Pratishta (प्रतिष्ठा)
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There are four principal stages in the procedure of Pratishta as part of the tradition.[1]
- सङ्कल्पः ॥ Sankalpa (Pledge)
- होमम् ॥ Homa
- उत्सर्गः ॥ Utsarga
- 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.[2]
The sankalpa is recited by the donor in favour of the donee, who is mostly a brahmana. The thing or property to be donated is at hand physically or is specified as part of the sankalpa. Agnipurana[3] 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
adyāmukasagotrāya viprāyāmukaśarmaṇe ॥208.006
etaddravyaṁ viṣṇudaivaṁ sarvapāpopaśāntay । āyurārogyavr̥ddhyarthaṁ saubhāgyādivivr̥ddhaye(1) ॥208.007
gotrasantativr̥ddhyarthaṁ vijayāya dhanāya ca । dharmāyaiśvaryakāmāya tatpāpaśamanāya ca ॥208.008
saṁsāramuktaye dānantubhyaṁ sampradade hyahaṁ । etaddānapratiṣṭhārthaṁ tubhyametaddadāmyahaṁ ॥208.009
etena prīyatāṁ nityaṁ sarvalokapatiḥ prabhuḥ । yajñadānavratapate vidyākīrtyādi dehi me ॥208.010
dharmakāmārthamokṣāṁśca dehi me manasepsitaṁ । yaḥ paṭhecchr̥ṇuyānnityaṁ vratadānasamuccayaṁ ॥208.011
sa prāptakāmo vimalo bhuktimuktimavāpnuyāt ।208.012
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 do papa (पापम्) may die down
● Increase in life, health, luck, gotra (lineage) and children
● Getting victory, dharma, aishwarya (prosperity),and desires
● Withering of papa (पापम्)
● 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.[2]
References
- ↑ Kane, Pandurang Vaman. (1941) History of Dharmasastra (Ancient and Medieval Religious and Civil Law) Volume 2, Part 2. Poona : Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Agarwal, Sanjay. (2010) Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India. New Delhi: AccountAid, India
- ↑ Agni Purana (Adhyaya 208)