86 - Incarnations of Lakshmi 

Sanatkumara said: 

1. The incarnations of Sarasvati that bestows siddhis on the people have been mentioned to you. Henceforth, I shall recount the incarnations of Lakshmi, the bestower of all siddhis. 

The mantras of Båla: 

2. Aim, klim and hrim are mentioned as the three seed mantras, the sage being Dakşhiņāmurti and Pankti the metre. 

3-5. The deity Tripura båla, the middle one (i.e., klim) and the last (i.e., hrim) are the Shakti and the bija. The first nyasa is done from the navel to the foot, the second one from the chest and the third one from the head to the chest. The first one is done on the left hand, the second one on the right hand, the third one on both. The three bijas are fixed on the head, in the private parts and on the chest. The nyāsas is called navayoni and the devotee shall fix the mantra nine times. 

6-11. He shall fix in the ears and the chin. He shall then fix on the cheeks, on the lotus-like face, in the eyes, in the nose, in the shoulders and in the belly. He shall then fix in two elbows, in the navel, in the knees, in the penis, in the rectum, at the sides, in the heart, in the breasts, in the region of the neck, He should fix them beginning from the left limbs onward. He shall fix Rati in the rectum preceded by vāgbhava; priti in the heart preceded by the last bīja; between the eyebrows he should fix Manobhava preceded by klim. Again, he shall fix the three bijas placing vāgbhava in the end and Kama in the beginning (in the locations mentioned before). The Shaktis are Amruteshi, Yogeshi and Vishvayoni. 

On the head, in the mouth, in the heart, in the rectum and in the feet he should fix the five bijas of Kameshi followed by five smaras beginning with Manobhava in their due order, 

The five bijas are hrim, klim, aim, Shrim, strim. 

12. The five smaras, the bestowers of all siddhis, are Manobhava, Makaradhvaja, Kandarpa, Manmatha and Kamadeva. 

13-15. The deities of the five arrows named Dravini etc. are to be fixed on the head, in the feet, in the face, in the rectum, and in the heart along with Baneshi bijas. The five bijas of Baneshi are: dram, drim, klim, blūm, saḥ. The five deities of the arrows are Dravini, Kshobhini, Vashīkarani, Akarshaņi and Sammohani. 

The six angas are to be fixed putting kama (klim) in the middle between the third in the beginning and våg (aim) in the end. 

16-18. Thereafter, he shall meditate on the goddess as having the six long vowels thus: She is stationed in a red lotus. She is clad in red garments. She resembles the rising sun. She holds in her hands the gesture of vidyā, garlands and the gestures of fearlessness and the boon. The devotee shall repeat the mantra three hundred thousand times. To the extent of one tenth of it he shall perform homa with the flowers of Kimshuka (butea frondosa) or oleander mixed with sweet things. The nine triangled diagram is drawn in which outside of it there should be an eight-petalled lotus, 

19-21. In the filaments he shall inscribe vowels and in the petals he shall write the eight vargas (groups) of syllables. At the tip of petals there should be tridents and the lotus be covered with letters of alphabet. The devotee shall worship pithashaktis in the diagram thus drawn. They are: Iccha. jnana, kriya, kamini kamadáyini, Rati, Ratipriya, Nandá, Manonmanī. After worshipping these pithashaktis he should conceive the altar with the following mantra. 

22-23. In the beginning there should be vyoma (ha) and the third bija followed by Sadashiva and Pretapadmāsana in the dative case ending with namah. 

This is the mantra¹ of the Pitha. 

1. The Pitha mantra of Bala runs thus:

Om hsauh Sadashivaya Pretapadmasanaya namah.

It contains sixteen syllables. After the form of the deity has been conceived by the mula mantra, he shall invoke the goddess and pray to her along with the different kinds of service. 

24-27. After worshipping the goddess in the central triangle, Rati etc. are to be worshipped in the triangle left to it, to the right Priti and Manobhava in the front. Beginning from the South-east within the triangle he should worship the angas and outside the central triangle beginning from the east and in the front he should worship Smara and the deities of the arrows in the same manner. In the eight triangles he should worship eight shaktis. They are named Subhagā, Bhaga, Bhagasarpiņi, Bhagamåla, Anangā, Anangakusumā, Anangamekhală and Anangamadanā. 

