38 - Worship of Durga 

Hari said: 

1. On Navami1, the devotee shall worship Durgå with the mantra Hrim Durge Rakshini. O Mother, O excellent mother Goddess Durgå, the giver of all implements of love and wealth! Grant unto me all desires accepting this offering.

1. The ninth day in the lunar fortnight.  

2-3. In the märgashirsha2 month(Oct-Nov.) beginning with the third day of the lunar fortnight the devotee shall worship in order these goddesses: --Gauri, kāli, Umā, Durgā, Bhadra, Kanti, Sarasvati, Mangala, Vijaya, Lakşhmi, Shiva and Narayani. He will never have the sorrow of separation. 

2. The ninth month of the Hindu calendar which now-a days begins with chaitra, 

4-5. The devotee shall meditate on the goddess with eighteen hands bearing Khetaka (club), bell, mirror, Tarjani (censuring symbol), bow, banner. Damaruka (small drum), axe, noose, Shakti (Javelin), pestle, Shüla (trident), Kapāla (skull), Vajraka (thunderbolt) goad, arrow, Chakra and a probe. 

6. I shall now explain the process of japa of Sri Bhagavati3 along with the requisite mantras. 

3. Durga. 

7. Om obeisance to Thee Goddess Chamunda4, living in the cremation ground, having a skull in the hand, riding on a great spirit having a cluster of mahäviminas (aerial chariots) around Kälaratri (terrific like a nightmare), surrounded by a number of attendants, having a huge mouth and many arms, bearing bell, drum and kinkini, loudly laughing with the sound kili-kili. Hum unto thee. O deity producing all sorts of sounds, body covered with the hide of an elephant, smeared with blood and flesh, having a terrific dangling tongue, O great Rakshasi, terrific with hideous crooked teeth, laughing boisterously, effulgent like the glittering lightning, O Karälanetrā (having awful eyes) move on, move on. Hili-Hili. Hum unto Thee.  Put both thy tongues into the mouth. O Bhrukutimukhi (with face having knit eyebrows), having Onkara for thy auspicious seat, wearing a garland of skulls, having matted hair crown and moon on the head, boisterously laughing Kili-Kili Hum Hum unto Thee. With thy hideous crooked teeth thou dost bring about a terrific darkness. O thou who dispellest all obstacles achieve this (such and such as specified) work. Do it quickly. Kaha Kaha allow me to enter along with the goad. Vanga! Vanga make him tremble, make him tremble, move on, move on, lead, lead. O deity fond of blood, flesh and wine! kill, kill, pound, pound; cut, cut; strike, strike; let us speak requesting you to make the body adamantine; destroy all wicked persons in the three worlds, whether taken or not taken; make him enter, make him enter (thy presence); make him go ahead, make him go ahead; dance! dance! bind! bind! trot! trot. O deity with sunken eyes! with hair tied up; O owl-faced! having kinkinis in the hand. O deity having a garland of skeletons, burn! burn! cook! cook! grasp! grasp! make him enter the middle of the mandala, why dost thou delay? On oath unto Brahmă! on oath unto Vişhnu, on oath unto sages, on oath unto Rudra, Inspire bim! Inspire him Kili-Kili-Khili-Khili mili-mili chili-chili; O thou deformed deity! with body encircled by a black serpent! O Thou who takest in all planets, of lips drooping down, of nose sunken between eyebrows; of grim face, of grey matted hair! O Brahmi! break! break! blaze! blaze, O Kalamukhi (having dark face) Khala! Khala! strike, strike down. O! thou red-eyed! roll them, make others roll them, sell them to the ground; hold, hold the head; opene open thy eyes; break, break; take, take, thy feet; show the mudras, Hum Hüm phat unto thee. Pierce, pierce, tear, tear with the trident; kill, kill with the thunderbolt; strike, strike, with the baton, chop off, chop off with the Chakra, pierce, pierce with the Shakti, chew, chew with the curved tooth; nail, nail with the pin; mince, mince with the scissors; catch hold of, catch hold of with the goad; release me from the fever recurring daily with headache; from the fever recurring every two days, three days, four days; release me from Dakiniskandagraha (the haunting of the spirit Dakini) catch Lala, Lala, lift up lift up? strike down, strike down to the ground; catch. O Brahmani, come, come. O Maheshvari come, come; O Kaumári come, come; O Varahi come, come; O Aindri come, come; O Chamunda come, come; O Vaishnavi come, come; O Narasimhi come, come; o Shvaduti come, come; O Kapalini come, come; O Mahakali come, come; O Revati come come; O Shushka Revati come, come; O Akasha Revati come, come; O Himavantacharini1 come, come; O Kailasacháriņi2 come, come; cut, cut the enemies; mantra: Kili Kili Bimbe! O Aghora; O Chamunda of terrific form originating from the fury of Rudra! O thou deity who makest Asuras dwindle in numbers and goest along the firmament; bind, bind with the noose the time! stop, stop, make it enter, make it enter the mandala; cause it to fall; cause it to fall; graspit, grasp it; bind, bind its face (mouth); bind bind the eves, bind, bind the heart; bind, bind hands and feet; bind, bind all evil planets, bind, bind the quarters; bind, bind the corners; bind, bind above; bind, bind below; Inspire them with ashes, water, earth or with mustard seeds; strike them down, strike them down. O! Chamunda Kili Kili Vicce, Hum phat Sváha. 

4. A form of Durgå who killed the demons Chanda and Munda (CDHM, pp. 65-6).

1. Moving in the Himalayas.

2. Moving in the Kailasa mountain.  

8. This is the garland of one thousand eight letters in the form of mantras for repeated Japa. Each word (letter) is to be repeated eight thousand times. Then homa is to be performed eight thousand times with gingelly seeds coated with Trimadhura (three sweet things sugar, honey and clarified butter). 

9. With the great flesh (human flesh) coated with the three sweet things homa shall be performed one thousand and eight times repeating each letter one thousand eight times. Or merely gingelly seeds coated with trimadhura can be used for homa. 

10. In the case of war, by throwing water, mustard seed or ashes one's victory is assured. 

11. The deity can be meditated upon as having twenty-eight, eighteen, twelve, eight or four arms. 

12. One pair of hands has sword and club, the other mace and baton, the third bow and arrows and the fourth sword and pestle. 

13. Another pair of hands has Shankha and bell; another banner and pole; another pair axe and discus; and another pair small drum and mirror. 

14. In one pair a hand holds Shakti and the other gesticulates; another pair has Musalas (pestles); another pair has noose and a long javelin; still another has Dhakka and Panava (two kinds of drums). 

15. With one hand the goddess is threatening (the demons), with another she produces a tinkling sound; with one hand she shows the Abhaya Mudra1 and with the other the Svastika Mudra2. Such is Mahishaghni (the slayer of the demon Mahisha) riding on a lion. 

1. Promising protection,

            2. Promising good luck.

16. Victory unto thee, O goddess of goblins, surrounded by all spirits. Protect me from your spirits. Accept this oblation. Obeisance unto thee.