Pratishta (प्रतिष्ठा)

There are four principal stages in the procedure of Pratishta as part of the tradition.

1. सङ्कल्पः ॥ Sankalpa (Pledge)
2. होमम् ॥ Homa
3. उत्सर्गः ॥ Utsarga
4. दक्षिणप्रदानम् ॥ Dakshina pradana

Sankalpa

The formal act of dana starts with a Sankalpa. It includes making a firm resolution and is an essential ingredient of making a gift. Dana made without a sankalpa does not give any benefit to the donor. This makes sense, if dana is about Tyaga (sacrifice or consciously giving up) and its benefits for the donor are partly psychological.

The sankalpa is recited by the donor in favour of the donee, who is mostly a brahmin. The thing or property to be donated is at hand physically or is specified as part of the sankalpa. Agnipurana provides a rendering of the general sankalpa for dana. The following are a few slokas:

अद्यामुकसगोत्राय विप्रायामुकशर्मणे ॥२०८.००६

एतद्द्रव्यं विष्णुदैवं सर्वपापोपशान्तय् । आयुरारोग्यवृद्ध्यर्थं सौभाग्यादिविवृद्धये(१) ॥२०८.००७

गोत्रसन्ततिवृद्ध्यर्थं विजयाय धनाय च । धर्मायैश्वर्यकामाय तत्पापशमनाय च ॥२०८.००८

संसारमुक्तये दानन्तुभ्यं सम्प्रददे ह्यहं । एतद्दानप्रतिष्ठार्थं तुभ्यमेतद्ददाम्यहं ॥२०८.००९

एतेन प्रीयतां नित्यं सर्वलोकपतिः प्रभुः । यज्ञदानव्रतपते विद्याकीर्त्यादि देहि मे ॥२०८.०१०

धर्मकामार्थमोक्षांश्च देहि मे मनसेप्सितं । यः पठेच्छृणुयान्नित्यं व्रतदानसमुच्चयं ॥२०८.०११

स प्राप्तकामो विमलो भुक्तिमुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् ।२०८.०१२

This sankalp also gives us an idea of what the donor expects out of a dana:

● Pleasure of Shri Vishnu (or another deity)

● Urge to sin may die down

● Increase in life, health, luck, gotra (lineage) and children

● Getting victory, dharma, aishwarya (prosperity),and desires

● Withering of sins

● Release from the material world, and,

● Getting knowledge and prestige

Backing out of the sankalpa leads one to a special type of hell, which is reserved for people who lie or cheat in matters related to dana called Vaitarini (वैतरणी). In order to escape this hell, you should have donated at least a cow, who will help cross this hell.