01 Entering the temple

02 CIRCUMAMBULATION

(pradakşiṇa).

A circumambulation of the temple is to be made by the priest before he enters. While doing thus, he should say the mantra pra tad viṣṇuḥ॑ stavate.¹All authorities agree about this mantra, but while A, BK and K say that it should accompany the circumambulation proper, BKh, BY and M ordain that it should be uttered while the priest goes towards the temple or enters the temple precincts (the last in BKh); after that, he should perform the circumambulation (according to BKh with* ato devā)*.

ॐ प्रतद्विष्णुः॑ स्तव ते वी॒र्याय मृ॒गो न भी॒मः कु॑च॒रो गि॑रि॒ष्ठाः ।

यस्यो॒रुषु॑ त्रि॒षु वि॒क्रम॑णे ष्वधि॑क्षि॒यंति॒ भुव॑नानि॒विश्वा᳚ ॥

2.1 BP: the priest should perform *nyāsa *on his arms and hands.

2.2 An interesting remark is made by BY: one should not enter the area of the temple’s shadow without a special commission. Thus, this prohibition is not valid on the occasion of the pradakṣiņa (BP). AN, p. 29, says the same, and also that Vişņu dwells in the shadow of his image and his temple: sadā sannihito viṣṇuḥ chāyāyor dhāmaberayoḥ / chāyātillanghanam naiva kuryād ālayaberayoḥ / pradakṣiņavidhāv etal langhanam tu na doṣakṛt.

2.3 BP: an even number of circumambulations should be made, otherwise the ceremony will be subject to evil influences (ābhicārika). After an odd number of circumambulations, one should look towards the rising sun and mutter twelve sūktas.

2.4 BKh: make a bow to the temple and say:* vimānam prapadye *“I revere the temple”. BY mentions the bow, without the words.

विमानं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । देवा॑वासं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । विष्णु॑मयं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । वैकु॑ण्ठोद्भवं॒ प्रप॑द्ये ॥

2.5 BY: the result of the pradakṣina is indescribable even by Brahmā. AN: the sins committed in this life and in former lives are destroyed with every step of the circumambulation.

03 A BOW TO THE DOORKEEPER.

The images of the lesser deities which serve as doorkeepers are standing beside the temple doors. The bow is only for their leader. A, BKh, K mention his name as Maṇika. AN, p. 29: although there are more doorkeepers, Maṇika only is saluted, because he is the most important of them and holds the keys. The formula said is maṇikam prapadye, read in full by VMP: *maṇikam prapadye mahābalam prapadye vimalam prapadye dvārapālakam prapadye *“I revere Maṇika, I revere him who has great strength, I revere the spotless one, I revere the door-keeper.”²

मणिकं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । महाबलं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । विमलं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । द्वार॑पालकं॒ प्रप॑द्ये ॥

04 THE PRIEST TAKES UP THE KEY

of the door of the temple (not in M). The formula is* nirastam rakṣaḥ.* VMP 8,12 *nirastam rakṣo nirasto ghaśamśo nirastā aratayah sasomā devā rakṣadhvam *“Thrown down is the demon, thrown down is the wicked element, thrown down are the greedy powers; oh gods, together with Soma, be protective.”³

निरस्त॒ꣳ रक्षो॒ निर॑स्तो॒घश॑ꣳसो निर॑स्ता॒ अरा॑तय: । ससोमा॑ देवा॑ र॑क्षध्वम् ॥

05 HE APPLIES THE KEY TO THE DOOR-PANEL

(M: he touches the door- panel with the key, saying nirastam). The formula generally given is: hiranyapāṇim. VMP 8,13 (p. 81) hiranyapāṇim ūtaye savitaram upahvaye | sa cettā devatā padam “I invoke hither the golden-handed Savitar for help; that deity is the knower of the place.”⁴

हिर॑ण्यपाणिमू॒तये॑ सवि॒तार॒मुप॑ ह्वये । स चेत्ता॑ दे॒वता॑ प॒दम् ॥

06 HE OPENS THE DOOR.

The formula accompanying this action is: divam vivrņotu (only M prescribes hiranyapāṇim, see 5). VMP 8,13: *divam vivṛṇotu divi svargam pihitadvāram vivṛṇotu | divy antarikṣe devat- anām sapsarogam abhidarśayatam *“he must open the sky, the heaven in the sky, the door of which is closed, he must open; in the sky he must show the atmosphere of the gods, together with the throng of heavenly nymphs”.⁵

दि॒वं विवृ॑णोतु दि॒विस्व॒र्गं पि॑हितद्वा॒रं विवृ॑णोतु ।

दिव्य॒न्त॒रि॑क्षे देवतानाꣳ साप्सरोगणमभि दर्शयताम् ॥

6.1 After the door has been opened, the priest enters. BY and M prescribe here the formula* divam vivrnotu* (which thus occurs twice in succession in BY). The formula is more in its place with the preceding situation.

07 HE LOOKS TO GOD’S FACE⁶

(A, BK, BKh, K) AND MAKES A BOW (V+ all main sources, except K). Most authorities, including V, give the mantra ato deva etc.⁷ BK and M say: “with the formula belonging to Visņu”, probably having the same litany in mind.

