21 - The mode of Initiation

Suta said:

1-4. The ground intended for the mystic diagram should be duly tested in regard to smell, colour, taste, etc. It should be rendered befitting the invocation of the lord by decorating it with canopies, etc. The mandala of the magnitude of a Hasta (hand) shall be made. In the middle the diagram of a lotus set with five diamonds shall be marked by means of powder. It shall be circular with eight petals. It shall be white or red in colour. It shall be bright and splendid. In the pericarp Shiva the cause of the universe shall be invoked along with the attendants. Then the devotee shall worship it assiduously in accordance with the extent of his wealth.

5. O great sage, the Siddhis are to be invoked in the petals, detachment in the pericarp, knowledge in the stalk and virtue in the bulbous root pleasing to the mind.

6-8. The Shaktis are in the filaments as follows: — Vama, Jyeshha, Raudri, Kail, Vikarani, Balavikarani, Balapramathini and Sarvabhutadamani in due order. Manonmani the great maya shall be in the pericarp in the seat of Shiva. The Shaktis shall be fixed along with Vamadeva and others in pairs. Mahadeva who is Manonmana shall be placed in the middle along with Manonmani.

9. In the eastern petal (leaf) shall be fixed the Purusha who has solar lustre, in a curved manner [transversely]. This Purusha is identical with Shiva. He is called Pranava in view of his contact with the Sun, moon and fire.

10. In the southern petal, Aghora who resembles a mass of blue collyrium shall be fixed. The deity called Vamadeva having the lustre of the Japa flower shall be placed in the northern petal.

11-15. In the western petal the devotee shall fix Sadya who is as white as the cow’s milk. In the pericarp he shall fix lshana who resembles pure crystal. He shall fix the deity repeating the mantra beginning with “Hrudayaya” in the south-east quarter. He shall fix the deity of smoky lustre in the north-east quarter repeating c ‘shirase”. In the south-west petal he shall fix the deity with red lustre repeating — “shikhayai”. He shall fix the deity having the lustre of the collyrium in the north-west petal repeating — “Kavachaya”. He shall fix the deity having the lustre of the fiery flame in all the quarters repeating — obeisance to Astra (miraculous weapon). In the north-east quarter he shall fix repeating “Obeisance to the tawny-coloured eyes”.

He shall then remember lord Shiva, Sadashiva and Maheshvara. Thereafter, he shall meditate on Rudra, Visnu and Virinchi in the order of creation.

16. Obeisance to Shiva in the form of Rudra, to Shambhu who is beyond peace. Obeisance to Chandramas (moon) the tranquil one, to one who has quietened the Daityas.

17. Obeisance to Vidya, to the support of Vidya; obeisance to Vahni (fire), toone who has the lustre of fire. Obeisance to Kala, to Pratishtha (establishment); obeisance to the redeemer, to the annihilator.

18-20. Obeisance to Nivrutii, to the lord of wealth. Obeisance to Dhara (current), to Dharana (the act of holding). By means of these mantras the devotee shall remember the following deities, viz: — Sadashiva having elements for his physical form, the ancient lord called Purusha having Ishana for his crown, the delighted lord having Aghora for his heart, Maheshvara having Vamadeva for his private parts, the lord who is the cause of the manifestation of the “Sat” and “Asat” and who has the form of Sadya and the lord who consists of thirtyeight digits and who has five faces and ten arms.

21 - 30. The devotee then splits Sadya full of Kalas, into eight ways. He splits Vama the great lord into thirteen; Aghora stationed in the form of Kalas into eight; Purusha full of Kalas into four and lshana of five forms into five. Repeating the mantra “Hamsa Hamsa ¹⁸¹ etc. with great devotion to Shiva he makes the “O” a matra of Om, similar in form with “A”. Repeating the letters “A” “l” “U”, “E”and Amba in due order, he shall remember the lord in the form of the Atman. The lord is remembered as follows: — He is accompanied by Pradhana and is devoid of dissolution and origin. He is unborn; minuter than the minutest atom; greater than the greatest Being; He is Ishana who has sublimated the sexual urge. He is Virupaksha the consort of Uma. The eternal lord has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand hands and feet. He is the ultimate Nada (sound) with Nada for his physical form. His form is like that of a glowworm — or that which illuminates the firmament. The lord has the shape of the lunar line (contour). The lord is stationed at the end of the twelfth¹⁸² nerve (i.e. the crest), between the eyebrows in the middle of the palate, in the throat and in the region of the heart in due order. He is self-bliss; nectar; Shiva (the auspicious one). He resembles the circular lightning streak. He has a lustre similar to that of ten million lightning streaks. He is dark as well as red. He has the form of the Kalas. He is seated along with the three Shaktis. He is Sadashiva. He is accompanied by the three tattvas. The devotee then gradually worships the lord identical with the deity of learning.

