वाराहं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं शकुनेषु प्रशस्यते । शैवं भागवतं दौर्गं भविष्योत्तरमेव च
The Vārāha and Brahmavaivarta Purāṇas are praised among the birds; likewise, the Śaiva, Bhāgavata, Daurga, and Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇas.
भविष्यं चोपसंज्ञानि त्वन्यानि च विवर्जयेत् । विमुच्य पुस्तकं रत्नपीठे निक्षिप्य संस्कृतम्
The Bhaviṣya and other supplementary texts should be set aside; having purified the book, place it upon a jeweled seat.
धौतवस्त्रधरः स्नात्वा शुचिरक्रोधनोऽज्वरः । आदावात्मानमभ्यर्च्य कृत्वा संकल्पमेव च
Wearing clean garments, having bathed, pure, free from anger and fever, first worship yourself and make a resolve.
अंकुशं चाक्षसूत्रं च पाशं पुस्तकमेव च । धारयंतीं सितां ध्यायेत्प्रसन्नास्यां सरस्वतीम्
Meditate upon Sarasvatī, white in color, with a serene face, holding a goad, rosary, noose, and book, clad in white.
गोक्षीरसदृशाकारं त्रिनेत्रं वृषवाहनम् । सहासवदनं शांतं शुक्लांबरधरं शिवम्
Meditate on Śiva, whose form resembles cow's milk, three-eyed, riding the bull, with a smiling, peaceful face, and dressed in white garments.
हरिणं चाभयं चोर्द्ध्वबाहुयुग्मं किरीटिनम् । व्याख्यामुद्रा चं दक्षेधो वामहस्ते वरप्रदम्
Meditate on Hari, with a gesture of fearlessness, both arms raised, crowned, showing the gesture of explanation with the right hand, and granting boons with the left.
नानारत्नविभूषाढ्यं गिरिजार्द्धांबुजासनम् । बहुभिर्मुनिमुख्यैस्तु ध्यायमान पदांबुजम्
Adorned with various jewels, seated on half a lotus with Girijā, and worshipped at his lotus feet by many foremost sages.
मूर्तिमद्भिस्तथा वेदैः स्तूयमानं पुराणकैः । अन्यैः समस्तलोकैश्च संसेवितपदांबुजम्
Praised by the Vedas and Purāṇas in embodied form, and served at his lotus feet by all the worlds.
ध्यात्वैवं पूजकः सम्यगादौ पूजां समारभेत् । आपो वा इदमित्येतत्कलशस्याभिमंत्रणम्
Having meditated thus, the worshipper should properly begin the worship; 'This indeed is water'—this is the consecration of the pot.
तज्जलं च गृहीत्वा च पात्रस्थमभिमंत्रयेत् । तत्सद्ब्रह्मेति मंत्रेण प्रशस्य प्रणवेन तु
Taking that water and placing it in a vessel, he should consecrate it with the mantra 'That is true Brahman,' and with the praised praṇava.
आत्मानं सर्वपात्राणि तत आवाहयेदिति । यद्वागिति तृचेनैव भारती षोडशार्चनम्
He should invoke himself and all the vessels; or, with the threefold verse 'yadvāg,' perform the sixteenfold worship of Bhāratī.
पुरुषसूक्तेन वा कुर्याद्गायत्र्या वा समर्चयेत् । ॐ नमो भगवते अमुक पुराणेति पुराणमर्चयेत्
Or, he may perform the worship with the Puruṣa Sūkta or with the Gāyatrī; 'Om, obeisance to the blessed one, to such-and-such Purāṇa'—thus he should worship the Purāṇa.
कांडादिति हि मंत्रेण दूर्वामानीय पूजयेत् । ॐ नमो भगवत्यै दूर्वायै इति
With the mantra 'kāṇḍāditi,' he should bring dūrvā grass and worship it: 'Om, obeisance to the blessed goddess Dūrvā.'
सलोकपाल पूजा स्यादथ कन्या समर्चनम् । वत्सरात्पंचकादूर्द्ध्वं दशवर्षादधः शुभाः
Then the worship of the guardians of the world is performed, and next the worship of maidens; those above five and below ten years of age are auspicious.
