Matsya Purana 239: adhyāyaḥ 239

239.1

grahayajñādīnāṃ vidhānavarṇanam.

Manu said — Lord! How should a king perform Gṛiha yogya Lakṣa homa and Koṭi homa the dispeller of all evils? pray tell me all about them I want to hear in details the methods how these sacrifices are to be done by a king wanting to avert the danger and desirous of Sānti—1 2

239.2

manuruvāca.
grahayajñaḥ kathaṃ kāryo lakṣahomaḥ kathaṃ nṛpaiḥ.
koṭihomo'pi vā deva! sarvapāpapraṇāśanaḥ .. 239.1 ..

239.3

kriyate vidhinā yena yaddṛṣṭaṃ śānticintakaiḥ.
tatsarvaṃ vistarāddeva! kathayasva janārdana! .. 239.2 ..

239.4

matsya uvāca.
idānīṃ kathayiṣyāmi prasaṅgādeva te nṛpa.
rājñā dharmaprasaktena prajānāñca hitepsunā .. 239.3 ..

Lord said —' King! I shall answer your question fully please listen to me' A sovereign who has the well being of his subjects at heart should always perform Gṛiha yajna and Lakṣa homa Gṛiha yajna should be performed at the confluence of rivers as well as before the Divine images and on the plains First a king should find out a suitable spot in company of his preceptor and Rṛtvikas which should be a level piece of ground A sacrificial pit measuring one hand in length and breadth should be dug then The sacrificial pit for a Lakṣa homa should be of double the size (i e, two hands in length and breadth) and that for a Koṭi homa, four times (i e, four hands in length and breadth) - 3 6 There should be two Ṛitvikas and eight Brâhmaṇas well versed in the Vedas who should live on fruits or curds and milk before they perform the sacrifice Various kinds of gems should be thrown by them oir the pit, the enclosure of sand should be made and afterwards sacrificial fire should be lit—7 8

239.5

grahayajñaḥ sadā kāryo lakṣahomasamanvitaḥ.
nadīnāṃ saṅgame caiva surāṇāmagratastathā .. 239.4 ..

239.6

susame bhūmibhāge ca daivajñādhiṣṭhito nṛpaḥ.
guruṇā caiva ṛtvigbhiḥ sārddhaṃ bhūmiṃ parikṣayet .. 239.5 ..

239.7

khanet kuṇḍañca tatraiva susamaṃ hastamātrakam.
dviguṇaṃ lakṣahome tu koṭihome caturguṇam .. 239.6 ..

239.8

yugmāsu ṛtvijaḥ proktā aṣṭau vai vedapāragāḥ.
kandamūlaphalāhārā dadhikṣīrāśino'pi vā .. 239.7 ..

239.9

vedyāṃ nidhāpayeccaiva ratnāni vividhāni ca.
sikatāpariveṣāśca tato'gniñca samindhayet .. 239.8 ..

239.10

gāyatryā daśasāhasraṃ mānastokena ṣaḍguṇaḥ.
triṃśadgrahādimantraiśca catvāro viṣṇudaivataiḥ .. 239.9 ..

Ten thousand sacrificial offerings should be made by reciting the sacred Gâyatrî, 6,000 by reciting the formulæ ‘mânâstokenau’ 30 000 by reciting the prescribed formulæ of the Navagrahas (nine planets), 4 000 by reciting the formula sacred to Viṣṇu, 5,000 by reciting the Kûṣmâṇḍda ṛichas, 16 000 by reciting the Kusumâdî formulæ and 10 000 by reciting the Bâdana formulæ, and 14,000 by reciting the formulæ sacred to Lakṣmî, 5 000 by reciting the formulæ sacred to Indra Thus 1 00,000 offerings should be made after which one should bathe out of the sixteen pitchers of the consecrated water containing a piece of gold Such a bath brings peace to the devotee and then presents given to the Brâhmaṇas avert all the ills of the household The sacrificial fees given on such occasions are considered of high merit—9 14

239.11

kuṣmāṇḍairjuhuyātpañca kusumādyaistu ṣoḍaśa.
hotavyā daśasāhasraṃ bādarairjātavedasi .. 239.10 ..

239.12

śriyomantreṇa hotavyāḥ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa.
śeṣāḥ pañcasahasrāstu hotavyāstvindradaivataiḥ .. 239.11 ..

