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80 Išānsivagurudevapaddhati The four sides of the Tantric designs made of flowers of creepers, fishes, leaves of fig tree, Mātulanga (Dāļima) fruit, lotus petals etc. The number of designs are many and it is upto the Sädhaka to decide as to how many should be drawn to create the desired size. This is implied by the following statement. अतः परं चेद् दलवृद्धिमिच्छेद् दिशानयैवात्र यथाक्रमेण ।
तदूहतो मत्स्यवशेन सूत्रैर्लिखेत् सरोजानि यथाभिलाषम् ॥
(9) The section deals with several secrificial materials like ladle, utensils, sticks for kindling sacred fire, measurements of vessels, quantity of oblations and the purificatory rites. Sruva is a long-handled spoon carved out of either Paläsa or Khadira wood. There is circular pit at one end and a long handle. स्रुग्जातं तु भवेत् सुविहितं तालद्वयायामकम् । कुर्याद् वर्तुलमङ्गलेन वदनं तस्यावटेऽर्धाङ्गुले ।
Arani-the stick to kindle sacrificial fire consists of two pieces, the upper one and the lower one. Each of them conists of about six inches in length. The upper one is made of Pippala wood while the lower one is made of Aśvattha wood. The wood to kindle the fire is to be carefully selected. Sticks such as crooked, without leaves, slender, worm eaten, broken, too short and partially burnt should not be used to kindle sacrificial fire. The materials offered as oblations should be pure and be placed in vessels of gold, silver or copper according to the circumstances. Their merit also is in the descending order, gold vessels being the perfect ones. Regarding the oblations it is said :
शाल्यः स्युः सितषष्टिकाश्च कलमा नीवारजास्तण्डुलाः संशुद्धास्तुषशर्करादिरहिता: शुक्लाः प्रशस्ताश्चरोः । श्रेष्ठं यत् स्वपशोघृतं नवमथ क्रीतं नवं मध्यमं क्रीताज्यं यदनूतनं तदधमं गव्यं भवेद् गालितम् ॥ That variety of rice which ripens in about sixty days is to be used. Grains of the Nivära rice may also be accepted. These must be pure, free of chaff and gravel and pure white. The fresh ghee from one's own cow is preferred to that purchased from other sources
