02 Assistants' duties (fetching water etc )

11 AN ASSISTANT (OR DISCIPLE) TAKES A POT.

The assistant (paricaraka) is called śişya (disciple) by BY and K. He should have bathed himself (A, BY) and bowed to the Lord (BY). The mantra which he says while taking the pot is duhatam divam. VMP 8,13 duhatam divam indras savitemam duhatám medinim / tad ubhayam prajānam niritaye nirudvegaya “Indra must milk heaven, Savitar must milk this earth; both these acts are for freedom from calamities and freedom from disturbance for the creatures.”¹

दु॒ह॒तान्दिवं॒ इन्द्र॑स्सविते॒माम् दु॑ह॒तां मे॒दिनी᳚म् ।

तद्॒ उभयं॑ प्रजा॒नां निरी॑तये॒ निरु॑द्वेगाय ॥

12 HE FILLS THE POT WITH WATER.

A river, a pond or a pure well are unanimously allowed in this sequence as sources for the water. The mantra, also given unanimously, is adyam abhighṇāmi. VMP:* adyam abhigrhnami naram abhigrimami amptam abhigrhnami toyam abhigylmämi | satridivam yo ‘bhūt sa brahmamio yam abhigphṇāmi *“I take the primeval One, I take the primeval Water, I take the water of life, I take the water; he who enclosed in his origin the three parts of the universe, he whom I take is an inherent part of Brahman.” - The mantra is not completely clear, but as the main point it appears that the water is addressed here in the male singular as a power which is the origin of creation and which possesses eternal life. Instead of this mantra, according to BP, also the *gayatri *is permissible.

आद्य्म् अभिगृह्णामि । नारं अभिगृह्णामि । तोयं अभिगृह्णामि । अमृतं अभिगृह्णामि ।

सत्रिदिवम् याऽभूत्सा ब्राह्यम्यं तोयं अभिगृह्णामि ॥

*ādym abhigṛhṇāmi । nāraṃ abhigṛhṇāmi । toyaṃ abhigṛhṇāmi । amṛtaṃ abhigṛhṇāmi । *

satridivam yā’bhūtsā brāhyamyaṃ toyaṃ abhigṛhṇāmi ॥

ॐ भूर्भुव॒: सुव॑: । तथ्स॑वि॒तुर्वरे᳚ण्यं॒ भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि । धियो॒ यो न॑: प्रचो॒दया᳚त् ॥

12.1 BP: meditate on the water as being the Ganges. 

इ॒मं मे॑ गंगे यमुने सरस्वति॒ शुतु॑द्रि॒ स्तोमं॑ सचता॒ परु॒ष्ण्या ।

अ॒सि॒क्न्या म॑रुद्वृधे वि॒तस्त॒यार्जी॑कीये शृणु॒ह्या सु॒षोम॑या ॥

12.2 BK: the water should not be taken in the neighbourhood of an outcast's dwelling. 

12.3 K and KA have a peculiar prescription: if no river, pond or well is available, he should stand worshipping to the northeast:* naditatäkakü pánám alabhe purvasyottaram upatistheta*. We expect: if no river is available (in the vicinity), he should take water from a pond or well (standing facing the northeast). This is actually said by M. The other texts lack the prescription about the direction in which the assistant should stand while filling the pot with water.

नदीतटाककूपानाम् अलाभे पूर्वस्योत्तरं उत्तिष्ठेता ॥

nadītaṭākakūpānām alābhe pūrvasyottaraṃ uttiṣṭhetā ॥

13 HE BRINGS THE POT TO THE TEMPLE.

The pot is covered with a cloth (BK, KA) or linen (BP), and the assistant puts it on his head (BKh, K) or takes it in his arms (BKh). BP and KA give the alternative of putting it on an elephant’s back. This elephant is thought to represent or to carry Indra, as appears from the mantra chosen (prescribed only by VMP and KA): arvañcam indram (amuto havamahe yo gojid dhanajid aśvajid yab imam me yafham vihave juşasva asya kurmo harivo medinim tva.)²* *" We call Indra hither from beyond; he is the winner of cows, money and horses; enjoy this sacrifice of mine notwithstanding the various invocations of others; we make for you, Oh Possessor of bay horses, its earth (ready."

