Agni Purana

मार्गे या देवतास्तासान्नद्यादीनाञ्च पूजनं । दिव्यान्तरीक्षभौमस्थदेवानाञ्च तथा बलिः ।। २३६.

He should worship the deities along the path, and the rivers and others; likewise, he should offer oblations to the gods dwelling in the heavens, the midspace, and on earth.

रात्रौ भूतगणानाञ्च वासुदेवादिपूजनं । भद्राकाल्याः श्रियः कुर्य्यात् प्रार्थयेत् सर्व्देवताः ।। २३६.

At night, he should worship the hosts of spirits and Vāsudeva and others; he should honor Bhadrākālī and Śrī, and pray to all the deities.

वासुदेवः सङ्कर्षणः प्रद्यम्नश्चानिरुद्धकः । नारायणोऽब्जजो विष्णुर्न्नारसिंहो वराहकः ।। २३६.

Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha; Nārāyaṇa, the lotus-born, Viṣṇu, Nṛsiṃha, and Varāha.

सूर्य्यः सोमः कुकजचश्चान्द्रिजीवशुक्रशनैश्चराः ।। २३६.

Sūrya, Soma, Kuja, Candra, Jīva, Śukra, and Śanaiścara.

राहुः केतुर्गणपतिः सेनानी चण्डिका ह्युमा । लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती दुर्गा ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखा गणाः ।। २३६.

Rāhu, Ketu, Gaṇapati, Senānī, Caṇḍikā, Umā, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Durgā, and the hosts led by Brahmāṇī.

रुद्रा इन्द्रादयो वह्निर्न्नागास्तार्क्ष्योऽपरे सुराः । दिव्यान्तरीक्षभूमिष्ठा विजयाय भवन्तु मे ।। २३६.

The Rudras, Indra and others, Agni, the Nāgas, Tārkṣya, and other gods—those dwelling in heaven, midspace, and on earth—may they grant me victory.

मर्दयन्तु रणे शत्रून् सम्प्रगृह्योपहारकं । सपुत्रमातृभृत्योऽहं देवा वः शरणङ्गतः ।। २३६.

May they crush the enemies in battle, having seized the offerings; I, with my sons, mother, and servants, have taken refuge in you, O gods.

विनिवृत्तः प्र्दास्यामि दत्तादभ्यधिकं बलिं ।। २३६.

Having withdrawn, I shall offer a tribute greater than what was previously given.

षष्ठेऽह्नि विजयस्नानं कर्त्तव्यं चाभिषेकवत् । यात्रादिने सप्तमे च पूजयेच्च त्रिवक्रमं ।। २३६.

On the sixth day, a victory bath should be performed, as in an anointing ceremony; on the day of departure, the seventh day, one should worship Trivikrama.

नीराजनोक्तमन्त्रैश्च आयुधं वाहनं यजेत् । पुण्याहजयशब्देन मन्त्रमेतन्निशामयेत् ।। २३६.

With the mantras prescribed for nīrājana, one should consecrate the weapons and the vehicle; with the auspicious and victory chants, one should recite this mantra.

दिव्यान्तरीक्षभूमिष्ठाः सन्त्वायुर्दाः सुराश्च ते । देवसिद्धिं प्रप्नुहि त्वं देवयात्रास्तु सा तव ।। २३६.

May those gods who dwell in heaven, the atmosphere, and the earth grant you long life; may you attain divine success, and may this divine journey be yours.

रक्षन्तु देवताः सर्वा इति श्रुत्वा नृपो व्रजेत् । गृहीत्वा सशरञ्चापं धनुर्नागेति मन्त्रतः ।। २३६.

Having heard 'May all the deities protect,' the king should proceed, taking up bow and arrows, reciting the mantra 'O bow of the serpent.'

नद्विण्णोरिति जप्त्वाथ दद्याद्रिपुमुख पदं । दक्षिणं पदं द्वात्रिंशद्दिक्षुं प्राच्यादिषु क्रमात् ।। २३६.

Reciting 'nadviṇṇor,' he should then place his foot at the mountain's mouth; the right foot, in thirty-two directions, beginning with the east, in order.

नागं रथं हयञ्चैव धुर्यांश्चैवारुहेत् क्रमात् । आरुह्य वाद्यैर्गच्छेत पृष्ठतो नावलोकयेत् ।। २३६.

He should mount the elephant, the chariot, the horse, and the draught animals in sequence; having mounted, he should proceed with music, not looking back.

