57 - The Glory of Purushottama: The Procedure of Worship

This chapter gives the application of Pañcha-rätra Agama to the worship of Purushottama. The esoteric application of the mantra 0m namo Näräyanäya and Vishnave namah to the various parts of one’s person (technically known as Nyäsa) is an essential part of Tantrism.

This chapter is practically the same as the Brahma P. Ch. 61. Thus the Brahma Purana 61.1-12 are the same as the NP 57.1-12; so also Brahma P. 61.23-58 and the NP. 57.23-58 are identical but with the difference of few readings here and there.

Vasu said:

1-3. After performing the rite of Tarpana to gods, sages, Pitris and others, the pilgrim should silently perform Ächamana (religious sipping of water). O daughter of Brahma, he should draw a square of the side of a Hasta (a cubit of about eighteen inches). Ir should be beautiful and should have four entrances. It represents the city of Purushottama on the shore of the great ocean. In its middle, he should draw the mystic diagram of a lotus with eight petals and the pericarp. O Mohini, he should draw the mystic diagram and worship in it, Lord Närãyana, the unborn eternal deity, in accordance with the same injunctions as in the case of eight-syllabled Mantra.

4. Henceforth, I shall explain fully to you the excellent mode of purification of the physical body. The* syllable Ksha in the company of the syllable Ra is red and should be thought of in the heart.

*Here Brahma P. V. 46 reads:

akãram hrudaye dhyätvä chakra-rekha-samanvitam |

The Anahata Chakra is presumed to be at the heart. But neither Ksha nor Ra or A form the bïjas and the ‘Petals’ of that Chakra.

5. On his head, he should think of the syllable ‘E’ as stationed in the middle of the dice of the moon and having three blazing ‘Shikhäs’ burning down the heaps of the sins of the world.

6. It is white in colour and it showers nectar flooding the earth **. The devotee who has shaken off sins, thus shall thereafter become one with a divine body.

**The qualities of blazing and burning sins may be those of the syllable Ksha, in case the first half of verse 6 is taken along with the 5th verse).

7. The learned devotee, should then fix the eight syllabled Mantra in the body as well as in the Ätman. He should fix it beginning with the left foot and proceed gradually.

8. With the Müla mantra, the aspirant should perform the rite of purification of the hand. The Nyãsa rite shall have five subsidiary limbs and four manifestations of Vishnu.

9. He should fix each of the syllables separately on the fingers. The syllable OM is the earth. He should fix it on the left foot. It is white in colour.

10. The syllable na is dark-coloured. It is the Bhuvah (the world). It is fixed on the right foot. They call the syllable mo as Kala (Time) alone. It must be fixed in the left hip.

11. The syllable nã (which is the previous seed*) is established in the southern right side. They call rã the refulgence (the Fire element) and it is stabilised in the umbilical region.

***Br. P. 57.11a reads; Sarva-bija.

12. The syllable ya is of gaseous nature and it has resorted to the left shoulder. The syllable na shall always be known to have been stablished in the right shoulder.

13-14. The syllable ya is stationed on the head, where the worlds are also stabilised. After fixing Omkära in the heart, the syllable ‘vi’ on the head, the syllable ‘shna’ on the tuft and the syllable ‘vi’ in the Kavacha (coat of mail He shall fix na in the eyes. The syllable mah is said to be the ‘Astra’ ‘miraculous weapon’.

15. The (deity) Vâsudeva is of white colour. It is fixed in the forehead. (He is stationed on the forehead) The deity Samkarshana is red. He is fixed in the mouth. He resembles the fire and the sun.

16. (The manifestation called ‘Pradyumna’ is yellow in colour and is assigned in the heart and the Vyüha (manifestation) known as Aniruddha is stationed at the sex-organ. Hari thus pervades all limbs. The Almighty one is worshipped thus in his four-fold manifestations (Vyühas)

17. Vishnu is present in front of me; Kešhava abides behind me; Govinda is present on the right side; Madhusüdana is present on the left side.

18. Vaikuntha is present above, and Varäha (the Divine Boar) on the ground. Mâdhava is present in all those intermediate quarters between the main directions.

19. My protection is effected by Narasimha whether I go or stay, whether I keep awake or am asleep. I am identical with Väsudeva.

20. After becoming identical with Vishnu thus, the devotee should begin the rite. He should combine all the principles with the Deva, just as is done in the case of the physical body.

21. That which ends with the syllable ‘pha’ is cited to be auspicious and destructive of all obstacles. He shall think of the spheres of the sun, moon and fire.

22-23. In the middle of the lotus of the internal side of the cosmos, the devotee shall fix Vishnu. Thereafter, he should mentally think of the excellent lustre, Pranava (om) seated in the pericarp, the eternal being of the form of brilliance. Thereafter, he should perform the Nyàsa* rite of the eight-syllabled Mantra in due order.

*Nyasa is the assignment of the various parts of the body to different deities (or syllables of Mantras). It is accompanied with particular Mantra, syllable or prayer to corresponding gesticulations.

24. The worship by means of that Mantra in the state of analysis and synthesis (Vyasta-Samasta) ** is remembered to be great: He should then worship the eternal lord by means of the twelve-syllabled Mantra.

**Literally: Vyasta= ‘inherent in or pervading all the several parts of anything,’ while Samasta = ‘inherent in or pervading th8.whole of anything.

