The Eleventh Book. Chapter 22
The Eleventh Book
Chapter Xxii
On The Rules Of Vaisvadeva
p. 1124
1-45. Nryana said :-- O Nrada! In connection with this Purascharanam it comes now to my memory about the rules concerning the Vaisva Deva worship (An offering made to the Visvadevs; an offering to all deities made by presenting oblations to fire before meals). Hear. The five yajs are the following :-- (1) The Devayaj, (2) Brahm yaj, (3) Bhta yaj, (4) Pitri yaj, and (5) Manusya yaj. Fireplace, the pair of stone pestles, brooms (for sweeping, etc.), sieves and other house-hold things of the sort, wooden mortars (used for cleansing grains from husk) and water-jars, these five are the sources of evils inasmuch as they are the means of killing. So to free ones self from the above sins, one is to sacrifice before the Vaisvadeva. Never offer oblations of Vaisvadeva on hearths, on any iron vessel, on the ground or on broken tiles. They are to be offered in any sacrificial pit (Kunda) or on any sacrificial altar. Do not fire the hearth by fanning with hands, with winnowing baskets, or with holy deer skin, etc., but you can do so by blowing by your mouth. For the mouth is the origin of fire. If the fire be ignited by clothes, one is liable to get disease; if by winnowing baskets, then less of wealth comes; if by hands, ones death ensues. But if it be done by blowing, then ones success comes. (There is the danger of catching fire.)
One should sacrifice with curd, ghee, fruits, roots and vegetables, and water and in their absence with fuel, grass, etc., or with any other substances soaked with ghee, curd, Pyasa or lastly with water. But never with oil or with salty substances. If one performs the Homa with dry or stale substances, one is attacked with leprosy; if anybody performs Homa with leavings of other food he becomes subdued by his enemy; if one does so with rude and harsh substances, he becomes poor and if one does with salty substances, he meets with a downward course, gets degraded in position and honour. You can offer oblations to Vaisvadeva with burning coals and ashes from the north side of the fire of the hearth after the preparation of the meals. But you should never offer sacrifices with salty things. The
p. 1125
illiterate Brhmana who eats before offering oblations to Vaisvadeva goes headlong downwards into the Kla Stra hell. Whatever food that you are intending to prepare, whether they be vegetables, leaves, roots or fruits, offer oblations to Vaisvadeva with that if, before the Homa be performed of Vaisvadeva, any Brahmachr comes, then take off, for the Homa, first something; and then give to the beggar and satisfy him and tell him to be off. For the Brahmchr mendicant can remove any defects that may occur to Vaisvadeva but Vaisvadeva is unable to remove any defects that may occur regarding the mendicant Brahmachr. Both the Paramahansa or Brahmachr mendicant are the masters of the prepared food (Pakknna); so when anybody takes ones food without giving to any of these two, if they happen to come there, he will have to make the Chndryana (religious or expiatory penance regulated by the moons age, that is, waxing or waning). O Nrada! After the offering given to Vaisvanara, one is to offer Gogrsa, that is, mouthfuls of food to the cows. Hear now how that is done. The mother Surabhi, the beloved of Visnu, is always stationed in the region of Visnu (Visnupada); so O Surabhi! I am offering you mouthfuls of food. Accept it. "Salutation to the cows," saying this, one is to worship the cows and offer food to them. Hereby Surabhi, the Mother of the cows, becomes pleased. After this, one is to wait outside for a period that is taken to milch a cow, whether any guests are coming. For if any guest goes back disappointed from any house without any food; he takes away all the punyams (merits) of the house-holder and gives him back his own sin. The house-holder is to support mother, father, Guru, brother, son, servants, dependants, guests, those that have come, and Agni (Fire). Knowing all these, he who does not perform the functions of the house-hold is reckoned as fallen from his Dharma both in this world and in the next. The poor house-holder gets the same fruit by performing these five Mah jajs that a rich Brhmana gets by performing the Soma Yaj. O Best of the Munis! Now I am talking of the Prngni Hotra or about taking food, knowing the rules of which makes a man free from birth, old age and death and from all sorts of sins. He who takes his food according to proper rules, is freed of the threefold debts, delivers his twenty one generations from the hells, obtains the fruits of all the Yajs and goes unhampered to all the regions of the righteous. Think of the belly as Arani or the piece of wood for kindling the fire
(by attrition), think of the mind as the churning rod, and think of the wind as the rope, and then kindle the fire, residing in the belly; the eyes are to be considered as the sacrificer, (the
p. 1126
Addharyu), and consider fire in the belly as the result of churning. In this fire of the belly, one is to offer oblations for the satisfaction of Prna, etc., the five deities. First of all offer oblations to the Prna Vyu with food taken by the forefinger, middlefinger and thumb; next offer oblations to the Apna Vyu with the thumb, middle finger and the nameless (anm) finger; next offer oblations to the Vyna Vyu (breath) with the thumb, nameless finger and the little finger; next offer oblations to the Udna Vyu with the thumb, forefinger and the little finger and lastly offer oblations to the Samna Vyu with food taken by all the fingers. At the same time repeat respectively the mantras :--
\"Om Prnya Svh,"
"Om Apnya Svh,"
"Om Samnya Svh,"
"Om Udnya Svh,"
"Om Vynya Svh."
