Agni Purāṇa

69 - Mode of conducting the bathing festival

The Fire (Lord) said:

1. O Brahman! Listen! Ishall describe in detail (the mode of conducting) the bathing festival. The pitchersshould be placed in a drawn figure in theshed in front of the temple.

2. First of all, God Hari (Vishnu)should be contemplated, propitiated and offered oblations before doing anything. Oneshould offer oblations hundred or thousand times along with the final one.

3. The materials for bathingshould then be brought and the pitchers alsoshould be placed. The pitchers to the necks of which threads have been tiedshould be made fragrant and theyshould be held in a circle.

4. A squareshould be drawn and divided into eleven compartments. The gruelshould be placed at the centre, the adjacent parts having been cleaned.

5. The nine angular points commencing with eastshould be filled with powdered rice etc., and the pitchershould be brought by the wise man after having formulated the kumbha mudra¹.

1. A posture made with the hands representing a pitcher.

6. Darbha grassshould be put on them with the pundarikáksha (an epithet of Vishņu) (lotus-eyed) mantra. A pitcher filled with water and containing all gemsshould be placed in the middle.

7. The barley, paddy, sesamum, uncultivated rice, šyamaka (grains), horse gram, green gram and white mustard seeds (should be put) in the eight directions in order.

8-9. A pitcher filled with gheeshould be placed in the middle of the eastern side in the midst of nine pitchers. The remaining pitchersshould be filled with the decoctions of the (barks of) palaša, asvattha, nyagrodha, bilva, udumbara, Sirisha, jambu, sami and kapittha. The central pitcher in the nine pitchers in the south-eastshould be filled with honey.

10. The remaining eight pitchersshould be filled with the carth taken from loosening by cow's horn, elephant's tusk, horse hoofs, mountains, Ganges bed, sacred spots, rivers and fields.

11-12. In the nine pitchers on the south, the central oneshould be filled with sesamum. The other eight pitchersshould be filled with näranga, jambira, kharjūra, närikela (coconut), puga (arecanut), pomegranate, panasa fruits. In the nine pitchers on the south-west, the central pitchershould be filled with milk.

13-15. (The remaining eight pitchersshould be) duly (filled with) saffron (kunkuma), någa, champaka, malati, jasmine, punnaga, karavira, and mahotpala flowers. In the nine pitchers on the west, the central pitchershould contain the coconut water. (The other pitchersshould contain) waters of the river, ocean, tank, well, rain water, water from the melted ice, waters of the falls, and of the Ganges. In the nine pitchers on the north-west the central oneshould have banana fruits.

16. The divine herbs sahadevi, kumari, simhi, vydghri, amrta, Agni Purdna Vishnuparnd, satasiva and vacdshould be placed in the other eight pitchers.

17-19. In the cast and the northern (directions) among the nine pitchers oneshould place the central one having curd. The other pitchersshould duly be filled with the fragrant substances- cardamom, tvaca, kustha, bálaka, the two varieties of sandal, the kastürika crecper and the black agallochum. (In the central pitcher among the nine pitchers on the north east) oneshould fill waters for purification. In the other pitchers weshould have (the materials) chandra, tara, sukla, girisära (iron), trapu (tin), champhor, sirsa and gems.

20. Theyshould be anointed with ghee and lifted up and bathed with the principal mantra with perfumes and worshipped. Having offered oblations into the fire, the final oblationshould be offered.

21. Offeringshould be made to all spirits. After paying fees to (the priest), (the priest and the brahmins)should be fed after having installed the images of deities, sages and other divinities.

22. Having installed (the image of the god) in this way oneshould conduct the bathing festival. One who bathes (the image) in one thousand eight pitchers gets all fortune.

23. By bathing at the conclusion of the rite, the bathing festival concludes. The marriage and other festivals of (the goddesses) Gauri (consort of Siva), Lakshmi (consort of Vishņu)should be celebrated after the bathing festival.

Summary of chapter 69 of the Agni Purāṇa is as follows:

This chapter describes the great snāna-mahotsava — the elaborate bathing festival in which the deity is bathed with 108 kalaśa-s organized in sets of nine (navaka), each navaka assigned to one of the eight directions and the center. Each directional navaka is filled with specific substances: northern navaka-s with fragrant oils and butter, eastern navaka-s with fruit-infused waters, southern navaka-s with flower-scented waters and sacred earths, western navaka-s with medicinal herbs and aromatic barks, and the central navaka-s with gold and gem-infused waters and pañcāmṛta. The yajñāvabhṛtha-snāna — the concluding bath that closes a major fire sacrifice, in which the sacrificer, priests, and the deity's image are all bathed together — is described as the supreme purificatory act. The chapter affirms that performing or witnessing this festival cleanses the entire surrounding region.