Surya Upasana in Tantra — The Sun's Family, the Arghya, and How a Mantra Is Strengthened

The speaker begins the subject by saying that without Bhagavan Surya Narayan there is no possibility of life on this earth. If Surya is, only then is there life, because it is from him that all the grahas are set in motion, and from the waves and the divinity coming from him that all aushadhis and all vanaspatis are nourished. In just the same way, he says, Surya's counterpart in the mantra world is Chandra: the Moon has been held to be the karak of mantras, the strength of mantras. And the Moon's light, as everyone knows, is obtained from Surya Narayan. So the strength that Surya Narayan gives to Chandra Dev — the shakti, the samarthya that reaches the Moon through Bhagavan Surya — is the very reason our mantras attain greater nourishment and greater strength.

There is an issue in the birth chart in today's time, the speaker says: everyone looks at Shani for mantra siddhi and for tantra siddhi, and looks especially at Rahu and Ketu. For tantric siddhi in particular, Shani and Rahu are examined, because these hidden shaktis, these gupt vidyas, the siddhis of that kind that relate to tantra, are read there. Very good, he says — but if somewhere along the way we drop Surya, that is not right, not proper. The reason is that Surya is the adhipati of the nine grahas, their king. Whatever a king says, everyone has to accept. The king in turn accepts the word of his guru; Dev Guru Brihaspati, while being subordinate to him, still rules over him — but the speaker marks that as a separate matter of jyotish, whereas the subject running here is the one connected with tantra.

When you look at Surya's whole family, and when you see his mandal pujan, the speaker says, you will understand that without Surya pujan being done completely it is not possible at all to obtain the full fruit of any mantra. Whichever deity's yaga may be going on, Surya pujan becomes necessary there. Arghya is always caused to be given to Surya — whoever your acharya is, arghya to Surya and Surya pujan will certainly happen. In the pujan of the navagrahas, the first pujan is of Surya alone. When there is a kalash yatra and people go to the bank of the river for the Kalash sthapana, there too the first arghya is given to Surya; only then is arghya given to the dev river, and after that to the dev bhumi. The first arghya goes to Surya alone. So in every puja, the pujan of Bhagavan Surya is necessary.

Whenever we take a SankalpaA formal ritual resolution spoken aloud before an offering or observance, declaring its intent and dedicating its merit., whenever we make a witness of anything, then in the saksi karma there are two who are important, the speaker says: first Surya Narayan, second Agni Dev. The witness of Surya Narayan becomes necessary. He sets aside the question of adhikar and anadhikar in performing Gayatri, but notes what its particular importance is: the Gayatri sandhya, the trikal sandhya, is done especially after the sun has risen, in the Vedic manner. And the importance of the Veda itself, he says, is from Bhagavan Surya Narayan alone — so his puja would be supremely necessary.

Surya Narayan's father is Maharshi Kashyap, the speaker says, and we all keep hearing that we are all the offspring of Kashyap Rishi. So Kashyap Rishi is first of all his father, and his mother is Aditi. Therefore, by doing puja of Surya Narayan, whatever rin is connected with the rishis — the rin dosha that lies upon us, of which three are chiefly held: dev rin, rishi rin and others also counted — the rishi rin will come off in this way as well. He notes the ordinary route too: that rin is discharged by serving rishis and munis, those who have renounced the household and left the grihastha ashram. But when we do puja of Surya Narayan, the rishis are satisfied by that as well.

Surya Narayan's father-in-law is Bhagavan Vishwakarma, the dev shilpi, the speaker says. He is also called Twashta — Rishi Twashta is one of his names. Among the twelve Adityas one name is also Twashta, but that one is different from Bhagavan Vishwakarma. So Vishwakarma became his father-in-law, and without the father-in-law's grace the Vastu dosha in our entire building will never come to an end. When we perform yajna and the rest, when we do havan, then in the three mekhalas that are made in the havan kund there is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, and after that Ganpati pujan, and in the middle the pujan of Bhagavan Vishwakarma. So without Vishwakarma pujan the vastu dosha of our house cannot be fully pacified.

The description comes, the speaker says, that Bhagavan Vishwakarma's father is Vastudev. And his mother — when you go to look — turns out to be the sister of Dev Guru Brihaspati, whose name is Bhuvana. So see here, he says: by doing puja of Surya Narayan, first the rishigan became pleased; and any vastu dosha in your building is being pacified too, because the grace of Dev Guru Brihaspati's sister and of Vishwakarma is also reaching you. After this it emerges that Bhagavan Vishwakarma has three daughters. One of those three was married to Surya Narayan: her name is Sanjna, and Sanjna by her own shakti and samarthya produced Chhaya. The other two daughters of Bhagavan Vishwakarma are Riddhi and Siddhi, whose marriage took place with Ganpati ji.

So if you have begun doing puja of Surya Narayan, the speaker says, then when his mandal pujan takes place — and even if it does not, when we are worshipping only him — there too you are going to obtain riddhi and siddhi just like that. Not the puja of Riddhi and Siddhi, he corrects himself, but the attainment of riddhi and siddhi. Understand this thing, he says: see how vast this is going.