28. Brahmi etc. are worshipped in the filaments, and the Bhairavas in the petals. The mothers are worshipped with long vowels in the beginning and Bhairavas with short vowels in the beginning. 

29-33. At the tips of the petals the eight pithas are to be worshipped. They are Kamarupa, Malaya, Kollagiri, Chauhāna, Kulāntaka, Jālandhara, Oddyāna and Kottapitha. 

In the bhūgruha in its ten quarters the following ten shall be worshipped viz. Heruka, Tripurāntaka, Vaitāla, Agnijihva, Kälántaka, Kapālin, Ekapāda, Bhimarupa, Vimala and Häțakeshvara. 

He shall worship Indra and others in their respective quarters along with their weapons. Outside of it, he shall worship Batuka, Yogini, Kșhetranayaka and Ganesha. In the interstices of quarters, he shall worship Vasus and Suryas, Shivas and Bhutas, One who worships Bala Tripura Sundari shall be the master of wealth and learning. 

34-37. If red lotuses are offered in homas, women will be under one's control, kings can be captivated by performing homa with mustard. Goddess of fortune shall stay permanently if homas are performed with the flowers of nandāvarta, rajavruksha, kunda, patala, campaka and bilva fruits. The adept in mantras conquers premature death by performing homa with guduchi dipped in milk. By performing homas with durva grass in the aforesaid manner one becomes free from ailments and attains longevity. If the homa is performed with cardamom, agallochum or devadāru the devotee attains perfect knowledge and poetic talents. Fluency of speech is attained by palasha flowers and rice is attained by the homa performed with cooked rice. By performing homa with food grains soaked in cow's milk or curds one shall conquer ailments. 

38-40. Red sandal, camphor, curcuma reclinata, agallchum, rochana pigment, sandal, saffron and Indian spikenard are taken in parts in the ratio of one, nine, four, eight, seven and four in order, He shall take them to the cremation ground on a night in the dark half of the month and paste them with snow water and big cardemom. In the meantime, he shall charge it with the mantra. He shall then apply the paste as a mark on the forehead. By his very vision he will be able to control people and even elephants, lions and other animals as well as Rakshashas and Shākinis. 

41-44. For the fulfilment of ambitions, the curse of the goddess should be removed. After performing the utkilana (opening of the bar) rite he shall repeat the mantra. 

In the first bīja he shall add Varaha (ha) Bhrugu (sa) and pävaka (ra). In the middle one should add nabha (ha), hamsa (sa) and at the end add pävaka (ra) and in the third bija add in the beginning kha (ha) and at the end dhūmaketana (ra). The mantra thus repeated one hundred times becomes free from the curse and bears fruits¹ 

1. These verses give direction how the Bilá mantra becomes free of curse: hsraim hsklrim hsrauh.

Or in the first and in the last bījas ra is not included.² 

2. It gives an alternative to remove the curse without adding ra in the first and the third. Thus, the mantra becomes hsaim, hskirim hsauh.

45-46. There is another method of dispelling the curse as prescribed by scholars. The first (aim), aim, sauḥ, klim, klim aim, sauh, and klim. This is the nine-syllabled mantra. If this mantra is repeated a hundred times it shall make the curse of Bala recede. 

47-48. The two mantras viz cetanya and ähladini¹ when repeated are conducive to dispel the bar. The three vowels are the cetani mantra viz, àdhāra (aim), shanti (i) and anugraha (au) and when Kama (klim) remains between tara (om) in the beginning and hrudaya (namah) at the end, the mantra is named ahladini. 

1. (a) Cetant mantra: aim i au (b) ahladini mantra: om klim namah.

Before the repetition of the mantra, one should make the three bijas illumine with the help of following mantra.² After brightening the three bijas one should repeat them for the purpose achieving the desired object. 

2. Dipani mantra runs as follows. They are three, one for vagbhava, the second for kama and the third for Mokshadă. 

(i) Vada vada vagvadini aim, (ii) klinne kledini mahakshobham kuru, (iii) om moksham kuru.

