Aavaran Puja
Every question on the site tagged Aavaran Puja, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
Worship of a deity's surrounding retinue and attendant powers (as depicted in a Yantra), performed alongside worship of the main deity.
104 notes from our sourcesNotes from our sources
Avaran puja and amavasya temple visits make the deity reveal the real cause of hardship
The speaker says that if one has worshipped Bhagwati Durga or Bhagwati Kali for ten years and "this is not happening, that is not happening", no matter: learn the Aavaran Puja of her Yantra, satisfy every devi-devata, all their Ganas and all the Bhairavs, do their havan, do their mantra japa, and especially on Amavasya go to her temple and offer there. She will herself show you: perhaps some planetary influence is at work, and whatever falls under whose jurisdiction will be shown through your Ishta Devata. Some medium will form — the right person will meet you and say, for instance, that a mahadasha of the great planet Shani is running, so do japa of Shani Dev's mantras for so many days. Done: that planet's jurisdiction is fulfilled, you are out of all this, and you need not do very much at all.
What is Avarana Puja, and why is it equivalent to a grand sacrifice?
Performing the daily enclosure worship (Avarana Puja) of one's Diksha mantra and associated deity yields spiritual merit equivalent to a grand sacrifice (Mahayaga), as detailed in the Rudrayamala, Mahanirvana Tantra, and Sharada Tilaka.
What is meant by sangopang bhakti?
Shiva says: O dear one, in this manner my sangopang bhakti is the highest of all. Sangopang means contemplating one's aradhya in each of these nine ways. If it is Shiva, then all of it is done about him — one thinks of him, does his kirtan, does japa of his mantra, does his pujan with the sixteen upacharas, holds everything as given by him, dedicates everything to him, makes sashtang pranam to him. But this in no way means, the speaker says, that if we do this for him we will not do it for Ganpati or for Bhagavati.
What does ang pujan or ang vidya mean in an anushthan of Bhagavati?
The speaker says that in an anushthan of any swarup of Bhagavati there is mandala pujan and ang pujan. Ang pujan means ang vidya — that the other shaktis belonging to Bhagavati's family are also given anushthan.
What is the difference between a shatkarma yantra and a deity mahayantra?
Besides the shatkarma-related yantras there is the yantra of the devatas, the yantra of the Mahashaktis, in which we repeatedly speak of aavaran pujan — in that yantra we worship, from the chief deity onward, every single member of their family and every single limb, and all their astra and ayudha. Those are the mahayantras, of whichever god or goddess they belong to.
Do all yantras take the same time to construct?
No. Every specific yantra of one's own aradhya has its own specific tithis. Beginning from that day, some yantras are completed in a single day; some depend actually on the nakshatras — as many aavarans as there are, that many nakshatras are needed for their construction to be complete. Much also differs by guru parampara.
How much larger is the full tantrokta pratishtha of a yantra than that of a murti?
The full tantrokta vidhan, he says, is that in each single aavaran there is one deity, and this whole pratishtha vidhi will be that extensive — in a murti we do it once, in this it is the whole of it. For documentary support he points to the Durga Archan Paddhati of Acharya Shivadatta Mishra Shastri.
How do the aavarans of a murti and of a yantra relate when the murti is placed on the yantra?
In the praan pratishtha vidhi of a murti of Bhagavati there is a description of nine aavarans, worshipped upon the murti itself. There is also a direction to place Bhagavati's murti upon the yantra; when a murti is placed on any deity's yantra, the yantra aavaran and the murti aavaran pujan happen together. If there is no yantra, the whole aavaran pujan takes place on the murti itself.
What a specific pujan of a kavach devi means, and the Mahalakshmi mention for court cases
A specific pujan means the complete mandal pujan of that deity, the complete aavaran pujan. If that much vidhi vidhan is not available to you, you should do a sixteen-upachar pujan in their name with the name mantra and so on. As for the mention of Mahalakshmi pujan at the rajdwar — rajdwar means court and case matters in which one is caught; by doing the pujan of Mahalakshmi one obtains victory in them.
