A guide to the rites of the tenth day,
Most of us meet Vijayadaśamī as a spectacle: crowds, fireworks, a towering effigy in flames. Behind the spectacle lies something quieter and far older. The dharmaśāstra digests treat this day as a threshold. It is the day the Devī’s nine nights are completed, the day Rāma is said to have set out for Laṅkā, and the day a king rode beyond his city to begin his campaign.
The texts prescribe four acts for the afternoon. First comes the worship of Aparājitā, the Unconquered Devī. Then the worship of the Śamī tree. Then the crossing of one’s boundary (sīmollaṅghana). Finally, a homecoming in which one is welcomed back as a victor (Kane, History of Dharmaśāstra V.1, p. 190, from the Dharmasindhu p. 96). This post walks through each of them, verse by verse, and closes with what each can mean in a modern home.
The rites belong to the aparāhṇa, the afternoon, which is the third fifth of the day. Pradoṣa, the evening twilight, is only a secondary time (Kane p. 188).
Why the day is called “Vijaya”
The name is not a loose word for victory. In the digests it marks two precise things: a particular tithi, and a particular moment within it.
The tithi of Rāma’s march
Hemādri (vrata I, p. 973) and the Nirṇayasindhu (p. 189) quote the sage Kaśyapa on this point (Translation only). In Kane’s rendering (p. 189), if Daśamī touches sunrise, Ekādaśī follows, and Śravaṇa nakṣatra holds in the afternoon, that tithi is called Vijayā. And since Rāma set out on his campaign under Śravaṇa, people should cross the boundary of their village on that day and nakṣatra.
The digests quote this verse to fix Āśvina Śukla Daśamī. In their tradition, then, Rāma set out in the month of Āśvina, on the bright tenth, under Śravaṇa. The verse itself, as Kane translates it, does not name the month.
The moment of the rising stars
The Vrata-paricaya (p. 142) quotes the Jyotirnibandha on the Vijaya kāla:
आश्विनस्य सिते पक्षे दशम्यां तारकोदये ।
स कालो विजयो ज्ञेयः सर्वकार्यार्थसिद्धये ॥
āśvinasya site pakṣe daśamyāṃ tārakodaye |
sa kālo vijayo jñeyaḥ sarvakāryārthasiddhaye ||
“On the tenth of the bright fortnight of Āśvina, when the stars rise: that time is to be known as Vijaya, for success in every undertaking.”
The Nirṇayasindhu (p. 189, via Kane) quotes a different verse with the same sense: the time just after evening twilight, as the first stars appear. Bhṛgu adds that the 11th muhūrta of the day is also called Vijaya. This is why Vijayadaśamī counts among the three most auspicious days of the year, alongside Caitra Śukla Pratipadā and Kārtika Śukla Pratipadā (Kane p. 189).
Which day to take. The Vrata-paricaya (p. 142) says a Daśamī joined with the preceding Navamī is forbidden, and one joined with the following tithi is pure. Best of all is a Daśamī with Śravaṇa that holds at sunrise. Kane (p. 188) reports more detailed rules from the Nirṇayasindhu; where the two differ, follow your own tradition’s pañcāṅga.
Vālmīki uses the same word
When Rāma is ready to march on Laṅkā, he chooses the hour himself (Verified):
अस्मिन् मुहूर्ते सुग्रीव प्रयाणमभिरोचये ।
युक्तो मुहूर्तो विजयः प्राप्तो मध्यं दिवाकरः ॥
asmin muhūrte sugrīva prayāṇam abhirocaye |
yukto muhūrto vijayaḥ prāpto madhyaṃ divākaraḥ ||
“Sugrīva, I favour setting out at this very moment. The muhūrta called Vijaya is fitting; the sun has reached midday.” (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa 4.3)
Vālmīki gives no month for the march. Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 30 shows the rains over and śarad (autumn) begun before the search for Sītā, so the march falls after the monsoon. He names the nakṣatra as Uttara Phalgunī (Yuddha 4.5), not Śravaṇa. The epic and the digest tradition therefore differ on the nakṣatra, while agreeing on the spirit of the moment: the waiting is over.
1. First, invoke the Unconquered: Aparājitā-pūjā
Before one sets out, one calls on Aparājitā, the Devī as the power that no obstacle can defeat. She is worshipped first, in the afternoon, with two companions: Jayā on her right and Vijayā on her left (Dharmasindhu p. 96, via Kane p. 190). Jayā is invoked as Kriyāśakti, the power of action, and Vijayā as Umā.
The texts give two ways to set up the worship. They differ on one point only: whether an image is used.
The Dharmasindhu’s way
1. In the afternoon, go to the north-east of the village and purify a clean spot.
2. Draw an eight-segmented figure with sandal paste or similar.
3. Make the saṅkalpa, then invoke Aparājitā at the centre of the figure.
4. Invoke Jayā on her right and Vijayā on her left.
5. Worship all three with the sixteen upacāras.
6. Pray for protection and bid the Devī return to her abode.
Here the drawn figure is itself the Devī’s seat. No image is needed.
The Nirṇayāmṛta’s way
The Vrata-paricaya (pp. 147–148, Printed) quotes the Nirṇayāmṛta: Aparājitā is worshipped on Daśamī before setting out, with a clay image.
1. Form an eight-petal lotus of akṣata and the like, and place a clay image (mūrti) on it.
2. Install Aparājitā with ॐ अपराजितायै नमः (oṃ aparājitāyai namaḥ).
3. Install Jayā on her right with ॐ क्रियाशक्त्यै नमः (oṃ kriyāśaktyai namaḥ).
4. Install Vijayā on her left with ॐ उमायै नमः (oṃ umāyai namaḥ).
5. Worship them with āvāhana and the other upacāras, and pray to all three with the verses below.
6. Tie the Aparājitā thread on the right arm.
The names to invoke
These names are given by Kane (p. 190) (Matched):
Devī | Invocation | Worship |
Aparājitā (centre) | अपराजितायै नमः · aparājitāyai namaḥ | अपराजितायै नमः · aparājitāyai namaḥ |
Jayā (right) | क्रियाशक्त्यै नमः · kriyāśaktyai namaḥ | जयायै नमः · jayāyai namaḥ |
Vijayā (left) | उमायै नमः · umāyai namaḥ | विजयायै नमः · vijayāyai namaḥ |
The prayer to Jayā, Vijayā and Aparājitā
From the Vrata-paricaya (p. 148, Printed):
चारुणा मुखपद्मेन विचित्रकनकोज्ज्वला ।
जया देवी भवे भक्ता सर्वकामान् ददातु मे ॥
कांचनेन विचित्रेण केयूरेण विभूषिता ।
जयप्रदा महामाया शिवभावितमानसा ॥
विजया च महाभागा ददातु विजयं मम ।
हारेण सुविचित्रेण भास्वत्कनकमेखला ।
अपराजिता रुद्ररता करोतु विजयं मम ॥
cāruṇā mukhapadmena vicitrakanakojjvalā |
jayā devī bhave bhaktā sarvakāmān dadātu me ||
kāñcanena vicitreṇa keyūreṇa vibhūṣitā |
jayapradā mahāmāyā śivabhāvitamānasā ||
vijayā ca mahābhāgā dadātu vijayaṃ mama |
hāreṇa suvicitreṇa bhāsvatkanakamekhalā |
aparājitā rudraratā karotu vijayaṃ mama ||
“May Jayā Devī, lovely of lotus face, radiant with wondrous gold, devoted to Bhava, grant me all my desires. Adorned with a wondrous golden armlet, giver of victory, the great Māyā whose mind dwells on Śiva: may Vijayā, most blessed, grant me victory. With a most wondrous necklace and a shining golden girdle, devoted to Rudra: may Aparājitā grant me victory.”
