19 Devayajña

CHAPTER XIX

DEVAYAJÑA

Devayajña –As stated in the Tai. Ār. quoted above ( p. 696 ) the Devayajña was performed by offering fuel sticks into fire. According to the Ap. Db. S. I. 4. 13. 1, Baud. 1688 Db. S. II. 6. 4 and Gaut. V. 8-9, the Devayajña consisted in offering into fire offerings ( of food or at least a fuel stick ) with ‘svāhā’ uttered after the name of the deities in the dative case. Manu also (III. 70 ) looks upon homa as devayajña. The devatās to whom homa or devayajña was offered are different according to different gshya or dharma sūtrae. For example, Aśv. gr. ( I. 2. 2) says that they are the deities of the Agnihotra (1. e. Sūrya or Agni, and Prajāpati), Soma Vanaspati, Agni and Soma, Indra and Agni, Heaven and earth, Dhanvantari, Indra, the Viśve Devas, Brahman’. According to Gaut. they are Agni, Dhanvantari, Visve Devas, Prajāpati, Agni Svistakst. Vide Mādava-gphya II. 12. 2 where the deities are different from those in Aśv. gr. and Gaut. In later smrtis a distinction is made between homa (or devayajña ) and devapūjā. Yāj. in I. 100 speaks of the worship of gods immediately after tarpana and then in I. 102 includes homa among the five yajñas. Manu II. 176 also makes this distinotion. Medieval writers came to look upon Vaiśvadeva as the devayajña, while others held that home to gods was different from Vaiśvadeva. Vide Haradatta 1886 on Ap. Dh. 8. I. 4. 13. 1. According to Marici and Hārita quoted in the Smrtimuktāphala ( abnika p. 383 ) devapūjā is performed after the morning homa or after brahmayajñs and tarpana 1687 in the noon. In medieval and modern times the ancient idea of homa

  1. STETTI TITS T u e 743 FARIA I . . II. 6.4; 4 पितृमण्ययज्ञाः स्वाध्यायश्च बलिकर्म । अमावनिर्धन्वन्तरिविश्वे देवाः प्रजापतिः विष्टकाविति

TH:10. V. 8-9. The mantras beoome Far Eva FITET, ofisterrat PUTET and 80 on ; when FTTET is said the offering is thrown into the fire.

  1. mairitter : regurglary: gur TIAHTATET मन्यन्ते । देवेन्यः स्वाहेति च मन्त्रमिच्छन्ति । देवयज्ञेन यक्ष्ये इति संकल्पमिच्छन्ति । वर्ष

aura yo qarah ITET OD 9114. y. I. 4. 13. 1. ,

  1. que hagi ay nagtataran rent integrano STEY मादनन्तरम् । इति मरीचिस्मरणात् । ……. ब्रह्मपशजपतर्पणानन्तरमित्यन्ये । तथा च हारीत: offer at puramente imati prag lies ( . 383 ).

H. D. 89

706

roceded far into the back-ground and its place was taken by an elaborated procedure of devapūjā ( worship of images kept in the house ). Some space must be devoted to the origin and develop ment of this phase of religious practice.

It is extremely doubtful whether images were generally worshipped in the ancient Vedic times. In the Rgveda and the other Vedas, there is worship of Agni, the Sun, Varuṇa and various other deities; but they were worshipped in the abstract, &g powers and manifestations of the oue Divine Person or as separate deities or funotions bebind natural phenomena or cosmio processes. There are no doubt paesages where the deities of the Rgveda are spoken of as possessed of bodily attributes. A few verses may be cited in this connection. Indra is described in Rg. VIII. 17. 8 as ’tuvigriva’ (with a powerful or thick Deck) and ‘vapodara’ (having big or capacious belly) and ‘subāhu’ (having well-sbaped arms). Rg. VIII. 17. 5 speaks of the limbs and sides of Indra and prays Indra to taste honey with his tongue. In Rg. X. 96.8 Indra is spoken as having dark green (hari) hair and beard and in X. 105.7 again it is said that the hair on his chin are dark-green and his ohin is never injured ( in battle ). 1688 In Rg. II. 33.5 Rudra is said to be ‘pdūdara’ (whose abdomen is soft ), * babbru ‘(of brown colour ) and suśipra ‘( with a fine chin or nose). The Vāj. 8. 16, 7 speaks of Rudra as having a dark-blue throat and red ( complexion) and 16. 51 says he wears a skin ( kftti). In Rg. I. 155. 6 Viṣṇu is said to approach a battle with his huge body and as a youth (*bphac-charira’ and * yuvā’). In Rg. IIL 53. 6 Indra is asked to go home at once after drinking Somas, as he has a charming wife and delightful house. In Rg. X. 26.7 god Pūṣan is said to shake his beard. In Rg. IV. 53.2 Savitis said to put on a yellowish drūpi (armour) and in Rg. I. 25. 13 Varupa is said to wear & golden drāpi. It is not necessary to multiply examples. It is possible to argue that all these descriptions are poetic and metaphoric. But there are two passages of the Rgveda that cause much more diffioulty than the above. Rg. IV. 24. 10 asks’ who will 1689 purchase this

  1. urtetat cular Enert #TRE TO FIT **. VIII 17. 8; mouton ST FETT TITAT Premi *. X. 96. 8; 7 BUTT Erud ft fait parti 848

*. X. 105. 7. 1689. कर्म दशभिर्ममेन्द्र क्रीणाति धेद्धभिः। यदापत्राणि जानदथैनं मे पुनर्दवत् । #. IV, 24. 10; Y A T : TUTTA EI A FEWTT TETT mat

MY FAX. VIII. 1. 6.

Ch. XIX)

Devayajña-Origin of image worship

707

my Indra for ten cows and might return it after he ( Indra ) bas killed enemies’? Rg. VIII. 1. 5 says ‘0 Indra! I shall not give thee for even a great price, not even for a hundred, a thou sand or an ayuta ( ten thousand)’. It may be argued that here there is a reference to an image of Indra. But this is not con vinging. It is equally possible to hold that these are hyperbolic or boastful statements of the great devotion of the worshipper to Indra and that there is no reference to an image of Indra. If we look at the Vedic cult described in the Brāhmaṇas where sacri fices of butter, cakes and boiled rice or other grain are offered to several deities in the fire, or animal and some sacrifices are described at great length, it is clear that the ancient sages hardly ever thought of the worship of idols, but of deities in the abstract to whom they ascribed different functions and poetically represented them as being endowed like human beings with hands and feet and other limbs. It cannot be denied that here and there occur a few passages that suggest images as objects of worship. For example, in the Tai. Br. II. 6. 17 occurs the passage may the hotṛ priest worship the three goddesses, that are golden, that are endowed with beauty ( or ornaments ) that are great ones’ &o. It looks as if golden images of the three goddesses are meant. 1690 One can say without much feer of contradiction that the religious practices among the higher strata of the Vedic Aryans did not include the worship of images in the house or in temples. But we have hardly any literary materials for judg ing what the religious practices of the lower or ignorant masses of Vedic India were. In Rg. VII. 21. 5 Vasiṣthe prays to Indra ‘may the siśna-devas not overwhelm our fta’ (religious order or practices ); similarly in Rg. X. 99. 3 the prayer is ‘may be ( Indra ) striking (or killing ) the siśnadevas overcome them by his form or power’. Scholars are sharply divided in opinion about the meaning of the word “691’sisnadeva’. Some hold that it denotes people who were worshippers of the phallus (vide Vedic Index, vol. II. p. 382 ). Others hold that the word is used in & secondary or metaphorical sense for those who are immersed in sexual gratification and do not recognize anything else (as worthy of pursuit). Yāska in his Nirukta (IV. 19) quotes

  1. Ptar HareTI: I Matat: ferroust: t realjufragt: 18. T. II. 6. 17. The three devīs are Bharatī, lời and Saragvatī.

  2. A fragatan H UR 7:11. VII. 21. 5; Prsona a HT có 1 . 0.99.3; Hair: #i: hd fun and ở T T T 4

T’fore IV. 19.708

| Ch, XIX

Rg. VII. 21. 5 and explains that the word means ’those who do not observe rules of brahmacarya (celibacy). The preponderance of authority and evidence is in favour of the second view. In Rg. VII. 104.14(=Atharva VIII. 4. 14), the poet pleads if I be addicted to falsehood, O fire, or if I call upon the gods in vain (then you may injure me), but (not being so) why are you angry with me? May those whose speech is false incur slaughter at your hands’. Here ‘anṭta-devāḥ’ is praoti. cally the same as ‘drogba-vacaḥ’ in the fourth pāda. In the Tai. Up. I. 11. 2 we have the words ‘mātṛdevo bhaya, pitrdevo bhava’, where all that is meant is that one should be devoted to the parents’. Therefore ‘śiśna-deva’ could hardly mean * those who worship phallus as god’. In Rg. 169. X. 87.2 Agni is invoked as follows ‘with thy tongue reach the mūradevas, in thy mouth envelope the eaters of raw flesh after cutting them into bits’ and in Rg. VII. 104, 24 Indra is called upon to kill male and female yātudhānas (evil spirits or sorcerers) and it is added ‘may the mūradevas perish bereft of their necks and may they not see the sun rising up fron the horizon’. Yaska in commenting on Rs. X. 4. 4 explains ‘mūra’ as ‘mūdha’ (stupid ) 1683. It is possible to take ‘mūra’ as meaning ‘mortal. or ‘perishable’ (since the root ‘mp’ assumes the form ‘muriya’ as in Rg. VII. 104. 15). From the above quotations it is clear that the Rgvedic poets know of low people who practised witohcraft, who were mūradeyas (i. e. either worshipped peri. shable objects or were stupid in their cult) and who were the enemies of the Aryans. There are also clear references to enemies who did not look upon Indra as God (Rg. X. 27. 6,

X. 48. 7, X. 86. 1).

Phallio emblems have been found in the ancient ruins at Mohenjo-daro (vide Sir John Marshall’s work, vol. I. pp. 58-63). Except these finds the earliest known lingas so far discovered do not go beyond the first century B. O. But centuries before Ohrist the worship of images had become widespread in India, According to Haradatta on Ap. gr. 20.1-3, where the offerings to

.

……

.

.

..

  1. FC Traih p et gerup BERPATHE HI. X. 87.2 and surtę VIII. 3. 2 (1907 renders gaan RTRET), que ut

TETSH MONTH: 11 *. X. 87. 14 (=wud VIII. 3. 13 with slight variation at end); विग्रीवासो मूरदेवा भदन्त मा ते शम्पुर्यउभरतम् ॥R. VII. 104. 24 (UTT VIII. 4. 24 ). 1893. U TU

P E CAD May (R. 10. 4. 4.); VI: पभमूहः स्वमसिन रिकामासमतुरेव । निका ..

Ch. XIX) Devayajita-Origin of image worship

709

Isana, his consort and his son ‘Jayants’ (the conqueror Skanda) are desoribed, images of these three are worshipped. The Mānava. gshya 1494 II. 15. 6 prescribes that if an image (of wood, stone or metal) were to be burnt down or to become reduced to powder (of itself) or falls (from its pedestal) or breaks into pieces, or laughs, or moves to another place, the householder (in whose houge it had been established ) should offer ten oblations into fire with certain Vedic verses. In the Baud. gr. II. 2. 13 when describing the ceremony of Upaniskramana ( taking the infant child out of the house for the first time ) it is said that the father after performing homa goes out of the house, worships the images outside (the house ), feeds the brahmanas, makes them pronounce benedictions and then brings back to the house the infant. 1995 The Laugākṣi grhya (18.3 ) speaks of devatāyatana (s temple). Gaut. (IX. 13-14 ) forbids a man from answering calls of nature in front of images or from stretching one’s feet towards them and (IX.. 66 ) requires & man to circumambulato & temple ( devatāyatana ) that he may meet on his way. The Śān. gr. IV. 12. 15 does the same and uses the same word (8. B. E. vol. 29, p. 125 ) and in II. 6. 6 mentions & deva-kula ( god’s house). Ap. Dh. 8. (1. 11. 30. 28 ) has a similar rule. Manu (II. 176 ) directs the brahmacārin to worship images, requires a person to circumambulate images that he may meet with when on a journey (IV. 39), not to cross the shadow of images (IV. 130 ) and ordains that witnesses be sworn in the presence of the images of gods and brāhmaṇas (VIII. 87). Vide also Manu III. 117 and IX. 285. The Viṣṇu Dh. 8. ( 23, 34, 63.27) mentions the images of gods ( devatārca ) and speaks of the worship of Bhagavat Vasudeva as an image. In Vasiṣtha XI. 31, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 69.7, 30. 15,70 13, 91. 10 the word ‘deve. tāyatana ’ or devāyatana occurs. Unfortunately the dates of all these works are far from being certain. But no scholar will assign the Mānava, Baudhāyana and Saṅkhyāyana gļhyasūtras and the dharmasūtras of Gautama and Apastamba to & later date than the 5th or 4th century B.C. Panini, whom no scholar will place later than 300 B. C. (though there are some who

  1. qu gT AFTET SET HTET HTET MET…gani … Fa ama: I RTTT II, 15. 6.

