84 - Devi Mantra Nirupanam The mantra of the goddess

Sanatkumara said: 

1-3. In another Kalpa of the Kali age, O brahmin when Brahma, born of the unmanifest being, was performing penance in the world of lotus, for the purpose of creation, two demons Madhu and Kaitabha were born of Vishnu’s car dirt. As soon as they were born they stood in the knee-deep water of that vast expanse at the time of great dissolution. They saw Brahma seated on the lotus and attempted to devour him. Brahma, on seeing them, eulogised the mother of the universe.

4. Then the goddess, the creator of the universe and who is the excellent Shakti of Shiva, staying as the slumber in the cyes of Narayana, became pleased. 

5. I shall recount mantra etc. Listen to it. Aruna (ha), Krodhani (ra), Shanti (i) and the one whose head is adorned with Chandra (.).¹ 

1. The mantra of Bhuvaneshvari is Hrim.

6. The one-syllabled mantra is the bija, Shakti is the sage, Gayatri is the metre and the deity is Bhuvanešhvari. 

7-10. With the bija accompanied by six long vowels he should perform six angas in their sequence in the ascending and descending order (i.e., the ascending first and the descending afterwards). 

Then he should perform fixation called mātřukányäsa for getting oneself identical with the mood of the deity. 

Hrullekha is fixed on the head, Gagana on the face, Rakta in the heart of lotus, Karalikā in the anus and Mahocchushma in the two feet and on the upper, eastern, southern, northern and western faces as well. 

The short vowels beginning with Sadya² etc. (o. e. u, i, a) having colours of the elements are to be fixed. Then the fixation of angas are to be performed with their jätis (namah, svaha, vashat, vaushat, hum and phat) in their due order. 

2. The short vowels beginning with Sadya are known as o, e, u, i, a. There are to be added to the bija 'and then the nyasa rite should be per formed. For example, it may be stated thus: hrom, hram, hrum, hrim, hrám.

Bhuta saprabha means that their colours are those of five elements. They are yellow, transparent, red, dark, green respectively.

11-16. He shall fix Brahma associated with Gayatri in the forehead. In the right cheek he shall fix Vishnu with Savitri. In the left cheek he shall fix Maheshvara united with Vagishvara, He shall fix in the tip of the left ear Dhanapati along with Shri, after fixing Smara along with Rati in the face, he shall fix Ganapati along with Pushti in the right ear. Padma Nidhi and Shankha nidhi are to be fixed between the ears and the cheeks. Then the mula mantra is to be fixed again on the face. Thereafter, he shall fix them (Brahma³ etc.) at the root of the throat, in the pair of breasts, on the left shoulder, in the lotus of the heart, on the right shoulder at the sides, in the region of the navel, on the forehead, at the side of the belly, at both sides of the shoulder, at the hump of the shoulder and in the heart. After duly fixing in the body, Brahmani and others whose characteristics have been mentioned before with their proper procedure and after performing a pervasive nyasa with the mulamantra he shall meditate on the goddess. 

3. The bijas of Gayatri etc. are ham, him, hum, thus for the nyasa rite the mantra should be used in the following manner: Om ham Gayatri sahita Brahmane namah, Om him Savitri sahita Vishnave namah.

17. She resembles the rising sun with lofty breasts and three eyes. Her face is smiling. The moon forms her crest. She bears boons, noose and fearlessness. 

18. He shall repeat the mantra three million two hundred thousand times. To the extent of one tenth of it he shall perform homas with eight articles soaked in trimadhu or with the excellent twigs of brahmavruksha. 

19. O brahmin, eight articles are as follows: grape, dates, castor seeds, sugar, coconut, raw rice grains, ghee and gingelly seeds. 

20-21. He should offer arghya unto the lord of the day (i. e. sun) thinking about Parvati therein. 

He shall draw a lotus of eight petals. Outside of it, he should describe a circle with sixteen petals and in the pericarp he shall draw a very beautiful hexagon. Then he shall worship the pitha along with nine Shaktis. 

22. The nine Shaktis are: Jaya, Vijaya, Ajita, Aparajita, Nitya, Vilasini, Dogdhri, Aghora, and Mangala. 

23. After offering the seat with the bīja, placed in the beginning he shall conceive the form of the deity with the bīja alone. After invoking the avaraṇa deities he should worship her in the proper sequence. 

24. He shall worship the deities of the angas in the middle, the cast, the south and the north-east. Afterwards the repeater of the mantra shall worship the couple of the deities in the six corners. 

25. In the eastern corner, the repeater of the mantra shall worship Gayatri holding the shining staff, water pot, rosary, rope and the gesture of fearlessness in her hands. He shall worship Brahma also of the same form.