The Dharmasindhu gives the last verse on its own (via Kane p. 190), and reads it as hāreṇa tu vicitreṇa… bhadraratā (“delighting in the good”).
The farewell
From the Vrata-paricaya (p. 141, Printed):
इमां पूजां मया देवि यथाशक्त्योपपादिताम् ।
रक्षार्थं त्वं समादाय व्रज स्वस्थानमुत्तमम् ॥
imāṃ pūjāṃ mayā devi yathāśaktyopapāditām |
rakṣārthaṃ tvaṃ samādāya vraja svasthānam uttamam ||
“O Devī, accept this worship I have offered as far as I am able, and for my protection go to your own supreme abode.”
The Vrata-paricaya prints this verse for the farewell at the end of Navarātri. Kane’s translation of the Dharmasindhu’s Aparājitā farewell matches it word for word (p. 190).
The Aparājitā thread
The Vrata-paricaya (p. 148, Printed) adds a lovely detail. Make a thread from cloth dyed in turmeric, with dūrvā grass and mustard seed placed in it. Consecrate it with this verse:
सदा-अपराजिते यस्मात्त्वं लतासूत्तमा स्मृता ।
सर्वकामार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं तस्मात्त्वां धारयाम्यहम् ॥
Sadā-aparājite yasmāt tvaṃ latāsūttamā smṛtā |
sarvakāmārthasiddhyarthaṃ tasmāt tvāṃ dhārayāmy aham ||
“O ever-unconquered one, since you are known as the best among creepers, I wear you for the fulfilment of every desire.”
Then tie it on the right arm:
जयदे वरदे देवि दशम्यामपराजिते ।
धारयामि भुजे दक्षे जयलाभाभिवृद्धये ॥
jayade varade devi daśamyām aparājite |
dhārayāmi bhuje dakṣe jayalābhābhivṛddhaye ||
“O Devī Aparājitā, giver of victory and boons, on this Daśamī I wear you on my right arm, for the increase of victory and gain.”
In practice today
• Use the north-east corner of your home or terrace if you cannot go outside your locality.
• Draw an eight-petal lotus in rice flour or kumkum and invoke the Devī into it, or make a lotus of akṣata and set a small clay image on it. A picture alone is prescribed by neither tradition.
• Offer the name-mantras with flowers, akṣata, a lamp and naivedya. Five upacāras suffice if sixteen are not possible.
• End with the farewell prayer, then tie the turmeric thread on your right arm.
2. The tree that calms: Śamī-pūjā
The Śamī tree in the north-east of the village is worshipped next, before or after crossing the boundary (Kane p. 190). Its name links it to śamana, calming or appeasement. The link is old. Kane notes that the fire-sticks for Vedic sacrifice were cut from an aśvattha growing inside a Śamī. In the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, Prajāpati calms the fierce, new-born Agni with Śamī (Kane V.2, pp. 724–725), and the same text ties Śamī to śānti (I.2.1). The Mahābhārata adds its own memory: in the Virāṭa Parva, the Pāṇḍavas hid their weapons on a Śamī for their year in disguise.
The Vedic line
From the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (VI.9.2), as Kane quotes it (p. 194):
शमी शमयास्मदघा द्वेषांसि
śamī śamayāsmad aghā dveṣāṃsi
“O Śamī, quell our sins and enmities.”
The verse of taking refuge
From Hemādri (vrata I, p. 971), the Nirṇayasindhu (p. 190) and the Dharmasindhu (p. 96), via Kane (p. 191, n. 488) (Matched):
अमङ्गलानां च शमनीं शमनीं दुष्कृतस्य च ।
दुःस्वप्ननाशिनीं धन्यां प्रपद्येऽहं शमीं शुभाम् ॥
amaṅgalānāṃ ca śamanīṃ śamanīṃ duṣkṛtasya ca |
duḥsvapnanāśinīṃ dhanyāṃ prapadye ’haṃ śamīṃ śubhām ||
“I take refuge in the blessed, auspicious Śamī, who quells what is inauspicious, quells evil deeds and destroys bad dreams.”
The Śamī prayer
From the Vrata-paricaya (pp. 143–144, Printed):
शमी शमय मे पापं शमी लोहितकण्टका ।
धारिण्यर्जुनबाणानां रामस्य प्रियवादिनी ॥
करिष्यमाणयात्रायां यथाकालं सुखं मम ।
तत्र निर्विघ्नकर्त्री त्वं भव श्रीरामपूजिते ॥
śamī śamaya me pāpaṃ śamī lohitakaṇṭakā |
dhāriṇy arjunabāṇānāṃ rāmasya priyavādinī ||
kariṣyamāṇayātrāyāṃ yathākālaṃ sukhaṃ mama |
tatra nirvighnakartrī tvaṃ bhava śrīrāmapūjite ||
“O Śamī, quell my sin. Śamī of red thorns, bearer of Arjuna’s arrows, who spoke pleasingly to Rāma: on the journey I am about to make, at the right time, may it go well for me. There, O Śamī worshipped by Śrī Rāma, be the remover of every obstacle.”
The readings differ slightly. The Vrata-paricaya has śamaya me pāpaṃ (“quell my sin”) and sukhaṃ mama. The version on Drik Panchang has śamayate pāpaṃ (“quells sin”) and sukhaṃ mayā. Kane’s translation of the Nirṇayasindhu fits either. The popular version (śatruvināśinī… arjunasya dhanurdhārī… priyadarśinī) matches neither source.