  2. serrata T r oquet … … punk Ter . T. T. II. 2. 13. This is quotod in the ARVITTAATUT D. 887 wbore Afmet is uzplained as :.

610

( Ch. XIX

place him geveral centuries earlier), teaches 1986 that an image by attending on which a person maintains himself and which is not for sale has the same name as the god whose image it is 8. g. an image is called Śiva or Skanda when the worshipper makes his livelihood by attending on the image of Śiva or Skanda (and appropriating the offerings placed before the image) which is not for sale. Panini also teaches (IV. 3. 98 ) that * Vasudevaka’ is a person who is & votary of Vāsudeva and Patañjali expressly says that Vāsudeva was not a mere ksatriya, but that the word is the name of God. Patañjali comments on the former sūtra and vouchsafes the very interesting information that the Mauryas who were greedy of gold established or manufactured insges, to which this rule would not apply, but it would apply to the images of gods that were in Patañjali’s day used for pūjā ( worship). According to Patañjali the images manufactured by the Mauryas would be called Śivaka &c. Patañjali, while commenting on Pāṇini IV. 1. 54, gives as examples an image with a long or high nose. The Adiparva 70. 49, Anuśāsana 10. 20-21, Āśvamedhika 70. 16 speak of devatāyatanas ( temples ) and Bhisma 112. 11 in speaking of terrible portents refers to images in temples trembling and shedding tears. Khāravela, king of Kalinga (latter half of 2nd century B.O.) is said to have re-established an image of Jina carried away by Nandarāja and be is described as ‘sarva devāyatana-sankhāra-karaka’( one who looked after the preber vation and repair of all temples ). In Kautilya’s Arthasāstra II. 4 ( variously assigned to different dates from 300 B. C. to 250 A. D. ) it is stated that in the centre of the capital shrines of Aparājita, Apratihata, Jayanta, Vaijayanta and temples of Śiva, Asvins, Vaisravana, Lakṣmi and of Madirā ( wine?) should be erected. It follows from the above discussion that long before Pāṇini there had arisen professional men who made their livelihood by attending on images and that temples of deities must have existed even in the 4th or 5th century B.C.

The question whether the worship of images and the erec tion of temples spontaneously arose among the Vedic Aryans

15 The fire

  1. storo eroa 197. V. 3. 99; stara rigenerante a retet fra: स्कन्वः विशाख इति। किं कारणम् । माहिरण्याभिराः प्रकल्पिताः । भवेत्तासुन स्यात् । Ordet: a truitate fagfa 1 ATT q vol. II. p. 429 ; ferruf Or fi #TH784 Vol. II. p. 222 (on 9. IV. 1. 54); Bergaat SE T. IV. 3.98; HUT Tr ai T T 1 AEITT vol. II. p. 914; vide K. I. vol. 20 p. 80 and “Vaippavism and Saiviam’ by Dr. R, Q. Bhandarkar ( 1913 ) pp. 3-4.

IV.3. 93Vol. II. p. 222Ten vol.” 11. pat,

Ch. XIX]

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711

or whether they derived the idea from some other race or sectarians has been very often discussed. There are three principal views, viz. (1) that the worship of images was derived from sūdras and Dravidian tribes and absorbed in the brahma nical cult; (2) that the making of images was copied from the Buddhists; (3) that this practice was a natural and spontaneous growth. The second view is not very plausible. Images of Buddha were not made for a long time after his nirvāṇa. He was only represented at first by symbols. If modern chrono logy about Buddha’s ministry is to be followed *(he was born about 563 B. C. and died about 483 B, C.), it is almost impossible to hold that images of gods originally came to be made in imitation of images or statues of Buddha, since, as we saw above, temples and images of gods had already become widespread throughout India in the 4th or 5th century B. C. 1888 The first view is supported with arguments of some weight by Dr. Farquhar in J. R. A. 8. for 1928 pp. 15-23. Vide also Dr. Charpentier in Indian Antiquary for 1927 pp. 89 ff. and 130 ff. But I do not hold that the reasons for this view are con vincing. There is no apparent reason why only about 400 B. C. image worship should have been copied from the gūdras by the brahmanas. The sūdra though given an inferior status had be come a part of Indian Society at least a thousand years before 400 B. C., as the Puruṣasūkta shows. He had been serving the brābmapas for centuries before that date and brahmanas could in the times of the sutras partake of food cooked by him and could take sūdra women in marriage. So, if the worship of images was 8 practice borrowed from the sūdras, it should have prevailed at least a thousand years before 400 B. C. The fact that the devalaka brāhmana (one who maintained himself by attending on images either for & salary or by appropriating what was placed before the image) was not to be invited at & śrāddba and had thus an inferior status (Manu III. 152) is to be explained in a different way. The institution of worshippers of images had not an hoary antiquity behind it in the time of

  1. See ‘History of Buddbist thought’ by Dr. E. J. Thomas (1933) for these dates.

  2. Vide Mr. 0. C. Ganguly’s paper the antiquity of the Buddha Image’ in Ostasiatische Zeitschrift Noue Folge XIV, Heft 2/3, where he adduces very weighty grounds for holding that the beginning of the cult of the worship of the image of Buddba lies somewhere between 150 B. C. to 50 B. C.

712

Manu, as that of priests officiating at the srauta or gphy & sacrifices had in his day; besides such men must have nego looted the principal duty of a brāhmana (viz. study of the Veda ) and so they were looked down upon. Even in the times of the Brābmaṇas the simple gphys sacrifices were being raised to the level of śrauta rites, which were gradually becoming less and less frequent. The Ait. Br. (11, 8) prescribes that when a man takes up an offering to a deity and is about to say ‘yaṣat’ he should contemplate upon that deity for whom the offering is meant. This would naturally lead the worshipper to invest the deity with anthropomorphic attributes. The Nirukta devotes some space ( VII. 6-7 ) to the consideration of the question of the form of the deities referred to in the Vedic mantras. 1700 Three views are propounded, viz. (1) they have an anthropomorphic form, (2) they have no anthromorphic form, (3) they may par take of both characters, i. e. the deities though really non anthropomorphio may assume various forms for carrying out some purpose or activity. This last view contains the doctrine of avatāras. When Vedic saorifices became less and less preva lent owing to various causes (particularly because of the doctrine of ahimsā, the various upāsanās and the philosophy of the Absolute set forth in the Upadiṣads ), there arose the cult of the worship of images. Originally, it was not so universal or elaborate as it became in medieval and modern times.

The literature on the subject of image-worship is vast. The principal topics are: the substances from which images are made, the principal deities of which images were or are worshipped, the proportions of the various limbs in manufactur ing images, the consecration of images and temples, the ritual of image worship. The subject of consecration of images and temples will be dealt with later on under the topio of Pratiṣtha.

In the Bșhat-samhita of Varāhamihira (chap. 58, where images of Rāma, of Viṣṇu with eight or four or two arms, of Baladeva, Ekānamsā, Samba, Brahmā, Skanda, Śiva, Girija as half of Śiva’s body, Buddha, Jina, the Sun, the Mātrs, Yama, Varuna, Kubers are described); in the Matsyapurāṇa chap.

  1. go award for the foret rarter 16. . 11.8, quoted by sinar on in I. 3. 33,

  2. Sartrerat HET I STATUT: Frati … … sgua: स्युरियपरम् । …… अपि पा उभयविधाः स्युः अपि वा अपुरुपविधानामेव सतामेते कास्माम: pri firm VII. 6-7.

Oh. XIX)

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713

258-264; in the Agnipurāṇa chap. 44-53, the Viṣṇudharmottara (III. 44 ff.) and other purūṇas, in the Mānasāra, the Catur varga-ointā mani of Hemadri (Vratakhanda vol. II part 1, pp. 76-222 ), in several agama works, in the Devatāmūrti-prakarana of sūtradhāra Maṇdana of the 15th century ( ed. by Upendra Mohan Sāṅkhyatirtha, Calcutta, 1936 ) and similar works elaborate rules are given on pratimālakṣana ( the characteristics of the images of gods and goddesses ), They cannot be dealt with here. In modern times many works and papers, several of them illustrated with plates and photographs, have been pub. lished on this subject. 1701

Medieval digests like the Sm. O., the Smștimuktāphala, the Puja-prakaśa devote considerable space to the subjeot of deve pūjā (image-worship) in its various aspects, the last work containing 382 pages in print on this subject. A very concise statement of only a few topics is attempted below.

  1. Besides the Anoual Reports and Memoirs of the Archaeologi. cal Survey of India, the following is a modest list of such works :

Ars Asiatica (in French ), somo volumes of which such as vol. III (on Śaiva sculpture ), vol. X (on Ajanta ), vol. XV (about images at Mathura ) are specially useful; Ludwig Baobhofor’s * Early Indian Sculpture’in two volumes (1929, Paris ) with 161 plates (from 300 B.C. to 200 A. D.); Brindaban Bbattacharya’s Indian Images’ vol. I (1921, & very useful work containing original Sanskrit texts from the Vedas to the latest works and several illustrations); N. K. Bhattasali’s * Iconography of Buddhist and Brahmanical Sculptures in the Dacca Museum’; Rai Bahadur Chanda’s Medieval Indian Sculptures in the British Museum’ (1936); ‘Ancient India’ (from the earliest timos to the Guptas as to architecture and sculpture ) by K. de B. Codrington 1926, with numerous plates; A. K. Coomarswamy’s History of Indian and Indonesian Art’; A. Toucber’s Beginnings of Buddbist Art’ (1917 translated by L. A. Thomas and F. W. Thomas) and ‘L’ Arte Gréco Buddbique du Gandbūra’(in two vols. 1905 and 1918 ); 0. C. Gangoly’s « South Indian Bronzes’ (1915, with 95 full page illustrations and 45 smaller plates); T. A. Gopinath Rao’s · Elements of Hindu Iconography (in 4 parta, containing quotations from purāṇas, kilpaśāstras and other works and numerous illustrations); Grūnwedel’s “Buddbist Art in India’ (English translation by Agnes C. Gibson revised by James Burgess, 1901 ); E. B. Havoll’s Indian Sculpture and Painting’ (London, 1908), the Ideals of Indian Art’ (London, 1911), Hand-book of Indian Art’ (London, 1920); H. Krishna Sastry’s South Indian Images of Gods and Goddessed ‘; Nibar Ranjan Ray’s Brahmapical Gods of Burma’ (1932); V. A. Smith’s History of Fine Art in India’ (1911, with hundreds of illustrations); ’ Mūrtivijāāna’ (in Marathi) by G. H. Khare ( 1939, Poona ).

#. D. 90

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[ Oh. XIX

The word devapūja * 170% ocours in the Vārtika on Panini I.3. 25. The digests try to show that, just as yāga ( sacrifice ) consists in giving up materials accompanied by a mantra with reference to a deity that is then principally in view, so pājā also is yāga, as therein also there is giving up (or dedication ) of materials to a deity. 1903

The next question is, who are entitled to perform devapūjā. Men and women of all varṇas and even the untouchables were to worship Viṣṇu who incarnated himself as man-lion, accord ing to the Nṭsimhapurāṇa and Vfddba-Hārsta 1704 ( VI. 6 and 256 ). All the male members of a joint undivided family are to perform separately samdhyā, brahmayajña and agnihotra (if they have consecrated the greuta and grhya fires) but devapūja and vaisvadeva will be only one for the whole family, 1905 The time for devapūjā is after tarpaṇa at noon and before vaisva deva; but some place it after vaiśvadeva. According to Dakṣa II. 30-31 all devakārya ( duties and ceremonies in honour of gods ) must be performed in the first half of the day.

One of the peculiar tenets of Hinduism is adhikāra-bheda ( difference in rights, duties, ceremonies and worship dependent on difference in intellectual, emotional and spiritual equipment). Not every one was capable of the same discipline and regimen. Image worship was not absolutely necessary for everybody and the ancient writers never thought that when they worshipped an image they were simply paying homage to a material object. They believed that they contemplated the One Supreme Spirit in the form of the image or symbol before them, which helped ordi nary people to concentrate their mind on the Godhead to the exclusion of other external and engrossing objects and pursuits.