Coming to his dharmapatni, whom we know by the name Sanjna, the speaker says the katha comes that Sanjna could not bear the tej of Bhagavan Surya and could not see him clearly. Because of which she said that she was going to do tapasya, and from her own samarthya produced a second woman of a form just like her own, endowed with divine qualities, whose name was Chhaya. In looking, in walking, in speaking, in every way she was just like Sanjna. Having placed her in her own position, Sanjna goes away to perform tapasya.

Among the sons who were born at that earlier time, before Chhaya, the speaker names Vaivasvat Manu, Yama, and Yamu — Yami, that is the river Yamuna, who is Kalindi. Now see here, he says. When the pujan of Vaivasvat Manu takes place, happiness and prosperity will come into the household just like that. When the pujan of Yama happens — because we are doing the puja of Surya Narayan — Yama too will be pleased by it, meaning the fear of Akala Mrityu will simply be removed. And if we do the pujan of Yamuna, then the satisfaction and the gati of the pitrs happen just like that. Why does Surya puja have so much importance? Understand from this, he says, how vast it is going.

After this the description comes, the speaker says, of the second wife, Chhaya. Among the sons and grandsons obtained from Chhaya, the children who were born, the first was Savarni Manu — there too a Savarni Manu, one Manu from her as well. Then Shani Dev. You give Shani Dev a very great importance in today's time, the speaker says. People fear Shani the most, they are frightened of Shanishchar the most.

Surya loves his son Shani so deeply, the speaker says, that we will soon celebrate Makar Sankranti — when Surya Narayan enters Makar rashi from Dhanu rashi. A father going to his son's house: see how much importance Makar Sankranti has. When Surya Narayan moves from Dakshinayan towards Uttarayan it is observed as a parva kaal. The shraadh of the pitrs and the pujan of the devatas — all these things are done on a large scale on that day, and daan-punya has that much importance at Makar Sankranti. He is going into Shani's rashi at that time. So think, he says, of the fruit of Shani's pujan: when you do the puja of Surya, partially his grace too is obtained by you. Would there be any son who would not be pleased if you honour his father?

Then, the speaker says, Shani Bhagavan's sister is Tapti, who is in the form of a river, having obtained that boon. The Yamuna river flows in the northern part of the Vindhya region and the Tapti river in the southern part of the Vindhya region. Both are sisters. So from the pujan of these two — when the pujan of Surya Narayan is happening — the pleasure of both of them brings about the gati and the satisfaction of our Pitr.

After this there is one more sister whose name is Bhadra, the speaker says. Everyone knows the importance of Bhadra, everyone hears it: Bhadra has set in, the pleasure of Bhadra is necessary, we should not do anything in the Bhadra kaal. Bhadra dwells in different places, which is what we look at at the time of Rakshabandhan. So see the importance of Surya Narayan, he says, see the dignity of his family: Vaivasvat Manu, Yama, Yami; on the other side Savarni Manu, Shani, Tapti, and then Bhadra.

After this, the speaker says, when Surya Narayan went to his first wife Sanjna, who had assumed the form of a horse — as Ashwini, that is in the form of a mare — and was performing tapasya, at that time two children were born from her womb, who became the Ashwini Kumars. Two more sons. In this way Surya Narayan came to have ten principal sons and daughters, and all ten have very great importance in their own place. Besides these, one more son was born, Revanta, from Sanjna. So the grace of all of these is obtained merely by doing the puja of Surya Narayan.

Now you are doing japa of some mantra or other in the field of tantra, the speaker says. Along with the navagrahas, when the pujan of the adhipati devatas and the pratyadhipati devatas is done — and when the acharya ji has it performed — then their pujan happens too. So the grace of all of these is obtained by you. And even if ordinarily we do only the puja of Surya, still the grace of all ten will be obtained by us all.

Leaving these aside, the speaker says, let us go even higher than them. You will all know that Bhagavati Yamuna's marriage took place with Param Narayan Bhagavan Shri Krishna. When Yamuna ji was married to Krishna ji, then Surya Narayan became Narayan's father-in-law. In what manner, then, would grace not come? How would grace not come upon you? Why would you not get release from sorrows, if we do Surya pujan? This is why Surya pujan has such very great importance. Whichever person is afflicted by whatever kind of suffering should do puja of some dev shakti.

If nothing else, the speaker says, we must all certainly know this much: whenever anyone's 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. sanskar takes place, the mantra upadesh of Gayatri is given. At that time it is certainly said to them, and a sankalpa is caused to be taken, that lifelong you will give arghya to Surya. Giving arghya to Surya satisfies so many devatas and satisfies the pitrs — so how would our welfare not come about?

Besides all this, the speaker says, if you do upasana of the Mahavidyas in the tantra kshetra, or upasana of the Navadurga, then among the Nav Durgas too the kshetra held for Bhagavati KushmandaAn ash gourd (winter melon), used with burning camphor as a remedy for persistent evil-eye affliction (Drishti Dosha) when a coconut alone is insufficient. — the place where she dwells — is held to be the Surya loka. Besides this, Bhagavati Baglamukhi, who is worshipped chiefly in the tantra kshetra: the form held for her and the sthan held for her is also held to be in the Surya mandal. So for complete proficiency in the field of tantra, and for the full effect of your mantra — that whenever you make a prayoga its full effect should fall — Surya pujan becomes extremely necessary. His pujan should certainly be done.

