Manual of the Nine Planets Sacrifice

...held by the fingers. Combined with ghee Ghee: clarified butter used as a primary offering in Vedic rituals, milk, barley-food, and well-prepared... 243. The verse number 243 in the manuscript seems to be a scribal error or follows a different numbering system, as it follows verse 252 from the previous section.

Pressed with the tip of the thumb as prescribed, with the fingers joined and hands positioned correctly, one should offer the oblation twice while remaining silent and self-controlled. 254.

Giving charity, accepting gifts, performing fire offerings Homa: the act of pouring or placing offerings into the consecrated fire, and the food offerings Bali: portions of food offered to deities, spirits, or animals—these should always be performed using the thumb. Otherwise, the merit of the action goes to the demons original: "Asuras," the traditional rivals of the gods (Devas); here implying the ritual becomes spiritually "leaked" or ineffective. 255.

One should not perform the offering with hair hanging loose, nor should one who is hungry original: "bhukah," implying the priest or practitioner should be in a state of ritual purity and focus rather than physical craving perform the offering. If an offering has not fallen properly into the fire, one should offer it again in the correct manner. 256.

If a pure offering intended for the fire falls outside of it, it is then considered to belong to Varuna the deity of the oceans and cosmic law or the Nagas serpent deities associated with the earth and waters. Therefore, one should cast it back into the fire. 257.

Whenever the sacrificial material Havis: any substance, such as grain, ghee, or milk, cast into the ritual fire falls outside during the pouring, one should place it back into the fire again using the "Agnasya Skanda" mantra This specific prayer, meaning "The fire's seed has spilled," is a "repair" mantra used to restore the sanctity of a spilled offering. 258.

"Increase..." "The head of the sky..." "O Mercury, friend of the Lord of the Forest..." "That which is brilliant..." "Inside..." "May Agni be peaceful..." "By what means..." "A banner..." These fragments correspond to the beginning of traditional Vedic mantras used to invoke the planets, such as the Moon (Apyayasva) and Mercury (Budha).