Shantikamalakara 8
English (machine translation) 8
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Contents
8.p1
The ritual manual for the life-giving fire oblation.
8.p2
Month after month, or every year, on one's birth star, on a new moon falling on a Saturday, during an astrological transit, on a lunar or solar eclipse, or upon the conjunction of one's birth lunar mansion, or when afflicted by great diseases such as fever, one should perform the life-giving fire oblation to avert untimely death. 1.
Preceded by worship of Vighneśvara, the ritual resolution is: "I will perform the life-giving fire oblation to eliminate such-and-such affliction in me." If [employing] an officiating priest: having chosen the priest with, "We choose you as officiating priest to perform the rite named the life-giving fire oblation for averting such-and-such affliction in me." The officiating priest, having resolved: "I will perform the rite named the life-giving fire oblation to eliminate such-and-such affliction of such-and-such person, born under such-and-such lunar mansion and zodiacal sign," sets up the fire from the tracing of the sacrificial ground up to the carrying forth of the praṇītā water. In the northeast of the fire, having made a square mound with grains of rice, having drawn an eight-petaled lotus, and having placed upon it a pitcher filled with sacred holy water perfumed with musk, saffron, and other scents, adorned with the five barks and five sprouts, along with a coconut and a pair of cloths; having placed in it an image of the deity Mṛtyuñjaya weighing one karṣa, made of gold and purified with the five bovine products; having invoked the deity Mṛtyuñjaya with the mantra 'Tryambakam' and worshipped him with all services; having cooked separately the prāṇa-caru and the āyuṣmat-caru according to the rules of apportioning [oblations], having basted them with ghee, taken them off [the fire] toward the east or north, placed them firmly, and basted them; having performed [the rites] from the preparation of the sacrificial ghee up to the opening of the fire; having taken portions from the āyuṣmat-caru according to the rule of cutting portions, having recited the introductory verse 'āmuṣṭe viśvavato dadhāti', and having offered with the offering-verse 'āyurdā agne'; having cut the sviṣṭakṛt portion, placed it inside the enclosing sticks, and chosen eight, six, or four Brahmins, he offers through them up to one thousand and eight oblations of ghee with the eight hymns of ghee beginning with 'yo brahmā'; and on the final round, having offered with 'viṣṇo tvanno antamaḥ', he drops the residue of the ghee after each svāhā into the prāṇa-caru, saying: 'May the untimely death of so-and-so be destroyed, may his life increase'; he offers with the vyāhṛtis, separately and combined, for each mantra. Then, having offered the sviṣṭakṛt with 'havyavāham', completed the remaining ritual acts such as the jaya offerings, performed worship again in the pitcher, dismissed the deity, and sprinkled with the water-related mantras containing the signs of Varuṇa; outside the enclosing sticks in front of the fire, having poured water with dūrvā grass and unbroken rice grains with the remaining cooked sacrificial food, he offers a propitiatory offering to Rudra with 'namo astu nīlagrīvāya'; having poured water with unbroken rice grains over it as before; having taken portions from the residue-infused prāṇa-caru, he eats it along with his family with 'āyurasi', sips water, touches his belly with the two verses 'yata indra' and 'svastidā'; gives the sacred pot, cloth, image, and other articles to the officiating priest, gives fees to the priests, and according to the gravity of the afflictions, gives gifts of sesame, ash gourd, iron, a black blanket, and other items, gives generous donations, and feeds the Brahmins—so says the venerable Bodhāyana. Some, having offered the principal offering of the āyuṣmat-caru, perform the secondary fire oblations beginning with 'yo brahmā' with that food, firewood sticks, and ghee; the rest is identical.
Thus the ritual manual for the life-giving fire oblation.
8.p3
Now the propitiatory rite procedure for averting untimely death.
8.p4
When untimely death has befallen one, or when one is afflicted for a long time by diseases and calamities, performing this Mṛtyuñjaya ritual procedure as a matter of urgent necessity brings welfare.
8.p5
Now, the warding off of premature death. In the Madanaratna, Bodhāyana states:
Now we shall explain the Mṛtyuṃjaya rite. On one's natal lunar mansion, or on an auspicious lunar mansion, having gratified Brāhmaṇas with food to avert [the ill effects of] three births, and having made them declare 'auspicious day' (puṇyāha), 'welfare' (svasti), and 'prosperity' (ṛddhi), and having performed [the rites] up to the face of the fire beginning with marking out the sacred sacrificial ground, he offers cooked barley grains with the Sāvitrī [verse]. Taking firewood sticks of dūrvā grass, each a span in length, three at a time—either a thousand and eight, or a hundred and eight—having mixed and anointed them with curd, honey, ghee, and milk, he places them [into the fire]:
'Depart, O death, along another path...' (apaitu paraṃ mṛtyoḥ), 'Do not harm our great one...' (mā no mahāntam), 'Do not harm our children...' (mā nas toke), 'The three-eyed one...' (tryambakam),
[and] 'These thousands...' (ete sahasram). Then he offers oblations of ghee: 'May death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, bhūḥ svāhā;
may death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, bhuvaḥ svāhā; may death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, svaḥ svāhā; may death be destroyed, may lifespan increase, bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ svāhā.' Thus, beginning from the sviṣṭakṛt up to the gifting of the excellent cow, the procedure is established. Then, in front of the fire, upon a clump of dūrvā grass, he places the propitiatory offering consisting of the remainder of what was offered [reciting] 'We choose that blessing...' (tac chaṃ yoḥ). Then he gives the sacrificial fee: a cow, a bull, a draft ox, a horse, gold, bronze, or a garment—thus says Bodhāyana.