Now, how should an ordinary person do Surya pujan? Gayatri is not for everyone, the speaker says: the matter of anadhikar and adhikar comes in. But the tantrokta Surya mantra and the Pauranik mantra are available everywhere. He gives it as: जपा कुसुम संकासम कश्यप महादुतिम तमोवरिम सर्व पापाघनम प्रणतोस्मि दिवाकर. This mantra anyone at all can speak, he says. If you recite this mantra even twelve times daily, standing before Surya Narayan — the transcript records the mantra exactly as spoken here, and later in the session the speaker repeats its opening differently, as जपा कुसुम संकासम कास्यपेयं महाद्युतिम.

In this time everyone wants a government job, the speaker says — leave aside the matter of tantra-mantra. For that, this mantra should certainly be recited twelve times daily while looking at Surya Narayan. For this you now do not need 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., and there is no need to see whether it is a man or a woman. It is a Pauranik mantra, made by Vedavyas ji, composed by him. Do the recitation of this mantra twelve times daily while looking at Surya Narayan. If you cannot do that, he says, you can also do the tantrokta mantra of Surya Narayan.

If there is no wish for that either, the speaker says, and if there is very great suffering in your body in any manner — that badha having been given by devas, being from the pitrs, from rakshasa, pret or pishach, or being on account of Abhichara — for which no treatment is working, or getting treated medically brings no benefit in your body, then recite the Surya Kavach in the morning, standing before Surya Narayan, at least twelve times. The Surya kavach is quite a small kavach, he notes. Or utter the twelve names of Bhagavan Surya Narayan twelve times. If you begin to continue this work, Surya Narayan's grace certainly comes upon you, and you obtain release from all these things.

In the twelve months, different Adityas are held, the speaker says. In every month the puja of a different Aditya takes place. When you go into some guru parampara, then especially at the time of Diksha, certain special sankalpas connected with all those Adityas are also caused to be performed. And for the month in which your diksha takes place, the particular importance of the pujan of that month's Aditya is told to you.

It is said, the speaker relates, that when you get stuck somewhere in tantra — especially those who do some tantra practically, who do some tantra connected with Shatkarma — and some dosha of it attaches, or the dosha of some other mantra attaches too. A fault in the pronunciation of a mantra; having done japa of a mantra without the right to it, so that the deity became angry; some insult occurring at a Shakti Peeth or tirtha sthal — Surya Dev is the witness of all these, because Surya Narayan never sleeps, he is forever blazing. Even when the region of darkness prevails he is pervading it; his rays are present even then, and he himself becomes the cause of the darkness too. Therefore, for release from dosha as well, Surya pujan becomes necessary.

Giving arghya to Surya, the speaker says, is prescribed for the situation that arises for men at the time of sadhana, and which happens with women too — swapnadosh and the like, from whatever cause, whether that cause be of thought or an ordinary natural cause. For the removal of that dosha too it has been said to give arghya to Surya without fail. When one bathes in the morning and gives arghya to Surya, the dosha that has attached is removed. So the averting of many doshas comes about by giving arghya to Surya. Along with this, the pushti of your mantra takes place.

For a mantra that is not now giving its effect, the speaker says, eight kinds of vidhi are told in tantra — taran and such processes, by which a mantra is awakened. But that happens under the supervision of a guru. Besides those, twelve more kinds are stated, which come under Martand Tantra, some of whose vidhis are given in Kaal Sankarshan Tantra. These are performed facing Surya Narayan.

One ordinary vidhi among them he gives. Bhagavan Surya Narayan's dear flower is the japa pushpa, which we call the gudhal flower. So when the mantra has not remained chaitanya, then by the guru's permission, upon red BhojpatraBirch bark, used to write a mantra or a person's name with a pomegranate-twig pen and red sandalwood ink for Tantric applications, such as placing a name upon a Shivlinga's base for a honey Abhisheka., with a pen of red sandalwood and with ink of rakta chandan itself, that mantra is written twelve times with the tantrokta beej of Bhagavan Surya as samput. The tree is plastered and smeared well with cow dung, the mantra is established at its root, a Surya Kalash is established, and 12,000 japa of that mantra is performed.

From this, it is said, that mantra becomes one that gives a hundred times more effect, the speaker says. But on misusing that mantra, Surya himself gives a Shraap. From Surya's cursing, illnesses such as apasmara arise in the body, skin disease, and in particular disability — all these doshas arise. So if you make ill use and misuse of mantras, he will also give the punishment for it. If he is awakening it and making it fit to give that much effect, then punishment too will be received.

If you are performing an anushthan of some mantra of Bhagavati Bagla, the speaker says, and especially if you are performing the anushthan of Bhagavati Mahapitambara, and the mantra is not giving effect — although there can be a great many reasons for that. Even so, you should look at Bhagavan Surya, the rising sun which you are able to see, and recite thirty-six times while looking at him, wearing yellow cloth, standing upon a kusha asana, and then again give arghya to Surya. By this, mantras work with great swiftness, he says.