The aśmantaka tree
The Vrata-paricaya (pp. 143–144, Printed) worships the aśmantaka together with the Śamī, not only in its absence. It glosses Śamī as jāṇṭī or khejaḍā, and aśmantaka as kovidāra or kacanāra. The Dharmasindhu and the Puruṣārtha-cintāmaṇi allow the aśmantaka when no Śamī is available (Kane p. 192). Worship the Śamī first, then the aśmantaka:
अश्मन्तक महावृक्ष महादोषनिवारक ।
इष्टानां दर्शनं देहि शत्रूणां च विनाशनम् ॥
aśmantaka mahāvṛkṣa mahādoṣanivāraka |
iṣṭānāṃ darśanaṃ dehi śatrūṇāṃ ca vināśanam ||
“O aśmantaka, great tree, remover of great faults: grant me the sight of those dear to me, and the destruction of my enemies.”
What to bring home
The two sources describe different things to carry home.
• The Vrata-paricaya (p. 145): take leaves of the Śamī, the aśmantaka or both. Put in them a little soil from the place of worship, some rice and one betel nut, tie them in a cloth, and keep it with you for success in your undertakings.
• The Dharmasindhu (via Kane p. 192): take a little wet clay from the Śamī’s root, with akṣata, home with song and music. It also says that cutting Śamī twigs to take home has no śāstric basis.
Taking a few leaves is not the same as breaking branches.
In practice today
1. After the Aparājitā-pūjā, go to a Śamī: in a temple, a park, or a pot at home. Worship an aśmantaka (kacanāra) too, if one is near.
2. Sprinkle the ground at the root of the Śamī with water, and sit facing east or north (Vrata-paricaya p. 143).
3. Offer water, kumkum, akṣata, flowers and a lamp.
4. Recite the verse of taking refuge, amaṅgalānāṃ ca śamanīṃ…
5. Recite the Śamī prayer, śamī śamaya me pāpaṃ…, then worship the aśmantaka with aśmantaka mahāvṛkṣa…
6. Circumambulate the tree. This is general pūjā practice, not specified in either source.
7. Pluck a few leaves (never branches). Tie them with a little soil, rice and a betel nut in a cloth, and carry the bundle home.
3. Crossing the line: Sīmollaṅghana
Sīmollaṅghana means crossing the boundary (sīmā) of one’s village. The digests ground it in Rāma setting out under Śravaṇa (Kaśyapa, above). No separate verse is prescribed for the crossing itself. Everyone goes out past the village boundary, towards the Śamī in the north-east (Kane p. 190).
Kane holds that the festival itself began as the opening of the campaign season, when the rains end and the rivers subside (p. 194).
The king’s march
The Vrata-paricaya (pp. 142–147, Printed) describes the full royal rite. The king begins in the morning, after his bath and daily rites, with this saṅkalpa:
मम क्षेमारोग्यादिसिद्ध्यर्थं यात्रायां विजयसिद्ध्यर्थं गणपतिमातृकामार्गदेवतापराजिताशमीपूजनानि करिष्ये ।
mama kṣemārogyādisiddhyarthaṃ yātrāyāṃ vijayasiddhyarthaṃ gaṇapatimātṛkāmārgadevatāparājitāśamīpūjanāni kariṣye |
“For my welfare, health and the rest, and for victory on the march, I shall worship Gaṇapati, the Mātṛkās, the deities of the road, Aparājitā and the Śamī.”
1. He worships these deities, his weapons, armour and horses, and his elders, each with its own mantra.
2. In the afternoon he rides out in procession with elephants, horses and chariots, beyond the city to the north-east, where the Śamī and aśmantaka stand.
3. He dismounts, worships the Śamī and the aśmantaka, and takes the bundle of leaves, soil, rice and betel nut.
4. With his ācārya’s blessing, he circumambulates Viṣṇu towards the east.
5. Holding the form of his enemy in his heart and an image of him (a figure or a picture) before his eyes, he pierces its vital spot with a golden arrow. The book adds “or a cannon or gun”.
6. Sword in hand, he goes to all four directions around the tree, beginning from the south, conquering every direction. He declares that the enemy is conquered.
7. He returns to the city as before, receives nīrājana at the entrance gate, and enters.
Rāvaṇa-vadha
The one rite the Vrata-paricaya (p. 148, Printed) calls “Rāvaṇa-vadha”, citing the Vratotsava, is this same act: make a likeness of the enemy, an image or a picture, and pierce its vital spot with a golden arrow. No burning is described. The burning of Rāvaṇa’s effigy comes from the Rāmalīlā tradition, not from these texts.
In practice today
1. In the afternoon, walk past the limit of your colony, lane or village.
2. Do the Śamī-pūjā there. The digests allow it before or after the crossing.
3. Decide the one undertaking you will begin today. Seeing the crossing as stepping past an inner limit too is an application, not śāstra.
4. Return home carrying your bundle of Śamī leaves and soil.
4. Coming home victorious: Nīrājana, Āyudha-pūjā and Vidyārambha
On returning, one is welcomed home as a victor. The day is then used to honour the tools of one’s work and to begin study and new work (Kane pp. 189–190, 192).
The homecoming
The person returns with the Śamī clay or bundle (Translation only). With family and relatives, they wear new clothes and ornaments. The young women of the house wave lamps before them as an auspicious rite, nīrājana (Nirṇayasindhu p. 190, Dharmasindhu p. 96, via Kane p. 192, n. 494). For kings, the digests add nīrājana of horses, elephants and soldiers (Kane p. 193), and the Vrata-paricaya has the king receive nīrājana at the city gate on his return (p. 147).
Āyudha-pūjā: worship of weapons and royal insignia
The Vrata-paricaya (pp. 142–148, footnotes) prescribes this worship for kings on Daśamī morning, before the march. Gaṇeśa is worshipped first, then the Mātṛkās and the ancestral deities, then each insignia with its own mantra. Mantras are printed for:
• the umbrella (chatra), fly-whisk (cāmara), sword (khaḍga), dagger (kaṭāra), knife (churikā), armour (kavaca), shield (carma) and bow (cāpa);
• the spear (śakti), lance (kunta), firearm (agni-yantra), noose (pāśa), axe (paraśu), banner (dhvaja), flag (patākā) and golden staff (kanaka-daṇḍa);
• the war drum (dundubhi), conch (śaṅkha), throne (siṃhāsana), horse (aśva), palanquin (śibikā), chariot (ratha) and elephant (gaja).
The sword, for example, is hailed as the one by whom the earth is upheld and Mahiṣāsura was slain. All these mantras are given in full in the appendix. On Mahānavamī the book also has kings worship new horses (p. 140). This is the textual basis for Āyudha-pūjā. For a householder, the equivalent is honouring the tools of one’s own work. Kane treats the wider custom of worshipping weapons and implements of one’s trade as regional (p. 193).
Vidyārambha: the books rest, then learning begins
The Vīramitrodaya, as the Vrata-paricaya quotes it (p. 139), describes a Sarasvatī-śayana from Saptamī to Navamī. Books are worshipped and Sarasvatī is laid to rest, and study and writing are set aside. The worship of the books continues from Saptamī under Mūla to Daśamī under Śravaṇa. Sarasvatī is to be meditated on as four-armed and adorned with every ornament, holding a book and a rudrākṣa rosary in her right hands and a vīṇā and a kamaṇḍalu in her left.