अ॒र्वाञ्च॒मिन्द्र॑म॒मुतो॑ हवामहे । यो गो॒जिद्॑ ध॒नजिद्॑ अश्व॒जिद्य: ।

इ॒मं नो॑ य॒ज्ञं वि॑ह॒वे जु॑षस्व । अ॒स्य कु॑र्मो हरिवो मे॒दिनं॑ त्वा ॥

13.1 Then a circumambulation is made around the temple, accompanied by all kinds of music. 

14 HE PUTS DOWN THE POT IN THE TEMPLE.

This is done with the formula* somam rájánam varuņam agnim anvárabhamahe adityân vişnun süryam* brahmaņam ca bṛhaspatim “³ We hold fast from behind king Soma, Varuņa, Agni, the Adityas, Visņu, Sürya, Brahma and Bṛhaspati.” According to BY and M, the mantra is already said while the assistant enters the temple.

सोम॒ꣳ॒ राजा॑नं॒ वरु॑णम॒ग्निम॒न्वार॑भामहे ।

आ॒दि॒त्यान् वि॑ष्णु॒ꣳ॒ सूर्यं॑ ब्र॒ह्माणं॑ च॒ बृह॒स्पति᳚म् ॥

ā॒di॒tyān viṣṇu॒ꣳ॒ sūryaṃ॑ brahmāṇaṃ॑ ca॒ bṛhaspati᳚m ॥

14.1 The pot is put down on an adorned tripod (BP), in the bathing hall (BK) or inner hall (BP), to the north or somewhat to the northeast (of the main image) (BKh).

14.2 A difference now occurs in the sequence of elements described hereafter. A and K here interrupt the discussion of the assistants’ duties for the description of the meditation of the main priest himself, which he probably performs while the assistants are away fetching water. In K, meditation is described even before 14. VMP, M, BY and BK insert the meditation after 19, at a point when only a few assistants’ duties are left. BKh, in its description, takes the meditation for granted; only BP first gives all the assistants’ duties, and only then records the activities of the ācārya. For practical reasons, this order is followed here.

15 HE (the assistant) STRAINS THE WATER.

Mantra: dharāsu saptasu ca manasesu sarassaritsu paripūritsu / apo ‘bhigrhṇan pratipadayisye grhṇamis⁴* dhattam suciram susarma* “Taking water from the seven streams and the Manasa waters, from ponds and rivers well filled, I shall procure them; I take (them), and He must give due protection for a good long time.” ⁵The straining is done with a bundle of kuśa grass or a garment.

ॐ धा॒रा॒सु॒ स॒प्त॒सु च मा॑नसे॒षु सरस्सरित्सु परिपू॑रिते॒षु ।

अपोऽभिगृह्णान् प्रतिपा॑दयि॒ष्ये गृणोमि धत्ताꣳ सुचिर॑ꣳ सुश॒र्मा ॥

*oṃ dhārāsu saptasu ca mānaseṣu sarassaritsu paripūriteṣu । *

apo’bhigṛhṇān pratipādayiṣye gṛṇomi dhattāꣳ suciraꣳ suśarmā ॥

16 HE CENSES WITH PERFUMES

….AND SPEAKS A FORMULA OVER THE WATER. The perfumes are not mentioned in A, K and BKh. The perfumes mentioned are *elā *(cardamom), usīra and other substances. According to BP, the assistant gives the perfumes to the priest, who then throws them into the water. The formula uttered now is: “idam apaś śivās śivatamāś śāntāś śāntatamāś śubhāś śubhatamāś pūtāh pūtatamāh / puṇyāh punyatamā medhyā medhyatamā amṛtā amṛtarasāh / pūtā brahmapavitreņa pūtāś sāryasya raśmibhih” “ Here are waters which are auspicious, very auspicious, safe, very safe, agreeable, very agreeable, pure, very pure, blessing, very blessing, clean, very clean; the waters of life, which posses the vigour of the waters of life; purified by the purifier which is Brahman, purified by the sun’s rays.”⁶

इ॒दं आप॑श्शि॒वा: शि॒वत॑मा, शा॒न्ता: शा॒न्तत॑मा॒ शुभा॒: शुभ॑तमा: ।

पू॒ता: पू॒तत॑मा॒: पुण्या॒: पुण्य॑तमा॒ मेध्या॑: मेध्य॑तमा अमृता॑: अ॒मृत॑रसाः ।

पू॒ता ब्र॑ह्म प॒वित्रे॑ण पू॒ता सूर्य॑स्य र॒श्मिभि॑: ॥

16.1 BP here suggests holding a *punyaha *ceremony according to the (*Vaikhanasa) Sutra. *⁷

17 HE WIPES THE INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE.

He does so with a “wiper” (marjani). The wiper has Jyestha as its presiding deity (AN, p. 30). All agree about the formula:* avadhutam rakso ‘vadhuta ardtayah / ava- dhutas so ‘sti yo ‘sman dresti yam ca vayam dvisma* “⁸ Wiped away is the demon, wiped away are the greedy ones, wiped away is he who hates us, and whom we hate.” During wiping, dust-clouds should be avoided.

