History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.611

v6.c81.611

It consists chiefly in the worship of Hari as Ananta and in wearing on the the right hand in the case of men and on the left in the case of women a holy strap of thread dyed with saffron made of cotton or silk twisted into fourteen knots. It is an individual pūjā and not a festival of a socio-religious character. The Agnipurāṇa (chap. 192, verses 7-10) gives a brief description as follows. On the 14th of the bright half one should worship the image of Ananta (Hari) which is made of darbha grass placed in a vessel for water (a jar). He should get ready flour of a prastha of paddy and make cakes from that, half of which should be donated to a brāhmaṇa and the remaining half he should use for himself. One should perform this vrata on the bank of a river and listen to stories about Hari and (pray to Hari) as follows:—³⁸⁶ 'O Vāsudeva! save (people) sunk in the great and endless ocean of saṁsāra and make them apply themselves to the contemplation of the form of Ananta, salutation to thee that hast numerous forms!' Having worshipped (Hari) with this mantra and having tied on one's arm or round one's neck a string of threads over which a mantra has been uttered, the person who performs the Anantavrata becomes happy. If Hari is Ananta, then fourteen knots may be deemed to symbolize the fourteen worlds created by Hari.