64 - Procedure of Initiation

Sanatkumara said: 

1. I shall tell you about the procedure of initiation for the removal of bond (pasha), the accomplisher of desire and also let you know the potency of the mantra. 

2. Since it bestows the divine state and dispels sins, it is called dikşhå by all exponents well-versed in the Agamas. 

3. Mananam (deliberation) means intuitive understanding of everything, trāņam means rescuing the worldly people by showing grace to them. It is called mantra because it is endowed with intuitive knowledge and the quality of rescuing others. 

4. The mantras are of three kinds, viz., the feminine, masculine, neuter. The mantras of the feminine kind have dvitha = svaha at the end and those ending with hum and phat are masculine. 

5. The neuters have namah in the end. These are known to be the species of mantras. It is to be known that the mantras have male superintending deities, while vidyas have female deities. 

6. These mantras are considered good in shatkarmans. They are again of three kinds viz. with tara = om, those with repha=ra in the end, and those with svaha are known to be ågneya=referring to fire. 

7. But, Osage, the saumyas (born of the moon) are said to be those which are endowed with Bhrugu=sa and piyūşha =va, seed letters=am. In this way the mantras of agnishoma kind are to be known by the learned people. 

8. The mantras of agneya nature are awakend when breathing flows through the pingala channel. When the air flows through the left-hand path the saumya mantras are awakened. 

9. The mantras are awakened when they flow along both the nãdis. When the mantras remain asleep it gives adverse results if repeated then. 

10. Uttering every letter of the mantra beginning with a and ending in la. While doing this in the descending order (anuloma) there should be bindu and in the ascending order (viloma) visarga should be added. 

11. When the mantra is uttered in this way, the deity becomes awakened and yields the result quickly. Even an evil mantra becomes fruitful when it is repeated with a rosary. 

12. In a cruel deed the agneya mantras are efficacious, while in an agreeable deed saumyas are beneficial. Even the raudra mantra becomes pacifying when it is added with the mantra-seeds belonging to the shanti species. 

13. Even the śhänta becomes cruel when hum, phat are added to it. Those which are stained with the fault like cchinna etc. are not able to protect the aspirant (sadhaka). 

14-19.¹ Cchinna (broken), ruddha (checked), devoid of power (Shaktihina), then again with the face turned back (paranmukha) (karnahina) deaf, blind, barred, obstructed (stambhita), dagdha (burnt), trasta (frightened), bhita (afraid), malina (dirty), tiraskruta, bhedita, sușhupta (sleeping) madonmatta, mürchita, hatavirya, bhrānta, pradhvasta, bālaka, kumara, yuvā, praudha and nistrimšhaka, nirbīja, devoid of siddhi, manda, Küta, niramshaka, devoid of sattva, kekara, devoid of bija, dhūmita, alingita, mohita, kşhudhárta (hungry), highly bright atidīpta, devoid of limbs angahina. manda (highly enraged), atikruddha, highly cruel, atikrūra, brīdita (bashful), prashantamanasa, sthånabhrashta vikala (very old), ativruddha, nisneha (merciless), pidita (afflicted). The account of all faults has been given. Now I shall give their definitions. 

1. The verses 14-59 give an account of mantras which are considered to be defective because of the presence or absence of some syllables and show the method how the defects can be removed. In Krishananda’s Tantrasăra they have been quoted from Vishvasara Tantra. In Sharada Tilaka we find the same verses, pp. 82-94. 

20. The mantras either, joined or not joined with other letters or united with long vowels thrice, four times and five times are called cchinna (broken). 

21-22. The mantra in the beginning of which there is the fire bija = ram placed four or five times is cchinna. The mantra in the beginning, middle and the end of which there are bhubīja inserted twice (bhū=lam) is called ruddha mantra which gives siddhi with much trouble. 

23. The mantra which is without maya = hrim, tritattva=hum, lakşhmibīja = shrim, råva - phrem, is known to be devoid of power and is fruitful after a long period of time. 

24. The mantra in the beginning of which there is no kåmabija = klim, in the end there is neither maya=hrim or amkusha =krom is called paranmukha (face turned back). Those who are devoted to such a mantra will get siddhi late. 

25. If sakāra is seen in the beginning, in the middle and in the end, that kind of mantra is said to be badhira (dumb) and offers a very little fruit even after a strenuous effort. 

26. If a five-syllabled mantra is devoid of repha=ra, arka = ha, indu = sa, it is to be known as netrahina (devoid of eyes), even after strain it does not give any siddhi. 

27. That is to be known as kīlita (barred) in which in the beginning, in the middle, or in the end there is no haṁsah, präsada =haum, vågbhava = aim, hamsendu = ham, sakāra =sa, phatkåra = phat, varma=hum, maya =hrim, namāmi. 

28-29. When astra = phat or la in the middle and in the end both these astra and lakāra exist, that mantra is said to be stambhita (benumbed) and it causes obstruction in the way of siddhi, when agni=ram with vayu=yam is seen in the end of a mantra seven times, that mantra is said to be dagdha (burnt). 

30-31. If the astra =phat is seen with a two, three, six and eight syllabled mantra, that mantra is to be known as trasta (frightened) and also it is to be known as trasta if there is no tara = om in the beginning of it. It is called bhita (afraid) mantra if there is neither Shiva=ha nor Shakti =sa in the beginning. 

32. The mantra which contains four mas in the beginning, the middle and the end, is to be known as malina (defiled) and it gives siddhi after a great strain. 