अव॑धूत॒ꣳ॒ रक्षो अव॑धूता॒ अरा॑तय: । अव॑धूत॒ꣳसो᳚स्तु॒यो᳚ स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं च॑ व॒यं द्वि॒ष्म: ॥

18 HE SMEARS WITH COWDUNG

AND SPRINKLES WITH COWS’ URINE.K, BK: he smears, then sprinkles. A, BY: he sprinkles, then smears. M combines both actions by way of a chiasmus. BY: he should smear cow dung over a piece of the floor in the shape of a half moon and around the pedestal for the bhutas (demons) for the distance of an oxhide. BKh: sprinkle all utensils, inside and outside. The mantra used is asasu saptasu. VMP 8,14* ásásu saptasv api kamjare kha*⁹ apas¹⁰* samagras samudavahami somagnisuryamrtapuskarinam apas samavahya puras karisye *" “In the seven directions, also…, I invoke all waters hither / having invoked the waters from the lotus ponds filled with the waters of life, I shall put before me (for protection) Soma, Agni, and Surya.” Or: “… having invoked Soma, Agni, Surya and the waters from the lotus ponds filled with the waters of life, I shall place them in front of me (for protection).”

आशासु सप्तस्वपि क॑म्जरे॒ खा॒ आप॑स् सम॒ग्रा स्स॑मु॒दाव॑हामी ॥

सोमाग्नि सूर्यामृतपु॑ष्करी॒णा॒ माप॑स्समा॒वाह्य॒पुर॑स्करिष्ये ।

19 HE CLEANS THE VESSELS

with the formula a må vajasya. This is not found in A and K. The formula is as follows: à ma vėjasya prasavo Jagamyad à dyäväppthivi viśvasambhú | à mà gantam pitară matură ca maso mo amrtaya gamyat¹¹ “May the instigation of generative power come to me, to me heaven and earth beneficent to all; to me should come my father and my mother; the moon must come to me for freedom from death.” KA mentions for this element the mantra* śuci vo havya (BP also mentions it, during a sprinkling of the materials): śuci vo havya marutas śucīnām śucim hinomy adhvaram śucibhyaḥ | stena satyam ṛtasapa dyăn śucijanmānaś śucayaḥ pāvakāḥ .¹² *“I send pure offerings to you, Oh Maruts, because you are pure; I set a pure sacrificial ceremony in motion for you who are pure; by means of rta, may truly those come who respect rta, those who are pure by birth, who are pure and purifying.”

आ मा॒ वाज॑स्य प्रस॒वो जगम्या॒दा द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी वि॒श्वश॑म्भू ।

आ मा॑ गन्तां पि॒तरा॑ मा॒तरा॒चाऽऽमा॒ सोमो॑ अमृत॒त्वाय॑ गम्यात् ॥

शुची॑ वो ह॒व्या म॑रुतः॒ शुची॑नां॒ शुचिं॑ हिनोम्यध्व॒रं शुचि॑भ्यः ।

ऋ॒तेन॑ स॒त्यमृ॑त॒साप॑ आयं॒छुचि॑जन्मानः॒ शुच॑यः पाव॒काः ॥

19.1 The offerings are ordered to be cooked (A, M, BY). One of the assistants specializes in cooking (cf. 0.4).

19.2 M, BK, BY, BMP now proceed to discuss the meditation of the priest described in group C (see also 14.2).

20 HE REMOVES nirmalya.

*Nirmalya are the flowers left over on the pedestal from the worship of the preceding day. This element is mentioned unanimously, even by V (in V it is the first thing to be done after 7). Before removal, the flowers are cleaned (K) with the formula naśyanti jagatam, mentioned by K, BK, BP; VMP 8, 16 naśyanti jagatam Itayo nirastah paravasus saha papmana *“the diseases of the world are destroyed, thrown away is the force which keeps off wealth, together with the evil”.

