66- Mode of consecration of other gods

The Lord said: 

1-2. Ishall describe the mode of consecration (of images) of all gods--the Adityas (the suns, twelve in number), Vasus (eight), Rudrāḥ (eleven), Sadhyāḥ, Viśvedevāḥ, Aśvins and the sages etc. It is like (the consecration of the image of) Vasudeva. Ishall describe special features (of ceremonies). The first letter of the name of particular deityshould be taken. 

1. Denotes Lakshmi. 

3. Itshould be split into syllables. The longer vowelsshould be split. The mystical letter (of the deity) is first formed by adding a nasal and the pranava. 

4. (The images of) all gods as well as those who had led a disciplined life and had observed austerities and atonements and those who had lived in the monasteriesshould be worshipped and installed with their respective principal mantra. 

5. Ishall describe the mode of fasting for a month and that which concludes on the twelfth day (of a fortnight). Oneshould place a stone slab and pitchers made of bell metal filled with the articles (described earlier). 

6. After having collected the brahmakūrca (grass), the worshippershould prepare the gruel made of barley and milk of tawny (coloured) cow with (the mantra) tadvishņoḥ¹. 

1. RV.1.22.20 a.

7. Itshould be stirred with the ladle holding it with (the recitation of) pranava (om). Having got it ready and bringing it down lord Vishņushould be worshipped and the offering made. 

8. The oblationshould be done with the vyährti (bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ), the vedic mantras such as gāyatri² (mantra), tadviprāsa³, visvatascakṣuḥ⁴ and bhūragnaye⁵. 

2. Om bhur bhuvassvah latsavituvarenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.

3. RV.1.22.21a.

4. RV.10.81.3a,

5. TA. 10.2.1 or 10.4.1.

9. Oblationsshould be given to Sürya, Prajapati (the creator), (the lord of) the ethereal region. Oblation to sky! Oblations to Brahman! (Oblationsshould be given upto) the earth and the great king. 

10. Oblationsshould be done with (the mantras) tasmai, somam ca, räjānamidam. Having offered the remaining part of the gruel as oblation, digbali (offerings to the quarters)should be done with due respect. 

11. Having made oblation of one hundred and eight twigs of the palasa (tree) along with clarified butter, oblationsshould be done eight times with sesamum and water along with the purushas ūkta⁶. 

6. RV.10.90. 

12-13. Having offered oblations for Brahman, Vishnu, Isha (Śiva), the attendant gods, the planets and the presiding deities of different worlds, oblationsshould be offered for the mountains, rivers, and oceans. Sacrificial spoon full of clarified buttershould bc offered thrice as the final oblation with the (recitation of) vyährtis (bhuḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ). 

14-15. O Brahman after having sipped the gruel along with the pañchagavya (five things got from a cow) with the vaisnava mantra and the syllable vaushat, the priestshould be paid fees, vessel containing sesamum along with gold, cloth and a cow welladorned. The wise manshould complete the austerity with (the utterance of) “May lord Vishnu be pleased!" 

16-17. Ishall describe in full about another mode of consecration other than that of fasting for a month. The lord of the celestials (Vishnu)should be worshipped and the gruel pertaining to Vishņushould be prepared out of sesamum, rice, nivāragrains (rice growing unsown), śyāmāka or barley. After adding clarified butter and lifting it up, oblationshould be made with that with the mantras relating to that form of the lord. 

18. Oblationshould be made to Vishņu and other gods who are the lords of different months then. Om! oblations for Vishņu! Oblations to lord Vishnu, the ornament! Oblations to Lord Vishnu, the sipivista (pervaded by rays) (an epithet of Vishnu)! Om! oblations to Narasimha (man-lion form of Vishņu). Om! oblations to Purushottama (the foremost) (an epithet of Vishnu)! Twelve twigs of the holy sig tree dipped in the clarified buttershould be given as oblation. 

19. Twelve oblations (should be made) with the mantra visno raråta¹. Twelve oblations with the gruelshould be made with the mantras) idam Vishnu,²" irāvati³. 

1. TS. 1.2.13.3.

2. RV. I.22.17a.

3. RV. 7. 99.3.a.

20. Similarly, oblationsshould be made with clarified butter with (the mantra) tadvipräsa.⁴ Having done the remaining oblation, three concluding oblationsshould be made. 

4. RV. 1. 22.21a.

21. Having repeated the hymn yuñjate⁵ the gruelshould be partaken. With the prañava (syllable om) repeated at the end of the respective name the gruelshould be placed in a vessel made of holy fig tree.

 5. RV. 5. 81.1a. 

22. Then twelve brahmins (representing) the twelve presiding deities of the monthsshould be fed. The priest (would be) the thirteenth. The thirteenth placeshould be offered to him. 

23. Thirteen pitchers containing sweet water along with umbrellas,shoes, clothes, gold and garlandsshould be given to them for the sake of conclusion of the rite. 

24. A path-wayshould be laid out (for the cattle) saying, "May the cows get pleased! May they move happily!" Then the sacrificial postshould be planted there. 

25-26. A water-shed in the pleasure grove, monastery and path-wayshould be of ten cubits. Having done the oblation etc. in the house duly in the prescribed way, the householdershould enter the house according to the earlier injunctions. Offering of food etc. without any restrictionsshould be made on all thicze (occasions). 

27. Feesshould be paid by wise men to the brahmins according to one's capacity. Whoever causes to set up a pleasure grove stays eternally in the garden of Indra. 

28. One who builds a monastery goes to heaven and remains in the world of Indra. One who sets up a water-shcd (lives) with Lord Varuņa. By (the construction of) a pathway one remains in the heaven. 

29. One who builds a bridge of bricks and who constructs a pathway for cows in the cattle stall and one who observes the austerities in the prescribed way dwells in the region of Vishnu. One who performs atonements gets rid of all sins. 

30. Having constructed a house (for the god) onc dwells in hcaven so long as the universe exists. The installation and consecration of Lord Siva etc., the lords of their edifices (have been described).