Agni Purana

सर्वेशः सर्वदेवाः स्युः क्रमेण नवतन्तुषु। अष्टोत्तरशतान्यर्द्धं तदर्धं चोत्तमादिकम्

The Lord of all, all the gods, should be represented in the nine threads in order; one hundred and eight, or half that, or the best among them.

एकाशीत्याऽथवा सूत्रैस्त्रिंशताऽप्यऽप्यष्टयुक्तया। पञ्चाशता वा कर्त्तव्यं तुल्यग्रन्थ्यन्तरालकम्

Or with eighty-one threads, or with thirty, or with eight added; or fifty may be made, with equal spacing between the knots.

द्वादशाङ्गुलमानानि व्यासादष्टाङ्गुलानि च। लिङ्गविस्तारमानानि चतुरङ्गुलकानि वा

Measuring twelve finger-breadths, or eight in width; the measure of the liṅga's breadth may be four finger-breadths.

तथैव पिण्डिकास्पर्शं चतुर्थं सर्वदैवतम्। गङ्गावतारकं कार्य्यं सुजातेन सुधौतकम्

Likewise, the touch of the pedestal is the fourth, for all the deities; the descent of Gaṅgā should be made with well-twisted, thoroughly washed thread.

ग्रन्थिं कुर्य्याच्च वामेन अघोरेणाथ शोधयेत्। रञ्जयेत् पुरुषेणैव रक्तचन्दनकुङ्कुमैः

He should make the knot with the left hand, and then purify it with the Aghora mantra; he should dye it with red sandalwood, saffron, musk, yellow pigment, and the like.

कस्तूरीरोचनाचन्द्रैर्हरिद्रागैरिकादिभिः। ग्रन्थयो दश कर्त्तव्या अथवा तन्तुसङ्ख्यया

Ten knots should be made using musk, yellow pigment, camphor, turmeric, red ochre, and similar substances, or according to the number of threads.

अन्तरं वा यथाशोभमेकद्विचतुरङ्गुलम्। प्रकृतिः पौरुषी वीरा चतुर्थी त्वपराजिता

The spaces between them should be made pleasing, one, two, or four fingers in width; the basic types are masculine, heroic, and the fourth is called Unconquered.

जयाऽन्या विजया षष्ठी अजिता च सदाशिवा। मनोन्मनी सर्वमुखी ग्रन्थयोऽभ्यधिकाः शुभाः

Another is Jaya, then Vijaya is the sixth, Ajita and Sadashiva; Manonmani, Sarvamukhi—these are auspicious knots, more than the usual number.

कार्य्या वा चन्द्रवह्न्यर्कपवित्रं शिववद्धदि। एकैकं निजमूर्त्तौ वा पुप्तके गुरुके गणे

They may be made for the moon, fire, sun, the sacred thread, or as for Shiva; or for each individual form, for the flower-offering, for the teacher, or for the group.

स्यादेकैकं तथा द्वारदिक्पालकलशादिषु। हस्तादिनवहस्तान्तं लिङ्गानां स्यात्पवित्रकम्

Similarly, one each for the door, the guardians of the directions, the pots, and so on; the sacred thread for the liṅgas should extend from the hand up to nine hands in length.

अष्टाविंशतितो वृद्धं दशभिर्द्दशभिः क्रमात्। द्व्यङ्गुलाभ्यन्तरास्तत्र क्रमादेकाङ्गुलान्तराः

From twenty-eight onwards, increase by tens in order; the spaces between are two fingers, and in sequence, the intervals are one finger.

ग्रन्थयो मानमप्येषां लिङ्गविस्तारसस्मितम्। सप्तम्यां वा त्रयोदश्यां कृतनित्यक्रियः शुचिः

The measure of the knots should correspond to the width of the liṅga; on the seventh or thirteenth day, having performed the daily rites in purity,

भूषयेत् पुष्पवस्त्रद्यैः सायाह्ने यागमन्दिरं। कृत्वा नैमित्तिकीं सन्ध्यां विशेषेण च तर्प्पणम्

He should adorn the sacrificial hall in the evening with flowers and cloths; having performed the occasional twilight worship, and especially the offering of water.

परिगृहीते भूभागे पवित्रे सूर्य्यमर्च्चयेत् । आचम्य सकलीकृत्य प्रणवार्घ्यकरो गुरुः

Having taken possession of the consecrated ground with the sacred thread, he should worship the sun; having sipped water and completed the preliminary rites, the teacher offers the praṇava and arghya.

द्वाराण्यस्त्रेण सम्प्रोक्ष्य पूर्वादिक्रमतोऽर्च्चयेत्। हां शन्तिकलद्वारं द्वौ द्वौ द्वाराधिपौ यजेत्

Sprinkling the doors with a weapon-mantra, he should worship in order from the east; at the door of peace, he should worship two guardians at each entrance.