8.p6
Now, the order of procedure:
The agent, having worshipped eight or four Brāhmaṇas and made them recite the puṇyāhavācana, having made the ritual resolution and established the fire, having cooked the caru with the Sāvitrī [mantra] through the rites of measuring out [grain] and the like, cuts off portions of the caru at the end of the two ghee-portions, recites the Sāvitrī, and offers it right then. Then, offering [bundles of] three dūrvā stalks each, smeared with cow's curd and the like, by sixes, six times, with the six [mantras] beginning with 'Depart, O death' (apaitu mṛtyuḥ); at the end of the dismissal of the Brahman, having poured unbroken rice grains and water in front of the fire upon a clump of dūrvā grass, having offered the propitiatory offering with the remainder of what was offered reciting 'tac chaṃ yoḥ', having poured unbroken rice grains and water, having worshipped the fire, and having saluted the sun, he should feed the Brāhmaṇas.
Thus when performed by oneself.
In the case of the ācārya [performing it], the planetary sacrifice should be performed for three days for the sick.
In the case of an intense illness, it should be performed every day until the cessation of the illness.
8.p7
Now, the offerings of dūrvā and guḍūcī for the Mahāmṛtyuṃjaya rite.
8.p8.1
Now we shall explain the Mahāmṛtyuṃjaya homa: One should perform it in cases of illness, sorcery, protracted illness, planetary affliction, when death approaches, in great diseases, in great calamities, during defects of lunar and solar eclipses, in one's natal lunar mansion, during venomous intervals (viṣanāḍī), at the new-moon conjunction (kuhūyoga), or in other great afflictions. For the sake of removing them, month after month on one's natal lunar mansion, or at each full moon, or in a year, either through an ācārya or oneself, one desiring longevity should perform it. Having bathed, having had the puṇyāhavācana recited, and having controlled the breath, making the ritual resolution: 'I, who desire longevity for [N.N.] Śarman, shall perform the Mahāmṛtyuṃjaya homa,' at the time of gathering the fire and arranging the utensils, he should procure one hundred and thirty-six sets of three dūrvā stalks. Taking pieces of guḍūcī measuring four finger-widths, seating the Brāhmaṇa on darbha grass to the south, silently husking the unhusked rice grains with 'I measure out the unhusked and husked grains,' washing them, preparing the ghee, carrying fire around [the utensils] along with the caru, wiping the sruva and sruc spoons, preparing [them], carrying fire around along with the caru, wiping the sruva and sruc spoons—an oblation of five portions is to be sprinkled. Reciting the preparatory verse (puronuvākyā) 'May he depart, O death, the lord of power from here...', he offers with the concluding offering verse (yājyā) 'O death, depart far away by another path, O men...'; the renunciation is 'this for death, not for me'. Spreading under and taking a portion from the front, reciting the puronuvākyā 'Take a stride, seizing the golden-yellow...', he offers with the yājyā 'Do not cut off, O death...'; both homas are performed with the utterance 'svāhā', with the formulaic designation as before. He offers with ghee and with the great sacred utterances (mahāvyāhṛtis). With the five [mantras] beginning with 'Bhūḥ, homa to Agni, and to the earth, and to the great one, svāhā,' having offered five oblations; now, with sets of three dūrvā stalks: 'May death depart, may immortality come to us; depart far away, O death, along the path, O men, svāhā; / We would attain wind, breath, and old age, svāhā; / May he be yonder, and now if... with deeds, svāhā; / With missiles, Agni... to me, svāhā; / Taking a stride, seizing the golden-yellow, svāhā—this is for the gods; / Do not cut off, O death, do not kill us... wealth, svāhā—this is for Rudra;'
8.p8.2
'O Prajāpati, none other than you... of riches, svāhā; / From which we fear, O Indra... strike down, svāhā; / Giver of welfare... creator of fearlessness, svāhā; / The three-eyed one... not from immortality, svāhā; / Premature death... thousands, svāhā; / To that one... svāhā; / To that one... bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ svāhā.' With these twenty-one mantras he should offer sixteen rounds. This amounts to three hundred and thirty-six oblations. Then, with ghee, he should offer eight rounds, mantra by mantra, with the twenty-one mantras. This amounts to one hundred and sixty-eight oblations. Again with this, with guḍūcī, he offers sixteen rounds with the twenty-one mantras; this amounts to three hundred and thirty-six oblations. And again, in an eight-round cycle, he should offer with guḍūcī verse by verse with the twenty-one mantras. Then, having offered with the great sacred utterances, having sliced off the portion for the sviṣṭakṛt, he offers the sviṣṭakṛt homa: 'The carrier of oblations, vanquishing assailants... we call upon, O Agni, that which is well offered, life, svāhā.' Then, having offered the jaya oblations and the rest, then having smeared the enclosing sticks, and having completed up to the water-sprinkling accompanied by recitation, he places the remainder of the offering in front of the fire on the dūrvā stalks. With the two [mantras], 'All indeed is Rudra, homage to that Rudra... may all being... be,' he should present it. Saying 'O Agni, giver of life, protect this one, svāhā,' he places a firewood stick into the fire. Having stood in worship reciting 'Turn by day to Jātavedas...', he should present the oblation consisting of the remainder of what was offered and the remainder of the ghee with the five [mantras] beginning with 'Agni possesses life'. With the five [mantras] beginning with 'Agni possesses life', and again with the twenty-one verses, having consecrated the caru, saying 'You are life, you are all-life... may I go,' he eats the entire remainder of the caru, sips water, and touches his belly. With the two verses 'From which, O Indra...' and 'Giver of welfare...', having given a choice gift to the guru, having gazed into the ghee with the mantra 'Form by form...', and having given the ghee...
