Bheeshma panchakam

Courtesy: Sri.Bryan Hill

"Bheeshma Panchaka"
Period of Bheeshma Panchaka
Karthika Shudda Ekadashi to Karthika Shudda Hunnime
Bheeshmacharyaru did the upavasa for five days from Karthika Shudda Ekadashi to Karthika Shudda Hunnime, that too laying on Sharapanjara. After battling for 10 days in Kurukshetra, he was laying on Sharapanjara and did various upadeshas like Vishnu Sahasranama, etc to Dharmarajadhi pandavaas. Krishna paramathma satisfied with the Vratha of Bheeshma said "This Vratha gives health, wealth, satputraru". As it was done by Bheeshmacharyaru for the first time in the history, it is called as "Bheeshma Panchaka".
What is the procedure –
1.  Who can do this Vratha?
Any body can do this vratha.  Ladies, Gents, Widows – all can do this.  Ladies must take their husband's permission before doing this Vrath or else it will be nishpala.
2.  Purpose of this Vratha -
This is a Kamya Vratha (not a compulsory vratha like Ekadashi).    This vratha can be done with the kaamya of Arogya bhagya, putra bhagya, and for parihara of some dosha or paramathma preethyartham.
3. Bheeshma Panchaka samkalpa -
ಭೀಷ್ಮಪಂಚಕ ವ್ರತ ಸಂಕಲ್ಪ -
ಆಚಮನ, ಚತುರ್ವಿಂಶತಿ ನಾಮಸ್ಮರಣ, ಕೇಶವಾಯ…………………ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣಾಯ ನಮ: |
ಪ್ರಣಮಸ್ಯ ಪರಬ್ರಹ್ಮ………………..ಚಾಂದ್ರಮಾನೇನ ……..ಸಂವತ್ಸರೇ, ದಕ್ಷಿಣಾಯಣೇ, ಶರದೃತು, ಕಾರ್ತೀಕಮಾಸೇ, ಶುಕ್ಲಪಕ್ಷೇ, ದಶಮ್ಯಾಂ, ಶುಭತಿಥೌ, …….ವಾಸರೇ,…..ನಕ್ಷತ್ರೇ, ……ಯೋಗೇ, ….ಕರಣೇ, ಏವಂಗುಣ ವಿಶೇಷಣ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಠಾಯಾಂ, ಶುಭತಿಥೌ, ಭಾರತೀರಮಣ ಮುಖ್ಯಪ್ರಾಣಾಂತರ್ಗತ, ಶ್ರೀ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ ನರಸಿಂಹ/ವೇಂಕಟೇಶ ಪ್ರೇರಣೆಯ, ………..ಪ್ರೀತ್ಯರ್ಥಂ, ಪುತ್ರಾಭಿಲಾಶ ಕಾಮ್ಯರ್ಥಂ/ಧನಾಭಿಲಾಶ ಕಾಮ್ಯರ್ಥಮ್, ಪುತ್ರಿವಿವಾಹಾರ್ಥ ಕಾಮ್ಯಾರ್ಥಂ, ಆಯುರಾರೋಗ್ಯ ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯ ಕಾಮ್ಯಾರ್ಥಮ್, ಭೀಷ್ಮಪಂಚಕ ವ್ರ್‍ಅತಂ ಕಾರ್ತೀಕ ಶುದ್ಧ ಏಕಾದಶಿಮಾರಭ್ಯ ಪೂರ್ಣಿಮಾಪರ್ಯಂತಂ, ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣಸುವಾಸಿನಿ ಪೂಜಾ ಮುಖೇನ, ಮಯಾ ಉಪವಾಸಾಚರಣ ಮುಖೇನ, ಭೀಷ್ಮಪಂಚಕ ವ್ರತಂ ಅಹಂ ಕರಿಷ್ಯೇ.