क्रोशमात्रं गतस्तिष्ठेत् पूजयेद्देवता द्विजान् । परदेशं व्रजेत् पश्चादात्मसैन्यं हि पालयन् ।। २३६.

Having gone a distance of a krośa, he should halt and worship the deities and the Brahmins; afterwards, he should proceed to foreign lands, protecting his own army.

देवानां पूजनं कुर्य्यान्न छिन्द्यादायमत्र तु ।। २३६.

He should perform the worship of the gods, and this should not be neglected here.

नावमानयेत्तद्देश्यानागत्य स्वपुरं पुनः । जयं प्राप्यार्च्चयेद्देवान् दद्याद्दानानि पार्थिपः ।। २३६.

He should not insult the people of that land; having returned to his own city, the king, having attained victory, should worship the gods and give gifts.

द्वितीयेऽहनि सङ्‌ग्रामो भविष्यति यदा तदा । स्नापयेद्‌गजमश्वादि यजेद्देवं नृसिंहकं ।। २३६.

On the second day, when battle is to occur, he should bathe the elephant, the horse, and others, and worship the god Narasiṃha.

छत्रादिराजलिङ्गानि शस्त्राणि निशि वै गणान् । प्रातर्नृसिंहकं पूज्य वाहनाद्यमशेषतः ।। २३६.

At night, he should worship the royal insignia such as the umbrella and weapons, and the groups; in the morning, he should worship Narasiṃha, and all the vehicles and others without exception.

पुरोधसा हुतं पश्येद्वह्निं हुत्वा द्विजान्यदेत्। गृहीत्वा सशरञ्चापं गजाद्यारुद्य वै ब्रजेत् ।। २३६.

The priest should observe the offering; after making the fire offering, he should honor the Brahmins; taking up bow and arrows, he should mount the elephant and others and proceed.

देशे त्वदृश्यः शत्रूणां कुर्य्यात् प्रकृतिकल्पनां । संहतान् योधयेदल्पान् कामं विस्तारयेद्‌बहून् ।। २३६.

In a place unseen by the enemies, he should arrange the formation; he should engage the gathered troops with the few, and expand the many as desired.

सूचीमुखमनीकं स्यादल्पानां बहुभिः सह। व्यूहाः प्राण्यङ्गरूपाश्च द्रव्यरूपाश्च कीर्त्तिताः ।। २३६.

The formation of the needle-point should be used for the few along with the many; the battle arrays are described as having the forms of vital limbs and of objects.

गरुडो मकरव्यूहश्चक्रः श्येनस्तथैव च । अर्द्धचन्द्रश्च वज्रश्च शकटव्यूह एव च ।। २३६.

The Garuḍa, Makara, Chakra, and Śyena formations, as well as the half-moon, the thunderbolt, and the cart formation, are also mentioned.

मण्डलः सर्वतोभद्रः सूचीव्यूहश्च ते नराः । व्यूहानामथ सर्वेषां पञ्चधा सैन्यकल्पना ।। २३६.

The circle, the all-auspicious, and the needle formation—these are the arrays; and the arrangement of the army is described as fivefold for all these formations.

द्वौ पक्षावनुपक्षौ द्वाववश्यं पञ्चमं भवेत् । एकेन यदि वा द्वाभ्यां भागाभ्यां युद्धमाचरेत् ।। २३६.

There are two wings, two sub-wings, and the fifth must always be present; one may fight with one or two divisions.

भागत्रयं स्थापयेत्तु तेषां रक्षार्थमेव च । न व्यूहकल्पना कार्य्या राज्ञो भवति कर्हिंचित् ।। २३६.

He should establish three divisions for their protection; the arrangement of battle formations is never to be made by the king himself.

मूलच्छेदे विनाशः स्यान्न युध्येच्च स्वयन्नृपः । सैन्यस्य पश्चात्तिष्ठेत्तु क्रोशमात्रे महीपतिः ।। २३६.

If the root is cut, destruction follows; the king should not fight personally, but remain behind his army at a distance of a krosha.

भग्नसन्धारणं तत्र योधानां परिकीर्त्तितं । प्रधानभङ्गे सैन्यस्य नावस्थानं विधीयते ।। २३६.

There, the breaking of the main force of the warriors is described; when the principal part of the army is broken, no further stand can be made.

न संहतान्न विरलान्योधान् व्यूहे प्रकल्पयेत् । आयुधानान्तु सम्मर्द्दो यथा न स्यात् परस्परं ।। २३६.

He should not arrange warriors too densely nor too sparsely in the formation; so that their weapons do not clash with each other.