Within the mouth, there is the havanya fire; within the heart, there is the Grhapatya fire; in the navel, there is the Dhaksingni fire; below the navel, there is the Sabhygni fire and below that there is the vasathygni fire. Think thus. Next consider the Speech as the Hot, the Prna as the Udgth, the eyes as the Addharyu, the mind as the Brahm, the ears as the Hot and the keeper of the Agni, the Ahamkra (egoism) as beast (Pasu), Om Kra as water, the Buddhi (intellect) of the house-holder as the legal wife, the heart as the sacrificial altar, the hairs and pores as the Kusa grass, and the two hands as the sacrificial ladles and spoons (Sruk and Sruva.) Then think of the colour of the Prna mantra as golden the fire of hunger as the Risi (seer), Srya (the sun) as Devat, the chhandas as Gyatr and Prnya Svh as the Mantra uttered; also repeat "Idamdityadevya namah" and offer oblations to the Prna. The colour of the Apna mantra is milk white. Sraddhgni is the Risi, the Moon is the Devat, Usnik is the chhandas, and "Apnya Svh, Idam Somya na namah" are the mantras. The colour of the Vyna mantra is red like red lotuses; the fire Deity Hutsana is the Risi, the fire is the Devat; Anustup is the chhandas, "Vynya Svh" and "Idamagnaye na namah" are the mantras. The colour of the Udna mantra is like that of the worm Indra Gopa; fire is the Risi; Vyu is the Devat, Brihat is the chhandas; "Udnya Svh and "Idam Vyave na namah" are the mantras. The colour of the Samna mantra is like lightning; Agni is the Risi; Parjanya (the rains, water) is the Devat; Pankti is the chhanda; "Samnya
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Svh" and "Idam Parjanyya na namah" are the mantras. O Nrada! Thus offering the five oblations to the five breaths, next offer oblations to the tman; the Bhsana Vahni is the Risi; the Gyatr is the chhanda; the Self is the Devat; "tmane Svh," and "Idamtmane na namah" are the mantras. O Nrada! He who knows this Homa of Prngnihotra attains the state of Brahm. Thus I have spoken to you in brief the rules of the Prngni hotra Homa.
Here ends the Twenty-Second Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the rules of Vaisvadeva in the Mahpurnam Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vysa.
Chapter Xxii
On The Rules Of Vaisvadeva
p. 1124
1-45. Nryana said :-- O Nrada! In connection with this Purascharanam it comes now to my memory about the rules concerning the Vaisva Deva worship (An offering made to the Visvadevs; an offering to all deities made by presenting oblations to fire before meals). Hear. The five yajs are the following :-- (1) The Devayaj, (2) Brahm yaj, (3) Bhta yaj, (4) Pitri yaj, and (5) Manusya yaj. Fireplace, the pair of stone pestles, brooms (for sweeping, etc.), sieves and other house-hold things of the sort, wooden mortars (used for cleansing grains from husk) and water-jars, these five are the sources of evils inasmuch as they are the means of killing. So to free ones self from the above sins, one is to sacrifice before the Vaisvadeva. Never offer oblations of Vaisvadeva on hearths, on any iron vessel, on the ground or on broken tiles. They are to be offered in any sacrificial pit (Kunda) or on any sacrificial altar. Do not fire the hearth by fanning with hands, with winnowing baskets, or with holy deer skin, etc., but you can do so by blowing by your mouth. For the mouth is the origin of fire. If the fire be ignited by clothes, one is liable to get disease; if by winnowing baskets, then less of wealth comes; if by hands, ones death ensues. But if it be done by blowing, then ones success comes. (There is the danger of catching fire.)
