Agnipurana 68

English (machine translation) 68

Language: English

68.9 — 3 parts
68.18 — 5 parts

68.1

The Lord said:
And I shall declare the rite of the festival when the deity has been established; one should perform [it]
in that year, for one night, three nights, or eight nights.

68.2

Since without a festival the establishment would become fruitless,
at a solstice, an equinox, at the god's lying down, in a garden, or in a house,

68.3

or when favourable to the sponsor, one should have the procession of the deity performed,
with the sowing of auspicious sprouts and with singing, dancing, and instrumental music.

68.4

Shallow dishes, small pots, and bowls are beneficial for raising sprouts;
barley, rice, sesame, mung beans, wheat, white mustard,

68.5

horsegram, black gram, and flat beans—having washed them, one should sow them.
And one should make an offering beginning in the east, wandering through the town at night with lamps,

68.6

to Indra and others, to Kumuda and others, and to all spirits.
Those who follow there, bearing forms corresponding [to the deities],

68.7

gain the fruit of a horse sacrifice at every step; of this there is no doubt.
Having come to the abode of the deity, the guru should address the deity:

68.8

'The procession to the sacred ford which is to be performed tomorrow, O best of gods,
deign in every way, O god, to permit its undertaking!'

68.9

Having thus petitioned the deity, he should then begin the rite;
and with the two sprout-pots he should approach the decorated altar.

68.9.p2

1 'śayanotthāpane gṛhe' is the reading in the manuscript marked kha; 'śayanotthāpane hareḥ' is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa.

68.9.p3

2 'samācaret' is the reading in the manuscript marked ga.
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Having four pillars, in its middle on a svastika [diagram] he should place the image;
[or] having placed on painted cloths [an image] for the desired purpose, he should perform the preliminary consecration there.

68.11

Together with the Vaiṣṇavas, the wise one should perform anointing with ghee from the base,
or a consecration by aspersion with a stream of ghee throughout the entire night.

68.12

Showing a mirror, offering waving of lights and an auspicious ceremony with song and instrumental music,
fanning, worship, and lamp, he should worship with perfumes, flowers, and the like.

68.13

[When] turmeric, mung bean, saffron, white powder, and the like [are placed] on the head
of the image, the fruit of all sacred fords is obtained by the devotees.

68.14

Having bathed and thoroughly worshipped the festival icon mounted on a chariot,
the guru should lead it to rivers with musical sounds, umbrellas, and the like, [accompanied by] the guardians of the realm.

68.15

Within a yojana of the river, he should erect an altar;
having brought him down from the vehicle, he should place him upon that altar.

68.16

There he should cook a sacrificial porridge, and then offer an oblation of milk-rice;
then he should invoke the sacred fords with Vedic mantras addressing the waters.

68.17

With the Upaniṣadic verses beginning 'āpo hi ṣṭhā', he should worship with the water offering and other principal rites;
taking the god again and performing the sin-cleansing rite in the water,

68.18

he should bathe with the leading citizens and brāhmaṇas; having raised him, he should set him on the altar.
Having worshipped him, on that very day he should bring him to the temple;
and the guru should worship him residing in the fire; he will bring worldly enjoyment and liberation.

Other recensions (1)

Agnipurāṇa (Nag Publishers edition, Delhi) — Sanskrit

Linked texts (1)

Agnipurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit