Bhisma Panchaka | Bhisma Panchaka Chal

What is Bhisma Panchaka?

Bhisma Panchaka falls in the holiest month of Kartik. The last 5 days of Kartik are called Vishnu Panchaka or Bhisma Panchaka. Srila Sanatana Goswami recommends in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa to intensify our devotional service in these last five days of Kartik.

Bhismadeva, the heroic grandfather from Mahabharata, observed this Vishnu Panchaka vrata for 5 days. The Lord was very pleased with Bhismadeva so He granted a boon to Bhismadeva and all those who worship Sri Hari and engage in devotional service during these five days. What is that special boon? Krishna says that he grants His devotees pure devotion to Him.

Join The Challenge

The Hari Bhakti Vilasa suggests fasting from certain foods during Bhisma Panchaka for the pleasure of Lord Keshava. You can choose a level of fasting according to your capacity and convenience. It is important to select a level that won’t disturb your daily sadhana and usual devotional services.

You can eat the permitted items during the day. In Mayapur, we typically eat in the morning and afternoon. For a more austere option, you may choose to drink only water throughout the day and honour prasadam at sunset.

What is Allowed

Fasting Levels

Level 1 - Fruits & Roots

What is not Allowed

What is Allowed

Rice
Pure cow’s ghee
Cow’s milk
Sea salt
Kacha Kola (unripe banana)
Wheat
Roots
Sugarcane derivatives other than gur or molasses
Kala sak – type of spinach, Pipali herb

The following are ingredients that can be used in making Havishya, which is like a khichdi made with these items.

Level 2 - Havishya

What is not Allowed

Dahl
Oil
Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
Raddish
Tamarind
Beta Shak
Haldi (Turmeric)

Special Offerings

As per the Garuda Purana, the following offerings are to be offered to the Deities during the Bhisma Panchaka days. If you do not have these specific items, you can mentally offer them to the designated parts of the Lord.

How to Take a Sankalpa

To begin the Bhisma Panchaka vrata, we first make a sankalpa—a sacred vow that sets our intention and mood for the vrata. We start this observance by invoking the blessings of our guru-parampara and the Lord, offering heartfelt prayers so that our vow may be performed in the right mood and bring us closer to Krishna.

1.Sprinkle water on the head with water in your hand while chanting this mantra:

om apavitrah pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato api vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahya abhyantaraṁ śuciḥ

2.Chant Guru Pranama mantra (if initiated)

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale

srimate (spiritual master’s name) iti namine

3.Chant Srila Prabhupada’s Pranam mantra

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine

nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

4.Chant Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s Pranam Mantra

he krishna karuna-sindho

dina-bandho jagat-pate

gopesa gopika-kanta

radha-kanta namo ’stu te

jayatam suratau pangor mama manda-mater gati

mat-sarvasva-padambhojau radha-madana-mohanau

divyad-vrindaranya-kalpa-drumadhah

srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau

srimad-radha-srila-govinda-devau

preshthalibhih sevyamanau smarami

sriman rasa-rasarambhi vamsi-vata-tata-sthitah

karshan venu-svanair gopir gopinathah sriye ’stu nah

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrindavanesvari

vrishabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

5.Chant Sri Panca-tattva’s Pranam Mantra

panca-tattvatmakam krishnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam .

bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam namami bhakta-saktikam

6.Chant Sri Nrsimhadeva’s Pranam Mantra

jaya narasimha sri narasimha

jaya jaya narasimhadeva

praladesa jaya padma

mukha padma bhrnga

7.Take water in your hand and make the vow:

Harih om tat sat

Om Govinda Om Govinda Om Govinda

Adya brahmaṇo ’hni dvitīya pārārddhe

śrī śvetavarāhakalpāivasvatamanvantare

aṣṭāviṁśatitame kaliyuge

kaliprathama pāde

jambudvīpe bhāratakhaṇḍe bhāratavarṣe gaṅgāyāṁ pūrvabhāge

navadvīpāntargata śrīmāyāpure dakṣiṇāyane kārtika māse śuklapakṣe ekādaśī-dvādaśī-trayodaśī-caturdaśī-pūrṇimā tithau acyuta gotrasya (your name) śrī kṛṣṇa prīti kāma pañcadinātmaka

Bhīṣma Pañcaka vratam ahaṁ kariṣye

(om) tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam

sadā paśyanti sūrayā diviva cakṣur-ātataṁ

tad viprāso vipanyavo jāgṛvāṁsaḥ

samiṁdhate viṣṇor yat paramaṁ padam

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

How to Break Bhisma Panchak

November 5th marks Rasa Purnima, the last day of the Bhisma Panchaka. We break fast at sunset. To complete the challenge:

Finish the activities on your calendar for the day.
Follow the fasting guidelines as prescribed.
Break your fast at sunset (or moonrise) by drinking a little of the panchagavya mixture.