भीष्मपंचक व्रत संकल्प -
आचमन, चतुर्विंशति नामस्मरण, केशवाय…………………श्रीकृष्णाय नम: ।
प्रणमस्य परब्रह्म………………..चांद्रमानेन ……..संवत्सरे, दक्षिणायणे, शरदृतु, कार्तीकमासे, शुक्लपक्षे, दशम्यां, शुभतिथौ, …….वासरे,…..नक्षत्रे, ……योगे, ….करणे, एवंगुण विशेषण विशिष्ठायां, शुभतिथौ, भारतीरमण मुख्यप्राणांतर्गत, श्री लक्ष्मी नरसिंह/वेंकटेश प्रेरणॆय, ………..प्रीत्यर्थं, पुत्राभिलाश काम्यर्थं/धनाभिलाश काम्यर्थम्, पुत्रिविवाहार्थ काम्यार्थं, आयुरारोग्य ऐश्वर्य काम्यार्थम्, भीष्मपंचक व्र्‍अतं कार्तीक शुद्ध एकादशिमारभ्य पूर्णिमापर्यंतं, ब्राह्मणसुवासिनि पूजा मुखेन, मया उपवासाचरण मुखेन, भीष्मपंचक व्रतं अहं करिष्ये.
BheeShmapanchaka vrata sankalpa -
Achamana,  chaturvimshati naamasmaraNa kEshavaaya…………. .shrIkRuShNaaya nama: |
praNamasya parabrahma RuShi:paramaathmaadEvataa. …chaandramaanEna ….samvatsarE, dakShiNaayaNE, sharadRutu, kaartIkamaasE, shuklapakShE, dashamyaam, shubhatithou, …vaasarE, …nakShatrE, ……yOgE, ..karaNE, EvanguNa vishEShaNa vishiShThaayaaM, shubhatithou, bhaaratIramaNa muKyapraaNa antargata, shrIlakShmI narasiMha/ vEnkaTEsha prEraNeya, ..prItyartham, putraabhilaasha kaamyartham/ dhanaabhilaasha kaamyartham, putrivivaahaartha kaamyaartham, AyuraarOgya aishvarya kaamyaartham, bhIShmapanchaka vRatam kaartIka shuddha Ekaadashim aarabhya pUrNimaaparyantam, braahmaNa suvaasini pUjaa muKEna, mayaa upavaasaacharaNa muKEna, bhIShma panchaka vratam aham kariShyE.
4. Arghya -
Those who are doing the Bheeshma Panchaka Vratha must give three arghyaas for all the five days. Those who are not doing the vratha must give Arghya on Magha Shudda Astami i.e., Bheeshmastami day.
ಭೀಷ್ಮತಿಲತೋಯ ಮಂತ್ರ :
ವೈಯಾಗ್ರಪಾದಗೋತ್ರಾಯ ಸಾಂಕೃತಿಪ್ರವರಾಯ ಚ |
ಗಂಗಾಪುತ್ರಾಯ ಭೀಷ್ಮಾಯ ಪ್ರದಾಸ್ಯೇಹಂ ತಿಲೋದಕಂ |
ಸತ್ಯವ್ರತಾಯ ಶುಚಯೇ ಗಾಂಗೇಯಾಯ ಮಹಾತ್ಮನೇ |
ಭೀಷ್ಮಾಯ ಚ ದದಾಮ್ಯರ್ಘ್ಯಂ ಆಜನ್ಮ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚಾರಿಣೇ |
ತಿಲತೋಯಾಂಜಲಿಂ ತಸ್ಯೇ ಪ್ರದದಾಮಿ ಮಹಾತ್ಮನೇ ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮ ಜಲಾರ್ಘ್ಯ ಮಂತ್ರ -
ಸವ್ಯೇನಾನೇನ ಮಂತ್ರೇಣ ತರ್ಪಣಂ ಸಾರ್ವವರ್ಣಿಕಮ್ |
ದ್ಯುವಸೋರವತಾರಾಯ ಶಂತನೋರಾತ್ಮಜಾಯ ಚ |
ಅರ್ಘ್ಯಮ್ ದದಾಮಿ ಭೀಷ್ಮಾಯ ಆಜನ್ಮಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚಾರಿಣೇ |
ವೈಯಾಗ್ರಪಾದಗೋತ್ರಾಯ ಸಾಂಕೃತ್ಯ ಪ್ರವರಾಯ ಚ |
ಅಪುತ್ರಾಯ ದದಮ್ಯೇತತ್ ಜಲಂ ಭೀಷ್ಮಾಯ ವರ್ಮಣೇ |
भीष्मतिलतोय मंत्र :
वैयाग्रपादगोत्राय सांकृतिप्रवराय च । गंगापुत्राय भीष्माय प्रदास्येहं तिलोदकं ।
सत्यव्रताय शुचये गांगेयाय महात्मने । भीष्माय च ददाम्यर्घ्यं आजन्म ब्रह्मचारिणे ।