8.p8.3
Having given sacrificial fees to the officiating priests and the brāhmaṇas, he should feed the brāhmaṇas with sweet cakes and ghee-cooked milk porridge. Having done this, he becomes long-lived. From a fire oblation of ten thousand offerings, he attains a long life; from a fire oblation of a hundred thousand offerings, he attains a life of a thousand [years]. Such is the Mṛtyuṃjaya propitiatory rite declared by Baudhāyana. In this fire that has been set up, [with mantras] beginning with 'Jātavedas, samidh…' down to 'in the eyes with ghee'—here the principal [deities are]: Death twice, with the hymn to Rudra, Agni, great Pṛthivī, Vāyu, great Antarikṣa, Āditya, great Dyu, Candramas, the nakṣatras, great Dyu, the gods, the ancestors, Bhūḥ, etc., with ghee. Then again here the principal [deities are]: Vaivasvata, the Lord of Śacī, the two Aśvins, Agni, Hari, Mṛtyu, Rudra twice, Prajāpati, Indra the generous, Indra who grants fearlessness, Tryambaka, Agni, Mṛtyu, Jātavedas, Agni, Jātavedas, Pāvaka, Vaiśvānara, Vaidyuta, Agni, Vāyu, Sūrya, Prajāpati—verse by verse in sixteen rounds with pieces of guḍūcī together with triads of dūrvā grass. Again, with those very [verses], verse by verse in eight rounds with ghee. Again, with those very [verses], verse by verse in sixteen rounds with pieces of guḍūcī. Again, with those very [verses], verse by verse in eight rounds with ghee. Again here the principal deities: Agni, great Pṛthivī, Vāyu, great Antarikṣa, Āditya, great Dyu, Candramas, the nakṣatras, great Dyu, the gods, the ancestors, Bhūḥ, etc., with ghee. With the remainder, [an offering to Agni] Sviṣṭakṛt, and with the kindling-binding cord, Rudra, and the Jaya [mantras], etc. Thus ends the guḍūcī propitiatory rite in the fire oblation for longevity.
8.p9
In the Ṛgvidhāna: / 'One who is afflicted with a terrible disease that takes away life / should fast on a fourteenth [tithi] of the dark [fortnight] and offer caru [in fire] / with that hymn to Rudra, verse by verse, restraining his speech and pure. / Having first made ghee oblations and then worshipped Śaṅkara, / he should sustain himself on the remainder of the sacrificial offering, living in seclusion and vigilant. / When a month has elapsed, he conquers death and is freed from diseases.' / In that very work: / 'A twice-born should indeed worship King Yama with the hymn / and prepare a pot-cooked grain offering sacred to Yama during the two fortnights. / On the eighth and on the fourteenth [tithi], he should worship with an offering of havis. / He should employ the hymn-mantra: "pareyivāṃsaṃ pravato…".'
8.p10
Now, the increase of lifespan by an easily accomplished means.
8.p11
'For one who fears premature death, I know no remedy. / Even so, having consulted the treatises, I declare a propitiatory rite that brings happiness. / With the mantras from the stotra dear to Dharmarāja, he should offer havis. / On the full-moon day of Vaiśākha, he should always perform this rite.' (1) / In that very work: / 'Reciting "param mṛtyo…", the twice-born should take refuge in Mṛtyu alone, / eating saktu, taking measured food, always lying on a straw mat.' (2) / 'Death does not carry away this man before his full lifespan, nor his children or offspring. / Living on fruits, he conquers death; taking measured food, he subdues [death] in three [years].' / Or in that very work: / 'When one regards any dear friend as having a depleted lifespan, / having bathed well, he should touch his head with [the mantra]: "yatte 'yam…". / He should recite it a thousand times for five days; he attains life. / And he should anoint him with ghee using the hymn of Sindhudvīpa. / He should lie down upon his bed daily reciting this mantra. / Living in his house, he should constantly employ [the mantra]: "jīvāmi…". / Anointing his limbs with stream-water, he becomes happy and free from fever.' / Others, such as the worship of a hundred thousand clay lingas, should be understood from my earlier work, the Kamalākara. / Likewise, consecratory sprinkling of Rudra with sesame oil accompanied by the Rudra [hymn] is also an avoidance of premature death. / And we shall explain the ritual procedure for Rudra. / Thus ends the warding off of premature death.
8.p12
Remedy for drought
8.p13
Now, the propitiatory rite for drought. In the Ṛgvidhāna:
8.p14
'One desiring rain should employ the hymn ending with "athāvaha…". / Restricting his diet, wearing wet clothes, it rains before long. / Having offered ten thousand reeds of cane smeared with milk into the fire / with this water hymn, he indeed obtains great rain.' / In that very work: / 'Wading into water up to the navel, facing east, self-controlled and pure, / he should worship the sun with the two hymns known as Trivṛt. / The meaning is: "tisro vācaḥ pra vada…", "parjanyāya pra gāyata…", etc. / It must be recited without eating by one who desires rain with effort. / When five nights have passed, he obtains great rain.' / Or likewise in that very work: / 'Desiring rain, having restricted his food, he should take refuge in Bṛhaspati / with milk porridge as a presentation and with fire oblation, endowed with reverence. / One desiring rain should employ [the mantra]: "bṛhaspate ati yad aryaḥ…". / And having paid homage to Parjanya, he obtains excellent rain.'
8.p15
Thus the drought [rite]. Vaikhānasa [states]:
Now then, we shall explain Parjanya [rites for] rain. Having first worshipped brāhmaṇas who have mastered the Veda, having worshipped an image of Varuṇa, standing in water, having meditated on Varuṇa, he recites the verses beginning with 'tat savituḥ' quarter by quarter without taking breath, beginning with the Veda. He recites the five-verse hymn 'imam me varuṇa', the six-verse hymn 'ud uttamam', 'yad anti yac ca', 'ud āyuṣā maham', 'indro ya ojasā', 'vācam indriyeṇa', 'yo venaḥ', that ten-verse hymn, the Maitrāvaruṇī [hymn], 'asau yā', the hymn to Varuṇa, to Prajāpati, 'varuṇāya vāyave', these two hymns of 'hiraṇyavarṇāḥ', 'pavamānaḥ', 'vṛṣā so aṃśuḥ', 'sindhor ucchvāse', all the anuvākas, 'suvarṇam', 'sahasraśīrṣā', 'adbhyas saṃbhūtaḥ', 'ādityo vā', 'pṛthivīṃ sam'—having recited these anuvākas, having stepped out of the water, facing the west, having recited eleven times the anuvāka beginning with 'pīvo'nnām', and having again recited four anuvākas beginning with 'māruto 'si', he should recite aloud three times: 'Come, O Parjanya! Come, O Varuṇa! Come, O Lord of the waters! Produce, produce the east wind! Calm, calm the west wind! Grant abundant rain immediately, O Parjanya, om!' Reciting 'nibhaṇḍakasutaḥ śrīmān', 'ṛṣyaśṛṅgāya', 'yasmātkāśeṣu', he should sacrifice a two-coloured [animal] sacred to Mitra and Varuṇa; reciting the four anuvākas beginning with 'māruto 'si', he should sing 'parjanyāya pragāyata' which bestows rain; having recited 'āpo hi ṣṭhā' and 'hiraṇyaśṛṅgam', wearing white clothes, then having made the ritual resolution, 'I shall perform the Parjanya fire oblation', having established the fire according to rule, he should offer twenty oblations of grains with 'purovāto varṣan'. The abandonment of intention is: 'To the east wind'. Then, having offered the Jaya and other [oblations] and the full oblation, he should perform the recitation for peace. An image of Varuṇa [is given] to the preceptor and sacrificial fees to the officiating priests. Such is the general rule for Parjanya.
