Jīrṇoddhāra
Jīrṇoddhāra · jīrṇa-uddhāra, “the raising up of what is worn”
Jīrṇoddhāra, “the raising up of what is worn” (jīrṇa, worn or old; uddhāra, raising up, restoring), is the rite of renewing a mūrti, a liṅga or a temple that has grown old, worn or broken, and of restoring old wells, step-wells and tanks. The Agni Purāṇa teaches it in three places. Agni Deva gives its phala: one who restores a fallen temple gains twice the fruit of one who builds a new one, and one who rebuilds a fallen temple of Vishṇu is the very form of Bhagavān Vishṇu (Chapter 38). Bhagavān Hayagrīva teaches Brahmā how a worn mūrti is given up and a new one installed the same day (Chapter 67). And Parameśvara, Bhagavān Śiva, teaches Skanda when a liṅga must be given up, the full rite of its uddhāra with the śānti-homas, and the rebuilding of a ruined temple to the very size of the first (Chapter 103).
The phala of restoring a temple
Agni Deva, speaking of the glory of building temples, says to the muni who listens:
- One who restores a temple that has fallen, is falling, or is half fallen gains twice the fruit of one who builds a new temple.
- One who rebuilds and protects a fallen temple of Vishṇu is sākshāt bhagavat-svarūpa, Bhagavān Vishṇu’s own form.
- As long as the bricks of the temple of Bhagavān Vishṇu remain, so long its builder stays in Vishṇuloka together with his family. He alone is worthy of honour in this world and the next; he alone is puṇyavān, rich in puṇya.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 38
The renewal of a worn mūrti
Bhagavān Hayagrīva says to Brahmā: “Now I tell the rite of jīrṇoddhāra.”
- The ācārya adorns the mūrti and bathes it.
- A pratimā (image) that is extremely worn, missing a limb, broken, or of which only the stone remains, is to be given up. In its place a new, fixed mūrti is installed as before.
- In the way told for bhūtaśuddhi (the purification of the elements), the ācārya withdraws all the tattvas (the principles) from the mūrti by the saṃhāra-vidhi, the rite of withdrawal.
- With the Nṛsiṃha mantra he offers a thousand oblations, and then lifts out the mūrti.
- What is done with the old mūrti: a wooden mūrti is burnt in fire; a stone mūrti is left in water; a mūrti of metal or of gems is cast into the deep water of the ocean.
- The worn pratimā is placed on a vehicle, covered with cloths, taken with musical instruments, and left in the water. Then dakshiṇā is given to the ācārya.
- On that very day a mūrti of the same material as the old one, and of the same measure, is installed.
In the same way, the restoration of old wells (kūpa), step-wells (vāpī), tanks (taṭāka) and the like gives great phala.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 67
The worn liṅga
Parameśvara says: “Skandā! I shall tell of the worn liṅga and the rest, and the order of uplifting according to the śāstra.”
When a liṅga is given up, and when reinstalled
- Given up at once, together with its piṇḍikā (base) and the vṛshabha (the bull before it): a liṅga whose marks are worn away, that is cracked, thickened by dirt and the like, struck by a thunderbolt, sampuṭita (enclosed or sunk), broken, or with any limb broken.
- Installed again, but only if it is free of wounds: if anyone moves the Śiva-liṅga, if it moves by itself, if it sinks too far down, if it stands in an uneven place, if it faces the wrong direction, if for any reason it falls, or if it slips while in the middle. A Śiva-liṅga carried away by river water may also be installed again.
- Never moved: a Śiva-liṅga that stands firm must not be moved from its place. If a liṅga is worn but its daily pūjā and the rest are going on, it must not be moved. A liṅga installed by asuras, munis, devas or knowers of the tattva must not be moved even by rule, even if it is worn or broken.
- If an unsteady liṅga is moved, one thousand homas are offered for śānti (peace), and one hundred homas for its re-installation.
The rite of uddhāra
- A maṇḍapa (pavilion) is built in the south or the north-east, with a door on the west.
- After the dvāra-pūjā (the pūjā of the door) and the rest, Śiva-pūjā is performed on the vedi. After the mantra-pūjā and tarpaṇa, the vāstu-pūjā is done as before.
- The guru goes out, gives bhūta-bali, performs ācamana (sipping water), and feeds brāhmaṇas.
- He then prays to Bhagavān Śiva: “Śambhu! This liṅga has become faulty. You yourself have said that if it is uplifted, śānti will come. Therefore this work is being done by rule. Śiva! Dwelling in me, bring this work to fulfilment.”
- He offers one hundred and eight homas of pāyasa (milk-rice) mixed with honey and ghee, and of dūrvā grass, with the mūla-mantra, and completes the śānti-homa.
- He bathes the liṅga and performs its pūjā on the vedi with the mantra “vyāpakeśvarāya śivāya namaḥ” (to Śiva, the all-pervading Īśvara), and with the aṅga-mantras “oṃ vyāpakeśvarāya hṛdayāya namaḥ”, “oṃ vyāpakeśvarāya śirase namaḥ” and so on.
- Uttering the astra-mantra, he says to any bhūta (spirit) dwelling in the liṅga: “If any bhūta has taken shelter in this Śiva-liṅga, by Śiva’s command let it leave this liṅga and go wherever it wishes. Bhagavān Śiva will dwell here with the vidyās and the vidyeśvaras.”
- With the Pāśupata-mantra he offers one thousand homas for each part, and sprinkles the liṅga with śānti-jala, the water of peace. Touching it with kuśa grass, he does japa of the same mantra.
- Giving arghya in reverse order, the guru draws out the tattvas, the lords of the tattvas and the eight mūrtīśvaras that are in the liṅga and in the piṇḍikā.
- Then the old liṅga is tied with a rope on the shoulder of a vṛshabha (bull) and taken by a crowd of people singing the names of Śiva (Śiva-nāma-saṅkīrtana), and it is cast into the water.
- The ācārya who knows the mantras offers one hundred homas for pushṭi (nourishment), and one hundred homas each for the satisfaction of the dikpālas and for the purification of the site (vāstu-śuddhi).
- With the Mahāpāśupata-mantra he sets up protection in the temple, and installs another liṅga there by rule.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 103
Restoring a ruined temple
The same rite is followed for the restoration of a ruined temple (jīrṇa-devālaya-uddhāra). The mantra-gaṇas are placed by nyāsa in a khaḍga (sword), and another temple is built. It must be of exactly the size of the first: if it is made smaller, the one who builds it dies; if larger, there is loss of wealth. So, with the materials of the old temple or with other good materials, a temple of the very size of the first is built in that same place.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 103
Sources
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 38, 67, 103