  1. INTENSITEKTURAT: i fa on 9. I. 3. 25 4 . Vide hypre vol. I. p. 281 which shows that this and was read somewhat differently by others oven 80 early,

  2. at great Feara am in opetta T ITUTI FTC IV. 2. 27-28, on which $77 distinguishes betwoen

19, &# and # as follows varaqayeting progra: FPATAT: 1 Tona देवताविश्य उत्सर्गमात्र, जुहोतिरासेचनाधिका, ददातिकत्सर्गपूर्षक: परस्वस्वेन संबन्ध इत्येष पर्षा विशेष इति । तत्र पूजा नाम देवतोद्देशेन वयत्यागात्मकत्वाथाग एव । पूजा

19 p. 1. ___1704. ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः भियः वामस्यजातयः। संपूज्य संपुरश्रेष्ठं भवस्या सिंदयपुर्धरम् । मुध्यन्ते चाशुभवर्जन्मकोटिसहनः । तसिंहपुराण quoted in

*** p. 1, 444 EU p. 33. 1706. Vide शाकल quoted in the व्यवहारमयूख p. 133.

तत्र पूजा मामा , बवातिकत्सर्गपूर्ण समानः । तत्र पजात

Oh XIX

Devayajna-Image worship

115

According 1706 to Narada, the Bhagavata-purana XL.27.9 and Vrddha-Harita (VI. 128-129) Hari is to be worshipped in water, in fire, in the heart, in the sun, on the altar, in brahmanas and in images. Śatātapa 1907 says ’the gods of ordinary men are in water, those of the knowing are in heaven, of the ignorant and of those of small intelligence are in wood and clay (i. e. images) and of the yogin in his own self (or heart ). God is worshipped in fire by throwing oblations, in water by throwing flowers, in the heart by contemplation and in the orb of the sun by japa.

The materials out of which images are to be made are precious stones, gold, silver, copper, brass, iron, stone, wood or clay. One made of precious stones was the best and the most inferior was that made of clay. The Bhāgavata-purāṇa (XI 27.12) says that images are eight-fold viz, made of stone, wood. iron, sandal-wood or similar paste, drawn (as a picture), made of sand, of precious stones and lastly mental 1708 The Matsya purana (258. 20-21) adds lead and bronze’ to the above eight of the Skanda. Vide also Vrddha-Harita VIII. 120. Among stones the Salagrāma stone (a black stone containing fossil ammonite found in the Gandaki river near a village called Salagrama ) and the stone from Dyārakā marked with a cakra (disous)are highly prized in the worship of Viṣṇu. Vrddha-Harita (VIII. 183-189) highly extols Salagrāma-puja. It is stated by Vṛddha-Harita that only dvijas can worship Sālagrama and not śūdras. According to several purāṇa passages quoted in the Pujaprakasa (pp. 20-21) even women and sudras can perform

  1. साकारा विकृतिज्ञेया तस्य सर्व जगत्स्मृतम् । पूजाध्यानादिकं कार्य साकारस्यैध शस्यते ॥ विष्णुधर्मोत्तर III. 46. 3; नारदोपि । अप्स्वनौ हदये सूर्य स्थतिले प्रतिमासु च । पदस्थानेषु हरेः सम्यगर्चनं मुनिभिः स्मृतम् ॥ quoted in पूजाप्रकाश p. 10 and स्मृतिमु. (आहिक P. 384); अग्विधान III. 29.2 has the same words. ‘दये प्रतिमाया था जले सवितृमण्डले। वहौ च स्थाण्डिले वापि चिन्तयेहिष्णुमध्ययम् ॥ बुद्धधारीत VI 128-129; अर्चायां स्थण्डिलेऽमौवा सूर्ये पाप्सु हदि द्विजे । ग्यण भक्तियुक्तोर्चत् स्वगुरु माममायया भागवत XI. 27.9%3; vide also वृद्धहारीत VIII. 91-92.

  2. अप्सु देवा मनुष्याणां दिवि देवा मनीषिणाम् । काष्ठलोष्ठेषु मूर्खाणां युक्तस्या त्मनि देवता। शातातप in आठिकमकाश p. 382 ; अग्नौ कियावतां देवो विवि देषो मनी पिणाम् । प्रतिमास्वल्पाद्धीनां योगिनो हदये हरिः ॥ quoted in पूजाप्रकाश p. 8 (this is तसिंहपुराण 62. 5 and ऋग्विधान III. 29. 3); हविषाम्रो जले पुष्पाना हराये हरिम् । अर्थन्ति सरयो नित्यं जपेन रविमण्डले ॥ स्मृतिम. (आहिक p. 384).

  3. रत्नजा हेमजा चैव राजती ताम्रजा तथा। तिकी या तथा लौही शैलजा इमजा तथा अधमाधमा विज्ञेया मृण्मयी प्रतिमा च या । सर्वकामप्रदा चैव रत्नदा चोत्त मोसमा। स्कन्दपुराण quoted in पूजाप्रकाश p. 11; शैलीदासमयी लोही लेप्या लेखया व सैकती। मनोमयी मणिमयी प्रतिमाधविधा स्मृता। भागवतपुराण XI. 27. 12, quoted in पूजाम. p. 116.

1716

History of Dharmadāsira

( Oh. XIX

the worship of Salagrāma 19, but they should not touob it. Similarly they are not to worship lingas established in the past by sages &c. This worship of Salagrāma is comparatively ancient. Samkarācārya in his commentary on the Vedāntasūtra speaks in several places of Sālagrāma 1710 being worshipped as a symbol of Hari. Five kinds of stones were used in worship, viz. Bāṇa-lingas from Narmada in Sive worship, Sālagrāma in Viṣṇu worship, metallic stone in Durgā worship, crystal for sun-worship and red stone in Gaṇeśs worship. The Rājatarangiṇi ( II. 131 and VII. 185) refers to the establishment of Bāṇalingas”?ll of Śiva in Kashmir taken from the Narmada. About the images to be worshipped in the house it is stated in the Matsyapurāṇa ( 258, 22 ) that they should be in size as big as a part of the thumb up to 12 angulas and not more ; but an image to be established in a temple should be up to sixteen angulas and not more or its proper height should be arrived at as follows: divide the height of the door into eight parts; taking seven parts divide them into one-third and two-thirds; the pedestal of the image should be one-third and the image should be two-thirds of the seven parts (i. e. f of seven-eighths of the height of the door). Vide Matsyapurāṇa 258. 23-25.

Among the gods popularly worshipped the principal ones are Vispu under various names and in various avatāras, Śiva in his various forms, Durgā, Ganess and the Sun.‘12 The

  1. SIGURASOT 99 1 qutuistar i grut: HAT T z 12 #T4: 11 TT& quoted in Fonas. (17 p. 384 ) ; vide also op. p. 11 and 32 p. 78a quoting FHCUTIUT. Tara apzqi TTCT Śivan

Refra VIII. 190. ___1710. एवमणीयस्त्वादिगुणगणोपेत ईश्वरस्तत्र हदयपुण्यरकि निचाप्यो द्रष्टव्य उप fagua TUT STICUTA EFT: 1317 on aire I. 2.7; vide albo op I. 2. 14 and 1. 3. 14. (where he says TOT TIMPYA farm: Harga pla ). Vide 1 *p. 35. qaragraf stearat a faltar o Fra: Tut and p. 37 quotes a passage from the arrecag tror which allows even years to worship Devi and Lingas inado of clay or Band (after ).

  1. Ford FUT * agittaa tasi may affererecar: feruit: 11 patroft II. 131.

  2. Sachet Paro Total FESTE I T245740 hari Fa: 90 पूजयेत् ॥ संग्रह quoted in स्मृतिमु. (आहिक p. 384). Vide पूजामकाश p.239 where a verse is quoted which supports the diagram in the toxt ‘sa hrana हरीनहरभूदेख्यो हरी शंकरभास्येनागसता रौ हरगणेशाजाम्बिका स्थापिताः । देव्या विष्णु हरेकदन्सरपयो लम्बोदरेजेश्वरमार्याः शंकरभागतोऽतिसुखदा व्यस्तारत से हामिदा ॥’. This verse is quoted in the same (p. 81a) as from tho THEATET of चोपदेष.

On, XIX]

Devapūjā-pañicāyatanapūjā

717

worship of these deities ( oalled panoāyatanapūjā) is said to have been popularised by the great Samkarācārya, In modern times these five devatās are still worshipped, but they are differently arranged according as the worshipper places one or other of the five in the centre. The following diagram will show the five positions :

East

Viṣṇupañoa- Śivapanca. Sūrya-paño - Devi-pañoa.

yatana yatana 1 yatana yatana

Ganesa pañcāyatana

ra

MA

Esamka- Ganesavienu Sarya Samika-Ganosa Viepu satike-Vippu Satika

  • Vipnus salikara Barya Devis Capeba Deri Sūrya Devi Ganesa Devi Viga Surya Ganesal Devi Sūpya

1

West

In medieval and modern times Viṣṇu has been deemed to have descended to earth ten times to preserve the world and its culture. A brief account of the development of this theory will not be out of place here. The ten well-known avatāras are Matsya (fish), Kūrma (tortoise ), Varāha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vāmana (dwarf), Parasurama, Rāma, Kṭṣṇa, Buddha and Kalkin. There are faint glimmerings of the theory of avstāras and of these forms even in the earliest Vedic Literature. In Rg. VIII. 17. 131713 it is said that Indra was the grandson of the sage Srāgavrsa. This may be interpreted as meaning that Indra was supposed to have descended on the earth in & human form. In Rg. IV, 26. 1 the sage Vāmadeva exclaims1914 ‘I was Manu and I was also the Sun’. This is referred to in the Br. Up. I. 4. 10 and is often relied upon in support of the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. It may be capable of that interpretation, but if that is not accepted it will at least tend to support the proposition that the Vedic sage thought that the

  1. TAI PITTAT HTC forevery: I Parau ### #. VIII. 17. 13. i VIII. 5 explains ara a WAPITUT: ITT TAWTO , सायण takes नपात् to mean पुत्र here.

  2. godt samaritat fortfarah: . IV. 26. 1; T इदमम आसीत्तदात्मानमेधावत् । अहं ब्रह्मास्मीति । तस्मात्तत्सर्वमभवयो यो देवाना प्रत्यागपत स एव तदभषचथर्षीणां तथा माल्याणां तदेवत्पश्यन्वषिर्षामदेवः प्रतिपदेडई ATTUTTET I g. 74. I. 4.10; ugun O meua ima .1.30.718

1 Oh. XIX

Sun could be born on the earth as a human being (i. e. there was an avatāra of the Sun). There is another sense in which this passage of the Rg and that of the Br. Up. are understood in the Vedāntasūtra 1. 1. 30 viz. that Vāmadeva had realized that bis soul was non-different from the Supreme Soul, Brahma. The elements of the avatars of Matsya ere probably suggested by the story of Manu who was saved from & flood by a great horned fish to whose horn Manu tied the rope of his ship when the flood rose. Vide Sat. Br. I. 8. 1. 1-6 (8. B. E, vol. 12, pp. 216-218 ).1716

The tortoise avatāra was probably suggested by the legend that Prajāpati having assumed the form of a tortoise created living beings and that as the words Icūrma (tortoise) and katyapa mean the same object all creatures are said to be descended from (or to belong to ) Kasyapa (Sat. Br. VII. 5. 1. 5, S. B. E. vol. 41, p. 390 ).“716 The peculiar exploit of the Boar incarnation, viz, raising up the earth from the bottom of the ocean, is alluded to in the Sat. Br. XIV. 1. 2. 11 (S. B. E. vol. 44, p. 451 ) boar called Emūṣa raised the earth up and be was her lord Prajāpati. “1717 In the Rg. Viṣṇu is said to have pierced Varāba (1. 61. 7) and that he being incited by Indra brings to the worshipper a hundred buffaloes, rice cooked in milk, and the boar ( called ) Emūsa ( VIII. 77. 10). The Tai, Ār. X 1 refers to this myth. In the Kathaka S. VIII. 2 Prajāpati is said to have become a boar and plunged in water. Vide also Tai. S. VII. 1. 5. 1 and Tai. Br, I. 1. 3. Some elements of the story of the destruction of Hirapyakasipu by Viṣṇu in the man-lion form are supplied by the story of the slaughter of the demon Namuci by Indrs at dawn with the foam of waters, since Indra had agreed with Namuoi that he would not slay him by day or by night, with the dry or moist

___1716. स औष उस्थित नाधमापेदे तंस मत्स्य उपन्यापुलये तस्य शृङ्ख नाव: पाशं प्रति hranima i g re I TOTUUT. I. 8. 1. 5. Vide an interesting and loarnod article by Prof. Macdonell in J. R. A. S. 1896 pp. 165-189 on the mythological basis of some of tho incarnations.

