Gaurī Pūjā

Gaurī Pūjā · gaurī-pūjā, “the pūjā of Devī Gaurī”

The Gaurī Pūjā, also called the Umā-pūjā, is the pūjā of Devī Gaurī (Umā), the consort of Bhagavān Śiva. The Agni Purāṇa gives it in Chapter 326, where Parameśvara, Bhagavān Śiva, teaches it to Skanda: “I shall tell the Umā-pūjā, which gives bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (moksha) and gives saubhāgya (good fortune), and also its means: mantra, dhyāna, maṇḍala, mudrā, homa and the rest.” It is done especially on the ashṭamī, caturthī and tṛtīyā tithis.

The chapter gives the mantras and the nyāsa, the mūrti, the śaktis of the surrounding lotus beginning with Lalitā, the Devī’s form, the mudrās, the maṇḍala, the homa, the feeding of girls and the phala: a bride for one who seeks one, sons for the sonless, good fortune for an unfortunate woman, and victory and a kingdom for a king. It closes with the pūjā of Mṛtyuñjaya on a kalaśa, which removes untimely death. Elsewhere the Agni Purāṇa gives the pūjā mantras of the Gaurī pratishṭhā (Chapter 98), the Gaurī mantras with their phala (Chapter 313), and the worship of Mahāgaurī with the śaktis (Chapter 348).

The mantras and the nyāsa

The mūla-mantra naming the Devī is “Gaurī-mūrtaye namaḥ”. With the mantra “Oṃ hrīṃ saḥ śāṃ Gauryai namaḥ”, taking its syllables and adding “namaḥ” and the rest, the shaḍaṅga-nyāsa (placing of the mantra on the six limbs) is done. The āsana (seat) is consecrated with the praṇava (Oṃ) and the mūrti with the hṛdaya (heart) mantra; the kāla-bīja and the śiva-bīja are drawn out. With the prāṇa (the letter “ya”) joined to the long vowels (yāṃ, yīṃ and the rest), shaḍaṅga-nyāsa is done with the jātis; āsana-nyāsa with the praṇava and mūrti-nyāsa with the hṛdaya mantra. “Thus far,” Bhagavān Śiva says, “I have told the Yāmala mantra.” Then he tells the Ekavīra: the vyāpaka-nyāsa (pervading nyāsa) is done with the sṛshṭi-nyāsa, and the seed syllables made of Śiva and Śakti are placed in the heart and the other places (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The mūrti and the āvaraṇa śaktis

A pratimā (image) of Devī Gaurī is made of gold, silver, stone or the like, and worshipped. Or a pañca-piṇḍa pratimā (an image of five lumps) is made: on the four sides the avyakta (unmanifest) forms, and in the middle the vyakta (manifest) form.

The śaktis beginning with Lalitā are worshipped in order as the āvaraṇa devatās (the surrounding devatās). A round eight-petalled lotus is made. On the petals beginning with the south-east, in order, are worshipped Lalitā, Subhagā, Gaurī and Kshobhaṇī; on the petals beginning with the east, Vāmā, Jyeshṭhā, Kriyā and Jñānā. On the left side, with the pīṭha, the avyakta form of Bhagavān Śiva is worshipped (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The form of Devī Gaurī

In her vyakta form the Devī has two or three eyes. She is worshipped together with Bhagavān Śiva in his pure form. She sits on two pīṭhas or two lotuses. She has two, four, eight or eighteen arms, and she is seated on a lion or, as the text gives it, on a wolf.

In the eighteen-armed form, her right hands hold the srak (garland), the akshasūtra (rosary), the bud, the head, the utpala (blue lotus), the piṇḍikā, the arrow and the bow. Her left hands hold the book, tāmbūla (betel), the staff, the abhaya (gesture granting fearlessness), the kamaṇḍalu (water-pot), Gaṇeśa, the mirror, the arrow and the bow (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The mudrās

The vyakta or the avyakta mudrās are shown to the Devī. In offering the āsana the padma-mudrā (lotus gesture) is shown. In worshipping Bhagavān Śiva the liṅga-mudrā is shown, which is also called the Śiva-mudrā. The āvāhanī-mudrā (gesture of invocation) is shown to both. The śakti-mudrā is called the yoni (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The maṇḍala

The maṇḍala is square. In its four middle koshṭhas (cells) three-petalled lotuses are drawn. Above the three corners, in two padas each, a half-moon is drawn, the second double the first. The neck of each door is two padas and the part below it double that, and there are three doors on each side. Or a Sarvatobhadra maṇḍala is drawn and the pūjā done on it.

Or the Devī is placed on a vedikā (altar) and worshipped with pañcagavya (the five products of the cow), pañcāmṛta (the five nectars) and the rest. The worshipper faces north and offers red flowers (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The homa, bali and the feeding of girls

One who offers a hundred homas of ājya (ghee) and gives the pūrṇāhuti (the full and final offering) obtains all siddhis (attainments). After the bali (offering), three or eight kanyās (young girls) are fed. The naivedya of the pūjā is given to the devotees of Bhagavān Śiva; the worshipper does not take it himself.