On Vijayadaśamī, learning begins afresh. Kane notes that children begin learning the alphabet on this day with Sarasvatī-pūjana, and that people start new undertakings even when the stars are not otherwise favourable (p. 189). He cites no prescribed verse for this, so none is added here.
In practice today
1. Return home with a song or bhajan, carrying your Śamī bundle.
2. Let the women of the house do āratī (nīrājana) at the door.
3. Wear new clothes and ornaments as a family.
4. Let children begin or resume their study (Vidyārambha) with Sarasvatī-pūjana.
5. Honour the tools of your work, whether books, instruments, vehicles or computers, with flowers and a lamp.
6. Begin new work, ideally in the Vijaya kāla at dusk, when the first stars appear (Nirṇayasindhu p. 189, via Kane).
Setting out
Seen through the texts, Vijayadaśamī is less about an ending than about a beginning. The Devī’s nine nights are complete; the rains are over; the moment the stars rise is the moment of victory. Invoke the Unconquered. Take a little of the Śamī’s calm home with you. Step past your boundary. Then come home, honour your tools, open your books, and begin.
Appendix: Mantras for the weapons and royal insignia
These are the prayer-mantras printed in the footnotes of Vrata-paricaya pp. 142–148, for the king's worship on Vijayadaśamī morning. The Devanāgarī follows the printed page, including its spellings. IAST and translations are mine. Translations marked "sense uncertain" are tentative.
Order of worship (p. 142)
शस्त्रादीनां पूजनविधिः — ततो राजा 'गणेशाय नमः' इति नाममन्त्रेण आवाहनादिषोडशोपचारैः सम्पूज्य एवं मातृकादीनां पितृदेवादीनां च सम्यक् पूजनं विधाय ततः 'छत्राय नमः' इत्यादिमन्त्रेण गन्धादिभिः सम्पूज्य —
śastrādīnāṃ pūjanavidhiḥ — tato rājā 'gaṇeśāya namaḥ' iti nāmamantreṇa āvāhanādiṣoḍaśopacāraiḥ sampūjya evaṃ mātṛkādīnāṃ pitṛdevādīnāṃ ca samyak pūjanaṃ vidhāya tataḥ 'chatrāya namaḥ' ityādimantreṇa gandhādibhiḥ sampūjya —
"The procedure for worshipping the weapons and the rest: the king first worships Gaṇeśa with the name-mantra gaṇeśāya namaḥ, using the sixteen upacāras beginning with āvāhana. He then duly worships the Mātṛkās and the ancestral deities. Then he worships the umbrella with fragrance and the rest, using chatrāya namaḥ and similar name-mantras, and recites:"
Umbrella (chatra)
यथाम्बुदश्छादयति शिवायेमां वसुन्धराम् ।
तथा छादय राजानं विजयारोग्यवृद्धये ॥
yathāmbudaś chādayati śivāyemāṃ vasundharām |
tathā chādaya rājānaṃ vijayārogyavṛddhaye ||
"As a cloud shelters this earth for her good, so shelter the king, for the increase of victory and health."
इति पठेत् । एवं चामरादीनामपि पूजनं कुर्यात् । तेषां प्रार्थनामन्त्रान् एवं पठेत् ।
iti paṭhet | evaṃ cāmarādīnām api pūjanaṃ kuryāt | teṣāṃ prārthanāmantrān evaṃ paṭhet |
"So he should recite. In the same way he should worship the cāmara and the rest, reciting their prayer-mantras as follows."
Fly-whisk (cāmara)
शशांककरसंकाश क्षीरडिण्डीरपाण्डुर ।
प्रोत्सारयाशु दुरितं चामरामरदुर्लभ ॥
śaśāṅkakarasaṃkāśa kṣīraḍiṇḍīrapāṇḍura |
protsārayāśu duritaṃ cāmarāmaradurlabha ||
"O cāmara, bright as the moon's rays, white as the foam of milk, hard even for the gods to obtain: drive away evil quickly."
Sword (khaḍga)
असिर्विशसनः खड्गस्तीक्ष्णधारो दुरासदः ।
श्रीगर्भो विजयश्चैव धर्मधारस्तथैव च ॥
इत्यष्टौ तव नामानि स्वयमुक्तानि वेधसा ।
नक्षत्रं कृत्तिका ते तु गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ॥
हिरण्यं च शरीरं ते धाता देवो जनार्दनः ।
पिता पितामहो देवस्त्वं मां पालय सर्वदा ॥
नीलजीमूतसंकाशस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रः कृशोदरः ।
भावशुद्धोऽमर्षणश्च अतितेजास्तथैव च ॥
इयं येन धृता क्षोणी हतश्च महिषासुरः ।
तीक्ष्णधाराय शुद्धाय तस्मै खड्गाय ते नमः ॥
asir viśasanaḥ khaḍgas tīkṣṇadhāro durāsadaḥ |
śrīgarbho vijayaś caiva dharmadhāras tathaiva ca ||
ity aṣṭau tava nāmāni svayam uktāni vedhasā |
nakṣatraṃ kṛttikā te tu gurur devo maheśvaraḥ ||
hiraṇyaṃ ca śarīraṃ te dhātā devo janārdanaḥ |
pitā pitāmaho devas tvaṃ māṃ pālaya sarvadā ||
nīlajīmūtasaṃkāśas tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭraḥ kṛśodaraḥ |
bhāvaśuddho 'marṣaṇaś ca atitejās tathaiva ca ||
iyaṃ yena dhṛtā kṣoṇī hataś ca mahiṣāsuraḥ |
tīkṣṇadhārāya śuddhāya tasmai khaḍgāya te namaḥ ||
"Asi, Viśasana, Khaḍga, Tīkṣṇadhāra, Durāsada, Śrīgarbha, Vijaya and Dharmadhāra: these eight names of yours the Creator himself declared. Your nakṣatra is Kṛttikā and your presiding deity is Maheśvara. Your body is gold, your maker the god Janārdana, and your father the god Pitāmaha (Brahmā). Protect me always. You are like a dark rain-cloud, sharp-toothed and slender-bellied, pure in nature, unyielding and exceedingly brilliant. By you this earth is upheld and Mahiṣāsura was slain. Salutations to you, sharp-edged and pure: to that sword."
Dagger (kaṭāra)
रक्षांगानि गजान् रक्ष रक्ष वाजिधनानि च ।
मम देहं सदा रक्ष कट्टारक नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
rakṣāṅgāni gajān rakṣa rakṣa vājidhanāni ca |
mama dehaṃ sadā rakṣa kaṭṭāraka namo 'stu te ||
"Protect my limbs; protect the elephants; protect the horses and my wealth. Always protect my body. O dagger, salutations to you."
