History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c37.119

v3.c37.119

In modern times devapūjā differs considerably from the ritual of the ancient works of Viṣṇu and Baudhāyana; it also differs from province to province and caste to caste. A brief analysis of the devapūjā practised by brāhmaṇas in Western India is given below: Ācamana; prāṇāyāma; adoration to Mahāgaṇapati and certain other deities; twelve names of Gaṇeśa, hymn of praise to Gaṇeśa, Gaurī, Viṣṇu; mention of the place and the time with astronomical details about the day, the nakṣatra &c.; then the saṁkalpa of performing devapūjā with sixteen upacāras; contemplation on Gaṇapati with Ṛg. II. 23. 1 (gaṇānāṁ tvā); āsanavidhi with an invocation to the earth; nyāsa (mystical sanctification of the body) of the sixteen verses of Ṛg. X. 90 on sixteen parts of the body; invocation of the deities and the sacred rivers in the water jar and offering sandalwood paste, flowers and whole grains of rice to the jar; then invocation of the conch and bell in a similar way; sprinkling of oneself and the materials of worship with water accompanied by the mantra ('apavitraḥ pavitro vā &c.'); dhyāna (contemplation) of Viṣṇu, Śiva, Gaṇeśa, the sun's disc, Durgā holding a bunch of flowers in one's folded hands; then offering the sixteen upacāras enumerated above to the accompaniment of the 16 verses of Ṛg. X. 90 to one's favourite deity; final benediction.¹⁷⁶¹ When several deities are worshipped, there are two methods in which the upacāras may be offered. One may offer the upacāras from āvāhana to namaskāra to one deity or the principal deity and then the same upacāras to the other deity or deities one after another. This method is called *kāṇḍānusamaya*. The other method occurs when āvāhana is done for the several deities in order, then āsana for all, then pādya for all and so on up to namaskāra. This is called *padārthānusamaya*. This method is generally preferred. Vide the com. of Nārāyaṇa on Āśv. gṛ. I. 24. 7, the com. on Kātyāyana-śrauta I. 5. 9-11 for detailed explanations of these.