Agnipurana 78: athāṣṭasaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

78.p1

pavitrārohaṇakathanam

78.p2

īśvara uvāca

78.1

pavitrārohaṇaṃ vakṣye kriyārcādiṣu pūraṇam
nityaṃ tannityamuddiṣṭaṃ naimittikamathāparam

Īśvara said:
I shall explain the investiture with sacred thread (pavitrārohaṇa), which makes rites, worship, and the like complete;
it is designated as regular (nitya), and the other as occasional (naimittika).

78.2

āṣāḍhādicaturdaśyāmatha śrāvaṇabhādrayoḥ
sitāsitāsu kartavyaṃ caturdaśyaṣṭamīṣu tat

On the fourteenth day of the lunar months beginning with Āṣāḍha, and then in Śrāvaṇa and Bhādrapada,
on the fourteenth and eighth lunar days during the bright and dark fortnights, it should be performed;

78.3

kuryādvā kārttikīṃ yāvattithau pratipadādike
vahnibrahmāmbikebhāsyanāgaskandārkaśūlinām

or one may perform it up to Kārttika on lunar days beginning with the first (pratipad),
for Agni, Brahmā, Ambikā, Ganeśa, the Nāgas, Skanda, Sūrya, Śiva,

78.4

durgāyamendragovindasmaraśambhusudhābhujām
sauvarṇaṃ rājataṃ tāmraṃ kṛtādiṣu yathākramam

Durgā, Yama, Indra, Govinda, Kāma, Śambhu, and the gods.
[The thread should be] gold, silver, or copper in the Kṛta and subsequent ages, respectively;

78.5

kalau kārpāsajaṃ vāpi paṭṭapadmādisūtrakam
praṇavaścandramā vahnirbrahmā nāgo guho hariḥ

and in the Kali age, made of cotton, or a thread of silk, lotus fibre, and the like.
The Praṇava, the Moon, Fire, Brahmā, the Serpent, Guha, Hari,

78.6

sarveśaḥ sarvadevāḥ syuḥ krameṇa navatantuṣu
aṣṭottaraśatānyardhaṃ tadardhaṃ cottamādikam

the Lord of All (Sarveśa), and all the gods reside in order in the nine strands.
One hundred and eight, half of that, and half of that [are the strands], from best to lowest;

78.7

ekāśītyāthavā sūtraistriṃśatāppaṣṭayuktayā
pañcāśatā vā kartavyaṃ tulyagranthyantarālakam

or with eighty-one threads, or with thirty-six,

78.8

dvādaśāṅgulamānāni vyāsādaṣṭāṅgulāni ca
liṅgavistāramānāni caturaṅgulakāni vā

The measurements are twelve aṅgulas, or eight aṅgulas across,
or the size of the width of the liṅga, or four aṅgulas.

78.9

tathaiva piṇḍikāsparśaṃ caturthaṃ sarvadaivatam
gaṅgāvatārakaṃ kāryaṃ sujātena sudhautakam

Likewise, touching the pedestal; the fourth is for all deities.
It should be made reaching down to the descent of the Gaṅgā, well formed and well washed.

78.10

granthiṃ kuryācca vāmena aghoreṇātha śodhayet
rañjayet puruṣeṇaiva raktacandanakuṅkumaiḥ

One should tie the knot with the Vāmadeva mantra, and purify it with the Aghora mantra;
he should color it with the Tatpuruṣa mantra using red sandalwood and saffron,

78.11

kastūrīrocanācandrairharidrāgairikādibhiḥ
granthayo daśa kartavyā athavā tantusaṅkhyayā

musk, yellow rocanā, camphor, turmeric, and red ochre.
Ten knots are to be made, or according to the number of threads;

78.12

antaraṃ vā yathāśobhamekadvicaturaṅgulam
prakṛtiḥ pauruṣī vīrā caturthī tvaparājitā

or the interval may be one, two, or four aṅgulas, according to aesthetic balance.
Prakṛti, Pauruṣī, Vīrā, and the fourth is Aparājitā,

78.13

jayānyā vijayā ṣaṣṭhī ajitā ca sadāśivā
manonmanī sarvamukhī granthayo'bhyadhikāḥ śubhāḥ

Jayā, another Vijayā, the sixth Ajitā, and Sadāśivā,
Manonmanī, and Sarvamukhī—the extra knots are auspicious.

