Flowers for Worship; Maasopavaas Vrat; Bheeshm Panchak and Agastya Vrat

Flowers For Worship

Agni Dev said - "Vashishth Jee, Shree Hari gets pleased with flowers, fragrance, Dhoop, Deep (lamp) and Naivedya.. The best flower for worship is Maalatee flower. Motiyaa (Belaa) flower destroys all sins. Juhee (Yoothikaa) and Mongaraa flowers give Vishnu Lok. Kaner flowers give Vaikunth. Lotus, Kund, and Ketakee flowers give Param Gati. Krishn Tulasee leaves send a person to Hari's Lok. Ashok and Tilak flowers give Moksh. B hringraaj flowers send a person to Swag. Krishn and Shukla Tulasee and Kamal flowers are considered auspicious. Hari is pleased with a person who offers Him a garland of 100 Lotus flowers. All fragrant flowers are good for worship. Who worships with them his all sins are destroyed. Flowers are better than a lot of gold. A flower garland is better than a flower. And wild flowers are better than flowers plucked from other's gardens.

One should not use fallen and wilted flowers. One should not use Kachanaar, Dhatooraa, Semal, Siras flowers for Vishnu worship. Red and blue lotus are good for Vishnu. For Shiv, use Aak, Madaar and Dhatooraa flowers, but Ketakee (Kevadaa) flowers are not offered to Shiv.

If somebody follows Ahinsaa, control on Indriya, Dayaa, Kshamaa, Sham, Tap, Dhyaan, and Satya 8 kinds of feelings and remembers Devtaa, he attains Moksh. Because other flowers are only showy, but these are real qualities which by following them we can please God. There are 8 types of flowers --

1 - Water is "Vaarun" flower;
2 - Ghee, milk, yogurt are "Saumya" flowers;
3 - Ann etc are "Praajaapatya" flowers;
4 - Dhoop and Deep are "Aagneya" flowers
5 - Fruits nad flowers are "Vaanaspateya" flowers
6 - Kush is "Paarthiv" flower
7 - Fragrance etc are "Vaayavya" flowers
8 - Shraddhaa is "Vaishnav" flower.

Building Aasan (Peeth) and idols, and the above mentioned 8 types of "feeling flowers" are like Vishnu. Worship Vishnu with Vaasudev name, and Shiv with Eeshaan name.

Maasopavaas Vrat

Agni Dev said - "One should start Maasopavaas Vrat after doing Vaishnav Yagya, taking permission from Guru, and estimating one's own strength. This Vrat is prescribed for Vaanprasthee, Sanyaasee and widows. Keep fast on Aashwin Shukla 11th and take Sankalp for 30 days - "Hey Vishnu, I am starting my 30 days Vrat from today and will be without taking food until it is finished. I will worship you during this period. If I die during this period, my Vrat should not be broken by your grace."

Vratee should take bath three times a day, worship Vishnu three times a day and do Jap. He should not enter into arguments, should not wish for wealth, should not touch any person who is not observing Vrat and live in peace. If he can live in any temple it is good. Vratee should feed a Braahman on Kaartik Shukla Dwaadashee after worshipping Vishnu. Thus by observing this Vrat 13 times one attains pleasures and Moksh. After these 13 Vrat, one should do its Udyaapan - do Vaishnav Yagya, feed 13 Braahman and donate clothes, pot, Aasan, umbrella, shoes, Yagyopaveet etc to all of them. Worship his own and Vishnu's golden idol on a bed, and donate it to some other Braahman. He should say to him - "By the grace of Vishnu, I will go to Vishnu Lok after being free from my sins. Now I assume Vishnu's form." The Brahman should say - "You go to Vishnu's Lok." If such a man becomes unconscious, give him milk mixed with Ghee." The following things do not spoil Vrat - Havishya taken by the permission of Braahman, milk, medicine taken by the permission of Guru, water, roots, and fruits."