Thus ends the propitiatory rite for Parjanya.
8.p16
Now the general rule for the mantras enjoined in the Ṛgvidhāna.
8.1
In the same work:
Punaścaraṇa performed first brings success to rituals.
Having had his hair, beard, body hair, and nails shaved, bathed and pure, // 1
8.2
he should remain day and night, pure, fasting, restrained in speech,
speaking the truth, and he should then mutter purifying verses and the vyāhṛtis. // 2
8.3
Having muttered the praises beginning with the syllable Oṃ, the Sāvitrī verse 'tat [savitur]',
the hymn 'āpo hi ṣṭhā', the Śuddhavatī verses, the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn, // 3
8.4
the Śaṃvatī verses, the Svastimantrī verses, and likewise the Pāvamānī verses—
all this is to be employed at the beginning and the end of rites everywhere. // 4
8.5
He should mutter [them] up to a thousand or a hundred times, or a tenth of that.
Or [he should mutter] the syllable Oṃ, the three vyāhṛtis, and the Sāvitrī ten thousand times.
Likewise, the preceptor should offer water libations to the seers, metres, and deities.
Taking refuge, he should mutter the group of Virūpākṣa and Raudra mantras. // 5
8.6
He should not speak with non-Aryans, nor with śūdras, nor with censured persons,
nor with a menstruating woman, nor with outcasts, nor with low-caste people. // 6
8.7
Endowed with auspicious conduct, bathing three times a day, O king,
at the end of twelve nights he should prepare a pot-cooked grain offering. // 7
8.8
He should offer oblations to Agni, then to Soma, and a third to both together,
and one to the Viśvedevas, and one to Rudra, and likewise to the northern [deities]: // 8
8.9
to the Lord of the dwelling, and likewise to Mamatā,
another to Dhanvantari, and also to the Gandharvas and Apsarases. // 9
8.11
(The tenth is declared to Brahmaṇaspati, and an excellent one to Brahmā,
likewise to Sarasvatī, and the last is to Sviṣṭakṛt.) // 10
Ghee oblations are indeed [offered] first; when the pot-cooked grain offering is offered, having offered [it]
into the fire, he should satisfy the brāhmaṇas and assign [offerings] to the ancestors. // 11
8.12
Pure and restrained in speech, he should eat the remnant of the oblation according to rule.
Likewise, having performed the Prājāpatya-kṛcchra penance, and also the Cāndrāyaṇa penance and others, // 12
8.13
completely purified in self through these vows, he should perform rites unwearied;
he then obtains all desired wishes, there is no doubt. // 13
8.14
Broken grains, oilcake, and buttermilk are each a means of purification.
Purified thus, he should perform rites with mantras to worship. Thus:
He should fast for three nights before all rites,
or observe three nocturnal fasts; then he should begin the ritual. // 14
8.15
Likewise:
Everywhere he should give a sacrificial fee or a gift that grants the attainment of one's wish;
for there is no ritual without a sacrificial fee, says Śaunaka. // 15
8.16
According to ability, he should give a full vessel as measured, or ten bulls,
or whatever pleases the guru. // 16
8.16_17
Thus ends the mastery of mantras spoken in the Ṛgvidhāna.
8.16_18
Now the ritual of the Śrīsūkta.
8.16_19
In the Ṛgvidhāna:
He who desires the boon-granting goddess Śrī to remain constantly in his family,
becoming pure and self-controlled, should offer ghee daily.
Desiring prosperity, he should constantly mutter the fifteen verses of Śrī;
he should invoke Śrī into a lotus or into gold with the five [verses]. // 1
8.16_20
He should prepare presents and minor offerings: white edible foods, milk, curds,
and a pot-cooked grain offering of rice cooked with milk. // 2
8.16_21
Purified by the Cāndrāyaṇa penance, self-restrained, he should seek refuge in Śrī,
having bathed with all potent herbs and purifying waters. // 3
8.16_22
The consecratory sprinkling of a king is performed with 'upaitu māṃ devasakhaḥ';
the consecratory sprinkling of one desiring cattle is performed with 'manasaḥ kāmam'. // 4
8.16_23
Desiring offspring, pure and observing vows, one should bathe with 'kardamena';
desiring a kingdom, pure and observing vows, one should bathe with 'aśvapūrvām'. // 5
8.16_24
A brāhmaṇa should bathe on a red hide according to rule;
a king on a tiger skin, but a kṣatriya on the hide of a ruru deer; // 6
8.16_25
a vaiśya on a goat skin. Next, the fire oblation is to be performed.
