Chapter 98

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Of what kind is the gift of light, O chief ofBharata’s race? How did this gift originate? What are the merits thatattach to it? Do thou tell me all this.’

“Bhishma said, ‘In this connection, O Bharata, is recited the oldnarrative of the discourse between Manu, that lord of creatures, andSuvarna. There was in days of yore an ascetic, O Bharata, of the name ofSuvarna. His complexion was like that of gold and hence he was calledSuvarna (the gold-complexioned), Endued with a pure lineage, goodbehaviour, and excellent accomplishments, he had mastered all the Vedas.Indeed, by the accomplishments he possessed, he succeeded in surpassingmany persons of high lineage. One day that learned Brahmana saw Manu, thelord of all creatures, and approached him. Meeting with each other, theymade the usual enquiries of politeness. Both of them were firm in theobservance of truth. They sat down on the delightful breast of Meru, gnatmountain of gold. Seated there they began to converse with each other ondiverse subjects connected with the high-souled deities and regenerateRishis and Daityas of ancient times. Then Suvarna, addressing theSelf-born Menu, said these words, ‘It behoveth thee to answer onequestion of mine for the benefit of all creatures. O lord of allcreatures, the deities are seen to be worshipped with presents of flowersand other good scents. What is this? How has this practice beenoriginated? What also are the merits that attach to it? Do thou discourseto me on this topic.'”

“Manu said, ‘In this connection is recited the old history of thediscourse between Sukra and the high-souled (Daitya) Vali. Once on atime, Sukra of Bhrigu’s race approached the presence of Vali, the son ofVirochana, while he was ruling the three worlds. The chief of the Asuras,that giver of sacrificial presents in abundance, having worshipped thedescendant of Bhrigu with the Arghya (and offering him a seat), sat downafter his guest had seated himself. This very topic that thou haststarted relating to the merits attaching to the gift of flowers andincense and lamps, came up on the occasion. Indeed, the chief of theDaityas put this high question to Sukra, that most learned of allascetics.’

“Vali said, ‘O foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, what,indeed, is the merit of giving flowers and incense and lamps? It behoveththee, O foremost of Brahmanas, to discourse to me on this.’

