ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च मार्तंडं नारदेरितम् । मार्कंडेयमथाग्नेयं कौर्मं वामनमेव च
Brāhma, Padma, Vaiṣṇava, Mārtaṇḍa, Nārada, Mārkaṇḍeya, Agneya, Kaurma, and Vāmana as well.
गारुडं लैंगमाख्यातं स्कांदं मात्स्यं नृसिंहकम् । तथैव गदितं राम पुराणं कापिलं तथा
Gāruḍa, Laiṅga, Skānda, Mātsya, Nṛsiṃha, likewise the Rāma Purāṇa and Kāpila as well.
वाराहं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं शकुनेषु प्रशस्यते । शैवं भागवतं दौर्गं भविष्योत्तरमेव च
Vārāha, Brahmavaivarta, are praised among the birds; Śaiva, Bhāgavata, Daurga, and Bhaviṣyottara as well.
भविष्यं चोपसंज्ञानि त्वन्यानि च विवर्जयेत् । विमुच्य पुस्तकं रत्नपीठे निक्षिप्य संस्कृतम्
One should avoid the Bhaviṣya and other supplementary texts; after purifying, place the book on a jeweled seat.
धौतवस्त्रधरः स्नात्वा शुचिरक्रोधनोऽज्वरः । आदावात्मानमभ्यर्च्य कृत्वा संकल्पमेव च
Wearing clean clothes, having bathed, pure, free from anger and fever, first worship oneself and make a resolve.
अंकुशं चाक्षसूत्रं च पाशं पुस्तकमेव च । धारयंतीं सितां ध्यायेत्प्रसन्नास्यां सरस्वतीम्
Meditate on Sarasvatī, holding a goad, rosary, noose, and book, fair in color, with a serene face.
गोक्षीरसदृशाकारं त्रिनेत्रं वृषवाहनम् । सहासवदनं शांतं शुक्लांबरधरं शिवम्
With a form like cow's milk, three-eyed, riding a bull, smiling, peaceful, clad in white, Shiva.
हरिणं चाभयं चोर्द्ध्वबाहुयुग्मं किरीटिनम् । व्याख्यामुद्रा चं दक्षेधो वामहस्ते वरप्रदम्
A deer, the gesture of fearlessness, two raised arms, crowned; the gesture of explanation in the right hand, boon-giving in the left.
नानारत्नविभूषाढ्यं गिरिजार्द्धांबुजासनम् । बहुभिर्मुनिमुख्यैस्तु ध्यायमान पदांबुजम्
Adorned with various jewels, seated on a lotus with Girijā on one half, worshipped by many foremost sages at his lotus feet.
मूर्तिमद्भिस्तथा वेदैः स्तूयमानं पुराणकैः । अन्यैः समस्तलोकैश्च संसेवितपदांबुजम्
Praised by Vedas with form, by Purāṇas, and served by all worlds, his lotus feet are attended.
ध्यात्वैवं पूजकः सम्यगादौ पूजां समारभेत् । आपो वा इदमित्येतत्कलशस्याभिमंत्रणम्
Having thus meditated, the worshipper should properly begin the worship at the outset; the mantra for consecrating the pot is: 'This indeed is water.'
तज्जलं च गृहीत्वा च पात्रस्थमभिमंत्रयेत् । तत्सद्ब्रह्मेति मंत्रेण प्रशस्य प्रणवेन तु
Then, taking that water, he should enchant it while it is in the vessel, using the mantra 'That is true Brahman,' along with the excellent syllable Om.
आत्मानं सर्वपात्राणि तत आवाहयेदिति । यद्वागिति तृचेनैव भारती षोडशार्चनम्
He should invoke himself and all the vessels with the mantra, 'Let him be invoked here,' or else, with the threefold verse beginning 'yad vāg,' perform the sixteenfold worship of Sarasvati.
पुरुषसूक्तेन वा कुर्याद्गायत्र्या वा समर्चयेत् । ॐ नमो भगवते अमुक पुराणेति पुराणमर्चयेत्
He may perform the worship with the Purusha Sukta or with the Gayatri, or worship the Purana with the mantra: 'Om, obeisance to the blessed one, to such-and-such Purana.'