Knife (churikā)
सर्वायुधानां प्रथमं निर्मितासि पिनाकिना ।
शूलायुधाद् विनिष्कृष्य कृत्वा मुष्टिग्रहं शुभम् ॥
चण्डिकायाः प्रदत्तासि सर्वदुष्टनिबर्हिणी ।
तया विस्तारिता चासि देवानां प्रतिपादिता ॥
सर्वसत्त्वांगभूतासि सर्वाशुभनिबर्हिणी ।
छुरिके रक्ष मां नित्यं शान्तिं यच्छ नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
sarvāyudhānāṃ prathamaṃ nirmitāsi pinākinā |
śūlāyudhād viniṣkṛṣya kṛtvā muṣṭigrahaṃ śubham ||
caṇḍikāyāḥ pradattāsi sarvaduṣṭanibarhiṇī |
tayā vistāritā cāsi devānāṃ pratipāditā ||
sarvasattvāṅgabhūtāsi sarvāśubhanibarhiṇī |
churike rakṣa māṃ nityaṃ śāntiṃ yaccha namo 'stu te ||
"You were made first of all weapons by Pinākin (Śiva), drawn out from his trident and given a fine hilt. You were given to Caṇḍikā, destroyer of all the wicked, and she spread you abroad and bestowed you on the gods. You are part of every being, the destroyer of all that is inauspicious. O knife, protect me always and grant me peace. Salutations to you."
Armour (kavaca)
शर्मप्रदस्त्वं समरे वर्म सर्वायशो नुद ।
रक्ष मां रक्षणीयोऽहं तापनेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
śarmapradas tvaṃ samare varma sarvāyaśo nuda |
rakṣa māṃ rakṣaṇīyo 'haṃ tāpaneya namo 'stu te ||
"O armour, you give shelter in battle; drive away all disgrace. Protect me, for I am to be protected. Salutations to you, O tāpaneya." Sense uncertain: tāpaneya is printed as such; it may stand for tāpanīya, "golden".
Shield (carma)
चण्डिकायाः प्रदत्तं त्वं सर्वदुष्टनिबर्हणम् ।
त्वया निस्तारिता देवाः सुप्रतिष्ठं पितामहैः ॥
अतस्त्वयि बलं सर्वं विन्यस्तं देवसत्तमैः ।
तस्मादायोधने रक्ष शत्रून् नाशय सर्वदा ॥
caṇḍikāyāḥ pradattaṃ tvaṃ sarvaduṣṭanibarhaṇam |
tvayā nistāritā devāḥ supratiṣṭhaṃ pitāmahaiḥ ||
atas tvayi balaṃ sarvaṃ vinyastaṃ devasattamaiḥ |
tasmād āyodhane rakṣa śatrūn nāśaya sarvadā ||
"You were given to Caṇḍikā, you who destroy all the wicked. Through you the gods were delivered, and the grandsires set you firmly in place. So the best of the gods placed all strength in you. Therefore protect me in battle, and always destroy my enemies." Sense uncertain in supratiṣṭhaṃ pitāmahaiḥ.
Bow (cāpa)
सर्वायुधमहामात्र सर्वदेवारिसूदन ।
चाप मां समरे रक्ष साकं शरवरैरिह ॥
धृतः कृष्णेन रक्षार्थं संहाराय हरेण च ।
त्रयीमूर्तिगतं देवं धनुरस्त्रं नमाम्यहम् ॥
sarvāyudhamahāmātra sarvadevārisūdana |
cāpa māṃ samare rakṣa sākaṃ śaravarair iha ||
dhṛtaḥ kṛṣṇena rakṣārthaṃ saṃhārāya hareṇa ca |
trayīmūrtigataṃ devaṃ dhanur astraṃ namāmy aham ||
"O bow, foremost of all weapons, slayer of every enemy of the gods: protect me here in battle, together with the finest arrows. Held by Kṛṣṇa to protect and by Hara to destroy, the divine bow-weapon that dwells in the form of the three Vedas, I salute."
Spear (śakti)
शक्तिस्त्वं सर्वदेवानां गुहस्य च विशेषतः ।
शक्तिरूपेण देवि त्वं रक्षां कुरु नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
śaktis tvaṃ sarvadevānāṃ guhasya ca viśeṣataḥ |
śaktirūpeṇa devi tvaṃ rakṣāṃ kuru namo 'stu te ||
"You are the power (śakti) of all the gods, and of Guha (Skanda) above all. O Devī, in the form of the spear, protect me. Salutations to you."
Lance (kunta)
प्रास पातय शत्रूंस्त्वमनया नाकमायया ।
गृहाण जीवितं तेषां मम सैन्यं च रक्षय ॥
prāsa pātaya śatrūṃs tvam anayā nākamāyayā |
gṛhāṇa jīvitaṃ teṣāṃ mama sainyaṃ ca rakṣaya ||
"O lance, strike down the enemies by this heavenly power. Take their lives, and protect my army." Sense uncertain in nākamāyayā, taken here as "heavenly power".
Firearm (agni-yantra)
अग्निशस्त्र नमस्तेऽस्तु दूरतः शत्रुनाशन ।
शत्रून् दह हि शीघ्रं त्वं शिवं मे कुरु सर्वदा ॥
agniśastra namas te 'stu dūrataḥ śatrunāśana |
śatrūn daha hi śīghraṃ tvaṃ śivaṃ me kuru sarvadā ||
"O fire-weapon, destroyer of enemies from afar, salutations to you. Burn the enemies swiftly, and always bring me good."
Noose (pāśa)
पाश त्वं नागरूपोऽसि विषपूर्णो विषोद्भवः ।
शत्रवो हि त्वया बद्धा नागपाश नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
pāśa tvaṃ nāgarūpo 'si viṣapūrṇo viṣodbhavaḥ |
śatravo hi tvayā baddhā nāgapāśa namo 'stu te ||
"O noose, you have the form of a serpent, full of venom and born of venom. Enemies are bound by you. O serpent-noose, salutations to you."
Axe (paraśu)
परशो त्वं महातीक्ष्ण सर्वदेवारिसूदन ।
देवीहस्तस्थितो नित्यं शत्रुक्षय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
paraśo tvaṃ mahātīkṣṇa sarvadevārisūdana |
devīhastasthito nityaṃ śatrukṣaya namo 'stu te ||
"O axe, exceedingly sharp, slayer of every enemy of the gods, resting always in the Devī's hand, destroyer of enemies: salutations to you."
