History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c43.111

v3.c43.111

At the end of the homa, the guru invokes with flowers and incense the *lokapālas* ( lords of the worlds or quarters ) with *paurāṇika* mantras, viz. Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Soma, Īśāna, Ananta and Brahmā. Then the donor should give golden ornaments, ear ornaments, golden chains, wristlets, rings, clothes to the priests and double ( what is given to each *ṛtvik* ) to the guru. Brāhmaṇas should then recite the vedic hymn on śānti ( propitiatary verses averting evil ).²⁰⁴⁰ Then the donor again bathes and clad in white garments and wearing garlands of white flowers and having flowers in his folded hands invokes the balance that is supposed to be Govinda ( Viṣṇu ), and after per-ambulating the balance, he should step into one pan and in the other pan brāhmaṇas should place pure gold. Then the earth should be invoked and thereafter the donor should leave the balance and give half of the gold to the guru and the other half to the brāhmaṇas, pouring water on their hands before doing so and he may also make grants of villages to the guru and other priests. Then he should honour brāhmaṇas, other respectable people and the poor and helpless with gifts. One who performs this rite stays for innumerable years in the world of Viṣṇu. The same procedure was applied to weighing a man against silver or camphor (Aparārka p. 320, Hemādri, dānakhaṇḍa p. 214). Apart from kings who got themselves weighed against gold as shown above, lesser persons such as ministers sometimes indulged in this mahādāna, as Caṇḍeśvara, a minister of the Mithilā kings, states with pride in his Vivādaratnākara (vide H. D. vol. I, p. 370).