78.14

kāryā vā candravahnyarkapavitraṃ śivavaddhṛdi
ekaikaṃ nijamūrtau vā puptake guruke gaṇe

Or the sacred threads of the Moon, Fire, and Sun should be made on the chest, like Śiva's,
or one on each own icon, on the sacred book, on the guru, and on the assembly;

78.15

syādekaikaṃ tathā dvāradikpālakalaśādiṣu
hastādinavahastāntaṃ liṅgānāṃ syātpavitrakam

likewise, there should be one each on the door, the guardians of the directions, the water pots, and the like.
The sacred thread for liṅgas should range from one cubit (hasta) up to nine cubits.

78.16

aṣṭāviṃśatito yuddhaṃ daśabhirdaśabhiḥ kramāt
dvyaṅgulābhyantarāstatra kramādekāṅgulāntarāḥ

From twenty-eight [threads], joined ten by ten in succession, / there they are separated by two aṅgulas, [or] in order by one aṅgula.

78.17

granthayo mānamapyeṣāṃ liṅgavistārasammitam
saptamyāṃ vā trayodaśyāṃ kṛtanityakriyaḥ śuciḥ

The measurement of their knots also corresponds to the breadth of the liṅga. / On the seventh or the thirteenth [tithi], having performed the daily rites, purified,

78.18

bhūṣayet puṣpavastrādyaiḥ sāyāhne yāgamandiram
kṛtvā naimittikīṃ sandhyāṃ viśeṣeṇa ca tarpaṇam

one should decorate the sacrificial pavilion in the evening with flowers, garments, and other articles.

78.19

parigṛhīte bhūbhāge pavitre sūryamarcayet
ācamya sakalīkṛtya praṇavārghyakaro guruḥ

in the marked-out, consecrated precinct of the site, one should worship the Sun. / Having sipped water and performed the complete ritual imposition, the guru, holding the water offering with the praṇava,

78.20

dvārāṇyastreṇa samprokṣya pūrvādikramato'rcayet
hāṃ śāntikalādvārāya tathā vidyākalātmane

having sprinkled the doors with the Astra mantra, should worship [them] in order beginning from the east: / 'Hāṃ, to the door of the Śānti kalā,' and likewise to the one whose essence is the Vidyā kalā,

78.21

nivṛttikalādvārāya pratiṣṭhākhyakalātmane
tacchākhayoḥ pratidvāraṃ dvau dvau dvārādhipau yajet

to the door of the Nivṛtti kalā, and to the one whose essence is the Pratiṣṭhā kalā. / On their two door-jambs, at every door, he should worship two door-guardians:

78.22

nandine mahākālāya bhṛṅgiṇe'tha gaṇāya ca
vṛṣabhāya ca skandāya devyai caṇḍāya ca kramāt

To Nandin, to Mahākāla, to Bhṛṅgin, and then to Gaṇa, / to Vṛṣabha, to Skanda, to Devī, and to Caṇḍa in order.

78.23

nityaṃ ca dvārapālādīn praviśya dvārapaścime
iṣṭvā vāstuṃ bhūtaśuddhiṃ viśeṣārghyakaraḥ śivaḥ

And having entered [past] the daily door-guardians and others at the west of the door, / having worshipped the site deity and performed the purification of the elements, the guru, holding the special water offering and identified with Śiva,

78.24

prokṣaṇādyaṃ vidhāyātha yajñasambhārakṛnnaraḥ
mantrayeddarbhadūrvādyaiḥ puṣpādyaiśca hṛdādibhiḥ

having performed sprinkling and other rites, the person preparing the sacrificial materials / should consecrate them with kuśa grass, dūrvā grass, and the like, with flowers and other offerings, and with the Hṛdaya and other [aṅga-mantras].

78.25

śivahastaṃ vidhāyetthaṃ svaśirasyadhiropayet
śivo'hamādiḥ sarvajño mama yajñapradhānatā

Having thus formed the Śiva-hand, he should place it upon his own head: / 'I am Śiva, the primordial, the omniscient; mine is the preeminence in the sacrifice.'

78.26

atyarthaṃ bhāvayeddevaṃ jñānakhaḍgakaro guruḥ
nairṛtīṃ diśamāsādya prakṣipedudagānanaḥ

The guru, holding the sword of wisdom, should intensely contemplate the Lord. / Having approached the southwest direction, facing north,

78.27

arghyāmbu pañcagavyañca samastān makhamaṇḍape
catuṣpathāntasaṃskārairvīkṣaṇādyaiḥ susaṃskṛtaiḥ

he should cast the water offering and the five cow-products over the entire sacrificial pavilion, / with the purifications culminating in the fourfold path, well purified by gazing and the like.