“Sukra said, ‘Penance first sprang into life. Afterwards came Dharma (orcompassion and other virtues). In the interval between started into lifemany creepers and herbs.[439] Innumerable were the species of those. Allof them have (the deity) Soma for their lord. Some of these creepers andherbs came to be regarded as Amrita and some came to be regarded asPoison. Others that were neither this nor that formed one class. That isAmrita which gives immediate gratification and joy to the mind. That isPoison which tortures the mind exceedingly by its odour. Know again thatAmrita is highly auspicious and that Poison is highly inauspicious. Allthe (deciduous) herbs are Amrita. Poison is born of the energy of fire.Flowers gladden the mind and confer prosperity. Hence, men of righteousdeeds bestowed the name Sumanas on them. That man who is in a state ofpurity offers flowers into the deities finds that the deities becomegratified with him, and as the consequence of such gratification bestowprosperity upon him. O ruler of the Daityas, those deities unto whomworshippers offer flowers, O lord, uttering their names the while, becomegratified with the offers in consequence of their devotion. The(deciduous) herbs are of diverse kinds and possess diverse kinds ofenergy. They should be classed as fierce, mild, and powerful. Listen tome as I tell thee which trees are useful for purposes of sacrifice andwhich are not so. Hear also what garlands are acceptable to Asuras, andwhat are beneficial when offered to the deities. I shall also set forthin their due order what garlands are agreeable to the Rakshasas, what tothe Uragas, what to the Yakshas, what to human beings, and what to thePitris, in proper order. Flowers are of diverse kinds. Some are wild,some are from trees that grew in the midst of human habitations; somebelong to trees that never grow unless planted on well-tilled soil; someare from trees growing on mountains; some are from trees that are notprickly; and some from trees that are prickly. Fragrance, beauty of form,and taste also may offer grounds of classification. The scent thatflowers yield is of two kinds, agreeable and disagreeable. Those flowersthat emit agreeable scent should be offered to the deities. The flowersof trees that are destitute of thorns are generally white in hue. Suchflowers are always acceptable to the deities, O lord! One possessed ofwisdom should offer garlands of aquatic flowers, such as the lotus andthe like, unto the Gandharvas and Nagas and Yakshas. Such plants andherbs as produce red flowers, as are possessed of keen scent, and as areprickly, have been laid down in the Atharvana as fit for all acts ofincantation for injuring foes. Such flowers as are possessed of keenenergy, as are painful to the touch, as grow on trees and plants havingthorns, and as are either bloody-red or black, should be offered to(evil) spirits and unearthly beings. Such flowers as gladden the mind andheart, as are very agreeable when pressed, and as are of beautiful form,have been said, O lord, to be worthy of being offered to human beings.Such flowers as grow on cemeteries and crematoria, or in places dedicatedto the deities, should not be brought and used for marriage and otherrites having growth and prosperity for their object, or for acts ofdalliance and pleasure in secrecy. Such flowers as are born on mountainsand in vales, and as are agreeable in scent and aspect, should be offeredunto the deities. Sprinkling them with sandal-paste, such agreeableflowers should be duly offered according to the ordinances of thescriptures. The deities become gratified with the scent of flowers; theYakshas and Rakshasas with their sight, the Nagas with their touch; andhuman beings with all three, viz., scent, sight, and touch. Flowers, whenoffered to the deities gratify them immediately. They are capable ofaccomplishing every object by merely wishing its accomplishment. As such,when gratified with devotees offering them flowers, they cause all theobjects cherished by their worshippers to be immediately accomplished.Gratified, they gratify their worshippers. Honoured, they cause theirworshippers to enjoy all honours. Disregarded and insulted, they causethose vilest of men to be ruined and consumed. I shall, after this, speakto thee of the merits that attach to the ordinances about the gift ofincense. Know, O prince of Asuras, that incenses are of diverse kinds.Some of them are auspicious and some in-auspicious. Some incenses consistof exudations. Some are made of fragrant wood set on fire. And some areartificial, being made by the hand, of diverse articles mixed together.Their scent is of two kinds, viz., agreeable and disagreeable. Listen tome as I discourse on the subject in detail.[440] All exudations exceptthat of the Boswellia serrata are agreeable to the deities. It is,however, certain that the best of all exudations is that of theBalsamodendron Mukul. Of all Dhupas of the Sari class, the AquilariaAgallocha is the best. It is very agreeable to the Yakshas, theRakshasas, and Nagas. The exudation of the Boswellia serrata, and othersof the same class, are much desired by the Daityas. Dhupas made of theexudation of the Shorea robusta and the Pinus deodara, mixed with variousspirits of strong scent, are, O king, ordained for human beings. SuchDhupas are said to immediately gratify the deities, the Danavas, andspirits. Besides these, there are many other kinds of Dhupas used by menof purposes of pleasure or enjoyment. All the merits that have beenspoken of as attaching to the offer of flowers should be known equally toattach to the gift of such Dhupas as are productive of gratification. Ishall now speak of the merits that attach to the gift of lights, and whomay give them at what time and in what manner, and what should be thekind of lights that should be offered. Light is said to be energy andfame and has an upward motion. Hence the gift of light, which is energy,enhances the energy of men[441]. There is a hell of the name ofAndhatamas. The period also of the sun’s southward course is regarded asdark. For escaping that hell and the darkness of this period, one shouldgive lights during the period when the sun is in his northward course.Such an act is applauded by the good.[442] Since, again, light has anupward course and is regarded as a remedy for darkness, therefore, oneshould be a giver of light. Even this is the conclusion of thescriptures. It is owing to the lights offered that the deities havebecome endued with beauty, energy, and resplendence. By abstention fromsuch an act, the Rakshasas have become, endued with the oppositeattributes. Hence, one should always give lights. By giving lights a manbecomes endued with keen vision and resplendence One that gives lightsshould not be an object of jealousy with others. Lights, again, shouldnot be stolen, nor extinguished when given by others. One that steals alight becomes blind. Such a man has to grope through darkness (in thenext world) and becomes destitute of resplendence. One that gives lightsshines in beauty in the celestial regions like a row of lights. Amonglights, the best are those in which ghee is burnt. Next in order arethose in which the juice of (the fruits yielded by) deciduous herbs isburnt. One desirous of advancement and growth should never burn (forlight) fat or marrow or the juice that flows from the bones ofcreatures.[443] The man who desires his own advancement and prosperityshould always give lights at descents from mountains, in roads throughforests and inaccessible regions, under sacred trees standing in themidst of human habitations, and in crossings of streets. The man whogives lights always illumines his race, attains to purity of soul andeffulgence of form. Verily, such a man, after death, attains to thecompanionship of the luminous bodies in the firmament. I shall nowdiscourse to thee upon the merits, with the fruits they bring about, thatattach to Vali offerings made to the deities, the Yakshas, the Uragas,human beings, spirits, and Rakshasas. Those unscrupulous and wicked menthat eat without first serving Brahmanas and deities and guests andchildren, should be known as Rakshasas. Hence, one should first offer thefood one has got ready unto the deities after having worshipped them dulywith restrained senses and concentrated attention. One should offer theVali unto the deities, bending one head in reverence. The deities arealways supported by food that householders offer. Verily, they bless suchhouses in which offerings are made to them. The Yakshas and Rakshasas andPannagas, as also guests and all homeless persons, are supported by thefood that are offered by persons leading the domestic mode of life,Indeed, the deities and the Pitris derive their sustenance from suchofferings. Gratified with such offerings they gratify the offerer inreturn with longevity and fame and wealth. Clean food, of agreeable scentand appearance, mixed with milk and curds, should, along with flowers, beoffered to the deities. The Valis that should be offered to Yakshas andRakshasas should be rich with blood and meat, with wines and spiritsaccompanying, and adorned with coatings of fried paddy.[444] Valis mixedwith lotuses and Utpalas are very agreeable to the Nagas. Sesame seeds,boiled in raw sugar, should be offered to the spirits and other unearthlyBeings. He who never takes any food without first serving therefrom theBrahmanas and deities and guests, becomes entitled to first portions offood. Such a man becomes endued with strength and energy. Hence, oneshould never take any food without first offering a portion thereof tothe deities after worshipping them with reverence. One’s house alwaysblazes forth with beauty in consequence of the household deities thatlive in it. Hence, he that desires his own advancement and prosperityshould worship the household deities by offering them the first portionof every food. Even thus did the learned Kavi of Bhrigu’s race discourseto Vali, the chief of the Asuras. That discourse was next recited by Manuunto the Rishi Suvarna, Suvarna, in his turn, recited it to Narada. Thecelestial Rishi Narada recited unto me the merits that attach to theseveral acts mentioned. Informed of those merits, do thou, O son, performthe several acts mentioned!'”