Chapter 40 - The mode of making the respectful offering to the god

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord said:

1. In days of yore that material principle was dreadful among all principles. It being placed on the earth it was known to be the lord of that place.

2. At a place (divided) into sixty-four compartments Īśa occupying a half of the corner square is worshipped with ghee and unbroken rice. Then the (god) Parjanya (the rain god) occupying a square (is worshipped).

3. The god Jayanta, who occupies two squares (is worshipped) with lotus (flowers) and water, and the lord Mahendra, who remains in one square (is worshipped) with a banner. The Sun god (is worshipped) in a square with all red things.

4. The (god of) truth occupying half a square at the bottom is worshipped with canopy and profuse offering of ghee. The lord of the sky occupying half the aṅgular square (is propitiated) with the bird’s flesh.

5. The fire-god in half a square (is worshipped) with the sacrificial ladle and the god Pūṣan in a square with fried grains, the lord of untruth in two squares with gold, churning rod and unbroken rice in the house.

6. The lord Dharmeśa stationed in two squares is worshipped) with meat and cooked food, the Gandharva in two squares with incense and the tongue of a bird.

7. Mṛga occupying one upper (square) (is) then (worshipped) with blue cloth. The manes (are worshipped) with a dish composed of milk, sesamum and rice in half a square and sticks of tooth-brush in another square.

8. The (two) door-keepers Sugrīva and Puṣpadanta occupying two squares (are worshipped) with barley grains and a clump of grass respectively, and Varuṇa with lotus flowers in a square.

9. The asura (demon) in two squares (is propitiated) with wine, (the serpent) Śeṣa in a square with ghee and water, the sin in half a square with barley grains, the disease in half a square with maṇḍaka (a kind of baked flour).

10. The Nāga (serpent) (is worshipped) in a square with the nāga flowers and the chief serpent in two squares with edibles The Bhallāṭa (a kind of superhuman being) (is worshipped) in a single square with rice mixed with kidney-bean, and the moon (with the same offering) in the next square.

11. The sage placed in two squares (is worshipped) with honey, sweat gruel and nutmeg, Diti in a square with anointments and Aditi in one and a half squares.

12. Āpas (is propitiated) in a square below in the northeast with milk and cake and then Apavatsa remaining in a square below with curd.

13. Marīci (is propitiated) in four squares in the east with balls of sweet-meat and for (the god) Savitṛ, the red flowers (are placed) in the lower aṅgular square.

14. In the square below that, water along with kuśa grass is offered to Savitṛ, red sandal paste is offered to Aruṇa in four squares.

15. Respectful offering along with turmeric (is made) to Indra in the lower square in the south-west and rice mixed with ghee (is offered) in the corner square below Indrajaya.

16. Sweet gruel (mixed) with jaggery (is offered) to Indra in four squares and cooked meat (is offered) to Rudra in the corner square in the north-west.

17. In the corner square below that wet fruit (is offered) to Yakṣa, rice meat and black-gram (are offered) to Mahidhara in four squares.

18. Rice and sesamum should be placed in the central square for Brahmā. Carakī (is worshipped) with black-gram and clarified butter and Skanda with a dish composed of milk, sesamum and rice and a garland.

19. Vidārī (a demoness) (is worshipped) with red lotuses, Kandarpa (god of love) with cooked rice and meat, Pūtanā (a demoness) with meat and bile and Jambaka (a demon) with meat and blood.

20. The Iśa (is appeased) with bile, blood and bones, Pilipiñja (a demon) with a garland and blood. Other deities are worshipped with blood and meat and in their absence with unbroken rice.

21. Sacrificial offerings are made to demons, divine mothers, manes and guardian deities of the ground in due order.

22. One should not build temples and other things. without offering to these (deities) or appeasing them. Hari, Lakṣmī, Gaṇa (the attendant deity of Śiva) should be worshipped at the place (set apart) for Brahmā.

23-24. The final offering is then made to Brahmā in the central pitcher and to Brahmā and other deities as well as Maheśvara, the presiding deity of the ground with a pitcher together with a small vessel. After having made benediction, and holding well the water-jar with small holes at the bottom an auspicious circumambulation is made.

25. O Brahman! the drop of water is rotated (to fall) in a line. As before in the same line seven kinds of seeds are sown.

26. The excavation should begin in the same way. Then a hole of the measure of a hand should be dug at the centre.

27. Then having made (the pit) smooth to a depth of four fingers’ breadth and having contemplated on the four-armed Viṣṇu (waters of adoration) should be offered from the pitcher.

28. Then the hole is filled (with water) from the water-jar having holes at the bottOṃ, white flowers are placed. The excellent conch-shell (known as the) Dakṣiṇāvarta (curved to the right) has to be filled with seeds and earth.

29. After having performed the offering of water, one should present the preceptor of cows, clothes and other things and honour the sculptor, and the vaiṣṇavas who know the proper time.

30. One should then dig carefully till water is found. The substance lying below the presiding deity under the building would not have any beneful influence.

31. The bone or substance below if broken, the broken thing forebodes baneful influence for the inmate. Whatever kind of sound one would hear, (it is to be known) as due to the substance lying below.