Matsya Purana 267: adhyāyaḥ 267

267.1

devapratiṣṭhāvidhivarṇanam.

Sûta said :—"I shall now tell you briefly how an image is installed and the best way of offering Arghya --1

267.2

sūta uvāca.
athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi devasnapanamuttamam.
arghasyāpi samāsena śrṛṇutvaṃ vidhimuttamam .. 267.1

267.3

dadhyakṣatakuśāgrāṇi kṣīraṃ dūrvā tathā madhu.
yavāḥ siddhārthakāstadvadaṣṭāṅgo'rghaḥ phalaiḥ saha .. 267.2

Arghya consists in the offering of eight things viz., of curds, uncooked rice Kuśa, milk Dûrvâ grass, honey, barley and mustard (Siddhârathak) Fruits should also be offered The earth of the stable, elephant yard, chariot house, anthill, earth dug out by a wild boar, that of a sacrificial hollow, of the cowshed and of the beds of the sacred rivers like the Ganges, etc, should be placed in the jar (kumbha) by reciting the mantra "Udhṛitâsı, etc," and afterwards the jars should be filled with water by reciting the mantras "Śannodevî, etc" and "Âpohiṣṭhâ, etc" —24

267.4

gajāśvarathyāvalmīkavarāhotkhātamaṇḍalām.
agnyāgārāttathā tīrthād vrajād gomaṇḍalādapi .. 267.3

267.5

kumbhe tu mṛttikāṃ dadyāduddhṛtāsīti mantravit.
śannodevītyapāṃ mantramāpohiṣṭheti vai tathā .. 267.4

267.6

sāvitryādāya gomūtraṃ gandhadvāreti gomayam.
āpyāyasveti ca kṣīraṃ dadhikrāvṇoti vai dadhi .. 267.5

Cow's urine should be placed after reciting the sacred Gâyatrî, cowdung by reciting "Gandhadvârâ," milk after reciting "Âpyâyasva," curds by reciting "Dadhikrâvna," clarified butter after reciting 'Tejosî, etc," water after reciting "Tad Devasya—tvâ etc" All these are mixed and then Kuśa is thrown therein Thus Pañchagavya is prepared The idol should be bathed with this Panchagavya of the jar thus filled in —5-6

267.7

tejosīti ghṛtaṃ tadvaddevasyatveti codakam.
kuśamiśraṃ kṣipedvidvān pañcagavyaṃ bhavettataḥ .. 267.6

267.8

snāpyātha pañcagavyena daghnā śuddhena vai tataḥ.
dadhikrāvṇoti mantreṇa snāpayed ratnavāriṇā .. 267.7

Afterwards they should be bathed with curds, and then with water repeating the mantra "Devasya tvâm" and then again with the Dadhikrâvn, etc, with the juice of fruits by reciting the mantra "Âpyâyasva," and then water should be sprinkled with Kuśı grass after reciting the mantra "Devasyatvâ," and then again with perfumed water after reciting the sacred Gâyatrî Then the idol of Lord Śiva should be bathed with 1000, 500, 125, 64, 32, 16, 8 or only with 4 jars [of water] These jars should be made of gold, silver, copper, brass, bell-metal or of earth if one cannot afford the more expensive ones. The following medicinal herbs should be mixed with the water in the jar, viz —(1) Sahadevî, (2) Vachâ, (3) Vyâghrî, (4) Balâ, (5) Atibalâ, (6) Śaṅkhyapuṣpî, (7) Siṁhî (8) Suvarchalâ These eight are necessary in the Mahâsnâna The powder of barley, Nivâra, sesamum, Syâmâka, Sâli rice, Priyangu, Vrîhi, should be rubbed on the idol before bathing it —7-16

267.9

kuśāmbhasā tataḥ snānaṃ devasyatveti kārayet.
phalodakena ca snānamagna āyāhi kārayet .. 267.8

267.10

tatastu gandhatoyena sāvitryā cābhimantrayet.
tato ghaṭasahasreṇa sahasrārddhena vā punaḥ .. 267.9

267.11

tasyāpyardhena vā kuryāt sapādena śatena vā.
catuḥ ṣaṣṭyā tatordhena tadardhārdhena vā punaḥ .. 267.10

267.12

caturbhirathavā kuryād dhaṭānāmalpavittavān.
sauvarṇai rājatairvāpi tāmrairvā rītikodbhavaiḥ .. 267.11

267.13

kāṃsyairvā pārthivairvāpi snapanaṃ śaktito bhavet.
sahadevī vacāvyāghrī balā cātibalā tathā .. 267.12

267.14

śaṅkhapuṣpī tathā siṃhī hyaṣṭamī ca suvarcalā.
mahauṣadhyaṣṭakaṃ hyetat mahāsnāneṣu yojayet .. 267.13

267.15

yavagodhūmanīvāra tilaśyāmākaśālayaḥ.
priyaṅgavo vrīhayaśca snāneṣu parikalpitāḥ .. 267.14

267.16

svastikaṃ padmakaṃ śaṅkhamutpalaṃ kamalaṃ tathā.
śrīvatsaṃ darpaṇantadvannandyāvartamathāṣṭakam .. 267.15

The following substances viz —Svastika, Padmaka, Śaṅkha, Śvetapadma, Kamala, Śrîvatsa, Darpaṇa, and Nandyâvarta and cowdung, auspicious earth, five colours, etc, five coloured powders, Dûrva grass and black Sesamum should be used in Nîrâjana ceremony after which should be offered water for rinsing the mouth and then Ganges water should be offered Then two pieces of dress should be put on after reciting the following mantra —17-20

