The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,582 pages of information about The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4.

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,582 pages of information about The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4.
very agreeable when pressed, and as are of beautiful form, have been said, O lord, to be worthy of being offered to human beings.  Such flowers as grow on cemeteries and crematoria, or in places dedicated to the deities, should not be brought and used for marriage and other rites having growth and prosperity for their object, or for acts of dalliance and pleasure in secrecy.  Such flowers as are born on mountains and in vales, and as are agreeable in scent and aspect, should be offered unto the deities.  Sprinkling them with sandal-paste, such agreeable flowers should be duly offered according to the ordinances of the scriptures.  The deities become gratified with the scent of flowers; the Yakshas and Rakshasas with their sight, the Nagas with their touch; and human beings with all three, viz., scent, sight, and touch.  Flowers, when offered to the deities gratify them immediately.  They are capable of accomplishing every object by merely wishing its accomplishment.  As such, when gratified with devotees offering them flowers, they cause all the objects cherished by their worshippers to be immediately accomplished.  Gratified, they gratify their worshippers.  Honoured, they cause their worshippers to enjoy all honours.  Disregarded and insulted, they cause those vilest of men to be ruined and consumed.  I shall, after this, speak to thee of the merits that attach to the ordinances about the gift of incense.  Know, O prince of Asuras, that incenses are of diverse kinds.  Some of them are auspicious and some in-auspicious.  Some incenses consist of exudations.  Some are made of fragrant wood set on fire.  And some are artificial, being made by the hand, of diverse articles mixed together.  Their scent is of two kinds, viz., agreeable and disagreeable.  Listen to me as I discourse on the subject in detail.[440] All exudations except that of the Boswellia serrata are agreeable to the deities.  It is, however, certain that the best of all exudations is that of the Balsamodendron Mukul.  Of all Dhupas of the Sari class, the Aquilaria Agallocha is the best.  It is very agreeable to the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, and Nagas.  The exudation of the Boswellia serrata, and others of the same class, are much desired by the Daityas.  Dhupas made of the exudation of the Shorea robusta and the Pinus deodara, mixed with various spirits of strong scent, are, O king, ordained for human beings.  Such Dhupas are said to immediately gratify the deities, the Danavas, and spirits.  Besides these, there are many other kinds of Dhupas used by men of purposes of pleasure or enjoyment.  All the merits that have been spoken of as attaching to the offer of flowers should be known equally to attach to the gift of such Dhupas as are productive of gratification.  I shall now speak of the merits that attach to the gift of lights, and who may give them at what time and in what manner, and what should be the kind of lights that should be offered.  Light is said to be energy and fame and has an upward
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