Chapter 30 - Mode of worship of different gods in specially drawn lotus figures

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1. One has to worship Brahmā in the lotus at the centre, the lotus-navelled (Viṣṇu) with all his retinue in the east, the nature (primordial matter) in the lotus in the south-east and the supreme spirit in the lotus in the south.

2. (One has to worship) the fire-god (in the lotus) at the south of the supreme spirit, the wind-god in the south-west and west, the sun in the lotus of the moon, the Ṛg-(Veda)and Yajur-(Veda) in the lotus of the lord.

3-4. Indra and other gods are to be worshipped in the sixteen (lotuses) in the second (row) then, (along with) the Sāma-(veda), Atharva (veda), sky, wind, lustre, water, earth, mind, ear, skin, (and) eye. One should also worship the tongue, nose, (the worlds) Bhū, (and) Bhuva.

5-7. Having worshipped (the worlds) Mahas, Janas, Tapas (and) Satya and (also the sacrifices) Agniṣṭoma, Atyagniṣṭoma, Uktha, Ṣoḍaṣī, Vājapeya, Atirātra, one has to worship Aptoryāma, mind, intellect, ego, sound, touch, colour, taste, (and) smell in order in twenty-four lotuses. (One has to worship) the soul, ego, the lord of the mind, (and) the sound principle of the primordial matter.

8-9. (One should then worship) the images of Vāsudeva and others, having worshipped the (following) ten—the soul, mind, ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose, speech, hand, (and) foot in thirty-two lotuses. One has to worship these in the fourth enclosure along with their attendants and retinue.

10. Having worshipped the anus and penis one has to worship the lords of the twelve months as well as the twenty-six forms commencing with Puruṣottama in the external enclosure.

11. Among these the Lords of the months are to be worshipped in the lotus of the disc. Then the eight, six, five or four (total twenty-three) principles of the primordial matter (are to be worshipped) in another (lotus).

12-13. Then one has to dust in a drawn circular altar. (You) hear. The pericarp should be of yellow colour, and all the lines equal and white. (They) should be two cubits long and one thumb in breadth. Half the length are white. The joints (should be coloured) white, black or dark-blue.

14. The filaments should be red and yellow-coloured. The corners should be filled with red. The yogic seat should be bedecked with any of the colours according to one’s own desire.

15. The pathway is decorated with canopy of creepers and leaves. The entrance to the altar (should be painted) white, bright-red and yellow.

16. Ornamentation of all the white corners (is done) with blue (colour). It has been said that the altar bhadraka should be filled (with the colours) and in this way the other (altars) are filled.

17. The three corners should be decorated with pale, red and black, the two corners with red and yellow (and) the centre of the circle by black.

18. The black (coloured) radii (should be decorated) by yellow and red, the circumference with red, the lines outside (being drawn) in white, brown, red, black and yellow.

19. The powder of rice (is) white. The dust of saffron is red. It (becomes) yellow with turmeric. From burnt grains (we get) black (colour).

20. (It becomes) black with śami leaves and other (leaves). By the repetition of the basic mystic letters lakh times and of the basic syllables four lakh times, a lakh of mystic learning is accomplished.

21. Ten thousand times of the science of intellect and thousand times of the hymns (are repeated). The purification of the self by means of a lakh of the basic syllables is done prior to this.

22. Then with another lakh, the basic syllable would get established. It has been well advocated that oblation of the mystic letters is similar to the prior service.

23. The prior service has been advocated to be performed with a tenth part of the mystic syllables. The monthly austerity has to be performed with the preparatory mystic syllable.

24. The left foot should be placed on the ground and the donation should not be accepted. In this way by the repetition, twice or thrice (one gets) mediocre and excellent accomplishments.

25. I shall describe the (mode of) contemplation of the mystic syllable, by which (one gets) the benefits got from the basic syllable. The gross form is composed of sound and is laid down as the outward deity.

26. The subtle form composed of lustre becomes the mental (figure) made up of thoughts in the heart. That (form) which is beyond thinking, is declared as the supreme.

27. The potential of the bear, lion and other forms are principally gross. The form of Vāsudeva is declared as that beyond the reach of thought.

23. The other forms are remembered always as existing in the thoughts of the heart. The gross (form) is said to be vairāja (belonging to Brahman) and the subtle form would be marked.

29-32. The form beyond thought is declared as that of Īsvara (the lord). One has to contemplate on the lustrous, undecaying consciousness residing in the lotus of the heart, (namely) the basic letter, the soul of the basic letter of the shape of a kadamba flower. Just a lamp lies obstructed inside the pitcher, so also the lord of the mystic syllable lies restrained in the heart. There are many holes in the pitcher. The beams of the light come out through them. In the same way the beams of the mystic letters come out through the tubular organs. Then uniting themselves with the power of the deity they exist in the body.

33. The tubular organs, having come out from the heart, come within the ken of the sense of sight. Among those (tubular organs) the two tubular organs Agni and Soma are (those which) remain at the tip of the nose.

34. Then having conquered the wind in the body the reciter of the basic syllable engaged in the repetition and contemplation enjoys the benefits of the basic syllable.

35. With the gross elements and subtle principles purified, contented (and) practising yoga, (one) gets aṇimā^[1] etc. (Remaining) detached and depending on the lord of the soul one gets free from the gross elements and subtle principles and seizure of the organs.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The first among the eight kinds of superhuman powers by which one is able to become very minute.