History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.766

v6.c81.766

The procedure of the worship of Aparājitā (invincible) Devī is briefly as follows (from Dharmasindhu p 96) In the afternoon one should go to the north-east of one's village, smear the earth (with cowdung) on a pure spot, should draw with sandalwood paste or the like a figure with eight segments, should make a saṅkalpa as in the note and should invoke Aparājitā in the midst of that figure with the words 'salutations to Aparājitā' and also invoke Jayā and Vijayā to the right and left of Aparājitā respectively with the words 'salutation to Kriyāśakti' and 'salutation to Umā' respectively. He should then offer worship with sixteen upacāras to Aparājitā, Jayā and Vijayā with the mantras 'Aparājitāyai namaḥ, Jayāyai namaḥ, Vijayāyai namaḥ' and offer the prayer 'O Devī! accepting this pūjā which I have offered to you according to my ability, for my protection may you go to your own place'. In the case of the king he should pray for victory in the words 'May Aparājitā wearing a striking necklace and resplendent golden girdle and fond of doing good bestow victory on me' and then he should take leave of her in the words 'O Devī! &c'. Then all people should go out of the village to Śamī (Mimosa Suma) tree growing in the north-east, offer worship to it People may perform the crossing of the boundary of the village before or after the worship of Śamī. Some provide that the images of Rāma and Sītā should be worshipped on Vijayādaśamī, since Rāma conquered Laṅkā on this day (A K. folio 218a).⁴⁸⁷