  1. PUTEA FI gal U HOTTTTTTTT: 4577 MUSTA

y e fo करोत्तस्माकूर्मः कश्यपो वे कूर्मस्तस्मादाहुः सर्वाः प्रजा: काश्यप्य इति । शतपथना. VII, 6. 1. 5.

  1. rug HD grire fragrafi mata pa ang FISFAT: Oft harra: erau XIV. 1. 2. 11; EU Pro Foota Tero

TEM I groft writoft, . *. X. 1, Tere may in the Rg. moer’a bour-liko oloud domon or a boar’. Vide fatas V. 4.

Ch. XIX)

Devapujā-Ten aratūras

719

or with the palm or with the fist, or with staff or bow &o.’ (Sat. Br. XII. 7. 3. 1-4, S. B. E. vol. 44, pp. 222-223). Sat. Br. XII. 7. 3. 4 quotes Rg. VIII. 14. 13 which narrates that Indra cut off the head of Namuoi with the foam of waters.i718 In the ancient Tamil work Silappadikāram (translated by Prof. V. R. Diksitar ) there is a reference to the Narasimha avatūra. The special achievement of the dwarf incarnation, viz, the request of the dwarf for as much space as would be covered by his three steps, has its counter-part in the Rgveda, where the principal exploits of Viṣṇu are the taking of three steps and making the earth steady or fast. 1719 Vide Sat. Br, I. 2.5.1 for the Dwarf incarnation. In the Chandogya Up. III. 17. 6 it is stated that the sage Ghora Angirasa imparted & certain instruction to Krṣṇa, the son of Devak1,1720 This may have supplied some part of the legends about Krṣṇa in the Great Epio and the Purāṇas.

We saw above that according to Patañjali Vasudeva was not a mere ksatriya but an incarnation of God. Patañjali quotes & quarter of a verse which speaks of Kamga being killed by Vāsudeva and refers to painted shows wherein the party of Vasudeva were dressed in blaok and of Kaṁsa in red (vide Mahābhāṣya, vol. II. p. 36 and p. 119). Patañjali also speaks of Ugrasena as a member of the Andhaka clan and Viṣvaksong as & Vrspi and of Baladeva also ( Mahābhāṣya, vol. II. p. 257 on Pāṇini IV. 1. 114 ) and of Satyabhāmā (vol. I. p. 111 ) and Akrūra (vol. II. p. 295 ). So the main story of Krspa and persons connected with his ministry on earth as gathered from the Mahābhārata, the Harivaṁsa &c. were known to Patañjali and to some extent also to Pāṇini. The Besnagara Inscription of Heliodorus ( E. I. vol. X, Appendix p. 63 No. 669 ) shows that even Greeks became devotees of Viṣṇu. The Eran Stone

  1. नमुचेरासुरस्य न्युष्टायां रात्रावनुदित आदित्ये न दिवा न नक्तमिति शिर

FOI FFHTA Top I STOT ** … … : # i gratuWT. XIT, 7. 8. 3-4 ; . VIII. 14. 13 is spot : S prata i format H ai Fu: .

  1. ne faut Sun Ha IFREU QEt n wirūt car fry Arrogettar srazy: 1 F. I. 22. 17-18; vide also Rg. I. 164. 1-4, 1. 156. 4, VI. 49. 13 &o ; et pour) THAT T ata AFEFIT CAPTATTI taxat नाकमुवं वृहन्तं दाध माची ककुभं पृथिव्याः ॥…… व्यस्तम्मा रोदसी विष्णवेते वाधर्ष gru TTT YT: 11 $. VII. 99. 2-3.

  2. Parte fett otro darafigarretratar TR OY TU Urutro 99. III. 17. 6. Vide Vaippavism and Saivinima’ by Sir R. G. Bhandarkar p. 11 on Kṛppa.

720

(Oh. XIX

Inscription ( vide Gupta Inscriptions p. 158 No. 36 ) refers to the Boar Incarnation. The Bhagavatapurāṇa II. 4. 18 deolares that even Kirātas, Hūṇas, Andhras, Pulindas, Pukkasas, Abbfras, Suhmas, Yavanas, Khasas and others and even sinners, when they throw themselves on the meroy of Viṣṇu as devotees, are purified. It may therefore be assumed that the theory of the avataras of Vispu ( whether ten or less or more ) had been prevalent some centuries before the Christian era.

In the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa it is frequently stated that God comes down to earth often for punishing the wioked, for the protection of the good and the establish ment of dharma. 1381 In the Santiparva (339. 103-104) the avatāras are stated to be ten and they are the same 88 now accepted except that Hamsa is mentioned instead of Buddha and Krsna is called Sātvata. Among the Purāṇas also several do not mention Buddha as an avatāra. The Mārkandeya ( 47, 7 ) speaks of Matsya, Kūrma and Varāha incarnations and in 4. 53-56 begins with Varāha and mentiona Nṛsimha, Vamana and Mathura (1. e. Krṣṇa ). The Matsya ( 47. 39-45 ) speaks of 12 avatāras, some of which are different from the usual ones and verse 106 states that Bhṛgu cursed Viṣṇu to be born as a human being seven times, as he killed a woman, viz. his wife. The Matsya-purāṇa ( chap. 285. 6-7) mentions the well-known ten avatāras inoluding Buddha and this passage is quoted by Apararka on p. 338. The Matsya-purāṇa 47. 247 speaks of Buddha as the 9th (avatāra). The Nșsimha-purana chap. 36. the Agni-purāṇa chap. 2 to 16 and the Vārāha-purāṇa 4. enumerate the well-known ten avatāras. The Vrddha-Harita smrti!738 (X. 145-146 ) enumerates ten avatāras, includes Hayagriva in them (in place of Buddha) and expressly says that Buddha should not be worshipped. In the Rāmāyaṇa (Ayodhyām

  1. Vide Hopkins’ “Epic Mythology. 1915, pp. 209-219 and Indian Historical Quarterly, vol. XI. p. 121 ff. for detailed information on the avataras of Visqu; note the following: wat Pauerei WHICH opra rispetto agGUTAFIT4 11 48 272. 71 ; at: ThrUT wreath FURI # TUTU #FATURITYI 377 6 4,13; aprIT IV. 7-8, 7979 272. 61-70, 276. 8. &c.; Hattur I. 7, TOE 8. 27; THIS WETU GHETE PUTA I et are rem mot trh VITA 4737470 FITOTT: Einar i stara 339. 103-104.

  2. HET * art i ficia USA of 21 भमन्ययम् ॥हयग्रीवं जगयोनि पूजयोहणेगोसमः । नायबार्गवं बुद्धं सर्वत्रापि च कर्म।

USE X. 146–146.

Ch. XIX)

Devapūjā-Ten avatūras

721

kāṇda 109. 34) Buddha is reviled as a thief and an atheist. 1723 This passage may be an interpolation. In the Bhagavatapurapa there are three different lists of avatāras at I. 3 ( where 22 avatāras occur in which Buddha, Kalkin, Vyāsa, Balarama and Krspa are separately enumerated), II. 7 (where besides the well-known avatāras, Kapila, Dattatreya and others are mentioned ), and at VI. 8 Buddha and Kalkin are both mentioned in verse 17. 1724 The Kr̥tyaratnākara (pp. 159-160) quotes & passage from the Brahmapurāns about a vrata on the 7th of the bright half of Vaiśākha where it is stated that Viṣṇu as Buddha started the Sākyadharma and that on the 7th day of Vaiśākba when the moon is in conjunction with the Puṣya constellation, the image of Buddha should be bathed to the accompaniment of sayings of the Sākys and gifts of garments should be made to Sākya ascetics. The same work (pp. 247-248) quotes & passage of the Varāhapurāṇa on the observances of Buddha-dvādaśī, when & golden image of Buddha was to be worshipped and given to a brāhmaṇa. In memoir No. 26 of the Archæological Survey of India, it is stated (p. 5) that in an inscription from South India of about the 7th century A. D. ooours a verse in a mutilated forin in which Buddha is enume rated among the ten avatāras (… narasimhotha Vāmanah Rāmo Rāmaśoa Krsnasca Buddhaḥ Kalki ca te daśa ). 1725 From the above discussion it follows that Buddha became in popular view an avatars of Viṣṇu for the Hindus froin about the 7th century A. D. Even about that time he was not universally so treated and orthodox writers like Kumārila ( who flourished somewhere about 650 to 750 A. D.) did not admit that he was an avatāra, In his Tantra vārtika (p. 195 on Jaimini I. 3. 4) Kumārilabhatta says that the Sakys texts were promulgated by Buddha and others that had strayed from the path of the three Vedas and

  1. यथा हि चोरः स तथा हि बुद्धस्तथागतं नास्तिकमत्र विनि।अयोध्याकाण्ड 109, 34.

  2. ATT HATUT ET: TUTETT: 1 *77 I. 3. 26; sterfamiga प्राते विष्णुः कलियुगे सति । शाक्यान विनष्टधर्माश्व युद्धो भूत्वा प्रवर्तयत् ॥ ब्रह्मपुराण quoted in ut. p. 159; ’ FUTUTTradit aatit: 1 TACTi a T -

Try faqaa 1 …… yetay rin para y fa&T: 1 … … ERI19 ford mo na Tehas ta: 11 Tetor quoted in 6747. Pp. 247-248.

  1. HAY: SAYTTET HETO THE: 1 Prat TAX FOOT : Foto # TFT 11 TIE STIUT IV. 2; the inscription in the memoir 26 (p. 5) contains the verse in this form. Vido’ Vaiṣṇavism and Baivism’ pp. 41-42 for the incarnations of Vippu,

E. D. 91

722

1 Oh. XIX

that acted contrary to the Vedas and asks 1788 the question “what Assurance is there that one, who, himself being & ksatriya, trans gressed the dharma laid down for kṣatriyas and betook bimself to the profession of a religious teacher and accepted gifts, would impart instruction in dharma that would not lead to confusion ? It has been said ‘one should leave at a distance & person who does acts contrary to the other world. How can one who deceives himself confer benefit on another’”. The Bșhatsamhita of Varāhamihira (60. 19) states the persons who are to hold the office of worshipper in the temples of several deities, viz. the Bhagavatas for Viṣṇu, the Magas (sākadvipiya brāhmaṇas) in temples of the sun, dvijas smeared with ashes in Śiva temples, those who know the group of mātrs in the temples of the Mother Goddesses, brāhmapas in the temples of Brahmā, Buddhists in the temples of Buddha who was good to all and whose mind was full of peace, naked ascetics in the temples of Jinas; who ever is a devotee of a particular god should worship that god according to the procedure prescribed in his own cult. 1727

  1. Ferrerana faru harangamarit frapunte wanaest Farurfurarea staratiegi unes gr a fat: soiatati …

F a क्रमेण च येन क्षत्रियेण सता प्रवक्तृत्वप्रतिग्रही प्रतिपलौ स धर्ममविष्ठतमुपदेष्यतीति का

#17: 1 T irol Triā afvigtareya sir alat Flam fUU TEN: 1 fai paneli P. 195. The verso grets &c, is raga 143, 13, the first half being somewhat different (though the sense is the Bame). A ot alone was entitled to accept gifts and propound dharma. Vide Manu X. 1.