In the tantrokta vidhans it comes that arghya should be given to Surya with black pepper added and with other kinds of dravyas added, the speaker says. But an ordinary person should not perform this kriya, because the mantras will then become extremely effective, and it is possible that their tej will cause difficulty to you yourself. Because you do not know what your own level is, and the devas are not bound by any trivacha, so there is nobody there to hold you. So the ordinary process is: give arghya to him with ordinary water alone — but having recited thirty-six times.

If a son or grandson is not being obtained, if an obstruction is arising in obtaining a son, whether it be some medical issue or some other issue, then Surya Narayan is capable of granting that too, the speaker says. Because of Bhagavan's blessing and his boon, the greatest source of obtaining progeny is Surya. Bhagavati Katyayani, Bhagavati Shashthi, Usha and Pratyusha remain with Bhagavan Surya Narayan. It is by their grace alone that whatever living beings there are in this world, and whatever living beings obtain progeny, obtain it — and it is said that up to the age of twelve years that Devi grants protection. That Shashthi Devi is the one we know in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh by the name of Chhathi Maiya, whom people serve and worship. That same Shashthi Devi's loka is also within the Surya loka, and for this reason she remains available twenty-four hours for the protection of children. So for obtaining progeny too, Surya upasana becomes extremely necessary.

Whatever wish you hold in life, the speaker says, by the grace of Bhagavan Surya all those things can be obtained — by doing ordinary work, leaving aside the special tantrokta vidhans altogether. Now, as for the twelve Aditya forms of Bhagavan Surya: you will be astonished to know that according to kalpa-bheda there are two such forms which are held to be the form of an Aditya, of which one is Indra and the second is Vishnu. Both these devatas too have been held to be the form of one of the twelve Adityas, one Aditya form each, according to kalpa-bheda. In every kalpa the names are different; in one kalpa Vishnu and Indra also come within it.

So when we are doing the upasana of Narayan, the upasana of Surya Narayan, then here the grace of Prajapati is also obtained, the grace of Indra is also obtained, the speaker says. Along with that, the grace of Bhagavan Vishnu too is obtained by us. The word Narayan is attached in any case, and directly he is the father-in-law of Bhagavan Shri Krishna, so his grace too will certainly, certainly be received. So the grace of so many dev shaktis together is received by us from doing the puja of Bhagavan Surya, from his aradhana and upasana.

The most particular thing in the pujan of Bhagavan Surya, in the pujan of Bhagavati Shashthi, of Bhagavati Baglamukhi, Bhagavati Kushmanda and Bhagavati Katyayani — the shaktis connected with the Surya loka — is that one has to keep very great attention on suchita, on cleanliness, the speaker says. Although in whatever dev process you go into, in whatever anushthan, the importance of attention to suchita is there — but in their puja especially, because Surya Narayan is a pratyaksha deva and gives fruit very quickly. It is said that he gives fruit within a single day. Surya's grace moves with great swiftness, and however many dev shaktis are connected with him also grant grace very swiftly — whether it be Bhagavati Baglamukhi, Bhagavati Shashthi, Bhagavati Katyayani or Bhagavati Kushmanda; their grace too comes with much fierceness and much swiftness. Therefore in their puja there is no place for a mistake.

Mistakes of which things? BrahmacharyaStrict celibacy required through an extended ritual observance. observance first of all, the speaker says. Brahmacharya should be observed in both forms, mental and physical. Their puja should ordinarily be done for a minimum of twelve days — though if you wish, do it for even one day. If you are doing it regularly, having brought it into your nitya niyam, then it is not necessary there. But if you have taken a sankalpa of an anushthan, that we will do japa of the Surya mantra in such a way for so many days, then you should observe the niyam. Along with this, the observance of sattvik food and the rest, which are the ordinary rules — all of those you should certainly observe. In Surya upasana, after all, the fruit is direct.

Besides this, the speaker says, the recitation of Netropanishad and such — Chakshushi Vidya, all of this — if you take up its study and practice, brings you special grace as well. Chakshushi Vidya we all ordinarily know as being for removing any dosha or vikar in the eye. Referring to a video he had recently put out in which he said that a bandhan can be placed by a guru, he says: understand Chakshushi Vidya in this way, that if the eyes have been bound by a Bandhan, then if you continue reciting Chakshushi Vidya standing before Bhagavan Surya, daily looking at the rising sun and doing Trataka while reciting it, then if possible — if your punya is that strong — the bandhan breaks and is removed in a single day. In one day your eyes open again. And ordinarily it is held to be twelve days, that in twelve days it opens. He adds that he is telling this as experience and practical matter, not as something written somewhere or a concocted tale.

He hopes listeners will understand this subject and the importance of Surya upasana, the speaker says, and adds that he is telling it because Makar Sankranti is about to come, at which time certain special tantrokta sadhanas connected with Bhagavan Surya will certainly be on the channel. They will be there so that, for the sadhanas you have been doing from before and the mantras you have been doing japa of, where it seems to you that fruit is not being obtained, or that we are obtaining something only slowly and want it quickly — for that, if we wish to do something more and special, then Surya's grace is the finest in this.

