65 - The procedure of repeating the mantras 

Sanat Kumara sard: 

1-3.¹ The preceptor shall examine the disciple and then go to perform purificatory rites of the mantras. He shall draw five lines cast-west and north-south in order to make a square of 4 x 4 = 16 squares. Then in the first of the squares he should write the first letter (a) (of the vowel) and (dropping the next) he shall write the second in the first of the second square. The third letter should be placed in the first of the third square and in the fourth the fourth letter should be written. The fifth letter of each should be written in the southeast square of each letter. After writing thus the intelligent man must purify the mantra. 

1. The verses give the details of the method how a particular mantra is suitable to the disciple who is desirous of initiation. Some mantra is considered to be Siddha, Sadhya, Susiddha and Ari (inimical) in accordance with the syllables of the mantra and the syllables of the disciples i.e., letters of his personal name. 

As the diagram begins with a ka tha ha inside the first square it is known as akathaha chakra. The diagram is given below: 

4-6. Beginning with the first letter of the name of the worshipper one should go on writing all the letters of the name and all the syllables of the mantra till both are completed. Then the learned man should purify the mantra. In the square where there is the letter of the name it is called sadhya. The third is called susiddha and the fourth is ari. 

7. The mantrika syllable second to it is known as siddhasådhya. The third is susiddha and the fourth is siddhari. 

8-9. If in this square, which is different from the square where the letter of the name is, the second syllable of the mantra is present, then beginning with that square one should calculate in the way as before: Sadhya-siddha, sådhya-sādhya, sådhyasusiddha and sādhya-ari. 

10-12. If in the third group of squares the syllable of the mantra is present, the achāryas call them in their order (as previously) susiddha-siddha, susiddha-sadhya, susiddha-susiddha, susiddha-ari. In the fourth group of squares they call them ari-siddha, ari-sadhya, ari-susiddha and ari-ari. In the fourth group of squares, they should be calculated as ari-siddha, ari-sådhya, ari-susiddha, and ari-ari. Among them the siddhasiddha accords desired effect by twice the repetition of the mantra. 

13. The siddha-susiddha gives result by half repetition while siddha-ari kills the kinsman. The sadhya-siddha becomes fruitful with double effort and sadhya-sadhya gives result with a delay. 

14. Sadhya-susiddha with double effort and sådhya-ari kills friends but susiddha-siddha by means of half repetition and susiddha-sadhya with the repetition doubly. 

15-16. But sadhya-susiddha gives the result immediately after one receives it but susiddha-ari is the destroyer of household members. The ari-siddha mantra is the killer of some and arisadhya is the destroyer of the daughter. The ari-susiddha is the destroyer of the wife. The ari-ari is the killer of the sadhaka himself. O sage, there are various other forms regarding this. 

F.N. Continued from p. 932. 

Akathaha Chakram

17-19. This chakra is the most important of all. It is named as akathaha chakra and has been given an account of it to you here. Thus, having purified the mantra, the guru shall then initiate the disciple in an auspicious time and place. The procedure is being mentioned. After having obligatory rites and showing reverence (pranama) to the guru’s paduka (sandals), he should pray to the sadguru (right kind of guru) for the desired mantra with great respect after propitiating him with clothes, ornaments, cows, gold and plots of land etc. 

20. After performing the hailing rites (svasti-vidhånam) and drawing mandalas (sacrificial diagram) the teacher with a satisfied mood and pure of heart should enter the sacrificial chamber accompanied by the disciple. 

21-25. Then with the water from the argha for the general purpose and uttering phat, one should cleanse the door lintel. He should ward off the heavenly obstacles, the obstacles of sky with water. Hitting the ground thrice with his heels he should ward off earthly ones. Then he should proceed with the ritual. In the diagram of sarvatobhadra¹ which has accordingly been drawn with colours, he should offer worship to the disc of the fire and should offer rituals to its Kala. The jar made according to one’s capacity and washed with astramantra = phat should be placed (on the diagram). Then one should offer rituals according to the right procedure to all the Kalas of the sun. He shall fill the jar with pure water uttering all the letters of the alphabets in their ascending order (vilomamātruka) along with the mulamantra. Then he should offer rituals to all the Kalas of the moon. 

