04 Bathing the image

In the description given by the handbooks the movable image is bathed and cleaned now, before the Lord is invoked into it. This order is found also in the description of the Saiva ritual by Diehl. There *Lingaśuddhi *“cleaning the Linga” occurs as element 30 on p. 115, where it precedes the invocation of the God. K, ch. 73: this bathing (abhiseka) is done in the morning only. The bath of the image during the *püja *(68), is done also at other times. In the ritual of bathing of the Vaikhanasas two remarkable tendencies are to be observed: (1) The ritual, which is not found described in V, grows more intricate. This is already seen in the Bhrgu Samhita: both BK and BKh (remarkably enough, not BY) discuss the bathing ceremony more elaborately than the others. Yet these two do not agree at all with each other; the new elements they give tend to differ from each other and are found in different places. The elaboration is continued by VMP, BP and the monographs in a manner deviating from both BK and BKh. (2) In BP and the monographs the sequence of the ceremonies has been changed; the bathing there is done within the cadre of the *püja *only. Thus it comes after the invocation of Visņu and after the Lord has been worshipped already with some rites combined under the word mantrasana. The bathing is in these texts, called *snanāsana *“bathing-seat”. This sequence is found also in Rangachari’s descrip- tion (The Sri Vaisnava Brahmans, p. 148). In a sense this change is perfectly comprehensible. After the priest has made himself fit for worship by identifying himself with God, the thing to be expected now, in the first place, is that the worship will be inaugurated by His invocation. The question is if the modification in the order of the elements is due to a revision made by the Vaikhanasas of their own accord or under the influence of the Päñcarätrins or Śrī Vaisnavas.

34 HOMAGE IS PAID TO THE LORD WITH A BOW.

All authorities give on this point the formula* bhüh prapadye*. VMP 8,17 *bhûh prapadye bhuvah prapadye suvah prupudye bhür bhuvas suvaḥ prapadye *| *virajamanam tam ajam prapadye tejomayam tejasām apy agamyam / sarvätmanam tamasah parabhūtam bhūtyű viévam pati yas tum prapadye / visnum prapadye puruşam prapadye satyam prapadye acyutam prapadye aniruddham prapadye *“bhüh, I surrender myself; bhuvah I surrender myself; suvah, I surrender myself; bhur bhuvas suvar, I surrender myself; I surrender myself to that illustrious and unborn One, Who is lustre, but inaccessible to other lustres; the Self of all, existing beyond the reach of darkness; He Who protects everything through His expansive power, to Him I surrender myself. I surrender myself to Visnu, Purusa (the Primeval Person), Satya (the True One), Acyuta (the Steadfast One), and Aniruddha (the Unobstructed One). " ¹

भूः प्रप॑द्ये॒ भुव॒: प्रप॑द्ये॒ स्वः॑ प्रप॑द्ये॒ भूर्भूव॒स्स्वः॑ प्रप॑द्ये॒ ॥

वि॒राज॑मान॒म् तं॑ अजं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । तेजो॑मयं॒ तेज॑सा॒ मप्य॒गम्य॒ꣳ॒ ।

सर्वा॒त्मानम्॒ तम॑स॒: पार॑भूतं भू॒त्या वि॒श्वं पा॑ति॒ यस्तं प्रप॑द्ये ॥

विष्णुं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । पुरुषं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । सत्यं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । अच्युतं॒ प्रप॑द्ये । अनिरुद्धं॒ प्रप॑द्ये ॥

35 THE MOVABLE IMAGE IS TAKEN FROM ITS PEDESTAL

with the formula param ramhan, which is found in VMP 8,17 as follows:* param ramha ästhäsye garudam ramha ästhäzye garutmantam ramha ästhāzye sarvam sarvaramho vaispavam aham ästhäsye *“I shall attain the highest speed, I shall attain the speed of Garuda, I shall attain the speed of Garutmant ; I shall attain complete and absolute speed proper to Vişnu.” It is noticeable that this formula speaks about an identification of the executor(s) of the act (probably assistants) with Garuda, the mount of Vişņu. The same identification is found in K, ch. 71, when the assistant or pupil is made to bear the bali gift. See also 87.1. M and BY give no formula here and the formula param ramhah on the next element.