1. The asanamantra runs thus: Hrim sarvashaktikamalasanaya namah. 

26. In the south-west corner he shall worship the yellow-robed Savitri holding conch, discus, iron club and the lotus. He shall worship Vişņu as similar to her. 

27. In the north-west corner he shall worship Sarasvati, the while-complexioned deity with the axe, rosary, fearlessness and boon in the hands. He shall worship Rudra of the similar nature. 

28-29. In the south-east corner he shall worship Mahalakshmi who holds in her hands a jewelled pot and a jewelled casket. She is embracing the potbellied Dhanadāyaka the (bestower of wealth) with her right hand. In her left hand she is holding the lotus. She is yellow-complexioned and is seated in the lap of Dhanada. 

30-3). In the western corner he shall worship Madana holding arrows, noose, goad and the bow. He is as red as the China rose flower. He wears red ornaments. He shall duly worship Rati who embraces her husband with the right hand and holds a lotus with the left hand. She is seated in the lap of her husband. 

32-33. In the north-eastern corner he shall duly worship Vighnaraja accompanied by his beloved. He is shining with goad and noose in his hands. His fingers are engaged in touching the beloved's private part. He is naked and holds a skull filled with wine. With the tusk he is holding a bowl that shines and from which jewels roll down.

34-35. He shall worship Pushti who is also naked. Her features resemble saffron. She is unfettered in her intoxicated gestures and movements. With one hand, she holds a red lotus and with the other she touches penis. She is pink in colour. She has embraced her lover, 

The two treasures are to be worshipped. At the sides of the hexagon, he shall worship the angas in the filaments and of its different directions. Afterwards he shall worship the following in the petals. 

36-38. The eight shaktis are: Anangakusuma, Ananga mekhala, Anangamadana, Anangamadanatura, Bhuvanapala, Gaganavega, Shashilekhả and Gaganalekha. The mothers who are dark-complexioned holding swords and clubs, are to be worshipped. 

39-40. Outside the lotus, the attending Shaktis should be worshipped. The first one is Anangarupā, the next one is Anangamadanā, the others are Madanātură, Bhuvanavega, Bhuvanapalika, Sarvashishirā, Anangavedana and Anangamekhala. 

41. They hold in their lotus-like hands, a bowl, a fan, a betel, a shining umbrella, chowries, silken garment and flowers. 

42. He shall worship the guardians of the world as shining with ornaments, then further outside, he shall worship thunderbolt etc. Thus, he shall worship the goddess. 

43. By performing homa with the excellent twigs of the fig tree soaked in three sweet things, the repeater of the mantra can fascinate brahmins very soon and by the homa with the lotus he can captivate kings. 

44-45. If the homas are performed with palasha flowers he shall fascinate his womenfolk. By the lilies he shall control ministers. He shall perform daily ablutions with the water charged with the mantra repeated twenty-five times. He who spinkles it over his body shall have good fortune. A man should drink water so charged twenty-five times in the morning. He will attain good intellect and become the foremost among poets, 

46-48. Saffron shall be charged with the mantra along with the camphor and aloe. The devotee shall mark his forehead with it. He can keep the king under control. The devotee shall make a doll with ground and pasted Shali rice. He shall mix sweets with it, charge it with the mantra and instil life into it. Then he shall eat it on Sunday. Thus, he will be able to captivate any man or woman, even the king. 

49. The devotee shall stand in the neck-deep water. Looking at the sun reflected in the water he shall repeat the mantra three thousand times. He will obtain the girl desired for. 

50-53. In order to achieve glory, the repeater of the mantra shall cat the cooked rice charged with the mantra. Hrim should be written in ashes along with the sadhya (for whom the deed is desired) on a plank or other similar thing. The mystic diagram shall be shown to the pregnant woman about to give birth to a child. She will have easy delivery. 

The deity called Bhuvaneshi was born of the thousand armed one. O excellent brahmin, she is the bestower of worldly pleasures and salvation unto men who remember her. Once, o brahmin, in the course of another Kalpa the demon Mahisha, conquered the guardians of the world and enjoyed the three worlds. Then the gods afflicted by him sought refuge in Vaikuntha. 

Worship of Lakshmi (goddess of wealth). 

54. O excellent sage, thereafter, goddess Lakshmi became Shri out of the splendour arising from the body of discus. She became embodied and pervaded the three worlds. 

55. After killing Mahisha and others herself the goddess of the universe went to the forest called Aravinda. She is the bestower of all objects of desire to those who worship her. 

56-57. O brahmin, I shall briefly recount the mode of her worship. Listen to it. 

