The Sadhana of Bhagavati Shakambhari Durga — Origin, Anushthan Vidhi and the One-Day Purnima Prayoga

The speaker introduces the sadhana of Bhagavati Shakambhari: that swaroop of Bhagavati Durga which is known throughout the world by the name Shakambhari. When famine fell across the whole world on account of Durgamasura, he says, Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. took on the Shatakshi form, that is, she manifested a hundred eyes in her body, and through those eyes water, meaning tears, was made to flow. From those very tears the whole world's supply of water was made good, and the shaak, all the greens and vegetables there are, came into being once more and were able to grow again. The swaroop that Jagadamba held after that is the one taken to be the Shakambhari swaroop. He then sets two forms side by side: the swaroop of Bhagavati Shakambhari and the swaroop of Bhagavati Annapurna. In particular, he says, a great many of the tantra-related mantras and vidhans belonging to them are roughly identical.

In our nitya life, the speaker says, and a grihastha sadhak in particular, we should from time to time keep performing an AnushthanaAn extended ritual observance — such as 108 recitations of a scripture — carrying its own strict rules. and the like of either Bhagavati Annapurna or Bhagavati Shakambhari. By their kripa prasad, he says, there is never any lack of anna, dhan, vastra and so on in our house and family. This talk, he announces, is specifically on the sadhana anushthan of Bhagavati Shakambhari Durga. On eligibility he is explicit: this sadhana can be done by any person whatsoever, whether that person holds Diksha or is without it. Women and men alike, he says, anyone can do it.

In the sadhana, the speaker says, you are to use red or yellow vastra in particular. The japa is to be done facing the east or the north direction, and the AsanaThe consecrated mat or seat used during ritual practice, treated as a manifest form of Earth energy (Vasundhara) — never to be shared casually, stepped on, or used for mundane purposes. too will be yellow or red. You may install the Shri Vigreh of Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. Bhagavati, who is chaturbhuja, four-armed. Or else you may do the upasana in this of the ashtabhuja Durga as well. Upon that same Shri Vigraha you do their archan and pujan. First of all, after doing smaran of Guru, Ganapati and the rest, one does the dhyan of Bhagavati Shakambhari Durga. In the description of the video a link is given to a PDF file in which the Viniyoga of this sadhana, the rishi and other Nyasa, the kar nyas and the hriday nyas are all written out, along with the dhyan mantra and the japa mantra. That very thing, he says, is what is to be done. Before doing that, you may do a path of the Shakambhari Kavach. If that is not available, then do a path of Bhagavati's Chandi durga-kavach, the one described in the Durga Saptashati. And after that, perform the AnushthanaAn extended ritual observance — such as 108 recitations of a scripture — carrying its own strict rules. of this mantra.

This mantra, the speaker says, should be japa'd as much as one possibly can. If you do a sava lakh Mantra Japa of this mantra and then its dashansh Havan, its dashansh TarpanaA libation offering of water or other substances made to a deity or ancestor, typically performed alongside Havan and Marjan., its dashansh Marjana, and a bhoj of nine kanyas, then the Kripa of Bhagavati Shakambhari is obtained by you in a special manner. The ordinary form, he says, is that at least 27,000 japa of this mantra should be done, with dashansh havan, tarpan and marjan.

The speaker lays a standing obligation on the sadhak of this mantra. Should any person be afflicted by anna, meaning by hunger, or should their thirst for water be greatly risen, then the sadhak of this mantra must, in any circumstance whatsoever, extend his cooperation to them, even if that person is an enemy. That is: one is never to see anyone hungry. If a hungry person is met, one is to help them with anna to the extent of one's capacity; this is the Annadaan the sadhana rests on. Even if it is some animal that is hungry, then whatever your buddhi works out at that moment, whatever capability your body provides, however financially able you are, to that extent you should give them your support and satisfy their kshudha and their trishna. It is said, he reports, that if this is done Bhagavati becomes pleased quickly. This has been said for a reason: when you perform the sadhana of Annapurna and Shakambhari Durga, she takes your examination through this very swaroop. And when you help someone with anna and satisfy their kshudha, it is Bhagavati herself who is satisfied and bestows her Kripa upon you. In this manner, he says, you may perform this sadhana.

Besides Navratri, the speaker says, the Poornima of the month of Paush in particular has been called Bhagavati's avataran divas; on that very day Jagadamba"Mother of the World" — an epithet of the Devi. took on this swaroop. So on that day too you may do this one-day sadhana in a special way. Or, if you are short of time, the Annapurna sadhana or the Shakambhari sadhana may also be done as a one-day sadhana on the Purnima tithi of any month. In one day you will do japa to your capacity, as much as you are able: 5,000 japa, with its dashansh Havan, TarpanaA libation offering of water or other substances made to a deity or ancestor, typically performed alongside Havan and Marjan. and Marjana, and a bhoj of one kanya. Or whatever the food of one kanya is, her vastra and so on, the shringar articles: all of that you may also donate at a temple. In this manner, he says, bring the sadhana to siddhi.