Chapter 41 - The gift of the golden bull

Sanatkumāra said:

1-2. I shall succinctly mention the rite of gifting the golden Bull. The intelligent devotee shall make the form of a bull with a thousand or five hundred or two hundred gold coins or even with hundred and eight gold coins. He shall make the bull in the form of Dharma.

3-4. The Puṇḍra (sectarial mark) shall be made on the forehead with crystals in the shape of the crescent moon. The hoof shall be made of silver; the neck of ruby and the hump of Gomedaka gem. The circular rope for the bells shall be tied round the neck. It shall be made wonderfully exquisite by means of gems.

5-6. There the bull-emblem shall have tinkling bells and bangles. The devotee then installs the leading bull on the Maṇ-ḍala above the altar on the occasion and in the spot mentioned before. The bull shall face the West. At the outset, the devotee shall affectionately worship the bull-bannered īśvara seated on the bull.

7-10. The devotee shall worship the leading bull by means of the Vṛṣa Gāyatrī and bow down to it with great concentration—“We know the bull with the sharp-edged horns. We meditate on one with the virtue constituting the feet. Hence, may the bull urge and guide us”. For increasing virtue, the devotee shall worship the bull with this mantra. According to the extent of one’s affluence one shall perform Homa by means of ghee, cooked rice and other things. The bull shall be worshipped and given to the brahmins, or to Śiva. Dakṣiṇā should be in accordance with one’s capacity. He who devoutly perforins the excellent charitable gift of bull shall become a follower of Śiva and rejoice along with him.