Yogeshwara Dwadashi Vrat Katha

Sage Durvasa says - "After staying at Pushkar Tirtha, Sage Agastya again arrived at the palace of King Bhadrashva. Seeing the sage, the king's heart began to rejoice and having duly worshipped Agastya ji with Padya, Arghya, etc., he offered him a seat.

Thereafter, King Bhadrashva said to Sage Agastya - 'O best of sages! According to your instructions, I have completed the ritual of the Dwadashi of Ashvina month regularly. Therefore, now please be kind enough to describe the merit obtained by performing the Dwadashi Vrat in the month of Kartika.'

Sage Agastya said - 'O King! I describe the fruit of the Dwadashi Vrat of Kartika month according to the rules, listen carefully. The observer should take a bath with resolution (Sankalpa) according to the procedure previously described by me. Thereafter, one should worship the head region of Lord Narayana with the mantra Om Sahasrashirase Namah, the arms with Om Purushaya Namah, the throat with Om Vishwarupine Namah, the weapons with Om Jnanastraya Namah, the heart with Om Shrivatsaya Namah, the belly with Om Jagadgrasishnave Namah, the waist with Om Divyamurtaye Namah, and the lotus feet with Om Sahasrapadaya Namah. A wise man should also perform worship in regular (anuloma) order. Thereafter, chanting Om Damodaraya Namah, one should worship all the limbs of Lord Vishnu simultaneously.

After worship, establish four Kalashas (pots) in front of the idol of the Lord. Put gems in those four Kalashas according to your capacity and having smeared them with white sandalwood, decorate them with flower garlands and white clothes. Place a copper vessel filled with sesame seeds on the four Kalashas and imagine the four oceans in them. Thereafter, establish the idol of Lord Shri Hari in their middle part and worship according to the rules. On that day, staying awake at night, perform mental worship of the Lord and the ritual of Vaishnava Yajna.

Many yogis on this occasion worship Lord Yogeshwara in a sixteen-petaled chakra. Therefore, it is also called Yogeshwara Dwadashi. After completing the worship in this way, in the morning, donate the Kalashas with the feeling of the four oceans to four Brahmins and the idol to a fifth Vedic scholar Brahmin. There is also a rule for donating two and four idols according to one's capability.

If the Brahmins receiving the donation are Pancharatra Agama Acharyas, then by donating to them, the merit of a thousand vrats is obtained. One who is skilled in clearly describing the secret of this vrat and capable of completing the procedure of the vrat with mantra chanting, donating to such a person yields ten million times the result.

A person who accepts the refuge of someone else in the presence of his Guru and worships him, meets a bad end. The deeds like donation etc. performed by him become fruitless. Therefore, one should strive to honor the Guru first, and then respect anyone else.

Whether the Guru is educated or ignorant, he should be considered as the form of Lord Shri Hari himself. Whether the Guru follows the excellent path or the base path, but for the disciple, only the Guru is the supreme goal. A person who first honors the Guru and then, under the influence of foolishness and negligence, acts against him, becomes fallen and suffers the torture of terrible hell for ten million eons.

In this way, on the holy occasion of Kartika Shukla Dwadashi, one should again worship Lord Vishnu according to the rules. Thereafter, satisfy the Brahmins by feeding them and providing Dakshina etc. according to one's capacity. The name of this vrat is also Dharani Vrat.'

Sage Agastya said - 'O King! In ancient times, Daksha Prajapati also observed this vrat, as a result of which he was established in the post of Prajapati and in the end merged into Lord Shri Hari himself. Apart from this, in earlier times, King Kritavirya of the Haihaya dynasty had also performed this vrat with faith, by the merit of which he obtained an excellent son who became famous in the world as Kartavirya. Thereafter, in the end, he also attained the abode of Lord Shri Hari.

Shakuntala also observed this vrat, as a result of which she was established as the mother of the sovereign King Bharata. Similarly, in earlier times, many sovereign kings observed this vrat according to the rules, as a result, they all became prominent sovereigns. In course of time, when submerged in Patala (netherworld), Goddess Earth also performed this great vrat. Goddess Earth is also called Dharani, therefore it became popular by the name of Dharani Vrat.

As soon as the ritual of the vrat was completed by Goddess Earth with faith, Lord Shri Hari was pleased and descended in the form of Lord Varaha. Thereafter, Lord Varaha lifted the Earth up from Patala in the same way a boat protects a drowning creature in water.' In this way, Sage Agastya, having explained the procedure and glory of the varta to King Bhadrashva, disappeared.

Sage Durvasa says - 'O Sage! I have described the glory of Dharani Vrat before you. The noble person who follows this varta with faith will be freed from all sins and in the end will certainly attain the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.'"

॥ Thus ends the Kartika Shukla Dwadashi Vrat Mahatmya described in Shri Varaha Purana ॥