How to Do Prana Pratishtha of a Japa Mala — Materials, Panchagavya Snan, Viniyoga, and Bead-by-Bead Abhimantran

The speaker sets out to explain how any Mala is given Prana Pratishtha and then used. A mala without prana pratishtha, he says, cannot give its effect in full. So to make full use of its divinity, the mala must certainly be consecrated. This is so whether the mala is used for wearing or for japa. Even if it is only to be worn, he says, one consecrates it, does mantra japa on it, and then wears it round the neck; it then becomes fully endowed with divinity and is able to show its full effect.

The speaker shows the things required: the Mala that is to be consecrated, a DhoopIncense offered during worship; its smoke is treated as an offering in its own right within the sequence of upacharas., a lota of water, GangajalWater from the Ganges, used to purify and re-consecrate ritual items exposed to impurity., two kinds of ChandanSandalwood paste, offered and applied in worship for its cooling, purifying quality., ashtagandh, RoliA red vermilion powder applied to ritual offerings such as the lemons in a sacrificial Bali, before they are circled with water and offered. and HaldiTurmeric, used in offering and in the mala and rites of the yellow-clad forms of the Goddess., along with a DeepakThe lamp lit for worship, of ghee or oil according to the vidhi. and nine PeepalA sacred fig tree dedicated to Lord Dattatreya — Pitru Tarpan performed beneath it calms agitated ancestral spirits causing domestic unrest. leaves. With these one needs PanchagavyaA purifying mixture of five cow-derived products, used with Panchamrita and Tulsi leaves to purify a home, especially its threshold., meaning cow's milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine. There is a particular proportion for it, he says, but ordinarily one can just mix them and use it. Gather all these things. Then see a shubh MuhurtaAn elected span of time in which an act is begun.. If no shubh muhurat is available, at least check the Choghadiya: which is the auspicious choghadiya of that day, morning and evening. Doing the pratishtha in the morning is very good, so pick an auspicious morning choghadiya. Two LaungClove, used in offering and in small prayogas. and one elaichi are also needed; these are used after the prana pratishtha, so keep them at hand.

First of all, the speaker says, nine PeepalA sacred fig tree dedicated to Lord Dattatreya — Pitru Tarpan performed beneath it calms agitated ancestral spirits causing domestic unrest. leaves are laid out in the thali so as to make something like an ashtadal kamal, and he shows how they are arranged one by one. While doing this work, keep taking the name of Bhagwan Narayan; keep taking the name of one's ishta; keep taking the name of one's kuldevi and kuldevta, so that it can be fully fruitful. Use only good peepal leaves; the ones he uses are only to demonstrate the method. Once the leaves are arranged, put a little HaldiTurmeric, used in offering and in the mala and rites of the yellow-clad forms of the Goddess. and KumkumVermilion powder offered to the Goddess and applied as a tilak. on them without fail; with haldi and kumkum on them they attain still greater divinity. The reason, he says, is that Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are said to dwell permanently in the peepal leaf. That is why peepal leaves are always used for prana pratishtha.

First, the speaker says, put the Mala in a bowl and bathe it in pure water; the mala is first washed with pure water. If while washing it one can recite the vowels and consonants, that is very much better. Reciting them means each is pronounced with the anusvara matra: beginning from Om, "Om am aam im eem um oom", and so on through all the vowels and then all the consonants. After that the mala is bathed in PanchagavyaA purifying mixture of five cow-derived products, used with Panchamrita and Tulsi leaves to purify a home, especially its threshold., and while bathing it in panchagavya this mantra is spoken: Om vamadevaya namo jyeshthaya namo shreshthaya namo rudraya namo kalaya namo kalavikaranaya namo balavikaranaya namo balaya namo balapramathanaya namo sarvabhutadamanaya namo manonmanaya namah (VamadevaThe north-facing face of Panchanan Shiva, associated with preservation. mantra). He says he will give the mantra in the description. After this washing the mala is bathed once more in pure water, and while bathing it this mantra can be recited: Om sadyojatam prapadyami sadyojataya vai namo namah bhave bhave nati bhave bhavasva mam bhavabhavaya namah (SadyojataThe west-facing face of Panchanan Shiva, associated with creation. mantra). Next a mixture of ChandanSandalwood paste, offered and applied in worship for its cooling, purifying quality. water is made and the mala is washed with it, with the mantra: Om gandhadwaram durdharsham nityapushtam karishinim ishwarim sarvabhutanam tamihopahvaye shriyam. To fill it with full divinity it is first washed with well-scented chandan, bathed thoroughly, and then rinsed with pure water. When the bath is done, the mala is placed on the PeepalA sacred fig tree dedicated to Lord Dattatreya — Pitru Tarpan performed beneath it calms agitated ancestral spirits causing domestic unrest. leaves the way one wears it, laid out neatly.

