Agni Purana

पूर्व्वादौ चौषधीभिश्च देवानां भाजनं पृथक् । पृथक्शताहुतीश्चाज्यैर्गजानर्च्य प्रदक्षिणं ।। २९१.

In the east, with herbs, separate vessels for the deities; a hundred separate oblations with clarified butter; the elephants are to be worshipped, moving clockwise.

नागं वह्निं देवतादीन् बाह्यैर्जग्मुः स्वकं गृहम् । द्विजेभ्यो दक्षिणां दद्यात् हस्तिवैद्यादिकांस्तथा ।। २९१.

The nāga, fire, and other deities, having been worshipped, return to their own abodes; gifts are to be given to the brahmins, as well as to the elephant doctors and others.

करिणीन्तु समारुह्य वदेत् कर्णन्तु कालवित् । नागाराजेऽमृते शान्तिं कृत्वाऽमुष्मिन् जपन्मनुम् ।। २९१.१५ श्रीगजस्त्वं कृतो राज्ञा भवानस्य गजाग्रणीः । प्रभुर्माल्याग्रभक्तैस्त्वां पूजयिष्यति पार्थिवः ।। २९१.

Mounting the female elephant, one who knows the proper time should recite into her ear: 'Having performed the pacification for the nāga king, reciting this mantra over him: O blessed elephant, you have been made chief by the king; the ruler will honor you with garlands and foremost offerings.'

लोकस्तदाज्ञया पूजां करिष्यति तदा तव । पालनीयस्त्वया राजा युद्धेऽध्वनि तथा गृहे ।। २९१.

Then, by that command, the people will perform worship for you; you must protect the king in battle, on the road, and likewise at home.

तिर्य्यग्भावं समुत्‌सृज्य दिव्यं भावमनुस्मर । देवासुरे पुरा युद्धे श्रीगजस्त्रिदशैः कृतः ।। २९१.

Abandon the animal state and remember your divine nature; in the ancient war between gods and demons, the auspicious elephant was made by the gods.

ऐरावणसुतः श्रीमानरिष्टो नाम वारणः । श्रीगजानान्तु तत् तेजः सर्व्वमेवोपतिष्ठते ।। २९१.

The illustrious Arishta, son of Airavata, is the elephant's name; all the energy of the auspicious elephants now abides in you.

तत्तेजस्तव नागेन्द्र दिव्यभावसमन्वितं । उपतिष्ठतु भद्रन्ते रक्ष राजानमाहवे ।। २९१.

Let that energy of yours, O lord of elephants, endowed with divine nature, be present for your welfare; protect the king in battle.

इत्येवमभिषिक्तैनमारोहेत शुभे नृपः । तस्यानुगमनं कुर्युः सशस्त्रनवसद्‌गजाः ।। २९१.

Thus, having been consecrated in this way, the king should ascend the auspicious elephant; armed soldiers and newly adorned elephants should follow him.

शालास्वसौ स्थण्डिलेऽब्जे दिकपालादीन् यजेद्वहिः । केशरेषु बलं नागं भुवञ्चैव सरस्वतीं ।। २९१.

In the hall, on the altar, and on the lotus, one should worship the guardians of the directions and others outside; in the manes, the army, the elephant, the earth, and Sarasvati.

मध्येषु डिण्डिमं प्रार्च्य गन्धमाल्यानुलेपनैः । हुत्वा देयस्तु कलशो रसपूर्णो द्विजाय च ।। २९१.

In the center, one should worship the drum with fragrance, garlands, and ointments; after offering oblations, a pot filled with liquid should be given to the Brahmin.

गजाध्यक्षं हस्तिपं च गणितज्ञञ्च पूजयेत् । गजाध्यक्षाय तन्दद्यात् डिण्डिमं सोपि वादयेत् ।। २९१.

One should worship the superintendent of elephants, the mahout, and the astrologer; the drum should be given to the superintendent of elephants, and he should also play it.

शुभगम्भीरशब्दैः स्याज्जघनस्थोऽभिवादयेत् ।। २९१.

With auspicious and deep sounds, he should salute from behind.

धन्वन्तरिरुवाच गोविप्रपालनं कार्य्यं राज्ञा गोशान्तिमावदे । गावः पवित्रा माङ्गल्या गोषु लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः ।। २९२.

Dhanvantari said: The king must protect cows and Brahmins, bringing peace to the cowshed; cows are pure and auspicious, and the worlds are established in cows.

शकृन्‌मूत्रं परं तासामलक्षमीनाशनं परं । गवां कण्डूयनं वारि श्रृह्गस्याघौघमर्द्दनम् ।। २९२.

Their dung and urine are supreme, the best destroyers of misfortune; the water from cows scratching themselves removes heaps of sin.