One should sacrifice with curd, ghee, fruits, roots and vegetables, and water and in their absence with fuel, grass, etc., or with any other substances soaked with ghee, curd, Pyasa or lastly with water. But never with oil or with salty substances. If one performs the Homa with dry or stale substances, one is attacked with leprosy; if anybody performs Homa with leavings of other food he becomes subdued by his enemy; if one does so with rude and harsh substances, he becomes poor and if one does with salty substances, he meets with a downward course, gets degraded in position and honour. You can offer oblations to Vaisvadeva with burning coals and ashes from the north side of the fire of the hearth after the preparation of the meals. But you should never offer sacrifices with salty things. The
p. 1125
illiterate Brhmana who eats before offering oblations to Vaisvadeva goes headlong downwards into the Kla Stra hell. Whatever food that you are intending to prepare, whether they be vegetables, leaves, roots or fruits, offer oblations to Vaisvadeva with that if, before the Homa be performed of Vaisvadeva, any Brahmachr comes, then take off, for the Homa, first something; and then give to the beggar and satisfy him and tell him to be off. For the Brahmchr mendicant can remove any defects that may occur to Vaisvadeva but Vaisvadeva is unable to remove any defects that may occur regarding the mendicant Brahmachr. Both the Paramahansa or Brahmachr mendicant are the masters of the prepared food (Pakknna); so when anybody takes ones food without giving to any of these two, if they happen to come there, he will have to make the Chndryana (religious or expiatory penance regulated by the moons age, that is, waxing or waning). O Nrada! After the offering given to Vaisvanara, one is to offer Gogrsa, that is, mouthfuls of food to the cows. Hear now how that is done. The mother Surabhi, the beloved of Visnu, is always stationed in the region of Visnu (Visnupada); so O Surabhi! I am offering you mouthfuls of food. Accept it. "Salutation to the cows," saying this, one is to worship the cows and offer food to them. Hereby Surabhi, the Mother of the cows, becomes pleased. After this, one is to wait outside for a period that is taken to milch a cow, whether any guests are coming. For if any guest goes back disappointed from any house without any food; he takes away all the punyams (merits) of the house-holder and gives him back his own sin. The house-holder is to support mother, father, Guru, brother, son, servants, dependants, guests, those that have come, and Agni (Fire). Knowing all these, he who does not perform the functions of the house-hold is reckoned as fallen from his Dharma both in this world and in the next. The poor house-holder gets the same fruit by performing these five Mah jajs that a rich Brhmana gets by performing the Soma Yaj. O Best of the Munis! Now I am talking of the Prngni Hotra or about taking food, knowing the rules of which makes a man free from birth, old age and death and from all sorts of sins. He who takes his food according to proper rules, is freed of the threefold debts, delivers his twenty one generations from the hells, obtains the fruits of all the Yajs and goes unhampered to all the regions of the righteous. Think of the belly as Arani or the piece of wood for kindling the fire
(by attrition), think of the mind as the churning rod, and think of the wind as the rope, and then kindle the fire, residing in the belly; the eyes are to be considered as the sacrificer, (the
p. 1126
Addharyu), and consider fire in the belly as the result of churning. In this fire of the belly, one is to offer oblations for the satisfaction of Prna, etc., the five deities. First of all offer oblations to the Prna Vyu with food taken by the forefinger, middlefinger and thumb; next offer oblations to the Apna Vyu with the thumb, middle finger and the nameless (anm) finger; next offer oblations to the Vyna Vyu (breath) with the thumb, nameless finger and the little finger; next offer oblations to the Udna Vyu with the thumb, forefinger and the little finger and lastly offer oblations to the Samna Vyu with food taken by all the fingers. At the same time repeat respectively the mantras :--
\"Om Prnya Svh,"
"Om Apnya Svh,"
"Om Samnya Svh,"
"Om Udnya Svh,"
"Om Vynya Svh."
Within the mouth, there is the havanya fire; within the heart, there is the Grhapatya fire; in the navel, there is the Dhaksingni fire; below the navel, there is the Sabhygni fire and below that there is the vasathygni fire. Think thus. Next consider the Speech as the Hot, the Prna as the Udgth, the eyes as the Addharyu, the mind as the Brahm, the ears as the Hot and the keeper of the Agni, the Ahamkra (egoism) as beast (Pasu), Om Kra as water, the Buddhi (intellect) of the house-holder as the legal wife, the heart as the sacrificial altar, the hairs and pores as the Kusa grass, and the two hands as the sacrificial ladles and spoons (Sruk and Sruva.) Then think of the colour of the Prna mantra as golden the fire of hunger as the Risi (seer), Srya (the sun) as Devat, the chhandas as Gyatr and Prnya Svh as the Mantra uttered; also repeat "Idamdityadevya namah" and offer oblations to the Prna. The colour of the Apna mantra is milk white. Sraddhgni is the Risi, the Moon is the Devat, Usnik is the chhandas, and "Apnya Svh, Idam Somya na namah" are the mantras. The colour of the Vyna mantra is red like red lotuses; the fire Deity Hutsana is the Risi, the fire is the Devat; Anustup is the chhandas, "Vynya Svh" and "Idamagnaye na namah" are the mantras. The colour of the Udna mantra is like that of the worm Indra Gopa; fire is the Risi; Vyu is the Devat, Brihat is the chhandas; "Udnya Svh and "Idam Vyave na namah" are the mantras. The colour of the Samna mantra is like lightning; Agni is the Risi; Parjanya (the rains, water) is the Devat; Pankti is the chhanda; "Samnya
p. 1127
Svh" and "Idam Parjanyya na namah" are the mantras. O Nrada! Thus offering the five oblations to the five breaths, next offer oblations to the tman; the Bhsana Vahni is the Risi; the Gyatr is the chhanda; the Self is the Devat; "tmane Svh," and "Idamtmane na namah" are the mantras. O Nrada! He who knows this Homa of Prngnihotra attains the state of Brahm. Thus I have spoken to you in brief the rules of the Prngni hotra Homa.
Here ends the Twenty-Second Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the rules of Vaisvadeva in the Mahpurnam Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vysa.