कांडादिति हि मंत्रेण दूर्वामानीय पूजयेत् । ॐ नमो भगवत्यै दूर्वायै इति
With the mantra 'Kanda,' he should bring and worship the sacred grass, saying: 'Om, obeisance to the blessed Durva.'
सलोकपाल पूजा स्यादथ कन्या समर्चनम् । वत्सरात्पंचकादूर्द्ध्वं दशवर्षादधः शुभाः
Then comes the worship of the guardians of the worlds, and next the honoring of a maiden; auspicious are those above five and below ten years of age.
अनुत्पन्नऋतुर्वापि तां प्रयत्नेन पूजयेत् । गंधपुष्पाक्षतैर्धूपैर्दीपतांबूलभूषणैः
Or, even if she has not reached puberty, she should be worshipped with care, with fragrance, flowers, rice grains, incense, lamps, betel, and ornaments.
पाठयेदप्यमुं मंत्रं पूजकः कन्यकामिमाम्
The worshipper should also recite this mantra to the maiden:
सत्यं ब्रूहि प्रियं ब्रूहि भगवति सरस्वति नमस्ते नमस्त इति
'Speak truth, speak kindly, O blessed Sarasvati, obeisance, obeisance to you.'
गायत्र्यानुक्रमार्थात्तु दूर्वायुग्मं तु कारयेत् । सन्निधौ पुस्तकस्याधः सहस्रपरमेत्यृचा
According to the order of the Gayatri, he should prepare a pair of sacred grasses; in the presence of the book, beneath it, with the verse 'sahasraparam.'
दूर्वायुग्मत्रयं दद्यात्तस्या हस्ते विचक्षणः । सा प्रक्षिपेत्पुस्तसंधौ शलाकात्रयमन्वनु
The wise one should place a set of three pairs of sacred grasses in her hand; she should then insert three sticks at the joint 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 the middle verse between the leaves is the indicator of the accomplishment of the task.
पूर्वपत्रे समाप्तिः स्याच्छ्लोकस्य यदि राघव । परपत्रे पठेच्छ्लोकं विविच्यार्थमुदीरयेत्
If the verse ends on the previous leaf, O Raghava, it is concluded; if it is on the next leaf, he should read the verse, carefully discerning its meaning.
शनैःशनैः पठेत्प्राज्ञो व्याख्यासेच्च शनैःशनैः । त्वरेह न हि कर्तव्या कुप्यति त्वरया तु गीः
The wise should read slowly and explain slowly; haste should not be made here, for speech becomes disturbed by haste.
घटिकायास्तु पादः स्यादत्वरास्यात्ततोधिका । त्वरयेन्न च वक्तारं ज्ञातव्यांशमनुद्विजम्
A quarter of a ghaṭikā should be allotted, and if there is haste, a little 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, it should not be spoken contrary to that, O descendant of Raghu.
यदि युक्तमयुक्तं वा श्लोकमन्यं पठेदसौ । पुस्तकस्थं च हित्वैव पूजकः स द्विजो यदि
If he reads another verse, whether appropriate or not, leaving aside the one in the book, if the worshipper is a twice-born,
तत्तथैव हि विज्ञेयं विसंवादो न शस्यते । दैवागतो हि स श्लोको दैवं हि बलवत्तरम्
It should be understood just as it is; contradiction is not praised. That verse has come by divine will, for fate is indeed more powerful.
उपश्रुतिषु यद्वच्च नापराधो द्विजस्य तु । विस्मयो न च कर्तव्यो दैवस्य कुटिला गतिः
And as for what is heard in omens, there is no fault in the twice-born; nor should one be astonished, for the ways of fate are crooked.
यत्तत्पदविपर्यासे पत्रे चोपरिवारिणि । तमादेशं तिरस्कृत्य द्वितीयं तु पठेदतः
When there is a reversal of words, or when the leaf is covered above, disregarding that indication, one should read the second one thereafter.