Vedic Literature | Ekamsat | Uddhava-Gita | Kriya-Yoga or Devotional Ritualism
2. Many a worshipful sage like Narada, Vedavyasa and Brihaspati, the son of Angiras and the teacher of the Devas, praise this way of communion as supremely good for man.
3. Instruction on this path of ritualistic communion, first revealed by Thee, was imparted by Brahma to Bhrigu and his other offspring on the one hand, and by Sri Parameswara to Parvati on the other.
4. The path is open to all varnas and ashramas. For women and sudras, this path is the most beneficial for spiritual progress.
5. Oh lotus-eyed One! Oh Lord of the universe! Deign to expound this path to Me,
Thy loving servant and devotee, for destruction of my bondage to karma.
7. Worship of Me based on rituals is of three forms, first based on Vedic mantras, second based on tantrik texts and the third based on a mix of these two. One can worship Me following any of these paths.
8. Listen, how members of the three varnas after attaining the status of dwija, on performance of upanayana, adore Me with faith and devotion.
9. A devotee is, with all sincerity, to worship Me, the Supreme Deity with various offerings in an image, in a symbolic diagram drawn on the floor, in the sun, in water, in a holy man or in one’s own heart.
10. After cleaning teeth, he is to take bath for the sake of cleanliness of his body. While bathing, he is to chant mantras from the Veda and / or the Tantra, while rubbing the body with mud or other cleaning agent.
11. He is to perform the essential rites like the sandhya as ordained in the Veda, even while he engages himself in adoration of Me through ardent devotional communion which will free him from the bondage to karma.
12. My images of worship are of eight kinds, namely, those made of stone, wood, metals, sand and precious stones, symbolic diagrams drawn on the floor, of pictures and those mentally conceived.
13. Images which are the veritable tabernacles of the Lord are of two kinds – the movable and the immovable. Oh Uddhava! There is no need to invoking Divine presence (avahana) or vacating the presence (udvasana) in the case of immovable images. In them the Divine presence is permanent.
14. Even in some movable images like salagrama, there is no need for the two rites of invoking or vacating the Divine presence. But those rites are necessary in the case of the idols made of sand. In respect of movable images made otherwise, the rites are optional. Except for the images made of diagrams on the floor or the pictures, ceremonial bath is to be performed. For the images made of diagrams and the pictures, cleaning is sufficient.
15. If a person’s worship is prompted by desires, then he should worship Me with choicest offerings. But a devotee without any desires can adore Me with any ingredients he may gather. In the case of worship in mind, all offerings are necessarily mental.
16. Oh Uddhava! In worship on fixed images alone, ceremonial bath and decoration are the most important. In worship on consecrated enclosures on the floor, the most important thing is to locate the various divinities at their proper places with appropriate mantras. When the worship is done in fire, offering of oblations in plenty of ghee is the most important feature.
17-18. When the worship is done in the sun, it should take the form of a prayer and praise; when it is in water, it should take the form of tarpana or libations with water. But what is the most important is sraddha (sincere faith) of the devotee. When an offering is made by a devotee with faith, be it only water, I accept it with great delight. Not to speak then of My delight when I am worshipped by a devotee with flowers, incense, sandal paste and food offering! But offerings, however rich, do not please Me if they are not backed by devotion.
19. After having collected and got ready all the ingredients of worship, even before his purificatory bath, the worshipper should make a seat of darbha-grass and sit turning eastward or northward. If it is fixed image, he should sit facing it.
20. After doing nyasa (ceremonial location) on oneself and the image, the latter must be cleansed with hands. The purna-kumbha (vessel filled fully with water) and another with water for prokshana (sprinkling) should be kept ready, consecrated with flowers, sandal paste, etc.
21. From the vessel meant for prokshana, water must be taken and sprinkled on the spot of worship, the ingredients of worship and oneself. From the purna-kumbha, water is to be drawn and filled in three vessels for padya and other rites. Flowers, sandal paste and other ingredients are to be put in the three vessels for purifying water therein.
22. One, who worships according to the instructions of the guru, should consecrate the water kept in the vessels for padya, arghya, and achamana with the mantras ‘hridayaya namah’, ‘sirshne swaha’, ‘sikhaya vashat’ respectively, and all the vessels with Gayatri mantra.
23. In the heart-lotus of the body, which has been dried by prana, burnt by the fire in muladhara, and soaked in the flow of nectar from the lunar sphere in the forehead, there is the very subtle sound of AUM followed by bindu and nada, crowned by My supreme form of extreme subtlety as Narayana, on which men of great spiritual attainments meditate.
24. When one’s body has, through meditation, been irradiated by the presence of Narayana, then that presence be worshipped mentally in the heart. Becoming one with Him through communion, His presence should be transferred to the image, and the image worshipped with all appropriate rituals.
25-26. Let a seat be made with divine majesties like dharma, enlightenment, non-attachment, etc and with the nine powers such as Vimala, Utkarshini and others. On that the worshipper is to conceive a lotus of eight petals luminous with other parts like pericarp and filaments, and with the sun, moon and fire placed one above the other within. In that way, I should be worshipped with the chanting of appropriate Vedic and tantrik mantras, and with offerings of arghya, padya, achamana, etc. Prayers should be made for one’s material welfare and spiritual emancipation.
27. The weapons, ornaments, attendants and associates of the Lord be also worshipped. The weapons such as sudarsana, panchajanya, mace kaumodaki, sword nandaka, bow sarnga, plough, pestle, and the decorations such as the neck-jewel kaustubha, floral wreath and srivasta be worshipped.
