Durga Saptashati 700-Mantra Tantrokta Havan Vidhan — Which Mantras Are Not Offered as Ahuti

The speaker opens by saying that the subject is which mantras of the Durga Saptashati are forbidden when its mantras are offered in a Havan, and what each mantra's Ahuti should be made with. As everyone always hears, he says, the Astra Mantras are not to be offered in havan; in the same way, every other chapter too contains one or two shlokas whose ahuti must not be given with sakalya (the mixed havan samagri), or for which some fixed samagri is prescribed. He asks listeners to always keep in mind that when the full Saptashati path is done over the nine days of Navratri, the vidhan at havan time is a havan of all thirteen chapters. If a thirteen-chapter havan is not possible, the stutis in the eleventh chapter or the fourth chapter may be offered as ahuti instead — but in all of these, he says, there are points to be careful about, which is what the rest of the talk covers.

Taking the common case — the path was done up to Ashtami and now on Navami the havan is to be done from the full Saptashati — the speaker says this covers both those doing the whole Saptashati and those who only want to offer the stutis and the like. On that day, before the path-havan, one performs the full vidhan of Shapa VimochanaA preparatory curse-removal rite — reciting scriptures like the Durga Saptashati without it, or with corrupted rhythm, can cause spiritual experiences to manifest discordantly rather than harmoniously. and the rest. Of the Kavach, Argala and Kilak, only a path is done — no ahuti is offered from them. And all the opening havans must already have been given — Guru, Ganpati and so on, and the initial havan of the dikpals and the rest; only after that does one proceed. He notes that it would be most proper to learn this practically by sitting with a specific acharya, but he is putting the information before everyone so that they take inspiration and perform havan in the right way. When one is going to do the havan of the whole Saptashati, he says, there is no separate requirement to give an ahuti of the Kavach within Kavach-Argala-Kilak. From the first mantra of the Argala one may give ahuti — a navahuti (nine ahutis). In the same way, for the first mantra of the Kilak it has been specifically clarified that the mantra — "ओम विशुद्ध ज्ञाना देहाया", as the transcript renders it — must certainly be offered; so of the Kilak, only the first mantra's ahuti is given. After that the Ratri Suktam and the like should be recited, and the AtharvashirshaA Vedic Upanishadic hymn drawn from the Atharvaveda (here, to Ganapati) — self-proven (Siddha), but its Vedic mantras demand correct pronunciation. recited. Then, having done the Saptashati Nyasa and the rest, the japa of the Navarna Mantra is done; here, after nyasa, one may also do havan of the Navarna — one mala of havan. After that, do the Saptashati nyasa and come to the first chapter.

If one is doing a PurashcharanaA ritualistic repetition of a mantra to prescribed rules — required in Tantra Sadhana. of the Kavach and wishes to give the Kavach's ahuti, the speaker says the ahuti is not given shloka by shloka. Instead, the ahuti is given to the names of all the devas and devis who are present in this whole Kavach. For example, where it is written "सह कृत्रिम च लक्ष्मीम" (as the transcript has it), the ahuti there is in the name of Bhagavati Lakshmi. So write down the names of all the devis, and then offer with their name-mantras — and, he says, you will receive the grace of the Kavach's shaktis.

When you have done the Viniyoga and dhyana of the first chapter and begin the havan, the speaker says, always remember the very first point: the Uvacha"Said" — the narrative-verse marker (Rishi Uvacha, Devi Uvacha, etc.). and the like are not given as ahuti — meaning, not given with sakalya. After "ओम नमः चंडिकाय" you may give its ahuti as well. For the uvacha — the Markandeya uvacha — when offering, one gives only an ahuti of GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp., or else places a ripe banana on a paan leaf, removes the peel, sets it there, and offers with that. This is how the ahuti should be made. All the mantras of the first chapter may then be offered. With that, he says, the first chapter is done; the second chapter is followed in exactly the same way, and one moves on. Through every later chapter he repeats the same rule: wherever there is no special shloka, give ordinary ahutis, just minding how the uvacha's ahuti is given.

Coming to the third chapter, the speaker points to the shloka in which Bhagavati, fighting on at the time of Mahishasura's slaying, drinks madhu — he first says 36, then settles on the 38th shloka. The whole shloka, which he quotes as "गर्ज गर्ज छड़म मूड" (the transcript's rendering), is to be offered with madhu (honey), which he says is the very best; honey is what its ahuti should be given with. Since there is a devi Uvacha"Said" — the narrative-verse marker (Rishi Uvacha, Devi Uvacha, etc.). there too, that uvacha is offered with GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp., or with a ripe banana placed on a paan leaf, in the same manner as before. So the third chapter has this one shloka for which the havan is to be with honey.