One must not eat without first offering to one’s ishṭa-devatā (chosen devatā). The worship may also be done with the left hand, and this is done especially on the ashṭamī, caturthī and tṛtīyā (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The phala

By this pūjā one who wants a bride obtains a bride; one without sons obtains sons; an unfortunate woman becomes fortunate; and a king gains victory in battle and a kingdom. By eight lakh japas (repetitions) of the mantra vāk-siddhi (perfection of speech) arises, and the devatās come under one’s control. The Umā-pūjā gives bhukti, mukti and saubhāgya (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The Mṛtyuñjaya pūjā

At the close of the chapter Bhagavān Śiva teaches the pūjā of Mṛtyuñjaya, the conqueror of death, which is done on a kalaśa (water-pot). In the homa, saying the praṇava, the mūrti mantra of Mṛtyuñjaya and the mūla-mantra, the kumbha-mudrā (pot gesture) is shown. The homa is offered with milk, dūrvā grass, ājya, amṛta, punarnavā, pāyasa (sweet rice) and puroḍāśa (the sacred cake). Before the homa ten thousand japas of the mantra are done.

Mṛtyuñjaya has four faces and four arms: in two hands he holds the kalaśa, and two show the vara (granting) and abhaya gestures. He is given snāna (sacred bath) with the kumbha-mudrā. By this pūjā health, prosperity and long life are obtained. A medicine consecrated with this mantra is auspicious. By meditating on Mṛtyuñjaya or worshipping him, apamṛtyu (untimely death) is removed (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 326).

The pūjā in the Gaurī pratishṭhā

When Bhagavān Śiva tells Skanda the rite of the pratishṭhā (consecration) of Devī Gaurī, he gives with it the mantras of her pūjā. This Devī is the form of the Parāśakti: the kriyā-śakti is placed on the pīṭha and the jñāna-śakti in the Devī’s image, and Devī Ambikā, who bears the name Śivā, is worshipped. The seat is worshipped with “Oṃ āṃ ādhāra-śaktaye namaḥ” and the mantras to Kūrma, to Nārāyaṇa, to Aiśvarya, to the lower covering and to the lotus seat; then the filaments, the pericarp and the lotus seeds. With “Oṃ haṃ Pushṭyai namaḥ”, “Oṃ hrīṃ Jñānāyai namaḥ” and “Oṃ hrūṃ Kriyāyai namaḥ” the śaktis Pushṭi, Jñānā and Kriyā are worshipped. The stalk is worshipped, with Dharma, Jñāna, Vairāgya and their opposites Adharma, Ajñāna, Avairāgya and Anaiśvarya, and then the śaktis beginning with Vāc: Vāc, Jvālinī, Śamā, Jyeshṭhā and the Navaśakti.

Then come “Oṃ gauṃ Gauryāsanāya namaḥ” to the Devī’s seat and “Oṃ gauṃ Gaurī-mūrtaye namaḥ” to her mūrti, and the Gaurī mūla-mantra: “Oṃ hrīṃ saḥ Mahāgauri Rudradayite svāhā Gauryai namaḥ” (“O Mahāgaurī, beloved of Rudra”). With the aṅga-mantras, from “Oṃ gāṃ hṛdayāya namaḥ” to “Oṃ gauṃ vijñāna-śaktaye namaḥ”, the limbs are worshipped, and with “Oṃ gūṃ kriyā-śaktaye namaḥ” the kriyā-śakti. Indra and the other dikpālas are worshipped in the directions from the east, and then Subhagā (“Oṃ suṃ Subhagāyai namaḥ”), Lalitā (“Oṃ hrīṃ Lalitāyai namaḥ”), Kāminī and Kāmamālinī. By the pratishṭhā, pūjā and japa of Devī Gaurī with these mantras the worshipper obtains everything (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 98).

The Gaurī mantras and their phala

Agni Deva gives the Gaurī mantra “Oṃ hrīṃ Gauryai namaḥ”: by japa, homa, dhyāna and pūjā with it, everything is gained. Devī Gaurī is meditated upon with a body the colour of the dawn and four arms, holding the pāśa (noose) and showing the vara-mudrā in her right hands, and holding the aṅkuśa (goad) and showing abhaya in her left hands.

The phala of this mantra, in the order the text gives it:

  • one who prays to Devī Gaurī with a pure mind lives a hundred years and has no fear of thieves and the like;
  • on the battlefield, if one drinks water consecrated with this mantra, even one who is very angry with him becomes gracious;
  • wearing añjana (collyrium) and tilaka consecrated with it brings others under one’s sway;
  • writing it on the tongue gives the power of poetry;
  • by its japa women and men come under one’s sway, and even subtle beings become visible;
  • by mere touch people are brought under one’s sway;
  • a homa of sesame with this mantra fulfils every wish;
  • one who eats food consecrated five times with this mantra has all wealth with him.

If the Lakshmī bīja (śrīṃ) and the Vaishṇava bīja (klīṃ) are added at its beginning, it becomes the Ādi Ardhanārīśvara mantra. In the same chapter Agni Deva gives another Gaurī mantra: “Oṃ hrīṃ Gauri Rudradayite Yogeśvari hūṃ phaṭ svāhā” (“O Gaurī, beloved of Rudra, Yogeśvarī”) (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 313).

Mahāgaurī and the śaktis

In the chapter of the ekākshara-kośa (the meanings of single letters), Agni Deva says that after the Gaurī pūjā, Dharma and the rest, Skanda and the rest, and the śaktis are to be worshipped. The devatās Prajñā, Jñānā, Kriyā, Vācā, Vāgīśī, Jvālinī, Vāmā, Jyeshṭhā, Raudrī and Gaurī are worshipped, and the Devī is worshipped with the mantra “Hrīṃ saḥ Mahāgauri Rudradayite svāhā” (“Mahāgaurī, beloved of Rudra”). Mahāgaurī, Jñānaśakti, Kriyāśakti, Subhagā, Lalitā, Kāminī, Kāmamālā and the śaktis of Indra and the other devatās are also worshipped with the ekākshara (single-syllable) mantra (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 348).

Sources

  • Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 98, 313, 326, 348