Banner (dhvaja)
शक्रकेतो महावीर्य सुपर्णस्त्वय्युपाश्रितः ।
पत्रिराज नमस्तेऽस्तु तथा नारायणध्वज ॥
काश्यपेयारुणभ्रातर्नागारे विष्णुवाहन ।
अप्रमेय दुराधर्ष रणे देवारिसूदन ॥
गरुत्मन् मारुतगतिस्त्वयि संनिहितो यतः ।
साश्वचर्मायुधान् योधान् रक्ष त्वं च रिपून् दह ॥
śakraketo mahāvīrya suparṇas tvayy upāśritaḥ |
patrirāja namas te 'stu tathā nārāyaṇadhvaja ||
kāśyapeyāruṇabhrātar nāgāre viṣṇuvāhana |
aprameya durādharṣa raṇe devārisūdana ||
garutman mārutagatis tvayi saṃnihito yataḥ |
sāśvacarmāyudhān yodhān rakṣa tvaṃ ca ripūn daha ||
"O banner of Śakra, of great might, on whom Suparṇa (Garuḍa) rests: salutations to you, king of birds, and to you, banner of Nārāyaṇa. O son of Kaśyapa, brother of Aruṇa, foe of serpents, mount of Viṣṇu, immeasurable, unassailable, slayer of the gods' enemies in battle: O Garutmān, swift as the wind, since he is present in you, protect the warriors with their horses, shields and weapons, and burn the enemies."
Flag (patākā, p. 145)
हुतभुग् वसवो रुद्रा वायुः सोमो महर्षयः ।
नागकिन्नरगन्धर्वयक्षभूतगणग्रहाः ॥
प्रमथास्तु सहादित्यैर्भूतेशो मातृभिः सह ।
शक्रसेनापतिः स्कन्दो वरुणश्चाश्रितस्त्वयि ॥
प्रदहन्तु रिपून् सर्वान् राजा विजयमृच्छतु ।
यानि प्रयुक्तान्यरिभिरायुधानि समन्ततः ॥
पतन्तूपरि शत्रूणां हतानि तव तेजसा ।
हिरण्यकशिपोर्युद्धे युद्धे दैवासुरे तथा ।
कालनेमिवधे यद्वद् यद्वत् त्रिपुरघातने ॥
शोभितासि तथैवाद्य शोभयास्मांश्च संस्मर ।
नीलां श्वेतामिमां दृष्ट्वा नश्यन्त्वाशु नृपारयः ॥
व्याधिभिर्विविधैर्घोरैः शस्त्रैश्च युधि निर्जिताः ।
सद्यः स्वस्था भवन्त्वस्मात्त्वद्वातेनापमार्जिताः ॥
पूतना रेवती नाम्ना कालरात्रिश्च या स्मृता ।
दहत्वाशु रिपून् सर्वान् पताके त्वं मयार्चिता ॥
hutabhug vasavo rudrā vāyuḥ somo maharṣayaḥ |
nāgakinnaragandharvayakṣabhūtagaṇagrahāḥ ||
pramathās tu sahādityair bhūteśo mātṛbhiḥ saha |
śakrasenāpatiḥ skando varuṇaś cāśritas tvayi ||
pradahantu ripūn sarvān rājā vijayam ṛcchatu |
yāni prayuktāny aribhir āyudhāni samantataḥ ||
patantūpari śatrūṇāṃ hatāni tava tejasā |
hiraṇyakaśipor yuddhe yuddhe daivāsure tathā |
kālanemivadhe yadvad yadvat tripuraghātane ||
śobhitāsi tathaivādya śobhayāsmāṃś ca saṃsmara |
nīlāṃ śvetām imāṃ dṛṣṭvā naśyantv āśu nṛpārayaḥ ||
vyādhibhir vividhair ghoraiḥ śastraiś ca yudhi nirjitāḥ |
sadyaḥ svasthā bhavantv asmāt tvadvātenāpamārjitāḥ ||
pūtanā revatī nāmnā kālarātriś ca yā smṛtā |
dahatv āśu ripūn sarvān patāke tvaṃ mayārcitā ||
"Agni, the Vasus, the Rudras, Vāyu, Soma and the great sages; the nāgas, kinnaras, gandharvas, yakṣas, bhūtas, the hosts and the grahas; the pramathas with the Ādityas, the Lord of beings with the Mātṛs, Skanda the general of Śakra's army, and Varuṇa: all have taken refuge in you. May they burn all the enemies; may the king win victory. Whatever weapons the foes have hurled from every side, may they fall back on the enemies, struck down by your power. As you shone in the battle with Hiraṇyakaśipu, in the war of gods and asuras, at the slaying of Kālanemi and at the destruction of Tripura, so shine today; make us shine too, and remember us. Seeing this flag, blue and white, may the king's enemies perish at once. May those overcome in battle by grievous diseases and by weapons become well at once, wiped clean by your breeze. O flag, you who are called Pūtanā, Revatī and Kālarātri, worshipped by me: burn all the enemies quickly."
Golden staff (kanaka-daṇḍa)
प्रोत्सारणाय दुष्टानां साधुसंरक्षणाय च ।
ब्रह्मणा निर्मितश्चासि व्यवहारप्रसिद्धये ॥
यशो देहि सुखं देहि जयदो भव भूपतेः ।
ताडयस्व रिपून् सर्वान् हेमदण्ड नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
protsāraṇāya duṣṭānāṃ sādhusaṃrakṣaṇāya ca |
brahmaṇā nirmitaś cāsi vyavahāraprasiddhaye ||
yaśo dehi sukhaṃ dehi jayado bhava bhūpateḥ |
tāḍayasva ripūn sarvān hemadaṇḍa namo 'stu te ||
"You were made by Brahmā to drive away the wicked, to protect the good, and to uphold just dealing. Give fame, give happiness; be the giver of victory to the king. Strike down all enemies, O golden staff. Salutations to you."
War drum (dundubhi, pp. 145–146)
दुन्दुभे त्वं सपत्नानां घोरो हृदयकर्षणः ।
तथास्तु तव शब्देन हर्षोऽस्माकं मुदावहः ॥
भव भूमिपसैन्यानां तथा विजयवर्धनः ।
यथा जीमूतघोषेण प्रहृष्यन्ति च बर्हिणः ॥
तथास्तु तव शब्देन हर्षोऽस्माकं मुदावहः ।
यथा जीमूतशब्देन स्त्रीणां त्रासोऽभिजायते ॥
तथैव तव शब्देन त्रस्यन्त्वस्मद्द्विषो रणे ।
dundubhe tvaṃ sapatnānāṃ ghoro hṛdayakarṣaṇaḥ |
tathāstu tava śabdena harṣo 'smākaṃ mudāvahaḥ ||
bhava bhūmipasainyānāṃ tathā vijayavardhanaḥ |
yathā jīmūtaghoṣeṇa prahṛṣyanti ca barhiṇaḥ ||
tathāstu tava śabdena harṣo 'smākaṃ mudāvahaḥ |
yathā jīmūtaśabdena strīṇāṃ trāso 'bhijāyate ||
tathaiva tava śabdena trasyantv asmaddviṣo raṇe |
"O war drum, you are terrible to rivals, rending their hearts. So by your sound may joy and delight be ours. Be also the increaser of victory for the king's armies. As peacocks rejoice at the rumble of clouds, so by your sound may joy and delight be ours. As fear arises in women at the sound of thunder, so by your sound may our enemies tremble in battle." The line tathāstu tava śabdena… appears twice on the printed page; it is reproduced as printed.
