History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.664.4

v6.c81.664.4

May she be pleased by the blood.' Then he offers the head of the bali (goat or the like) placing on the head a lamp with a flaming wick He then takes blood from the sword (with which the animal's neck was cut) and makes a *tilaka* mark with it on his forehead with two mantras. It was supposed that the tilaka of blood would make all persons amenable to the person who had that blood mark on the forehead as the mantra quoted below expresses. 'When the *bali* is a buffalo, the mantras repeated over a goat are omitted and two others are substituted viz. 'as you hate a horse and as you carry Caṇḍikā, so kill my enemies and bring happiness, O buffalo; you are the vehicle of Yama, you possess excellent form, you who are deathless; bestow on me long life, wealth, fame, a bow to you who are a buffalo'. The fruit of offering buffalo's blood to Devī was deemed to be her gratification and favour for a hundred years. Then he performs japa of a mantra (quoted in note)⁴²⁸ and also certain verses of laudation and asks for certain benefits (Durgārcana. p. 672).⁴²⁹