The Vajranabha Mandala for Worshipping Vishnu

Verse 1 (garuda.1.8.1)

।।हरिरुवाच । भूमिष्ठे मण्डपे स्नात्वा मण्डले विष्णुमर्चयेत् । पञ्चरंगिकचूर्णेन वज्रनाभं तु मण्डलम्

hariruvāca bhūmiṣṭhe maṇḍape snātvā maṇḍale viṣṇumarcayet pañcaraṁgikacūrṇena vajranābhaṁ tu maṇḍalam

Hari said: Having bathed in a pavilion built upon the ground, one should worship Vishnu in a mandala. With powders of five colors, the mandala called Vajranabha (should be drawn).

Verse 2 (garuda.1.8.2)

षोडशैः कोष्ठकैस्तत्र सम्मितं रुद्र ? कारयेत् । चतुर्थपंचकोणेषु सूत्रपातं तु कारयेत्

ṣoḍaśaiḥ koṣṭhakaistatra sammitaṁ rudra ? kārayet caturthapaṁcakoṇeṣu sūtrapātaṁ tu kārayet

O Rudra, there it should be made with sixteen compartments. At the fourth and fifth corners a cord should be laid.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.8.3)

कोणसूत्रादुभयतः कोणा ये तत्र संस्थिताः । तेषु चैव प्रकुर्वीत सूत्रपातं विचक्षणः

koṇasūtrādubhayataḥ koṇā ye tatra saṁsthitāḥ teṣu caiva prakurvīta sūtrapātaṁ vicakṣaṇaḥ

From the corner-cord, on both sides, wherever corners are situated, the wise practitioner should likewise lay the cord upon them.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.8.4)

तदनन्तरकोणेषु एवमेव हि कारयेत् । प्रथमा नाभिरुद्दिष्टा मध्ये रेखाप्रसंगमे

tadanantarakoṇeṣu evameva hi kārayet prathamā nābhiruddiṣṭā madhye rekhāprasaṁgame

In the corners that follow, one should proceed in the same way. In the middle, where the lines converge, is designated the first navel (central point).

Verse 5 (garuda.1.8.5)

अन्तरेषु च सर्वेषु अष्टौ चैव तुनाभयः । पूर्वमध्यमनाभिभ्यामथं सूत्रं तु भ्रामयेत्

antareṣu ca sarveṣu aṣṭau caiva tunābhayaḥ pūrvamadhyamanābhibhyāmathaṁ sūtraṁ tu bhrāmayet

In all the intervening spaces too there are eight navels. From the eastern and the central navel, the cord should be turned.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.8.6)

अन्तरा स द्विजश्रेष्ठः पादोनं भ्रामयेद्धर ! । अनेन नाभिसूत्रस्य कर्णिकां भ्रामयेच्छिव !

antarā sa dvijaśreṣṭhaḥ pādonaṁ bhrāmayeddhara ! anena nābhisūtrasya karṇikāṁ bhrāmayecchiva !

O Hara, in that interval the foremost of the twice-born should turn it a quarter less. O Shiva, with this navel-cord the pericarp (of the lotus) should be traced.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.8.7)

कर्णिकाया द्विभागेन केसराणि विचक्षणः । तदग्रेण सदा विद्वान्दलान्येव समालिखेत्

karṇikāyā dvibhāgena kesarāṇi vicakṣaṇaḥ tadagreṇa sadā vidvāndalānyeva samālikhet

From the two divisions of the pericarp, the wise practitioner should draw the filaments. With their tips, the learned one should always mark out the petals.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.8.8)

सर्वेषु नाभिक्षेत्रषु मानेनानेन सुव्रत ! । पद्मानि तानि कुर्वीत देशिकः पर मार्थवित्

sarveṣu nābhikṣetraṣu mānenānena suvrata ! padmāni tāni kurvīta deśikaḥ para mārthavit

O one of good vows, in all the navel-regions, with this same measure, the teacher who knows the supreme truth should fashion those lotuses.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.8.9)