  1. feruiturforvaraise frag: 771: FIFA 17 HIETOTTATO ATGAUE विदो विमान विदुब्रह्मणः । शाक्यान्सर्वहितस्य शान्तमनसो ननाशिनानां विर्य यं देवमुपा

ATATI KETUAT ART4 Frei fiu TECREAT 60.19. Vide Wilson’s Viṣanpurīna vol. V. p. 382 where an analysis of the Bhavipya purana (last 12 chapters) is given. Simba being cursed built a temple of siva and brought 18 families of Magas from Sakadvipa, with whom the Bhojas (1 sub-division of Yadavas ) entered into matrimonial alliances, whence the Magas oame to be called Bhojakas. In the Harpacerita IV B&ṇa speaks of a Bbojaka astrologer called Taraka who predicts on Harga’s birth bis greatnons and the commontator stato: tbat Bhojaka’ means ‘Maga’. Vide Sherring’s

• Hindu Tribes and Castes’ vol. I. pp. 102-103 wbere he describes the satadvipi brahmaṇas as Magadha brāhmaṇas and not as Magas. For Sun-worship and the Magas, vide “Vuignavigm and saivism’ pp. 151-165. Vide Weber’s essay on the Mugavyakti of Krøgadaga for the Magabrāhmagas and E. I. vol. II. P. 330 ff, the Govindapura stone inscription of the poet Gangadhara, who was a Maga, in saka 1069 (1137-38 A, D.), where it is said that the Magas were sprung from the

(Continued on next page)

Oh. XIX)

Devapūjā-Ten avatāras

723

Kṣemnendra ( about 1066 A. D.) in his Dasavatāra-carita and the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva (about 1180-1200 A. D.) speak of Buddha as an avatāra of Viṣṇu. Therefore at least before or about the 10th century A. D. Buddha had come to be looked upon as an avatāra of Viṣṇu throughout India. 1728 The total disappearance of Buddhisin from India, the land of its birth, is a most striking phenomenon, which as stated by A. Schweitzer in ‘Indian thought and its development’ (tr. by Mrs. O. E. B. Russell, 1935) p. 137, cannot be satisfactorily explained. Though Buddha did not accept the authority of the Vedas and of brāhmaṇas, nor the existence of an individual soul nor the Supreme Soul, he believed in karma and punarjanma and in release from sainsāra by renunciation and desirelessness. Whon his followers deified Buddha, when animal sacrifices had been almost stopped and his insistence on universal charity and kindliness and on self-restraint were universally accepted by the followers of the Vedic religion, Buddha came to be deemed an avatāra of Viṣṇu, as the raison d’être for & separate cult ceased and the decadence of morals among monks and nuns hastened the downfall of Buddhism, the finishing touches being added by the Moslem invasions from about 1200 A. D. No one can affirm that persecution had anything to do with the disappearance of Buddhism from India. Though it cannot be said that there was no religious persecution whatever at any time in India, the evidence for persecution is very limited and such persecution if any as may have existed was as nothing compared to the perse oution of Christians by other Christians and of Jews in all con turies and particularly in the 20th century by several so-called Christian powers. The few well-authenticated cases of large-scale persecutions are those of Saśānka who persecuted the Buddhists (vide Beal’s ‘Records of the eastern world,’ vol. I p. 212, vol. II. p. 42,91, 118, 121), of Mihirakula, of a Pāṇdya king (in the 11th

(Continued from last page) son’s own body, wers brought from Sakadvipa by Samba, the son of Krṣṇa, and that the first Mage was a Bharadvaja. Vide also E. I. vol. IX. p. 279 the Ghatiyala Inscriptions (Dear Jodhpur) of Pratshara Kakkaka written by Mātsravi, a Maga, in samvat 918 (861-62 A, D.) and Bhaviṣyapurdna, chap. 139-40 for further details, such as growing beards, being called Bhojakas &o. Bbīṣma parva chap. 11 describes Sakadvips and verse 36 speaks of the country of Mangas (Magas ?).

  1. Vide the first astapadi of the Gitagovinda yatan upan पानसि पेदम् । …… निन्दसि यज्ञविधेरबह इतिजातम् । सदपादय वर्शितपशुपातम् । केशव

ere waiter

724

toh. XIX

century ) who persecuted the Jainas. From Asoka downwards, kings and the civil power always extended a generous tolerance to all sects (vide Asoka’s Rock Edict No. 12). The father of the great emperor Harsa was a worshipper of the Sun, while Harṣa’s elder brother Rājyavardhana was a Buddhist and Harṣa, though himself a Śaiva, speaks of his brother with greater reverence than of his own father ( vide the Madhuban copperplate inscription in E. I. vol. VII p. 155 and I p. 67). Vide Barth’s ‘Religions of India’ pp. 133-134, Farquhar’s *Outlines of the Religious Literature of India’ pp. 169, 175 for general religious tolerance in ancient India,

Rāms and Krsna were worshipped as avatāras of Viṣṇu at least several centuries before Christ. Kalidasa in the Raghu varśa (XI. 22 ) and the Meghadūta indioates that he regarded Vamang as an avatāra of Viṣṇu as much as Rāma was. Simi. larly the Varāba and Narasimha Avatāras are frequently spoken of in the Kadambari, The Trimūrli i. e, the conception of the triune combination of Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva into one God head is also an ancient one. The Mahābhārata (Vanaparva ) gives exptession to the idea that Prajāpati creates the world in the form of Brahma, sustains it in the form of the great Purusa and annihilates it in the form of Rudra. Hopkins in his ‘Epic Mythology’ p. 231 holds that this is & solitary passage about Trimurti and is & late one and that the Mahābhārata in general has no doctrine of Trimurti, but rather of the equality of Viṣṇu and Śiva. Kalidasa in his Raghuvamsa (X. 16) and Kumārasambhava (II. 4.) 1728 breathes the same belief. The temples of Brahmā are now very few and far between, the most well-known being that at Puṣkara (Ajmer). There is a temple of Brahmā in the Idar State and another at Sadhi in the Padra Taluka of the Baroda State. The Padmapurāṇa (Srsti khanda 17 ) shows that the worship of Brahmā had declined at that time owing, it is said, to the curse of Savitri.

Śiva worship appears to be the most ancient worship that is still prevalent. Sir John Marshall’s work on Mohenjo-daro (vol. I. pp. 52-53 and plate XII No. 17 ) shows a figure that is most probably of Śiva as a great yogin surrounded by the

  1. get ware H ai : naturae fra ATRISFUT: 17 ht: 1479 272. 48; Fair and are able I Turfupra acara

Wa MATTFT II. 4. It is noteworthy that the three aspects of cres tion, preservation and destruction are asoribod by KālidTga to Brahma here and not to Viągu.

Ch. XIX)

Devapuja-sira worship

725

elephant, the tiger, the rhinoceros and the buffalo ( 88 Śiva is called Pasupati). Vide also the Preface to vol. I. p. VII. At Mohenjo-daro the humped and short-horned bull is among the most prominent objects. Sive as half male and half female was worshipped long before Kālidāsa (vide first verse of the Malavi. kāgnimitra and Kumārasambhava VII. 28). Śive is often spoken of as Panoatunda ( with five faces), the five aspects being respectively called Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tat. puruṣa and Isana ( vide Tai. Ār. X. 43-47, Viṣṇudharmottara III. 48.1). Though in later times the followers of Śiva and Viṣṇu abused each other, the Mahabhārata and some of the Purāṇas exhibit & most tolerant spirit and say there is no difference between the two. 1730 Vide Vanaparva 39. 76 and 189. 5-6, śānti 343. 132, Matsyapurāṇa 52, 23. The 1000 names of Viṣṇu are enumerated in Anuśāsanaparva 149. 14-120 and the

1000 names of Śiva in Anuśāsana 17 and Santi 285, 74 ff.

About the images of the sun the Matsyapurāṇa ( 11.31 and 33 ) enjoins that in painting pictures of the sun or in temples of the sun the feet of the sun are not to be drawn 1781 or shown.

About Gaṇeśa a few words have already been said (at pp. 213-216 ). Gañesa came to be worshipped even by the Jainas. Vide Acara-dinakara (composed in saivat 1468) published in the Kharataragaooha-granthamālā (part II, 1923), where on p. 210 there is the procedure of conseorating an image of Ganess even for Jainas and Journal of Indian History’, vol. 18 for 1939 p. 158 for different types of Ganesa figures one of which has 18 arms. For a figure of Ganesa with sweetmeats (of about 500 A. D.) vide ‘Ancient India ’ by Codrington (Plate XXXIX). The Acāradinakar& says that images of Ganesa may have two, four, six, nine, 18 or 108 arms. The Agnipurāṇa chap. 71, the Mudgalapurāpa and Ganesapurāns deal with Ganess worship, but their dates are uncertain. The Vāraba. purīna chap. 23 narrates a fantastio story of the birth of Ganesa. The Gapapatyatharvaśirṣa ( Anan, ed.) identifies Ganesa with supreme Brahma.* The worship of the images of planets is

  1. Tera facuere facute forradot i que 39. 76; Piet Ort at

TRITHE ### Free from throuri ṢTIAT. 343. 131 ; पकं निन्दति यस्तेषां सर्वानव स निन्दति। एक प्रशंसमानस्तु सर्वानेव प्रशंसति ॥चायु. 66.114.

  1. तस्माश्च धर्मकामार्थी चित्रेण्यायतनेषु च । न कचिस्कारयेत्पादौ देवदेवस्य WiRaTi II Hattor 11. 33 ; vide arut P. 570 for a similar rulo quoted

from the figure and .

# Vide a learned monograph on Gañeda by Alice Gotty with a poetio Introduction by Prof. A. Foucher and many plates (1986, Oxford).

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Ch. XIX

comparatively ancient. Yāj. I. 296-298 prescribes that the images for the worship of the nine grahas ( planets ) vize the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rābu and Ketu ( the last two are the nodal points ) should be made respectively of copper, crystal, red sandal-wood, gold (for both Mercury and Jupiter), silver, iron, lead and bronze. Yāj. then prescribes the details of the worship of the planets such as the clothes to be gifted, the flowers, incenses, offer ings, and the mantras ( from the Vāj. .), the fuel-sticks, the food, and the fee. The Mit. on Yāj. I. 297 quotes nine verses from the Matsyapurāṇa, chap. 94, concerning the details of the images of the nine planets.

About Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, so early a writer AS Dandin (not later than 600 A. D.) says that she was

darvasukla’(all white ).

Another deity whose worship is very popular in the Deccan is Dattātreye. His worship cannot have originated later than the first centuries of the Christian era. In the Jābālopaniṣad, he is referred to as a paramahamsa and there is an Upaniṣad named after him, Vanaparva 115, Anuśāsana 153, śānti 49.36, say that he conferred boons on Kārtavīrya. Mārkapdeyapurāṇa ( chap. 16-19) gives the story of his birth, calls him a yogin and asserts that he was offered wine and meat by his devotees (19.10.12). The Bhāgavata IX, 23, 23, Matsya 47. 242-246 and other puraṇas also refer to him. In the Siśupālavadba of Māgba he is spoken of as an avatāra.

The Viṣṇudharmasūtra 178 chap. 65 contains one of the earliest detailed description of devapūjā (of Vasudeva or Viṣṇu). “After having well bathed and washed his hands and feet and performed ācamana (sipping of water) he should worsbip Lord Vasudeva who is without beginning or end, before an idol or on the sacrificial ground. Having given animated form in his mind to Vispu with the mantra ‘may the Asvins who possess life give thee life’ (Maitrāyani Sam.

  1. wum: EF#ra: … 4 (quoted above ) i sprat: sorrat त इति जीपदानं दावा युसते मन इत्यनुवाकेनावाहने कस्वा जानुग्यो पाणिग्या शिरसा चनमस्कार कुर्यात् । आपोहि वेति तिमभिध्ये निषेदयेत् । हिरण्यवर्णा इति पतसुभिः पापम्

शं न आपो धम्पल्या इत्याचमनीयम् । इदमापः प्रबहतेति स्नानीयम् । रथेष्वक्षेषुषभस्य पाज इत्यहलेपनालंकारी। युषा सुवासा इति वासः । पुष्पापतीरिति पुष्पम् । धूरसि धूति धूपम् । तेजोसि शुक्रमिति दीपम् । दधिकारण इति मधुपर्कम् । हिरण्पगर्भ इस्पधाभिषेधम् । चामरं व्यसन मात्र छ पानासने तथा। सावित्रेणैव तत्सर्व देवाय विनिवेदयेत् ॥ एष मम्पर्य जपेत् एकं ये पौरुषं ततः तेनैव शुद्धयादाज्यं प इच्छेच्छाम्पतं पदम् ।। विष्णुधर्म

  1. The toxt of . 71. II. 7.7 is T . HET .

HH

Ch. XIX)

Devapuja-Procedure

727

II. 3. 4) and having invited Viṣṇu with the anuvāka ‘yunjate manaḥ’ (Rg. V. 81), he must worsbip God with a salutation with his knees, bands and head. With the three mantras ‘āpo hi &o.’ (Rg. X. 9. 1-3), he must announce the arghya (water respectfully offered for washing the hands ); with the four mantras ‘hiranyavarnāb’(Tai. 8. V.6.1.1-2) the pūdya (water for washing the feet); with ‘may the waters of the plain pro pitiate us’ (Atharva I. 6.4), the ‘&camaniya’ (the water for Bipping ); with Rg. I. 23.22 the water meant for the bath ( should be offered); with ‘in chariots, in axles, in the strength of bulls’ (Tai. Br. II. 7.7) unguents and ornaments ; with (Rg. III. 8.4 ‘yuvā suvāsāḥ ) a garment; with ’endowed with flowers’ (Tai, S. IV. 2.6.1) & flower; with thou art & slayer, slay the enemies’ (Vāj. S. I. 8) incense; with thou art lustre, thou art bright’(Vāj. S. XXII.1) 8 lamp; with ‘dadhikrāvno’ (Rg.IV.39.6) a madhuparka (honey mixture); with the eight mantras ‘biranya garbhaḥ’( Rg. X. 121. 1-8) an offering of eatables; a chowrie, & fan, & looking glass, an umbrella, & vehicle, & seat, all these objects he must announce and place before God (Viṣṇu) muttering the Gāyatri at the same time. After having thus worshipped Him, he must mutter the Puruṣasūkta. After that he who desires to obtain eternal bliss should make oblations of clarified butter, while reciting the verses of the same hymn (Rg. X. 90).” The Baud. gs, pariseṣasūtra II. 14 describes!738 the daily worship of Mahāpuruṣa (i, e. Viṣṇu ). “A man after bathing should cowdung & pure and even spot and draw the image of Viṣṇu, should offer whole grains of rice and flowers to it in worship and then should invoke Viṣṇu to come by offer. ing water with flowers accompanied by the three vyābṛtis repeated separately and together: then he should utter the words ’this kūrca (bundle) of darbhas is made for the divine lord, its blades are twisted by threes, it is green and gold, accept this’. Then he should cleanse & vessel with water to the accompaniment of the Gāyatri, should pass kusa grass across

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19 pp. 140-142 (in all with variations ).728

[ Oh. XIX

k ( Rg. IV.