Prepare the panchagavya mixture (Cow milk, cow yoghurt, cow ghee, cow dung, cow urine). There are no specific proportions mentioned. (If these ingredients are not available, then you can prepare and drink mentally).

4. Chant the following mantras

Sprinkle water on the head with water in your hand while chanting this mantra

om apavitrah pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato api vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahya abhyantaraṁ śuciḥ

Chant Guru Pranama mantra (if initiated)

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale

srimate (spiritual master’s name) iti namine

Chant Srila Prabhupada’s Pranam mantra

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine

nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

Chant Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s Pranam Mantra

he krishna karuna-sindho

dina-bandho jagat-pate

gopesa gopika-kanta

radha-kanta namo ’stu te

jayatam suratau pangor mama manda-mater gati

mat-sarvasva-padambhojau radha-madana-mohanau

divyad-vrindaranya-kalpa-drumadhah

srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau

srimad-radha-srila-govinda-devau

preshthalibhih sevyamanau smarami

sriman rasa-rasarambhi vamsi-vata-tata-sthitah

karshan venu-svanair gopir gopinathah sriye ’stu nah

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrindavanesvari

vrishabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

Chant Sri Panca-tattva’s Pranam Mantra

panca-tattvatmakam krishnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam .

bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam namami bhakta-saktikam

Chant Sri Nrsimhadeva’s Pranam Mantra

jaya narasimha sri narasimha

jaya jaya narasimhadeva

praladesa jaya padma

mukha padma bhrnga

Chant mantra for breaking the fast:

Take water in your right hand and offer

Kartick vrata bhīṣma pañcaka vrata evam vrata

phalam sarvaṁ śrī kṛṣṇārpaṇam astu

idaṁ vrataṁ mayā deva kṛtaṁ prītye tava prabho

hūnyāṁ sampūrṇatā jātu tat prasādāt janārdana

śākaṁ, paṭālaṁ, rājamaśaṁ, kuṣmāṇḍīṁ, ālābuṁ, vārtākuṁ,

mūlakaṁ, śimaṁ, tailādikaṁ, yat yat dravyaṁ varjayet adhunā

tat sarvaṁ bhokṣyāmi.

tava prasāda svīkārāt kṛtaṁ yat pāraṇaṁ mayā

vrata nena santuṣṭuḥ svasti bhaktiṁ prayaccha me

Drink a little of the panchagavya mixture (just like a few drops of charanamrita)

Chant the Mahaprasada prayers, offer prayer from the Lord and Vaisnavas and honour prasadam.

maha-prasade govinde

nama-brahmani vaisnave

svalpa-punya-vatam rajan

visvaso naiva jayate

sarira abidya-jal, jodendriya tahe kal,

jibe phele bisaya-sagore

ta'ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamoy sudurmati

ta'ke jeta kathina somsare

krsna baro doyamoy, karibare jihva jay,

swa-prasad-anna dilo bhai

sei annamrta khao, radha-krsna-guna gao,

preme dako caitanya-nitai

Important Note – If you have been fasting from other items these past 4 months of Chaturmasya such as shak, urad daal, yoghurt, etc, you should include these in your offering to honour.

Offering Tarpana

Tarpana is a ceremony to please the forefathers performed by sons, but since Bhismadeva didn't have any descendants, because he had taken the vow of brahmacarya, on this Vrata we are acting as Bhismadeva's children and we are offering Tarpana for him. Bhismadeva is the son of Mother Ganga and King Shantanu and one of the 12 mahajanas who is revered for his unwavering devotion to the Lord.

Tarpana is when the Brahmin thread is put backwards (if applicable) and water is taken in both hands. The mantra is chanted and then the water is offered with tilting both hands to the right and downwards so that the water flows down the right thumb. This is a way of offering oblations to the forefathers.

Ideally, one should bathe in the Ganges or other holy rivers daily during Bhisma Panchaka and offer tarpana (oblations) three times for Bhismadeva by reciting the following mantras:

Tarpana

om vaiyaghra padya gotraya

samkrti pravaraya ca

aputraya dadamyetat

salilam bhismavarmane

Arghya

vasunamavataraya

santanoratmajaya ca

arghyam dadami bhismaya

ajanma brahmacarine

Pranam

om bhismah santanavo birah