181. hamsa -mantra: -cited in ST.

182. dvadashante — i.e. on the forehead. Cf. “dvadashinte pare tattve paranandana-lakshanah” — Agnipurana — cited in ST.

 31. He shall then severally worship the guardians of the quarters along with their weapons beginning with the one in the east. After duly preparing the Charu (the cooked rice offering) he shall dedicate it to Shiva.

32. After offering half ¹⁸³ of it to Shiva he shall perform Homa with the remaining half repeating the Aghora mantra. He shall then give that excellent thing to the disciple to eat.

183. ardham— charvardham, half of oblation.

33-34. He shall then perform the rite of Achamana and become pure. Then he shall duly worship Purusha ¹⁸⁴ and take in Panchagavya that is inspired with the mantra of lshana. Applying Bhasman over the limbs repeating the mantra of Vamadeva he shall gradually dust them with Bhasman. He shall then repeat the Gayatri mantra into the ears of the disciple, the mantra whose deity is Rudra.

184. purusham — tatpurusham.

35-36. He shall then place five golden pots covered with lids. Threads should be wound around them. They shall be covered with a pair of cloths. Gold pieces and gems should be put into them before-hand. Then Homa should be performed with Charu according to one’s affluence through five brahmins.

37. He shall engage the disciple in the meditation on Shiva and stay him in a place to the south of the Mandala. He shall be his devotee and be occupying a bed of Darbha grass.

38. In the morning Homa should be duly performed with ghee one hundred and eight times, repeating the Aghora mantra and thereby the devotee can dispel the dirt of his evil dreams.¹⁸⁵

185. With the aghora mantra, he shall wipe off the evil effects of bad dreams. Cf. Agnipurana — cited in ST.

39-42. When the disciple has taken his bath after observing the rite of fasting he shall be adorned and made to wear a fresh cloth and an upper garment. He shall be made to wear a turban as a mark of auspiciousness. With a silken cloth or any other material his eyes shall be bound and he shall be taken in. In accordance with one’s monetary capacity a handful of flowers mixed with golden flower or gold in lieu of flower shall be offered to the lord, repeating the mantra of lshana. After performing three circumambulations repeating Rudra adhyaya he shall be engaged in the meditation on Shiva repeating the Pranava alone. After meditating on the lord, he shall put the flowers himself over lshana.

43-45. The mantra with which he places the flower on the lord shall be repeated by him. The preceptor then touches the disciple with  the sacred water of Shiva, applies Bhasman over his head ¹⁸⁶ repeating the Aghora mantra and then worships him with scents and other things. The door for entering on the western side is the most excellent one for pupils of all castes. It is remembered as excellent particularly for the Kshatriyas. Then the cloth with which the disciple has been blind-folded is untied and the Mandala is shown to him.

186. shishya-murdhani. Cf. Agnipurana— cited in ST.

46. He is then made to sit on a seat of Darbha grass with his face turned to the south. Thereafter, the rite of consecration of the principles shall be performed severally for the five tattvas.

47-48. O son of Brahma, the consecration of the Cosmic Egg ending with Rudra shall be done by means of recession; beyond that until the ambit of Avyakta (shall be done) by means of Pratishtha (Establishment). O sage of good holy rites, up to the end of Vishveshvara the tattvavidya shall be consecrated by means of Kalas (the digit of the lores) alone. After consecrating the path beyond by means of Shivabhakti (devotion to Shiva) (the preceptor) shall lead the disciple to the tattva Shiva (i.e. Shanti).

49. He shall then be taken for the worship of the tattva of the Ishvara in his bhoga form (enjoyment) by cutting across the previous three tattvas or four (i.e. by excluding Shanti or including it).

50-51. He shall perform Homa for Sadashiva who is the Shantyatita Kala by means of Anga mantras and by separately invoking the previous four tattvas ending with Shanti, with the mantras Sadya, etc. O excellent sage, beyond Shantyatita, Kala shall be consecrated by means of Ishana mantra. In regard to each, one hundred and eight ‘Homas’ shall be performed in the directions indicated.

52-53. In the north-east the Pradhana is Sung in the Panchama note. Thereafter, seven articles are to be consigned to fire by way of Homa — viz.: — the sacrificial twigs, ghee, charu, fried grains, mustard, barley and gingelly seeds, repeating Om at the outset and Svaha in the end. O brahmin, their concluding Homa is performed by means of shana mantra.

54. O sage of good holy rites, expiatory rite shall then be performed by means of Aghora mantra beginning with “Om Hamsa”.