After the bath, the speaker says, comes the prana pratishtha vidhi itself. The prana pratishtha mantra has to be read, and the pratishtha is done together with its Viniyoga. How to do it, which viniyoga mantra it is and the manner of the pratishtha he says he is giving in the description, and is trying to upload a PDF with the complete vidhi so listeners can download and read it. Before those mantras the viniyoga is said: Om asya shri prana pratishtha mantrasya Brahma Vishnu Rudra rishayah, rig-yajuh-samani chhandamsi, prana-shakti devata, aam bijam, hreem shaktih, kraum keelakam, asmin male prana-pratishthapane viniyogah. Having said this, one may take the whole Mala into the hands. He shows the way: take it in the left hand and cover it with the right. Once it is covered, the prana pratishtha mantra, which he is putting in the description, is to be spoken. When that mantra is complete, the mala is taken again and laid back on the PeepalA sacred fig tree dedicated to Lord Dattatreya — Pitru Tarpan performed beneath it calms agitated ancestral spirits causing domestic unrest. leaves.

Once the prana pratishtha mantra is complete and the Mala is back on the peepal leaves, the speaker says, a flower is offered first: Om sarvashakti swarupane shri malayai namah pushpam samarpayami. After the flower a BhogThe food offering placed before a deity before anyone in the household eats. is offered: the bhog of LaungClove, used in offering and in small prayogas. and elaichi. After that a flower is offered again, and then a little ChandanSandalwood paste, offered and applied in worship for its cooling, purifying quality.: Om sarvashakti swarupane shri malayai namah chandanam samarpayami. Then kumkum: Om sarvashakti swarupane shri malayai namah kumkumam samarpayami; the KumkumVermilion powder offered to the Goddess and applied as a tilak. is applied on the SumeruThe head bead of a mala, never crossed during japa — the count turns back at it instead.. Then Om sarvashakti swarupane shri malayai namah deepam darshayami: the DeepakThe lamp lit for worship, of ghee or oil according to the vidhi. is shown, and it is set in the agni kund. Then Om sarvashakti swarupane shri malayai namah dhoopam darshayami: reciting this, DhoopIncense offered during worship; its smoke is treated as an offering in its own right within the sequence of upacharas. and deep are shown and placed. Up to here, he says, the vidhi is complete; what comes next is the bead-by-bead abhimantran.

The speaker then explains how each bead is consecrated. Properly, he says, one holds each single bead and recites the vowels and consonants anunasik, through the nose: from a right through to am, then from ka to ksha, enclosed in Om as a Samput; that is how each bead is consecrated. But ordinarily one can do it with two mantras. The first is the Ishana mantra, and the abhimantran with it is done with ChandanSandalwood paste, offered and applied in worship for its cooling, purifying quality.: mix a little water into chandan, and apply chandan to each bead while saying the Ishana mantra. He demonstrates, placing a finger on the first bead and saying: Om ishanah sarvavidyanam ishwarah sarvabhutanam brahmadhipati brahmanodhipati brahma shivo me astu sadashivam. Having charged one bead this way, the next bead is done the same way. Ishana, Bhagwan Shiva's Ishana form, is the lord and king of all vidyas and all mantras, which is why every bead is charged with the Ishana mantra. He says he will give the mantra in the description. When the Abhimantran of all 108 is done, the SumeruThe head bead of a mala, never crossed during japa — the count turns back at it instead. is charged with the Aghora mantra: Om aghorebhyo atha ghorebhyo ghora ghoratarebhyah sarvebhyah sarva sarvebhyo namah shivebhyah. That is one full round of the vidhi. When the first round is complete, every bead is charged again, this time with KumkumVermilion powder offered to the Goddess and applied as a tilak. while reciting the TatpurushaThe east-facing face of Panchanan Shiva, associated with concealment. mantra of Bhagwan Shiva: Om tatpurushaya vidmahe mahadevaya dhimahi tanno rudra prachodayat. Holding each bead one by one and reciting the Tatpurusha mantra, one comes again to the sumeru and charges it once more with the same Aghora mantra. With this, he says, the abhimantran of the mala is complete.

When the abhimantran is complete, the speaker says, take the Mala in the hand. Then whichever mantra is to be done on it, say a mantra of Bhagwati Durga or of Mahalakshmi, close the mala in the hand and do at least eleven repetitions; or else go over each bead once in full, as for the Shreem mantra: Om shreem namah, Om shreem namah, Om shreem namah, one complete round of Japa. After the japa the mala is placed back on the peepal leaves in the same way, and if one wishes an AartiA ritual of waving a lit lamp or flame before a deity's image, performed here at the close of Deepdan once the lamps begin to burn down. with KapoorCamphor, burnt at the close of worship. is shown once. That, he says, is the complete prana pratishtha of a mala. Adopt this vidhi, consecrate the mala with it, and use it for japa or for wearing.