Mrutyu (sha) attached with krodha (ra) and guru (1) and then adorned with bindu on the head is the seed mantra of the goddess of wealth.¹ It is the bestower of all desired objects to those who are devoted to it. The sage is Bhrugu, the metre is Nivrut and Shri is the deity. 

1. The mantra of Lakshmi is shrim.

58. The devotee shall conceive six angas with the bija after joining with it six long vowels in their due order. There after he shall meditate on Shri, the bestower of riches. He shall meditate the universally revered Shri, the bestower of riches. 

59-60. She has the lustre of gold. She is being sprinkled over by golden nectar vessels raised by their own trunks by four white elephants. She is seated in the lotus. She has in her hands the boon and fearlessness, the lotus and a garland. She is clad in silk garments. She has a crown. The devotee shall repeat mantra twelve hundred thousand times and perform homas twelve thousand times. 

61. After worshipping her with fragrant flowers and lotuses soaked in sweets he shall conceive the form of the deity by the mula mantra in the altar as mentioned for worshipping Mahalakshmi. 

62-63. He shall, as before, worship the angas and then worship the following deities in the petals of the quarters viz, Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha with the complexion of snow, yellow, the colour of the tamala tree (black) and the colour of Indranila jewel and putting on yellow garments. They have four arms holding conch, discus, iron club and lotus. 

64. In the interstices of the quarters he shall worship Damaka and other elephants. They are Damaka, Pundarika, Guggula and Kuranţaka. 

65-66. He shall worship the treasure and conch along with his wife to the right of the goddess. The two resemble the pearl and the ruby, their lotus-like face has a slight smile. They are engaged in embracing each other. They hold conch and lotus. They are marked on the head with the signs of two conches from which jewels are rolling down, 

67. He shall worship potbellied Kambuka nidhi (i.e., Shankha) and Vasudhara with a thick bosom. He shall worship to the left (of Shri) Pankaja nidhi, along with his wife. 

68. They have the lustre of saffron. They are linked to each other with their hands. They hold with their hands the red lotus and the red lily. They are marked on the head with the signs of two lotuses from which jewels roll down. 

69. He shall worship the pot-bellied Pankaja nidhi and slim-limbed Vasumati. They should be worshipped at the tips of the lotus. He shall worship Balaki and others all round the lotus. 

70-71. They are Balaki, Vimala, Kamala, Vanamala, Malika, Shankari and Vasumála. They have the lustre similar to that of a pearl necklace and they hold two lotuses each. In the end he shall worship the lords of the worlds and the thunder bolt and other weapons outside of it. 

72. The excellent devotee who worships the goddess thus in accordance with the proper method shall become affluent with riches and grain and uncensurable glory. 

73. The devotee should stand in chest-deep water and repeat this mantra three hundred thousand times while meditating on the deity present in the sun. Thus, he will become the abode of the goddess of fortune. 

74. The aspirant who repeats this mantra three hundred thousand times at the root of the bilva tree by the temple of Vişņu obtains the desired lot of wealth. 

75-77. If the homa is performed in the fire of Asoka twigs with rice grains smeared with ghee he shall have control over the world. If the homa is performed in the fire kindled with Khadira twigs by means of rice grains sprinkled with sweet solution, the king will soon come under his control and his good fortune will also increase. The devotee shall stay under the shade of the bilva tree for two years and his diet must be rice soaked in ghee mixed with bilva fruit. He should perform homa with bilva fruits or lotuses. The leading aspirant will certainly see Mahalakshmi with his eyes. 

78 O brahmin, in the course of another Kalpa, Shumbha and Niśhumbha, the two demons who overran the kingdom of gods, were born. They harassed the worlds. 

The Worship of Maha Sarasvati

79-80. O sage, eulogised by Indra and others who had lost their power of authority, goddess Maha Sarasvati descended on the Himalayas of great merit, in the highly splendid mountain region. Thereafter, she killed Shumbha and others and was duly worshipped by the gods. 

81. After granting boons the goddess entered the Manasa lake. O sage, I shall recount her mantra. Listen to it attentively. 

82. Jnanamruta (ai) is decorated on the forehead with the moon (i.e., bindu).¹ This is the bija of Vak (speech). The excellent aspirant shall conceive the angas thereby. 

1. The bija of Sarasvati is aim.

83. Its sage is Sadashiva, anushtup is the metre, vak is the deity. She bestows desired objects unto those who worship her. 

84. He shall always meditate on the goddess of speech as clad on white clothes, white in complexion like the lotus stalk holding the lute and the book. She is adorned with divine ornaments. 