नश्यन्ति जगतं इति देवस्य निर्माल्यं संशोध्य ॥

नश्य॑न्ति जग॑ता मी॒तयो॒ निर॑स्त: परा॒वसु॑ स: पा॒प्मना॑᳚ ॥

*naśyanti jagataṃ iti devasya nirmālyaṃ saṃśodhya ॥ *

20.1 The removal is done from the east, clockwise, to the northeast. It is accompanied by the mantra aham evedam (A, K, BKh, BP). VMP 8, 16 aham evedam kariṣyāmi vibhoh kartum nidhāsyati | kariṣyāmy atra yat kañcit tan me devo ’numanyatām “I will do this for the Lord; [He] will appoint me to do it; everything which I shall do here, that the God must concede me.” M, BY prescribe* pūtas tasya*, which however belongs to 21.

अ॒हंमे॒वेदनं क॑रिश्यामि वि॒भो: क॒र्तुं नि॑धास्यति ।

क॑रिष्या॒ म्यत्र॒ यत्कञ्चि॒त् तन्मे॑ दे॒वोऽनु॑मन्यताम् ॥

21 HE CLEANS THE PLACES OF WORSHIP

(vedi) WITH WATER. Mentioned by all, including V. The mantra is* pūtas tasya* (A, K, BK, BKh): pūtas tasya pare bhuvanasya madhye | nakasya prsthe mahato mahīyān¹³" “the pure one, out of the reach of this world and yet inside it; at the back of the firmament, greater than the great”. In addition to this mantra, V and M prescribe the vyahṛti. VMP mentions here the viṣṇugāyatri: tatpuruṣāya vidmahe mahādevāya dhimahi | tan no vişnuḥ pracodayāt¹⁴" “we strive for Tatpurușa, we meditate for Mahadeva, thus Viṣņu may impel us.” BP clarifies the use of this mantra: it should be said while the pedestal of the immovable image is cleaned, while the mantra pütas tasya is destined for the movable image.

पूतस्तस्य पा॒रे भुव॑नस्य॒ मध्ये॒ नाक॑स्य पृ॒ष्ठे म॑ह॒तो महीयान् ।

भूरग्नये॑ च पृथि॒व्यै च॑ मह॒ते च॒ नम:

भुवो॑ वा॒यवे॑ चा॒न्तरि॑क्षाय च मह॒ते च॒ नम:

सुव॑रादि॒त्याय॑ च दि॒वे च॑ मह॒ते च॒ नम:

भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॑श्च॒न्द्रम॑से॒ च॒ नक्ष॑त्रेभ्यश्च दि॒ग्भ्यश्च॑ मह॒ते च॒ नम:

ॐ भू: । ॐ भुव: । ॐꣳ सुव: ॥

oṃ bhū: । oṃ bhuva: । oṃꣳ suva: ॥

22 HE LAYS FLOWERS AT VISŅU’S FEET,

uttering the names of the Pañca- mürti or Five Manifestations: Visnu, Puruşa, Satya, Acyuta, and Aniruddha, all in the dative and ending with namah. The authorities also prescribe the visnugayatri .

ॐ ना॒रा॒य॒णाय॑ वि॒द्महे॑ वासुदे॒वाय॑ धीमहि । तन्नो॑ विष्णु: प्रचो॒दया॑᳚त् ॥

विष्ण॑वे॒ नम॑: । पुरु॑षाय॒ नम॑: । स॒त्याय॒ नम॑: । अच्यु॑ताय॒ नम॑: । अनिरु॑द्धाय॒ नम॑:॥

23 HE WORSHIPS VISVAKSENA WITH THE REMNANTS (nirmalya).

During this, Vişvaksena is to be addressed with his mürtimantras or manifestation names: Visvaksena, Sänta, Hara and Amita. This element is prescribed by all authorities except V, although K remarks that the tradition is due to Bhrgu.

विष्व॑क्सेनं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । शान्तं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । हरं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । अमितं॒ प्रप॑द्ये ॥

23.1 According to M and BY, he should also worship other attendant deities with the remnants. According to BKh, the nirmalyas of the other images are laid in the first courtyard with the words: * bhaktānām pāpanāśarthaṃ dadāmi *“I give them for destruction of the devotees’ evil.” BP: other remains may be thrown into the water at a pure spot.

भक्तानाम् पापनाशर्थं ददामि ॥

• bhaktānām pāpanāśarthaṃ dadāmi ॥*

23.2 BP and KA now discuss the preparation of the vessels and the invocation of the presiding deities. Cf. below, 48. These texts, and also AN, p. 40, lay stress on the fact that a bell should be rung during worship and that musical instruments should be played: this causes the gods to appear and the demons to go away; and Hari is a lover of sweet music (AN).

आगमार्धन्तु देवानाम् गमनार्धन्तु रक्षसाम् ।

घन्टा नादम् करोमद्य देवाराधन कर्मणि ॥