तडागाद्युत्सर्गविधिःThe dedication of a tank and the like
Verse 172
चन्द्रार्कौ साक्षिणौ कृत्वा विलोड्यैकं समुद्धरेत् । तत्रोत्तिष्ठति यो नागस्तं कुर्यात्तोयरक्षकम् ॥ १७२ ॥
candrārkau sākṣiṇau kṛtvā vilōḍyaikaṁ samuddharēt | tatrōttiṣṭhati yō nāgastaṁ kuryāttōyarakṣakam || 172 ||
Translation
Making the Moon and the Sun witnesses, he should stir them and draw one out; whatever nāga comes up he should make the guardian of the water.
Word by word
- candra
- the Moon
- arkau
- (arkau) and the Sun
- sākṣiṇau
- witnesses
- kṛtvā
- making
- vilōḍya
- stirring
- ēkaṁ
- (ekam) one
- samuddharēt
- he should draw out
- tatra
- there
- uttiṣṭhati
- (uttiṣṭhati) comes up
- yaḥ
- (yaḥ) whatever
- nāgaḥ
- (nāgaḥ) nāga
- taṁ
- him
- kuryāt
- he should make
- tōya
- of the water
- rakṣakam
- the guardian
Meaning
The guardian is chosen by lot, with the two great lights as witnesses.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Candrārkau" and the rest. Then, making the Moon and the Sun witnesses, he should stir the aśvattha leaves on which the names of the nāgas are written and draw out one aśvattha leaf with a nāga's name written on it. Whatever nāga comes up there, that nāga he should make the guardian of the water.