परं॑ रंह॒ आस्था᳚स्ये गारु॑डं रंह॒ आस्था᳚स्ये॒ गारुत्मं॑तं॒ रंह॒ आस्था᳚स्ये ।

सर्वं॑ सर्वरंहो॑ वैष्णवम॑हं॒ आस्था᳚स्ये ॥

36 THE MOVABLE IMAGE 15 ESTABLISHED ON THE BATHING PEDESTAL.

The mantra is* pra tad vişnih stavate viryeņa mẹgo na bhimah kucaro giristhäb yasyoruşu trişu vikramapesu adhi kşiyanti bhuvananí viśva* ²“Vişnu is thus praised for His heroism; [He is] like a fear-inspiring animal roaming about, abiding in the mountains; in His broad three paces all creatures are living.”

प्र तद्विष्णुः॑ स्तवते वी॒र्या’य मृ॒गो न भी॒मः कु॑च॒रो गि॑रि॒ष्ठाः ।

यस्यो॒रुषु॑ त्रि॒षु वि॒क्रम॑णेष्वधिक्षि॒यंति॒ भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥

अ॒स्त्वा॒स॒नं शु॑भं लो॒के बृ॒सी शुद्ध॑स्तपोमयम् । तप॑श्चायुस्त॑था यो॒ग म॒स्तु ते॑ पर॒मं प॒दम् ॥

36.1 The bathing pedestal is located to the north (BKh), to the north- east (BY) or to the north or east (M) of the main temple; in the first courtyard (M). BY: the two goddesses, Śrī and Bhūmi, should accompany the Lord. KAV in its description of the worship consistently gives the formulas destined for these two goddesses.

36.2 Now some prescriptions are found in BK and BKh (and also in VMP) which do not occur in the other handbooks. Most of them are taken from the püja further on. At first Vişnu is welcomed to His new seat. This appears from the mantra viśvädkdkänam janana (see 58) given here by VMP. It is found also in BP. VMP however adds a note by the editor, that the formulas viśvādhikānām janana etc. are found in some manuscripts only after the invocation. This accords not only with Marici, as the editor says, but also with the *Samhitas *of Atri and Käśyapa.

वि॒श्वा॒दि॒कानां॒ जन॑नादि॒कर्त्रे॒ धात्रे॒ तपो॑ यज्ञ॒ सुवे॑द मू॒र्ते ।

सु॒स्वा॒ग॒तं यत्र॑ तु॒ (तं) तत्र॒ यस्मा॒त् तत् ते॒ पदग्ꣳ॑ सू॒रिभि॒स् स्वाग॑तन्ते ॥

36.3 God’s permission is asked with mano ‘bhimanta (VMP, BP). See 59.

म॒नो॒भि॒म॒न्ता मान॑वसु॒द्धर्मा॒ यन्॒ मातरं॒ वच॑सो॒ मान॑सेषु ।

अ॒मो॒घो॒मो॒घं प्रति॑वेद वेद॒ (वेद्य) स्वकं॒ जना॑ना॒म् अनुमन्यतां इदम् ॥

36.4 God’s feet are washed with* trini pada* (BK, BP, VMP). See 60.

त्रीणि॑ प॒दा वि च॑क्रमे॒ विष्णु॑र्गो॒पा अदा᳚भ्यः । ततो॒ धर्मा॑णि धा॒रय॒न् ॥

36.5 Water for rinsing the mouth is given (BK, BP, VMP). See 61.

शं नो॑ दे॒वीर॒भिष्ट॑य॒ आपो॑ भवंतु पी॒तये॑ । शं योर॒भि स्र॑वंतु नः ॥

śám no devī́rabhíṣṭaya ā́po bhavantu pītáye ǀ śám yórabhí sravantu naḥ ǁ

36.6 The image’s teeth are brushed (BK, BKh, VMP), with the formula *annadyaya *(given by VMP only pratikena).

अ॒न्नाद्या॑य॒ व्यू॑हध्वमं दीर्घा॒यु र॒हम॑न्ना॒दो भू॑यासम् ॥ \

36.7 Its tongue is cleaned (BKh, VMP) with* idam brahma punimahe brahma punatu* “here we purify Brahman; Brahman should purify”.

