Garuda Mahā Purana - Achara Khaṇḍa
18 - Worship of Amruteśha Mrutyunjaya
Suta said:
1. I shall now expound the process of worship of Mrutyunjaya (the conqueror of death) narrated to Kaśhyapa by Garuda. It is holy, has redeeming features and covers all the deities.
2. Onkara (The mystic syllable Om) should be placed first. Jurikära1 (the syllable Jum) next. The third one is sa with a visarga (sah). This mantra (Om jum sah) suppresses death and poverty.
1. v.l. hunkára.
3. This mahamantra is the lord of Nectar. It consists of three syllables. The recital and worship of this mantra are equally efficacious. By its recital people can become free from death and all kinds of sins.
4. By its recital a hundred times a man attains the fruits of the recital of Vedic passages or pilgrimage to holy places. By reciting it a hundred and eight times, three times during the day (dawn, midday and dusk) he can conquer death and enemies.
5. He should contemplate on the god Varada (giver of boons) as seated on a white lotus indicating fearlessness through gestures. The lord of Nectar should be thought of as holding the jar of nectar with both the hands.
6. He should think of the goddess of nectar, truc of speech, as seated on his limb holding the jar in the right hand and the lotus in the left.
7. Reciting this mantra eight thousand times, three times a day, for a month he conquers old age, death, pestilence and enemies and accords peace and benevolence to all living beings.
8-11. A real worshipper must know all these things in detail-the site of a place of worship, the consecration (of an idol), the checking (of breath), the proximity, the placing, the water (for washing the feet), the water for ritualistic drink with the palm, the water for bathing, the materials of worship, the application of unguents, the holy lamp, the cloth, ornament, food offering and the water for drinking offered to the deity), the matras or quantities, mystical signs and gesticulations, the gift for the priests, the ghee offerings in the fire, the prayer, playing on musical instruments, vocal music, dancing in attendance, assignment of fingers etc, the proper assemblage, going round in reverence, kneeling down, chanting of mystic syllables, sacrifices, offering obeisance, and Visarjana (the final summing up and conclusion)-this process of worship involving the use of six limbs (sadangas, viz., two thighs, two arms, head and heart (or navel) as mentioned in order and emanated from the mouth of the great Lord.
12. First of all, arghya should be offered and pasharchana1 performed, then fanning is done with a piece of cloth. It is then purified with the kavacha mantras followed by the rite of Amrutikarana.
1. v.l. arghyapátrarchanam dadyadashtrenaiva tutadanam.
13-14. Then follows the worship of Adharashaktis (the presiding goddesses of the materials of worship), Pranayama1 (holding the breath), yogic postures, purification of the Pinda2 (ball of food) for the manes by drying it up. Then remember the soul as in the form of god, assign the various gestures with fingers of the hand, pray to the soul in the form of refulgence in the middle of the lotus of the heart.
1. Exercising the breath. It is of three types-pūraka, kumbhaka and rechaka.
2. v. l. pithashuddhi.
15. Then he should scatter brilliant flowers on the idol or on the ground all round. For the worship of its Dvara (entrance-passage), the soul and the Adhara-shaktis are worshipped.
16. Then follows sānnidhyakarana of the devas (invoking them to be near one) and the worship of the followers. For the pūjā3 of the six limbs the quarters are divided.
3. v.l. kartavya cha vipashchitaih.
17. Dharma and others, Indra and others are duly worshipped along with their weapons and followers. Worship of the cycles, the Vedas and the muhürtas yields enjoyment and salvation.4
4. An association of, specially, attendants of Shiva.
18. The groups of Mothers Nandi and Ganga, Mahakala and Yamuna are to be worshipped at the threshold.
19. Om obeisance to Bhairava the lord of Nectar. Similarly, Om jum saḥ5 obeisance to sun.
5. v.l. hamsah.
20. In the same manner he should perform the worship of Shiva-Krishna, Brahman, the Guņas, Chandika6 Sarasvati, Mahalakşhmi and others.
6. Durga.
Summary of chapter 18 of the Garuda Mahā Purana - Achara Khaṇḍa is as follows:
Bhagavān Vishṇu glorifies the immense spiritual merit unlocked through sincere worship, flower offerings, and lighting lamps before the deity. The Divine Master assures Garuḍa that even a small act of devotion performed with love yields infinite returns in both this world and the hereafter.