Now Lord Śākyamuni again looked at the realm of the Pure Abode, and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, O Mañjuśrī, a ritual sequence for a special worship of [the god of] fire, which is meant for those practitioners of vidyā who engage in the rite of homa according to the special procedure that has been succinctly explained in the chapter on mantras in your manual. Once established in this routine, beings become actively engage in the conduct of all vidyās. What is this sequence? The mantric words of the secret vidyā spell are as follows:

“ Oṁ, rise up, O tawny [flame] with red eyes! Give and cause to give! Hūṁ, phaṭ phaṭ! Destroy all the obstacles, svāhā!

“This, O Mañjuśrī, is the supreme heart [mantra] of [the god of] fire that accomplishes all activities and fulfills all wishes.

“At the beginning, the practitioner should offer into the fire three oblations of ghee, incanted each time with this heart mantra of fire. For someone engaged in this way in the performance of the pacifying, nourishing, or wrathful activities, there are prescribed three types of firewood, respectively.

“The sticks from the aśoka tree are for the activity of pacifying, Especially if they are moist with sap. The best ones are nine inches, a cubit, Or perhaps three fingers long.

“The ritual instructions specify That viscid sticks are the best. They should be without holes nor be hollow, With the hue of a parrot’s plumage.

“One should avoid yellow, White, or black colors. One should collect sticks without holes, Rejecting also those damaged by worms.

“Sticks of other colors are not recommended. One should avoid only sticks of the worst kind. They should be not too dry and not too moist. Nor should one use scorched sticks.

“One should also avoid those that are Rotten, crooked, or too long. One should then prepare a fire pit, Rectangular on all sides.

“One should carefully dig a pit To the depth of four cubits, Or, alternatively, three cubits, two cubits, Or even one cubit.

“The pit should be free of living organisms And made of sand. One should then prepare a lotus-shaped altar Encircling the pit all around.

“Or, one can carefully make An enclosure in the shape of a square, With corners in the shape of vajras, Both ends of which are three-pronged.

“Inside this fire pit one should prepare A flat, two-cubit area. One who is well prepared should perform the homa In a pure, cleanly swept place,

“On a well-chosen riverbank, Or in a lonely spot on dry land, A charnel ground, an empty dwelling, Or on a mountaintop.

“Also, one can always do this in an empty temple Or a big forest. Places that have been recommended by the most eminent of men As suitable for successful practice

“Have also been described as suitable in every respect For the performance of the homa rite. One who knows the mantra, Having sat on a bundle of kuśa grass

“One cubit in size, Should perform the homa rite in a particular way. If one remains in such places, Accomplishment will be swift, have no doubt.

“For the activities of pacifying and enriching One should sit facing east or north. Violent activities, however, associated with the south, The mantra practitioner should avoid.

“When one faces east, the accomplishment will be of a peaceful kind; When it is the north, it will be of an enriching kind. One should always begin the mantra recitation Facing these directions.

“One should perform rites of enriching Using sticks of the bilva, mango, waved-leaf fig, or banyan tree. Sticks used for violent rites Should be dry, pungent, sour, or bitter.

“All these that are meant for violent rites should be avoided, As they have been prohibited by the sages. In the rites of pacifying and enriching Sticks moist with sap are said to be the best.

“Dry sticks, used in violent rites, Should be avoided, according to the sages; They can, however, be used If the right type is not available.

“Around the fire pit one should spread An array of kuśa grass blades that are pointed at both ends, Using blades that have a glossy, yellow-green color, Like a peacock’s neck.

“One should always use blades of this kind In rites of pacifying and enriching, And dried blades of other grasses Of an emerald color

“In rites of evil activity; As for these, though, they are forbidden by the best of victors. One should take pure and clean water, Which always must be free of worms,

“And circumambulate the fire pit clockwise, Sprinkling it all around. One should then light the fire, wholly absorbed in this task, Having performed the ablutions according to procedure.

“With clean roots of grass, One should prepare a torch of the right size, Then take it in hand And carefully kindle the fire.

“One should not blow at the kindling with one’s mouth, Nor fan the fire with the edge of one’s garment, Such as the undergarment or the upper garment, But there is no restriction on other clothes.

“Nor should one fan the fire with one’s hand, Or risk putting it out by being overzealous. One should fan it with a pure frond of a palm, Or perhaps a clean cloth or leaf.

“When the fire has been kindled, Fanned with the wind generated as described, The knower of mantra should let it blaze And be well focused on the homa.

“One should then sprinkle it three times, Using one’s left hand. Then one should offer three oblations, Using for this purpose clarified cow’s butter.

“One should then bow to All the buddhas, the protectors, And salute also, as seems fit, The mantra lord of one’s personal mantra.

“Then, wholly dedicated to the task, One should invite the god of fire using fragrant flowers, Always incanted seven times With the heart mantra of fire.

“A wise practitioner, a knower of the mantra, Should summon him and offer him a place. One should offer him a seat With the same heart mantra and no other.