तिलतोयांजलिं तस्ये प्रददामि महात्मने ॥
भीष्म जलार्घ्य मंत्र -
सव्येनानेन मंत्रेण तर्पणं सार्ववर्णिकम् । द्युवसोरवताराय शंतनोरात्मजाय च ।
अर्घ्यम् ददामि भीष्माय आजन्मब्रह्मचारिणे । वैयाग्रपादगोत्राय सांकृत्य प्रवराय च ।
अपुत्राय ददम्येतत् जलं भीष्माय वर्मणे ।
BheeshmatilatOya mantra :
vaiyaagrapaadagOtraaya saankRutipravaraaya cha |
gangaaputraaya bhIShmaaya pradaasyEham tilOdakam |
satyavrataaya shuchayE gaangEyaaya mahaatmanE |
bhIShmaaya cha dadaamyarGyam Ajanma brahmachaariNE |
tilatOyaanjalim tasyE pradadaami mahaatmanE ||

Bheeshma jalaarGya mantra -
savyEnaanEna mantrENa tarpaNam saarvavarNikam |
dyuvasOravataaraaya shantanOraatmajaaya cha |
arGyam dadaami bhIShmaaya AjanmabrahmachaariNE |
vaiyaagrapaadagOtraaya saankRutya pravaraaya cha |
aputraaya dadamyEtat jalam BIShmaaya varmaNE |
5. Deepadaana -
On all the five days throughout the day the lamp must be burning unfailingly. Every day deepa daana to be given to brahmana-suvasiniyaru.
6. Brahmana bhojana -
Except on Ekadashi on all the other days, we have to prepare bhakshya, bhojya, do naivedya and after srihari samarpana, Theerthaprasada to be arranged for Brahmana-suvasiniyaru. The one who is doing the vratha must take Theertha only. He must do the fasting. In exceptional cases when he is not able to sustain the Fasting, then he can take Milk, Fruit, like light items that too for jeevadhaarane purpose only. He has to observe fasting as long as possible and only when it is impossible he can take some light food.
7.  Naivedya – During Bheeshma Panchaka, Naivedya must be done with pancha vidha bhakshya
8. Panchagavya prashana – Daily he must take panchagavya
9. Theertha-Gandha-akshate – This is a kamya vratha. He has to take Theertha thrice and put Gandha-akshate as usual (except Ekadashi)
10. Duties during Vratha – Pratha: snaana, he must not talk about the loukika vyavahara, tila tarpana to bheeshmacharya, daily pooja, suvarna daana, deepa daana, Shastra shavana, etc.  He has to observe Brahmacharya during the period
11. Udyapane – Those who are doing Bheeshma Panchaka must do the sankalpa on Dashami itself and do the udyapane same day. Then five upavasa from Ekadashi to Hunnime. On Padya after pooja, brahmana bhojana he has to take the theerthaprasada. That is how the vratha comes to an end.