Now come the Astra Mantras, the speaker says. In the fourth chapter, once the stuti is complete, ahutis are given up to the 23rd shloka. From the 24th shloka begins the Saptashati's raksha mantra — which is also used in the Saptashati Nyasa, as listeners will have seen. The mantra starting here, "सुलेन पाहि नो देवी पाहि खड़गंचा अंबिके" (the transcript's rendering), runs through the 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th shlokas. These four mantras are not given as ahuti with sakalya. One may simply recite them and leave it there; or, if one wishes, place a banana on a paan leaf and offer with that; or, if an acharya has been called, only the chief acharya offers, and only GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp.. He stresses this specially: no sakalya ahuti from these — the mixed samagri of til, rice, barley and so on is not to be offered with them. Alternatively, after reading the whole shloka, one says only "महालक्ष्मय स्वाहा" (as the transcript has it). Indeed, one may recite the four mantras mentally and give their ahuti by saying "महालक्ष्मय स्वाहा" — but the four ahutis given this way are still not to be given with sakalya.

Having covered the four restricted ahutis of chapter 4, the speaker turns to its 29th shloka. Since here Bhagavati has been worshipped by the devas after they performed her stuti, he says that if a mixture of gandha (fragrant paste), flowers and the like is made, a little GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp. mixed into it, and the ahuti given with that, it gives Bhagavati special pleasure. He asks listeners to keep this point in mind; with it, the fourth chapter's subject is complete.

After the fourth chapter, the speaker says, the fifth chapter brings in the Shri Devi Suktam — the mantras beginning "या देवी सर्वभूतेषु". The thing to watch is how the ahuti is given. From where the mantra "विष्णु मायति शब्दिता" (as the transcript has it) starts, look at the text: after नमस्तस्यै it prints 14, after the next नमस्तस्यै 15, and after नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः 16. That is, each is a shloka of its own — the first, the second, the third — and each must be given a separate ahuti. How? He demonstrates: "या देवी सर्वभूतेषु विष्णु मायति शब्दिता नमस्तस्यई स्वाहा", then "नमस्तस्यई स्वाहा", then "नमस्तस्यई नमो नमः स्वाहा" (all as the transcript renders them). Every shloka here is offered in this way. One may offer with GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp.; one may also offer with sakalya; one may also mix panchmeva, honey and the like and offer a nourishing (paushtik) ahuti. The one caution is that if you read the whole verse in one go — "या देवी सर्वभूतेषु बुद्धिरूपेण संस्थिता नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः" — and say स्वाहा only after the whole thing, two of your ahutis are lost. That is the point to note with the Devi Suktam. He adds that the fifth chapter's Suktam can also be offered independently: if, say, you did the full path in Navratri but cannot offer ahutis from all 700 mantras of the Saptashati, you can give the ahuti with this.

Moving on to the sixth chapter — the slaying of Dhumralochana and so on — the speaker says to give ordinary ahutis there, only keeping the Uvacha"Said" — the narrative-verse marker (Rishi Uvacha, Devi Uvacha, etc.). rule in mind, that is, how the uvacha's ahuti is to be given. In the seventh chapter, the fourth and fifth shlokas are the two to watch. In the fourth shloka, only nourishing (paushtik) havan samagri is to be used. In the fifth, if one particularly wishes to obtain Bhagavati's grace, one may offer camphor and kajal mixed together. Offering with ordinary paushtik samagri is also proper, he says, but if one wants to do a special prayog and obtain special grace, camphor-mixed kajal may be used here. After that the whole of the rest of the chapter is ordinary; only the uvacha needs attention.

Coming to the eighth chapter, the speaker says it is exceptionally special — the slaying of Raktabeej. All the vadhs, Dhumralochana and Raktabeej, carry the fiercest (ugratam) prayogs, and these should not be done without a Guru's order; keep that in mind, he says. Many subjects arise in this chapter, and it is the most special chapter of the Saptashati because in it a maha-asura like Raktabeej is destroyed. He does not describe the prayogs themselves.

Pointing to the text of the eighth chapter, the speaker shows the place "इति युक्ता ताम ततो देवी" where "सूलेन" appears — the shula, that is, an Astra Mantra, is being uttered here. So here too, offer with GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp., or offer a banana placed on a paan leaf. After that comes the next mantra — "मुखेन काली च गृह" … "रक्तबीज से शोणितम" (as the transcript renders it) — the mantra where Bhagavati Kali begins to take Raktabeej's blood into her mouth. This whole shloka becomes exceptionally special in the eighth chapter. If you give this shloka's ahuti with pomegranate (anaar), it is the very best: take out the pomegranate seeds, mix them in ghrit and offer with that, or mix them in honey and offer. This is the most special prayog, he says; otherwise one may give only ghrit. Keep this in mind if you want to do a special prayog. In the ninth chapter and the rest, he says, one simply proceeds minding the Uvacha"Said" — the narrative-verse marker (Rishi Uvacha, Devi Uvacha, etc.).. The tenth chapter too, with the slaying of Shumbha, has no stuti, so one keeps the uvacha rule and moves on; where there is a stuti, special attention is paid.

