Agnipurana 56
English (machine translation) 56
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Contents
56.1
The Lord said: / I shall declare the fivefold consecration: the image itself is Puruṣa, / the pedestal is Prakṛti, Lakṣmī, and consecration is the union of the two.
56.2
Therefore consecration is performed by men desiring the fruit of their wishes. / Having drawn out the center-cord in front of the temple, the guru [should construct]
56.3
a pavilion of eight, sixteen, or up to twenty [cubits], lowest and so forth; / half of it for bathing and water-jars, and for sacrificial materials.
56.4
With a third or half portion, one should make a beautiful altar.
56.4.p1
[Notes]
56.4.p2
1. "pratimādravyamucyate" is the reading in the manuscripts marked kha and ṅa.
56.4.p3
2. "garbhasūtrantu nirmāya" is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa. / [Page 158]
56.4_2
One should adorn it with jars, small pots, canopies, and the like.
56.5
Having sprinkled all materials with the five products of the cow, one should place them. / Adorned, the guru, having meditated on Viṣṇu, should worship himself.
56.6
With rings and the like, bracelets and the like, [he should honor] the guardians of the icons; / and he should station the guardians of the icons, who are proficient, at each fire-pit,
56.7
in the square, semicircular, circular, and lotus-like [fire-pits]. / In the east and other [directions], for the archways: the pippala, uḍumbara, banyan,
56.8
and the very beautiful plakṣa [trees]. The eastern [archway] is Subhadra; the southern archway / is Sukarma; and in the western and northern [directions], the heights [are called] Suhotra [and Saumya].
56.9
Having erected [an archway] of five cubits, one should worship it with “syonā pṛthivī...”. / At the base of the pillar of the archway, jars with auspicious sprouts
56.10
one should place, and above it one should make the Sudarśana discus. / The wise man should make a banner measuring five cubits,
56.11
and he should make its width measure sixteen inches; / or, O best of gods, one should make its fire-pit seven cubits high.
56.12
Reddish-brown, fire-like, black, white, and yellow; / red-colored and white, in the order of white and other colors:
56.13
Kumuda, Kumudākṣa, Puṇḍarīka, then Vāmana, / Śaṅkukarṇa, Sarvanetra, Sumukha, and Supratiṣṭhita.
56.14
Endowed with ten million qualities, the banner deities in the east and other directions are to be worshipped. / The jars, resembling ripe bimba fruit, should be well filled with an āḍhaka of water.
56.14.p1
[Notes]
56.14.p2
1. "samāhitaḥ" is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa.
56.14.p3
2. "śvetavarṇakramāt dhvajāḥ" is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa.
56.14.p4
"kṛṣṇavarṇaḥ kramāddhvajāḥ" is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa. / [Page 159]
56.15
One hundred and twenty-eight [pots], devoid of dark adornment, / with gold, with cloth-wrapped necks, and with water, outside the archways,
56.16
are the pots to be placed, beginning in the east; and at the corners of the altar / one should place four pots with the mantra, "Smell [the jar]."
56.17
Having invoked Śakra and the others into the pots, he should worship them in order from the east: / "Come, O Indra, king of the gods, thunderbolt in hand, seated on an elephant!
56.18
Protect my eastern door together with the gods; homage to you!" / Having worshiped Indra with the "trātāram" mantra, the wise man should make an offering.
56.19
"Come before [us], possessing the spear, seated on a goat, endowed with strength! / Protect the south-eastern quarter with the gods; accept the worship; homage to you!"
56.20
One should worship him with the mantra, "Agni is the head...", or with: "Homage to Agni!" / "Come, O Yama, seated on a buffalo, staff in hand, possessed of great strength!
56.21
Protect the southern door, O Vaivasvata; homage to you!" / One should worship Yama with this [mantra]: "To Vaivasvata, the gathering-place..."
56.22
"Come, O Nairṛta, rich in swords, accompanied by troops and a mount! / Here is the water offering, here is the foot-washing water; protect the south-western quarter!"
56.23
A man should worship him with the mantra, "This is your [share], O Nairṛta...", with the water offering and the rest. / "O Varuṇa, mounted on a makara, noose in hand, possessed of great strength,
56.24
come, protect the western door, protect it; homage to you!" / The guru should worship King Varuṇa with the "uruṃ hi" [mantra] and with water offerings and the like.
56.25
"Come, O Vāyu, with your army, banner in hand, with your mount! / Protect the north-western quarter together with the gods and the Maruts; homage to you!"
56.25.p1
[...]
56.25.p2
[Apparatus note 1: "śaktihasta" is the variant reading in manuscript ṅa]
56.25.p3
[Apparatus note 2: "agnimūrdhveti arghyādyair" is the variant reading in manuscript kha]
56.25.p4
[Apparatus note 3: "naravāhanasaṃyuta" is the variant reading in manuscripts kha and ṅa]
56.26
And with "The wind..." and so forth he should offer homage, or with "Homage to Vāyu." / "Come, O Soma, with your army, mace in hand, with your mount!
56.27
Protect the northern door, along with Kubera; homage to you!" / Or one should worship with: "Soma the king...", or indeed, "Homage to Soma!"
56.28
"Come, O Īśāna, with your army, trident in hand, mounted on a bull! / Protect the north-eastern quarter of the sacrificial pavilion; homage to you!"
56.29
One should worship with "Lord of this [world]...", or with: "Homage to Īśāna." / "Come, O Brahmā, seated on a swan, your hands occupied with the sruc and sruva ladles!
56.30
Protect the upper direction of the sacrifice together with the worlds, O Unborn One; homage to you!" / One should worship with "The Golden Embryo...", or: "Homage to Brahmā!"
56.31
"Come, O Ananta, endowed with the discus, seated on a tortoise, lord of the serpent hosts! / Protect, protect the downward direction, O Lord Ananta; homage to you!" / One should worship with "Homage to the serpent...", or with: "Homage to Ananta."
56.31.p1
Thus ends the fifty-sixth chapter, named "Sacrifice to the Guardians of the Directions", in the great Agni Purāṇa.
56.31.p3
Now begins the fifty-seventh chapter.
56.31.p4
The ritual of preliminary consecration of the jars.
Other recensions (1)
- Agnipurāṇa (Nag Publishers edition, Delhi) — Sanskrit
Linked texts (1)
- Agnipurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit