History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c43.120

v3.c43.120

*Gosahasra*:—(Matsya 278, Liṅga II. 38). The donor should subsist for three days or one day on milk alone and then the preliminary procedure of invoking lokapālas, puṇyāhavācana, homa etc. should be gone through. Then fragrant substances should be applied to the body of a bull made to stand on the altar and ten cows out of 1000 should be selected. They should be covered with clothes, have their horns gold-tipped and the hoofs tipped with silver and these cows should be brought inside the pandal and honoured. A golden image of Nandikeśvara (Śiva's bull) having golden bells round its neck, covered with silken cloth, scents and flowers, with horns gold-tipped, should be placed in the midst of the ten cows. The donor should bathe in water that is medicated with the herbs called sarvauṣadhi ²⁰⁴⁵ and with flowers in his folded hands invoke the cows with mantras expressing the greatness of cows and address the image of Nandikeśvara as Dharma and should bestow the golden image of Nandi on the guru with two cows and donate one cow each to eight priests and to other brāhmaṇas five or ten cows each out of the remaining. The owner should then subsist on milk alone for one day and should be continent that day. The donor would dwell in the world of Śiva and would save his pitṛs and maternal grand-father and other maternal ancestors.