The Agni Purana

by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596

This page describes Mode of installation of the image of Goddess Lakshmi which is chapter 62 of the English translation of the Agni Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas dealing with all topics concerning ancient Indian culture, tradition and sciences. Containing roughly 15,000 Sanskrit metrical verses, subjects contained in the Agni-Purana include cosmology, philosophy, architecture, iconography, economics, diplomacy, pilgrimage guides, ancient geography, gemology, ayurveda, etc.

Chapter 62 - Mode of installation of the image of Goddess Lakṣmī

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[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord said:

1. I shall describe to you the mode of installation of all divine images. At first I shall describe the (mode of) installation (of the image) of Lakṣmī and her attendant goddesses.

2. As before, one should do all rites such as bathing (the image) in the shed. (The image of) goddess Lakṣmī should be placed on the pedestal. One should place eight pitchers.

3. The image should be anointed with ghee with the principal mantra and washed with the five things got from a cow. The eyes of (the goddess) Lakṣmī should be opened with (the recitation of the mantra) hiraṇyavarṇām hariṇīm^[1].

4. The three sweet things^[2] should be offered with (the recitation of the mantra) tāṃ ma āvaha^[3]. She (the image) should be bathed with (the waters of) the pitcher on the east with (the recitation of) the (hymn) aśvapūrva^[4].

5. The image should then be bathed with (the waters of.pitchers on) the south, west and north with the recitation of hymns kāmo'smi te^[5], candram prabhāsām^[6], āditya varṇa^[7] (respectively)

6-7. (Waters) from (the pitchers placed in) the southeast, south-west, north-west and north-east should be poured on the image accompanied by (the recitation of the mantras) upaitu mā^[8], kṣut pipāsā^[9], gandhadvāra^[10], manasaḥ kāmamākṛti^[11]. The image should subsequently be bathed with (the waters of) eighty-one pitchers (accompanied) by āpaḥ sṛjan kṣitim.^[12]

8. (The priest should worship the image) with perfumes accompanied by ārdrām puṣkariṇīm^[13], with flowers accompanied by tāṃ ma āvaha^[14] and ya ānanda.^[15]

9. The goddess should be worshipped in the bed with (the mantra) śāyantī^[16] yena and her presence is accomplished by śrīsūkta^[17]. Her consciousness is invoked and worshipped again with. the principal mantra of the goddess.

10. Thousand or hundred lotus flowers or karavīra flowers. should be offered in the fire pit at the shed accompanied by śrīsūkta.^[17]

11. Household furniture should be offered with the śrīsūkta^[17] itself. Then the consecration of edifice should be performed as described earlier.

12. The pedestal should be made with (the recitation of) the mantra. The installation of the goddess is done subsequently. Her presence is accomplished with the śrīsūkta.^[17] Everyone of the hymns (stated earlier)) should be recited as before.

13. Having invoked consciousness in the image, her presence is accomplished by the principal mantra. The priest and the brahmins should be presented with land, gold, clothes, cow and food. The images of all other forms of goddesses should be installed in the same way. One who invokes (and consecrates) in this way is held as going to heaven.