28. The attendants Nanda, Sunanda, Prachanda, Chanda, Mahabala, Bala, Kumuda and Kumudaksha conceived as stationed in the eight quarters as also Garuda in front be meditated upon and worshipped.
29. Durga, Ganapati, Vyasa and Vishvaksena be stationed in their proper places in the four corners; the gurus are to be placed on the left and the Devas in the east, etc. They shall all be facing the Deity and be worshipped with arghya and all other items.
30. If the devotee has the means, he may use, for ceremonial bath of the image, water that has been consecrated by mantras and made fragrant with sandal, usira, camphor, saffron and aloes.
31. He shall adore Me with devotion by uttering the holy mantras like suvarna, gharma and parivedana, by chanting holy formulae, by reciting purusa-sukta, by chanting samans, etc.
32. The devotee is to decorate Me, with great devotion, with wearing-cloth, wrapping-cloth, ornaments, garlands, sandal-paste, unguents, etc.
33. He is, with great faith, to offer Me water for padya, arghya and achamana, and make offerings of sandal-paste, flowers, rice-grains, light, incense and food.
34. If he is of sufficient means, he may offer savoury food items like payasa (sweet rice-pudding), sweet-cake, snacks, wheat boiled in milk, curd, etc.
35. On festive days, or if he is of sufficient means, everyday, the devotee may elaborate the adoration with oil-bath, offering of tooth-brush, mirror, etc, panchamruta-bath, feast, music, dance, etc.
36. In the sacrificial pit, made according to the scriptural injunctions, with zones, fire-pocket and altar, fire must be lighted and the burning twigs gathered together to form a single flame.
37. Darbha grass is to be laid around the pit with ceremonial water sprinkled thereon. The anvadhana rite is then to follow. All the sacrificial ingredients are to be placed to the north of the fire. After doing prokshana, the worshipper shall meditate on Me as manifesting in the fire as follows.
38-39. Brilliant like molten-gold, possessed of four arms, holding the conch, discus, mace and lotus, tranquil, wearing a yellow cloth of the colour of the pistil of the lotus, decorated with brilliant ornaments like diadem, bracelets, girdle and superb armlets, having the tattoo known as the srivatsa on the chest, wearing the splendourous jewel kaustabha in the neck, and having a thick floral wreath surrounding the chest and the abdomen.
40-41. Thus meditating on Me, the wise devotee is to worship Me. He is then to consign twigs soaked in ghee to the sacrificial fire, and perform the aghara rite followed by the ajyabhaga rite strictly following the scriptural injunctions. Then he is to make ghee-soaked oblations, chanting the mula-mantra and the purusa-sukta. The sixteen riks of the mula-mantra and the purusa-sukta shall be chanted with an oblation following each rik. The worshipper shall offer oblations to dharma chanting relevant mantras. Finally he shall propitiate the Fire-deity with the svishtakrita offering.
42. Afterwards, flower offerings together with prostrations are to be made to Me manifesting in the middle of the sacrificial fire. On eight sides, sacrifice (food) is to be offered to My attendants and associates. Then the worshipper shall again be seated and meditate on Me, the Infinite Brahman as Narayana and make japa of the mula-mantra.
43. At the places of worship and of the homa, the worshipper is to meditate on the Deity as having completed His meal; then he is to offer Him water for washing followed by the presentation of fragrant betel-leaves, etc for purification of the mouth. This rite is to be followed by worshipping the Deity again with flowers. The remnants of the food offered are to be given to Vishvaksena.
44. Thereafter, for a short while at least, the devotee is to spend time in blissful relaxation, singing My exploits, acting some of them, dancing in ecstasy and also narrating accounts of My deeds to other devotees.
45. Then he is to sing loudly hymns composed by ancient seers, as also compositions of great men of later days in the local spoken tongue, and fall like a stick in prostration crying out ‘Oh Lord! Be gracious unto me!’
46. Placing his head on My feet and holding them with both his hands, he shall pray, ‘Deign to give shelter to this servant seeking refuge at Thy feet, out of fear of this ocean of samsara infested by the crocodile of death’.
47. The devotee is then to contemplate that he is receiving flowers, sandal-paste, etc as holy prasad from Me, and reverentially place them on his head. Next, if the Divine Presence is sought to be withdrawn, he shall, through contemplation, take the prasad back into the Presence within.
48. I, the Essence of All, am present in every object and the worshipper himself. So, worship of Me can be done through any object or image that stimulates faith in the worshipper at any time. Faith is the most important factor in the efficacy of worship.
49. A devotee who worships Me thus, through this ritual of adoration that combines the vaidika and the tantrik modes in itself, will attain, through My Grace, all that is good here and hereafter.
50-51. The devotee is to construct temples, consistent with his resources, and have My holy images consecrated therein. He shall arrange to raise flower gardens and make endowment of arable lands, houses, villages, etc, the revenue from which is to be utilized for proper and ceremonial worship either daily or on special occasions. In this way, the devotee is to seek to attain to My Being.
52. By the consecration of My image in a temple, one can become an emperor; by building a temple, one can become the Lord of the three worlds; by worshipping in a temple, one can attain Brahma-loka; and by doing all these three, one can attain to My Being.
53. One attains Me through devotion without any desire. And one who worships Me, in the way described, attains that state of desireless-ness in which true devotion flourishes.
54. Whoever appropriates for himself such wealth as has been given by devotees for the service of the Lord and holy men becomes a worm subsisting on excreta for countless years.
55. Those who help, prompt or encourage others to commit such acts of unholy misappropriation will meet similar fate. The more is the involvement of the accomplice, the more are the consequences accruing to him.