History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c43.109

v3.c43.109

Brief notes will now be added for setting out the procedure of the mahādānas. The Matsya-purāṇa (chap. 274-289) devotes about 400 verses to these. Aparārka (pp. 313-344) not only quotes almost all these verses of the Matsya-purāṇa, but also adds further details from the Bhaviṣyottara-purāṇa in certain cases. Hemādri (Dānakhaṇḍa pp. 166-345) is far more elaborate and quotes (in addition to the Matsya) long passages from the Liṅga, Garuḍa and other purāṇas and from works on Tantra and the Āgamas. The Dānamayūkha devotes pp. 86-151 to the 16 mahādānas. The Matsyapurāṇa (274. 11-12) states that the mahādānas were performed by such ancient heroes and kings as Vāsudeva, Ambarīṣa, Bhārgava, Kārtavīrya Arjuna, Rāma, Prahlāda, Pṛthu and Bharata. It then gives general directions about the construction of the pandal (maṇḍapa) required in making these mahādānas. The maṇḍapa may be of various sizes, 16 aratnis (one *aratni* being equal to 21 aṅgulas of the donor) or 12 or 10 cubits (one cubit being the length of the arm from the tip of the middle finger to the end of the elbow ), should have four doors and a vedi ( raised platform ) of seven or five cubits prepared with bricks, there was to be an arch on the vedi for holding the balance, it should have nine or five kuṇḍas²⁰³⁹ ( pits in the ground for holding fire ) or one kuṇḍa, two auspicious water jars were to be placed at each door of the pandal, the tulā was to have two posts and a cross beam of the same wood ( such as aśvattha, bilva, palāśa &c.) and was to be decked with golden ornaments. These details have to be passed over here for want of space. The rest of the procedure about tulāpuruṣa is briefly as follows ( Matsya, chap. 274 ): Priests knowing the four Vedas were to be placed on the four sides respectively ( viz. Ṛgvedins to the east, Yajurvedins to the south, Sāmavedins in the west and Ātharvaṇas in the north ). Then four homas were to be offered to Gaṇeśa, the planets, the lokapālas, the eight Vasus, the Ādityas, the Maruts, to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, the sun and the herbs and Vedic hymns referring to these were to be recited.