History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c44.46

v3.c44.46

In the Matsyapurāṇa, the Agnipurāṇa, the Nṛsiṁhapurāṇa, the Nirṇayasindhu and many other works there are descriptions of the consecration of the images of Vāsudeva, of a liṅga and other deities, which are all passed over here for want of space. In these works following Tantric practices three kinds of nyāsas viz. Mātṛkānyāsa, Tattvanyāsa and Mantranyāsa are referred to. The Mātṛkānyāsa consists in repeating the letters of the alphabet from a (including 'aṁ' and 'aḥ') to ḷ (in the form of *akārāya* namaḥ svāhā) and offering an oblation in fire. The Tattvanyāsa consists in repeating ‘Ātmatattvāya namaḥ, svāhā’ and the same formula as to Ātmattvādhipati, Kriyāśakti, Śivatattva (or Viṣṇutattva), Śivatattvādhipati, Icchāśakti, Vidyātattva, Vidyātattvādhipati, Ādhāraśakti. The Mantranyāsa is as follows: taking a mantra of certain letters for a god (e. g. one of 12 letters as in ‘om namo bhagavate Vāsudevāya’) one has to repeat each letter in the formula ‘om oṁkārāya namaḥ svāhā’.