Chapter 29 - Mode of worshipping Hari in the figure called Sarvatobhadra

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1. The aspirant has to accomplish the mystic syllable in the temple of the deity after having worshipped the Lord Hari in a circular figure in a purified ground.

2. One has to draw circles etc. in a square piece of ground, the Sarvatobhadra^[1] is drawn in the compartments of rasa, bāṇa and akṣi.

3. A lotus seat containing thirty-six apartments should be outside in a row. Among these two (squares are set apart) for the path-way and two for the doors in the quarters.

4. A lotus figure is drawn in front outside and a circle is drawn around it. Half of the lotus is divided into twelve compartments.

5. Having thus divided it one should draw four circles, one around the other. The first one is that of the pericarp and the second, that of the filaments.

6-7. The third (is) that of the joints of the petals and the fourth, that of the tips of the petals. The joints of the petals are marked by stretching the threads from the angular points upto the middle of the side facing the angle and placing them on the tips of the filaments. Then the threads are made to lie (fall) and then an eight-petalled lotus is drawn.

8. Having allowed a measure (equal to) the space between the joints of the petals, the tops of the petals are drawn in front of it and afterwards.

9. Having allowed in the middle a measure of space (equal to that) of the interstices between the petals, two filaments are drawn in between every two petals.

10. This is the ordinary lotus circle said to be of twelve petals. Circles are drawn in order in the east of the measure of half the pericarp.

11. By this drawing there will be six circles on its side. In this way there will be twelve fish and twelve petals.

12. Having drawn a fish with five petals of a lotus for the sake of success, the skyline (is made) outside the seat (altar). The compartments are (cleanly) swept.

13. Four other places for the feet (are made ready) in the angular points. Besmeared vessels are kept in the four quarters.

14. Two rows are marked in the quarters for the sake of pathway. Doors are made in all the four quarters.

15. A wise man has to make eight ornaments of graceful expressions by the side of the doors. An equal number of ornaments are also to be made by their side.

16. Then corners of ornaments should be made. In each one of the middle compartments in all the four directions, two figures are drawn.

17. The four outer compartments are cleansed, as well as one on each side. Three figures are drawn on each side of the petal for beautifying it.

18. Similarly, three ornaments are to be drawn on the oppo-:site direction inside the angular point as well as outside without any difference between the two.

19. In this way, sixteen compartments are formed and in the same manner another circle is formed. In the (figure having) twelve compartments a lotus figure with thirty-six petals (is drawn).

20. As before one line is drawn at each door for beautification. In the circular altar of one cubit a lotus should be drawn (having) twelve finger-breadth.

21. A door should be drawn of the measure of two cubits by one cubit. The altar should be a square. The disc of the lotus should be of two cubits.

22. Half the lotus is drawn with nine (finger breadth), the navel with three, the radius with eight (breadth), the circumference with four.

23. Having divided the ground into three parts, an inner figure is marked with two (breadth). For the sake of accomplishing (one’s object) one has to mark the five vowels inside and the radii.

24. Then according to his desire, one has to draw figures of the petals of lotus or citron leaves or of the shape of lotus leaves.

25. Having fixed at the junction of the radius and having moved around the outer circumference and having stationed in the middle link line one has to move upto the root of the radius.

26. The middle fire-producing stick is moved equally stationing in the middle of the radius. Some more figures resembling citron leaves are drawn in this way for the sake of accomplishment.

27-29. Then the ground should be divided into seven parts each of them measuring equally of fourteen cubits. There should be two hundred and ninety-six apartments. (The word) Bhadra (welfare is written in four (compartments) in the middle. All around that (space) is set apart for pathway. Then lotus (figures). are drawn in all directions. Having swept clean around the pathway, four central quarters in all directions are set apart for (providing) the neck.

30. Four (apartments) are set apart outside and then three in each row. By the side of the neck there should be (an apartment) outside known as the ornament.

31-32. Among the outer angles leaving off seven, (the rest) and three inside are sprinkled (with water). An altar of nine divisions is formed in this way consisting of nine parts. (This is) the circular (altar) of twenty-five compartments (in which) the universal form of Hari is worshipped. Thirty-two cubits of ground should be equally divided into thirty-two (compartments).

33-34. When it is done in this way, there would be one thousand and twenty-four compartments. Having written the (word) bhadraka (welfare) in the sixteen middle squares and having sprinkled water on the adjacent rows (of compartments), the eight bhadrakas are written in sixteen apartments in all directions.

35. Then having sprinkled the rows (of compartments) and writing sixteen bhadrakas the rows all around are sprinkled. and allotment is made.

36-38. Twelve doors (are drawn) in the usual order in each quarter. Having omitted the six (compartments) inside and having sprinkled for beautification the four at the centre, the four on the sides and two inside and outside, and having cleansed three inside and five outside for accomplishing additional doors, as before beautification is made. Seven of the corners outside and three apartments inside are cleansed.

39. The supreme brahman is to be worshipped in the auspicious twenty-five (compartment) formation. Then in the lotus (drawn) in the middle commencing with east, Vāsudeva and other deities are worshipped in order.

40. Having worshipped the boar-form in the lotus in the east the formation is worshipped in order until the thirty-six (forms are finished).

41. With the effort that it has to be worshipped, (one has to worship) all formations in the order in the single lotus as described. The progenitor is regarded as the sacrifice.

42. Acyuta divided into many forms is regarded as ‘truth’. Forty cubits of the ground in the north has to be divided in order.

43-44. Each one (of these divisions) are again (first) divided into seven parts and then into two. Then of one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four apartments we will have a bhadraka (figure) (formed) by the central sixteen apartments. There will be a pathway on the side, then eight bhadra apartments and a pathway.

45-46. Then sixteen (figures) of lotuses and twenty-four lotuses for the rows and thirty-two for the pathway and forty rows and a passage with the remaining three rows (are drawn). The doors are provided with ornaments and minor beautifications in the directions, omitting the centre.

47. For accomplishing, two, four and six doors (space) is cut off in the four directions and five, three and one outside (are set apart) for accomplishing the adornment of the doors.

48. In the same manner, six or four (compartments) are omitted outside the door and four inside. There will be six minor adornments.

49- 50. There should be four doors on one side or three doors specifically in each direction. One has to draw five apartments at the angular points (as well as) in the rows in order. An auspicious altar dear to a mortal has to be (drawn) in this manner.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

It is so called because it brings about all round happiness.