There will be Trisprisha MahaDvadashi next week.
In Moscow it will be on 7th of February, 2017, if you would like to know exact date/time in your region please see Drik Panchang.
The Chapter about Trisprisha MahaDvadashi is one of the most beautiful Chapters in "Shree Padma-Purana", so I have made an OCR for my blog.
This Chapter contains a rather complicated Paddhati (Method) of following to Trisprisha MahaDvadashi.
If the Paddhati from "Shree Padma-Purana" seems to be too complex to you, you can just follow to simpler method - for example, just eating fruits (and nuts, except peanuts, because they are legumes) once a day, recite "Shree Vishnu-SahasraNam" 3 times per day and read Shree Vaishnava-Mantras on the Tulasi beads all the day.
"SHREE PADMA-PURANA", UTTARA-KHANDA, CHAPTER 34
"TRISPRISHA VRATA MAHATMYA"
Narada said:
1. O Lord, especially narrate to me the vow called Trisprisha, by hearing which people are free from
the bondage of their acts in a second.
Mahadeva said:
2-12a. Listen to the great vow called Trisprisha of the incarnation of Shree Krishna. It puts to an end all streams of sins. It destroys great unhappiness.
It gives the desired objects to those who desire them, and gives salvation to those who have no desire.
O brahmana, listen to that vow called Trisprisha from me who am narrating it.
Bhagavan Shree Vishnu is directly worshipped in the Kali-Yuga by him who, O great sage, always narrates the account of Trisprisha.
All the sin would not come to an end by the repetition of the name of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu accompanied with burnt offerings.
There is no doubt that it gets exhausted merely by uttering the name of Trisprisha. O best brahmana, if Trisprisha is not observed, salvation does not take place even by reading sacred texts, Purānas and other (works), (performing sacrifices, (visits to) crores of sacred places, (observing) many multitudes of vows, worshipping deities.
Trisprisha-Tithi sacred to Visnu is noted by The God of gods for securing Moksha.
For brahmanas especially in the Kali Yuga, Sankhya is difficult to understand so also there is lack of control over the senses and there is no stability of the mind.
Trisprisha gives salvation to those who are attached to sensual objects, who are without meditation and lack retentive memory.
The Disc-holder (Bhagavan Shree Vishnu) formerly narrated it to me and Brahma and to those who had bowed down to Him in the Milky Ocean.
I have granted salvation even to those, except the Sankhyas, who, even though attached to sensual objects observe the Trisprisha vow.
Trisprisha gives salvation to those who are attached to sensual pleasures.
12b-18. O great sage, it (i.e. the vow of Trisprisha) has been observed even by many groups of sages.
If Trisprisha takes place in the bright half of Kartika with the Moon or Mercury, it destroys crores of sins.
The skull of Brahma fell on the ground just at that moment from the hand of the great lord (i.e. Siva) possessing the sin of murder and observing a fast on that day.
The Goddess Ganga was freed from the streams of crores of sins in the Kali age, due to the advice of Lord Shree Vishnu and fasting on the Trisprisha day.
O great sage, the sin of eight murders that formerly took place in the case of Bahuvirya, was removed by means of Bhrgu's advice and fasting on Trisprisha.
O best brahmana, Shatayudha had killed a brahmana in a forest. He was free from the sin of murder of the brahmana due to fasting on Trisprisha.
Due to the advice of Jiva, the sin due to the killing of Namuci committed by Indra vanished on account of fasting on Trisprisha, O best among the principal sages.
19-23. O best brahmana, sins like the murder of a brahmana etc. perish by means of fasting on Trisprisha. Then what can be said about other sins?
O best brahmana, if the vow of Trisprisha is not observed, then salvation is not possible at Gaya, at Kasi, at Gomati or near Shree Krishna.
Eternal salvation takes place by dying at Prayaga or at Gomati or near Shree Krishna, so also merely by bathing at Gomati.
By fasting on Trisprisha salvation takes place even at home in the case of him who indulges in objects of senses and is full of sensual pleasures.
Even for one who has turned away from sensual objects salvation is difficult according to the Samkhya-path).
Therefore, O best brahmana, observe the Trisprisha which gives salvation.
Narada said:
24. O best god, what kind of vow is the great vow called Trisprisha, which gives salvation to brahmanas, and which you told me about now.
Mahadeva said:
25. O brahmana, formerly Lord Shree Vishnu told Jahnavi (i.e. Ganga) about the vow of Trisprisha through compassion for her on the bank of Praci Sarasvati.