49-52. Vada Vada, ambu (va) along with long vowel (i.e., va) and smruti (ga) are lying on ananta (ā) and bala (va) (i.e., vägvá), then satya (da) with netra () (that is di) and na is like that, (that is ni) are the dipani of the first syllable of the nine-syllabled mantra. 

Klinne Kledini, then vaikuntha (ma), long kha (ha), antima the last syllable (i.e., kşha) joined with sadya (0) (that is kşho), then nidra (bha) with Chandra (.) followed by Kuru at the end. This eleven-syllabled mantra is the dipani of the middle bija. Om moksham kuru are the dipani of the five syllabled mantra. Without dipani Båla though worshipped does not become effective. 

53. For bringing about loss of peace among the enemies the mantra should be repeated in the order as follows: våg aim, the last vija, and klim. For the captivation of the three worlds, one should repeat in the order as kama, våg and the last bija and for liberation kama, the last bija and bija vāni should be repeated continuously.

54. At the beginning of the ritual of Bala one should worship three types of Gurus¹ viz. belonging to the divine order, those belonging to Siddha order and those belonging to human beings. 

1. In Agamas three kinds of Gurus are mentioned. The divine beings come under the first categories known as Divyaughas. The second kinds are known as Siddhaughas and the third are Mänavaughas. The third kinds are powerful yogis but they are human beings. These verses give ten names of the Divya line. Their names must end with ananda. 

(a) The following are the seven names belonging to divya line: 

(i) Paraprakashananda, (ii) Parameshananda, (iii) Parashivananda (iv) Kameshvarananda, (v) Mokshananda (vi) Kamånanda, (vii) Amrutananda.

(b) The following belong to Siddha line: 

(i) Ishana, (ü) Tatpurusha, (iii) Vamadeva, (iv) Aghora, (v) Sadyojata. 

(c) The manava gurus are those from whom a particular disciple has taken his initiation. They are the teacher, the grand teacher, the great grand teacher and the great grand grand teacher.

55-57. In the divya line there are seven gurus viz Para prakashānandanátha, Parameshananda, Parashivananda, Kameshvarānanda, Mokshananda, Kāmānanda and Amrutànanda. 

O sage, the five siddhaughas are the following: Ishana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vámadeva and Sadyojata. 

The Mänavaughas are known by the tradition of one's own preceptor.

58. In the diagram named Navayoni the excellent devo tee should write the bijas three times round the central tringle clock-wise. 

59-60. In the eight petals of the lotus, he shall write the syllables of Gayatri, three in each. He should encircle them with the letters of the alphabet outside and then draw two bhupuras (squares) intersecting each other having the corners shining with the bija of kama (klim). The yantra (amulet) called traipura has been recounted. It should be made effective by means of repetition of mantras and be drawn by means of the ghee left after the homas. When the yantra is worn in the arm, it yields wealth, fame, happiness and sons. 

61-63.² Klim, tripuradevi vidmahe (we know goddess Tripura) kā followed by visam and bhagi (me), khadgisha and baka (shva) sanetrāgni (ri) then dhimahi (we meditate), then followed by tannaḥ Klinnę prachodayat. This is called Tripura Gayatri which bestows all achievements and is resorted to even by the gods.

2. Klim Tripuradevi vidmahe Kameshvari dhimahi tannah Klinne prachodayat.

The worship of Annapurna

63. Henceforth, another incarnation of Lakshmi is being recounted which is the bestower of siddhi unto people. 

64-65. Vedadi (om), girija (hrim), padma (Shrim), manmatha (klim) hrudaya (namah) followed by bhagavati Maheshvari, Annapurna in the dative which ends with svaha. This vidya is one of twenty syllables.¹ The sage is Dakshina, the metre is Dhruti, Annapurņeshi is the deity. 

1. It gives the mantra of Annapurna thus: Om hrim namah bhagavatyai, Mäheshvaryai Annapurnàyai svaha.

66-67. The six angas should be conceived by means of hrullekhā bija (hrim) possessed of six long vowels. He shall fix the nine words in the nine limbs viz. mouth, nose, two eyes, two ears, two shoulders and the anus. The number of the syllables in each is being told viz one, one, one, one, two, four, four, four and two. They should be fixed with syllables of letters. Thereafter, he shall meditate on the goddess of gods. 