267.17

etāni gomayaiḥ kuryyān mṛdā ca śubhayā tataḥ.
pañcavarṇādikaṃ tadvat pañcavarṇaṃ rajastathā .. 267.16

267.18

dūrvā kṛṣṇatilān dadyānnīrājanavidhiṃ tataḥ.
evaṃ nīrājanaṃ kṛtvā dadyādācamanaṃ budhaḥ .. 267.17

267.19

mandākinyāstu yadvāri sarvapāpāpahaṃ śubham.
tato vastrayugaṃ dadyāt mantreṇānena yatnataḥ .. 267.18

267.20

devasūtrasamāyukte yajñadānasamanvite.
sarvavarṇe śubhe deva vāsasī te vinirmite .. 267.19

"Be gracious enough to put on the clothes of variegated colours woven with Deva sûtra and conjoint with sacrifice and gifts These are very nice Accept them' —21

267.21

tatastu candanaṃ dadyāt samaṃ karpūrakuṅkumaiḥ.
imamuccārayenmantraṃ darbhapāṇiḥ prayatnataḥ .. 267.20

Afterwards taking kuśa grass in the hand camphor should be offered mixed with saffron, when the following mantra should be recited, viz — "Deva! I do not know your body and form and your movements, be gracious enough to accept this incense offered by me' —22 23

267.22

śarīrante na jānāmi ceṣṭāṃ naiva ca naiva ca.
mayā niveditān gandhān pratigṛhya vilipyatām .. 267.21

267.23

catvāriṃśattato dīpān dadyāccaiva pradakṣiṇān.
tvaṃ sūryacandrajyotīṃṣi vidyudagnistathaiva ca .. 267.22

Then 40 lights should be lit up and offered after circumambulation, by reciting the following mantra —' You are the light of the sun and the moon You are the flash of lightning and fire You are the light of all Be gracious enough to accept the light offered by me" Then incense should be offered by reciting the following mantra, viz —24 25

267.24

tvameva sarvajyotīṃṣi dīpo'yaṃ pratigṛhyatām.
tatastvanena mantreṇa dhūpaṃ dadyādvicakṣaṇaḥ .. 267.23

267.25

vanaspatiraso divyo gandhāḍhyo gandha uttamaḥ.
mayā nivedito bhaktyā dhūpo'yaṃ pratigṛhyatām .. 267.24

"Deva! be pleased to accept this incense made of herbs and choice ingredients full of delicious odour"—26

267.26

tatastvābharaṇaṃ dadyān mahābhūṣāya te namaḥ.
anena vidhinā kṛtvā saptarātraṃ mahotsavam .. 267.25

Then after reciting the mantra “Mahābhūṣāya te namaḥ,” ornaments should be put on Thus after keeping up rejoicings for seven nights, the devotee should get himself sprinkled with the remainder of the Abhiṣeka water—27 28

267.27

devakumbhaistataḥ kuryād yajamāno'bhiṣecanam.
caturbhiraṣṭabhirvāpi dvābhyāmekena vā punaḥ .. 267.26

The sprinkling should be performed out of the water of 8, 4, 2 or 1 jar or from Pañcharatna jar wrapped up in a white piece of cloth after reciting the mantra Devāsyatvā’ The other mantras of the occasion have been mentioned in Atharvaṇa mantra of Navagraha sacrifice which might also be recited Afterwards he should bathe, put on white clothes and worship the idols and give to the officiating priest gifts of money, ornaments dresses with great devotion, and should send all the utensils employed in the sacrifice, maṇḍapa &c , to the house of the priest for the Devas are satisfied by the satisfaction of the Guru—29 32

267.28

sa pañcaratnakalaśaiḥ sitavastrābhiveṣṭitaiḥ.
devasyatveti mantreṇa sāmnā cātharvaṇena ca .. 267.27

267.29

abhiṣeke ca ye mantrā navagrahamakhe smṛtāḥ.
sitāmbaradharaḥ snātvā devān saṃpūjya yatnataḥ .. 267.28

267.30

sthāpakaṃ pūjayed bhaktyā vastrālaṅkārabhūṣaṇaiḥ.
yajñabhāṇḍāni sarvāṇi maṇḍapopaskarādikam .. 267.29

267.31

yaccānyadapi tad gehe tadācāryāya dāpayet.
suprasanne gurau yasmāttuṣyante sarvadevatāḥ .. 267.30

267.32

naitadviśīlena ca dāmbhikena na liṅginā sthāpanamatra kāryam.
vipreṇa kāryaṃ śrutipārageṇa gṛhasthadharmābhi ratena nityam .. 267.31

The consecration of an idol should not be performed by men of angry disposition, hypocrites, Liṅgis who put on some peculiar garb, &c It should always be performed by a virtuous householder who is well accomplished in the Vedas and is a Brāhmaṇa—33

267.33

pākhaṇḍinaṃ yastu karoti bhaktyā vihāya viprān śrutidharmayuktān.
guruṃ pratiṣṭhādiṣu tatra nūnaṃ kulakṣayaḥ syādacirādapūjyaḥ .. 267.32

He who discarding a man versed in the Vedas gets a hypocrite to officiate at the consecration ceremony, surely brings ruination on his household or an evil spirit gets hold of the temple and no one worships the idol thus consecrated But where Brāhmaṇas officiate there is always prosperity in that house and the idol thus consecrated is worshipped for a very long time to come—34 35

267.34

sthānaṃ piśācaiḥ parigṛhyate vā apūjyatāṃ yātyacireṇa śokaḥ.
vipraiḥ kṛtaṃ yacchubhadaṃ kule syāt prapūjyatāṃ yāti cirañca kālam .. 267.33