अनुत्पन्नऋतुर्वापि तां प्रयत्नेन पूजयेत् । गंधपुष्पाक्षतैर्धूपैर्दीपतांबूलभूषणैः
Even if she is not of age, one should worship her with effort, using fragrance, flowers, unbroken rice, incense, lamp, betel, and ornaments.
पाठयेदप्यमुं मंत्रं पूजकः कन्यकामिमाम्
The worshipper should also recite this mantra over the maiden.
सत्यं ब्रूहि प्रियं ब्रूहि भगवति सरस्वति नमस्ते नमस्त इति
"Speak the truth, speak what is dear, O Goddess Sarasvati, obeisance, obeisance to you."
गायत्र्यानुक्रमार्थात्तु दूर्वायुग्मं तु कारयेत् । सन्निधौ पुस्तकस्याधः सहस्रपरमेत्यृचा
According to the order of the Gayatri, one should prepare a pair of darbha grass, and place it beneath the book, together with the Sahasraparameṭṛcā verse.
दूर्वायुग्मत्रयं दद्यात्तस्या हस्ते विचक्षणः । सा प्रक्षिपेत्पुस्तसंधौ शलाकात्रयमन्वनु
The wise one should give three pairs of darbha grass into her hand; she should then place three sticks between the leaves of the book, one after another.
विसृज्यतां पुनर्दद्याच्छिवाभ्यां नम इत्यथ । पत्रयोर्मध्यमः श्लोकः कार्यसिद्धेर्हि सूचकः
After releasing them, he should again offer them, saying, 'Obeisance to Shiva and Parvati'; the middle verse between the leaves is the indicator of success in the task.
पूर्वपत्रे समाप्तिः स्याच्छ्लोकस्य यदि राघव । परपत्रे पठेच्छ्लोकं विविच्यार्थमुदीरयेत्
If the verse ends on the first leaf, O Raghava, it is concluded; if it is on the other leaf, one should read the verse and explain its meaning.
शनैःशनैः पठेत्प्राज्ञो व्याख्यासेच्च शनैःशनैः । त्वरेह न हि कर्तव्या कुप्यति त्वरया तु गीः
The wise should read slowly, and also explain slowly; one should not act with haste here, for speech becomes disturbed by haste.
घटिकायास्तु पादः स्यादत्वरास्यात्ततोधिका । त्वरयेन्न च वक्तारं ज्ञातव्यांशमनुद्विजम्
A quarter of a ghaṭikā is allowed for haste, but not more; the reciter should not be hurried, and the meaning should be understood without agitation.
विविच्य पाठं श्लोकस्य निश्चित्यार्थं च मानसे । प्रतीपं तन्न वक्तव्यं विविच्य रघुनंदन
Having carefully read the verse and determined its meaning in the mind, one should not speak contrary to it, O descendant of Raghu.
यदि युक्तमयुक्तं वा श्लोकमन्यं पठेदसौ । पुस्तकस्थं च हित्वैव पूजकः स द्विजो यदि
If the worshipper, being a twice-born, reads another verse, whether appropriate or not, leaving aside the one in the book,
तत्तथैव हि विज्ञेयं विसंवादो न शस्यते । दैवागतो हि स श्लोको दैवं हि बलवत्तरम्
That should be understood just as it is; contradiction is not praised, for that verse has come by divine will, and fate is indeed stronger.
उपश्रुतिषु यद्वच्च नापराधो द्विजस्य तु । विस्मयो न च कर्तव्यो दैवस्य कुटिला गतिः
Just as in omens, there is no fault for the twice-born; nor should one be astonished, for the ways of fate are crooked.
यत्तत्पदविपर्यासे पत्रे चोपरिवारिणि । तमादेशं तिरस्कृत्य द्वितीयं तु पठेदतः
If, due to word transposition, the verse is on the upper covering leaf, disregarding that indication, one should then read the second.
ततस्तृतीयं पाठ्यं स्यात्ततः कार्यं विवेचनम् । अविसर्गांतपूर्वास्ते पवर्गेतरपंचमाः
After that, the third should be read, and then the meaning considered; those ending without visarga, and the fifth of the other consonant classes.
स्तुतिलिड्वर्जितः श्लोकः शकुनेषु प्रशस्यते । अध्यायादिः समाप्तिश्च वृथा पत्रं वृथा लिपिः
A verse lacking praise or the liṭ mood is praised among omens; a chapter beginning or ending, a useless leaf, or a useless script,