Agam 21 Upang 10 Pushpika Sutra English Translation

Author(s): Dipratnasagar, Deepratnasagar
Publisher: Deepratnasagar

Page 11

Pushpika-Upang-10- Chapter-3
to... installed yupas (ritual pillar in a yajna), and after that I have planted many mangoorchards... and so on up to... flowering plants outside Varanasi city. But now I feel that tomorrow when the sun is at its full glow I should arrange to get made numerous cooking pans and spoons of iron and utensils of copper suitable for tapasas (hermits). Also I should get large quantities of ashan, paan, khadya, svadya (staple food, liquids, general food, and savoury food) cooked. Having done that I should invite my friends, family members, relatives and acquaintances; greet them; offer them this food;and honour them with clothes, perfumes, garlands, and ornaments. After that, in their presence I should hand over the responsibility of the family to my eldest son. Then after seeking permission from them and my eldest son, and carrying the iron and copper utensils, I should go to the tapasas (hermits) who have renounced their homes and are living on the banks of river Ganges.
Those tapasas (hermits) include—Hotrak (those who do offerings at fire sacrifice); Potrak (the clad ones); Kautrik (those who sleep on the ground); Yajnik (those who perform yajna or ritual sacrifice); Shraaddhakin (those who perform rituals for the benefit of deceased relatives); Sthaalakin (those who carry plate or thaali and other pots); Humbauttha (those dwelling in jungle); Dantodukhalik (those who remove husk from grain with their teeth before eating); Unmajjak (those who bathe by taking just one dip in water); Sammajjak (those who wash their hands and feet repeatedly); Nimajjak (those who remain under water for some time); Samprakshalak (those who cleanse their body by rubbing sand or clay); Dakshin-koolak (those who live on the southern bank of the Ganges); Uttar-koolak (those who live on the northern bank of the Ganges); Shankhadhma (those who take their meals after blowing conch-shell); Kooladhma (those who take their meals on the bank after shouting loudly); Mrigalubdhak (those who subsist on deer-meat); Hastitapas (those who subsist on elephant-meat);
Uddandak (those who move about raising their staff); Dishaprokshi (those who sprinkle water in all directions for worship); Valkavasi (the bark-clad); Bil-vasi (those who dig holes and live in them); Jal-vasi (those who live in water); Vrikshamoolak (those who live under trees); Jalbhakshi (those who subsist only on water); Vayubhakshi (those who subsist only on air); Shaivalabhakshi (those who subsist on moss or grass only); Moolahari (those who subsist on roots only); Kandahari (those who subsist on bulbous roots); Tvachahari (those who subsist on bark of a plant); Patrahari (those who subsist on leaves); Pushpahari (those who subsist on flowers); Bijahari (those who subsist on seeds); those who subsist on naturally fallen or detached bulbous roots, roots, bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits; those who develop endurance for water by regularly pouring water on their bodies, and those who mortify their bodies by five fires (burning four pyres on four sides and considering sun to be the fifth) as if cooking on burning coal or roasting in hot sand.
Of these tapasas (hermits) I would like to get initiated with the Dishaprokshiks (who sprinkle water in all directions for worship). After getting initiated I will take this rigorous resolve"I will observe a lifelong vow of continuous two day fasts (two day fast followed by a day of eating and again followed by a two day fast and so on). While doing this I will perform the Disha-chakraval practice mortifying my body enduring heat of the sun with raised arms in the heat-mortification arena." Deciding thus, at dawn (next morning) he took along many iron, other utensils and got initiated as a Dishaprokshik hermit. Immediately on initiation he took aforesaid resolve and moved about commencing the first two day fast.
Aagam -21 - Pushpika
Compiled by - Deepratnasagar
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