Jahnavi said:
26-27. O Vishnu, in this Kali age many (people) possessing the streams of crores of sins like those of the murder of a brahmana, bathe in my water.
Due to the blemishes of hundreds of sins of them, my body is made turbid. O God having Garuda as your banner, how will that sin of me go away?
Praci Madhava said:
28-35. I shall undoubtedly tell you. O daughter, do not weep.
My place is the Syama Vata; and Praci Devi, daughter of Brahma, flows in front of me.
Looking at The Chief Goddess every day bathe there. By that you will be purified. There is no doubt that I stay along with hundreds of holy places and gods there where there is Praci, Brahma's daughter.
My place is pure and dear to Me. It destroys the sin of crores of murders.
Since you are dearer to me than My Own Life, I, being pleased have given it to you.
O Jahnavi, by my order thousands of crores of holy places always remain in the water of Praci Sarasvati.
O daughter, Brahma's daughter Praci removes all sins on bathing once only in front of Me in her water.
She removes sins due to the murder of a brahmana, drinking liquor, killing a cow or a sudra woman, snatching the wealth of a brahmana, not honouring one's mother and father, using a vehicle, deceiving one's preceptor or eating what is prohibited.
O best river, bathe (there). You will be free from sins.
Jahnavi said:
36. O Lord of gods, I cannot come every day. O Vishnu, tell me now how my sins will perish.
Praci Madhava said:
37-40. O Jahnavi, since you have risen from My Feet, I shall tell you something else if you are unable to come here every day.
You should observe the vow of the auspicious Trisprisha which is superior to a bath in Sarasvati, which is superior to hundreds of crores of sacred places, which is superior to crores of sacrifices, which is superior to vows and gifts, which is superior to muttering of hymns and sacrifices, and which gives the four goals, which is superior to the practices laid down in the Samkhya-Yoga.
When it comes in a month during either the bright or the dark half, it should be observed O best river.
When it is observed, one is free from a sin.
Jahnavi said:
41-42. O God Vishnu, tell me how that Trisprisha, about whose greatness of this kind you told me now, is.
O Lord, tell me if the day on which the three dates, viz. tenth, eleventh and twelfth combine would be the Trisprisha day, or if it is different?
Shree Krishna said:
43-54. O goddess, that Trisprisha which you mentioned is demonish. With care it is to be avoided as the husband who is without any livelihood (i.e. a job).
It is said to be of the demons and destroys life and vigour. With care it should be avoided like a woman in her menses.
My day especially in conjunction with the tenth day should be avoided like her who, having abandoned her own caste, has gone to lower castes.
As ignorant people are polluted due to the contact with a woman in her menses, similarly my day in conjunction with the tenth is censurable for men.
Trisprisha, if properly fasted on, destroys the sin of a hundred murders.
That day on which the three days viz. the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth fall, should be known as Trisprisha and not one in conjunction with the tenth.
A man, having gone through an expiation after having committed a fault, would be free.
O divine river, I do not forgive the fault due to being pierced by the tenth. He who has observed the Ekadasi vow (on the day) mixed with the tenth has taken the halähala poison.
Thinking like this, he should not observe a fast on my day in conjunction with the tenth. The religious merit or the progeny of him who does so perishes.
He would cause the members of his family to drop from heaven and takes them to hells like Raurava.
Having purified one's body, one should observe the vow on my day.
The day when there is increase in its duration should be avoided except piercing of (i.e. being mixed with another day) and combined with Sravana etc.
The merit of those who fast on the Ekadasi day perishes.
This is especially so in the case of the increase in its duration and when a doubt has arisen.
Dvadasi Vrata should be observed. It is dear to Him.
Jahnavi said:
55. O Lord of the world, according to your words I shall observe the vow of Trisprisha. By your behest I shall be free from all sins.
Shree Krishna said:
56-57. Return to your own place. You should never entertain fear.
O goddess, O best river, sin shall never come to you. Those who, after having worshipped Madhava, pay homage to the lord of the world, go to the highest position.
Jahnavi said:
58. O Brahman, tell me the manner in which the vow is to be observed. I shall do it with everything I have.
I shall propitiate The Lord of gods, Damodara, Anamaya!
Praci Madhava said:
59-65a. O goddess, listen. I shall tell you the manner of in which Trisprisha should be observed, even by hearing which a man is freed from sins, O best river.
According to the capacity of one's wealth, a golden image of Me (weighing a pala, half of it, or half of the latter) should be fashioned.
A pot of copper should be made and should be filled with sesamum seeds.
