Deva-tīrtha
Deva-tīrtha · deva-tīrtha, “the sacred part of the hand for the devas”
Grammar: neuter noun; a compound of deva and tīrtha (a sacred place, a ford; here a sacred part of the hand): “the tīrtha of the devas”.
Meaning: the tip of the hand, the part of the hand through which water is offered to the devatās in tarpaṇa (the offering of water that satisfies). It is one of the tīrthas of the hand, each of which serves its own offering.
In the scriptures: in the rite of snāna, sandhyā and tarpaṇa which Bhagavān Śiva teaches Kārtikeya, the Agni Purāṇa names the tīrthas of the hand and how each is used.
The tīrthas of the hand. The root of the forefinger is the pitṛ-tīrtha; the root of the little finger the prajāpati-tīrtha; the root of the thumb the brahma-tīrtha; the tip of the hand the deva-tīrtha; the right palm the agni-tīrtha and the left palm the soma-tīrtha; and all the joints and knuckles of the fingers the ṛshi-tīrtha. In the sandhyā, the water for ācamana is taken three times through the brahma-tīrtha (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 72).
Tarpaṇa through the deva-tīrtha. “Now I tell the rite of tarpaṇa,” Bhagavān Śiva says. To the devatās, tarpaṇa is given through the deva-tīrtha, uttering their name-mantras: to Śiva with “oṃ hūṃ śivāya svāhā”, and to the other devatās likewise with “svāhā” after their names. After the nyāsa of the six limbs, tarpaṇa is given to the deva-gaṇas, with “namaḥ” after their names: the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Viśvedevas, the Maruts, the Bhṛgus and the Aṅgirases (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 72).
The other tīrthas in tarpaṇa. Then, wearing the yajñopavīta round the neck like a garland, one does ṛshi-tarpaṇa through the ṛshi-tīrtha to Atri, Vasishṭha, Pulastya, Kratu, Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra, Pracetas and Marīci. To the munis beginning with Sanaka, two añjalis each are given from the roots of the little fingers of the joined hands. Then, wearing the yajñopavīta over the right shoulder, water with tila is offered three times each to the divine pitṛs from kuśa folded in two (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 72).
Related terms: Tīrtha · Tarpaṇa · Pitṛ-tīrtha · Brahma-tīrtha · Ṛshi-tīrtha · Ācamana
Sources
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 72