Garudapurana 1.43

The glorious Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa — [Chapter] 43.
Hari said:
I shall explain the investing with the purifier of Hari, which bestows enjoyment and liberation. / Formerly, in the war between the gods and asuras, Brahmā and the others went for refuge.

And Viṣṇu gave those gods a banner and a necklace. / Seeing these two, the Dānavas will perish, Hari told them.

When Viṣṇu had spoken, the serpent, the younger brother of Vāsuki, then said: / Choose this boon called 'purifier', O Bull-bannered One [Śiva]!

The necklace given by Hari shall attain renown under my name. / When this was spoken by him, those gods recognized that boon by his name.

During the rainy season, mortals who do not worship with purifiers — / their annual worship shall become fruitless.

Therefore, the investing with the purifier should be performed in succession for all deities, / from the first lunar day up to the full moon, on whatever lunar day is prescribed for each.

For Viṣṇu it should be performed on the twelfth day, either bright or dark, O Hara; / also at a vyatīpāta, at a solstice, and at an eclipse of the moon or the sun, O Śiva;

For Viṣṇu, also in rites of prosperity and upon the arrival of a guru. / The purifier is prescribed as regular, but in the rainy season it is mandatory.

It may be made of wild silk, woven silk thread, cotton, or flax; / for the twice-born it may be kuśa thread, for kings wild silk or woven silk,

For Vaiśyas woven cloth or flax, for Śūdras made from hemp or bark. / Cotton and lotus-fiber are praised for all, O Lord.

The thread, spun by a Brahmin woman, is threefold and made threefold. / The Praṇava (oṃ), then Śiva, Soma, Agni, Brahmā, the Serpent, Ravi,

Vighneśa, and Viṣṇu — these deities are situated in the threads. / Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra are remembered as the deities in the threefold thread.

One should place it in a vessel of gold, silver, copper, bamboo, or clay. / Sixty-four [threads] measured by the thumb is best, half of that is middling,

And half of that is the lowest; or one hundred and eight threads / is the highest, middling, and lowest in order, as before.

Knots are remembered [spaced] by the measure of a thumb for the highest, / by the middle finger for the middling, and by the little finger for the lowest.

For a temple and for an altar, this is the general characteristic. / And one should make a purifier consecrated to Śiva on an image.

Reaching to the heart, navel, or thigh, or hanging down to the knees; / four knots are remembered with one thousand and eight [threads],

Or thirty-six, twenty-four, or twelve knots / are to be known for the highest and other [types], or the purifier is measured by finger-joints.

Smeared with saffron or with turmeric and sandalwood, / fasting, one should perform the preliminary consecration of the purifier situated in a vessel.

Placed in cups of peepal leaves in the eight directions: / a staff of wood and the tips of kuśa grass in the east with Saṃkarṣaṇa;

With yellow pigment and saffron with Pradyumna in the south; / for the sake of war and for the attainment of fruits, with Aniruddha in the west;

Sandalwood mixed with indigo, as well as sesame, ashes, and unbroken grains: / in the corners beginning with the south-east, one should place them in order for the deities.

Having consecrated the purifier with Vāsudeva once and again, / having looked upon it, worshiped it further, and covered it carefully with a cloth,

It should be placed in front of the deity or the image's mandala, / in the west, south, and north in order, as before.

Having also established Brahmā and the others, one should also worship the water-pot. / Having made a mandala with the weapon-mantra, one should offer the food offering.

Having performed the preliminary consecration of the purifier with a threefold or new thread, / having encircled the altar, oneself, the water-pot, the ghee,

The fire-pit, the temple, the pavilion, and the house, / taking one thread, one should place it upon the head of the deity.

Having offered it, one should recite this mantra after worshiping Maheśvara: / 'You are invoked, O Lord of gods, for worship, O Supreme Lord;

I shall worship you in that morning; be present near the provisions!' / Having consecrated the purifier for one night or three nights,

Having kept vigil at night, and having fully worshiped Keśava in the morning, / one should invest in order the superior, middling, and inferior [purifiers].

Having censed the purifier, one should consecrate it with the mantra, / and worship the knotted [purifier] that has been muttered over with flowers and the like.

And worshiped with the Gāyatrī, having fully worshiped the deity with it, one should offer it. / Together with one's sons, wife, and others, one should hold the fringe of threads.

'Possessing pure knots, lovely, destroyer of great sins, / causing the destruction of all sins, O Lord, I hold it before you.'

Having worshiped thus with incense and other offerings, one should present the middling and other [purifiers]. / 'The purifier, the Vaiṣṇava splendor, destroyer of all sins —

For the attainment of dharma, desire, and wealth, I wear it upon my neck.' / Having worshiped the forest-garland, one should offer it with its own mantra.

Having presented various food offerings, one should offer the oblation of flowers and the like. / Having satisfied the fire there also, with a measure of twelve finger-breadths,

One should offer a single purifier with one hundred and eight [oblations]. / First having offered water-oblation to the Sun, one [should offer] a purifier there as well.

Then, having worshiped Viṣvaksena and the preceptor with water-offerings and the like, O Hara, / standing with folded hands, one should recite the mantra in front of the deity:

'Whatever worship and other rites have been performed by me knowingly or unknowingly, / may all that be complete by your grace, O Lord of gods!

With garlands of pearls and corals, and with mandāra flowers and the like, / may this annual worship belong to you, O Garuḍa-bannered One!

Just as the forest-garland and the Kaustubha jewel are constantly upon your chest, O Lord, / so do you wear upon your heart this purifier, the garland of threads.'

Having prayed thus, having fed the twice-born and given them a priestly fee,
one should dismiss [the deity] in the very same way in the evening or on the following day.

"Having properly performed this annual worship through me, / go now to the realm of Viṣṇu, O pavitraka, having been dismissed."

Thus ends the forty-third chapter, named 'The Bestowal of the Pavitra on Viṣṇu', in the Ācārakāṇḍa, belonging to the first part in the earlier section of the glorious Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa.