Chapter XVII - Description of another form of sun-worship

Hari said:—I will describe the adoration of the sun formerly related unto the god of riches.^[1]

In a purified place a worshipper should draw the figure of a lotus with eight petals and pericarps. Then making Avahani mudra^[2] he should invoke Hari there.

He should place in the middle the diagram form of the sun and sprinkle it with water. He should place the heart of the deity in the quarter presided over by the fire-god. He should place the head in the north-east and the tuft of hair in the south-west. He, having his mind fixed in concentration, should assign Dharma to this quarter presided over by Purandara. He should place his eyes in the north-west and his weapon in the corner presided over by Varuna. He should place Soma in the north-east and Lohita in the quarter belonging to Purandara. He should place Soma’s son in the east and Vrihaspati in the south. He should place the preceptor of the Danavas^[3] in the south-west and Shani (Saturn) in the corner presided over by Varuna. He should place Ketu in the north-west and Rahu in the quarter presided over by Kuvera.

In the second apartment, he should adore the twelve suns viz Bhaga, Suryya, Aryama, Mitra, Varuna, Savita, Dhata, the highly powerful Vivashvan, Tvasta, Pusha, and Indra. The twelfth is Vishnu. In the quarters beginning with the east, a man, filled with reverence, should adore Indra and other deities, Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanti, Aparajita, Sesha, Vasuki and other Nagas.