(i. e. Tai, 8.

the image of the 2

the water poured therein, should then utter the Gāyatri mantra over it and should then turn it towards the sun with the syllable

om till he desires (or till he is tired); from that water he offers water for washing the feet (padya) with Rg. I. 22. 18 (trini pada &c); then after having put aside the stale flowers to the accompaniment of the vyāhrtis, he should offer arghya with the verse Rg. I. 22. 17 (idam Viṣṇur) and should offer &camanāya with the verse ‘divo v3 Vigpoo (Tai, S. I. 2. 13. 2); then he bathes the deity with the three verses Rg. X. 9, 1-3 ( apo bi ṣthā &o), with the four verses ‘hirapya-varnāḥ’ (Tai. 8. V.6.1. 1-2), with the anuvāka beginning with ‘pavamānaḥ suvarjanah’ (Tai. Br. I. 4. 8) and with the mantra ‘brahma jajñānam’ (Tai. S. IV. 2. 8. 2), with the Vāmadevi rk ( Rg. IV. 26.1), with the ‘yajuh-pavitra’ (i. e. Tai. S. I. 2. 1 1). Then he satiates (the image of the deity with water sprinkled round the deity keeping the right hand towards it and taking the twelve names (Keśava and others ) with the vyāhśtis; he offers a garment with the syllable ‘om’, yajõopavite with the sacred Gayatri, ācamaniya with Rg. I. 22. 17, sandalwood paste with the verse gandbadvārām’ (Tai. Ar. X. 1), whole grains of rice ( akṣata ) with the verse ‘Irāvati’ (Rg. VII. 99. 3), flowers with Rg. I. 22. 20 (tad Viṣṇoh), incense (dhūpa) with the Gayatri, & lamp with the mantra ‘uddipyagva’ (Tai. Ar. X, 1) and cooked food is offered with the formula ‘devasya tvā’; then he should offer flowers to the image repeating the twelve names of Viṣṇu, associating with each pame the verses from ’triṇi padā’ to ‘sumrdikā bhavantu naḥ’ (Tai. Br. II. 4.6). Then they laud him with verses derived from the Rgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda or Atharvaveda in praise of Viṣṇu; then he should bid good bye to the Puruṣa (i. e. Viṣṇu) by uttering 174 the tbroe vyāhrtis (in such formula as ‘om bhūḥ puruṣamudvās ayāmi) and adding may the Lord, the Great Person, go away for (my) well-being, for conquest and for being seen again.” In case the image is immovably fixed on a pedestal &o. the invocation to come and the bidding of good-bye are omitted. The Baud. grhya-seṣasūtra (II. 17) contains the procedure of the worship of Mabadova ( Śiva ). It is almost on the same lines as the worship of Viṣṇu set out above with the difference that the names of Śiva such as Mahadeva, Bhava, Rudra, Tryambaka

Of

Sive

of V.

  1. Vide abovo (note 567 ) for the twelve names of Vippa. The I will ho in four formulae piz, sit WERTHUT IT : Fre, FT TO, mi a megre.

O.XIXI

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729

are substituted and some of the mantras are different. A fow differences will be found in the text quoted below. It is stated therein that when the worship is of a linga immovably fixed then there is no inyooation to come and no bidding of good-bye. 1786

In the Pūjāprakāsa (pp. 97-149 ) and other digests the methods of devapūjā according to Saunaka, Grhyapariṭiṣta, Rgvidhana, Viṣṇudharmottarapurana, Bhagavatapurana, the Narasimhapurāṇa are set out in detail. But for want of space they are all passed over. It will have been noticed from the passages of the Viṣṇu Dh. S, and of Baudhayana cited above that devapūją contains certain items and stages in the whole procedure. These are called upacāras (ways of service). They are usually stated to be sixteen. They are: avahana, asana, padya, arghya, acamaniya, snana, vastra, yajiopavita, anu. lepana or gandha, puspa, dhupa, dipa, naivedya (or upa bāra ), namaskāra, pradaksing and visarjana or udvāsana. In different works, the items differ. Some add bhusana (orna ment) after yajõopakita and tāmbāla (or mukhavāsa ) after pradaksina or naivedya (Vrddha-Harite VI. 31-32 and Puja prakasa, p. 98 ). Therefore some speak of 18 upacāras, 1986 Some omit avahana, add svagata (welcome) atter asana, madhuparka after doamaniya, and some have stotra (hymn of praise) and pranama (bow) as distinot upacāras, while others hold that these latter two are one and that pradakṣiṇa is part of visarjana (vide Pujaprakasa p. 98). If a person cannot afford to offer vastra (garment) and alamkara (ornament), he could

  1. अथातो महादेवस्याहरहः परिचर्याविधि व्याख्यास्यामः स्नात……. पुण्योद केन महादेवमाषाहयेत् …… आयात भगवान्महादेवति। यो रुखो भनौति यजुषा पात्र मभिमन्य …… अथ …… माचमनीयं दस्वाभिविशति-आपो हिष्टा…… प्रमजज्ञान, कामाय, त्वरितवर्क, वामदेण्य, आपो पाइदम् इति च । …… मजिस्तर्पपति भवं देव पानिपटाभिः।ओं नमो भगवते कमाय प्रयम्बकाय इति बनयज्ञोपवीवे बचात् । भवाय देवाय नमःस्पटाभिः पुष्पाणि वयात् । त्वरितरुनेण गन्धपुष्पधूपदीपं ददाति । …… ‘ज्यम्बका इति परिषेक दद्यात् । असतोपस्तरणमसीति प्रतिपदं करवा दविरविरुद्ध सर्व स्वारपरकन्दमूलफलानि दधात् । सहसमनवेक्षमाण आसीनो हविरुद्वासपामि तिमिवेय हमारप भसवापिधानमसीति मतिपदं कृत्वा मम्मकमिस्याचमनीयं वात् । …… लि. स्थामेव्यापारमोदासनवमहरा रस्त्ययनमित्याचक्षत इत्याह भगवान बोधापनापी.एम शेषII. 17. This ocours in विच. I. 204-205, स्पतिवः (आद्विक p. 392), पूजामकाश pp. 194-198 (with variations in all).

  2. Videnरसिंहपुराण 62.9-13 quoted in अपरार्क PP.140-141; अग्निपान III. 81.6-103; also सतिष. I. PP. 199, परा. मा. I. 1. p. 367, नित्याचारपति ot विधाकर PP. 636-37, संस्काररत्नमाला P.27, आचाररत्न P. 71b quotingमाचार

चिन्तामणि for the 18 उपचारल.

म.D.98

730

History of Dharma tāstra

(Ch. XIX

perform only ten out of these 16 upacāras viz. from pādya to naivedya; if he cannot afford to offer even ten he may offer only five pažcopacāra-pūja ) viz. from gandha to naivedya; if he has nothing he may perform with flowers alone all the 16 upacāras. When the image is immovably fixed on & pedestal there is no avāhana and visarjana and so the items become 14 or one may offer in their place only a handful of flowers with mantras.” Those who can repeat the Purugasakta (Rg. X. 90) should repeat one of its verges before offering each of the 16 upacāras (see Nṛsimhapurśṇ& 62, 9-13). Those who cannot repeat that hymn and women and sūdras should simply say * Sivāya namaḥ’ or ‘Viṣnave namah’ ( adoration to Śiva or Viṣṇu). Vśddha-Hārlta (XI. 81 ) specially recommends the worship of the child Krsna to women and of Hari to widows (XI. 208 ). 1788 After each of snana, vastra, yajñopavīta and naivedya, doamana is to be offered as part of that upacāra “*** (vide Nṛsimhapurana 62. 14). The names of some of these upacāras ocour even in the Asv. gp. ( IV.7.10 and IV. 8.1) in relation to the brāhmaṇas invited at śrāddha such as āgana, arghya, gandha, malya (flowers), dhūpa, dipa and ācchādana (i.e. Vastra ). Farquhar is not right when he says in his ‘Outlines of the Religious literature of India. p. 51 that the sixteen upacāras “are so distinct in character from the sacrificial cult as to betray alien origin.’ When image-worship became general items offered to invited brāhmaṇas were also offered to the image of gods. It was a case of extension and not of borrowing from an alien cult.

A few words have to be said in connection with some of the 16 upacāras.

As regards the water to be employed in deyapūjā and rites for the Manes, the Viṣṇu Dh. 8. (66. 1) prescribes that it should not have been brought the night before ( but it must be drawn

  1. Vide f rom p. 549. In the Māndhata plates of Jaya varman II. dated sanyat 1317 (1260-61 A. D.) pañcopacara paja is men tioned ( vide E. I. vol. IX. Pp. 117, 119). TATATATATUTET पोरभान पर्दशोपचारे पूजा। अथवाचाहनविसर्जनयोः स्थाने मन्त्रपुष्पावलिदानम् । quitarat o FIRERET YHTIR. T. #1, p. 27. '

  2. ममोन्तेन शिवनेर पीणा पूजा विधीयते ॥ रिकाना वाणामेवं पूजा wafaar n grot quoted by RETET p. 34.

  3. quyrun er af egetace ITATA सदर प्रणाममदक्षिणेच स्तोत्रविसर्जनानोपचारातते । अत उपचारेषुन पोशात.

FATTI U N P. 118.

Oh. XIX)

Devapuja-sisteen upacāras

731

that day). The worshipper should not sit on an Asans made of bamboo or stone, or of unsaorificial wood or on the bare ground, or on a seat made of grass or green leaves, but should sit on a woollen blanket or silken garment or deer-skin (Pājāprakāśa, p. 95 ). When offering arghya, in the vessel containing the water to be used for that purpose all or as many as one oan afford out of the following eight articles are to be mixed up, viz. curds, whole grains of rice, ends of kusa grass, milk, dūrvā grass, honey, barley grains and white mustard seeds ( Matsya purāṇa 267. 2 quoted in the Pūjāprakasa p. 34). It is further said that arghya is offered to the image of Viṣṇu by means of a conch in which water is mixed with sandalwood paste, flowers and whole grains of rice. In the water for ācamana are mixed cardamom, cloves, usira grass and kakkola or as many of them as possible. The snana ( bath) of images is effected with five materials called pañcāmsta (five ambrosial things ) viz. milk, ourds, clarified butter, honey and sugar. 1740 The image is to be bathed with these five in the order stated, so that sugar coming last removes all effects of oiliness. After these & bath with pure water follows. In the pañcāmṛtasnāna the following Vedic verses are repeated in order ; ‘āpyāyasve’ (Rg. I. 91. 16), * dadhikrāvpo’ (Rg. IV. 39. 6), ‘guftam mimikṣe’ ( Rg. II. 3, 11 ), ‘madhu vātā’ (Rg. I. 90. 6), ‘svāduḥ pavasya’ (Rg. IX. 85.6). It will be noticed that each of these mantras is suggestive of the material with regard to which it is uttered. No bath with water or these things is allowed when only a picture or a clay image is to be worshipped. If one cannot afford these, one may bathe the image with water in whioh the leaves of the basil plant (tulasi) are mixed up, as that plant is deemed to be the favourite of Viṣṇu. The water used in the bath of the image of a God is regarded as very sacred and it is used for acamana by the worshipper and members of his family and friends and is called tirtha ( it is also sprinkled over one’s head ). 1741 As regards the unguents to be offered ( anulepana or gandha ) numerous rules are laid down

  1. horgofia FETT OTTEVII RYTTET How at fire क्षणैः ॥ तसिंहपुराण quoted in the पूजाप्रकाश P. 84. ____1741. व्यासः । देपदेष जगनाथ शापक्रगदाधर देहि देव ममाहा भवतीनिये पणे पहा ततो लगवा पिवेतीर्थमयापहम् । अकालमुस्पहरण सर्पग्याधिविनाशनम् । पिण्णोः पादोरक तीर्य शिरसा पारयाम्यहम् । इति मन्त्रं सहचार्य साध्यहापहम् । wetfarm fri for var Hai quoted in Frate. ( ft p. 989).’