A white pitcher containing water and with five gems should be wrapped with garlands of flowers, and made fragrant with the incense of agaru.
Then after having bathed The Murti of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu and having smeared The Murti with sandal one should put it in the vessel.
Then with a pair of garments The Murti should be seated and the worship should be done with Hymns and by reciting Hyms from the Puranas, so also with white, seasonal flowers and tender Tulasi-leaves.
One should offer an umbrella along with sandals to Bhagavan Shree Vishnu, so also pleasing articles of food and very many fruits.
One should offer a new, strong sacred thread along with an upper garment.
65b-77. One should also cause to be given a beautiful, long and strong bamboo-staff.
Having duly and devoutly worshipped:
Feet of The Murti - saying "to Damodara",
Knees - saying "to Madhava",
Private parts - saying "to Kamaprada",
Waist - saying "to VamanaMurti",
Navel - saying "to Padmanabha",
Belly - saying "to VishwaYoni",
Heart - saying "to Jnanagamya",
Throat - saying "to Vaikunthagamin",
Arms - saying "to SahasraBahu",
Eyes - saying "to YogaRupin",
one should make a respectful offering.
Taking a white coconut placed on a conch and wrapped with threads in both his hands, he should say:
"O Janardana, if, by just being remembered You remove sins and bad dreams and evil omens seen by the mind, then, O God, protect me from the fear of hell due to fear and calamity, so also of this and the next world; accept (this) respectful offering. Salutation to You. O Damodara, always look favourably at me."
One should then offer incense, lamp and wave a light and should revolve a lotus over The Head of Vishnu.
Having performed this rite, one should then worship his own guru.
One should give to the guru gold, garments, and a dress with a turban, so also shoes, an umbrella, a ring and a water-pot, so also a meal, a tambula, seven kinds of corn, and a gift.
Having properly worshipped a guru, the lord of gods, one should keep awake (in honour) of Bhagavan Shree Vishnu, with dance and music, according to the sacred precepts.
At the close of the night one having duly made a respectful offering to The Murti of Lord Shree Vishnu and having performed the rites like bathing, one should eat along with brahmanas.
Shiva said:
78-87. O brahmana, having heard this account of Trisprisha which is wonderful and thrilling, one gets the religious merit due to bath in the Ganga.
By fasting on Trisprisha one gets the fruit of thousands of Asvamedha sacrifices and hundreds of Vajapeya sacrifices.
Along with all the sides like that of one's father, that of one's mother, and that ofone's own one is freed, and one is honoured in Shree Vishnu-Loka.
By fasting on Trisprisha one gets the same religious merit as is obtained by visiting crores of holy places and crores of sacred places.
O best brahmana, all those-brahmanas, evil-minded ksatriyas, vaisyas or those born as sudras, so also persons of other castes obtain salvation after having left the earth.
This is the king-hymn among the hymns as would be the hymn of twelve letters. Of vows it is the chief for him who has observed it.
It was first observed by Brahma, then was observed by royal sages. Then, o child, what can be said about others?
Trisprisha gives salvation, O brahmana, listen to the fruit of him (i.e. which he gets) who devoutly observes this Trisprisha vow.
He who observes the Trisprisha Vrata gets that fruit which is obtained by bathing in Ganga at Varanasi for thousands of the periods of Manu.
A man who observes the vow of Trisprisha obtains that fruit obtained by means of bathing in Praci and Yamuna for crores of years.
88-95. A man who observes the Trisprisha vow gets that fruit which is obtained by (bathing during) crores of solar eclipses at Kuruksetra, or by (giving) hundreds of bharas of gold.
By means of just this one Vrata thousands of crores of sins and hundreds of sins due to murders are quickly reduced to ash.
That vow of Trisprisha gives salvation to those who have not got it. Hundreds of persons committing great sins desire salvation o brahmanic sage.
Lord Shree Krishna Himself told this vow in front of Parasharya.
He who, even though bound by streams of sins, shows this Vaisnava-Purana ("Shree Padma-Purana") after writing it to a brahmana, obtains Mukti.
This Trisprisha Vrata is secured, o wise one, by means of religious merit collected during hundreds of ages of Manu.
Trisprisha is difficult to be secured by men. It is not easily had in the world.
The fruit of the existence of those mean men so also their life, who, having had (i.e. having known the day of) Trisprisha, do not observe it, is fruitless.
OCR by Vishnudut1926,
from "The Padma-Purana", Part VII,
Motilal Banasirdass edition in English, 1952,
pages 2442-24-48
