Pure Krishna bhakti is easily obtained by Bhishma Panchhaka Vrata.
Bhishma Panchaka Vrata 2020





Vrindavan,
2020-11-21 (Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das): Upon
hearing about Bhishma-panchaka,
non-devotees respond by saying, “O what a terrible vrata!” The following information comes from Padma and Skanda
Purana.
I.
BENEFITS &INTRODUCTION
Bhishma Panchaka is a
5-day vrata, vow of fasting, starting on Utthana Ekadashi tithi (which usually
means Dashami when the Ekadashi tithi starts) and ending on Karttika Purnima.
Pure Krishna bhakti is easily obtained by Bhishma PanchhakaVrata. Doing Bhishma
Panchaka in Vrindavana can fulfill all one’s desires and easily give one pure
bhakti for Sri Krishna.
II.
STARTING BATH
Begin with sunrise bath
in holy place or at home on Dashami. Then starting the vrata, worship
Bhismadeva with a bhoga offering,
water and afterwards aratik. (use a
painting of Bhishmadeva for puja).
Then offer obeisances
and water to Bhishma along with this prayer: “I offer this water to Bhishma,
who has Vaiyaghrapadagotra and Sanskrit pravara. I offer respectful obeisances
to Bhishma, the incarnation of Vasu, who is the son of Shantanu and a lifelong
celibate.” Worship Bhishma and pray for his mercy to complete the vow. Everyday
bathe in silence at sunrise.
III.
PUJA
Daily bathe Thakurji
with panchamrita. Offer new clothes to the Thakurji. Offer excellent food and
cloves to the Thakurji. Offer aratika with incense, ghee lamp, water in a
conchshell, napkin, flowers and camara. *also offer camphor lamp mixed with
aguru oil.
Maintain an akhanda dipa near Thakurji or Tulasi for
the entire five days. Offer ghee lamp in morning and evening to Thakurji. Daily
offer ghee lamp to Tulasi devi.
IV.
ACTION
Observe celibacy and
sleep on the floor. After Thakurji puja, chant 108 times the mantra: “Om Namo Vasudevaya” [Hare Krishna
maha-mantra].
V.
EATING
Begin Dashami, fasting
till sunset and eat phalahara, no
grains. Every day eat once only after sunset.
Eat fruits only ripe
papaya, apple, mousambi, banana, all dried fruits, all raw nuts, sabzis only arbi,
green banana and papaya, potato, yams (suran), and sweet potato (shakarkandi).
Ok to eat ghee,
ekadashi salt, black pepper and ginger. No other spices can be taken. Continue
this diet every day until Purnima.
DASAMI (DURING THE
EKADASHI TITHI): Eat ½ tsp of cow dung; then eat only once after sunset.
EKADASI: Nirajala vrata;
if you can’t do this, then eat muni-phala
(apple, papaya, banana, mousambi) only once after sunset.
DVADASI: Breakfast with
Maha Tulasi leaf and water; if you ate muniphala
on ekadashi, then breakfast with charanamrit
or a few cashews, almonds or raisins; then drink 50 ml of cow urine; eat
the recommended foods once a day after sunset.
TRAYODASHI: Eat ghee
once after sunrise. After sunset, eat recommended foods.
CATURDASHI: Eat yoghurt
once after sunrise. After sunset, eat recommended foods.
PURNIMA: Drink milk
once after sunrise; and follow the rules below for fast breaking.
VI:
BREAKING THE FAST:
Before you break your
fast, you must first feed brahmanas
sweet rice made from cow’s milk and serve them all the foods you fasted from
during your vratas of Bhisma, Karttik and Chaturmasya. Give money, gifts,
sesame seeds and pots of water to the brahmanas.
Now break your fast
during Purnima Abhijit Muhurta (11:45 am to 12:30 pm appx.), or later if
necessary, but before sunset of Purnima day. First eat panchagavya (cow dung, cow urine, cow milk, cow yoghurt and cow
ghee). Then eat sweet rice.
NOW eat all foods
fasted from for Chaturmasya, Karttika Vrata and Bhisma ancaka (eg. spinach,
yoghurt, urad dal, milk, sweets, honey etc.)
All the above actions
should be completed before sunset or before the end of Purnima tithi.
*NOTE: Eating five
things from Gomata and sweet rice on Purnima is optional.
SRI BHISMA PANCAKA
VRATA KI JAI!!
Jai Jai Sri Radhe!