आरामसेत्वादि प्रतिष्ठाक्रमःGardens, bridges and the rest
Verse 267
अप्रतिष्ठितदेवाय नैव दद्यात् गृहादिकम् । अर्च्याऽप्रतिष्ठिते देवे पूजादानं विधीयते ॥ २६७ ॥
apratiṣṭhitadēvāya naiva dadyāt gṛhādikam | arcyā’pratiṣṭhitē dēvē pūjādānaṁ vidhīyatē || 267 ||
Translation
He should never give a house or the like to a god who has not been installed; for a god not installed in an image, worship and offerings are what is prescribed.
Word by word
- apratiṣṭhita
- who has not been installed
- dēvāya
- to a god
- na
- not
- ēva
- never
- dadyāt
- he should give
- gṛha
- a house
- ādikam
- or the like
- arcyā
- in an image
- apratiṣṭhitē
- not installed
- dēvē
- for a god
- pūjā
- worship
- dānaṁ
- and offerings
- vidhīyatē
- is prescribed
Meaning
A temple may be given only to a deity already installed in an image. Where there is no installed image, the god receives worship and offerings, not a house. The verse reads "arcyā apratiṣṭhite"; another reading of the same words takes it the other way, that worship and gifts are for a deity installed and worshipped. Either way, the rule leads into the rite of installation itself, which follows.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
See the commentary on verse 264.