1. Sarvatobhadra mandala is a complex diagram which is given in Sharada Tilaka, pp. 221-225. 

26-27. Dhūmrărchi, uşhmā, jvalini, jvälini, visfulingini suśhrī, surūpå, kapila, havyavahā, kavyavahă-these are the Kalas of the fire just mentioned. Now the names of the sun’s Kalas are being mentioned. Tapini, tapini, dhūmră, marichi, jvālini, ruchi, suşhumnā, bhogadā, vishva, bodhini, dhåriņi, Kshama. 

28-29. The Kalas of the moon are to be known as amruta, månadá, pūşha, tushți. pushţi, rati, dhruti, shashini, chandrika, kánti, jyotsnă, śhrī, prīti, angadā, Pūrna, pūrņāmrutả. The Kalas of the moon are just mentioned. 

30. The jar should be wrapped with a pair of clothes and one should put sarvausadhi (medicinal herbs) inside it and also nine kinds of gems. Then he should place five pallavas (twigs) over it. 

31-32. They (the twigs) should be known of jack tree, mango tree, the banyan tree, the holy fig tree and vakula tree. The nine gems are pearls, ruby, lapis lazuli, onyx, diamond, coral, red-stone, sapphire and emerald. After putting these gems into the water, he shall invoke the desired deity. 

33. Then after worshipping according to the right method the worshipper, adept in mantras makes the disciple properly adorned sit on the altar. He shall sprinkle him with water from the vessel called prokshaņi. 

34-35. He should purify bhutas (elements) with the proper method in his body. He should further be purified by means of nyāsas and twigs should be placed on his head. He shall pour the water which has been consecrated with the mulamantra one hundred and eight times on the beloved disciple. while the guru goes on repeating the mūlamantras in his mind. 

1. The purification of bhutas, the elements of the physical body by means of pranayama. The aspirant takes the soul having the shape of the lamp’s flame from its resort of the heart down to Muladhara and after rousing Kulakundalini from its place starts for sahasrara and pierces; the six plexuses along its journey. He tries to dissolve all the tattvas to their source. Then he makes a pranayama (püraka, rechaka and kumbhaka) repeating the syllables yam and while doing this he shall meditate that the body has become purified along with the papapuruşha who has its resort in the left belly. Then he makes another pranayama with the syllables ram and thus burns the body along with the papapuruşha. ‘Then he should rebuild the pure body by means of the syllables tham and join it with the bindu in the middle of the eye-brow. This is pūraka and Kumbhaka should be done with the syllables vam and with it he rebuilds the pure body as if made with the flow of nectar from the moon. The rechaka is done by him with the syllable lam and thus he makes the newly built body strong by this seed. 

36. The child (the disciple) shall perform achamana (sipping of water) with the rest of the water and should put on new clothes. Then bowing to the teacher in the proper way he (the disciple) should take his seat again in front of him. 

37. Then placing his hand on the head the guru should repeat the mantra to be given to him one hundred and eight times in accordance with the injunctions. 

38-39. ‘Let it be equal’ saying this he shall impart the mantra. The disciple shall then worship the guru. Placing his hand smeared with sandal paste, on the head of the disciple, he shall with great purity of heart repeat the mantra into his ears eight times. The disciple who has thus learnt the vidyā shall fall at the feet of the guru. 

40. O dear one, get up, you are liberated. Be of perfectly disciplined conduct. May you for ever enjoy renown, glory, splendour, progeny, strength, longevity and health. 

41. Then the disciple shall get up and worship his guru by means of sweet perfume (gandha, puşhpa, dhupa, dipa etc.). Then he should give him fees without being niggard regarding money. 

After obtaining the mantra thus, from the teacher, the disciple shall be engaged in rendering service to the teacher. through riches, through his sons and wife and his personal self. 

43. The desired deity should be worshipped in the middle Offering handful of flowers to it he shall worship the deities: Agni, Nairruti and Vagišha. 

44-46.¹ When he worships Vishnu in the middle, he shall worship Vinayaka, Ravi (sun) Shiva and Shivā outside them. When he worships Shankara in the middle, he shall worship the Sun, Ganesha, Amba and Hari outside them. When he worships Shiva in the middle, he shall worship Isha, Vighneshvara, the Sun and Govinda outside. If he worships Gananayaka (Ganesha) in the middle he shall worship Shiva, Shiva, the Sun and Vishnu outside. When the Sun is worshipped in the middle he shall worship Ganesha, Vishnu, Amba, and Shiva respectively.