What is the minimum that must be done in each aavaran of a Devi yantra?
Just as in a murti we have the full adhivas and all the vidhi and nyasa done, in exactly the same way it should certainly be done at least once in each single aavaran of the yantra. "Saptamavaran... sarva devi devatabhyo" and thereafter all the vidhis — in the name of every one of them at least that much akshat should be given, by sadhak brothers who perform such kriyas and who know them.
How should one properly begin with a yantra of one's own ishta?
Keep one yantra related to your own ishta aradhya at the place of pujan and learn it in the prescribed way. First of all, for six months to a year, only their archan and pujan should be done, before the aavaran — only their archan by the Shatanama and by the Sahasranama, and abhishek: let there be dugdhabhishek, let there be panchamrit abhishek, let there be archan. Do that much for a year, and then learn the aavaran pujan of it.
Where should the chakrarchan be performed?
Perform the chakrarchan in the house, on the roof of the house, in some solitary region where darshan of Chandra dev is occurring, or on a mountain peak, the speaker says. It has been stated that many, many shaktis, being present there, assist in that archan of Bhagavati, take part in it, and give you darshan in subtle form as well.
Can the avaran puja of Shiva be done on a shivling instead of a yantra?
Asked whether, besides the yantra, the avaran puja of Shiva ji can also be done on a shivling, the speaker answers: no. On a shivling you may do the puja of the whole world — but the matter of avaran pujan is a somewhat different thing, and for that a separate one has been stated. The avaran pujan of a shivling too is separate. And then, which shivling it is has to be seen as well: is it a Harihar shivling, is it a Shakti shivling — how then will you do it?
How does the Saptachandi avaran pujan differ from the one on the channel?
Asked about the vidhan of the avaran pujan of Durga ji at the time of the Saptachandi, the speaker says it is the same as the one given on the channel — a somewhat expanded form of it; not somewhat, a very greatly expanded form. What is on the channel is the initial subject. And in the Saptachandi and the rest, the peeth puja happens in a very elaborate form, with the vidhan of the pujan of each single avaran together with the nyasa mantras.
Can Durga's avaran pujan be done on a Shri Yantra installed by a brahmin?
Asked whether the avaran pujan of Ma Durga ji can be done on a Shri Yantra whose pujan and installation was done by a brahmin, the speaker answers: no. When Bhagavati's Shri Yantra is seated there, then you will be initiated in Shri Vidya and will perform her archan and pujan alone — you will do that of Bhagavati Lalitamba.
A sahasranama archan of any devi is possible on it, but the avaran pujan only of the yantra's own deity
In that way you can do the sahasranama archan of Durga ji, but you will not be able to do the avaran pujan — how will you do the avaran in it, the speaker says. You can do the sahasra archan of Durga ji; if you have a desire to do that of Kali ji, then do the sahasra archan of Kali ji; do the archan of any devi upon it, there is no problem in doing archan, the presence of all is held to be there. But the avaran pujan you will do only of that deity whose yantra it is.
When would a separate yantra be needed?
Separately it will be needed when you perform the mantratmak archan, when you perform the avarana pujan — the eighteen-syllable, the twenty-six-syllable, the twenty-syllable of Batuk Bhairav ji. Once your deeksha has happened and the guru ji has simply given the adesh, then either the guru ji will himself make it available to you, or you will then have need of the brihad one; otherwise the peeth yantra is enough.
Pujan sequence for each of the eight Vinayaks
The speaker says the pujan of all eight Ganpatis is identical and begins with Mayuresh in the east. For each: Avahan with a flower; water three times while reciting the mantra (for washing the hands, for achaman, for snan); Durva Grass; Bilva patra and flower; then Naivedya of one Laddu with one clove and one cardamom placed on it; then water three times again. Eight Ganpatis get eight separate laddus, each with its clove and cardamom, and he says the order of bilva, flower and durva may be switched without any problem. He kept the sequence the same and completely simple so that anyone can do it, and says that after two or three chaturthi pujans it is all by heart.