85. He shall, by means of the mula mantra conceive the form in the altar of Mahásarasvati. Therein, he shall worship the goddess along with the ancillaries and the attending deities. 

86-88.¹ The first avruti (the covering) shall be the ancillaries. Ambika and others constitute the second stage of covering. The third stage of covering is that of the Måtrukås. The fourth one is that of the sixteen Shaktis. The fifth stage of covering is that of the thirty-two shaktis. The sixth stage of covering is that of the sixty-four shaktis. The seventh stage of covering is that of the leaders of the world and the eighth is that of their weapons. Thus, the mother of the universe, the glorious deity Vāgbhava is to be worshipped. 

1. These verses give the procedure for the worship of surrounding deities one after the other. The first begins with Ambika and others, the second with Brahmi etc., the third with eight Shaktis, the fourth and fifth with thirty-two Shaktis, the sixth with the lords of quarters, the eighth with the weapons. These rituals are performed on the mystic diagram of the deity. 

The procedure of drawing the diagram is as follows: First draw an eight-petalled lotus, then outside of it draw a circle to which draw sixteen petals, in the pericarp of the inner circle draw a hexagon. Then draw a square outside of all of them and adorn it with four doorways.

89-91. The aspirant shall conceive angas in the places mentioned before. The Ambika, Vāgbhava, Durga and Shrishakti with characteristics as mentioned before (are to be worshipped). Thereafter, Bråhmi etc. are to be worshipped. The sixteen Shaktis are Karāli, Vikarālī, Uma, Sarasvati, Śhri, Durga, Usha, Lakshmi, shruti, Dhruti, Smruti, Shraddha, Medha, Rati, Kánti and Arya. They hold swords and clubs and are black-complexioned. These well decorated shaktis are worthy of being propitiated, 

92-95. The thirty-two shaktis are: Virya, Hri, Pushti, Prajna, Sinivali, Kuhu, Rudra virya, Prabhā, Nanda, Poshaņa, the auspicious Ruddhidā, Kälaratri, Mahåråtri, Bhadrakali, Kapardini, Vikruti, Dandini, Mundini, Indukhanda, Shikhandini, Nishumbha-Shumbhamathani, Chanda-mundavināshini, Indrāni, Rudrāni, Shankarårdhaśharirini, Nári, Narayani, 

Trishulini, Palini, Ambika and Hladini. All these thirty-two are known as shaktis. They hold discus in their hands and their faces are like those of goblins. They have beautiful ornaments. They are to be worshipped. 

96-104. The sixty-four shaktis are : Pingalākshi Viśhālākshi, Samruddhi, Vruddhi, Shraddha, Svaha, the name possessing Svadha, the Shakti named Maya, Vasundhara, Trilokadhatri, Gayatri, Savitri, Tridasheshvari, Surūpā, Bahurupa, Skanadamātā, Achyutapriya, Vimalā, Kamalā, Aruņi, Aruņi, Prakruti, Vikruti, Srushti, Sthiti, Samhruti, Sandhya, Mäta, Sati, Haṁsi, Mardika, Rāñjikā, Pară, Devamata, Bhagavati, Devaki, Kamalasana Trimukhi, Saptamukhi, Sura, Asuravimardini, Lamboshthi, Urdhvakeshi, Bahuśhīrshā, Vrukodari, Ratharekha, Shashirekha, Apara, Gangavega, Pavanavega, Bhuvanapälä, Madanáturá, Anagā, Anangamadaná, Anangamekhala, Anangakusumā, Vishvarūpā, Aşurabhayamkarī, Akshobhya, Satyavādini, Vajrarūpå, Shuchivrată, Varadā and Vägisha.

105. All of them hold bows and arrows. They are of brilliant lustre and emit flames from their tongues. They have curved fangs and hairs standing upright and their minds are inclined towards battle. 

106. They are shining in their ornaments. They should be worshipped carefully. The guardians of quarters are to be worshipped thereafter, so also the weapons viz. thunderbolts etc. 

107. The intelligent devotee shall repeat the mantra one million six hundred thousand times and to the extent of one tenth of it he shall perform homa with ghee in the fire kindled with khadira wood. Thus, the mantra becomes fruitful. 

108. By performing homa with lotuses for ten thousand times one will be able to captivate and fascinate the king. If one performs homa with lilies good fortune will come about. 

109. By Performing homa with the flowers of palasha for a year, the devotee becomes a poet. If one performs homa with white mustard and salt one can enchant women. 

110. There need not be any hesitation or doubt in this that one who is devoted to the japa of vāmbija (the seed mantra of Sarasvati) shall enjoy all worldly pleasures and in the end shall attain the region of Vishnu.