Whether according to this birth chart Surya is marak for you, or something else, there is no difficulty at all from that, the speaker says. No difficulty is going to arise from doing puja-paath. So that Surya's grace may be obtained in the proper way: whenever a Ravi Pushya Nakshatra falls, at that time too, if you do even a single day's special pujan or anushthan of Surya Narayan, his grace is obtained.

But Surya puja should never be done except in the morning, to the rising sun, the speaker says. When he has climbed up — that is, if you go to do it at seven or eight o'clock, when we are not able to look at him — then no fruit will be obtained. So in the morning, when he is rising, when he is being born, the recitation of mantras is done while looking at him at that time. Whether you do it for two minutes or twelve minutes, or however long your capacity to look at him lasts — do it for that long.

Those who have the adhikar for Gayatri, the speaker says, should certainly do at least one Mala of Gayatri japa daily, looking at Bhagavan Surya Narayan. From that a special grace is obtained, an extremely special grace. The work which was going to happen for you in a year's time will be completed within a month — whether it be a material work or spiritual grace.

Returning to what he had said about the twelve months of Surya, the speaker gives some of the names month by month. In Chaitra month, Vishnu is held to be one among the twelve Adityas — Chaitra month is Bhagavan Vishnu's. In Vaishakh month, Aryama. In Jyeshtha month, Vivasvan. In Ashadh, Anshuman. In this same way the twelve Adityas will keep running on differently for you. In Phalgun month, Rishi Twashta is worshipped in the Aditya form.

The question is good, the speaker says: we all know what kind of education is being given in convent schools in today's time. Try that you do not go into a convent school. And if there is such a compulsion that the child has to be put in that same school, then obtain from there only the academic education that is there. Give the bauddhik education from home in such a way that the child can escape and come out. Giving education from home is extremely necessary — this is exactly why having elders in the house is necessary in the present time.

Asked whether a 32-name Kavach can be taken off and, after doing japa of the namavali, be offered upon again — to increase its energy and shakti at the time of Navratri — the speaker says it can be done. First of all, if you are wearing it on a thread, remove the thread. Then you should make a thread of thirty-two knots afresh. And having caused it to be bathed again with raw milk, while reciting Atharvashirsha, the recitation of Dev Atharvashirsha or the recitation of Devi Suktam, you should perform its abhishek — and then offer upon it.

Asked whether Havan can be performed daily in the coming Gupt Navratri, the speaker answers: absolutely. Asked whether it can be done with the namavali of Maa Durga, he says yes, absolutely, you can do it. He also notes a question about which granths among the tantra granths should be read, and a request for light on the Surya Siddhanta of Swami Vishuddhananda ji Maharaj, which he acknowledges without answering here.

A listener sets out his nitya puja: first, remembering the guru, the Datt mantra mala; after that the Sankat Nashan Ganpati stotra; after that the recitation of Bhagavati's Satnam kavach stotra; after that the Rudrashtakam; then the recitation of the bajrang-baan. Look, the speaker answers: first of all comes guru smaran, the Dattatreya mala — that is right. After that Ganpati. After Ganpati, Bhairava. Then going on to Hanuman ji. Only then Jagdamba, or Lakshmi Narayan, if you do that. And Shiva ji should be done at the very last.

A listener says the sade-sati of Shani Dev has begun in his rashi and asks for guidance so that he receives no adverse effect from it and so that his spiritual and material development takes place. By Shani Dev's grace both spiritual and material development take place, the speaker answers, and if his sade-sati is running it is not necessary that it be one that gives you suffering. If according to the kundali he is a friendly graha for you, according to your lagnesh — if he is a friend for the lagna graha — then ordinarily he does not give adverse effects like that. Even so, having had the kundali analysed, if you want to do something proper you can do it for his sake.

Two things come in here, the speaker says. One is the view that arghya should be given to Bhagavan Surya only in wet clothes. But this is not possible for everyone, because not everyone bathes in a river. And if one lives in such a place that one must step out of the house in wet garments, on to the terrace or the balcony, and tiles and the like are laid on the ground — you will slip and fall and go straight to the Surya loka, and then there will be no need to give him arghya at all, since we will have gone directly into his service. So there is no need to do it that way in the present time. Go well, bathe, reach the puja place, and after that give arghya to Surya wearing whatever garment you have put on. While giving arghya the splashes of the water should not fall on you.

For this, the speaker says, one should use such a vessel in which you can fill baalu, which is called ret, or in which you can fill mitti. Or plant some plant in it, especially the tree of the gudhal flower, which is called japa kusum. Give arghya into that itself in the name of Surya Narayan, looking at him — that is proper.

Asked how Surya pujan is done, the speaker says that if you go into pujan there is a vast vidhan, in the Vedic manner and in the tantrokta manner. Ordinarily, do the two methods he has stated. The Pauranik mantra, which he gives here as जपा कुसुम संकासम कास्यपेयं महाद्युतिम — recite this mantra twelve times while looking at Surya Narayan. Having given arghya, then recite twelve times while looking at him. That much alone will be plenty. From this itself, whatever process of nitya puja and the rest is running for you will obtain considerable strength.

