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energy, as are painful to the touch, as grow on trees and plants having
thorns, and as are either bloody-red or black, should be offered to
(evil) spirits and unearthly beings. Such flowers as gladden the mind and
heart, as are very agreeable when pressed, and as are of beautiful form,
have been said, O lord, to be worthy of being offered to human beings.
Such flowers as grow on cemeteries and crematoria, or in places dedicated
to the deities, should not be brought and used for marriage and other
rites having growth and prosperity for their object, or for acts of
dalliance and pleasure in secrecy. Such flowers as are born on mountains
and in vales, and as are agreeable in scent and aspect, should be offered
unto the deities. Sprinkling them with sandal-paste, such agreeable
flowers should be duly offered according to the ordinances of the
scriptures. The deities become gratified with the scent of flowers; the
Yakshas and Rakshasas with their sight, the Nagas with their touch; and
human beings with all three, viz., scent, sight, and touch. Flowers, when
offered to the deities gratify them immediately. They are capable of
accomplishing every object by merely wishing its accomplishment. As such,
when gratified with devotees offering them flowers, they cause all the
objects cherished by their worshippers to be immediately accomplished.
Gratified, they gratify their worshippers. Honoured, they cause their
worshippers to enjoy all honours. Disregarded and insulted, they cause
those vilest of men to be ruined and consumed. I shall, after this, speak
to thee of the merits that attach to the ordinances about the gift of
incense. Know, O prince of Asuras, that incenses are of diverse kinds.
Some of them are auspicious and some inauspicious. Some incenses consist
of exudations. Some are made of fragrant wood set on fire. And some are
artificial, being made by the hand, of diverse articles mixed together.
Their scent is of two kinds, viz., agreeable and disagreeable. Listen to
me as I discourse on the subject in detail.[440] All exudations except
that of the Boswellia serrata are agreeable to the deities. It is,
however, certain that the best of all exudations is that of the
Balsamodendron Mukul. Of all Dhupas of the Sari class, the Aquilaria
Agallocha is the best. It is very agreeable to the Yakshas, the
Rakshasas, and Nagas. The exudation of the Boswellia serrata, and others
of the same class, are much desired by the Daityas. D