19 - Installation of the Banner

Sanaka said: 

1. "I shall expound to you another holy Vrata which dispels all sins and causes delight to Vishnu. It is named Dhvaja-ropaņa1 (installation of the banner).

1. Although the principal Gruhya and Dharma Sūtras are silent about the installation of an image (Devata-Pratishtha) in a temple, the custom of installing a banner with the sign of Garuda on it (Garuda-dhvaja) in honour of Vasudeva seems to be pretty old. In an inscription of the 2nd Cent. B.C., the Greek Bhagavata Heliodorus is recorded to have erected a Garuda-dhvaja (D.C. Sircar-Select Inscriptions, pp. 90-91).

In the Gupta Age, temple-building activity and installation of images became popular and we find in an early Purana like the Mt.P. (Chs. 264-66), a detailed procedure of such installation. Later on, even the installation of a flag at the entrance of or over the shrine became so important that it came to be regarded as a Vrata (religious observance). Hemadri in the Chaturvarga Chintamani (CC)-Vrata Khanda (pp. 829-30 Bib. Ind. 1879) gives Dhvaja-Vrata (The observance of raising a flag on the temple of Vishnu) from the Vishnudharmottara. But that seems to be a part of Pancharatra cult, as the colour of the banner was to be yellow, blue, white and red. The figures on them are to be Garuda, the Palm-tree, the Alligator, etc. according to the Vyuha (Vasu deva, Sankarshana and others). The Vrata is to start from the month of Chaitra when the flag of Vasudeva is to be worshipped, Sankarshana's banner to be adored in Vaishakha and so on. 

This vow is observed for twelve years and thereby, the devotee attains the Sayujya type of liberation. 

The above outline from Hemådri's CC will show how the NP, differs from the Vishnudharmottara, though the flag in the NP., is to be planted at the door or above the temple of Vishnu. It is to be noted that no Vyuha is brought in the NP., though the influence of the Pancharatra cult on the NP. is undeniable.

2. He who installs an excellent banner on the temple of Vishnu is honoured by Brahma and others. What more need be spoken (in praise of it)?. 

3. The gift of a thousand Bharas2 of gold to a man burdened with a large family is but equal in benefit to the rite of installation of the banner. 

2. hema-bharasahasram. 

Gold weighing one thousand bharas. 

1 bhara=8000 Tolas of gold-SKD III.499.

4. The excellent ablution in the Ganga or the service unto the Tulasi plant or the adoration of Shiva-Linga is on a par with the installation of the banner. 

5. O Brahmana, unprecedented it is! Rare and un equalled it is! It is unprecedented! It is a rite that dispels all sins, the rite called Dhvajāropaņa. 

6. I shall describe all those rites ancillary to the installation of the banner. Even as I recount it, listen. 

7. On the Dashami (tenth) day in the bright half of the month of Karttika,3 a man in complete self-restraint, should assiduously perform the rite of ablution beginning with the cleaning of his teeth. 

3. This Vrata is to begin on the 11th day of the bright half of Karttika. Contrast CC, where it is said to begin in the month of Chaitra.

8. The Brahmana devotee should take food only once. He should observe the vow of celibacy. Remembering the lord Narayana, he shall sleep in front of the deity. He should be pure and be clad in white robes. 

9. He should get up early in the morning and perform the rites of Achamana and ablution duly. After finishing the daily routine of prescribed duties, he should worship Vishnu.

10. Causing the Svastivachana (the utterance of benediction) along with four Brahmanas, the devotee should perform the Nandi Shraddha4 (Shraddha, preliminary to Samskaras and festive occasions) in the holy rite of the installation of the banner.

4. Normally Nándi-Shråddha is a necessary preliminary in the Upanayana (Investiture of the sacred thread) Ceremony, and other Samskaras (Haradatta on Apastamba Gr. S.10.5). But its prescription before undertaking this Vrata, shows its elevation to the status of a Samskara.

11. Repeating the Gayatri, he should sprinkle the banner and the flag-staff along with the cloth. Devoted to them, he should worship the sun, moon and Vainateya (Garuda). 