78.28

vikṣipya vikirāṃstatra kuśakūrcopasaṃharet
tānīśadiśi vardhanyāmāsanāyopakalpayet

Having scattered the loose offerings there, he should collect them with a bundle of kuśa grass;

78.29

nairṛte vāstugīrvāṇā dvāre lakṣmīṃ prapūjayet
paścimābhimukhaṃ kumbhaṃ sarvadhānyopari sthitam

In the southwest one should worship the site deities, and at the door Lakṣmī. / [One should place] the pitcher facing west, set upon all varieties of grain,

78.30

praṇavena vṛṣārūḍhaṃ siṃhasthāṃ vardhanīntataḥ
kumbhe sāṅge śivandevaṃ vardhanyāmastramarcayet

seated upon the bull by means of the praṇava, and then the vardhanī vessel seated upon the lion. / In the pitcher one should worship the divine Śiva with his limbs, and [his weapon] in the vardhanī vessel,

78.31

dikṣu śakrādidikpālān viṣṇubrahmaśivādikān
vardhanīṃ samyagādāya ghaṭapṛṣṭānugāminīm

and in the directions the guardians of the directions headed by Indra, and Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Śiva, and the others. / Fully taking up the vardhanī vessel that follows behind the pitcher,

78.32

śivājñāṃ śrāvayenmantrī pūrvādīśānagocaram
avicchinnapayodhārāṃ mūlamantramudīrayet

the ritual master should proclaim the command of Śiva from the east ending in the northeast. / With an unbroken stream of water, he should recite the root mantra.

78.33

samantād bhrāmayedenāṃ rakṣārthaṃ śastrarūpiṇīm
pūrvaṃ kalaśamāropya śastrārthantasya vāmataḥ

He should carry it around everywhere for protection, [since it is] the embodiment of the weapon. / Having first installed the pitcher, to its left for the sake of the weapon,

78.34

samagrāsanake kumbhe yajeddevaṃ sthirāsane
vardhanyāṃ praṇavasthāyāmāyudhantadanu dvayoḥ

in the pitcher on a complete seat he should worship the God on a firm seat; / in the vardhanī vessel resting on the praṇava, the weapon; thereafter, of the two,

78.35

bhagaliṅgasamāyogaṃ vidadhyālliṅgamudrayā
kumbhe nivedya bodhāsiṃ mūlamantrajapantathā

he should effect the union of the yoni and liṅga with the liṅga mudrā. / Having offered the sword of consciousness in the pitcher, and likewise recitation of the root mantra,

78.36

taddaśāṃśena vardhanyāṃ rakṣāṃ vijñāpayedapi
gaṇeśaṃ vāyave'bhyarcya haraṃ pañcāmṛtādibhiḥ

he should also request protection in the vardhanī vessel with one-tenth of that [recitation]. / Having worshipped Gaṇeśa in the northwest, [and] Hara with the five nectars and other substances,

78.37

snāpayet pūrvavat prārcya kuṇḍe ca śivapāvakaṃ
vidhivacca caruṃ kṛtvā sampātāhutiśodhitam

he should bathe him as before, and having first worshipped the fire of Śiva in the fire-pit,

78.38

devāgnyātmavibhedena darvyā taṃ vibhajet tridhā
dattvā bhāgau śivāgnibhyāṃ saṃrakṣedbhāgamātmani

he should divide it threefold with a ladle into portions for the deity, the fire, and oneself. / Having given two shares to Śiva and the fire, he should reserve a share for himself.

78.39

śareṇa carmaṇā deyaṃ pūrvato dantadhāvanam
tasmādghoraśikhābhyāṃ vā dakṣiṇe paścime mṛdam

A tooth-cleansing stick should be given in the east with the Astra and Kavaca mantras; / clay in the south or west with the Aghora and Śikhā mantras;

78.40

sādyojātena ca hṛdā cottare vāmanīkṛtam
jalaṃ vāmena śirasā īśe gandhānvitaṃ jalam

and in the north, water made fit for sipping with the Sadyojāta and the Hṛdaya mantras; / with the Vāmadeva and Śiras mantras, water endowed with perfume in the northeast;

78.41

pañcagavyaṃ palāśādipuṭakaṃ vai samantataḥ
aiśānyāṃ kusumaṃ dadyādāgneyyāṃ diśi rocanām

the five cow-products in cups of palāśa and other leaves on all sides. / He should offer a flower in the northeast, and yellow orpiment in the southeast;

