Bhisma panchaka vrata
(Compiled by madhava kanta das)
Table of Contents
• Glories of “BHISHMA PANCHAK”
• Bhishma Panchak Fasting: 2024
• How to Observe Bhishma Panchak Fasting?
• Tarpana to Bhishma Dev
• How to Offer Tarpana to Bhishma Dev?
• Tarpana Mantra –
• Glories of Chanting –
Kartik maas or Damodar maas is a month that is very dear to Sri
Sri Radha Madan Mohan.
IT IS WRITTEN IN TEXT 191, MATHURA MAHATMAYA
durlabho bhakti-yogo me
mama vasya-vidhayakah
karttike mathurayam ca
vratenanena labhyate
Pure devotional service to Me which, because it places Me under
my devotee’s dominion is very difficult to attain and is
easily attained by following this vow in Mathura’ during Kartika.
Every little austerity performed in the month of Kartik
gets benefited a thousand times.Kartik is itself the most glorious
month but in Kartik’s last 5 days that is “BHISHMA PANCHAK” is
even more glorious. Bhishma Panchak is also known as Vishnu
Panchak.
Glories of “BHISHMA PANCHAK”
On these last 5 days of Kartik Month, Pitamah Bhishma fasted
for preparing to leave his body. Seeing Bhishma Dev
performing fast during the last 5 days of Kartik with all love and
devotion, lord
Hari became so pleased that he agreed to give pure love
of devotion to those who chant, sing, hear, read, worship and fast
for these five days of Bhishma panchak.
Bhishma Panchak Fasting: 2024
Bhishma Panchak 2024 fasting starts by remembering Bhishma
dev on the day of Kartik and ends on Purnima day.
Bhishma Panchak 2024 fast will begin on 12rd November 2024
and will end on 16th November 2024.
Those who fail to observe Chatur maas vrat, get benefit
of observing four months of fasting just by fasting on last five
days of Kartik maas that is on Bhishma panchak 2024.
“Srila Suta Goswami says in the Padma Purana, Uttarakhanda,
‘This liberating fast is unknown even to the demigods. If one
listens to what I have said and fasts on these five days, he
becomes free from that sin. Even if someone carefully listens
to this narration, he also achieves happiness. I tell you the
reality again and again that one should keep this
fast secretively, and⁸ continue performing it unceasingly – that
person surely achieves Liberation.”
SPIR ITUAL
How to Observe Bhishma Panchak Fasting?
There are three levels of Bhishma panchak fasting.
LEVEL 1-
Those who follow level one of fasting can eat or drink product of the cow
for each day Ingredients that can be taken in level 1 of fasting as
mentioned below–
Day 1– Cow dung (gomaya)
Day 2-Cow urine (go-mutra)
Day 3-Cow milk (kshiira)
Day 4-Cow yogurt (dahi)
Day 5– All products of cow mixed together (pancha-gavya)
LEVEL 2-
If one can’t follow the first level of fasting then one can take fruits and
roots (only those fruits and roots which do not have lots of seeds live
guava, pomegranate etc.) Boiled potato and sweet potato can be taken.
One can take sea salt for taste. Cashewnuts, dates, raisins, coconut water,
grated coconut can be taken. One should avoid taking milk and milk
products at this level of fasting.
LEVEL 3-
If one can’t follow level 1 or level 2, then one can observe level 3 of fasting.
This level of fasting is known as “Havishya’’.
Ingredient that can be taken in level 3 of fasting as mentioned in Sri
Hari-Bhakti Vilasa (13.10-13) are –
Aatap rice ( Rice which is unparboiled – raw or polished, unpre-cooked.)
Unadulterated Ghee from cow
Saindhava salt (sea salt)
Milk from cow
Milk with cream
Ripe Banana
Kaala-Shaaka
Wheat
Fruits (Skanda Purana, Naagara Khanda says they must be with a small
seed or only with few seeds)
Mango
Jackfruit
Labali fruit
Roots except kesa grass root
Pippalii
Haritakii
Naagaranga
Ikshu-dravya or sugarcane derivatives (other than gur or mollasses)
Note –No oil should be taken in any form.
The following ingredients though are part of “ Havishya’’ and need to
be avoided in Kartik Month:
Mung dal
Til oil
Beta-shaaka
Shashtikaa-shaaka
Radish
Jeera
Tamarind
For those who follow Chatur Mas fasting from Ekadashi to Ekadashi, their
Chatur Mas ends on Ekadashi so they can take moong dal on havishya.
however most devotees follow it from Purnima to Purnima so they don’t
take moong dal during Bhishma panchak.
TARPAN TO BHISMA DEV
How to Offer Tarpana to Bhishma Dev?
Bhishma Dev son of Mother Ganga and Shantanu, a great devotee of Sri Hari,
he performed the last five days of fasting in Kartik month. Seeing love and
devotion of Bhishma Deva, Sri Krishna gave him a boon that last five days
of Kartik would be named after him and Sri Krishna agreed to bless
devotees with pure devotion if they would follow austerities in these last
five days of Kartik.
One should take a bath three times in the holy river or pond before offering
tarpana to Bhishma Dev. If one is unable to take bath in holy river then one
can take a bath normally at home by chanting “GANGE” three times before
bathing.
Tarpana – Before offering tarpana, one should put Brahmin thread
backwards (if applicable) and water should be taken in both hands. The
mantra should be chanted and then the water should be offered both the
hands to the right and downwards by tilting so that the water flows down
the right thumb. This is a way of offering oblations to the forefathers. This
has to be done during Bhishma panchak for Bhishma dev.
Tarpana Mantra –
om vaiyaghra padya gotraya
samkrti pravaraya ca
aputraya dadamyetat
salilam bhismavarmane .
Arghya Mantra –
vasunamavataraya
santanoratmajaya ca
arghyam dadami bhismaya
ajanma brahmacarine.
Pranam Mantra –
om bhismah santanavo birah
satyavadi jitendriyah
abhiradbhiravapnatu
putrapautrocitam kriyam
Note –One has to offer tarpana three times a day.
By following all these vows during Bhishma Panchak, one gets a benefit of
fasting all four months of chatur maas.A special offering to Sri Sri Radha
Madan Mohan During BhishmaPanchak. Following to be offered to deities
during Bhishma panchak as described in “GARUD PURANA”.
DAY 1 – One must offer the flower PADMA (lotus) to the feet of lord.
DAY 2 – One must offer BILVA (wood-apple) leaves to the thighs of the lord.
DAY 3 – One must offer GANDHA (scents) to the lord’s navel.
DAY 4 – One must offer a JAVA flower to the shoulder of the lord.
DAY 5 – One must offer MALATI FLOWER the the head (sirodesa) of the
lord.
If you don’t have flowers you can offer them mentally to lord sri hari.
Every little austerity or charity performed during this period gets
magnified many times. we can donate on the name of our ancestors or on
the name of our family members in nearby ISKCON temples .
Glories of Chanting –
Even if one is not able to perform all such austerities then one should chant
more rounds of mahamantra
“HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE,
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE”.
it has been describes in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.3.51-52) –
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
“The most important factor in this Age of Kali, which is an ocean of faults, is
that one can be free from all contamination and become eligible to enter the
kingdom of God simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The self-
realization that was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the
Tretā millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the
Dvāpara millennium by the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa can be achieved in the
Age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare Kṛṣṇa.”
In BG 10.25 Krishna said, “of all the sacrifices he is chanting of mahamantra
(japa).”
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy
