Do's and Don't's for a Devotee af Vishnu

The lord said:

1-2. Not only in the house (but everywhere) the worship of Hari should be done everyday on the Salagrima, a gem, a mystical diagram or images. In one region of Gap^aki there is a great place of Salagrama (i.e. where Saiagrama stones are found). May the stone found there protect. This is the case.

3-5a. By the touch of the Salagrama stone, the destruction of sins committed during crores of existences takes place. Then (what can be said) about Vishnu’s worship there? It is the cause of (being in) the vicinity of Hari. One would obtain the fruit of worshipping a hundred lingas. If one would obtain a black stone (i.e. Salagrama) having a mark of a cow’s foot, as a result of religious merit of many existences, then (the mission of) one’s life is accomplished.

5b-ll. First one should examine a glossy, excellent, black stone. One that is slightly black is said to be mediocre. A mixed one always gives a mixed fruit. As the fire always present in wood is manifested by friction, in the same way the (all-)pervading Hari is felt in a Salagrama. He who everyday would worship twelve Salagrama stones from Dvaravati, is honoured in Vaikuijtha. (If) a man observes an aperture on the Salagrama stone, his dead ancestors live contentedly in heaven till the end of the world. There is the residence in the form of Vaikuritha, where there is the Dvaravati stone. A man dying (here) goes to the city of Vishnu. That sacred place spreads over three yojanas. Everything (like) muttering, worship, sacrifice (performed there) would be crorefold meritorious. Over the area of one kroia, whatever is desired (is obtained). There is no doubt about this, since, even an insect dying here goes to Vaikuptha.

12-15. The man who fixes a price on the Salagrama stone, so also who sells it, and he who gives consent (to the deal), so also he who sanctions its examination — all these go to hell till the sun (shines in the sky) and till deluge. Therefore, О respect­able lady, one should avoid the purchase and sale of the (Salagrama with a) disc. There is no doubt that salvation takes place there where there is the union of the deity in Salagrama and the one bom in Dvaraka. The one produced in Dvaraka, endowed with a disc, marked with many discs of the shape of a stone having a round seat, is of the form of Brahman and unstained.

16-21a. Salutation to (you) of the form of Omkara and of the form of constant joy; О glorious Salagrama, favour me, (your) devotee, who desires your grace and is stricken by death. Hereafter I shall gladly tell you the manner (in which) the dot (or mark is put), hearing which all men would obtain assimila­tion to Vishnu. (A man) should have KeSava (i.e. take Kesava to be present) in the forehead, Shri Purushottama in the neck, god Narayapa in the navel, Vaikuptha (i.e. Vishnu) in the heart, Damodara in the left side, and Trivikrama in the right, Hrshikesha in the head, and Padmanabha at the back, Yamuna and Ganga in the ears, and K.fshpa and Hari in the arms. (These) twelve deities are said to be pleased in their respective places.

21b-25. When a dot (i.e. a mark) is put he should recite these names. He, with all his sins purified, goes to Vishnu’s heaven. He, even though he is a capflala, on whose forehead an upright line is seen, is of a pure heart, and deserves to be honoured. There is no doubt about it. One should not look at a man on whose forehead an upright mark is not seen; (and) on seeing him one should look at the Sun. On seeing or touching a brahmana on whose forehead a mark with three lines or an upright mark is not seen, one should bathe with one’s clothes on. One should put a mark of the form of Vishnu’s foot, keeping space between (the toes).

26. On the head of that mean brahmana who would not put an upright mark, there is always the foot of a dog (placed on it). Ibere is no doubt about this.

27-29. One should know that a very auspicious upright mark starting from the nose and ending with the hair, and having a hole (i.e. space) in between, is the temple of Vishnu. One should know that Brahma has settled on the left side, SadaShiva on the right, and Vishnu in the middle. Therefore, one should not bes­mear (i.e. cover) the middle (part). The glorious one who, after looking into a mirror or into water puts the upright mark, goes to the highest position.

30-33a. Fire, Water, the Vedas, and the Moon and the Sun, so also Wind, always remain in the right ear of a brahmana. Ganga also remains in the right ear, and Fire in the nose. By touching both (these), one is purified at that moment only. Having put water in a conch and having mixed it with TulasI, one should give it to the noble devotees of Vishnu, drink it, and salute (them) with the head (bent down). One should drink it and sprinkle one’s body, one’s son, friend and wife with it.

33b-36a. The water (flowing) from Vishnu’s feet, when drunk, destroys sins (committed) in crores of existences. The sin be­comes eightfold on dropping (even) a drop on the ground. He who, holding a conch full of water in his hand, praises (the deity) and goes round (it), always holds the water, has obtained the fruit of his existence. He in whose house there is neither a conch nor a bell with the (form of the) eagle on it before (the image of) Vasudeva, is not a follower of the lord (i.e. Vishou) in the Kali age.