5732

(Ch. XIX

(vide Pūjāprakāśa pp. 39-41), The Viṣṇu 1748 Dh, 8. (66, 2) days that unguents should be one or more out of sandalwood, pine tree paste, musk, camphor, saffron, nutmeg. If ornaments are offered, then gold and precious stonos should be real and not imitation ones (Viṣṇu Dh. 8. 66.4). Very detailed rules are laid down about flowers. The Pūjāprakāśa ( pp. 42-49) waxes eloquent over the merit of offering basil leaves to Viṣṇu and using the same wood in worship generally and also when no flowers are available. The Viṣṇu Dh. S.1748 ( 66.5-9 ) prescribes that flowers emitting an overpowering smell or having no spell whatever are not to be used, nor flowers of thorny plants unless the flowers are white and sweetly fragrant ; that even red flowers such as saffron flowers and those that spring in ponds or lakes may be employed. There are grades in the merit derived from

offering certain flowers, e. g. the Sm. C. I, pp. 201-202 and the Pūjāprakāsa p. 51 quote many verses of the Narasimhapurāṇa, some of which arrange vanamallikā, cempaka, asoka, vābanti, malatı, kunda &o, in an Ascending order among flowers and the jāti flower is said to be the best of the flowers in the worship of Viṣṇu. The same work (p. 56 ) Dames dūrvā and twentyfive flowers as favourites with Viṣṇu. Vide Vrddha-Harita VII. 53-59 for the flowers that may be used in Viṣṇu-pūjā and Viddha Gautama p. 563. The flowers offered on a day are removed the next day by the worshipper wben he is about to offer worship that day. Such flowers are called ’ nirmalya’and great virtue is attached to placing such flowers on one’s head by way of homage to the deity worshipped ( vide Pājāprakāsa, pp. 27 and 90). The Sm, O. ( I. p. 204 ) quotes & purāṇa to the effect ‘He, whose heart contemplates the form of Viṣpu, on whose lips there is ever the name of Viṣṇu, who partakes of the naivedya offered to Viṣṇu and who places on his bead the water in which the feet of an image of Viśṇu are washed and the nirmālya of Viṣṇu, never falls off (from heaven).’ The Madana. parijata (p. 303 ) quotes passages from the Viṣṇu-dharmottara about the flowers, that are not to be used in worship. In Śiva worship the following flowers and leaves are in an agcending grade of worth; Viz, arka flowers, karavirs flowers, bilva leaves, flower of dropa, leaves of apamārga, flower of kuda, sami leaves,

  1. aga armatosura tanda a fare i progetto 66. 2.

  2. penting profile on mature your curare us on a pani H F# qarai fognatus 66..

C.XIX]

Devapuja-flowers

193

blue lotus leaves, dhattara flower, saml flower, blue lotus, which is the best (vide Pajaprakasa, p. 210). The Madana parijata, p. 303 quotes from the Devipurana Verses which enumerate the flowers that are to be avoided in Siya worsbip. If no flowers are available, then a fruit may be offered or if no fruit is available then only leaves and lastly only white whole grains of rice or even water may be offered. 174 Lamps are to be fed with ghee or in its absence with sesame oil. 1748 Camphor is to be burnt before the image. There is a ceremony called ūrātrika (waving lights round the image ) performed with Beveral lights or pieces of camphor placed in a broad vessel which is held in both hands and waved round an image and over its head. Vide Pājāprakāśa, pp. 75 and 87. For naivedya no food is to be offered which is declared unfit in the gāstras for eating, nor the milk of a she-goat or she-buffalo though they are allowed for food, nor the meat of the five-nailed animals nor the flesh of the wild boar nor fish. The general rule is stated by the Rāmāyaṇa as whatever food a man eats the same is the food to be offered to his deities ‘. 1748 The Sm. C. (I. p. 203 ) quotes the Padmapurāṇa to the effect that naivedya should be offered in a vessel of gold, silver, bronze, copper or of olay or in palāsa leaves or on lotus leaf. The naivedya is offered with the formula set out below, 1747 According to the Brahmapurāṇa quoted by Aparārka, pp. 153-154 and Pājāprakasa (p. 82 ) the naivedya offered to Brahma, Viṣṇu, Śiva, the Sun, Devi, the Matya, to goblins and evil spirits respectively is to be given to brahma. pas, Satvatas ( Bhagavatas), those whose bodies are smeared with ashes, to Magas, to the Saktas, to women, to the poor.

  1. पुष्पाभावे फलं शस्त फलाभाषेत पल्लवम् । पल्लवस्याप्यभाषेतु सलिलं ग्राम मिप्यते । पुष्पायसंभषे देवं पूजयसिततण्डुलैः | quoted in the पूजाप्रकाश P. 65.

  2. न पतलं बिना किंचन दीपार्थे । विष्णुधर्मसूत्र 66. 11. माश्य नैवेद्याम भक्ष्ये अपि अजामहिषीक्षारे। पञ्चनखमत्स्यवराहमांसानि विष्णुधर्मदत्र 66. 12-14.

  3. यवनः पुरुषो भवति तशास्तस्य देवताः॥ अयोग्पाकाण्ड 103. 30 and 104. 15. मेधातिथि on मनु V.7 quotes this.

  4. भों प्राणाय स्वाहा।ओं अपामाय स्वाहा । ओ ज्यानाय स्वाहा। ओं उदानाय स्वाहााओं समानाय स्वाहा । ओंब्रह्मणे स्वाहा। मेवेधमाये प्राशनार्थं पानीयं समर्पयामि भों माणाय स्वाहा …… मह्मणे स्वाहा। उत्तरापोशनं समर्पपामि । हस्तमक्षालनं समर्पयामि । इसमक्षालम समर्पयामि। फरोदर्तनार्थे चन्दनं समर्पयामि। हसपासाथै पूगीफलतामलं समर्पयामि।

  5. पिम्पमा तदेयं ममणे पनिवेदितम् । वैष्णवं सात्वतेम्पच भस्मास्यम साम्भवम् । सारं मगेन्या शाम्यो देवीग्यो पनिवेदितम् । बीपश्चर्य मातुम्यो पतिकाधि विषयते । भूसमेतपिशाम्यो यचदीनेषु निक्षिपेत् ॥ अपरार्क P. 153-154 and पूजामकाल 2.82. अपरा reads सोरगोग्य and भूमो निधापयेत् while the पूजाम. reada सापपेपत्तापिने पनिवेदितम् tor शाके०. वापिन is ए.

734

[ Oh. XIX

One may also partake of the naivedya offered by oneself and the Smrtimuktāphala (Ehnika, p. 390) quotes Rg. L 154.5 in support. After naivedya, tambula is to be offered to the God worshipped. In the ancient grhya and dharma sutras no mention is made of tāmbūle or mukhavāsa (materials that will render the breath fragrant). Tāmbula was probably introduced some time before or about the beginning of the Christian era in South India and then spread northwards. Among the smrtis, Samvarta 55 quoted in the Kftyaratnakars p. 560, Laghu-Harita ( Anand. 39), Laghu-Ăśvalāyana ( Anand.) 1. 160-61 and 23. 105, Ausanasa (Jivānanda, part I. p. 509 ) refer to the chewing of tāmbūla after dinner. In the Raghuvamsa VI. 64 Kalidasa describes betelnut plants surrounded by betel creepers. The Kamasutra I 4.16 1748 states that a person after performing the brushing of the teeth, consulting a looking glass and partaking of tāmbūla for rendering his breath fragrant should set about his daily business. Vide also Kāmasūtra III. 4. 40, IV. 1. 36, V. 2. 21 and 24, VI. 1. 29, VI. 2.8 for other references. In the Bphat-samhitā of Varāhamihira (77, 35-37 ) the virtues of tāmbūla and its ingredients are described. In the Kadambari ( para 85 ) the royal palace is compared to the house of a dealer in betel leaves ( tāmbulika) in which lavall, cloves, cardamom, kankola are stored. The Par. M. I. part 1. p. 434 quotes four verses from Vasiṣtha ( not found in the printed Dharmasūtra ) about the cutting off of the two ends of tāmbūla leaves before eating them. In the Vratakhanda ( of Caturvargacintamani, vol. II. part I, p. 242 ) Hemādri quotes Ratnakosa to the effect that tāmbūla means betel leaves, betel nut and chūnam; while * mukhavaga’ means these together with cardamom, camphor, kakkola berries, places of copra and matulunga. The Nity.cara paddhati 1780 (p. 549 ) quotes verses showing that tāmbūla comprised nine ingredients viz. be tel nut, betel leaves, chunam, oamphor, cardamom, clove, kankola, copra, the matulunga fruit. In modern times pieces of almond, nutmeg fruit and bark thereof, saffron, cateohu are taken and matulunga is omitted. Thus the thirteen ingredients of tāmbūla are

  1. समातकस्थाय कतनियतकरयो गुदीतदन्तधावनः …दुधावरों सुखं गृहीतमुख. The r eforeninga FTTHEW . 4. 16.

  2. arata isted F r om

I n tro 29.39, quoted in सविष. I. p. 226; काकादित्रयं गन्धकरिमेलका तथा । लपवेष कोलं नारियल

कम् ।

माया पकं पान्मूलाम्पमूनि ॥ इति वाईवालं प्रधानता fara fi CEEA p. 649.

Oh. XIX)

Devapuja-Tumbila

735

made up. The Astangasamgrahas1 of Vāgbhata also mentions the several ingredients of tāmbūla including the essence of the bark of the Khadira tree (catechu ). In modern times tambala is said to be of 13 gunas, either because it contains thirteen ingredients or because it effects thirteen good results, the last of which are set out in a subhāṣita quoted below.

Pradaksing ( going round the image with the right hand always turned towards the image ) and namaskāra constitute only one upacāra ( item of worship) according to many. The namaskara to the image is either aṣtānga (with eight limbs ) or pañoānga ( with five limbs.) The first occurs when & person prostrates himself on the ground in front of the image in such a way that the palms of his hands, his feet, bis knees, his chest and forehead touch the ground and his mind, speech and eye are fixed on the image and the latter occurs when he prostrates himself with his hands, feet and head. 1752 There are other definitions of the aṣtānga namaskāra. These several parts of the worship of images have been judicially noticed in Ram brahma Chatterji v. Kedar Nath 36 Calcutta Law Journal 478 at *p. 483 (where the normal type of the continuous worship of an idol is described) and Pramatha Nath Mullick v. Pradyumna Kumar Mullick 52 Cal. 809 at p. 815 (P.O.).

In modern times it is the practice to perform in homage to the sun twelve namaskāras or any multiple of twelve and repeat the following twelve names of the sun in the dative preceded by ‘om’ and followed by namaḥ’: Mitra, Ravi, Sūrya, Bhānu, Kbaga, Puṣan, Hiranyagarbha, Marloi, Aditya, Savitr, Arka and Bhāskara. There is another method of these namaskaras oalled Tpcākalpanamaskāras in which after ‘om’ certain mystio syllables and their combinations in twos and

  1. Formularul TTT UTTHC Internationale सहवाम्बूलीना किसलय एवं पूगफलान्वितम् । विपत्रमेकं पूर्ण वसपूर्णखदिरं च तत् । METOHIH 1.3 (

Prima). Tags igra muchYT T repp * कफनाशनं कमिहर दुर्गन्धिविध्वंसकम् । वक्त्रस्याभरणं विशुद्धिकरणंकामामिसंदीपन वाम्बूलस्प

# watat got in a glattIt’urrat.

  1. योग्यी पदम्यां च जानुम्यासुरसा शिरसा तथा। मनसा वचसा सवा Horarsery ATE # quoted from sr# in Ferrag. (I p. 389) and are P. 88; prut Firmat P T THIET FUTfat: Far ITTH. P. 88; TTFT PATTAT हवा मनसा च थियापि च पदस्यो कराम्या वाचाच प्रणामोऽटा उच्यते ॥ पुराण

quoted in f I. p. 204, which 74. p. 88 reads WET PUT TOT.