Asked about the Aditya Hridaya Stotram, the speaker says its recitation can absolutely be done. About the Aditya Hridaya Stotra this account comes, he says: that before Bhagavan Shri Ram was to slay Ravana, Maharshi Agastya Rishi gave the upadesh of the Aditya Hridaya Stotra to Bhagavan Shri Ram. Every deity has its own hriday paath — whether it be of Bhagavan Shri Ram, of Krishna ji, of any form of Jagdamba. All of them have a hriday paath, which is extremely swift in giving fruit and quite capable of granting protection of a very high order. This Aditya Hridaya Stotra is of that same kind.

A listener says he cannot wake up at 5:30 in the morning and asks how he should then give arghya to Surya, and whether there is no other option. If you do not get up — if the situation is such that your work is of a kind in which you are not able to rise in the morning — then the matter becomes different, the speaker says. In that case, at the very least, do japa of the mantra in his name at the puja place. But make the effort, because if you do give arghya it will be most excellent. And if nothing else, then two things: whenever a Pushya Nakshatra falls, and especially whenever a Ravi Pushya nakshatra falls, do his pujan at that time; and on a Sunday at least make the effort that on that day you certainly give him arghya, water and the rest.

For removing skin and physical problems, Surya upasana can absolutely be done in a simple way, the speaker says, and you can also do his Havan. You can do the havan with this same Pauranik mantra. If you offer ahutis upon Aak (Madar)A milky, latex-producing plant (Calotropis) — its white variety (Shwetark) is planted near a home for protection, though sourcing matters, since milky plants carry dual (positive or negative) properties depending on where they're taken from. — that is, upon madar wood — then men should do so with ghee and with guggul, and women especially should offer with havan samagri. If ahutis are offered in this way, a special grace of Surya Narayan is obtained.

A listener asks whether, in Uttarayan, the apsara Nabhidarshana Devi is with Surya Dev, and in Dakshin, Tilottama Devi — does it happen so, Gurudev? Look, the speaker answers, this subject has now become fully tantrokta. As he told them about the Aditya of each month being different — there are twelve Adityas for twelve months, and every Aditya has his own mandal pujan with him. When we perform pujan with Twashta, then at that time your Nabhidarshana or Tilottama will not be there. Then his mandal pujan becomes entirely, wholly different. This becomes a full subject of Martand Tantra, separately.

Asked whether, if one performs an Amavasya havan for the mukti and shanti of all kinds of Pitr, one mala of ahuti can be offered with the mantra पितृ देवाय विद्महे जगत धारणाय धीमहि, the speaker answers that in his own view, if you have always been doing it, you can do it. But ordinarily, if you also want to do something for the pitrs, he says he would say not to do this independently and instead to give it with the first mantra of the Argala Stotra, in which the swadha shakti is available. If their satisfaction comes about through the swadha shakti, then no mistake will occur in it either, and their gati will also happen. Do not, independently, offer ahuti of the Pitru Gayatri, he says. (The transcript is damaged at this point: a cue opener is lost and the following sentence, timed at 37:50, is glued on to the end of the preceding one.)

A listener says he has taken Bhagavan Shiva as guru, does the puja of Hanuman ji, reads the chalisa, and does japa of the Panchakshari. If you are initiated, the speaker answers, do it together with the Pranav. If you are not initiated, then do japa of the Shiva mantra without attaching the pranav.

In today's time, he says, people are frightened of doing pujan at home of Bhagavati Baglamukhi and of Bhagavan Bhairava — even after so much has been spoken about Bhairav ji. But everyone should understand what the real subject is: from the Vedic era their pujan has had importance. At the least we should certainly do this much of their puja. Five minutes should certainly be given to Surya Narayan.

A listener says that in his case physical problems arise in a mantra anushthan and asks whether relief can come from Surya upasana. Yes, absolutely it can, the speaker answers. Surya Narayan's father-in-law is Bhagavan Vishwakarma, who has been called Twashta — in one form he is Twashta. He exists for this very work. By his grace, Bhagavan Surya has such capability that whatever difficulty is in this body — whether it be daivik, bhautik, pret or pishach, Brahmarakshas, a dosha of any kind at all — through that he cuts and clears it away.

Asked which kriyas and which sadhanas are performed before Apsara Sadhana, the speaker says: let it be told to you that, in the way you are understanding apsara sadhana, in the first place it does not happen that way at all. Apsaras are the very form of Jagadamba — understand this subject, he says. The second thing is that their origin is held to have been at the time of the samudra manthan; the apsaras whose origin is held to be by the grace of Nar and Narayan — you should all know this. So how, then, could that apsara be made siddh in this manner by an ordinary human being? When Maharshi Vishwamitra had attained tapobal, it was on account of that tapobal that an apsara was obtained by him.

For an ordinary human being, the attainment of their grace can come about, the speaker says. But as people think in today's time — that she will become manifest before them, that she will grant divya drishti, or that we will realise her directly in some other form, as mother, sister or wife — this is not so easy for an ordinary human being. And what goes wrong here? He says he will one day make a separate video on this subject and tell it according to true experience — to his own people, some of those who know and recognise him, telling them from these experiences of his own life what calamities can come, what sufferings can come.