239.13

hutvā śatasahasrastu puṇyasnānaṃ samācaret.
kumbhaiḥ ṣoḍaśasaṅkhyaiśca sahiraṇyaiḥ sumaṅgalaiḥ .. 239.12 ..

239.14

snāpayedyajamānantu tataḥ śāntirbhaviṣyati.
evaṃ kṛte te yatkiñcid grahapīḍā-samudbhavam .. 239.13 ..

239.15

tatsarvaṃ nāśamāyāti dattvā vai dakṣiṇāṃ nṛpa!.
tasmātsarvaprayatnena pradhānā dakṣiṇā smṛtā .. 239.14 ..

239.16

hastyaśvarathayānāni bhūmivastrayugāni ca.
anaḍudgośataṃ dadyādṛtvijāṃ caiva dakṣiṇām .. 239.15 ..

Elephants, horses chariots lands, clothes oxen and 100 cows and buffaloes should be given to the Ṛitvijas (priests)—15

239.17

yathā vibhavasārantu vittaśāṭhyaṃ na kārayet.
māse pūrṇe samāptastu lakṣahomo narādhipa! .. 239.16 ..

Presents should be given according to the means of the devotee and he should never be miserly here Lakṣa homa should be concluded within a month—16-17

239.18

lakṣahomasya rājendra! vidhānaṃ parikīrtitam.
idānīṃ koṭihomasya śruṇu tvaṃ kathayāmyaham .. 239.17 ..

239.19

gaṅgātaṭe'tha yamunā sarasvatyoḥ nareśvara! .
narmadā devikāyāstu taṭe homo vidhīyate ! .. 239.18 ..

Koṭi homa should be performed on the banks of the Ganges, on the confluence of the Yamunâ and the Sarasvatî or on the confluence of the Narmadâ and Devikî—18

239.20

tatrāpi ṛtvijaḥ kāryā ravinandana! ṣoḍaśa.
sarvahometu rājarṣe! dadyādvipre'tha vā dhanam .. 239.19 ..

There should be 16 Ṛitvijas in this Lakṣa homa and presents should be given to Brâhmaṇas on the occasions of each sacrifice—19

239.21

ṛtvigācāryasahito dīkṣāṃ sāmvatsarīṃ sthitaḥ.
caitre māse tu samprāpte kārtike vā viśeṣataḥ .. 239.20 ..

A devotee should first commence the preliminary rites in the month of Chaitra especially in the month of Kārtika, then he should remain initiated for one year with Ṛitvijas and Achâryas and then sacrifice should be performed or he should perform it once every year The devotee should live on fruits or milk—20 21

239.22

prārambhaḥ karaṇīyo vā vatsaraṃ vatsaraṃ nṛpa!.
yajamānaḥ payo bhakṣī phalāśī ca tathānagha! .. 239.21 ..

239.23

yavādivrīhayo māṣāstilāśca saha sarṣapaiḥ.
pālāśāḥ samidhaḥ śastā vasordhārā tathopari .. 239.22 ..

Barley, rice, sesamum, mustard, Mâsakalâi and Palâśa fuel are best for the sacrificial fuel, and streamlets of clarified butter should also be run on walls The priests should be fed with milk during the first month and rice and pulse cooked together, which helps one in Dharma, Kâma, and Artha should be used during the next month—22 23

239.24

māse'tha prathame dadyāt ṛtvigbhyaḥ kṣīrabhojanam.
dvitīye kṛsarāṃ dadyāddharmakāmārthasādhanīm .. 239.23 ..

239.25

tṛtīye māsi saṃyāvo deyo vai ravinandana!.
caturthe modakā deyā viprāṇāṃ prītimāvahan .. 239.24 ..

During the third month they should live on barley gruel and in the fourth month laddûs should be given to the Brâhmaṇa priests—24

239.26

pañcame dadhibhaktantu ṣaṣṭhe vai saktubhojanam.
pūpāśca saptame deyā hyaṣṭame ghṛtapūpakāḥ .. 239.25 ..

During the fifth month they should be given curds and rice, Sattû during the sixth month, mâlapuâs during the seventh month ghevara during the eighth month Samṭhî rice during the ninth month, barley during the tenth month and urada during the eleventh month The Ṛivijas should thus be fed—25 26

239.27

ṣaṣṭhyodanañca navame daśame yavaṣaṣṭikā.
ekādaśe samāṣantu bhojanaṃ ravinandana! .. 239.26 ..

