Chapter 68 - Mode of taking out a procession and celebration of festivals

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: Mode of taking out a procession (yātrā) and celebration of festivals (utsava) after fixing the new image]

The Lord said:

1. I shall describe the celebration of festival after the image has been installed. It shall be for a night, or three or five nights.

2-3. Without the festival the installation would become fruitless. The festival for the deity [i.e., utsava] should be celebrated when the sun enters the solstitial or the equinoctial points in the bedchamber or garden or it may be done in favour of the person at whose instance the ceremony is performed with the sowing of auspicious seeds and the notes of sacred music.

4-5. An earthen vessel, a small water pot or an embankment are suitable for the sowing of seeds. Grains of barley, uncultivated rice, sesamum, green gram, wheat, white mustard, horsegram, and black gram should be winnowed, washed and sown. Offerings should be made in the east and other directions. Lighted lamps should be carried round the edifice in the night.

6. (Offering should be made) to Indra, Kumuda and other -deities and spirits. They visit the place assuming shapes of men.

7. (One who carries such lamps) certainly gets the merit of (doing) aśvamedha (horse sacrifice) for every step he places. The priest should submit to the lord (as follows) after his return.

8. “O Lord! best among the Gods! you have to be taken in a procession tomorrow [i.e., tīrtha-yātrā]. By all means you deserve to permit us O Lord! to commence the same.

9. Having informed the lord in this way the festivities should be undertaken. The platform should be decorated with young shoots of plants and small water-jar.

10-11. Four pillars (should be erected). The image should be placed in a svastika (figure) (drawn) in their midst. Or desired objects should be painted and placed there and the act of making the deity present in the image should be done with the vaiṣṇava mantra. (The image) should be anointed with ghee with (the recitation of) the principal (mantra). Or the wise man should arrange an incessant flow of ghee over the image the whole night.

12. Having shown the mirror, there should be the waving of light, auspicious singing and instrumental music, fanning, worship, and present of light. The deity should be worshipped with incense and flowers.

13. Turmeric, green-gram, saffron and white powders should be put on the head of image. But when ghee (is placed over the head) it gets the merit of all sacred places for the devotees.

14. Having bathed and worshipped the image that is placed in the car for being taken around, the officers of the king should take it to the river-side accompanied by music, umbrella and. other things.

15. A platform should be got ready at a distance of a yojana (eight or nine miles) before the river. The image should be brought down from the car and placed on the platform.

16. Gruel should be prepared and sweet gruel should be offered as oblation. The sacred waters (of the sacred spots) should be invoked for their presence with (the recitation of) vedic mantras symbolising the waters.

17. The image should again be worshipped with the principal oblations uttering the mantra āpo hi ṣṭhā^[1]. The image should again be carried to the waters and the aghamarṣaṇa^[2] hymn repeated.

18. (The priest) should bathe with the assembly of brahmins and then the image should be lifted and placed on the platform. Having worshipped it there that day it should then be taken to the temple. The priest should worship it as in the fire which gets him enjoyment and liberation.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ṚV. 10.9.1a.

[2]:

ṚV. 10.9.190—ṛtaṃ ca satyaṃ cābhidhāt.