25. He should then retain in the heart the immense being with four arms and lustre equal to that of crores of Suns.

26-29. After thinking about the great Yoga, he should invoke the following deities in due order:

(The Mantra for invocation): “O Näräyana, may these Devas, the bestowers of boons come in front of me viz. he who has assumed the form of the Fish, Narasimha and Vämana.”

(The Mantra for offering a seat.) ‘‘Sumeru is the pedestal for your feet. The seat has been made in the form of the lotus. O Madhusüdana, stay behind for the benefit of all living beings”. (The Mantra for Pädya) “O eternal lord Padmanäbha, the Pâdya (water for washing feet) is offered at your feet. O Vishnu, O deity with the eyes like the petals of the lotus, O Madhusüdana, accept it.

(The Mantra for Madhuparka and Arghya) ‘O great lord, accept Madhuparka prepared by me. Accept it in the company of Brahma and others. O Purush0ttama, accept the Arghya devoutly offered by me.

30-33. (The Mantra for Ächamanïya): “The water of the Mandäkinï (the Gañgâ) is auspicious. It dispels all sins. Accept that as the water for the rite of Ächamana. It has been offered by me with great devotion.”

(The Mantra for bath): “You are the water, the earth, the fiery (element) and the wind (element). I am bathing you with the water that alone supports the worlds.”

(The Mantra for offering clothes): ‘‘May these two clothes be accepted; they are woven with the divine yarn; they have the colour of the Yajña and they have the lustre and the glitter of gold.”

(The Mantra for smearing the Lord with unguents): “O Kešhava, neither your body nor your activities do I know perfectly.

34-36. May the unguent offered by me be accepted and smeared.” (The Mantra for offering a sacred thread): “The sacred thread which has been made of three turns by the Lotus born god with Mantras of Ruk, Yajus and Saman and is equipped with the knot called Sávitrï, has been dedicated to you.”

(The Mantra for decorating with ornaments): “O Mädhava, the ornaments consisting of divine jewels and having the lustre of the fire and the sun will make your limbs splendid-looking”.

The Mantra for waving lights): “O lord of the luminaries, you alone are the fiery refulgence of the sun and the moon of the lightning and the fire. May this light be accepted.”

37. (The Mantra for offering incense): ‘‘This fragrant vegetable juice divine and presented along with sweat scents is for you. May this incense offered to you devoutly by me be accepted.”

38. (The Mantra for offering food as Naivedya): ‘‘Tasty cooked food of four kinds has been offered to you with devotion. It has six tastes in the varieties of dishes. O Kešhava, this is the Naivedya unto you.”

39-41. The devotee should perform the Nyäsa in the petal in the east; that of Samkarshana in the petal in the south; that of Pradyumna in the petal in the west, and that of Anuruddha in the petal in the north. He should perform the Nyasa of the Varãha incarnation in the south-east; that of Narasimha in the south-west; that of Mädhava in the north-west, that of Trivikrama in the north-east. He shall perform the Nyasa of Garuda, in front of the lord of the eight-syllabled Mantra.

42-43. He should fix the discus on the left side and the conch on the right side. The great iron club also should be fixed on the right hand side of the lord. Then the scholarly devotee should fix the bow to the left of the lord. The divine quiver shall be fixed on the right hand side and the sword on the left.

44-45. After fixing Shri to the south side, the devotee should fix Pushti to the north side and the Vana-mälä (the garland of sylvan flowers) as well as the Šhrivatsa mark and Kaustubha gem in front of the Lord. He should fix the heart etc. in the four quarters beginning with the east. Thereafter, he shall fix the weapon of the lord of the Devas in the corner.

46-48a. He should worship the following deities (the guardians of the quarters): Viz. Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirruti, Varuna, Väyu, Dhanada (Kubera), Išhãna, Ananta and Brahma. He should worship them with their respective Mantras (in the respective quarters) and below as well as above. By worshipping thus, the lord of the Devas, Janãrdana, stationed in the Mystic diagram, the man shall attain cherished desires.

48b-50a. He who sees this Janärdana stationed in the mystic diagram worshipped in accordance with this injunction, shall enter the unchanging Vishnu. He, by whom Kešhava is worshipped at least once in this manner shall surmount (the difficulties of bath, old age and death and attain the region of Vishnu.

50b-51a. Šhvetadvïpa is glorified for the daily residence of that person who devoutly remembers Näräyana continuously and diligently.

51b-52a. That Mantra which begins with ‘Om Namah’ (Lit: that which contains ‘Namaskära’ accompanied with Om at the beginning) and is embellished with word ‘Namah’ at the end (that is the Mantra: 0m namo Nãrãyanãya namah) is regarded as the name (or illuminator) of all principles.

52b-53. In the same order of procedure, he should offer scents and fragrant flowers unto each in the manner prescribed. He shall show the eight mystic Mudräs (gestures) as indicated in the order mentioned above.

54. He should perform Japa by means of the Müla Mantra eight, twentyeight or hundred and eight times. The knower of reality shall do thus.

55a. In those rites with specific desires in view, the devotee should do everything as mentioned with concentration and in accordance with his capacity.

55b-56a. The following eight are glorified as the Mudrãs (mystic gestures) viz.: Lotus, Conch, Šhrïvatsa, Gadä, Garuda, Chakra (discus), Khadga ( Sword) , Šârañga (bow).

56b-57a. (Bidding farewell). “O Eternal Ancient Supreme Being, go, go into the greatest abode, the greatest region which Brahmä and other Devas do not know. O auspicious lady, those who do not know the mode of worship as mentioned by means of the Mantras of Hari should worship Achyuta by means of the Müla mantra.