Chapter 267 - Ceremonial bathing known as Māheśvara and other kinds of ablutions

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Puṣkara said:

1. I shall describe the bathing (known as) Māheśvara that has been described by Uśanas (preceptor of demons) to Bali, the king of demons, in olden days and that would promote the victory of a king and others.

2. When the sun has not risen the votary should be bathed on a seat with (the waters of) pitchers (with the repetition of the following words): Oṃ obeisance to Lord Rudra and to Bala besmeared with ashes of grey colour. Victory! Victory! Trample down all the enemies of a weak man in wars and arguments. Oṃ! Crush down all the (hostile) marchers. Let that god who desires to burn (all the worlds) at the end of the yuga (period), and who having terrible form (accept) this worship. Let that god having thousand rays and white (in complexion) protect your life. May that (Lord) Śiva, the destroyer of Tripura^[1], who resembles the saṃvartaka^[2] fire and is of the form of all the gods, protect your life; likhi, likhi, khili oblations. After bathing, oblations should be done with sesamum and rice with (the repetition of the above) sacred formulas.

3. After having bathed with the pañcāmṛta^[3], the trident bearing lord should be worshipped. I shall describe (to you) the other kinds of ablutions that would always be for your victory.

4. Bathing with ghee is said to be excellent for the lengthening of life. (Bathing) with cow-dung would be (conferring) fortune. (Bathing) with cow’s urine would destroy the sins.

5. (Bathing) with milk would be (giving) strong intellect and with curd, would further fortune. One would be destroying the sins by bathing with kuśa grass and would get all the things by bathing with the five things got from a cow.

6. One would get everything (by bathing) with śatamūla. One would destroy the sins (by bathing) with the waters (touched by) the horns of a cow. One would get everything by bathing with palāśa, bilva, lotus and kuśa (grass).

7-8. Bathing with vacā, two varieties of haridrā and musta (is spoken as) excellent for killing the demons. One would gain long life, fame, righteousness and intellect by ablution with washings of gold. It would be auspicious (to bathe) with the washings of silver and copper. One would gain victory and fortune respectively by bathing with the washings of gems and all perfumes.

9. One would gain health and excellent fortune respectively (by bathing) with water containing fruits and water with dhātrī. One would get wealth and fortune respectively (by bathing) with sesamum and white mustard and priyaṅgu.

10. (One would gain) wealth (by bathing with water containing) lotus, blue lotus and kadamba. (One would gain) strength (by bathing) with the water containing (the twigs of) the balā tree. Bathing with the water that has washed the feet of (Lord) Viṣṇu is the best among all kinds of ablutions.

11-13a. (At the time of bathing) one should repeat the hymn ekakāmāya^[4] alone duly. A band made of (the herbs) kuṣṭha, pāṭhā, vacā, śuṇṭhi, conch and iron etc. should be tied round the wrist with (the repetition of) the hymn ākrandayati.^[5] Lord Hari (Viṣṇu) is the master of all desires. One would enjoy all the pleasures by worshipping Him.

l3b-14. By bathing (the image of Lord Viṣṇu) with ghee and milk and worshipping Him, one would get rid of biliousness. By offering an oblation of five kinds of pulses one would get free from dysentry. By bathing (the image) with the five things got from a cow, one would get rid of rheumatism.

15-16. Bathing with dvisneha (ghee and water) with intense devotion would remove derangement of phlegm. Ghee, oil and honey (is said to be) the trirasa (three fluids mixed together) that is excellent for bathing. Ghee and water mixed for bathing (is said to be) dvisneha, Ghee and oil (mixed for bathing is said to be) samala. Bath water with honey, the juice of sugar-cane and milk is known to be trimadhura (three sweet things).

17-18. Bath water with ghee, juice of sugar-cane, oil and honey (is known to be) trirasa (three fluids) (good) for wealth. An unguent of the three white (things)—camphor, uśīra (a fragrant thing) and sandal (should be used for bath). Sandal, agallochuṃ, camphor, musk and saffron are the five unguents for (Lord) Viṣṇu that yield all the pleasures.

19. The three fragrant things are camphor, sandal and saffron. Musk, camphor and sandal (used as an unguent) yield all the pleasures.

20-22. Nutmeg, camphor and sandal (are said to be) the three cooling things. O son of Bhṛgu! The five co lours are indicated as yellow, blue, white, black and red. Blue lotus, lotus and jātī (flowers) (are spoken to be) the three cool things (that are commended) for the worship of (Lord) Viṣṇu. Saffron, red lotuses and red lilies are the three red things. Men would get peace by worshipping (Lord) Viṣṇu well by (showing) incense, lamp, etc.

23. One would duly get all peace by worshipping the planets with the gāyatrī^[6] (hymn) after offering a lakh or crore oblations of sesamum, clarified butter, barley and other grains in a square sacrificial pit (done) by eight or sixteen brahmins.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The three cities of the demons Tārakākṣa. Kamalākṣa and Vidyunmālin.

[2]:

The fire that destroys the universe at the end.

[3]:

The five sweet things—milk, sugar, ghee, curd and honey.

[4]:

Could not be traced.

[5]:

Cf. ṚV. 6.47.30a.

[6]:

Cf. ṚV. 3.62.10.