55. Then the rites in the sacred fire beginning with “Jaya” Homa) and ending with “Svishta” Homa, are gradually performed. They shall be combined with Pradhana three times. ¹⁸⁷

187. guna-samkhya- prakarena — in threefold manner, as described in the Pashupatatantra:

56-58. (?) The elements shall be combined with Pradhana by means of Brahmanirvapi, Maunibija, etc. Then by means of Pradhana Matra (the chief of organs of action) the Prana and Apana shall be controlled. By means of the sixth ¹⁸⁸ Bija, the Kulakula ending with the Atman and Pranava shall be pierced. Brahma, Keshava and Hara shall be assimilated in Rudra. Rudra is assimilated in Ishana and lord Maheshvara i.e. Ishana) in Shiva. Then he shall meditate on the destroyer of worldly existence in the order of creation (Srishtiprakara).

188. shashthena — with the sixth mantra, i.e. namo hiranya-bahave — cited in ST.

 59-66. After stabilising the Atman, the individual soul, the following rites shall be performed in accordance with the injunctions — Tadanam, Dvaradarshanam, Dipanam, Grahanam, Bandhanam along with the worship and Amrutikarana. The sixth one shall be along with Sadya and accompanied by the third (i.e. Dipanam). The Samhruti Prakara (i.e. the order of destruction) shall be in the order of the five elements and ending with the sixth. With Sadya at the beginning and accompanied by the sixth (Bija?), ending with Shikha along with “phat”— this rite is called Tadanam.

The rite of Dvaradarshanam consists of indicating the tattvas to the yogin.

The rite of Dipanam is by means of Samputikarana (ritualistic covering up) of the Pradhana by the third Bija. (?)

The rite of Grahanam is by means of Samputikarana of the Pradhana by the first Bija.

The rite of Bandhanam is also by means of Samputikarana of the Pradhana by the first Bija which is full (because Puja is performed).

The rite of Amrutikarana is flooding with nectar.

The combination of Kalas (in the order of destruction) is as follows — Shantyatita, Shanti, Vidya, Amala, Pratistha and Nivrutti. This combination of the Kalas is to be accompanied by tattva, varna, kala and bhuvana.

The hymn should be duly sanctified by mantras and Padas (metrical feet) and used for prayer after evolving it as before by means of the first yonibija.

67-70. Know that the rites of worship, Samprokshana (sprinkling with holy water), Tadana, Harana, the Samyoga joining) of the Samhata (what is combined and collected) and Vikshepa (throwing off) shall be performed in due order. Archana (worship), Garbhadharana (conceiving), Janana (nativity) (are the rites thereafter?). Then the rite of Bhanu knowledge and its dissolution in particular shall be performed. O sage of good holy rites, the first one i.e. the mantra Ishana has been mentioned along with the yonibija. ¹⁸⁹ Undoubtedly, O great sage, the conclusion of the rites in Uddhara (uplifting) Prokshana (sprinkling with the holy water), and Tadana is performed by the Aghora mantra ending with Phat. O sage of good holy rites, this is the orderly procedure by means of the Yogic path in regard to every tattva.

189. yonibijena — i.e. with “hrim.”

71-72. All through the rite the preceptor shall lead the disciple by holding his fist; when there is combination with equinotical transit ¹⁹⁰ the Kalas beginning with Nivrutti and ending with Shiva combine in one place. Otherwise, they remain separate. O leading brahmin, at the tip of the nose and at the crest of the head along with the back part, the yogins should forbear [?]. This is the behest of the lord of Devas.

190. The process is elaborated in the Agnipurana. Cf.

73-78. With the sacred water taken in gold, silver, copper or other vessels the preceptor shall sprinkle the righteous disciple who is a devotee of Shiva. Darbha grass shall be put inside the pot. It should be covered with a cloth and a string should be tied round it. O sage of holy rites, gems should be put inside the essel. The holy water should be inspired with the holy passages of Vedic Samhita and Rudradhyaya hymns. The disciple shall take initiation in the presence of Shiva, the fire and his preceptor. After initiation he shall practise in accordance with the behest of the preceptor. It is better to abandon life, or cut off one's head rather than take food without worshipping lord Sadashiva. Thr rite of initiation shall be performed thus. The worship shall be performed in due order. One shall perform the worship of Parameshvara three times or at least once a day.

79. The rite of Agnihotra, the recital of the Vedic mantras and the sacrifices consisting of many monetary gifts are not on a par with even the sixteenth part of the worship of the Linga of Shiva.

80. He who worships Shiva even once is like that person who always performs sacrifices, who always gives charitable gifts and who always performs penance taking in only air.

81. Those who worship Mahadeva once, twice, thrice or continuously are Rudras. There is no doubt about this.

A non-Rudra shall neither touch Rudra nor worship nor glorify him. A non-Rudra shall not attain Rudia. ¹⁹¹

191. Mark the sectarian character of the Purana.

Thus, succinctly the procedure and injunction regarding the persons who are qualified for the worship of Shiva, have been mentioned to you. Listening to it yields the benefit of virtue, wealth, love and salvation.