36b-45. (Going) to the lord’s temple in vehicles, or with sandals on, or drinking spirituous liquor there, not (offering) service in the festivals of the deity, not saluting before (the image of) him, or saluting the lord with the remains of food on the hands etc. not washed, or when impure, saluting the lord with (only) one hand, or spreading the feet before him towards the south, or enjoying a bed before him, or lying (in front of him), or eating, or telling lies, or talking loudly, or talking to one another, crying and quarrelling, curbing or favouring, talking cruelly to women, covering with one garment (only), censuring or praising others, speaking obscene words, breaking wind, behav­ing badly with an inferior because of having power, eating with­out (first) offering (the food) to the deity, not offering (to the deity) fruits etc. produced during the season, giving the remains after use of a seasoned article etc., eating (food) after making it distinctly visible, censuring and praising others, keeping mum before the preceptor (i.e. not talking to him), praising himself, censuring deities — these are said to be thirtytwo offences against Vish?u: “O MadhusQdana, day and night I commit thousands of offences. Thinking me to be yours, foregive me.”

46-47. Uttering this prayer he should salute (the deity pro­strating) on the ground like a staff. Hari always forgives thous­ands of offences. Similarly the brahmanas should eat in the evening and in the morning whatever food is left over by Vishnu’s devotee. (Such a person) is freed from the sins committed during the day.

48-57a. Uttering me (i.e. my i.e. Shiva’s name) and thinking ‘food is Brahma, and sauce is Vishnu’, he who eats (food) is never covered by the faults of the food. A man who is a devotee of Vishnu should not eat a round bottle-gourd, masura-beans with their skin on, the white nut of the palmyra tree, egg-plant; (similarly) a man who is Vishnu’s devotee should not eat on the leaves of a bunyan tree, asvattha or arka tree, or a kovidara or kadamba. In (the month of) Sravapa he should avoid vegetables; he should forgo curd in Bhadrapada. In the month of Alvina he should avoid milk and should give up (eating) flesh in Kartika. (He should) also (avoid) burnt food, citron, and whatever is not offered to Vishnu, so also common citron, vegetables and visible salt. If by chance he would eat (any one of these), he should remember his (i.e. Vishnu’s) name. Haimantika (a kind of rice), grains anointed with sugar, mudga Sheshamum, barley, kalapaka (a kind of grass), kangu, wild rice, vegetable, Enhydra Hingcha, kala vegetable, vastuka (a kind of vegetable), radish other than red, rock-salt and ocean-salt, curd and ghee obtained from a cow, milk from which water is not taken out, jack-fruit, green vegetable, Piper Longum, cumin-seeds, so also oranges and tamarind, plantain, lavali (a kind of creeper), Dhatri, jaggery from any other object than sugarcane, that (food) which is not cooked in oil — the sages describe these as food for offering.

57b-59a. One should know even him who has flowers along with Tulasi-leaves etc., to be Vishnu. This is the truth (and) truth (only). There is no doubt about it. By planting Dhatri-tree a man would be equal to Vishnu. One should know that the area round about it to the extent of three hundred cubits is Kurukpetra.

59b-65. Having put round his neck a garland made with (pieces of) Tulasi-wood having the shape of rudrakga, a man should start the worship (of Vishnu). Similarly, the worshipper of Vishnu should carefully wear round his neck a garland of amalakas, or a good garland of lotuses, or that of kadambaflowers; he should also put on his head flowers taken off after being offered (to Vishnu) and Tulasi-mala. He should mark his body with flowers Taken off after being offered and sandal, with (the accompaniment of) his epithets. He should put (the mark of) a mace on his forehead, and (the marks of) a bow and an arrow. On the chest (he should put the mark of) the Nandaka (sword), and (the marks of) a conch and a disc on both the arms. If a brahmana endowed with (the marks) of a conch and a disc dies on the cremation ground, he certainly gets the same (highest) position which is said (to be obtained by dying) at Prayaga. He who being devoted to Vishtiu, puts a Tulasi-leaf on his head, performs all his deeds, obtains an inexhaustible fruit.

66-68. The rites performed in honour of the dead ancestors and deities by one decorated with Tulasi-garlands, become a crorefold meritorious. The sin of that man who devoutly wears a garland made of Tulasl-wood, after offering it to Kesava (i.e. Vishnu), perishes. Having worshipped (Vishnu) with water for washing the feet etc. he should utter this prayer: “Salutation to that Tulasi which, when seen, destroys the multitude of all sins; which, when touched, purifies the body; which, when saluted, removes diseases; which, when sprinkled, frightens Yama; which, when planted, bestows the vicinity of lord Krishna; (and) when placed at his feet, gives the fruit (in the form) of salva­tion.

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