12. He should worship Dhatri and Vidhatri (gods Vishnu and Brahma) on the staff of the flag, with turmeric, raw rice grains, scents and other things and particularly with white flowers, 

13. Thereafter, he should get a small plot measuring a Gocharman5 (scrubbed, cleaned and smeared well. The sacrificial fire should be placed there. One should oblate ghee and other things in the prescribed order6 in accordance with the injunctions in one's own Gruhya Sutra. 

5. Go-charma-matram sthandilam 

A Sthandila is a square with each of its sides 18, 16, etc. finger-breadths. The term go-charma seems to be flexible. Here its area is limited to the altar or the ground levelled, squared and prepared for the sacrifice.

6. ajya-bhägādikam kramat. 

Ajya-bhagas mark the limits, as it were, of oblations. The northern limit is with Agnaye Svaha (accompanied with oblation of ghee, etc.) and the Southern limit is with Somaya Svaha and other oblations are in between these two limits.

14-15. He should offer a hundred and eight oblations of milk pudding and ghee in the homa. At the outset, the Purusha Sukta (RV.X.90) is repeated, then the Sukta Vishņornu kam (RV.1.154) etc. and then The Irāvati (RV.VII.99) (should be repeated). Thereafter, he should give eight Ahutis (in the fire) saying Vainateyāya svāhā. Thereafter, O Brāhmaṇa the Sūktas Somo Dhenum (RV.I.91.20) and Udu tyam (RV.I.50.1) should be repeated and oblations be offered.7 

7a. Paurusha Sukta is the Purusha Sukta RV. X.90, Vishnor nu kam is the Vishnu Sukta in RV.I.154 and Iråvati is the mantra Irāvati dhenumati, etc. in RV.VII.99.3. This mantra is found in Tai. Sam 1.2.13.1, Vaj. Sam. V.16 and other Vedic works.

7b. Somo dhenum is RV. I.91.2 while udu tyam is the 1st Mantra of the famous Saura hymn RV.I.50.

16. There, he should repeat the sūkta pertaining to the Sun (viz. RV.I.50) and the Šhanti Sūktas in accordance with one's capacity. With purity, he should keep awake during the night in the vicinity of Hari.

17. Thereafter, he should get up early in the morning and complete the daily routine activities. As before, he should worship the Lord with scents, sweet smelling flowers and other things in due order.

18. Thereafter, the splendid auspicious flag should be taken to the shrine of Vishņu, to the accompaniment of auspicious musical instruments, chanting of the Sūktas, dances and singing of hymns.

19. O Brahmaņa, the joyous devotee should firmly plant the flagstaff (with the hoisted flag) either at the entrance to the shrine of the Lord or on the top of it. 

20. Then, he should worship Lord Hari with scents, flowers, raw rice grains, charming incense and lamps and Naivedya offerings consisting of various dishes. 

21. After installing the excellent and splendid banner in the temple, he should circumambulate it and chant this song of prayer. 

22. "Obeisance to you, O Lotus-eyed Lord, the Conceiver and creator of the Universe; O Hruşhikeśha, salutations to you, O earliest-born great Purusha. 

23. I resort to Keśhava by whom all this universe has been created, in whom everything is established and in whom the universe will get dissolved. 

24. I salute that Lord, the embodiment of perfect knowledge, whose supreme nature even Brahma and other gods do not know and whom even the Yogins do not perceive. 

25. I salute that Lord whose form consists of the entire universe,8 whose umbilical region is the firmament, whose head is the heaven and whose feet are the Earth. 

8. An echo of the famous Purusha Sukta (RV.X.90).

26. I salute that Lord who is Brahma incarnate whose ears are all the quarters, whose eyes are the sun and the moon, and by whom the mantras of Řuk, Säman and Yajus have been uttered. 

27. I salute that Lord from whose mouth the Brahmaņas originated, from whose arms the kings came forth, from whose thighs the Vaiśhyas were born and from whose feet were born the Śhūdras. 

28. I salute that unborn Lord whom they call Purusha only on account of the contact with Maya, but who is naturally free from impurities, who is pure, who is free from modifications or change and is unsullied. 

