Vrat and Daan

Sanak Jee said - "Hey Naarad Jee, Whatever Vrat and Daan (donations) have been mentioned in Shruti and Smriti, if they are done on an indefinite day (wrong days), they do not give fruit. Triteeyaa (3), Shashthee (6), Ashtamee (8),  Ekaadashee (11), Chaturdashee (14), Amaavasyaa (15), Poornimaa (30) - all these days are considered holy for fasts because of related to Par-Tithi. But if they are united with their previous day Tithi, they are not appropriate for Vrat.

If somebody is doing the whole day Vrat then he should do it in Shukla Paksh, and do it from morning, not from afternoon, because it is better than the afternoon one. If the Vrat goes up to night, then take only that Tithi which is up to Pradosh time (1.30 hours after sunset). If it is day time Vrat then one should take the Tithi occupying the day time. In the same way in the night Vrat, one should take those Tithi which are occupying most part of the night.

In Shravan Dwaadashee (12) Vrat, one should take the Tithi which prevails at sunrise time.

In cases of solar eclipse and lunar eclipse, only that Tithi should be used which prevails up to the eclipse time (for Jaap etc).

Snaan, Daan and Jap done in all Soorya Sankraanti are immortal in their fruit. Kark (Cancer) Sankraanti (in the month of July) Soorya goes Dakshinaayan. In Kark Sankraanti learned people consider the first 30 Ghadee (first 12 hours) auspicious time; while in Vrish, Vrishchik, Sinh and Kumbh (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius) Raashi, the first 16 Ghadee (5.45 hours) are considered auspicious for Snaan and Jap. In Tulaa and Mesh (Libra and Aries) Sankraanti the early 10 and the last 10 Ghadee are auspicious for Snaan. In Kanyaa, Mithun, Meen, and Dhanu (Virgo, Gemini, Pisces, and Sagittarius) Sankraanti, the last 16 Ghadee should be known as auspicious. In Makar (Capricorn) Sankraanti the beginning 40 and the last 30 Ghadee are considered auspicious.

If Soorya and Chandramaa set in eclipse position then one should eat food only after seeing their next clear form.

Religious people have told that Amaavasyaa is of two kinds - Sineewaalee and Kuhoo. In which time one can see the Kalaa of Chandramaa that period of Amaavasyaa with Chaturdashee is called Sineewaalee; while in which time there is no Kalaa of Chandramaa visible, that period of Amaavasyaa is called Kuhoo.

About Ekaadashe

All people should keep fast in pure Ekaadashee day (when there is no Dashamee). Ekaadashee with Dashamee destroys three lives' earned Punya. But if even 1 Kalaa of Ekaadashee is present in Dwaadashee, and the whole day is Dwaadashee, and there is some part of Trayodashee mixed with Dwaadashee, then Dwaadashee is better.

If the whole day is pure Ekaadashee, and it extends in Dwaadashee also, and Trayodashee comes in the last part of the night - then the first day Ekaadashee is for Grihasth people, and the second day Ekaadashee is for detached people. In the same way if there are two Ekaadashee in any fortnight, then the first one is for Grihasth and the second one is for detached people.

If there is no Dwaadashee on next day, then the first day Ekaadashee with Dashmee is better to do; and if there is Dwaadashee on second day, then one should do Ekaadashee Vrat on second day only - not on first day.

If in one day only, there is Ekaadashee and Dwaadashee, and Trayodashee is in the last part of night, then one should do its Paaran in Trayodashee, because it gives you the fruit of 12 Dwaadashee Vrat.

If the whole day is pure Ekaadashee, and there is no part of it goes to Dwaadashee; but in Dwaadashee there is Trayodashee, then the Grihasth should keep fast on the first day, and the detached Saadhu should observe the second day. Some people say that all should keep fast in Dwaadashee with Bhakti.

Who eats food in the day time on Sunday; in the night time on Amaavasya and Poornimaa; and on 8th and 14th day in day time and on Ekaadashee both in day and night time, he should do Chaandraayan Vrat for Praayashchit. When solar eclipse occurs, one should stop taking food 3 Prahar (9 hours) before the solar eclipse begins. If one eats the food then he is like a drunkard man.

Whatever written in Ved, it is Dharm, by following Dharm one satisfies Vishnu. Who follow Dharm, they are Vishnu themselves and this world doesn't disturb them.

Some Praayashchit

Killer of Braahman, who drinks liquor, gold stealer, and who is attached to Guru's wife - these four are the greatest sinners and who lives with them is the fifth greatest sinner. An old person, a sick person, a woman and children are prescribed for half of the Praayashchit at all places.

