Page:Durga Puja - With Notes and Illustrations.djvu/74

 sixteen kinds of offerings. Then rouse Devi, and, touching the north-eastern twig of the tree, repeat, "Aim for the destructiou of Ravana and for the success of Rama, Brahma had in earlier days at an unseasonable time awakened thee; I, also on the eve of the sixth lunar day of Asvina, do arouse thee. Indra having so aroused thee gained dominion and the heavens; therefore do I arouse thee with a view to obtain superhuman dominion and transcendental power. As the ten-faced was destroyed by Rama so may I have might to destroy my enemies." Then in the vilva tree the Devi is invited. "Om Sri fruit tree, thou art always gratifying to Amvika, thou art born on the top of mounts Meru, Mandara, Kailas, and Himavat, thou art born on the top of Sri mountain, thou art prosperous fruit, thou art the dwelling-place of health and prosperity, thou art by me deputed, oh! dost thou go, thou art the likeness of Durga! Thou art born from the vedas and the vedangas, oh Sri tree thou art gratifying to Chandika, I am inviting her for worship, dost thou give me thy twig." This inviting is fallowed by music and arati. Then tie together with a twine of white Clitoria ternata the nine plants viz. plantain, turmeric, sesbania, vilva, pomegranate, colocasia antiquorum, jonesia asoka, colocasia indica, and paddy