29. I salute that god Vishnu who reposes in the milk-ocean, who is the infinite and unvanquished Lord, and is favourably disposed towards good devotees and who is attainable only through devotion. 

30. I salute that omnifaced Lord from whom originated the earth and other elements, the Tanmaträs, the sense-organs and both the subtle and gross substances. 

31. Again and again I bow unto that attributeless, subtle supreme being which is the Brahman, the highest resort that is the supreme-most and the most excellent in all the worlds. 

32. I bow down to that unborn pure Lord who is not subject to modification or change and who has arms all round and whom the leading Yogins consider the cause of the cause of all. 

33. May that Vishnu be propitiated unto me-Lord Vishnu who is the immanent soul in all living beings, who is identical with the universe, and who is the attributeless great Atman. 

34. May that Vishnu be pleased with me—the Lord who though stationed within the heart, is yet staying far off to those whose Atmans had been deluded by Maya but who is omnipresent to persons endowed with spiritual knowledge. 

35. May that Vishnu be pleased with me, Vishnu, the Lord whose homa is performed by set of four, set of four, with a set of two, set of five and again by a set of two.9 

9. This famous verse containing numerals to represent the number of the syllables to be uttered is well known to all Agni-hotrins. The syllables are to be pronounced in the serial order as given in the verse. While uttering these syllables (mantras) one is to offer oblation to the sacrificial fire (in the Homa). 

The literal meaning of the verse is as follows: 

Chaturbhih: With the four syllables, viz. oshrāvaya (Tait. Aranyaka VII.8.1)

Chaturbhiḥ: The next four syllables are: astu shraushat (Tait. Samhita.

I.6.11, 1, 2 etc.)

After these the two syllables to be pronounced are:

yaja (Tait. Samhita I.6.11, 1, 2, 3 etc.) 

These two syllables are followed by the five syllables, viz. ye yajamahe (Tail. Samhita I.6.11.1, 2, 3, etc). This is to be concluded with the two syllables Vaushat (Aitareya Br. III.6.5). 

The whole expression to be recited is: 

Oshrāvaya, astu shraushat, yaja, ve yajamahe vaushat |

36. May that Vishnu be pleased with me, the lord who is the bestower of salvation to those men possessing perfect knowledge (i.e., followers of Jnana-yoga), meritorious deeds (performers of Karmas or followers of karma-marga) and devotional feelings (followers of the path of devotion) and who is sought by the whole universe. 

37. May that Vishnu be gracious unto me-Lord Vishnu whose persons assumed sportively for the well-being of the world, are worshipped by gods. 

38. May that Vishnu be propitious unto me--the Lord whom the saintly persons consider to be the embodiment of existence, knowledge and bliss, the attributeless support of the attributes." 

39. After eulogising thus, he should bow down to Vishnu and worship the Brahmanas richly. Afterwards, he should adore the preceptor with the offerings of religious fees, raiments, etc. 

40-41. In accordance with his capacity, he should feed the Brahmanas, with devotional feelings. O Brahmana, devoted to Narayana he should perform Paraná—the ritualistic break of the fast-along with his sons, friends, wives and other kinsmen, I shall mention the meritorious benefits to the person who performs this excellent rite of Dhvajāropaņa. Listen with attention. 

42. Undoubtedly, as many accumulations of his sins perish, O leading Brahmana, as there are flutters in the banner cloth due to the wind. 

43. Whether one is vitiated by great sins or by all kinds of sins, one is absolved of them all by installing a banner in the shrine of Vishnu. 

44. O Brahmana, he enjoys Sarupya (similarity of form) with Hari for as many thousands of Yugas as the number of days that the banner stands aloft in Vishnu’s abode. 

45. If righteous men take delight and praise on seeing the banner installed, all of them are liberated from crores of great sins. 

46. The banner installed in Vishnu’s abode shakes off within half wink of eye, the sins of the man who had installed it, even as it flutters its cloth. 

47. He who installs a banner in the abode of Vishnu and looks after it every day, goes to heaven by means of Devayāna (the divine path) like king Sumati of good intellect.”