of articles like umbrella etc. While giving, for each article, he mutters a special formula and at the end, offers all to the tutelary deity (22-29). Observation_: Various articles of gift as enumerated above appear to be significant inasmuch as these are useful during summer, in mitigating the unrelanting heat and suffering caused by the reason. vii) Yrsabha-vrata (Ritual in honour of a bull) This vrata is stated to be performed on the New moon day of the month of Ivestha. On the previous day, the king should get built by able artists a number of huge wooden replicas (with lime) of bulls, bullocks, cows with calves with all characteristic physical features like sasna (dew-laps), horns and humps (kakuds) etc. which are painted with different colours. Next morning, these are brought to his palace and with his wives, he adores these with perfume, flowers etc. and performs as per rule, his allied duties (88.1-4). Time of Worship : At noon when different musical instruments start to play, the king, surrounded by his children and grand

284 Children, performs preliminaries like 'announcing of time and place' and makes a sankalpa to undertake the worship of bull etc. with the following ends in view : to make successful, sowing of all kinds of seeds (bljavana), for multiplication of cattle and all forms of wealth, children, grand children and above all, to secure the blessing of Isvara. With these words, he worships the oxen with perfume, flowers and rice to the chanting of concerned tantric and vedic formulae by the priest. Now, he prays in the following manner (5-9). Praver : "O oxen of great prowess, thou art like Dharman (justice personified); it is only through you that corns grow in this earth. Indeed, thou carryst the greatest burdern of giving protection and sustenance to all living beings and qualities like kindness and tolerance do repose in you only. Therefore, enrich my entire kingdom with bounty of crop and bestow prosperity on me. Let my crop and other wealth grow and so also my lineage, for ever". With such prayers, the king again offers handful of flowers to these and at the end, the replicas are stored in granaries (dhanyakostha) (10-16).

285 Observation : It appears that there are some other traditions in respect of worship of the cattle in general and oxen in particular. The worship and gift of living bulls and bullocks, decorated with white clothes and bells, which are performed on kartika saptami is a tithi-vrata. Siva is mentioned to be the god here. Its performance results in attainment of Sivaloka and kingship according Bhavisvottarapurana as quoted by Hemadri (vrata.1.882). There is another tradition in which wooden bulls and bullocks are worshipped in one's own house with perfume incense etc. while addressing them as Dharman etc. (ManuSmrti), (8.16) Mahabharata, (ganti. 90.15) etc. Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika tradition in this context seems to be much akin to this latter category. Kane in Kane (vratasuci) mentions both the traditions in his list of vratas but does not quote any source in case of the later. However, it is significant to note that the chief purpose for such observances appears to be geared towards overall betterment of crop prospects and as such, in all essentialities, it has a pastoral tinge.