ॐ अतो᳚दे॒वा अ॑वंतुनो॒ यतो॒ विष्णु᳚र्विचक्र॒मे । पृ॒थि॒व्यास्स॒प्त धाम॑भि: ॥

इ॒दं विष्णु॒ र्विच॑क्रमे । त्रे॒धा निद॑धे प॒दं । स मू॑ढमस्यपा॒ग्ꣳ सु॒रे ॥

त्रीणि॑ प॒दा वि च॑क्रमे॒ विष्णु॑र्गो॒पा अदा᳚भ्यः । ततो॒ धर्मा॑णि धा॒रय॒न् ॥

विष्णोः॒ कर्मा॑णि पश्यत॒ यतो᳚ व्र॒तानि॑ पस्प॒शे । इंद्र॑स्य॒ युज्यः॒ सखा॒ ॥

तद्विष्णोः᳚ पर॒मं प॒दग्ꣳ सदा॑ पश्यंति सू॒रयः॑ । दि॒वी॑व॒ चक्षु॒ रात॑त॒ग॒ꣳ ॥

तद्विप्रा᳚सो विप॒न्यवो᳚जा गृ॒वां सस्समिं᳚धते । विष्णो॒र्य त्प॑र॒मं प॒दग्ꣳ ॥

oṃ atodevā avantuno yato viṣṇurvicakrame | pṛthivyāssapta dhāmabhiḥ ||

idaṃ viṣṇurvicakrame | tredhā nidadhe padaṃ | sa mūḍhamasyapāgṃ sure ||

trīṇi padā vi cakrame viṣṇurgopā adābhyaḥ | tato dharmāṇi dhārayan ||

viṣṇoḥ karmāṇi paśyata yato vratāni paspaśe | indrasya yujyaḥ sakhā ||

tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padagṃ sadā paśyaṃti sūrayaḥ | divīva cakṣurātatagṃ ||

tadviprāso vipanyavo jā gṛvāṃ sassamindhate | viṣṇoryat paramaṃ padagṃ ||

08 HE CLASPS HIS HANDS THRICE.

All sources agree on this point. The purpose of the ceremony must be that evil powers and influences should flee. This is also clear from the formula pronounced: samyantu ghorāņi. VMP: samyantu ghorani śamyantu pāpâni śamyantu itayaḥ śubhāni vardhantam vardhantam subhani “frightening elements must be pacified, evil elements must be pacified, diseases must be pacified, auspicious elements must increase, increase must the auspicious elements”.⁸ — M and BP give this element after 10.

शाम्य॒न्तु घो॑राणि शाम्य॒न्तु पा॑पानि शाम्य॒न्तु ई॑तय: ।

शुभानि वर्धन्ताम् वर्धताम् शुभानि ॥

śubhāni vardhantām vardhatām śubhāni ॥

09 GOD IS AWOKEN WITH A BOW.

The fact that Vişnu is awake is mentioned by BK only. All the other sources say only that the priest should perform a bow to God. BY and M use the verb prārthayate “to ask for permission”. This is more in consonance with the mantra given by all:* bhagavato balena* (BK balamantra). VMP 8,13 *bhagavato balena bhagavato viryena bhagavatas tejasā bhagavatah karmanā bhagavatánugrhito bhagavatanu dkyato bhagavantam dhyårvä bhagavatkarma karişyāmi | tad bhagavân anumanyatam *“By the strength of the Lord, by His heroism, by His energy, by His activity, blessed by Him, meditated upon by Him, meditating upon Him, I will perform His work. The Lord must consent with this intention.”⁹

ॐ ॐ ॐ भगव॒तो बले॑न भगव॒तो वी॒र्ये॑ण भगव॒तस् तेज॑सा भगव॒त: कर्म॑णा

भगव॒तानुगृहीतो भगवतानुध्यातो भगवन्तं ध्यात्वा भगवत् कर्म करिष्यामि ।

तद् भगवान् अनुमन्यताम् ॥

10 THE LAMPS ARE KINDLED

(Only in K, M, BP). M and BP have this element before 8. BP is most clear because it lays down that the priest should call an assistant and tell him to light the lamps. M and KA mention as the mantra to be said at this stage: uddipyasva. VMP 8,13* uddipyasva jätavedo (a)paghnan nirytim mama pašamś ca mahyam dvaha jivanam ca diso daśa*¹⁰* *“flame up, Oh Jätavedas, striking away my destruction; and call flocks of cattle hither to me, and life all over the ten directions of the sky”. - MD gives another mantra: śubhra jyotih. This is taken from a further stage in the ritual, cf. 65.

ॐ उद्दी᳚प्यस्व जातवेदोप॒ग्नन्निऋ॑तिं॒ मम॑ ।

प॒शूग्ꣳ श्च॒मह्य॒माव॑ह॒ जीव॑नञ्च॒ दिशो॑ दिश ॥

10.1 At this point, BP gives further rules about the preparation of the materials needed. Then a number of ceremonies are prescribed which occur later according to the main *samhitás *(thus e.g., wiping, smearing with cowdung, cleaning the vessels). KA in the same way has brought a change in the sequence in the following elements, and introduced some new features. For the sake of brevity and clarity they are not enlarged upon here.