68-72a. He shall meditate on the three-eyed goddess whose limbs have the lustre of gold, who appears splendid in her garments and ornaments who is accompanied by Bhu and Rama the goddess of earth and the goddess of beauty and glory and in whose lotus-ike hand there is a gold vessel. 

The mantra is to be repeated a hundred thousand times and the homas are to be performed ten thousand times with milk pudding soaked in ghee. 

It is prescribed that the worship of the deity is done in the altar along with the nine Shaktis viz jaya etc. 

(The yantra) has the triangle, with four petals, eight petals and sixteen petals of the lotus and a bhūpura (the square) in which the mantra should be offered with maya (hrim). He shall worship Shiva, Varaha and Madhava in the three corners beginning with the south-east with their respective mantras. 

72b-74. Om, gagana (ha) with manu and Chandra (aum) then hrudayam (namah) followed by Shiva and Marut (ya, i.e., Shivaya). This is the seven-syllabled mantra of Shiva.¹ He should utter the mantras of Varaha and Narayana in the beginning. 

1. The verxe gives the Shivamantra thus; Om haum namah Shivaya.

Thereafter, he shall worship the six angas. He should worship Dhara in the left and Rama in the right with their respective mantras. O leading sage, those two mantras are being mentioned. 

75-78. "Annam mahyannam me dehi annadhipa", after saying these syllables add taye and mama annam then after the letter pra add dāpaya and svaha. This mantra² consists of twenty-two syllables. O brahmin, for the ritual of Bhumi it should be encased in bhumi mantra (glaum) and at the ritual of Shri it should be encased in Shri (Shrim). The seed mantra of bhūmi is smruti ga la attached with bindu. This is the seed mantra of bhūmi; the seed mantra of Śhrī has been mentioned previously. 

2. The second mantra of Annapurna is as follows: annam mahyannam me dehyannadhipataye mamännam pradāpaya svaha.

He shall worship the four shaktis in the four petals with four bijas that have come in the beginning of the mantra. They are Para, Bhuvanešhvari, Kamala and Subhaga. Bråhmi and others are stationed in the eight petals. 

79-80. In the sixteen petals he shall worship Smruti, Månadā, Tushti, Pushti, Priti, Rati, Hrui, Shri Sväha, Sväha, Jyotsnå, Haimavati Chāya, Pūrņimă along with Nitya and Amāvasyä. They are to be worshipped by the remaining syllables of the mantra. 

81-82. The guardians of the worlds shall be worshipped in the bhūpura and their weapons in front of them. 

Thus, when the mantra becomes perfect by means of japa, the adept in the mantra becomes equal to Kubera in hoarding the riches and he will be respected by the people. 

O excellent sage, henceforth, another incarnation of Lakshmi is being glorified, 

83-85. Pranava(om) shanti (i), aruņa (ha) and kriya (ra) that is ha is adorned with ra, i and bindu (hrim), then Bagala mukhi sarva and hrădini, da is joined with indhika (u) (i.e., du), then pita (sha) is associated with jară (ta) which is joined with pratişhtha (a) which again is joined with long na, utter våcham mukhaṁ stambhaya (arrest speech and mouth) then kilaya and buddhim vinashaya and its own bīja (hrim) then om and sváha. This is the mantra of Bagala.¹

1. This verse give the manus of Bagalamukhi, which is as follows: 

Om hrim sarvadushtånám vácham mukham stambhaye kilaya buddhim vinăshaya hrim om svåha.

86-89. Its sage is Narada, the metre Bruhati, the deity is Bagalåmukhi. He shall conceive the angas by means of two, five, five, nine, five and eight letters each. Thereafter he shall meditate on the deity who is clad in yellow garments, who is of golden lustre, who makes others stunned, who has the moon for her crest and who holds in her hands the iron club, the noose, the thunderbolt and the tongue of the enemy. After meditating thus, he shall repeat the mantra a hundred thousand times. He shall perform homa ten thousand times with campaka flowers. He shall worship her in the altar of Båla. With sandal pastes, agglochum, camphor etc. he shall draw the diagram for the ritual. 