With 'candrām', a twice-born should offer lotuses with ghee. // 7
8.16_26
With the verse 'ādityavarṇe', an oblation of bilva [leaves or fruits] is prescribed;
or the fire may be established at the base of a bilva tree, and the twice-born should offer the pot-cooked grain offering. // 8
8.16_27
A fire oblation of ten thousand [offerings] is the first rule for one desiring prosperity;
having properly offered a million, he obtains endless prosperity. // 9
8.16_28
Having muttered [it] ten thousand times or a hundred times, he enjoys prosperity;
he obtains endless, unbroken, and eternal prosperity. // 10
8.16_29
If unable, muttering alone [suffices]: one [method] is ten thousand times, another [a higher number];
having properly muttered a million times, he obtains endless prosperity. // 11
8.16_30
Having muttered [it] ten thousand times or a hundred times, he enjoys prosperity.
He should daily offer lotuses [...]. // 12
8.16_31
Having seen Śrī, the twice-born should indeed cease [...];
eating bilva, dwelling under a bilva tree, [he offers] clean bilva [fruits/leaves] with ghee. // 13
8.16_32
In twenty-one nights he attains supreme perfection. / One whose desires are true obtains lotuses or bilvas. // 14
8.16_33
Here, in the Viṣṇudharma, Puṣkara said: / 'The fifteen verses beginning "hiraṇyavarṇāṃ hariṇīm", O twice-born, / are called the sacred Śrīsūkta in the Ṛgveda, which increases prosperity. // 15
8.16_34
Likewise, the four verses beginning "rathe akṣeṣu vājeṣu": / this sūkta is declared in the Yajurveda to increase prosperity. // 16
8.17
Likewise, the Sāman beginning "śriyaṃ dhāḥ" is proclaimed in the Sāmaveda. / And that beginning "śriyaṃ dhātā mayi dhehi" is taught in the Atharvaveda. // 17
8.18
Whoever recites the Śrīsūkta with devotion, his misfortune is destroyed. / And whoever, knowing duty, performs homa, especially with sacrificial food (haviṣya), // 18
8.19
if a man endowed with devotion performs homa in fire / with ten thousand lotuses smeared with ghee by means of the Śrīsūkta, O best of the Bhṛgus, // 19
8.20
Lakṣmī, holding lotuses in both hands, waits upon him who worships her. / And whoever performs homa in water with a hundred thousand lotuses, // 20
8.21
Lakṣmī never departs from his family, just as [she never leaves] the chest of Viṣṇu. / Having offered ten thousand bilva fruits smeared with ghee in the same manner, O Rāma, / he obtains abundant wealth as long as he desires. // 21
8.22
By a homa of a hundred thousand bilva fruits, he attains the Fortune of his family. / Or one should perform a koṭi-homa of lotuses or bilva fruits. // 22
8.23
He surely attains the realm of truth (Satyaloka) and even the status of Indra. / Having duly worshipped the boon-granting goddess with white lotuses or other blossoms, // 23
8.23_35
with milk, incenses, supreme rice offerings, and edible foods according to the ritual, he attains fortune.' / Thus ends the ritual of the Śrīsūkta in the Viṣṇudharmottara.
8.23_36
Now, the lustration rite (nīrājana).
8.23_37
There itself, Puṣkara said: / 'In the north-eastern direction from the city, in a delightful spot, / the king should have an expansive and very charming pavilion erected. // 1
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Protected with mats, strewn with kuśa grass, adorned with banners and flags, / he should have three auspicious archways (toraṇa) made facing eastward. // 2
8.23_39
A structure of sixteen [cubits] is to be made there, O best of the Bhṛgus; / to the south of the archway, it should be made according to the site. // 3
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The worship of the deities should take place there, as well as the rite of offering into the fire. / With a five-colored thread, charming with a hundred knots, // 4
8.23_41
he should make a middle garland of a hundred loops at the central archway; / having covered it with kuśa grass, he should cover it again with joy. // 5
8.23_42
All living beings must zealously avoid crossing over it; / it should not be crossed over until [it has been crossed] first by the royal elephant. // 6
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When the sun, having left Citrā, enters Svātī, / it is to be performed from then on, as long as the sun remains in Svātī. // 7
8.23_44
Every day in the pavilion, the gods should be worshipped, O best of the twice-born: / Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śambhu, Śakra, as well as Vāyu and Agni; // 8
8.23_45
Vināyaka, Kumāra, Varuṇa, Dhanada, Yama, / the Viśvedevas, O illustrious one, and Ucchaiḥśravas; // 9
8.23_46
the eight great elephants should be worshipped—hear their names from me: / Kumuda, Airāvata, Padma, Puṣpadanta, then Vāmana, // 10
8.23_47
Supratīka, Añjana, and Nīla; these eight are of divine origin. / Worship of the planets and lunar mansions should likewise be performed by the royal priest. // 11
8.23_48
Then, well-concentrated, the royal priest should make offerings in the fire / to the designated deities with the mantras containing their indicative marks; // 12
8.23_49
and for those without specific mantras, with the Praṇava, O mighty-armed one: / firewood sticks of milky sap trees, and likewise white mustard seeds, // 13
8.23_50
ghee, sesame seeds, O righteous one, and unbroken rice grains. / And having offered, he should prepare sacred pots filled with water and accompanied by grains, // 14
8.23_51
marking nut (bhallā), black mustard, white mustard, sweet flag (vacā), costus (kuṣṭha), and priyaṅgu, / to the west of the archway, with the sacred pots prepared beforehand. // 15
8.23_52
Then the best elephants should be bathed with [water] sanctified by mantras, / and having adorned the magnificent horses, then praised, // 16
8.23_53
then the consecratory sprinkling of the [king's] person and of that horse [takes place]. / Then ball of cooked food (piṇḍa) should be given by the royal priest, invoking victory. / When it is accepted, victory is proclaimed for the king. // 17
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If otherwise, it is to be known that great danger has approached him. / Then the elephants should be led out first under the archway. // 18
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Even among them, O Rāma, first the best elephant that underwent consecration; / before it, another elephant, a man, or a five-clawed animal should not be brought. // 19
8.23_56
If any crossing animal should cross it, one should predict the king's death. / If the royal elephant should cross over it with its left foot, // 20
8.23_57
there will be harm to the queen, the royal priest, the ministers, and the royal princes. / One should predict the death of the king if it steps upon [the cord]. // 21
8.23_58
If it crosses over it with its right [foot], it declares victory for the king. / Then all the elephants should exit through the archways, facing eastward. // 22
8.23_59
Then the horses, O illustrious one; then the best of men; / then the parasol, the banner, and whatever royal insignia there are. // 23
8.24
