The Annapurna Anushthan — A Householder's Vidhi for a Store That Never Empties

The speaker opens with a situation he says can befall any family. We are earning wealth, but circumstances become such that the store of grain in the house never stays full. Every month grain is brought in, and still the household's storage runs short; the bhandar is never plentiful. Along with that, he says, if a shortage of anna, dhan, vastra and the like is being felt in Kali YugaThe present and last of the four ages, in which the speaker holds certain sadhanas prohibited and others uniquely effective., then the anushthan and sadhana of the Annapurna form of Bhagavati ParvatiThe daughter of the mountain and consort of Shiva; the questioner to whom much of tantra is expounded. should certainly be done in life. And so that in one's kula and vansh there is never any shortage of grain and wealth, her upasana and sadhana should be done together with that of one's own Kuldevi. If someone's kula devi is Bhagavati Annapurna herself, then her upasana, sadhana and anushthan should be kept up continually, from time to time. He adds that if there is any single Mahashakti present on this whole earth who, along with the fulfilment of material desires, also bestows santosh and satisfaction, then she stands in the form of Bhagavati Annapurna. For a GrihasthaThe householder, who carries a family alongside practice — the audience these talks address., he says, the Annapurna sadhana is an extremely necessary sadhana.

In the KashiVaranasi, the city on the Ganga held to stand outside ordinary dissolution. kshetra, the speaker says, right next to the temple of Bhagavan VishwanathShiva as lord of all, in his form presiding at Kashi., Bhagavati Annapurna remains seated in her own svarup. It is said that after the marriage, when Bhagavati ParvatiThe daughter of the mountain and consort of Shiva; the questioner to whom much of tantra is expounded. went to Mount Kailash, she expressed the wish to go and stay for some time in the Abhimuktesvar kshetra, that is the Kashi kshetra. When she arrived, the place was the Maha Shamshan: the ManikarnikaThe cremation ghat at Kashi where the fire is held never to go out. ghat is held to be the Maha Shamshan, and Kashi was a cremation-ground region. A famine had spread across the whole place, so Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. took on the form of Annapurna and became seated there forever, with Mahadev Kashi Vishwanath, in that form. Across the whole brahmand, he says, it is said that Annapurna's kshetra is one where no person ever sleeps hungry; such is her glory.

In Navratri, the speaker says, the sadhana of Annapurna should be done from PratipadaThe first tithi of a fortnight, on which navaratra anushthans begin. up to the AshtamiThe eighth tithi of a fortnight, held especially favourable for shakta rites. tithi. If you wish to do it in any other month, it can be started from the tithi of Poornima. He anticipates the question of how many days it runs when begun from Purnima in another month. Beginning from Purnima it is to be done for eight days only: the sadhana will be complete on SaptamiThe seventh tithi of a fortnight., and on Ashtami you do the havan.

For the sadhana of Bhagavati Annapurna, the speaker says, the very first thing any sadhak needs is the observance of BrahmacharyaStrict celibacy required through an extended ritual observance.; it must certainly be kept. In this sadhana the direction is always to be kept towards the east or the north, and not towards the west or the south. The cloth is yellow or rakta, that is red, and the asana likewise yellow or red. For the japa of the mantra the very best is a mala of eight-mukhi RudrakshaA sacred seed strung into rosaries and worn during shiva worship.. If that is not available, a panchmukhi rudraksha mala will serve; with a panchmukhi, he says, the japa of every mantra can be done.

If the japa of this mantra is done between the evening and the Mahanishitha kaal, the speaker says, it becomes the giver of infinite Punya. Its recitation at the time of sunrise or in the Brahma MuhurtaThe interval of roughly ninety minutes before sunrise, held the most favourable time for japa and dhyan. is likewise the giver of infinite punya. In the midday period its japa should not be done; he asks that this be particularly kept in mind. It is said, he explains, that from the completion of the morning Brahma muhurta until evening Bhagavati goes to the homes of her devotees and resolves whatever difficulty they have relating to grain and wealth. He calls this a devotee's bhava, one explanation that has been given for why japa and the like are not to be done at that time. So do it either at daybreak, or after the twilight period, in the night. In clock terms: the japa is done either in the Brahma muhurta, in the early morning up to roughly 7:00, or else starting after 6:00 in the evening and running until the Nisha kaal. You may do japa at both times too.

For the japa of this mantra, the speaker says, Diksha and the like are needed by those persons who wish to do her sadhana by the krama vidhan and to obtain special siddhis. He asks how siddhi comes about, and answers that certain sadhus, sants and mahatmas make siddh the yoginis of Bhagavati Annapurna. Of Jagadamba herself only kripa and blessing can be obtained, but her yoginis are the ones who become siddh. Only after they become siddh does some particular jhola or vessel come to that sadhu, sant, mahatma or siddha yogi, in which there is never any shortage of grain and wealth; through that very thing he carries on his own livelihood and also does the work of jan kalyan. So those who want the special siddhi become initiated in the ShaktaBelonging to the stream that takes the Goddess as the supreme principle. tradition and do her sadhana by the Krama Vidya. But an ordinary GrihasthaThe householder, who carries a family alongside practice — the audience these talks address. sadhak, he says, can do this sadhana in the ordinary manner; a householder can do it.

