Chapter 13 - Worship to gain one’s wishes (kāmya-yoga)

Brahma:—

1. I am convinced that men on this earth have not the requisite great firmness to persist in the difficult path leading to ‘Supreme Bliss’ (Nirvāṇa).

2. Men are of little strength, incapable of effort, overcome by desire and anger, and do not seek refuge in the God of Gods giving up all desire anywhere.

3. Even though hidden from others, one’s desire being located in the heart is plainly visible to God always.

4. Therefore, for the benefit of all, expound fully to me with all its parts, the method of worship for gaining the desired ends, with due regard to time and the object to be attained.

Parama:—

5. O, Lotus-seated! To all people wishes are many. First the desire for prosperity; the next, the infliction of suffering upon others.

6-7. By knowledge, by wealth and vehicles, by children and catttle, wives and servants, by fame and. by victory, by health and books, houses and position, and by such other means, men are accounted prosperous, O Pitāmaha!

8-9. Bringing about death, attack of diseases, expulsion from the country, prevention of victory, destruction of wealth, or its appropriation by force, enmity, delusion, bringing another under one’s own control; these and the like are said to be infliction of suffering upon others, O, Pitāmaha!

10. Be it the gaining of strength or be it infliction of suffering, do not seek to do either for the benefit of others. When you do this for your own enjoyment or your own gain, it does not then become sin.

11. Whatever is appropriate to promote your welfare, make your effort to gain it. Even then, the fruit obtained is likely to be moderate and no more.

12. When one troubles you with his strength always, although you had done him no harm, you may then attempt injury to him. This does not make for sin.

13. For gaining one’s own good, the growing moon is the appropriate time; for inflicting injury upon enemies, the dark fortnight is the appropriate time.

14. The deity to be propitiated differs according to the days. One who desires to gain his object should worship the deity according to the nature of the wish.

15. One desiring to achieve an object then approaches the deity. He should make use of the incantation (Vidyā) appropriate to the deity, and get the qualities of the deity recited to him.

16. He should also provide, in appropriate form, the attendant deities of the one to be propitiated. For protection establish the guardian deities of the directions in their appropriate places.

17. A wise man should make the mere figures of lotus, placed in a circle and shining. Let it have eight petals one in each direction, and let it have the pericarp and stamens beautifying it.

18. He should place the deity (he wishes to worship) in it, surrounded by its attendants, weapons, and vehicles, and then offer his worship.

19. To all kinds of deities the Vimāna (tower) should be round, whether the building be round or four-sided, set with the guardian deities at the gate.

20. The body of the deities should be bright, shedding its lustre all round. For prosperity their form should be pleasing and healthy and otherwise bejewelled.

21. A wise man must first make himself clean by appropriate mantras then should take his bath, etc. for cleaning his body, and should offer worship to the deity in the manner of an unrivalled hero.

22. All the mantras already explained by me should be well used in the act of worship. In all acts of worship make use of those mantras only which are appropriate to the deity worshipped.

23. To all the deities the acts of worship are the same from beginning to end, such as the invocation to the deity, giving permission to depart, and in the making of the image etc.

24. These deities, however, differ in their name, in the time of worship, in their nature, in their attendant deities and in the mantras used.

Brahma:—

25. What are the materials with which devotees should offer worship, and at what times? What is the difference among the deities? All this kindly expound to me now.

Parama:—

26. I shall expound to you the way of worship to be offered to the Gods, appropriately for each day, beginning with the first day of the fortnight in order. Pray listen.

27-29. O, Lotus-born, Agni-Jātavedas, the storehouse of all light, possessed of three flames, three feet and seven tongues of red colour with eight arms, and three forms should be worshipped by one adorned with red unguents, red flowers, red garments, by placing the auspicious seat of the God in the middle of a fire, or on the ground, in the order indicated; that is, by offering red unguents, red flowers and red garments. Make the seat of the God and his vehicle red likewise.

30. A worshipper gains all desirable wealth and perpetual happiness by the use of Āyudha-mantra with all the accessory forms (aṅga and upāṅga).

31. Do not perform the ceremonies relating to Agni facing the south-east by any means; do not blow through the mouth to make it glow, nor place it beneath you, nor jump across it.

32. Without offering oblations to Agni, do not take your food; nor let your feet touch it. Do not cry out if fire breaks out; but place yourself in its protection, that is, propitiate fire.

33. In the same manner, with auspicious articles of worship, worship Brahma the creator on the second day of the fortnight. His image must be of yellow colour, and with four faces.