Having placed them in the pavilion, he should worship them and the weapons. / Those protective cords (pratisarā) which were made with five-colored thread, // 24
8.25
perfuming them with the mantra "dhūr asi", the royal priest should tie them / on all the royal elephants and horses, O descendant of Bhṛgu. // 25
8.26
Then the elephants along with the horses are to be led to their own stables; / as long as the sun remains in Svātī, they should be kept in shade, // 26
8.27
and one should constantly honour them, O Rāma; one should not scold them nor beat them. / One should always worship all the royal emblems in the pavilion. // 27
8.28
Worship of Varuṇa and worship of the spirits should take place at night with excellent propitiatory offerings. / The astrologer and the royal priest should constantly reside in the pavilion, // 28
8.29
as well as the chief equine physician and the best elephant physician; / they should be initiated and remain celibate. // 29
8.30
When the sun, having left Svātī, enters Viśākhā, / he should decorate the mounts especially in that grove: // 30
8.31
elephants, horses, the parasol, the sword, the chariot, the kettle-drum, / the banner, and the flag; one who knows righteous duty and proper time should consecrate them with mantras. // 31
8.32
Here the mantras for the parasol and other items are to be known: / Then, having consecrated all of them, he should make the elephants and horses run. / Immediately after, around a heap of blazing firebrands, // 32
8.33
the king, well-concentrated, accompanied by his fourfold army and / surrounded by all his troops, should circumambulate for three nights.' // 33
8.33_60
The king, preceded by his army, having gone to one house, / and having worshiped the bridal lodging, should then abandon everything. / This propitiatory rite called Nīrājana is also productive of well-being and prosperity. / Thus ends the Nīrājana.
8.33_61
Now, the Ghṛtakambala.
8.33_62
In the Viṣṇudharmottara: / The king said: / "O lord, declare to me the propitiatory rite named Ghṛtakambala." / Puṣkara said: / "One should have a chamber for the propitiatory rite erected in the north-eastern direction. / The mantras for the consecratory sprinkling are those declared by me previously. // 1
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One should prepare a place there for those gods and others; / then, having fasted, one should perform the invocation and the bath there. // 2
8.33_64
With an abundance of perfumes, garlands, and the like, the minister and the royal priest / should perform the worship of the gods, for all those that have been established. // 3
8.33_65
Having thus performed the worship, those three, having fasted, / should arise and perform the propitiatory rite when the final third of the night remains. // 4
8.33_66
Having made them tenfold there, he should bathe that king. / And formerly the bath was similarly accomplished with white mustard seeds. // 5
8.33_67
With a full pitcher of ghee, the knower of time [recites] with the mantra: / 'Ghee is designated as splendour, the supreme remover of all sins. // 6
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Ghee is the nourishment of the gods; the worlds are established in ghee. / Whatever sin has come upon you, earthly, atmospheric, or divine, // 7
8.33_69
let all of that go to destruction by the contact of ghee.' / Then the king should go to the sacrificial altar in front of the Virūpākṣa rite, / placing ahead the astrologer and the royal priest. // 8
8.33_70
A bathing altar adorned with flowers should be prepared by the king, / handsomely beautified with four full pitchers in the intermediate directions. // 9
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Four skins with their necks turned eastward should be brought: / of a bull, of a leopard, and likewise of a lion and a tiger. // 10
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O Rāma, on top of those skins he should place an auspicious seat. / There, upon the well-spread seat, one should cover the king with new clothes: / first with cotton garments, then with woollen, and then with silk ones. // 11
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Then the twice-born should bathe him with full pitchers. / Eight pitchers should be prepared, or indeed twenty-eight, // 12
8.33_74
or one hundred and eight, O Rāma, an increase consisting of such groups. / Then, having removed the garments upon that sacrificial altar, the royal priest, // 13
8.33_75
filled with wrath, should pierce an earthen umbrella with a trident. / Then the astrologer himself should give the sacred pot to the king, / firmly prepared and well-honoured with the mantra of royal consecratory sprinkling. // 14
8.33_76
Jyotiṣmatī, Trāyamāṇā, Abhayā, Aparājitā, / Jīvā, Viśveśvarī, Pārā, Namaṅgā, then Abhayā, // 15
8.33_77
Sahā, and Sahadevī, Pūrṇakośā, Vaśataṃvarī, / Ariṣṭikā, Śivā, and Bhadrā—he should place these into the sacred pot; // 16
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Brāhmī, three māṣas of vacā, all seeds, gold, / auspicious items as obtainable, all medicinal extracts, / jewels, all perfumes, and bilva with vikaṅkata. // 17
8.33_79
Having thus bathed and looked at his face in ghee and likewise in a mirror, / having touched auspicious objects, dressed in washed garments, concentrated in mind, // 18
8.33_80
and then having worshiped the deities and others individually, / [the royal priest] should offer [oblations] into the fire for those very [deities] with their names in the dative case, // 19
8.33_81
preceded by Om, the benevolent royal priest should offer ghee. / The worship of the weapons should be performed, followed by the worship of the vehicles. // 20
8.33_82
Having worshiped the royal insignia and decorated his own body, / he should apply unguent consecrated with the mantra 'gandhadvārām...'. // 21
8.33_83
'Give splendid fortune consisting of धातु' should be the mantra for flowers. / And 'rāyaspoṣa...' is recorded as the mantra for adorning with ornaments. // 22
8.33_84
Having performed the worship of Keśava, he should then go to the place of the fire. / To the north of the fire, upon the aforementioned skins with their necks turned eastward, // 23
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he should place a lion-throne adorned with supreme coverings behind it. / Having spread the skin of a bull, and above that the skin of an elephant, // 24
8.33_86
and above the two, the skin of a lion, and after that of a tiger; // 25
8.33_87
O Rāma, he should lay down these skins with their necks turned eastward. / With the mantra 'dhruvā dyauḥ...', he should seat the king upon them. // 26
8.33_88
Then the pure royal priest should offer ghee with the Brahma-mantras, / with mantras to Rudra, Viṣṇu, Vāyu, the Śaktis, Soma, and Varuṇa, // 27
8.33_89
and with mantras to Bṛhaspati; then he should perform the concluding ritual procedure. / Restrained in mind, the astrologer should perform the dismissal of the deities. / Having fed the brāhmaṇas with food, he should then give priestly gifts. // 28
8.33_90
Thus the Ghṛtakambala ritual in the Viṣṇudharmottara.