Those who become successful in this sadhana, only for the attainment of kripa, only for darshan — darshan absolutely does happen, and grace is also obtained, the speaker says. But apart from that there are very many things which an ordinary human being cannot observe the niyams of. And therefore it is only and only for the attainment of grace. Look, he says, the apsara is a shakti — that is settled.

The grace of the Mahashaktis is needed first of all, the speaker says, if you are seeking siddhi — if you insist that no, we must obtain the siddhi of an apsara itself. Now he does not want to take the names of all those people on whose account all these things came before people so readily, as though it were very easy: that it will happen in one night, that this will happen and that will happen. It is not that much halwa, he says. It is not two-minute Maggi. Eat the packet, heat the water, pour it in, it is ready, and the apsara appears before you and says, here, eat the Maggi, take the bhog of the Maggi — this will never happen. Difficulty will arise in your life.

The very first thing is this, the speaker says: if apsara sadhana is to be done, then first of all comes the upasana of Mahadev. Upasana of crores of mantras is performed, so that the mantra bala and tapobal are very great — so that when she is present, when we do shakti sadhana, the apsara being a shakti, and when she becomes manifest, there is such energy within us that we can hold the energy produced by her. So that we may be capable of seeing her. There should be that much divinity within oneself. There should be vaicharik shuddhi.

Now here is one more thing for all who are listening, the speaker says. The sadhana of Krodh Bhairava becomes extremely necessary in this; it is said that Krodh Bhairav should be done. Without doing Krodh Bhairav, the sadhana of a yakshini or an apsara should not be done. What is the reason? Krodh Bhairav controls her. But who will control Krodh Bhairav? When you perform the sadhana of Krodh Bhairav — and now even this sadhana is being distributed like halwa, whose very name nobody ever knew — then if we do this kind of sadhana, how will he be controlled? For his control too we must then take refuge in Bhagavati; then Bhagavati's sadhana is needed. So in a way these are links joined to one another.

First of all, do the sadhana of Mahadev and Bhagavati Parvati, both, and you will not need to do all the remaining things at all, the speaker says. Even so, if you wish to go in sequence, then the yakshini of whichever kula you are initiated in, the apsara of that same kula who will be proper for you, will be granted to you by the guru — that too within shakti sadhana. First Mahadev is done, then Bhagavati. If Bhagavati has been done predominantly, then let us take it that if you have done 12 lakh japa of Bhagavati's mantra, then a sawa lakh of whichever Bhairav or Mahadev form belongs to her will be done. After that the japa of the Bhairav of that kula will take place. Although Bhairav's japa happens first, and Ganpati's happens first, he adds.

All this beginning work will be done, and you will be made to do upasana for at least three years, five years, the speaker says. When you complete that whole thing, then you will have the capability within you that nothing goes wrong with you. Your buddhi too will by then have become stable. You will not be dislodged, that is, you will not fall from your station. Vaicharik shuddhi alone will remain within you. As for the people talking about apsaras now, he says, you can know well enough what their thinking is, and with what thought they wish to obtain an apsara. It is these concocted tantra tales, made up by some people, on account of which it seems easy to you.

Now he tells one more thing, the speaker says: how does someone obtain this siddhi very easily, in truth? It is also true that attainment happens — but how does it happen? The reason behind it is that in whichever Guru Parampara that person is initiated, some sadhak of that parampara, who would have been their guru, would at some time have realised her directly, and by his word would have established it in his own kula, in the kula of his guru parampara: that upon whoever becomes a disciple in my guru parampara, you will bestow grace. In such a case she can grant that siddhi even by mere glance, by shaktipat. For them it became easy — but for you it will never be easy, because you are doing her sadhana independently.

Besides this, the speaker says, the upasana of Bhagavan Indra and the upasana of Bhagavati Sachi becomes necessary. Not merely upasana — their entire sadhana and puja with full vidhi vidhan, digpal pujan, the balidan of the digpals. Only after all these things are performed does that sadhana come, at the very end.

Yes, ordinarily, the speaker says, if in your life you wish — as in the questioner's case — that you should obtain a beautiful dharmapatni, a good one who walks upon the path of sadhana, a life-companion. If for that purpose you take a sankalpa and perform apsara sadhana, then that grace will come about. For the attainment of grace there is absolutely no difficulty.

But if you are thinking of direct manifestation and all these things — that she will come in the form of a young woman, and what you have read in the tantra kathas, that she will give wealth, will give property, will be a lover — then your thoughts have already been made impure by listening to those concocted tales, the speaker says. There is not that much capability. As for speaking, we too would say anything at all, since which of you is coming to look? But we cannot mislead people, he says. Forgive us.

Asked whether there is any puja vidhan for the Navratra coming from 30 December, the speaker says yes: the puja vidhan you have already performed before, which he keeps saying again and again, you can begin at that time. Any sadhana of Bhagavati, any sadhana of Bhairav ji that you have performed in the past — that you can do in the Shakambhari Navratri, or you can also do the upasana of Bhagavati Shakambhari. For Makar Sankranti, he says, we will give it separately and will tell it separately. We will state a single-day sadhana.