78.42

aguruṃ nirṛtāśāyāṃ vāyavyāṃ ca catuḥsamam
homadravyāṇi sarvāṇi sadyojātaiḥ kuśaiḥ saha

aloe-wood in the southwest direction, and fourfold perfume in the northwest; / all oblation materials together with freshly gathered kuśa grass;

78.43

daṇḍākṣasūtrakaupīnabhikṣāpātrāṇi rūpiṇe
kajjalaṃ kuṅkumantailaṃ śalākāṃ keśaśodhanīm

a staff, a rosary, a loincloth, and an alms-bowl for the ascetic icon; / collyrium, saffron, oil, an application rod, a comb for cleaning hair,

78.44

tāmbūlaṃ darpaṇaṃ dadyāduttare rocanāmapi
āsanaṃ pāduke pātraṃ yogapaṭṭātapatrakam

betel, and a mirror, and he should also give yellow orpiment in the north; / a seat, sandals, a vessel, an ascetic's strap, and an umbrella

78.45

aiśānyāmīśamantreṇa dadyādīśānatuṣṭaye
pūrvasyāñcarukaṃ sājyaṃ dadyādgandhādikaṃ nave

he should offer in the northeast with the Īśa mantra for the gratification of Īśāna; / in the east he should offer the caru porridge with clarified butter, [and] perfume and other articles in a new [vessel].

78.46

pavitrāṇi samādāya prokṣitānyarghyavāriṇā
saṃhitāmantrapūtāni nītvā pāvakasannidhim

Having taken up the sacred threads, sprinkled them with arghya water, / and purified them with the Saṃhitā mantras, having brought them near the fire,

78.47

kṛṣṇājinādinā''cchādya smaran saṃvatsarātmakam
sākṣiṇaṃ sarvakṛtyānāṃ goptāraṃ śivamavyayam

and covered them with a black antelope skin and the like, remembering the immutable Śiva / whose nature is the year, the witness of all actions, the protector,

78.48

sveti heti prayogeṇa mantrasaṃhitayā punaḥ
śodhayecca pavitrāṇi vārāṇāmekaviṃśatim

with the application of 'svāhā' and 'phaṭ' using the Saṃhitā mantras, / he should purify the sacred threads twenty-one times.

78.49

gṛhādi veṣṭayetsūtrairgandhādyaṃ ravaye dadet
pūjitāya samācamya kṛtanyāsaḥ kṛtārghyakaḥ

One should wrap the temple and other structures with threads, and offer perfume and the like to the Sun. / Having sipped water before the worshipped deity, having performed ritual deposition and offered arghya water,

78.50

nandyādibhyo'tha gandhākhyaṃ vāstoścātha praviśya ca
śastrebhyo lokapālebhyaḥ svanāmnā śivakumbhake

[one should offer] the perfume to Nandin and the others, and of the site, and having entered, / to the weapons and the world-protectors, each by name, in the Śiva pitcher.

78.51

vardhanyai vighnarājāya gurave hyātmane yajet
atha sarvauṣadhīliptaṃ dhūpitaṃ puṣpadūrvayā

He should sacrifice unto the vardhanī pitcher, the lord of obstacles, the guru, and the Self. / Then, [taking] that which is smeared with all medicinal herbs, perfumed with incense, along with flowers and dūrvā grass,

78.52

āmantrya ca pavitraṃ tat vidhāyāñjalimadhyagam
— samastavidhicchidrapūraṇe ca vidhiṃ prati

and invoking that sacred thread, placing it in the middle of his cupped hands: / 'Oṃ, for the fulfillment of the rite and the repair of every ritual defect,

78.53

prabhavāmantrayāmi tvāṃ tvadicchāvāptikārikām
tatsiddhimanujānīhi yajataścidacitpate

I invite you, who bring about the attainment of your desire; / permit its accomplishment for the sacrificer, O Lord of the conscious and unconscious!

78.54

sarvathā sarvadā śambho namaste'stu prasīda me
āmantrito'si deveśa saha devyā gaṇeśvaraiḥ

In every way and at all times, O Śambhu, obeisance be to you; be pleased with me! / You are invited, O Lord of the gods, along with the Goddess, the lords of Gaṇas,

78.55

mantreśairlokapālaiśca sahitaḥ paricārakaiḥ
nimantrayāmyahantubhyaṃ prabhāte tu pavitrakam

accompanied by the lords of mantras, the world-protectors, and your attendants! / I invite you to the sacred thread at dawn,

78.56

niyamañca kariṣyāmi parameśa tu tavājñayā
ityevandevamāmantrya recakenāmṛtīkṛtam

and I shall perform my observance by your command, O Supreme Lord!' / Having thus invited the god, [the sacred thread] made immortal through the out-breath,

78.57

śivāntaṃ mūlamuccārya tacchivāya nivedayet
japaṃ stotraṃ praṇāmañca kṛtvā śambhuṃ kṣamāpayet

uttering the basic mantra ending with Śiva, he should offer it to Śiva.