Conch (śaṅkha, p. 146)
पुण्यस्त्वं शंख पुण्यानां मंगलानां च मंगलम् ।
विष्णुना विधृतो नित्यमतः शान्तिप्रदो भव ॥
puṇyas tvaṃ śaṅkha puṇyānāṃ maṅgalānāṃ ca maṅgalam |
viṣṇunā vidhṛto nityam ataḥ śāntiprado bhava ||
"O conch, you are the holiest of holy things and the most auspicious of auspicious things. Viṣṇu holds you always; so be the giver of peace."
Throne (siṃhāsana, p. 146)
विजयो जयदो जेता रिपुहन्ता शुभंकरः ।
दुःखहा धर्मदः शान्तः सर्वारिष्टविनाशनः ॥
एते वै संनिधौ यस्मात् तव सिंहा महाबलाः ।
तेन सिंहासनेति त्वं वेदैर्मन्त्रैश्च गीयसे ॥
त्वयि स्थितः शिवः शान्तस्त्वयि शक्रः सुरेश्वरः ।
त्वयि स्थितो हरिर्देवस्त्वदर्थं तप्यते तपः ॥
नमस्ते सर्वतोभद्र भद्रदो भव भूपतेः ।
त्रैलोक्यजयसर्वस्व सिंहासन नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
vijayo jayado jetā ripuhantā śubhaṃkaraḥ |
duḥkhahā dharmadaḥ śāntaḥ sarvāriṣṭavināśanaḥ ||
ete vai saṃnidhau yasmāt tava siṃhā mahābalāḥ |
tena siṃhāsaneti tvaṃ vedair mantraiś ca gīyase ||
tvayi sthitaḥ śivaḥ śāntas tvayi śakraḥ sureśvaraḥ |
tvayi sthito harir devas tvadarthaṃ tapyate tapaḥ ||
namas te sarvatobhadra bhadrado bhava bhūpateḥ |
trailokyajayasarvasva siṃhāsana namo 'stu te ||
"Vijaya, Jayada, Jetā, Ripuhantā, Śubhaṃkara, Duḥkhahā, Dharmada, Śānta and Sarvāriṣṭavināśana: because these mighty lions are present beside you, the Vedas and mantras hymn you as siṃhāsana, the lion-seat. In you abides the peaceful Śiva; in you Śakra, lord of the gods; in you abides the god Hari; for your sake austerities are performed. Salutations to you, auspicious on every side; be the giver of good to the king. O throne, the whole wealth of victory over the three worlds, salutations to you."
Horse (aśva-pūjana, pp. 146–147)
अश्वपूजनम् । तद्दक्षिणकर्णे जपेत् ।
aśvapūjanam | taddakṣiṇakarṇe japet |
"Worship of the horse. He should murmur into its right ear:"
कुलाभिजनजात्या च लक्षणैर्व्यञ्जनोत्तमैः ।
भर्तारमभिरक्ष त्वं शिवं तव भवेदिति ॥
कशाघातमधिष्ठानं क्षमस्व तुरगोत्तम ।
kulābhijanajātyā ca lakṣaṇair vyañjanottamaiḥ |
bhartāram abhirakṣa tvaṃ śivaṃ tava bhaved iti ||
kaśāghātam adhiṣṭhānaṃ kṣamasva turagottama |
"You of noble family, lineage and breed, with excellent marks and features: protect your master, and may it be well with you. O best of horses, forgive the stroke of the whip and being ridden."
ततोऽश्वाय भक्ष्यं दत्त्वा —
tato 'śvāya bhakṣyaṃ dattvā —
"Then, giving food to the horse:"
अश्वराज पुरोधास्तु विष्णुस्ते पुरतः स्थितः ।
वरुणः पाशहस्तस्त्वां पृष्ठतः परिरक्षतु ॥
वैवस्वतकुबेरौ च पार्श्वयोरभिरक्षताम् ।
चन्द्रादित्यौ पृष्ठवंशे उदरं पृथिवीधरः ॥
रक्षन्तु वक्त्रं गन्धर्वा बलमिन्द्रो ददातु ते ।
हविःशेषमिति प्राश्यं विजयार्थं महीपतेः ॥
aśvarāja purodhās tu viṣṇus te purataḥ sthitaḥ |
varuṇaḥ pāśahastas tvāṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ parirakṣatu ||
vaivasvatakuberau ca pārśvayor abhirakṣatām |
candrādityau pṛṣṭhavaṃśe udaraṃ pṛthivīdharaḥ ||
rakṣantu vaktraṃ gandharvā balam indro dadātu te |
haviḥśeṣam iti prāśyaṃ vijayārthaṃ mahīpateḥ ||
"O king of horses, may Viṣṇu stand before you as your priest. May Varuṇa, noose in hand, guard you from behind. May Vaivasvata (Yama) and Kubera guard your two flanks, the Moon and Sun your spine, and the Upholder of the earth your belly. May the gandharvas guard your mouth, and Indra give you strength. Eat this as the remnant of the oblation, for the victory of the king."
