29 - The mode of the charitable gift of Hiranyagarbha

Sanatkumara said:

1. The first holy rite Tula has been mentioned to you in a general form. I shall mention Hirapyagarbha, the second in the series. This rite is the bestower of all Siddhis.

2-3. The bottom vessel shall be made with half a thousand gold pieces. The upper vessel shall be made with half that number. The mouth shall be just wide enough for its entry.²⁶¹ Thus, the golden vessel shall be made embellished with all ornaments. In the lower vessel the devotee shall remember the goddess Maya having the three Gunas.

4. He shall remember the goddess of twentyfour ²⁶² principles with the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Agni. In the upper essel he shall remember about the lord of Uma, the twenty-sixth²⁶³ principle beyond the Gunas.

261. samveshamatrakam — with a narrow opening, of the form of modem ‘surahi’.

262. Chaturvimshatikam devim — i.e. Prakruti constituted of twentyfour tattvas.

263. shadvimshakam-the twentysixth principle, i.e. the transcendent purusha lshvara.

5. He shall meditate on the Atman as the Purusha, the twenty- fifth ²⁶⁴ principle, the deity born at the outset, in the middle of the spot mentioned before on the upper surface of the Altar.

264. panchavimshakam - the twentyfifth category, namely, the individual soul, the enjoyer of Prakruti. Cf. Linga 1. 28. 7; II. 17, 26-27.

6. Shali rice shall be put into the pot and the pot shall be wrapped in fresh cloth. After applying the powdered residue of black gram dal on it, it shall be worshipped with five articles of worship ²⁶⁵.

265. pancha-dravyena— panchopacharaih ST. with the five articles of propitiation.

7. The devotee shall worship it with the five mantras Ishana etc. duly. The worship of Shiva and Homa shhll be performed as before in due order.

8-10. The devotee shall repeat Gayatri and sit facing the east. After performing all these rites, the excellent brahmin shall perform rites beginning with Garbhadhana using the sixteenfold articles of worship. ²⁶⁶ The sprinkling shall be made in the right hand side nostril with the tender sprouts of the Durva grass along with the fruits of the Udumbara tree. Water shall be sprinkled twenty-one times by means of the Kusha grass. In the rite of Simanta also water shall be sprinkled in the north-eastern direction.

266. shodosha-margena — in the manner as enjoined in the treatises dealing with the sixteen samskaras.

11-13. With thirty gold coins a splendid image of a girl shall be made and the rite of marriage be performed. After embellishing the idol and performing Homa, the same shall be dedicated to Shiva.

In the course of the rite of Annaprashana the learned devotee shall feed himself with milk pudding, etc. Thus the rites beginning with impregnation (Garbhadhana) shall end with the rite of Vishvajita. All these rites shall be performed with the help of brahmins who are masters of Vedas. The rites shall be performed by repeating the Shaktibija mantra.

The remaining rites shall be performed like the Tulahema rite (mentioned before.)

Summary of chapter 139 of the Linga Mahā Purana is as follows:

The historical account of Sage Dadhīca is detailed, highlighting his supreme devotion to Śiva and ultimate sacrifice for cosmic protection. When devas were threatened by the invincible demon Vṛtra, Sage Dadhīca willingly surrendered his physical body through yogic fire so that his holy bones could be fashioned into the formidable Vajra weapon for Indra, demonstrating the heroic selflessness of Śiva devotees.