90-92. He shall worship her in a triangle or a hexagon or in an eight-petalled diagram, The sixteen deities to be worshipped are: Mangala, Stambhini, Jrumbhiņi, Mohini, Vashya, chalā, Valaka, Bhudhară, Kalmaşha, Dhätri, Kalana, Kalakarşhiņi, Bhramika, Mandaga, Bhogastha and Bhavikā.

He should worship in all sides of the Bhugruha, beginning with east the following: 

93-95. Ganesha, Batuka, Yogini and Kshetra-palaka. He shall worship outside Indra and others who are endowed with their respective weapons. 

When the mantra is achieved thus, the repeater of it can make even gods arrested. The devotee shall wear yellow garments. He shall have yellow seats. He shall wear yellow flower garlands, apply yellow unguents and worship the goddess with yellow flowers. He shall perform the repetition of the mantra with a rosary of turmeric (pieces). He shall meditate on the goddess as yellow-complexioned. Standing in the water he shall repeat the mantra ten thousand times and go on meditating on the goddess. 

96. The homa with gingelly seeds soaked in trimadhu and ghee is conducive to the subjugation of people. With salt smeared in three sweet things, he shall certainly attract people. 

97. The homa with margosa leaves anointed with oil causes hatred. The homa with palm, salt and turmeric causes the stunning of the enemy. 

98. By performing homa at night in the fire at the cremation ground with domestic charcoal, white mustard, buffalo's milk and guggulu (aromatic resin all the enemies are destroyed. 

99. The feathers of vultures and crows, the astringent oil, terminalia Belerica and domestic charcoal are used in performing homa in the funeral pyre to exterminate the enemy. 

100. He who performs homa with durva grass, gudūchi and fried grains along with the three sweet things shall suppress all ailments merely by looking at them. 

101. The devotee shall repeat the mantra a hundred thousand times on the top of the mountain, in a great forest, at the confluence of rivers or in Shiva's temple; while doing this he should remain celibate. 

102. The milk of a cow of a single colour, mixed with sugar and honey shall be charged with the mantra repeated three hundred times. If this is drunk it dispels all poisonous attacks. 

103-105. Two nice sandals should be made of white palasha wood and then coloured with red lac juice; then he should charge them with this mantra repeated a hundred thousand times. If a man steps unto them he can go a hundred yojanas within a moment. 

Mercury, red arsenic and orpiment shall be ground together and pasted with honey. He shall then charge it with the mantra a hundred thousand times. If this is then applied over the body entirely he will be invisible to all men. This is something mysterious unto those who watch. 

106-108. In a hexagon draw the bija of the mantra with the name of the person desired with powdered orpiment and turmeric mixed with the juice of unmatta (dhattura). The remaining syllables shall be written around it and it should be adorn ed with bhūgruha. Then he should charge it with life and cover it up with a piece of yellow cloth. He should then take some clay from the whirling wheel of the potter and make a nice bull with it. The amulet is then put inside it. 

109. Smearing the bull with yellow orpiment the devotee shall worship it every day. He will be then competent to benumb and stun the words and movements of the enemies, in fact, all their activities. 

110-112. The devotee shall take a piece of broken pot lying in the cremation ground with his left hand. With a char coal taken from the funeral pyre he shall draw yantra therein Charging it with the mantra and kept hidden under the ground it will be able to stun the movement of the enemies. With the charcoal he shall write the yantra in the cloth of the dead body and insert it in the mouth of a frog. He shall then cover it up with a yellow thread and worship it with yellow flowers. By means of this, the speech of the enemy will be arrested. 

113. The devotee shall write yantra and keep it under the ground where the oath-taking and solemn ordeal of the enemy is to take place. If it is wiped off by the persons of the enemy the whole ordeal will be stunned. 

114. The root of Indraváruņi shall be charged with the mantra seven times and put into water. The ordeal of the oath with water will be suspended. 

115. Of what avail is much talk? The mantra well practised by the sadhaka makes the movements and thoughts etc. of the enemy stunned and checked. There is no doubt about this.