1. These verses give direction as to how a person who has received Panchayatana dikşhå should worship his desired deity and other deities who accompany them. At first the main deity should occupy the middle and the other four will be placed in four different corners. If Shakti is considered to be the main deity then its yantra should be drawn in the middle. Vishnu will occupy NE, Shiva SE, Ganesha SW, Surya NW. Similarly, if Vishnu is in the widdle Shiva will occupy NE, Ganesha SE, Surya SW, Ambika NW, If Shankara is in the middle, Vishnu will occupy NE, Surya SE. Ganesha sw, Ambika NW. If Surya is in the middle, Shiva will occupy NE, Ganesha SE, Vishnu SW, Ambika NW. If Ganesha is in the middle Vishnu will occupy NE, Shiva SE, Surya SW, Ambika NW. 

47-50. Thus, he shall worship respectfully the five deities every day, The wise man should get up from bed in the brahmamuhurta (about an hour before dawn) and perform all necessary duties. Without any doubt while in bed he should meditate on his Guru with hands bestowing boons and fearlessness seated in the akathaha triangle in the disc of the moon placed on the thousand-petalled white lotus of his head. The guru has two eyes and arms. He has white garlands and sandal pastes and unguents. He is associated with Shakti in his left. Thus, meditating he should offer services (upachara) to him mentally and then repeat the padukamantra ten times. 

51-53. Vak=ai, maya =Śhrī, viyat=ha, sa, kha, pha, agni = ra, ha, sa, kşha, la, va, ya, marut = ya with Våmakarna =ŭ and indu=0, then bhrugu=au, akasha = ha, kha, pha, agni=ra adorned with bhaga=e, indu = 0, sa, ha, kşha, ma, la, toya =va, sa, ha, kşha, ma, la, toya = va, agni = ra, marut ya joined with shanti =ū. Then uttering the name of a person as Shri etc. and ending it with Nandanátha, and again the name of the consort as amuki, devyambā, the worshipper would say, ‘I am worshipping the shripadukā’ and end with hrut = namah. 

54. This shripadūkamantra is the bestower of all attainments of human beings. Then uttering the verse beginning with guhya etc, the learned man should offer it (the deeds) to the guru and should make obeisance to him with the following mantra. 

55. Obeisance to that holy preceptor by whom the universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings and having the shape of a partless sphere has been pervaded and by whom that region has been shown. 

56. Obeisance to that holy preceptor by whom my eyes have been opened up by means of the pin (shalaka) for the application of collyrium in the form of knowledge, when I had been blinded by the darkness of ignorance. 

57. I bow down to the giver whose nature is non-different from any desired deity and whose words of nectar remove the worldly poison. 

58. Thus making an obeisance he should read out the hymnal verses which bestow on the one instantaneous faith. 

59. Om, obeisance unto you, O holy lord, Shiva, in the form of the preceptor. You assume diverse forms for the descent of vidyas and their establishment. I bow to you, the abode of fish form, obeisance to the one of only the real form. 

60-64. Obeisance to you, the sun, the dispeller of darkness of ignorance of all sorts, obeisance to you as condensed chit (consciousness). Obeisance to the independent one who has assumed the physical form out of grace but who is Shiva by nature. I bow to you who are subservient to his devotees and who assume forms according to the temperament of the tranquil-minded. Obeisance to the quality of the discrimination of those who are discreet. Obeisance to the light of all lights and to the form of the knower. Obeisance to you in front, behind and on either side. Obeisance to you both above and below. Always stand by in the form of sat (being) and chit (consciousness) and maintain your posture. O lord, thanks to your favour, I am contented in every respect. I am liberated from the deadly noose of maya. I am Shiva. 

After worshipping in this way, he shall dedicate everything to his preceptor. 

65. From the morning to evening and from the evening to the end of the morning thus, whatever I do lord of the universe, may that be your worship. 

66. Thereafter, the wise disciple should conceive that as his own atman free from impurities. It has been washed with the continuous flow of nectar from the lotus feet of the guru. 

67-70. He should meditate that the mūlavidya is flowing along the path from mūladhara to brahmarandhra. In the circular disc of the air, just below the mūladhara there lies the väyubija. By means of the air born of the seed of the air, one should go to the triangular shaped location of the fire and by means of the fire born of the fire-seed lying there, one should awaken Kulakundalini as stationed in the mūladhara in the form of a sleeping serpent coiled round the svayambhūlinga. She should be meditated upon as subtle like the thread of the stalk of the lotus. It has the lustre of ten million lightenings and is very subtle. Thus, meditating on her one should awaken her by means of Kurchabīja =hum. 