On the PratipadaThe first tithi of a fortnight, on which navaratra anushthans begin. tithi, for the pujan of Bhagavati Annapurna, the speaker says one first does Gauri-Ganesha pujan, then the pujan of the Guru ji, then Navagraha pujan and the rest. After dhyan and so on, the ShodashopacharaThe full sixteen-item worship sequence for a deity, more elaborate than the basic five-item [[panchopachara]] offering. pujan of Bhagavati is done; if that cannot be managed, then at the least PanchopacharaThe basic five-item worship sequence — incense, lamp, fragrance, flower, and food — performed for a deity after the opening rites of a sadhana. pujan with snan, bhog and the like. After that one reads the dhyan mantra of Jagadamba, and after the dhyan mantra does the Viniyoga. Whenever her puja and japa are done, he says, the whole method of her mantra is in the PDF: her dhyan mantra, her viniyoga, karanyasa, anganyasa, and then her jap mantra. He does not give the mantra or its vidhan in the video; he says a PDF link will be placed in the video description, to be downloaded and consulted.

A shri vigrah of Bhagavati Annapurna can perfectly well be kept in the house, the speaker says. He asks only that this much be kept in mind: the shri vigrah should not be larger than 6 inches, and it should not be hollow from inside. Otherwise one keeps a photograph of Bhagavati. Snan and the other steps of the ShodashopacharaThe full sixteen-item worship sequence for a deity, more elaborate than the basic five-item [[panchopachara]] offering. can be done if there is a shri vigrah, but they cannot be done on a photograph. So a flower is placed in front of the photo, the AvahanThe invocation that calls a deity to be present in the image or yantra before worship begins. mantra is first read into the flower, and then the shodashopachara pujan and so on is performed on that same flower in Bhagavati's name.

By this vidhan, the speaker says, the japa of the mantra is to be done at the least 32000 times in eight days; from PratipadaThe first tithi of a fortnight, on which navaratra anushthans begin. to AshtamiThe eighth tithi of a fortnight, held especially favourable for shakta rites. the 32000 japa should be complete. He takes the example that if 4000 japa is being done each day, that is because 32000 has to be done in eight days, so 4000 a day will have to be done. If you want to obtain the siddhi of this mantra and Bhagavati's supreme kripa in one go, but suppose you will not be able to do 32000 in eight days, then do at least 3200. That is, it has to be done in multiples of eight: do 8000, 16000, 24000, or 32000. Of these, 32000 is the very best.

However much japa you do, the speaker says, you will do a dashansh japa of Bhagavan Kashi VishwanathShiva as lord of all, in his form presiding at Kashi. along with it. Asked what the Kashi Vishwanath mantra will be, he says keep it plain: Kashi Vishwanathaya Namah, or Vishwanathaya Namah; only that. If you wear the YajnopavitaThe sacred thread ceremony marking initiation into Vedic rites (Janeu) — if lapsed across generations, expiation (Prayashchitta) for each known generation is required before it can be resumed. you may add Om in front; if you do not wear it, Om is not to be added, and Kashi Vishwanathaya Namah is japed as it is. If you are doing 1000 japa, then 100 japa, that is one mala, will be of Kashi Vishwanath. In this way, he says, the japa is completed.

Taking the example of someone who did 8000 japa at 1000 a day: when the 8000 is complete by Ashtami, the speaker says, on the NavamiThe ninth tithi of a fortnight, on which a navaratra anushthan is completed. tithi the dashansh Havan of Bhagavati's mantra is to be done, that is 800 Ahutis, eight malas of ahuti. Asked with what the ahuti is given, he says make KheerRice cooked in milk, offered as naivedya in many vidhis. with PanchmevaA five-nut and dried-fruit mix (cashews, raisins, and others), used in Havan and Tarpana offering mixtures. in it and mix pure gau ghrit into it; the ahutis are given with that. After the opening ahutis, eight malas of ahuti of the jap mantra are offered. Then a dashansh of that, at least one mala, is offered as TarpanaA libation offering of water or other substances made to a deity or ancestor, typically performed alongside Havan and Marjan.; 11 Marjana are done; and the bhoj of at least one unmarried kanya is arranged. Nav kanya bhojan is done in Navratri anyway, and if it can be had it is the most excellent; otherwise at least one kanya bhoj is certainly done, her blessing taken and gifts given to her. That, he says, is one round of the PurashcharanaA ritualistic repetition of a mantra to prescribed rules — required in Tantra Sadhana. anushthan completed.

Once you have performed this anushthan once, the speaker says, thereafter you may sit daily before Bhagavati at the times of morning and evening and do the japa of this mantra to the best of your capacity. The best is if you do eight malas of japa of this mantra every day. It is said, he adds, that Bhagavati bestows extremely particular affection and Kripa on the person who japs continuously for eight years without letting even a single day fall in between, even if he japs only one mala a day. When her kripa is obtained it simply cannot be described; he asks listeners to do it and see.