Māheśvara Snāna
Māheśvara Snāna, “the bath of Maheśvara”
The Māheśvara Snāna is a sacred bath (snāna) given to a king to bring him victory. Before sunrise the ācārya seats the king on an auspicious seat and bathes him while reciting the mūla-mantra of the rite; then a homa of rice grains is offered, and Bhagavān Śiva, the bearer of the triśūla, is bathed with pañcāmṛta and worshipped. In the Agni Purāṇa, Pushkara teaches it among the rites that give victory to kings, and says that long ago Śukrācārya taught it to Bali, the lord of the dānavas (Chapter 267). With it Pushkara gives the many other baths that bring victory, each with its own fruit.
How it was taught
Pushkara says: “I shall tell of the Māheśvara Snāna and the other baths that give victory to kings and others. Long ago Śukrācārya told this to Bali, the Dānavendra.”
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267
The vidhi
- In the early morning, before sunrise, the ācārya seats the king on a bhadra-pīṭha, an auspicious seat.
- He bathes the king while saying the mūla-mantra, which runs from “jaya jaya sarvān śatrūn” up to “likhi khili svāhā”. The Purāṇa prints only its opening and closing words.
- After this snāna, a taṇḍula-homa, a homa of rice grains, is offered.
- Bhagavān Śiva, the bearer of the divine triśūla, is given the pañcāmṛta snāna, the bath with the five nectars, and worshipped.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267
The other baths and their fruits
Pushkara then gives the other baths, which always give victory:
| Bath | Its fruit |
|---|---|
| Ghee (ghṛta) | Increases āyus (life) |
| Cow-dung (gomaya) | Gives Lakshmī (prosperity) |
| Cow’s urine (gomūtra) | Destroys pāpa |
| Milk (kshīra) | Increases strength |
| Curd (dadhi) | Increases Lakshmī |
| Water with kuśa grass (kuśodaka) | Destroys pāpas |
| Pañcagavya, the five products of the cow | All desires are gained |
| Water poured through a cow’s horn (śṛṅgodaka) | Destroys pāpa |
| Palāśa, bilva, lotus and kuśa | Gives all desires |
| Water with vacā, the two kinds of turmeric and mustā | Destroys rākshasas; gives long life, fame, dharma and medhā (intelligence) |
| Water with gold | Auspicious |
| Water with silver, and water with copper | Auspicious |
| Water mixed with gems | Victory |
| Water mixed with all fragrances | Saubhāgya (good fortune) |
| Fruit water (phalodaka) | Ārogya (health) |
| Water of āmalaka (gooseberry) | Lakshmī |
| Water with tila and white mustard | Lakshmī |
| Water of priyaṅgu | Saubhāgya |
| Water mixed with lotus, utpala (water-lily) and kadamba | Lakshmī |
| Water of the balā plant | Strength |
| The water of the feet of Vishṇu (Vishṇu-caraṇodaka) | The best of all baths |
The rule: a man on his own should do one snāna for one wish.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267
The maṇi
Saying the sūkta that begins “ākrandayati”, he ties a maṇi (amulet) on his hand. The maṇi is made of kushṭha, pāṭhā, vacā, śuṇṭhī (dry ginger), conch, metal and the like.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267
Baths of Vishṇu for healing
Śrī Mahāvishṇu is the lord of all desires, and by worshipping him one gains every desire. Pushkara gives the baths offered to Bhagavān Vishṇu for healing:
- One who bathes Vishṇu with milk mixed with ghee and worships him is freed of pitta (bile) disease.
- By the offering of a pañcamudga bali, atisāra (dysentery) is removed.
- By bathing Vishṇu with pañcagavya, vāta (wind) disease is removed.
- By bathing him with the dvisneha substances and worshipping him with faith, śleshma (phlegm) diseases are destroyed.
The names of the bath mixtures:
- Ghee, oil and honey: the trirasa bath.
- Ghee and water: the dvisneha bath.
- Water mixed with ghee and oil: the samala bath.
- Honey, sugarcane juice and milk: the trimadhura bath.
- Ghee, sugarcane juice and honey: the śrīrasa bath, which gives Lakshmī.
The names of the anulepanas (fragrant unguents):
- Camphor, uśīra and sandal: triśukla.
- Sandal, aguru, camphor, musk and kuṅkuma: offered to Vishṇu, it gives the fruit of all desires.
- Camphor, sandal and kuṅkuma, or musk, camphor and sandal: trisugandha, which gives all desires.
- Nutmeg, camphor and sandal: triśītaka.
Yellow, white, white, black and red are named the five colours (pañcavarṇa). For the pūjā of Vishṇu, utpalas, lotuses and jātī flowers are used. Kuṅkuma, the red lotus and the red utpala are named trirakta. Worshipping Mahāvishṇu with dhūpa (incense), dīpa (lamps) and the rest gives men śānti (peace).
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267
The laksha and koṭi homa
The chapter closes with the great homas: in a square kuṇḍa (fire-pit) of four hastas (cubits), eight or sixteen brāhmaṇas offer a laksha (a hundred thousand) or a koṭi (ten million) oblations of tila, ghee and rice. Performing the pūjā of the grahas and a homa with the Gāyatrī, every kind of śānti comes in due order.
Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267
Sources
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 267