आदिसूत्रविभागेन द्वाराणि परिकल्पयेत् । द्वारशोभां तथा तत्र तदर्द्धेन तु कल्पयेत्

ādisūtravibhāgena dvārāṇi parikalpayet dvāraśobhāṁ tathā tatra tadarddhena tu kalpayet

By the division of the original cord the gateways should be fashioned, and with half of that, the ornamentation of the gateways should be arranged there.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.8.10)

कर्णिकां पीतवर्णेन सितरक्तादिकेसरैः । अन्तरं नीलवर्णेन दलानि असितेन च

karṇikāṁ pītavarṇena sitaraktādikesaraiḥ antaraṁ nīlavarṇena dalāni asitena ca

The pericarp should be colored yellow; the filaments white, red, and other colors; the interstices blue; and the petals black.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.8.11)

कृष्णवर्णेन रजसा चतुरश्रं प्रपूरयेत् । द्वाराणि शुक्लवर्णेन रेखाः पंच च मण्डले

kṛṣṇavarṇena rajasā caturaśraṁ prapūrayet dvārāṇi śuklavarṇena rekhāḥ paṁca ca maṇḍale

The square should be filled with black powder. The gateways should be colored white, and in the mandala five lines should be drawn.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.8.12)

सिता रक्ता तथा पीता कृष्णा चैव यथाक्रमम् । कृत्वैव मण्डलञ्चादौ न्यासं कृत्वार्चयेद्धरिम्

sitā raktā tathā pītā kṛṣṇā caiva yathākramam kṛtvaiva maṇḍalañcādau nyāsaṁ kṛtvārcayeddharim

White, red, yellow, and black — in this same order. Having thus first drawn the mandala, one should worship Hari after performing the ritual placement (nyasa).

Verse 13 (garuda.1.8.13)

हृन्मध्ये तु न्यसेद्विष्णुं कण्ठे सङ्कर्षणं तथा । प्रद्युम्नं शिरसिन्यस्य शिखायामनिरुद्धकम्

hṛnmadhye tu nyasedviṣṇuṁ kaṇṭhe saṅkarṣaṇaṁ tathā pradyumnaṁ śirasinyasya śikhāyāmaniruddhakam

In the middle of the heart, one should place Vishnu by nyasa; in the throat, Sankarshana; having placed Pradyumna in the head, one should place Aniruddha in the crest.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.8.14)

ब्रह्माणं सर्वगात्रेषु करयोः श्रीधरं तथा । अहं विष्णुरिति ध्यात्वा कर्णिकायां न्यसेद्धरिम्

brahmāṇaṁ sarvagātreṣu karayoḥ śrīdharaṁ tathā ahaṁ viṣṇuriti dhyātvā karṇikāyāṁ nyaseddharim

In all the limbs, Brahma; in both hands, Shridhara. Meditating 'I myself am Vishnu,' one should place Hari in the pericarp.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.8.15)

न्यसेत्सङ्कर्षणं पूर्वे प्रद्युम्नं चैव दक्षिणे । अनिरुद्धं पश्चिमे च ब्रह्माणं चोत्तरे न्यसेत्

nyasetsaṅkarṣaṇaṁ pūrve pradyumnaṁ caiva dakṣiṇe aniruddhaṁ paścime ca brahmāṇaṁ cottare nyaset

In the east one should place Sankarshana, and in the south Pradyumna; in the west Aniruddha, and in the north one should place Brahma.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.8.16)

श्रीधरं रुद्रकोणेषु इन्द्रादीन्दिक्षु विन्यसेत् । ततोऽभ्यर्च्य च गन्धाद्यैः प्राप्नुयात्परमं पदम्

śrīdharaṁ rudrakoṇeṣu indrādīndikṣu vinyaset tato'bhyarcya ca gandhādyaiḥ prāpnuyātparamaṁ padam

Shridhara should be placed in the intermediate corners (associated with Rudra), and Indra and the other guardians in their own quarters. Then, having worshipped with sandal-paste and the rest, one attains the supreme abode.