34. To a worshipper of Brahma there would be many children, his cattle multiply, trees and plants yield in plenty without any doubt.

35-37 A. On the third day worship Vaiśravaṇa, the Lord of wealth, king of the Yakṣas, the lord of the two great stores of wealth (Śaṅkha and Padma), with all his attendant deities, in the form of one with a great body and a big stomach, by offering intoxicating drinks and meat, with partially cooked and cooked food. The worshipper gains all kinds of prosperity and his wealth increases.

37-40 A. On the fourth day, Gaṇesa, the lord of all obstruction, of white colour, with four arms, a big stomach, an elephant-face with a single tusk; he should be worshipped morning and evening, for the prevention of evil befalling, with roots and fruit, and all kinds of cooked eatables. To such a worshipper no evil comes; he will always win at dice, becomes victorious either in law suits, or on the field of battle.

40-43 A. On the fifth day, worship the Goddess Śri seated in the midst of a lotus and bearing a lotus in her hand, who is attended all round by all the Goddesses, in form well nourished (puṣṭi) with lotuses and cooked food. One who desires learning should worship with lotus all white; but one who wishes power, etc., (Rāja-Śrī) should use red lotus. A king worshipping this deity gains a kingdom, one who desires victory, gains it; so one desiring power, etc., gains his wish; and one wishing wealth gets it likewise.

43-45 A. On the sixth day, worship Skanda, of the colour of the flower of pomegranate, young, holding a spear in hand, with six faces, with a cock ensign on the flag and riding a peacock, as a great giver and as the commander-in-chief of the divine host. One who worships thus obtains learning, intelligence, strength and good looks, without a doubt.

45-47. On the seventh day, worship the Sun of great strength on an one-wheeled chariot with seven horses who is bent on doing good to the world, the lord of the Planets shining in full armour and wearing brilliant ear-pendents. He must be red in colour and brilliant and should be worshipped with oleander (karavīra)and red lotuses. The poor worshipper becomes wealthy, the ailing gains health.

48. On the eighth day, Rudra, white in colour and four armed, should be worshipped. Such a worshipper becomes bright, strong, a good speaker and one meeting with no obstruction in his efforts.

49. On the ninth day Ambikā should be worshipped with red flowers and red meat, and the worshipper gets across difficult paths and gains victory.

50. On the tenth day the dark and large bodied Yama should be worshipped. The worshipper gets over violent calamities and remains unconquerable.

51. On the eleventh day the white coloured and thousand-eyed Indra should be worshipped, the worshipper gaining as a result power and greatness in large measure.

52. On the 12th day Vāsudeva should be worshipped with white articles of worship, the worshipper gaining increasing greatness and remaining for ever unconquerable to his enemies.

53. On the 13th day worship Kāma Deva (God of love) in the form of a gem-set image, gaining as a result great happiness in children, wives and servants.

54. On the 14th day worship Rudra with 8 arms for gaining knowledge, with sweet gruel mixed with ghee. The worship brings the highest knowledge.

55. On the 15th day worship the Full-moon with white and clean water-flowers. The worshipper remains free from ailments and strong.

56. In the same manner if the presiding deities of the nakṣatras beginning with Kṛttikā be worshipped, each of these deities grants favours peculiarly its own.

57. For all these deities bdellium mixed with ghee is prescribed as acceptable incense; but specially sweet smelling sandal mixed with camphor and agalocham [agaloca?].

58. For those desiring their own welfare, the days of the first fortnight are good; while for those intending suffering for others the days of the dark fortnight are acceptable.

59-60. A worshipper should get together articles of worship suitable to what is desired. When to the worshipper’s disposition and the form of the deity chosen, the place of worship, the time, the articles of worship, his own enthusiasm and strength, conform in all details, the worshipper’s object is fulfilled, and not otherwise.

61. As against an enemy, in working to bring about evil to another, and, in an effort to gain control over another, the performer should use the name of those against whom he is invoking the deities concerned.

62. At the end of the ceremony he must inform the deity of his wish. In all worship of this kind he should make the prescribed form (mudrā-bandha)with his hands.

63-64. In all cases one should do what is necessary to protect himself. Then he has nothing to fear. In this manner, he should make himself clean and composed, and then mutter the incantation a 1,000, 10,000 or 1,00,000 times. Having gone through the worship in this manner, his object is then attained.

In the Parama Saṃhitā of the Pāñcarātra Chapter XIII, called Kāmya-yoga (worship to gain one’s wishes).