तेन॑मे त॒प तेन॑मे ज्व॒लतेन॑मे दीदिहि॒ याव॑द्दे॒वा: ।

इ॒दं ब्रह्म॑ पुनीमहे ब्र॒ह्म पु॑नातु ॥

36.8 Its mouth is washed (BKh, VMP) with* yan me garbhe*: yan me garbhe vasatah papam ugram yaj jayamanasya ca kim ca dairghyam / papam jatasya yasya bhuvi vartino me tasya tat pavamanibhir aham punami / “the frightful evil done by me when dwelling in the womb; the protracted evil done by me while I was born; the evil done by me when I was born and lived on earth, that I purify by purifying [words].”³

यन्मे॒ गर्भे॒: वस॑त: पा॒पमु॒ग्रं य॑ज्जाय (यज्ञाय) मान स्यच॒ किंच॑ दै॒र्घ्यम् ।

पा॒पं  जा॒तस्य॒ यस्य॒ भुवि॒वर्त॑तो मे॒ तस्य॒ तत्पा॑वमा॒नीभिर॒हम् पु॑नामि ॥

36.9 Water for rinsing the mouth is given (BK, BKh, VMP) with* yoge yoge*. Cf. 61.

योगे॑योगे त॒वस्त॑रं॒ वाजे॑वाजे हवामहे । सखा॑य॒ इंद्र॑मू॒तये᳚ ॥ पूतस्तस्य पारे ॥ \

36.10 A mirror is shown to the image, with *devasya tva *(BK).

दे॒वस्य॑ त्वा सवि॒तुः प्र॑स॒वे । अ॒श्विनो॑र्बा॒हुभ्या॑म् । पू॒ष्णो हस्ता॑भ्या॒ प्रति॑गृह्णामि । \

36.11 Mouth perfume is given with *vicakrame *(BK, BKh, VMP). See 86.

इ॒दं विष्णु॒ र्विच॑क्रमे । त्रे॒धा निद॑धे प॒दं । स मू॑ढमस्यपा॒ग्ꣳ सु॒रे ॥
idaṃ viṣṇurvicakrame | tredhā nidadhe padaṃ | sa mūḍhamasyapāgṃ sure ||

36.12 Again, water for rinsing the mouth (BKh).

36.13 The image is rubbed with a rubbing cloth (plotam) or fine garment (BKh). This is done probably with the formula mitras suparnah, which is given at this point *pratikena *by VMP. See 41, 69.

36.14 The image is clothed with a garment and an upper garment (BKh, VMP) with the formulas* tejovat* and *somasya tanur *(see 70 and 71).

36.15 Sesamum oil is taken, Soma worshipped in it (BK), the image is anointed with it (BK); the hair is cleaned with it with both hands (BKh). Formula: ato deva etc. (VMP).

36.16 Bind the locks of the image (BKh) and put a wreath on its head (BK, BKh). This is accompanied by tad visnoh paramam padam etc. (vs. 5 of ato deva; VMP).

36.17 Smear sesamum oil on the image’s body with the *visnugayatri *(BKh, BP, VMP). According to BK, the image is rubbed from head to foot with perfumes or with beans or tali rice grains.

36.18 The image is fanned by means of *talavrnta *fans, with *vayu pari *(BKh, VMP). The mantra is vs. 5 of the litany to the Earth beginning with the words medini devi (VMP 6,10) and is read in full: vayu pari jalasayani svayandhara saty andhopari medini / soparidhattamgaya svaha. The language of this litany is in an unclear and high-flown style.

36.19 Place the image on an elevated spot made of rice grains (BK, BKh) with the formula pra tad vişnu (not found in this place in VMP).

36.20 Fill five pitchers with water and unguents, adorn the image with perfumes and flowers, and lay down stalks of grass, unhusked grains and coconut leaves, after honouring their presiding deities (BKh). No mantras recorded.

36.21 Again give water for the feet (BK, BKh).

36.22 Again give water for rinsing the mouth (BK, BKh).

37 THE IMAGE IS CLEANED (with mango leaves, BK, BKh). This is laid down by all the handbooks except BY. BP: the whole body is cleaned with mango, khaṇḍaśikā, and śarkarā (pounded gravel or candied sugar). The act is accompanied by the formula parilikhitam rakṣaḥ parilikhitā aratayaḥ parilikhitas so ‘stu yo ‘smän dveşti yam ca vayam dvişmah (VMP 8,18) “encircled is the demon, encircled are the greedy powers; encircled must be he who hates us and he whom we hate⁴”.” M gives ise tvā ūrje tvā, the first formula of the Taittiriya Samhită; it is mentioned by A as an alternative for 38 and 39 combined.