78.58

hutvā carostṛtīyāṃśaṃ taddadīta śivāgnaye
digvāsibhyo digīśebhyo bhūtamātṛgaṇebhya u

Having offered a third portion of the caru in oblation, he should give that to the fire of Śiva, / and to the quarter-dwellers, the quarter-lords, and the hosts of spirits and mothers,

78.59

rudrebhyo kṣetrapādibhyo namaḥ svāhā balistvayam
diṅnāgādyaiśca pūrvādau kṣetrāya cāgnaye baliḥ

to the Rudras and the protectors of the field: 'Namaḥ svāhā, this is the offering.' / With the elephants of the quarters and the others, in the east and the rest, an offering is made to the field and to Agni.

78.60

samācamya vidhicchidrapūrakaṃ homamācaret
pūrṇāṃ vyāhṛtihomañca kṛtvā rundhīta pāvakam

Having sipped water, he should perform a fire oblation that fills ritual defects. / Having made the full oblation and the vyāhṛti oblation, he should constrain the fire.

78.61

tata omagnaye svāhā svāhā somāya caiva hi
omagnīṣomābhyāṃ svāhāgnaye sviṣṭakṛte tathā

Then: 'Oṃ, to Agni svāhā! Svāhā to Soma indeed! / Oṃ, to Agni and Soma svāhā! Likewise, to Agni Sviṣṭakṛt!'

78.62

ityāhuticatuṣkantu dattvā kuryāttu yojanām
vahnikuṇḍārcitaṃ devaṃ maṇḍalābhyarcite śive

Having thus offered the set of four oblations, he should make the union: / the god worshipped in the fire-pit unto Śiva worshipped in the maṇḍala,

78.63

nāḍīsandhānarūpeṇa vidhinā yojayettataḥ
vaṃśādipātre vinyasya astrañca hṛdayantataḥ

he should then unite by the rite having the form of channel-connection. / Placing it in a vessel of bamboo or the like, then [reciting] the weapon-mantra and the heart-mantra,

78.64

adhiropya pavitrāṇi kalābhirvātha mantrayet
ṣaḍaṅge brahmamūlairvā hṛdvarmāstrañca yojayet

and having mounted the sacred threads, he should consecrate them with mantras by means of the parts; / or with the six limbs, the basic Brahman mantras, he should join the heart, dharma, and weapon.

78.65

vidhāya sūtraiḥ saṃveṣṭya pūjayitvāṅgasambhavaiḥ
rakṣārthaṃ jagadīśāya bhaktinamraḥ samarpayet

Having performed [this], wrapped them with threads, and worshipped with the offerings produced for the limbs, / bowed with devotion, he should present them to the Lord of the universe for protection.

78.66

pūjite puṣpadhūpādyairdatvā siddhāntapustake
guroḥ pādāntikaṃ gatvā bhaktyā dadyāt pavitrakam

When it is worshipped with flowers, incense, and the like, offering [it] to the Siddhānta book, / and going near the feet of the guru, he should present the sacred thread with devotion.

78.67

nirgatya vahirācamya gomaye maṇḍalatraye
pañcagavyañcarundantadhāvanañca kramād yajet

Going out and sipping water outside, on three maṇḍalas made of cow dung,

78.68

ācānto mantrasambaddhaḥ kṛtasaṅgītajāgaraḥ
svapedantaḥ smarannīśaṃ bubhukṣurdarbhasaṃstare

Having sipped water, bound by mantras, having performed vigil with music, / one desiring worldly enjoyment should sleep inside on a bed of darbha grass, remembering the Lord.

78.69

anenaiva prakāreṇa mumukṣurapi saṃviśet
kevalambhasmaśayyāyāṃ sopavāsaḥ samāhitaḥ

In this very manner, one desiring liberation also should lie down, / only on a bed of ashes, fasting and concentrated.

78.69.p1

ityādimahāpurāṇe āgneye pavitrādhivāsanavidhirnāma aṣṭasaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