Sadhaka worship accessories (5): Patra or Specific utensils

[Full title: Materials of worship (1) Sadhana of the Sadhaka (5) Specific utensils or Patra and their constituents]

The tantra sastra speaks of twelve cups which are used in the worship of the goddess. These cups are known as sakti-patras in tantra. The sadhaka establishes these different patras on a wooden plank in front of the goddess". The sadhaka draws yantras on the board with powder of saffron and sandal paste for the following patras - (i) Samanyapatra, (ii) Visesapatram. The other saktipatras used in the worship are - (iii) Gurupatra, (iv) Bhogapatra, (v) Balipatra, (vi) Angapatra (vii) Virapatra (viii) Guhyapatra (ix) Yoginipatra (x) Atmapatra (x) Proksanipatra and (xii) Dutipatra. PatraStapana. the The yantra is drawn in form of a (i) Triangle and (ii) Six-pointed triangle which is enclosed by a circle and laid within a square. The Samanya-arghyasee picture 95 Sri-vidyarnava-tantra ch. IX

patra is established on the triangle and the Visesa-arghya-patra on the sixpointed triangle. Apart from these twelve is the Sankhapatra. The Sankhapatra is filled with water and the following ingredients are put into it - fragrant flowers, aksata, barley, tip of the Kusa grass, white mustard, curd and Durva grass. Apart from the patras, a spoon is also used which is known as darvi. On one end a small spoon like cavity is there and the other end holds a ginger or garlic. Then consecrated water is filled in the main two patras. The sadhaka offers worship to the goddess in the form of tarpana. Tarpana is done by dipping the darvi into the arghya patras and offering worship to the yantra. The ginger or garlic used in the darvi stands for flesh and this is dipped in the water and that dip-water is offered to the goddess as bindu tarpana. The most sought of worship-ingredient is the menstrual blood known as svayambhu puspa". In the unavailability of the svayambhu puspa, musk, 96 agallochum, camphor, molasses, flesh, jaggery, sandal etc... are used. The different patras are arranged around the Visesa-arghya-patra and worship is done.