परि॑लिखित॒ꣳ॒ रक्ष: परि॑लिखिता॒ अरा॑त॒य: ।

परि॑लिखित॒ स्सो᳚स्तु॒ यो᳚स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒यञ्च॑व॒यं द्वि॒ष्म: ॥

37.1 BP alone now gives directions for cleaning the image further with various kinds of unguents and bathing it with hot water.

38 THE IMAGE IS BATHED WITH PURE WATER,

while the following formula is recited: variṣ catasras sadṛśaḥ kavinām patyuḥ pratyāvaritākṣaraṁ ca | bhūyo bhūtyai bhuvanasya puştyai snayitayaḥ sangatanī snāpayāmi (VMP 5,25) “four waters, equal to inspired singers⁵, turning back to their lord, came to flow; for further welfare and prosperity of the world they are washing; I wash Him who is brought into contact [with them]”.

वारी॒श्चत॑स्र स्स॒दृश॑: कवी॒नां प्र॑त्यु: प्र॒त्याव॑रिता क्ष॒दंश्च॑ ।

भू॒यो॒ भू॒त्यै भुव॑नस्य॒ पुष्ट्यै॒ स्नायी॑तय॒ स्संग॑तं स्नपयामि ॥

39 THE IMAGE IS SPRINKLED WITH SWEET MILK (K, BKh, BP)

OR WITH WATER MIXED WITH FLOWERS (A, BK). This is done with the formula namo varuṇaś śuddho ‘ham asmi śuddho brahmavīro harir yathā śuddhaḥ pañca bhūtās tathā śuddhaś śuddho “ham asmi | brahmaham asmi harir asmi rāṭ rāṭo’smi bhavam bhavāmahe (VMP 8,18f.) “honour, I am Varuņa the pure, a pure hero of Brahman, pure like Hari, as pure as the Five Elements, pure am I; I am Brahman, I am Hari, I am the Ruler of rulers, we are Bhava (?).”

नमो॒वरु॑ण श्शु॒द्धशु॒द्द्धो॑हम॑स्मि ।

शु॒द्धोब्रह्म॑ वी॒रोहरि॒र्यथा॑ शु॒द्धपञ्च॑ भूता॒ स्तथा॑ शु॒द्धाश्शु॒द्धो॑ऽहम॑स्मि ॥ 

ब्रह्मा॒ऽहम॑स्मि॒ हरि॑रस्मि ई॒शई॒शो᳚ऽस्मि भवं॒ भवा॑महे ॥

39.1 BK now ordains that the image should be rubbed with turmeric and washed again with pure water; after water for rinsing the mouth, it should be clothed with two garments and a sacred thread, and then it should receive worship with eight attendances. No parallels are given by others on this point; but after 40, BP gives some elements which resemble those mentioned by BK here.

40 THE IMAGE IS BATHED WITH FRAGRANT WATER.

The formula which is said during the act is not to be found in M and BY. It runs as follows, according to VMP 8,19:* bhür anilayā bhūtayā bhūtayd parişiñcămi bhuvas suşumnaya pranavatyä parişiñcāmi | svar amrtavatyä jyotişmatyä ca parişiñcāmi *“bhür, I sprinkle around by the Anilä and by the Bhütä; bhuvah, I sprinkle around by the Susumna and the Pränavati; svah, I sprinkle around by the Amrtavati and the Jyotişmati.” The fact may attract attention that this mantra mentions some of the *nadis *or mythical veins in the body, a subject on which Šäkta and Tantric authorities have elaborated so much.

भूर॒निल॑ या॒ भूत॑या॒ भूत॑या॒ परि॑षिंचामि॒ ।

भुव॑स्सु षु॒म्नया॑ प्रा॒णव॑त्या॒ परि॑षिंचामि ॥

स्व॑र॒मृत॑वत्य॒ जोति॑ष्म त्याच॒ परि॑षिंचामि ॥

भू॒यो॒ भू॒त्यै भुव॑नस्य॒ पुष्ट्यै॒ स्नायी॑तय॒ स्संग॑तं स्नपयामि ॥

40.1 BKh now ordains a nearly complete pûja: God should obtain clothing, incense, a lamp, fruits etc. and a bathing with pitchers. For the next stage the priest prepares himself by performing a punyaha, the assignment of the alphabet, saying the penetrative mantra (vyapaka; nothing said about its nature), doing the stabilizing assignment (sthitinyasa; not explained further), meditating, and pronouncing some mantras dedicated to Visnu. Then he again bathes the image in water.

