PLATE SIX
The goddess of fortune, Ramā, appeared like electricity, surpassing the lightning that might illuminate a marble mountain. Because of her exquisite beauty and her glories, everyone, including the demigods, the demons and the human beings, desired her. They were attracted because she is the source of all opulences, and thus they each worshiped her with their own special presentations: a suitable sitting place from Indra; pure water in golden waterpots from the Ganges and the Yamunā personified; all the herbs needed for installing the Deity from the land personified; milk, yogurt, ghee, urine and cow dung from the cows; everything produced during springtime from spring personified; flower garlands surrounded by bumblebees from Varuṇa; various decorative ornaments from Viśvakarmā; a necklace from Sarasvatī; a lotus flower from Lord Brahmā; and earrings from the inhabitants of Nāgaloka. The great sages performed the bathing ceremony while the Gandharvas chanted all-auspicious Vedic  mantras  and the professional dancers danced and sang. The clouds personified blew conchshells and bugles, beat various drums, and played flutes and stringed instruments. And the great elephants carried big water jugs full of Ganges water and bathed the goddess of fortune, to the accompaniment of Vedic  mantras  chanted by learned  brāhmaṇas . ( pp. 292–300 )