Citrapaṭa

Citrapaṭa · citra-paṭa, “painted cloth”

Grammar: masculine noun; citra (painting) with paṭa (cloth).

Meaning: a painted cloth; in the Bhuvana-pratishṭhā, the cloth on which the fourteen bhuvanas are painted.

In the scriptures: Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira the vidhi of the Bhuvana-pratishṭhā.

  • The cloth: a strong, pure white cloth, seven hastas long and wide, clear as sphaṭika. A painter skilled in citrakarma draws on it all fourteen bhuvanas.
  • What is painted: in the middle, Jambūdvīpa; in its middle Meru-parvata, and above it the devatās. In the eight directions, the cities of the eight dikpālas. The earth with seven dvīpas, seven kulācalas, seven samudras, rivers, lakes, seven pātālas and the seven lokas. The lokas of Brahmā and the other devatās, the Dhruva-mārga, Sūrya with the grahas and tārās, dānavas, yakshas, rākshasas, ṛshis, munis, cows, the deva-mātā Aditi, birds beginning with Suparṇa, nāgas and the eight diggajas beginning with Airāvata. The five tattvas, ahaṃkāra, manas, buddhi, the three guṇas, prakṛti and purusha are drawn as pervading all.
  • The rite: a maṇḍapa is made with the citrapaṭa in its middle. The havana is done with the nāma-mantras of the devatās painted on it, and the yajamāna does pūjā of them with the ācārya and prays with this mantra.

ब्रह्माण्डोदरवर्तीनि भुवनानि चतुर्दश। तानि संनिहितान्यत्र पूजितानि भवन्तु मे।
ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रो ह्यादित्या वसवस्तथा। पूजिताः सुप्रतिष्ठाश्च भवन्तु सततं मम॥

brahmāṇḍodaravartīni bhuvanāni caturdaśa | tāni saṃnihitānyatra pūjitāni bhavantu me |
brahmā vishṇustathā rudro hyādityā vasavastathā | pūjitāḥ supratishṭhāśca bhavantu satataṃ mama ||

“May the fourteen bhuvanas within the brahmāṇḍa be present in this citrapaṭa, and be honoured by me. O Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra, Ādityas and Vasus! Honoured by me, may you all be established in it.”

  • Its installation: the yajamāna does pradakshiṇā of the citrapaṭa, keeps jāgaraṇa through the night, and at dawn does its pūjā again. The citrapaṭa is then set on an adorned chariot drawn by two elephants or horses, carried with the brāhmaṇas, installed in a devamandira and given pūjā.
  • The phala: one who establishes the bhuvana by this vidhi has, as it were, established the three worlds. As long as the citrapaṭa stays in the devālaya and receives pūjā, so long his kīrti spreads in the three worlds; and as long as that kīrti lasts, for so many thousand years he dwells in svarga.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 191

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 191