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TANTRIK SADHANA: PLACES FOR WORSHIP
PLACES FOR WORSHIP
The best places are holy grounds, river-sides, caves, Tirthas, summits of mountains, confluences of rivers, holy forests, solitary gardens, at the foot of bael tree, valleys, places overgrown with Tulasi plants, pasture lands, temples of Shiva without a bull, at the foot of Asyattha or Amalaki trees, cowsheds, islands, temples, seashore, one's own house, the abode of Guru, places which naturally lend to generate singlepointedness of mind and places free of animals and solitary.
TIME FOR WORSHIP
"He who desires to reap a full crop of fruits from his rites should begin them in the morning and finish them all by noon.' According to Nigamakalpalatā "The daily worship should be begun after the passing of the half of the first Prahara and finished at the end of ten Dandas (Ghatis)" i. e. 12 hours after sun-rise and before expiry of 4 hours after sun-rise. "If Japa and so forth are performed in the morning, it is not improper to perform worship at noon. The appropriate time for performance of each of the 'Shatkarma' is indicated in the following verses:
ऋतुषट्कं वसंताद्यमहोरात्रं भवेत् क्रमात् ॥ एकैकस्य ऋतोर्मानं घटिकादशकं मतम् । हेमन्तं च वसंताख्यं शिशिरं प्रीष्मतोयदौ ॥ शरदं कर्मणां षट्के योजयेत्कमतः सुधीः ।
75
- मन्त्रमहोदधौं २५ तरंगे श्लो० ७-९
पूर्वा वश्यकर्माणि मध्याह्ने प्रीतिनाशनम् । उच्चाटनं चापराह्ने संध्यायां मारणं तथा । शान्तिकं अर्धरात्रे च पौष्टिकं प्रातरेव हि ॥
22
- ज्ञानार्णवतन्त्रे २० पटले श्लो० १६६-१६७ Compare the above verses with verses 6 and 7 III Adhikara, Sri Bhairava Padmavati Kalpa and note the pratical identity of phraseology. DIRECTION OF WORSHIP
According to Bhāvachūdāmani "one should perform worship and other ritual acts at night, facing the north" and while worshipping Shiva