रोचना विषरक्षोघ्नी ग्रासदः स्वर्गगो गवां । यद्‌गृहे दुःखिता गावः स याति नरकन्नरः ।। २९२.

Rocana is a destroyer of poison and demons, the giver of food, and leads to heaven for cows; if cows are unhappy in a house, that man goes to hell.

परगोग्रासदः स्वर्गी गोहितो ब्रह्मलोकभाक् । गोदानात्‌कीर्त्तनाद्रक्षां कृत्वा चोद्धरते कुलम् ।। २९२.

He who feeds another's cows attains heaven; one who cares for cows attains the world of Brahma; by giving cows, by praise, and by protection, one uplifts his lineage.

गवां श्वासात् पवित्रा भूस्पर्शनात्किल्विषक्षयः । गोमृत्रं गोमयं क्षीरं दधि सर्पिः कुशोदकम् ।। २९२.

By the breath of cows, there is purity; by touching the earth, sin is destroyed; cow urine, dung, milk, curd, ghee, and water touched by kusa grass—

एकरात्रोपवासश्च श्वपाकमपि शोधयेत् । सर्व्वाशुभविनाशाय पुराचरितमीश्वरैः ।। २९२.

A single night's fasting purifies even a dog-eater; all this was practiced by the gods for the destruction of all inauspiciousness.

प्रत्येकञ्च त्र्यहाभ्यस्तं महासान्तपनं स्मृतं । सर्वकामप्रदञ्चैतत् सर्व्वाशुभवीमर्द्दनम् ।। २९२.

Practiced individually for three days, it is known as the great expiation; it grants all desires and destroys all inauspiciousness.

कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रं पयसा दिवसानेकविंशतिं । निर्म्मलाः सर्व्वकामाप्त्या स्युर्गगाः स्युर्न्नरोत्तमाः ।। २९२.

By performing the severe atikricchra with milk for twenty-one days, one becomes pure, attains all desires, and the best of men become like gods.

त्र्यहमुष्णं पिवेन्मूत्रं त्र्यहमुष्णं घृतं पिवेत् । त्र्यहमुष्णं पयः पीत्वाः वायुभक्षः परं त्र्यहम् ।। २९२.

For three days, one should drink warm urine; for three days, drink warm ghee; after drinking warm milk for three days, one should subsist on air alone for another three days.

तप्तकृच्छ्रव्रतं सर्व्वपापघ्नं ब्रह्मलोकदं । शीतैस्तु शीतकृच्छ्रं स्याद्‌ब्रह्मोक्तं ब्रह्मलोकदं ।। २९२.

The heated Kṛcchra vow destroys all sins and grants the world of Brahma; the cold Śīta-Kṛcchra, as prescribed by Brahma, likewise bestows the world of Brahma.

गोमूत्रेणाचरेत्स्नानं वृत्तिं कुर्य्याच्च गोरसैः । गोभिर्व्रजेच्च भुक्तासु भुञ्जीताथ च गोव्रती ।। २९२.

One should bathe with cow urine and sustain oneself with cow products; one should travel with cows, eat after they have eaten, and thus observe the cow vow.

मासेनैकेन निष्पापो गोलोकी स्वर्गगो भवेत् । विद्याञ्च गोमतीं जप्त्वा गोलोकं परमं व्रजेत् ।। २९२.

In a single month, one becomes free from sin and attains the world of cows and heaven; by reciting the Gomati mantra, one reaches the supreme Goloka.

गौतैर्न्नृत्येरप्सरोभिविंमाने तत्र मोदते । गावः सुरभयो नित्यं गावो गुग्गुलगन्धिकाः ।। २९२.

There, one delights in celestial vehicles, dancing with Apsarās among cows; the cows are ever fragrant, always exuding the scent of guggul.

गावः प्रतिष्ठा भूतानां गावः स्वस्त्ययनं परं । अन्नमेव परं गावो देवानां हविरुत्तमम् ।। २९२.

Cows are the foundation of all beings, the highest source of auspiciousness; cows are the supreme food, and for the gods, the finest oblation.

पावनं सर्व्वभूतानां क्षरन्ति च वदन्ति च । हविषा मन्त्रपूतेन तर्पयन्त्वमरान्दिवि ।। २९२.

Cows purify all beings, they flow and are spoken of as such; let them satisfy the immortals in heaven with oblations sanctified by mantra.

ऋषीणामग्निहोत्रेषु गावो होमेषु योजिताः । सर्व्वेषामेव भूतानां गावः शरणमुत्तमं ।। २९२.

Cows are employed in the fire sacrifices of sages; for all beings, cows are the highest refuge.

गावः पचित्रं परमं गावो माङ्गल्यमुत्तमं । गावः स्वर्गस्य सोपानं गावो धन्याः सनातनाः ।। २९२.

Cows are supremely variegated, cows are the highest source of auspiciousness; cows are the steps to heaven, cows are eternally blessed.