निवृत्तिकलाद्वारायप्रतिष्ठाख्यकलात्मने। तच्छाकयोः प्रतिद्वारं द्वौ द्वौ द्वाराधिपौ यजेत्

At the door of withdrawal, for the one whose essence is the establishment called Kalā, at each of those two doors, he should worship two guardians at each entrance.

जन्दिने महाकालाय भृङ्गिणेऽथ गणाय च। वृषभाय च स्कन्दाय देव्यै चण्डायचक्रमात्

On the birth day, to Mahākāla, to Bhringi, and to the Gaṇa; to Vṛṣabha, to Skanda, to the goddess, to Caṇḍā, and to Cakramāt.

नित्यं च द्वारपालादीन् प्रविश्य द्वारपश्चिमे। इष्ट्वा वास्तुं भूतशुद्धिं विशेषार्घ्यकरः शिवः

Always, after entering past the door guardians, at the western door, having worshipped, he should purify the site and offer a special arghya to Shiva.

प्रोक्षणाद्यं विदायाथ यज्ञसम्बारकृन्नरः। मन्त्रयेद्दर्भदूर्वाद्यैः पुष्पाद्यैश्च हृदादिभिः

After the initial sprinkling, the man should prepare the sacrificial materials; reciting mantras with darbha grass, dūrvā grass, flowers, and with the heart and other mantras.

शिवहस्तं विधायेत्थं स्वशिरस्यधिरोपयेत्। शिवोऽहमादिः सर्वज्ञो मम यज्ञप्रधानता

He should form the hand of Shiva in this way and place it upon his own head, thinking: 'I am Shiva, the origin, the all-knowing, and my sacrifice is foremost.'

अत्यर्थं भावयेद्देवं ज्ञानखड्गकरो गुरुः। नेर्ऋतीं दिशमासाद्य प्रक्षिपेदुदगाननः

The teacher, holding the sword of knowledge, should deeply contemplate the deity; facing north, he should approach the southwest direction and cast it there.

अर्घ्याम्बुपञ्चगव्यञ्च समस्तान् मखमण्डपे। चतुष्पथान्तसंस्कारैर्वीक्षणाद्यैः सुसंस्कृतैः

He should sprinkle arghya water, the five products of the cow, and all else in the sacrificial pavilion; with the proper rites at the four crossroads, with attentive gazing and other careful acts.

विक्षिप्य विकिरांस्तत्र कुशकूर्च्चोपसंहरेत् । तानीशदिशि वर्द्धन्यामासनायोपकल्पयेत्

Having scattered the offerings there, he should gather the blades of kuśa grass; in the northeast, he should prepare a seat for them.

नैर्ऋते वास्तुगीर्वाणा द्वारे लक्ष्मीं प्रपूजयेत्। पश्चिमाभिमुखं कुम्भं सर्वदान्योपरि स्थितम्

At the door of the Nairṛta (southwest) and Vāstu (northwest) directions, one should worship Lakṣmī; the pot should always be placed above all others, facing west.

प्रणवेन वृषारूढं सिहस्थां वर्द्धनीन्ततः। कुम्भे शाङ्गं शिवन्देवं वर्द्धन्यामस्त्रमर्च्चयेत्

With the praṇava, worship the deity mounted on a bull, seated on a lion, the goddess Varddhanī; then, in the pot, worship Śiva holding the bow, with the Varddhanī mantra.

दिक्षु शक्रादिदिक्पालान् विष्णुब्रह्मशिवादिकान्। वर्द्धनीं सम्यगादाय घटप्टष्ठानुगामिनीं

In the directions, take the guardians such as Śakra and others, and the deities Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Śiva, etc.; properly take Varddhanī, who follows the pot and the eight guardians.

शिवाज्ञां श्रावयेन्मन्त्री पूर्वादीशानगोचरम्। अविच्छिन्नपयोधारां मूलमन्त्रमुदीरयेत्

The priest should announce Śiva’s command in the region from the east to Īśāna; utter the root mantra with an uninterrupted stream of water.

समन्ताद् भ्रामयेदेनां रक्षार्थं शस्त्ररूपिणीम्। पूर्वं कलशमारोप्य शस्त्रार्थन्तस्य वामतः

He should move her all around for protection, as one in the form of a weapon; first, having placed the pot, the weapon should be to its left.

समग्रासनके कुम्भे यजेद्देवं स्थिरासने। वर्द्धन्यां प्रणवस्थायामायुधन्तदनु द्वयोः

One should worship the deity in the pot, seated firmly on the complete seat; in the Varddhanī, at the position of praṇava, and then at the place of the weapon, between the two.