VAIŚVADEVA(M) A sacrifice. It is mentioned in
[Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 11] , that a brahmin should perform this sacrifice to protect himself from hurts caused by oven, threshing stone, axe, cutting knife, and other weapons. This sacrifice could be performed in a cavity for kindling fire on the floor besmeared with cowdung and mud. It should not be done in an ordinary oven meant for cooking, in iron oven, in earthernware or on ordinary floor. As all the deities are having faces of fire, the sacrificial fire should not be kindled by fanning the flame with hand, winnow, hide of black antelope or cloth. By fanning the flame with cloth, the sacrificer will contract disease; by winnowing he would sustain loss of wealth; and death, by fanning with hand. Plums, fruits, roots, curd, ghee etc. could be used as burnt offerings. When these are not available, firewood, roots of herbs, grass etc. could be used instead. Things to be offered as burnt-offerings should be purified, first by sprinkling ghee on them. In the absence of ghee, milk, curd and water may be used. Using things which are unfit as burnt-offerings will invite bad results. In Vaiśvadeva-sacrifice, half-burnt firewood used in cooking, should never be used. So also salts of any kind. After finishing Vaiśvadeva, Gogrāsa (giving rice to cow) also should be done.