8.33_91
Now, the propitiatory rite that accomplishes all purposes in the Agni Purāṇa.
8.33_92
"I shall declare the bath that brings about propitiation and accomplishes all purposes; listen. / The discerning person should bathe the householder on the river bank, // 1
8.33_93
in a temple when afflicted with fevers and portents, or when tormented by Vināyaka's spirits; / in a center of sacred learning, by a lake, in a house, or at a sacred bathing-place for one who desires silent recitation. // 2
8.33_94
He should bathe a pregnant woman with milks at an aśoka tree, or in a lotus pond; / and where an offspring has been born and died, having reached the presence of an aśoka tree. // 3
8.33_95
And at sacred bathing places with holy waters, and for those who have sons at the ocean; / in the house for auspicious fortune and beauty; and for all in the presence of Viṣṇu. // 4
8.33_96
The bath is best for everyone in the lunar mansion of Viṣṇu, in Revatī, or in Puṣya. / Listen also to the preparation seven days prior for one who desires the bath: // 5
8.33_97
punarnavā, rocanā, śatahva, reddish tvac, / madhūka, the two rajanīs, tagara, nāgakesara, // 6
8.33_98
asurā, mañjiṣṭhā, māṃsī, ground barley, / priyaṅgu, white mustard, auspicious vacā, brāhmī, and saffron. // 7
8.33_99
Having rubbed [the body] with the five bovine products mixed with roasted barley flour, he should take the bath. // 8
8.33_100
In the mandala, on the pericarp, he should worship Viṣṇu and Brahmā. / In the centre first the Destroyer of Desire, with mantras according to the directions starting from the east. // 42
8.33_101
He should depict the gods Indra and the others with their weapons and vehicles. / He should make the bathing mandalas in the cardinal and intermediate directions. // 10
8.33_102
He should also offer thousands [of oblations] for Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Īśa, Śakra, and the others. // 11
8.33_103
Or one hundred and eight firewood sticks together with sesame seeds for each one. / Bhadra, Subhadra, Siddhārtha, Kalahā, Puṣṭivardhana, // 12
8.33_104
Āmoda, Citrabhānu, Parjanya, and Sudarśana: / he should place these water-pots, along with the two Aśvins and the Marut-hosts. // 13
8.33_105
May the Viśvedevas, the Ādityas, the Vasus, and the sages, / and the lords of śrāddha be well-pleased, as well as the other deities. (14)
8.33_106
One should throw medicinal herbs into the pitcher: jayantī, vijayā, jayā, / śatāvarī, śaṅkhapuṣpī, viṣṇukrāntā, aparājitā, (15)
8.33_107
jyotiṣmatī, and balā; sandal, uśīra, saffron, / musk, camphor, bāluka, patraka, and cinnamon bark, (16)
8.33_108
nutmeg, fragrant earth, and a pala of bovine products. / Standing in the center on an auspicious seat, the best of the twice-born should place [them]. (17)
8.33_109
The royal consecratory sprinkling, the offering of oblations to the deities according to the mantras individually; / then, having given the final oblation, one should give a sacrificial fee to the preceptor. (18)
8.33_110
Indra, consecrated by his preceptor, slew the Daityas of old; / by the bath of the Guardians of the Directions, [he] conquered again in battle, it is said. (19)
8.33_111
Thus the propitiatory rite for obtaining all aims in the Agni Purāṇa.
8.33_112
Now, the Bath in a Single Garment.
8.33_113
In the Vīrasiṃhāvaloka, from the Rudrayāmala: / Sambhu was requested by Śukra, having bowed down to the Teacher of the Universe: (1)
8.33_114
"Tell me in detail, O Lord, the rite of the single garment." (2)
8.33_115
"Listen with care, O Bhārgava, to that which destroys sorrow and widowhood, / [and] by the performance of which garment rite barrenness vanishes. (3)
8.33_116
With the mantra 'śivo nāma', before the sun has risen, / one should draw in order an eight-petaled lotus with white rice grains. (4)
8.33_117
According to the procedure prescribed in the Veda, with mantras, and with hymns according to the Vedic ritual: / the five-faced, ten-armed, three-eyed Lord of Pārvatī— (5)
8.33_118
one should place the god in the lotus with the mantra 'śivo nāma'; / Indra with the mantra 'viśve[devāsaḥ]'—Indra in the south-east corner; (6)
8.33_119
the worship of Yama in the south with the mantra 'ye ceha'; / Sanaka and the others in the south-west with the mantra 'ye devāḥ'; / one should place Varuṇa in the west with the mantra 'tat tvā yāmi'; (7)
8.33_120
the Lord of Gaṇas in the north-west with the mantra 'gaṇānāṃ tvā'; / the Mothers of Embryos in the north with the mantra 'abhigotreṇa'; (8)
8.33_121
and one should install all the planets in the north-east with their respective mantras; / or one should place Kāma in the east with the seasonal mantras. (9)
8.33_122
In the middle of that, one should place a pitcher [and] fill it with sacred water, / accompanied by a full vessel in the middle, endowed with all medicinal herbs, (10)
8.33_123
together with gold, together with cloth, and accompanied by a coconut; / and having first performed the consecration, one should perform the worship with mantras. (11)
8.33_124
And there one should recite the Śrīrudra with its six limbs according to the prescribed rules; / then the worship should be performed according to rule by both husband and wife. (12)
8.33_125
Having duly worshipped, then having bathed, (13)
8.33_126
the śrāddha named Nāndīmukha should again be performed according to rule. / [The woman] should eat the middle funeral rice ball with the mantra 'garbho 'si'. (14)
8.33_127