Asked which mantra to use for the smaran of Bhairava ji, the speaker says: do it with his dhyan mantra — करकलित कपाल कुंडली दंड पानी — remember him with this mantra. Or do it with this mantra: करतु समय सपरिया विघ्न विच्छेद हेतुर्जयति बटुकनाथ सिद्ध साधका नाम. Or utter his ten names, the mantra कपाली कुंडली भैरवो भी मलोचना. (These verses are reproduced exactly as the transcript renders them; the transcription is evidently imperfect in places.)

Asked whether the Kali Hriday Stotra can then be recited, the speaker says: look, let it be told — hriday means the nearest. If you do it, the experience will be somewhat vikat and vikaral. You can indeed do it. But if you do Shiva pujan well, then do it while performing Shiva pujan. Perhaps you do perform Shiva pujan and his abhishek well. Do it in the Kali temple itself, if you wish to do it — and do not do it in greater quantity.

A listener says that the Kali Gayatri mantra is heard by him half-completed in a dream, that it echoes in his ears in a very loud voice, and asks why this is so. Your sadhanas are bearing fruit, the speaker answers; Bhagavati's grace is coming upon you. If Bhagavati's Gayatri mantra is being heard by you, and that of Bhagavati Kali at that, then it is good. It is a very auspicious sign.

Asked on which tithi havan should not be done at night, the speaker says: look, if we say this again and again — if you are doing a weekly Havan, as for instance you do havan every Tuesday, then there is no need to look at any tithi or nakshatra; do it. If you do a monthly havan, as on Amavasya, Purnima or Ashtami, whichever one tithi is your rule for doing it, then in that too you need not look at anything. But if you are doing it on some other tithi and so on, then you should look at the agnivas and the rest before doing it. In a parva kaal there is no need to look at the agnivas.

A listener says his aunt has passed away and asks what he should do for her mukti and shanti. Whatever vidhi vidhan there is in the tradition should certainly be done, the speaker answers, and along with that you should have the recitation of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita performed. And if you are not able to have it performed, then recite the seventh adhyaya yourself for the whole time, for as long as the Sutak-patak is in force.

A listener says an acquaintance of his has completed a mantra sadhana and is now planning to go and do apsara sadhana in order to make it siddh, and asks whether performing apsara sadhana is proper. On this subject we have just now discussed it, the speaker answers. Having taken a proper decision, he may go.

A listener asks that the vidhan of the Chakshushi Vidya, and of the twelve-name stotra of Bhagavati Saraswati for Basant Panchami, be given without fail. All right, the speaker says: as for the Chakshushi Vidya, that will be given. But tell me once what the purpose will be, and then, according to that purpose, we will tell it within that.

Otherwise, the speaker says, however much sadhana and aradhana you do — if you get one who only sleeps, then forget the agarbatti and the dhoop and the deep; then she will have her own puja performed and her own aarti taken, and then there will be difficulty. Therefore those who are sadhaks should certainly pray to Bhagavati that they obtain a good dharmapatni, one who will assist you in sadhana and puja.

Asked what to take along when going to Kalka Ji again on 24 December — Kalka Ji, that is, in Delhi — the speaker says that for Bhagavati's shringar pujan one should take a rose flower if it can be got, and a garland of gudhal flowers. One should take the chunri, the garment of shringar, and whatever bhog is offered there. And if 24 December falls on a Saturday, then if you can make a nimbu mala with your own hands and carry it, make one — of 27 lemons, or 54, or 108, as much as is possible. In the nimbu mala, rather than putting only lemons, marigold flowers are also put in between to make the garland beautiful, and it will look more attractive. The pujari will also put it on, and for as long as it remains around Bhagavati's neck, a special grace will also be obtained by you all the better. So take all of that.

Asked whether sufferings are cut by reciting the Shrimad Bhagavat Katha and the Shri Shiv Puran, the speaker says: absolutely they are cut. See the phalashruti written in the Puranas — infinite times punya is obtained. It should simply be done in the proper way, with vidhi vidhan; that is the first thing. But the proper way does not mean that you should give up water. In the morning, after bathing and the rest, sitting upon an asan before Bhagavan, if you recite even a single adhyaya daily, then you will not have any particular need of anything else.

Its parayan is performed, the speaker says: that we will complete the whole recitation of the Shiv Mahapuran within so many days. Or that in our whole life we will do it twelve times, eleven times — in this way it should be done gradually, and in it you should see how much time it is taking you. There are samhitas: how many days you will take to complete one samhita, do it according to that. And among all the samhitas there are, if you wish to recite only one of them: do the Vayu Samhita, do the Rudra Samhita — that we will do the anushthan of the Rudra Samhita itself again and again. That too you can do. It is not necessary that you recite the whole Purana.

Asked to speak about Bhagavan Sheshnag and about his shakti, the speaker says: all right, about Sheshnag separately. He will tell about Bhagavan Sheshnag. Asked which city he is from, he says Baba Vaidyanatha Dham, Deoghar. On the Panchshool, he says he had earlier put the whole thing on Facebook and written it, but had to delete it on account of copy-paste and a quarrel. He will make a video again and will certainly tell the subject of the Panchshool — what the rahasya is of the Panchshool present atop the Baba Baidyanath temple, and why there is a Panchshool at Baidyanath Dham and not a Trishul.