“In order to worship the god of fire One should offer three oblations of firewood sticks Covered in curds with ghee and smeared with honey, Performing the rite complete with the mantra.

“One should, at that time, Smear both ends of the sticks with these substances, Applying ghee and honey, And mixing it with curds.

“One can perform this 1000, 100,000, or 108 times. If one is a practitioner of a secret mantra, One should pronounce it once for each oblation cast into the fire.

“When performing peaceful rites, The fire should form a circle, Or a single tongue of flame. For the rites of enrichment, it should be smokeless.

“The fire should be smoky for rites of the violent type, Described by the victorious ones as forbidden. If the fire has a color, Its color is associated with a respective oblatory activity.

“If this activity is peaceful, a fire that is white in color Has always been praised by the victorious ones as the best. If one offers into a white fire, The [peaceful] mantras will be successful.

“The color red will always guarantee Accomplishment in the rites of enrichment. If the fire is black and the smoke is brown, Violent rites will be successful.

“There are thus three types of accomplishment Associated with the three colors. The fire may also have another color, such as the color of a cloud, And may appear in different forms.

“When the fire is like this, The mantras cannot possibly succeed. When seeing the fire blazing With this color

“Or with various [other undesirable] colors and forms, One should begin the rite once again. If one desires the mantra to succeed, One must perform the recitation again,

“And do the homa rite once again Following the established ritual procedure. To invoke or dismiss the deity, One should pronounce the mantra of fire

“Within the circle prepared beforehand, Following the right procedure. Employing this mantra, one should perform the homa Complete with the rites of invoking and dismissing the deity.

“Based on this particular rite, One can accomplish any rite. One should commence such fire observances In front of the painting.

“One’s mantras will then be successful, As formerly declared by the tathāgatas. One should not perform just any activities, however, But only those praised by the victorious ones.

“Thus, one should not perform other activities, Especially the evil ones Censured by the victorious ones And forbidden and reviled by the world.

“One will become either a universal emperor, Or a bodhisattva protecting the earth. One will attain the five superknowledges, Or the state of a god.

“One who always applies the appropriate knowledge of the painting And is confident about the rite of the homa Will become the master of subterranean paradises And also be able to travel in the sky.

“One will be able to change into an earth god or a yakṣa Who always attracts yakṣa maidens. One may become the ruler of a kingdom, Or a district, or perhaps the head of a village.

“One may at will become a vidyādhara or an asura With the power to enthrall all beings. One will be able to summon the spirits, As well as the great and noble beings.

“By means of this rite of homa, One will be able to summon the bodhisattvas, The great beings who abide on any of the ten levels, Not to mention ordinary humans on this earth.

“One may become a general of an army, Or someone of exceptionally great might in this world. One may control all the spirits And, likewise, become a lord of men.

“Whether it is for the sake of enthralling all beings, Or becoming the king of men on earth, One should always include, with every activity, A complete rite of homa.

“One should practice all the activities With complete dedication and in full; The supreme activity will then be successful And will serve the highest purpose.

“So too will the activities of the medium And the lowest type be successful, And one will also obtain all the relevant power substances. Again, as has been said, the accomplishment can be of three types.

“When the rite of homa is performed, One’s accomplishment will be rich in results. One should form the five-crested mudrā And say the mantra of Keśinī.

“One should perform all activities, Having first performed the rite of self-protection. When engaging in the rite of homa, One should recite the following mantra. This mantra should always be repeated, In this rite, seven or eight times.

“Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, the perfect teachers. The mantra is:

“ Oṁ, burn! Remain, hūṁ! Ru ru, you from whom all things arise! You who are the origin, svāhā!

“Using this mantra method, One should thoroughly recite again and again. A mantra adept, having thus recited twice or seven times, Should offer oblations into the fire.

“Using water incanted with this mantra, One should sprinkle Flowers, incense, perfume, And everything all around.

“One should then commence all activities According to procedure. In all one’s activities one should apply The previously described method.

“Having formed the great mudrā— The famed five-crested — One should do the protection rite And then continually recite the mantra of Keśinī.

“One should embark on all activities Confident about the causes of accomplishment. If favorable signs are seen And beautiful sounds continuously heard,

“One’s mantras will certainly produce results By fulfilling the wished-for boons. When first applying the activities And engaging with mantra—the cause—

“The accomplishment of such activities Will be complete and rich in results. The cries of ‘Victory!’ will be heard, Along with the sounds of large and small kettledrums.

“Accomplishment is always said to follow, If one relies on the rite of homa. Other favorable signs may also be seen Or the beautiful sounds of birds heard.

“Various kinds of sounds may be heard, Whose meanings have been described by the victorious ones— Many kinds of exquisite sounds, Divine, auspicious, and pleasing to the mind.

“Parasols, banners, and flags may be seen, Along with women bedecked in jewelry, And likewise vases full of offerings— Seeing them is a sign of accomplishment.

“They are all of many forms and colors, Praised and venerated by the world. When they are perceived, The mantras, with their different applications, will be successful.