Prayer after recitation: / 'O King, Lord of the western quarter, O Master, ruler over the waters! / Dispeller of lost pregnancies, grant me the desired embryo! (15)
8.33_128
Rivers, streams, ponds, and likewise other bodies of water / do not shine without you; O Lord of waters, grant an embryo! (16)
8.33_129
Whatever sin from a previous birth was committed by myself, / standing even here in the water, grant an embryo; be pleased! (17)
8.33_130
You are the lord of sixty-six crore sacred places, of rivers and the rest, / and of the seven seas; grant me an embryo! (18)
8.33_131
You alone hold the noose in hand, and you alone are the lord of the waters; / and water is the life of living beings; grant an embryo; be pleased! (19)
8.33_132
In your left hand is water, and in your right hand is the life-giver; / and on your head is a reddish matted lock; grant an embryo, have mercy! (20)
8.33_133
Cutting through obstacles, O Lord, grant an embryo, have mercy!' (21)
8.33_134
Thus the prayer to water. The prayer to medicinal herbs: / 'Ever the lord of the treasures of all the world's stars and planets, / I am your servant, O master; grant an embryo, O great herb!' (22)
8.33_135
The wise man knowing all mantras should give to the desirous woman / a fruited branch of the udumbara tree with the mantra 'oṣadhaḥ somarājī'. (23)
8.33_136
The suspension of the branch should be made, pure in heart and mind; / holding dūrvā grass, a coconut, and unbroken rice grains in the hand, / devoted to the recitation of hymns, one should perform the worship of Varuṇa. (24)
8.33_137
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Soma, Kāmadeva, the one whose mount is a bull [Śiva], / Pārvatī, Subhagā, Bhadrā, Sāvitrī, and the deity of the dwelling— (25)
8.33_138
these two bright garments, whole, having great deities, / and delightful with every ornament: by tying [them], auspiciousness arises. (26)
8.33_139
With mudga beans, rice grains, wheat, barley, kaṅgu millet, good rice, / and rājamāṣa beans, the wise person should worship his vessel. (27)
8.33_140
Placing a lamp there and likewise seven fruits, / one should cause meditation and bath to be performed with the mantra 'dhānāvantaṃ'. (28)
8.33_141
Coconut, orange, pomegranate, citron, / ucathya, betel nut, and the seventh is declared to be damana: (29)
8.33_142
'Resembling a tortoise back on the surface, filled with milky water, / having three eyes, having Śambhu as deity: O coconut, giver of a son! (30)
8.33_143
Round, glowing with golden color, having good seeds, very charming, / cool like frost: O orange, give an embryo to me! (31)
8.33_144
Equal to the orb of the moon, filled with many seeds, / fragrant, having Soma as deity: O citron, give an embryo! (32)
8.33_145
Whose flower is like the rising sun, whose fruit is like vermilion, / whose interior is full of seeds: because of this, O pomegranate, give an embryo to me! (33)
8.34
That fruit which has the Discus-bearer as its deity, like a thread of gold, / filled with the womb of wisdom: grant an excellent embryo! (34)
8.35
The betel nut has the Sun as its deity, with radiance like red lac dye; / fresh, the best among fruits: may it ever grant an embryo to me! (35)
8.36
Auspicious in all festivals, having all gods as deities, / resembling gorocana: may the madana fruit grant an embryo!' (36)
8.37
Thus the auspicious [rite] with fruits. Now the bath with medicinal herbs: / Vardā, varā, carā, snā, ekākī, vacakī, / coriander, turmeric, and bahulā: these are remembered as the sarvauṣadhis. (37)
8.38
The consecratory sprinkling with all medicinal herbs with the mantra 'yā oṣadhīḥ'; / placing a bamboo vessel on the head with the hand, O Bhārgava, (38)
8.39
the wise one, having recited individually all the mantras spoken in the Ṛgveda beginning with 'tat tvā yāmi', / should then bathe the married couple. (39)
8.40
[Then] the purifying mantras belonging to Varuṇa, then "Varuṇo 'ttabhanāt", / "Ete śatam", "Imaṃ me", and "Idam āpaḥ punantu mām".
8.41
These mantras from the Yajurveda, having reached the head according to explanation, / "Ghṛtavatī", "Bhuvanānā[m]", and the purifying [Pāvamānī] verses repeatedly.
8.42
From the Sāmaveda, then, the Varuṇa-sāman, [the verses] to Pāvaka, and [to] Sarasvatī.
8.43
With "Śaṃ no devī" and the Atharvan mantras, the bath is prescribed.
8.44
Then a bath with the recitation of the Rudra [mantras] is to be performed by one desiring a son.
8.45
Then, O descendant of Bhṛgu, having established the fire on an auspicious leveled ground,
8.46
According to this rule declared in the Gṛhyasūtras, one should cook the milk porridge caru.
8.47
The two Āghāra oblations and the two portions of ghee are to be given; there, oblations of ghee [are made],
8.48
[With] "Apāṃ pṛṣṭham", "Ni hotā", and likewise "Punas tvā" [with a] firewood stick,
8.49
"Vājaḥ purastāt", "Agne tvam", "Adātyam", and "Garbham",
8.50
Then "Sarasvatī yonyām", then for the wives beyond that,
8.51
With the mantra "Adityā rāsnāsi", the Ṛṣis,
8.52
And "Garbho asyoṣadhīnām"; oblations [are offered] in order at the end of the mantras.
8.53
Having offered the caru with these mantras, one should then offer to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt.
8.54
One should give a bull to the Brahman priest, and likewise a milch cow to the ācārya; / to the other Brahmins as well, according to one's wish, again for protection.
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Linked texts (1)
- Śāntikamalākara — Kamalākarabhaṭṭa 1587, Sanskrit