आचमनं दत्त्वा स्तुतिं पठेत् —
ācamanaṃ dattvā stutiṃ paṭhet —
"Then, giving it water to sip, he should recite this praise:"
गन्धर्वकुलजातस्त्वं मा भूयाः कुलदूषकः ।
ब्रह्मणः सत्यवाक्येन सोमस्य वरुणस्य च ॥
प्रभावाच्च हुताशस्य वर्धय त्वं तुरंग माम् ।
तेजसा चैव सूर्यस्य मुनीनां तपसा तथा ॥
रुद्रस्य ब्रह्मचर्येण पवनस्य बलेन च ।
स्मर त्वं राजपुत्रं च कौस्तुभं च मणिं स्मर ॥
सुरासुरैर्मथ्यमानक्षीरोदादमृतादिभिः ।
जात उच्चैःश्रवाः पूर्वं तेन जातोऽसि तत् स्मर ॥
यां गतिं ब्रह्महा गच्छेन्मातृहा पितृहा तथा ।
भूमिहानृतवादी च क्षत्रियश्च पराङ्मुखः ॥
सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ वायुर्यावत् पश्यति दुष्कृतम् ।
व्रजाश्व तां गतिं क्षिप्रं तच्च पापं भवेत् तव ॥
विकृतिं यदि गच्छेथा युद्धाध्वनि तुरंगम ।
विजित्य समरे शत्रून् सह भर्त्रा सुखी भव ॥
gandharvakulajātas tvaṃ mā bhūyāḥ kuladūṣakaḥ |
brahmaṇaḥ satyavākyena somasya varuṇasya ca ||
prabhāvāc ca hutāśasya vardhaya tvaṃ turaṃga mām |
tejasā caiva sūryasya munīnāṃ tapasā tathā ||
rudrasya brahmacaryeṇa pavanasya balena ca |
smara tvaṃ rājaputraṃ ca kaustubhaṃ ca maṇiṃ smara ||
surāsurair mathyamānakṣīrodād amṛtādibhiḥ |
jāta uccaiḥśravāḥ pūrvaṃ tena jāto 'si tat smara ||
yāṃ gatiṃ brahmahā gacchen mātṛhā pitṛhā tathā |
bhūmihānṛtavādī ca kṣatriyaś ca parāṅmukhaḥ ||
sūryācandramasau vāyur yāvat paśyati duṣkṛtam |
vrajāśva tāṃ gatiṃ kṣipraṃ tac ca pāpaṃ bhavet tava ||
vikṛtiṃ yadi gacchethā yuddhādhvani turaṃgama |
vijitya samare śatrūn saha bhartrā sukhī bhava ||
"You are born of the gandharva line; do not disgrace your family. By the true word of Brahmā, of Soma and of Varuṇa, by the power of Agni, by the brilliance of the Sun and the austerity of the sages, by the celibacy of Rudra and the strength of Vāyu, O horse, make me prosper. Remember the king's son, and remember the Kaustubha gem. Uccaiḥśravā was born long ago, with the nectar and the other treasures, from the milk-ocean churned by gods and asuras; you are born of that line, so remember it. If you falter on the road of battle, O horse, then go swiftly to the fate that awaits the slayer of a brāhmaṇa, of a mother or a father, the wrongdoer over land, the speaker of untruth and the kṣatriya who turns from battle, for as long as the Sun, the Moon and the Wind behold the wrong; and may that sin be yours. Rather, conquer the enemies in battle and be happy with your master." Sense uncertain in smara tvaṃ rājaputraṃ and bhūmihā.
Palanquin (śibikā, p. 147)
महेन्द्रनिर्मिते दिव्ये देवराजादिसेविते ।
शिविके रक्ष मां नित्यं सदा त्वं संनिधौ भव ॥
निर्मितासि कुबेरेण या त्वं निद्रासुखार्थिना ।
शिविके पाहि मां नित्यं शान्तिं देहि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
mahendranirmite divye devarājādisevite |
śivike rakṣa māṃ nityaṃ sadā tvaṃ saṃnidhau bhava ||
nirmitāsi kubereṇa yā tvaṃ nidrāsukhārthinā |
śivike pāhi māṃ nityaṃ śāntiṃ dehi namo 'stu te ||
"O divine palanquin, made by Mahendra and used by the king of the gods and others: protect me always, and stay ever near me. You were made by Kubera, who wished for the comfort of rest. O palanquin, guard me always and give me peace. Salutations to you."
Chariot (ratha, p. 147)
शस्त्रास्त्रधारणार्थाय निर्मितो विश्वकर्मणा ।
रथनेमिस्वनैर्घोरै रिपोर्हृदयकम्पनः ॥
śastrāstradhāraṇārthāya nirmito viśvakarmaṇā |
rathanemisvanair ghorai ripor hṛdayakampanaḥ ||
"Made by Viśvakarman to carry weapons and missiles, you shake the enemy's heart with the terrible sound of your wheel-rims." The book prints only this verse for the chariot.
Elephant (gaja, p. 148)
कुमुदैरावणौ पद्मः पुष्पदन्तोऽथ वामनः ।
सुप्रतीकोऽञ्जनो नील एतेऽष्टौ देवयोनयः ॥
तेषां पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च वनान्यष्टौ समाश्रिताः ।
मन्दो भद्रो मृगश्चैव राजा संकीर्ण एव च ॥
वने वने प्रसूतास्ते स्मर योनिं महागज ।
पान्तु त्वां वसवो रुद्रा आदित्याः समरुद्गणाः ॥
भर्तारं रक्ष नागेन्द्र स्वामी च प्रतिपाल्यताम् ।
अवाप्नुहि जयं युद्धे गमने स्वस्तितो व्रज ॥
श्रीस्ते सोमाद् बलं विष्णोस्तेजः सूर्याज्जवोऽनिलात् ।
स्थैर्यं मेरोर्जयं रुद्राद् यशो देवात् पुरन्दरात् ॥
युद्धे रक्षन्तु नागास्त्वां दिशश्च सह दैवतैः ।
अश्विनौ सह गन्धर्वैः पान्तु त्वां सर्वतः सदा ॥
इति राजचिह्नादिपूजनविधिः ।
kumudairāvaṇau padmaḥ puṣpadanto 'tha vāmanaḥ |
supratīko 'ñjano nīla ete 'ṣṭau devayonayaḥ ||
teṣāṃ putrāś ca pautrāś ca vanāny aṣṭau samāśritāḥ |
mando bhadro mṛgaś caiva rājā saṃkīrṇa eva ca ||
vane vane prasūtās te smara yoniṃ mahāgaja |
pāntu tvāṃ vasavo rudrā ādityāḥ samarudgaṇāḥ ||
bhartāraṃ rakṣa nāgendra svāmī ca pratipālyatām |
avāpnuhi jayaṃ yuddhe gamane svastito vraja ||
śrīs te somād balaṃ viṣṇos tejaḥ sūryāj javo 'nilāt |
sthairyaṃ meror jayaṃ rudrād yaśo devāt purandarāt ||
yuddhe rakṣantu nāgās tvāṃ diśaś ca saha daivataiḥ |
aśvinau saha gandharvaiḥ pāntu tvāṃ sarvataḥ sadā ||
iti rājacihnādipūjanavidhiḥ |
"Kumuda, Airāvaṇa, Padma, Puṣpadanta, Vāmana, Supratīka, Añjana and Nīla: these eight are of divine birth. Their sons and grandsons dwell in the eight forests: the Manda, the Bhadra, the Mṛga, and the Saṃkīrṇa too. They were born forest by forest; O great elephant, remember your origin. May the Vasus, the Rudras, the Ādityas and the hosts of Maruts protect you. O lord of elephants, protect your master, and let your master be cared for. Win victory in battle; go safely on the march. May you have splendour from Soma, strength from Viṣṇu, brilliance from the Sun, speed from the Wind, steadiness from Meru, victory from Rudra and fame from the god Purandara. In battle may the nāgas and the quarters with their deities protect you; may the Aśvins with the gandharvas guard you on every side, always." Sense uncertain in rājā in the fourth line.
"Thus ends the procedure for worshipping the royal insignia and the rest."
