Manual for the Sacrifice to the Nine Planets and the Propitiation of Ganesha

If the staff original: danda; a ritual pole or measuring rod is held in the portion of Fire original: Agni-bhaga, victory is produced through fire. If the staff is held in the portion of the Moon original: Soma-bhaga, a crooked disease is produced. ॥ 17 ॥

If the staff is held in the portion of Vishnu original: Vishnu-bhaga, wealth and grain are produced. If the staff is held in the portion of the Lord of Progeny original: Prajapati, sons and grandsons are produced. ॥ 18 ॥

If the staff is held in the portion of the Wind original: Vayu-bhaga, one should designate sickness for him. If the staff is held in the portion of Death original: Yama-bhaga, there will be death, without a doubt. ॥ 19 ॥

The measurement should be made by a hand-span original: hasta, and the staff itself should be one hand-span in length. It should be twelve finger-widths original: angula in height, adorned with flowers and sandalwood. ॥ 21 ॥

[One should hold it] with the right hand in the South-East and later with the left hand. One should grasp the shoulder, the middle, and the head with the hand-gestures original: mudra. ॥ 22 ॥

The Sun-staff original: arka-yashti should be placed in the lotus upon an altar covered with a white cloth that has been prepared?. [Items made of] copper, crystal, and red sandalwood should be placed in a circle. ॥ 23 ॥

Silver and iron [items] should also be used as before. Having established the sacred diagram original: mandala, even if all face the same entrance... ॥ 24 ॥

One should draw on a clean cloth or on the ground with scents within the mandalas. The Sun original: Aditya, Mars original: Angaraka, and...

...and the Moon original: Nishakara. ॥ 25 ॥

Mercury original: Budha and Jupiter original: Guru are yellow; the rest are known as black. [The shapes are] circular original: vartula, square original: chaturasra, triangular original: trikona, and arrow-shaped original: bana. ॥ 26 ॥

Oblong-circular original: dirghavrutta, three-cornered, five-cornered original: panchakona, bow-shaped original: dhanu, and the shape of a serpent-flag original: sarpa-dhvaja are the mandalas in their proper sequence. ॥ 27 ॥

If the measurements are deficient or excessive, it causes disease and distress. If the measurement is correct, success is achieved; therefore, one should draw according to the measurements. ॥ 28 ॥

With twelve or double that [measurements], various [designs]... five, twenty, or eight fingers in sequence. ॥ 29 ॥

Venus original: Shukra and the Sun original: Arka are known to face East; Jupiter original: Guru and Mercury original: Soumya/Budha face North. ॥ 30 ॥

Saturn original: Shani and the Moon original: Soma face West; the rest face South. One should know the Sun is in the center, and the Moon is in the South-East. ॥ 31 ॥

One should know Mars is in the South, and Mercury is in the North-East. One should know Jupiter is in the North, and Venus is in the East. ॥ 31 ॥

One should know Saturn is in the West, [Rahu] in the South-West, and one should place [Ketu] in the North-West. ॥ 32 ॥