Agniveshyagrihyasutra 2.4.10

Now we shall explain the worship of the deity.

Wearing a pure, clean, dry garment, with a strainer in his hand, having sipped water, having attended upon the twilight devotion, and having performed the fire ritual, he should invoke the deity.

"In a diagram, on the sacrificial ground, or in water, in the heart, or in a blazing fire,

or likewise in an image, having invoked Hari, one should worship him.

Inside the heart, the wise man should meditate in mind upon a lotus;

in the middle of the pericarp of that lotus is located light;

in the middle of that light is Mahāviṣṇu, bearing the conch, discus, and mace."

Having invoked him thus with twelve names beginning with "To Keśava,"

one should then worship him with items beginning with sandalwood paste and ending with lamps.

And in the diagram all is likewise, and on the sacrificial ground just the same;

likewise, in a blazing fire, having invoked Hari, one should worship him.

Now if he makes an image, made of gold or made of iron or, if unable, made of stone, having made it four-armed, holding the conch, discus, and mace, having installed it in a house or in a shrine, he performs the consecration with the three [verses] beginning with "You waters indeed are soothing," the four [verses] beginning with "Golden of color, pure, purifying," and with the section beginning with "The clarifying [Soma], generator of heaven."

Then saying, "I invoke the deity," having invoked him with the names beginning with Keśava, then having offered a garment with "You two, the garments...", then having offered perfume with "By the gate of fragrance...", then having offered a flower with "He who knows the flower of the waters...", then having offered incense with "Incense are you...", then having offered a lamp with "Blaze up...", with the remainder of that he applies anointing.

With "Water fit for worship," he should offer water for honoring; with "Water for the feet," water for the feet; with "Water for sipping," water for sipping.

Then he cooks the boiled sacrificial rice.

He cooks it in milk with an āḍhaka, or half an āḍhaka, or a prastha, or with clarified butter.

Then the food is [ready].

Having presented it, he performs the pouring around of water with "I sprinkle around you, the truth, with cosmic order," and with "I sprinkle around you, cosmic order, with truth."

Then, touching the food with the ten-verse hymn "I am the firstborn of cosmic order," he makes an under-layer with "You are the spread of immortality."

Now the offering to the vital breaths:

"Settled in the prāṇa-breath, I offer immortality.

Auspicious, enter me without burning.

Svāhā to prāṇa!"—for the inward breath. "Settled in the apāna-breath, I offer immortality.

Auspicious, enter me without burning."

"To Apāna svāhā"—for Apāna; "Entered into Vyāna, I offer the nectar;

Enter me auspiciously, not for burning."

"To Vyāna svāhā"—for Vyāna; "Entered into Udāna, I offer the nectar;

Enter me auspiciously, not for burning."

"To Udāna svāhā"—for Udāna; "Entered into Samāna, I offer the nectar; enter me auspiciously, not for burning. To Samāna svāhā"—for Samāna. In this way he makes the fivefold offering to the vital breaths.

Then, having attended upon the deity with the twelve names beginning with Keśava, he mutters: "Now I proclaim the heroic deeds of Viṣṇu..."

Then he makes the covering: reciting "You are the cover of nectar," having brought water and covered [it], "He who knows the abode of the waters...

...becomes possessed of an abode"—he performs the sipping of water.

Then, having offered betel, he dismisses the deity.

Having dismissed Keśava into the ocean of milk, or onto Mount Meru, or into the solar disc, and having placed the food offering into the waters, he gives a fourth part to a Brahmin. Thus says the venerable Āgniveśya.