239.28

dvādaśe tvatha samprāpte māse ravikulodvahaḥ.
ṣaḍrasaiḥ saha bhakṣyaiśca bhojanaṃ sārvakāmikam .. 239.27 ..

During the twelfth month they should be given all the various kinds of eatables and fees should be given to them every month The Brâhmaṇas should put on pure clothes (never torn clothes) and perform sacrifice in the noon and the devotee should always remain with the Brāhmaṇas which pleases Indra and other gods and for the satisfaction of the gods animal sacrifice should also be made. Afterwards Agniṣṭoma sacrifice should also be performed, afterwards Purṇāhuti is to be duly performed. In one hundred Homas two hundred Purṇāhutis are to be performed, in one thousand (1,000) Homas twice that (i.e.) 2,000 Purṇāhutis are to be performed, thus up to one lākh Homas, this rule of doubling is to be followed. The Brâhmaṇas should then offer the sacrificial offerings for the Puroḍāśa for the satisfaction of the Devas. Afterwards the devotee should adore the manes, and offer libations as prescribed. Thus the ceremony is completed.—27-33.

239.29

deyā dvijānāṃ rājendra! māsi māsi ca dakṣiṇāḥ.
ahatavāsāḥ samvīto dinārddhaṃ homayecchuciḥ .. 239.28 ..

239.30

tasmāt sadotthitairbhāvyaṃ yajamānaiḥ saha dvijaiḥ .
indrādyādisurāṇāñca prīṇanaṃ sarvakāmikam .. 239.29 ..

239.31

kṛtvā surāṇāṃ rājendra! paśughātasamanvitam.
sarvadānāni devānāmagniṣṭomañca kārayet .. 239.30 ..

239.32

evaṃ kṛtvā vidhānena pūrṇāhutiḥ śate śate.
sahasre dviguṇā devyā yāvacchatasahasrakam .. 239.31 ..

239.33

puroḍāśastataḥ sādhyo devatārthe ca ṛtvijaiḥ.
yukto vasan mānavaiśca punaḥ prāptārcanān dvijān .. 239.32 ..

239.34

prīṇayitvā surān sarvān pitṝneva tataḥ kramāt.
kṛtvā śāstravidhānena piṇḍānāñca samarpaṇam .. 239.33 ..

239.35

samāptau tasya homasya viprāṇāmatha dakṣiṇām.
samāñcaiva tulāṃ kṛtvā baddhvā śikyadvayaṃ punaḥ.. 239.34 ..

A king should give handsome Dakṣinās on the conclusion of this sacrifice. He should give his weight in gold and queen's weight in silver. He should not be led away by avarice. He should give one lâkh umbrellas of gold or silver. In fact if anyone gives away everything in this sacrifice, he will get the benefits of the Râjsûya sacrifice. The Rṛtvijas should then be dismissed.—34-37.

239.36

ātmānaṃ tolayettatra patnīñcaiva dvitīyakām.
suvarṇena tathātmānaṃ rajatena tathā priyām .. 239.35 ..

239.37

tolayitvā dadedrājā vittaśāṭhya vivarjitaḥ.
dadecchatasahasrantu rūpyasya kanakasya ca .. 239.36 ..

239.38

sarvasvaṃ vā dadettatra rājasūyaphalaṃ labhet.
evaṃ kṛtvā vidhānena viprāṃstāṃśca visarjayet .. 239.37 ..

239.39

prīyatāṃ puṇḍarīkākṣaḥ sarvayajñeśvaro hariḥ.
tasmiṃstuṣṭe jagattuṣṭaṃ prīṇite prīṇitaṃ bhavet .. 239.38 ..

Then the following is to be recited: Let the lotus-eyed Hari the Lord of sacrifices be pleased. When Hari is pleased the whole world becomes satisfied.—38.

239.40

evaṃ sarvopaghāte tu devamānuṣakārite.
evaṃ śāntistavākhyātā yāṃ kṛtvā sukṛtī bhavet .. 239.39 ..

Thus I have described to you all the ills due to Devas, men or other beings and show they ought be appeased and the devotee the performer of these three sacrifices becomes virtuous when he does not grieve even in death. In fact nothing more is left for him to accomplish. He gets the benefit of having bathed in all the sacred tirthas.—39-40.

239.41

na śocejjanmamaraṇe kṛtākṛta vicāraṇe.
sarvatīrtheṣu yatsnānaṃ sarvayajñeṣu yatphalam.
tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti kṛtvā yajñatrayaṃ nṛpa! .. 239.40 ..