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DECEMBER, 1883.]
THE RITUAL OF RÅMESVARAM.
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dh úpayuktan digbandhan chápakunthanara | pan- namah Isvaraya namah | Chandrasekharaya chamudra-samayuktar dhe numudrán pradar- namah | Khandaparasavé namah &c., to 108or sayet || pañchabrahia shadangais cha paschad- | 1008 names. ardtrikan nayet | Niranjané tu tatkálê ghanta Asthånikir has now brought back the food sabda-nivarjitan || niranjanar tato dattvd ma- from the arai or pantry, and the bhattar dhye cháchamaniyakam bhasmáni daríayet pas. sprinkles it with water and waves his hand chát bhrúmadhye tilakunkumán H
from it towards the linga, saying: "First the incense is to be offered; then Kadali - phalan naivedyami | Págí - phalathe priest presents the sacred meal; then samáyuktan naga-valli-daļair yutam | karpúraafter presenting betel-leaf the light must be chürna-samyuktai támbilan pratigrihyatám || presented; then the mahadipa ; bhúta rudra Tambúlum naivedyúmi. dipas; the nlga dipa; the besha dipa; the Next, he gives holy ashes (vibháti), bilva purushúmiriga dipa; the nakshatra dipa which leaves and water, to those who are worshipping is arranged in three rows of five, three, and in the Mahamandapa. A sthanikar then takes one respectively; all these depas each with some boiled rice in a basin and covers it with a its worship must be waved before the god; cloth, another brings a bell in his left hand and then the digbanda and Apakuntha ceremony a dhúpa and dipa in his right, and they go with with sandal powder and incense must be per- music to all the lingas in the enclosure, the formed; the Panohamudra and Dhénumudra bhattar following. To each linga the sthanikar must be presented; the waving of the Aratri lifts the corner of the cloth, the bhattar waves with the five Brahmas and the six angas must his hand, offering naivedya, and presents the be performed; then the waving of camphor dhúpa and dipa. The same is then done at the ceremony must take place when the sound of shrines of Vinayaka, Subrahmanya, &c. the bell must be stopped ; after the Niranjana Next the bhattar pours water and lays down the úchamaniyaka must be offered; then the bilva leaves and rice on each end of the sparkling mark of kunkuma must be placed threshold of the east door of the Mahamandapa. A between the eye-brows."
copper image like a trisala (Śivali-a Balidevata) Then the bhattar poars water on the floor, fixed in a hemispherical base is now carried in a saying, achamaniya, and with ashes, kept by small palanquin by two men out at the east door the door-jamb, he puts a tilaka on the linga. of the Mahậmandapa, down the north steps, and A sthånikár next gives him a looking-glass round the shrine by the south, the bhattar which he shows to it; a small umbrella which following and putting water, bilva leaves, and he holds over it for a little; a chámara that he food on all the balipithams-of which there are whisks twice or thrice, and a fan of peacock nine to the south and three on the west of the feathers which he waves for three or four shrine outside, and three in front of the Mahaminutes. Then he takes flowers and bilva mandapa. Coming round by the north the palanleaves, and presenting them to the linga, with quin is carried out to the Nandi-mandapa, round joined bands he repeats :
the north side of it, out into the second Prakara Pújáparådha-sátyarthau kshamasvéti may- and to the Yagasala in the north-east. There úrchand | Námnd kritáchutárádhyā tanôtu ta- the sthanikár puts fire into one of the homavatim mudam ||
kundas and the bhattar goes in and taking as "For the atonement of any mistakes that I much food thrice as his fingers will lift, he may have committed in my worship, I have puts it into the fire, saying, Dévabalt, Bh dtabali now performed the worship. May it give you and Isvarabali. The palanquin is now brought pleasure (sctisfaction)!"
back to the great gilt balipitham behind the He next commences the archana ; facing the dhuajastambha, on which the bhattar pours north, and holding a tray in his hands with water, and lays bilva leaves and a ball of food bilva leaves, the bhattar stands in the shrine, from the tray carried by the attendant sthåniwhile the Adhyayanabhattar, standing in the kár, this he sprinkles with water and offers Ardha-mapdapa says :
saying Báhya-dévatábhyo baliin naivedyami. Siváya namah | Sankaraya namah Maha. This food is then given to the attendant whose déváya numah Sambhavé namah Pasupatayê daty it is to blow the sankh. The bhattar then