Bheeshm Panchak Vrat

Agni Dev said - "Now I tell you about the Bheeshm Panchak Vrat which gives everything. Take up its vow on Kaartik Shukla Ekaadashee and continue it for 5 days. Take bath three times a day, and do Tarpan of Pitar and Devtaa with 5 Til and Yava (grains). Worship Hari, bathe Him with Panchgavya or Panchaamrit, and burn incense in front of Him. Burn lamp in the morning and evening and offer the best food to Him as Naivedya. Do Jaap of 12-letter Mantra 108 times everyday, and in the end do Havan with the same Mantra by adding to it "Swaahaa". First day, worship His feet with lotus flower; second day worship His knees with Bilva leaves; third day, worship His navel with Bhringraaj; fourth day worship Him with Baan Pushp, Bilva leaves, and Japaa flowers (hibiscus flower); and the fifth day, worship His all body parts with Maalatee flowers. On Ekaadashee take cow's dung, on Dwaadashee take cow's urine, on Trayodashee take cow's yogurt; on Chaturdashee take cow's milk and the last day one should eat Panchgavya [in exchange of this one can take the five things used in Panchaamrit]. On Poornimaa, one should keep Nakt fast (eat once in the night). Who observes this fast like this, he attains pleasures and Moksh. Bheeshm attained Moksh by doing this Vrat only; and Brahmaa Jee also worshipped Hari  by doing this Vrat, that is why this Vrat is of five days."

Agastya Vrat (Arghya to Agastya)

Agni Dev said - "Maharshi is one form of Bhagavaan Vishnu. By worshipping him also one attains Hari. When Soorya is close to Kanyaa Raashi (Virgo Sign), then one may offer him Arghya after keeping 3 and a 1/2 days fast. The first day, when 4 hours day remains, start this Vrat. In Pradosh Kaal, establish Agastya's idol on a Kalash and then worship that idol. He should do Jaagaran also. Invoke Agastya Rishi and offer him and worship him with incense, water, fruits, sandal etc. Next day morning, take that idol with Kalash near a pond etc and offer Arghya, sandal, flower garland, Dhoop, fruits etc and do Visarjan of that idol in that water body. During these days one should not take any one grain, or fruit, or juice. In the last, feed Braahman Kheer mixed with Ghee and Laddoo etc things and donate something. Who does this fast for 7 years, he obtains everything - a woman gets Saubhaagya, a maiden gets a good husband and a king gets his kingdom.

Kaumud Vrat

Agni Dev said - "Vashishth, Listen now to Kaumud Vrat. Start this Vrat on Aashwin Shukla Ekaadashee and continue for one month. Worship Hari everyday and take food once a day. At the end of the Vrat, keep fast on Ekaadashee and worship Vishnu on Dwaadashee. On that day offer lamp of oil and Naivedya of Kheer, Maalpooaa and Laddoo both times of the day. Do Jaap of 12-leter Mantra. At the end feed a braahman and ask for His forgiveness. This Vrat is completed on Dev Jaagaran (Kaarttik Krishn) or Hari Prabodhinee (Kaartik Shukla) Ekaadashee. The same is called Maasopavaas Vrat (see above), but this Kaumud Vrat gives more fruits than Maasopavaas Vrat."

Last Words on Vrat Daan

Agni Dev said - "Now I tell you about general Vrat and Daan in brief, Vrat Daan done in Pratipadaa etc Tithi, Soorya etc Vaar (days), Krittikaa etc Nakshatra, Vishkumbh etc Yog, Mesh (Aries) etc Raashi and at the time of eclipses. Lord of all Vrat and Daan are Vishnu. Soorya, Shiv, Brahmaa, Lakshmee all are Hari's Vibhooti, therefore any Daan or Vrat done for them also give fruits. When one takes up any Vrat or donate something, he should read a Sankalp. "Today, I (such and such) donate (such and such things) to (such and such) with the objective of (to wash my sins, health, children etc). Be pleased with my donation and fulfill my desired wish." All Vrat and Daan should be done like this.