Essay name: Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (Study)
Author:
Artatrana Sarangi
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
This is a study in English of the Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (written by Lolla Lakshmidhara) representing an encyclopedic manual for emperors. The Samrajyalaksmipithika encompasses about 3870 verses in addressing topics such as public festivals, governance, warfare (military strategy), and rituals associated with the Tantric worship for the deity Samrajya-Lakshmi.
Chapter 3 - General Ritual mentioned in Samrajya-lakshmi-pithika
158 (of 262)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
301
The Naivedya in this case is mentioned to be twentyone
modakas (Sweet balls) the offering of which is followed
by presenting the deity with blades of durva grass
in twos (14).
At the end, out of the twentyone modakas offered,
ten are presented to brahmins, one is left with the deity
and the rest are kept by the king which, he partakes of
with his family, after listening to the glory of such
performance from a priest (15-16).
On this day, one is forbidden to take food-items
which are cooked in sesame oil. Such performance by a
king is said to result in riddance from all sorts of
obstacles. No fear lurks either from the enemy or thieves
and the kingdom is rendered free from famine etc. (17-19).
Observation :
Siddhi Vinayaka-Vrata is very popular and current
even today. The description of the deity and the mode
of performance of the Vrata appears to agree with such
material we get in Skandapurana, Smrtikaustubha,
Purusartha-cintamani and Vrataraia as mentioned by
Kane HDS Vol. V Part I.