Liquor is of three types - Gaudee (made from jaggery), Paishtee (made from rice flour), and Maadhwee (made from flower juices, or grapes or Mahuaa). Nobody - men of all Varn and women - should drink any kind of liquor. Who takes other's wealth forcefully or by stealing that is called Steya. If somebody steals 16 Suvarn - see it in "For Gold" section gold belonging to Braahman, he should do Praayashchit like Brahm Hatyaa. If somebody steals the gold of a Braahman who does Yagya, or of a Guru, then first he should really repent for the incident then cover himself with Kandaa (dried cakes of cow's dung) and immolate himself.

If some Kshatriya steals Braahman's wealth then he should do Saantpan Vrat with 12 days fast. Gems, throne, man, woman, milking cow, land etc things are like gold. If somebody steals gold equal to 1 Gaur Sarshap (yellow mustard seed) the a learned person should do Gaayatree Jaap for 8,000 times. If somebody steals dry wood, straws, trees, jaggery, hides, clothes and meat, then he should do three nights fasting.

If somebody touches a woman in menses, great sinner, mother of a newborn child, or a dirty thing then he should take bath with clothes on and drink Ghee. Besides, do Jaap of Gaayatree Mantra 800 times.

Who does Praayashchit without any affection or jealousy, or worships Vishnu all the time, that great sinner is already free from all kinds of sins, because he worships Vishnu Bhagavaan. If somebody remembers, worships, meditates, or greet Vishnu then He certainly destroys all kinds of sins.

Road to Yam Lok

Sanak Jee said - "O Naarad, Learned people tell the length of road to Yam Lok as 86,000 Yojan long. [1 Yojan = 9 miles, so 86,000 Yojan = 9x86,000 = 774,000 miles] The people who have donated something here they go on that road comfortably, while the sinners go on it crying. They are very fearful and naked. The messengers of Yam Raaj whip them and beat them form various things. Some are tied in Paash, some are blindfolded, some carry heavy loads on the front part of their nose, some are pulled and some are pushed. On that road, somewhere there is mud, somewhere there are stones, somewhere there are hedges of thorns. There is no shade for rest and no water to drink.

But who have donated food they get food on the way, who have donated water they get water on the way, who have donated honey, milk, yogurt, Ghee, they get all these things on their way. Who has donated clothes, he walks on that road adorned in beautiful clothes. Gau donation gives all kinds of comforts. Who reads Puraan he goes listening his praise by Muni. Thus all go to Dharm Raaj's place.

There Dharm Raaj assumes the Chaturbhuj form and says to Punya soul affectionately - "Who doesn't do Punya even after getting human birth, he is the greatest sinner. He kills himself. There is no greater fool than him. Among all Bhoot (creation) living beings are better. Among living beings those are better who live with Buddhi (mind), such as animals and birds; and among them also human beings are higher. Among human beings, Braahman are higher; among Braahman learned are higher; and among learned stable minded people are higher. Even among stable minded people, who do their duty, they are higher; and among those also Brahmvaadee (who read Ved) are higher. Among Brahmvaadee those are higher who are not attached to worldly things and among those they are higher who always meditate upon Bhagavaan. Dharmaatmaa Jeev is always worshipped, so now you go to Punya Lok first, then if you have committed any sin, then come back here to bear the fruit for it."

Saying thus he sends those people to good Lok and frightens the sinners. At that time his voice is like thunder storm, body is jet black, his weapons look like lightening, he has 32 arms, his body expands to 3 Yojan, his eyes become red and look like two large ponds. He send those sinners to Narak and later they are born in lower species."

Naarad Jee asked - "You told me that who donated land etc they enjoy the fruit of that donation till thousands of Kalp. And then you told me that in Praakrit Pralaya the whole Universe gets destroyed, so tell me that do the Punya and Paap of Jeev not finish by Pralaya time?" Sanak Jee said - "It is only Hari who creates the world in the form of Brahmaa, maintain it in the form of Vishnu and destroys it in the form of Shiv. When Pralaya is over, Hari takes the form of Brahmaa and create the world as before. Whoever was wherever in the former Kalp, he is created there itself in the new Kalp, so a Jeev has to bear the fruits of his Punya and Paap earned in his previous lives. After Pralaya, whatever fruits of his Karm remain, he bears them in the next Kalp. No Karm is destroyed even in millions of Kalp without bearing its fruit. Thus one has to bear the fruit of his good or bad Karm."