Chapter 93 - Mode of worshipping the presiding deity of a ground (vāstupūjā)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord said:

1. Strings should be laid in the sacrificial shed so as to enclose it. The ground should be divided into sixty-four squares of equal measurements.

2. Two bamboo poles should be fixed at each one of the four corners. Strings (should be laid down) across the eight angular points. They should enclose two squares and six squares. The presiding deity of the ground should be worshipped therein.

3. At the time of worship, one should meditate on the presiding deity of the ground in the fire-pit, as the form of a demon with curled locks and head held raised up from the ground and facing north.

4. The knees, knee-joints and thighs (of the deity) should be taken as lying in the directions of north-west and south-east, the two soles of feet in the south, the head in the north and the two folded palms in the heart.

5. The auspicious gods located in the body of this person are worshipped. The presiding deities of the eight angular points, situated in the eight half chambers of the angular points (should also be worshipped.).

6. The sages Marīci etc. should be located in the six squares commencing with the east, Brahmā in the four squares at the centre. The rest of the gods are known to occupy one square each.

7-8. The twelve joints such as the trident, svastika (a kind of figure), thunderbolt, mahāsvastika, sampuṭa, trikaṭu, maṇibandha and the pure square among all the joints of the presiding deity of the ground should be left in the walls etc.

9. Oblations of unbroken rice along with clarified butter for (lord) Īśa, offering of water with lotus flowers for lord Parjanya (god of rain), and a bright saffron-coloured banner should be offered for Jayanta (son of Indra).

10. Gems (should be offered) to Mahendra (lord of the celestials), smoke-coloured canopy for the Sun, wheat and ghee for (the god of) truth and clarified butter alone for (lord) Bhṛśa.

II. Unclean meat (should be offered) to (the lord of the sky) and the flour of barley (first fried and then ground) for all those gods commencing with the east. A ladleful of honey, milk and clarified butter should be given to the fire-god.

12. Fried paddy put in golden waters should be offered to (god of) untruth. Honey should be offered to the destroyer of the house and palaudana for Yamarāja (god of death).

13. Perfumes (should be given) for the lord of the Gandharvas (semi-divine beings), a bird’s tongue for Bhṛṅga (one who wards) and lotus leaves for the beast on the south. Thus the eight deities (should be offered offerings).

14. Sesamum mixed water and milk (should be given) for the manes. Sticks from the trees for cleansing the teeth should be given to the lord of the entrance by showing the dhenumudrā (posture with fingers indicating a cow).

15. Cakes should be offered to Sugrīva, darbha to Puṣpadanta (a yakṣa), red lotus flowers to Pracetas (lord of waters) (and) wines to demon.

16. Ghee and rice mixed with jaggery (should be given) to Śeṣa (serpent-god), ghee mixed with baked flour or fried paddy to disease. Thus the mode of offering for gods in the western direction has been told.

17. A yellow banner (should be offered) to Māruta (wind god), nāgakesara (a kind of fragrant flower) to serpent-god and eatables and well-cooked gruel of green gram to Mukhya.

18. Sweet gruel mixed with clarified butter should be given to Soma, root of lily flower to (goddess) Dawn, lopī to Aditi, and pūrī to Diti. These are the gods placed in the northern direction.

19. Sweet meats (should be offered) to Brahmā on the east and to (sage) Marīci in the six squares. Red flowers (should be offered) to (god) Savitrā situated below the angular square (assigned to) the fire-god.

20. Waters along with the kuśa should be presented to goddess Sāvitrī below that square. Red sandal should be offered to (god) Vivasvān occupying six squares on the south.

21. Turmeric mixed rice (should be offered) to lord Indra in the corner square below that of the demon. Mixed rice should be presented to Indra-jaya below that of Indra.

22. Rice mixed with jaggery (should be offered) to (lord) Mitra occupying six squares on the west. Rice cooked with ghee should be offered to (lord) Rudra at the square below the angular point in the north-west.

23. Meat (should be offered) to the servant of Rudra below that. An offering of black-gram should be offered to the mountain (god) occupying the six squares on the north.

24. One should duly offer curd and milk to āpas and its progeny below the angular point (dedicated to lord) Śiva after worshipping in the proper way.

25. Brahmā located at the four squares in the middle of the place should be presented gruel along with clarified butter and the five things got from a cow.

26. Outside the sacrificial ground the four demonesses Carakī etc. should be worshipped in the angular points commencing with the north-east and ending with the north-west in order.

27. Meat with ghee should be offered to Carakī, curd with lotus flowers to (demoness) Vidārī and meat, bile and blood to (demoness) Pūtanā.

28. Bones, blood, biles and meat (should be offered) to demoness sin. Lord Skanda should be offered rice mixed with black gram on the east.

29. Sweet cakes along with kṛsara (rice and peas boiled together) (should be offered) to (lord) Aryaman in the southern direction), meat along with blood to Jambhaka in the western direction.

30. Rice mixed with blood and flowers (should be presented) to Pilipiñja (monster-maiden) on the north. Otherwise all the presiding deities of the ground should be worshipped with water along with unbroken rice and kuśa.

31. In the case of a residential building or town, worship should be done in eighty-one squares. The lines (drawn across the cardinal points of the diagram) should be made to occupy (the breadth of) three squares and comprise (the breadth of) six such squares at the other angular points.

32. The gods Īśa and others should occupy one square each in that (diagram), the serpents and others two squares each, (sages) Marīci and others six squares each, Brahmā is known to occupy nine squares.

33. The above diagram may comprise hundred squares in the case of a city, village or hamlet. Two bamboo poles (are known) as ‘invincible’ and irresistible always.

34. The location (of the deities) in the hundred squares is commended if the rite is done as in the case of a divine edifice. The planets and gods such as (lord) Skanda are known to occupy sixf squares in that (diagram).

35. Demoness Carakī and others should be located in five squares. The lines and bamboo should occupy spaces as described earlier. In the case of a sacrificial ground relating to the founding of a country, it should comprise one hundred and thirty-four squares.

36. (In that diagram) Brahmā occupies sixty-four squares, as also (sages) Marīci and others. The eight gods, āpas etc. should occupy fifty-four squares.

37. (Gods) Īśāna and others should occupy nine squares. (The gods) Skanda and others should occupy eight squares. (Demonesses) Carakī and others, lines, bamboo should also be located as before.

38. In a sacrificial ground comprising twenty-thousand squares, the location of the deities should be such that they occupy nine times more than what has been enjoined in the founding [? o?] country.

39. The diagram which is divided into twenty-five squares is known as the vaitāla. The other diagrams are known to have nine squares and sixteen sub-divisions.

40. There may be a square figure inscribed in a sexagon or triangle. The location (of the gods) in the case of excavation around should be done as in the case of (the stone slab known as) brahmaśilā.

41. An offering of sweet gruel to all gods should be made at the installation of the image of a deity or the burial of a dead body.

42. In the absence of any specified measurement, the sacrificial ground should measure five cubits. The sacrificial ground proportional to the measure of the house or divine edifice is always held as excellent.