71. In accordance with the method as given by his guru, the wise man should take her (kundalini) to the brahmarandhra along the path of suşhumnā while piercing the six chakras. 

72-73. He should meditate upon the atman there as has immersed entirely in the nectar and all the universe is pervaded by the pure chinmaya mass of light. Thenceforth, he should bring it back to its own place and meditate the deity (deva) in his heart. Thus, seeing him before, he should offer everything mentally. He should pray to him with the following mantra 

74. O Vishnu, lord of Śhrī, you are the primordial lord of the three worlds, it is due to your command that I get up in the morning. I shall pursue the journey of worldly existence in order to please you. 

75. O brahmin, if some other deity is to be worshipped, suitable words must be substituted in place of Vishnu. He should perform the offering of ajapă for the attainment of everything. 

76. The jiva continuously repeats the Gayatri in the form of ajapă twenty-one thousand and six hundred times during day and night. 

77. The sage is hamsa and avyaktagayatri is said to be its metre, the deity is paramahamsa the end of the letter śha and following it=sa and also the end of it is ha as its bija. 

78-79, Then he should perform the rite of shadanga. The leading sadhaka should apply these șhadangas with surya, soma, niranjana, nirābhasa, dharma and jnana beginning with hamsaya and ending with åtmane (as hamsaya süryatmane namah). 

80. The letter ha having the brilliance of the sun goes out and sakāra of the same nature goes inside. This is said to be the dhyana (meditation) on them. 

81.¹ Thus meditating, the wise person should offer them in the fire and the sun separately in the mūladhara having four petals inscribed with seed-letters beginning with va and ending in sa and resembling the vandhūka flower. 

1. The verses 81-91 give the method of Praņāgnihotra and show how the breaths are to be offered to different deities located in the plexuses along the path of Suşhumnā. The first 600 are to be offered to Ganesha located in the mūladhara. Next comes Svadhishthana, where Brahmi is located. The six thousand are to be offered to him. In the Manipura region to Vishnu another six thousand are to be offered. To Rudra who is in the Anahata, another six thousand are to be offered. To Sadashiva in the ajña region one thousand are offered and lastly in the Sahasrara where nåda and bindu are in equilibrium the last thousand breaths are to be offered.

82. He shall offer six hundred to Ganesha the lord of words (Väk) who is possessed of his consort riding on an elephant and whose hands shine with noose, goad, the vessel of nectar and sweets. 

83-86. In the svadhishthana with the colour resembling coral and inscribed with the letters beginning with ba and ending in la, he should offer six thousand of them to Brahma riding on a swan associated with his Shakti in his left side. He, born of lotus, is the lord of vidyas, has in his hands sruva (sacrificial ladle) and the garland of akşhamāla. In the manipüra having latters beginning with da and ending in pha and with the colour of clouds shining with the flashes of lightning, he should offer six thousand to Vishnu who holds shankha, chakra, gada lotus and is accompanied by Shri. 

87-88. In the anāhata with twelve letters beginning with ka and ending in tha having white colours, he should offer six thousand to Rudra riding on the bull: The deity is carrying a trident shula), abhaya and the vessel of nectar. He is the overlord of vidya and is accompanied by his Shakti on his left. 

89-92. In the vishuddha with sixteen petals adorned with sixteen vowels (svaras) and of white colour he should offer to Ishvara accompanied with prāņaśhakti. He is the light of all lights and the overlord of all indriyas (sense-organs). In the ajnchakra with the letters ha and ksha inscribed on two of its petals, he should offer one thousand to Sadashiva, the guru accompanied by Parashakti. The great lotus of Sahasrāra attached with nåda and bindu is lighted with the letters of matruka and he has in his hands the mudras called vara and abhaya. He should offer one thousand such to his eternal guru. 

93-97. He shall then take water on the hollow palm of his hand and say: This japa of ajapā of the number of twenty-one thousand and six hundred naturally becomes fulfilled when it is done separately. May Vishnu, the bestower of release (moksha) be pleased with this samkalpa (desire). One is liberated from great sins by this mere desire. “I am brahman itself and not one who undergoes worldly sufferings. I am eternally liberated and free from grief. I am of the nature of being consciousness and bliss.” Thus, he should think about his atman, Thereafter, he should perform the worship of the deities and the duties regarding his body. I shall mention the method regarding it and of the right conduct.