40.2 BKh proceeds by briefly describing the ceremony of placing a lamp called nirajana. The materials needed, besides a lamp dedicated to Šri (śrīdīpa-), are rice grains, coconut leaves, a wick drenched in clarified butter, fragrant water, etc. The priest should make a circumambulation of the temple thrice with the lamp in his hands. The “treasures” conch and lotus should also be carried along. The image and the treasures should be bathed four times, after which the ablution is done with pure water. The description is short and not very clear. BK alludes to the nirajana after 42 in a verse put between brackets by the editor. More about the *nirajana *is told by BP in 79.15, immediately before havis.

40.3 VMP gives on this point (8,19) a number of mantras, but they have little or no correspondence with the acts found in BKh. In the first place there is a mysterious occurrence of the mantra* tâm savitur varenyasa* etc., given in full.⁶ Its ritual application is unclear. Then follow the mantras sinivāli (destined for a bath with turmeric powder), mitras suparnah (for rubbing the image with a cloth), tejovat sava (for a garment),and further mantras for adorning the image in one manuscript; then viṣṇor nu kam, ya akṛntan, agnim dūtam, pavitram te, trīņi pada, śam no devīḥ, tad vişnoḥ, tad viprāsaḥ, paro mātraya, viṣṇoḥ karmaņi, śam no devīḥ, sahasraśīrṣa (the Puruṣasūkta), nārāyaṇāya vidmahe (the Viṣṇu gāyatrī), trīņi pada, śam no devīḥ, and śubhrā jyotiḥ. All these mantras belong to certain elements of the *pūjā *(see 60 ff.). The tendency has been to work out the bathing ceremony as a complete ceremonial worship by means of the actions described below in 57ff.

ताग्ंस॑वि॒तु र्वरे᳚ण्यस्य चि॒त्रामा॒ऽहंवृ॑णे सुम॒तिं वि॒श्वज॑न्याम् ।

याम॑स्य॒ कण्वो॒ अदु॑ह॒त्प्रपी॑नाग्ं स॒हस्र॑धारां॒ पय॑सा म॒हीं गाम् ॥

अ॒ग्निमी॑ळे पु॒रोहि॑तं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ दे॒वमृ॒त्विजं॑ । होता॑रं रत्न॒धात॑मं ॥ \

41 THE IMAGE IS RUBBED WITH A PIECE OF CLOTH (plotam).

This is given by all authorities, but the formula concerned is found only in BKh, BP and VMP. It runs: *mitras suparnaś candra indro ’thu rudras tvaṣṭā viṣṇus savitā gopatis tvam tvam viṣṇur bhūtāni tu trāsi daityās tvayā vṛtam jagad ulbeva garbhaḥ *“You are Mitra, Garuda, the Moon, Indra, Rudra, Tvaṣṭar, Viṣṇu, Savitr, the Herdsman; You, as Viṣṇu, terrify (?) the demons and daityas; by You the world is enveloped as an embryo by its membrane.” This verse serves as vs. 12 of the litany beginning with ekākṣaram.⁷

मि॒त्र: सुप॒र्णश्चन्द्र॒ इन्द्रो॑ रु॒द्रस्त्वष्टा॒ विष्णु॑: सवि॒ता गोप॑ति॒स्त्वम् ।
त्वं विष्णु॑र्भू॒तानि॑ त॒ त्रासि॒ दैत्यां॒-स्त्वया॑वृतं॒ जग॒दुल्बे॑नग॒र्भ: ॥१२॥
mitraḥ suparṇaś candra indro rudras tvaṣṭā viṣṇuḥ savitā gopatis tvam |
tvaṃ viṣṇur bhūtāni ta trāsi daityān-tvayāvṛtaṃ jagad ulbena garbhaḥ || 12 ||

41.1 BK and BP: the image should be given another garment, water for the feet and water for rinsing the mouth. These actions partly coincide with the mantras given by VMP on 40.3.