Essay name: Devi Tantra, Mantra, Yantra (study)
Author:
Srider Basudevan Iyer
Affiliation: University of Mumbai / Sanskrit, University Department
This essay studies the history of Devi (the Goddess) in relation with worship using Tantra, Yantra and Mantra. The study explores the concept of the 'Female Principle' or Goddess, examining her role and significance in ancient Indian society.
Chapter 4 - Worship and The Worshipper
65 (of 95)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Worship & worshipper 366 Apart from these, the goddess is given other offerings such as sweets, milk,
rice, white-sugar, dry sugar, sour-milk, ghee, various kinds of fruits. The
best food one can give to the goddess is langala, sweets, white sugar, the
bilva fruit, the pomegranate, the mango, the pumpkin gourd, the myrobalan
fruit, cluster of oranges, the coconut juice and all that which children are
fond of. The favorite of all the eatables is the milk-rice and sweets 119 The
NUT 120 speaks of laddus to be offered to the goddess. The laddus made of
the mudga and canaka mixed with milk, sugar and ghee are said to be
offered to the goddess.
Arghya offerings.
.
Arghya is offered to god or to a venerable person as a mark of respect.
The Dharmasutras 121 list the ingredients which are to be offered to the
goddess in the form of Arghya. Water, milk, tip of ku艣a grass, curd, ghee
along with rice, barley etc... are offered. 艢a艅kar膩c膩rya in his composition
mentions the following things to be given to the Dev墨 as Arghya - gandha,
flowers, barley, mustard, durv膩-blades, sesame, kusa-grass and ak峁t膩鹿22.
Abhiseka offerings.
The goddess like any other deity is to be offered bathing services. The
different ingredients offered as bathing mediums or Abhi峁ka-dravy膩峁噄
KP LVI.18,19,20,21,22.
120 NUT ch.III
121 YDS ch. I
122 Sankaracarya 'Devi-chatussasti-upacara-stotrani' ve.8