The eleventh chapter — the dhyana of Bhagavati Bhuvaneshwari, the stuti of Bhagavati Jaya Durga — is, the speaker says, the chapter for obtaining special grace; it fulfils all desires. So those who cannot do the havan of the whole Saptashati can do the havan with the eleventh chapter's stuti, the Devi Suktam, and the fourth chapter's stuti. In the eleventh chapter, wherever the stuti carries the subject of weapons — in whichever mantra you see astras present — those mantras are offered with banana and paan leaf, or with GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp.. And if a shakti-swarupa (a woman) is performing the havan, she takes the Guru's order and offers GuggulA fragrant resin burnt as dhoop or mixed with ghee for ahutis, used heavily in protective and prosperity rites. mixed in ghrit, with no other samagri added. For example, "शंख चक्र गदा श्रंग गृहीत परमायुधे प्रसीद वैष्णवी रूपे नारायणी नमोस्तुते" (as the transcript has it) — after the conch there is the discus, the mace, the bow. So its ahuti is given especially with ghrit, or with guggul mixed in ghrit. If an acharya is having an ordinary sakalya ahuti offered, a measure of til will certainly be in it — til and panchmeva, with pomegranate mixed in. He notes that no text anywhere independently states that the eleventh chapter's stuti is restricted: since there is no independent Astra Mantra in it — the weapons are held by her — it remains the case that these may be offered, and there is no explicit mention. But some scholars say that this too contains astra mantras, and that it is best to give not sakalya but ghrit, banana, or a nourishing ahuti; KheerRice cooked in milk, offered as naivedya in many vidhis. is also very good. So, he suggests, one can offer the whole of the eleventh chapter with kheer mixed with pure cow ghrit — that is excellent.

Once the whole stuti has been offered, minding the uvacha, the speaker turns to the main shlokas that follow. Look at the 44th shloka: because here Bhagavati is Raktadantika — "रक्तदंतिका डाडमि कुसुमोपमा", as the transcript renders it — if a pomegranate ahuti is given specially with this mantra, Bhagavati Raktadantika is pleased; offering with this, or with red flowers, is excellent. Then the 48th mantra, "तत्वम अखिलम लोकमात" (the transcript's rendering): this is a mantra of Bhagavati Shakambhari, and there are two Shakambhari mantras, 48 and 49. With these two, an ahuti of shaak (greens) is especially given; if you are offering ahuti this way, you may also give only GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp., and sakalya may be used too — but if you particularly want Bhagavati Shakambhari's pleasure, or if Shakambhari Maiya is your Kuldevi, offer with these mantras and use greens in it. After that, according to whichever form of each of the devis is described, you may give a different ahuti for each. For Bhagavati Bhramari's mantra, a separate ahuti of ghrit, and separately of KheerRice cooked in milk, offered as naivedya in many vidhis., may be given. With that, he says, the havan vidhan is complete.

Separately, the speaker says, one can also look at it chapter by chapter — if one wishes to offer whole chapters, keeping in mind the Astra Mantras and which ahuti goes with which mantra. Keeping the astra-mantra rule in view, do this prayog. The first chapter, in its entirety, may be offered with madhu (honey). In the second chapter, offer with GuggulA fragrant resin burnt as dhoop or mixed with ghee for ahutis, used heavily in protective and prosperity rites. (the transcript renders the word as "Google"). For the third chapter, the vidhan speaks of havan with buffalo ghee. This, he says, is especially for those who are Shakta initiates (dikshit); those who do Gayatri and have had the yajnopavit may also take up this subject — it is very good, Bhagavati bestows grace. For the fourth chapter, offer with gandha and akshat mixed together. For the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters — since in them come the episodes of Dhumralochana, Raktabeej and the like, and the fifth has the Devi Suktam — offer pieces of ripe banana, or pieces of sugarcane (ikh); havan with these is excellent. For the eighth chapter, the slaying of Raktabeej, it is excellent if red sandalwood is used specially in the ahuti — the powder of red sandal, with pomegranate seeds mixed in; this brings Bhagavati's special grace. The ninth chapter is the slaying of Nishumbha, and the tenth and eleventh hold the slaying of Shumbha and the stuti by the devas; for 9, 10 and 11, using KheerRice cooked in milk, offered as naivedya in many vidhis. is excellent — mix saffron into the kheer, add gandha, akshat, and white and yellow flowers, and do the havan with that. For the twelfth and thirteenth chapters, it is taught to do havan with the leaf of the marigold plant — the genda whose flower we use — with GorochanA yellow pigment obtained from cattle, used in writing yantras and in tilak. mixed in. He closes with the standing rule: in everything just described, the Uvacha"Said" — the narrative-verse marker (Rishi Uvacha, Devi Uvacha, etc.). must be attended to — the uvacha must not go wrong; its ahuti is given with banana on a paan leaf, or with GhritClarified butter, the standard medium of ahuti in havan and of the ritual lamp. alone — and the astra mantras must be minded. Beyond that, one may choose the havan approach according to one's own convenience.