33-34. If there are two bhyas (dative plural) in the end, vashat and vaushat in the middle the mantra is bhedita. It should be eschewed. It is beneficial only with a great strain. 

35-36. The mantra that has three syllables and is devoid of hamsa is said to be sușhupta (slumbering). If either the vidyā or the mantra has seventeen syllables and contains five phat etc in the beginning it is known as madonmatta (furiously intoxicated). While if astra=phat exists in the middle that mantra is said to be mūrcchita (unconscious). 

37. The mantra in the end of which there is astra =phat is called hatavirya (the virility of which is destroyed). 

38-40. If the mantra in the beginning, the middle and the end has four phatkāras, it is called bhranta (gone astray). The mantra consisting of eighteen syllables or again of twenty syllables, or endowed with smara = klim, hrullekha=hrim, amkushabija - krom is called pradhvasta (annihilated). The mantra consisting of seven letters is båla (boy), of eight letters is kumara, of sixteen letters is yuvá (youth): of thirty, sixty-four and hundred syllables is praudha. 

41. A mantra consisting of four hundred syllables is vruddha (old). A mantra with nine syllables is called nistrimsha = killer. 

42-44. If at the end of mantra, the hrudaya = namah, the shirasmantra = svaha in the middle, in the end shikha = vashat, varma=hum, astra = phat are seen and is devoid of Shiva = ha and Shakti = sa, that mantra is called nirbija. If a mantra has in the beginning, in the end, in the middle six phatkāras it is siddhihina (devoid of Siddhi). The (mantra made of five syllables is called manda (slow) so also the mantra of ten syllables is manda. A single-syllabled mantra is kūta. Another name for the same is niramshaka (having no parts). 

45-47. The mantra with two syllables is sattvahina (devoid of essence). Kekara is having four syllables. The mantra with six syllables is called bijahina. A mantra with seven and half syllables or twelve and a half syllables is dhūmita (smoke enveloped). It is censured. A mantra with three and half bijas, or twenty syllables, or twenty-one syllables or thirty syllables is ålingita (embraced). The mantra with as many syllables or with thirty-two syllables is said to be mohita. 

48. A mantra with twenty-four or twenty-seven syllables is known to be kşhudhārta (hungry) and is devoid of mantra siddhi. 

49. If the mantra is made of eleven or twenty-five or twenty-three syllables it is named as drupta (arrogant). 

50. A mantra of twenty-six, Twentynine or thirty-six syllables is called angahīna (devoid of limbs). 

51. A mantra with twenty-eight or thirty-one syllables is atikrūra (very cruel). It is condemned in every rite. 

52. The mantra with its number of syllables ranging between forty to sixty-three is known as bridita. It is incompetent in any of the holy rites. 

53-56. Mantras of sixty-five syllables are known as shantamånasas (of quiescent minds). O leading sage, those mantras with the number of their syllables ranging between sixty-five and navananda (i.e., 9x9=81) should be known as (sthanabhrashta) fallen from their places. Mantras with thirteen and fifteen syllables are called vikalas (deficient) by the exponent of tantras. If the number of syllables in the mantras is hundred and hundred and fifty, dvinavatyekahina (one less than twice ninety = 179) two hundred or three hundred, those mantras are said to be nihsneha (lacking in affection) 

57. O brahmin, the mantras containing the number ranging from four hundred and thousand syllables are called atibruddha (too old). They are said to be shithila (loose in their application. 

58. Mantras with more than a thousand syllables above this are known to be the form of stotras (hymns of prayer). 

59-60. Thus, the mantras with defects are recounted. If people respect them without knowing these defects, they will not be able to attain siddhis even in hundreds and crores of Kalpas. I shall now mention the procedure how to do practice with the mantras defiled with cchinna and other defects. 

61. Sitting in the Yonimudra posture one who repeats any of the mantras with all concentration, all siddhis will be attained by him. 

62. The left heel should be placed beneath the rectum and the right heel over the penis. This is called Yonimudra-bandha. This is an excellent sitting posture.

63. O Narada, there is also other method of making the Yonimudra. I shall give an account of it later with it secrets. 

64-67.¹ The qualifications of a good āchārya are as follows: He must be devoted to the performance of nitya rites. He must be obedient to his own preceptor. He must be of pleasing appearance and must have received abhisheka. He must be handsome, gentle-faced, quiet, of noble parentage, easily accessible, and one possessing self-control. He must be one conversant with the real meanings of mantras and tantras. He must be capable of showing grace and restraint. He must be a sage of good self-control, not expecting anything. He must speak beneficent words. He must be clever and capable of expounding the real truth. He must be humble and well-dressed. He must be performing the duties of ashramas. He must be engaged in meditation, dispeller of doubts and intelligent. He must regularly perform obligatory rites. 

1. Verses 64-67 give the characteristic features of Acharya and shishya of which we have a discussion in Sharada Tilaka, pp. 119-124. 

68-70. The disciple should be quiet, humble, of pure soul, endowed with all characteristics. He must be endowed with shama (self-control) and other means, be of good faith possessing stability of heart, partaker of pure food and drink and of pure mind. He must stead-fastly follow sacred rites, be grateful and afraid of sins. His mind must be interested in meditation on the guru and his mind be attached to hear the story and engaged in the service of his guru. Such a person shall be the true disciple, otherwise he accords misery to his preceptor.