106 XLI

four together with certain mantras are repeated with the twelve names ( vide foot-note for illustrations ), 1758

The Pūśāprakasa (pp. 166-188) mentions 3% aparadhas ( lapsos ) which should be avoided while engaged in worship or while one is about to perform Viṣṇupūja and the atonements for these. These 32 aparadhas (offences) against proper etiquette for worship are referred to in the Vardhapurana (130.5).

A passage from Baudhāyana about Śiva worship has already been quoted and it has been stated that worship of the phallio emblem of Śiva appears to have been ourrent in the very ancient civilization brought to light by the finds dis covered at Mohenjo-daro. Sir R. G. Bhandarkar in his ‘Val spavism and Saivism’ has shown how Rudra is described as the supreme deity even in the Rg., how in the Tai. 8. IV.5. 1-11 there are eleven anuvākas (called Rudras) which contain a sublime eulogy of Rudra (and also in Vāj. 8. 16) and how numerous Śaiva sects and dootrines arose in course of time (p. 119 f). Panini teaches the formation of Bhavāni, Saryani Rudrāṇi and Mrdāni from the four names of Śiva (IV. 1. 59). In the sacrifice called Salagava in the gļhya sūtras Rudra is worshipped as the supreme deity. The Āśv. gr. IV. 9.17 mentions twelve names of Rudra and adds 1754 (IV.9.27-29) that all names in the world, all armies, all exalted things belong to him. Patanjali in his Mahabhigya (vol. II. pp.387-388) on Pāṇini V.2.76 speaks of a ‘Śiva-bhagavata’( a devotee of Śiva). Vedantasūtra IL 2. 37 is direoted, according to Samkara, to the refutation of the Pasupata seot of Śaivas. In the Sāntiparva 284. 121-124 the Pasupatas are said to be opposed to the dharmas of varṇa and Asrama The Kūrmapurāṇa (pūrvārdha, chap. 16) speaks of the

  1. भोजपम मित्र महाबों मित्राय नमः| ओं ही भारोहन्दसरा दिन ft mit etwas mit ***** gata was part ** भागरे नमः । ओंकों केबु मे हरिमाणं हों खगाय नमः । मोरोपणाका माता ghet spt at… TATT I It inte fi suure FAA sarity gutt for at हामा मिरविम्यां नमः ।…अर्कभास्कराम्यां नमः । भोकोही उपाय…दिषम् ।

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नाही५ओं मिवर विपूर्पभाहल्यो नमा&. 1764. Fear F ama i park AMT infografi yang IV. 9. 27-29.

Oh. XIX)

Devapūja-siva worship

731

sāstras of the Śaiva sects, of Kāpālas, Nakulas 1786 (Lakulas?), Vāmas, Bhairavas, Pasupatas as meant for deluding the world. The Varābapurāṇa (chap.70-71) is also directed against Pasupatan. The Pāśupata brāhmaṇas are stated in the Kādambari to have burrounded the minister Sukanāsa (para 90). Sive was worship ped in the form of the linga or as an image. It is believed that 14 crores of lingas were established by Bāṇa, an Asura devotee of Śiva, in various spots and these are called Bāṇa-lingas (Nity.. cārapaddhati, p. 556 ) and the Bāṇa-lingas (white stones) found in the Narmada, the Ganges and other holy rivers are only like them. In the Kādambari ( para 130 ) Bāṇa speaks of sand lingas on the Acchoda lake and in another place of a linge made of pure mother-o’pearl. The Kūrmapurāṇa (pūrvārdha chap. 26 ) describes the origin of Linga and its worship and the Vāmana. purāṇa 46 lauds the several holy places where ancient lingas are established. The famous twelve Jyotir-lingas are; Omkara at Mandbāta, Mabākāla at Ujjayini(modern Ujjain), Tryambaka (near Nasik), Dbrspeśvara at Elora, Nāganatha ( towards the east of Ahmednagar), Bhima-Samkara (at the source of the Bhimā river in the Sahyadri ), Kedara-nātha in Garhwal, Vig. Veśvara at Benares, Somanātha in Kathiawar, Vaidyanatha new Parali. Mallikarjuna on the Srisaila, and Rāmeśvara in South India. Many of these are situated in central and western India near each other.

The Pūjāprakāśa (p. 194) quotes Harita prescribing that Maheśvara may be worshipped by means of the mantra of five syllables ( namaḥ Sivāya ) or by the Rudra!758 Gayatri or by

  1. About Lukuliāu, Pasupata or Kalumukha, vide Vuippuvism and saivism’p. 119 ff. In the V&yupurana 23. 221-224 it is said in & prophetic strain that Śiva would assume the form of Nakuli (Lakuli?) and the place where he will appear will be called the holy place of Kaya. rohaga. Vide E. I. vol. II. p. 124, vol. XII. p. 337, vol. XIV p. 265 for the Lakula dootrine, its dodryas and other information. For the Kapalikas, vide Bhandarkar’s Vaippavism and Saivism’ pp. 117,127. A grant of Nigavardhana, Dephew of Pulakofi ( 610-639 A, D.), was made provi ding for the worship of Kāpāledvara and the maintenance of Mahayrating, Yama 29 quotod in Par. M. II. part 1 p. 335 prescribes the pedance of Krcobra for eating at a Kupalika’s house. The Karpuramanjarr ( about 900 A, D.) I. 22-24 contains a caricature of Kaula (i. o. Kapalika ) practices.

  2. समगायत्री is तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे महादेवाय धीमहि । यो प्रचोदयात् । 8. W. X. 1 and FTOIAT 17. 11. It closely rosombles the famous Gayatri verse, particularly the words • dbimabi’ and pracodayat’ aro tbostmo in both

  3. D. 03138

‘om’ or by the mantra ‘Isanaḥ sarva-vidyānām’ (Tai. Ār. X. 47 ), or by the Rudra mantras ( viz. Tai. S. IV. 5. 1-11 ) or by the mantra ’tryambakam yajāmabe’(Rg. VII. 59. 12). For a devotee of Śiva, the wearing of a string of Rudraksa berries is necessary either on the band, the arm, the neck or on the head. 1787 The Smstimuktāphala (abnika p. 393 ) quotes verses from the Smrtiratna and the Ratnāvali about the merit secured hy bathing the linga with cow’s milk, ourds, clarified butter, honey, sugarcane juice, pancagavya, water in which campbor and aguru are mixed up, and other substances. The 14th day of the dark half of a month has been sacred to Śiva from ancient times. Bana in the Kadambari ( para 54 ) refers to the fact that queen VilasavatI went to worship Mahakāla at Ujjayini on the 14th.

The worship of Durgā bas prevailed from ancient times, “68 She is worshipped under various names and aspects. In the Tai, Ar. X. 18 Śiva is said to be the husband of Ambika or Umd. In the Kena Upaniṣad (III. 25 ) Umā Haimavati is mentioned as imparting to Indra the knowledge of the Great Being. The various names of Durgā are Umā, Pārvati, Devi, Ambikā, Gauri, Candi or Capdikā, Kali, Kumari, Lalita &o. The Mahabharata (Virāṭaparva 6 and Bbiṣma 23 ) contains two hymns addressed to Durgā in which she is stated to be Vindhyavāsinl and fond of blood and wine, and in Vanaparva 39, 4 it is stated that Umā became 8 kirāti when Śiva became a kirāta to test the prowess of Arjuna. In the Kumārasambhava Kālidās& speaks of Pārvati, Umā, Aparna and derives the latter two words (I. 26 and V. 28). Yāj. I. 290 speaks of Ambikā as the mother of Vināyaka. The Deyi mābātmya in the Mārkandeyapurāpa (chap. 81-93 ) is the principal sacred text of Durgā worshippers in Northern India, E. I. vol. 9 p. 189 shows that about 625 A. D. Durgā wax lovoked as a supreme goddess. Bāṇa in his Kadambari gives & graphio description of the temple of Candikā and refers to offer. ings of blood made to her (para 28 ), to her trident ( triøūla) and her slaughter of Mahiṣāsura. The Kṛtyaratnakara (p. 351) quotes verses from the Devipurāṇa that the 8th of the bright half of a month is sacred to Davi ( and particularly of Aøvina ),

  1. The TT UTF8 9 HUTOT I eve: garai - fi faro quoted in one p. 194.

  2. Vido B. C. Muzumdar on tho worsbip of Durg& in J. R. A. S. for 1906 pp. 365-362.

Cb. XIX )

Devapaja-worship of Durgā

1799

that a goat or a buffalo may be sacrificed for her.1789 These bloody rites are still continued in the Kali temple in Bengal and a few other shrines of Durgā. In Bengal the worship of Durgā in Asvina has been most popular. 1760 Raghunandana in his Durgārosna-paddhati gives an elaborate description of the worship of Durgā in Asvina. Durgā is also worshipped as Sakti. The influence of Sakta worship has been great throughout India and will be briefly surveyed later on.

In modern times devapāja differs considerably from the ritual of the ancient works of Viṣṇu and Baudhāyana ; it also differs from province to province and caste to caste. A brief analysis of the devapūjā practised by brāhmaṇas in Western India is given below: Acamana; prāṇāyāms; adoration to Mahāganapati and certain other deities; twelve names of Ganesa, hyma of praise to Ganaś8, Gauri, Viṣṇu; mention of the place and the time with astronomical details about the day, the nakṣatrs &o. ; then the saṅkalpa of performing devapūjā with sixteen upacāras ; contemplation on Ganapati with Rg. II. 23. 1 ( gapānām tvā); asanavidhi with an invocation to the earth ; nyasa (mystical sanctification of the body ) of the sixteen verses of Rg. X 90 on sixteen parts of the body; inyocation of the deities and the sacred rivers in the water jar and offering sandalwood paste, flowers and whole grains of rice to the jar; then invocation of the conch and bell in a similar way; sprinkling of oneself and the materials of worsbip with water accompanied by the mantra (‘apavitrah pavitro vā &c.’); dhyana (contemplation) of Viṣṇu, Śiva, Ganesa, the sun’s diso, Durgā holding a bunch of flowers in one’s folded hands; then offering the sixteen upacāras enume. rated above to the accompaniment of the 16 verses of Rg. X. 90 to one’s favourite deity ; final benediction, 1761 When several deities are worshipped, there are two methods in which the upacāras may be offered. One may offer the upacāras from Āvābapa to namaskāra to one deity or the principal deity and then the same upacāras to the other deity or deities one after

  1. WAHIT asurat i f orriqrat rutor Tor ETI PÅ Sa at: roue wateregri upproase

: I भविष्यपुराण quoted in कस्यरस्नाकर p. 357.

  1. Vide Durgāpaja’ by Prata pobandra Gbosh (1871 ) for a detailed description of Durgāpuja in Rengal.

  2. The benediction is HÀ# Tara Gagi B uat vitat नमम । तत्सद् महार्पणमस्तु ।

740

another. This method is oalled kandānusamaya. The other method occurs when āvābana is done for the several deities in order, then āgana for all, then pādya for all and so on up to namas kāra. This is called padārthānusamaya. This method is generally preferred. Vide the com. of Nārāyaṇa on Āśv. gr. I. 24. 7, the com. on Katyāyana-srauta 1. 5. 9-11 for detailed explanations of these.

From the early centuries of the Christian era the works on Tantra exercised & profound influence on the ritual of devapājā and several mystical postures of the hands and fingers such as the mudrās and the nyāsas began to occupy the minds of the worshippers. 1762 The Bhāgavata-purāṇa XI. 27. 7 says that devapūjā is of three kinds viz, Vaidiki, Tāntriki and misrā. The first and the third are for the three varṇas and Tantrikt for kūdras.

  1. S entit Amfeta frout #:1 Tomorfather formar *FWH 11 TTT XI. 27.7 quoted in TATT P. 116. Vide also ruta. VIII, 37 and XI. 77.