Name mantras of the eight Vinayaks in the pujan
The speaker worships each Ganpati by prefixing every offering with that Ganpati's name in the form "श्री … गणपते नमः", then the offering line, and closes each with "श्री … गणपते प्रसन्न भवतु". The name forms he uses are Mayureshaya (with Gauri Sutaya), Chintamani Ganapate, Mahaganapate, Siddhi Vinayak Ganapate, Vighneshwaraya, Girija Atmajaya, Ballaleshwaraya and Varad Vinayakaya. He says these mantras are all written on screen for the viewer.
Durva and flowers belong at the very beginning, and dhoop is shown to Ganpati only, never to Bhagavati.
The speaker says the durva grass that had been left out may also be offered at the beginning — doob grass, flowers and the rest should all be offered at the outset. In the demonstration the flowers and grass had not arrived and so are being offered now. He states that dhoop is not to be offered to Bhagavati; dhoop is to be offered only to Ganpati. Then the aarti is done.
The aarti is shown three, five or seven times, water poured around it, and dakshina offered to close the Gauri Ganpati pujan.
In this way the pujan of Ganesh Ambika, that is of Gauri Ganpati, is completed. The aarti should be shown five times — three times, five times or seven times. After showing the aarti, a little water should be poured all around the aarti. Then dakshina is offered with the words: that we may obtain the full fruit of whatever pujan we have done, O Ganpati, O Ambika, I offer you dravya dakshina according to my capacity.
Camphor aarti three, five or seven times, water sprinkled thrice around it, then dakshina to Varuna.
After that the aarti is to be done, kindling camphor. The aarti should be taken round three times, five times or seven times; remembering Varuna Devta, the aarti of the kalash is taken. Then water is to be sprinkled three times all around the aarti — this, the speaker says, is an ordinary vidhi of karmakand. Then dakshina is offered to Varuna Devta according to capacity, symbolically here, with water offered three times.
One flower is offered on the kalash with the nine planetary names, from Sum Suryaya Namah to Kem Ketave Namah.
On the kalash itself, remembering the navagraha, a flower is offered. Taking one flower you will say: Sum Suryaya Namah Som Somaya Namah Mam Mangalaya Namah Bum Budhaya Namah Brim Brihaspate Namah Sum Shukraya Namah Sang Shanaishcharaya Namah Raam Rahave Namah Kem Ketave Namah — Navagraha ityadi Surya ityadi Navagraha prasanna bhavatu. Then the flower is offered and water is offered three times.
The shodash matrikas, panch lokpal and das dikpal each receive one flower and water three times.
A flower is offered in the name of the shodash matrikas, saying Shodash Matrikabhyo Namah, and water is offered three times. Then in the name of the panch lokpal, saying Panch Lokpalbhyo Namah, a flower is placed and water is offered three times. Then in the name of the das dikpal, saying Das Dikpalbhyo Namah, a flower is offered and then water. In this way, by the brief vidhi, the pujan of all the devatas is done.
The 64 yoginis are worshipped with the Jayanti Mangala Kali verse and 'Chasu Shashthi Yogini Matrikabhyo Namah'.
In the name of the 64 yoginis the speaker recites: Jayanti Mangala Kali Bhadrakali Kapalini Durga Kshama Shiva Dhatri Swaha Swadha Namastute. Then: Chasu Shashthi Yogini Matrikabhyo Namah, Shri Bhagavati 64 Yogini prasanna bhavatu.
Dravya dakshina, then mantra pushpanjali, and the whole puja itself offered at his Shri feet.
Dravya dakshina is offered to Bhagwan according to capacity, for the obtaining of the complete fruit of the complete puja, and after offering the dakshina water is offered again. Then a pushpanjali is given: taking flowers in the hand and remembering Bhagwan, mantra pushpanjali is offered while taking the name of Bhagwan Datta. The whole puja too is offered at his Shri feet — whatever puja was done according to vidhi is offered to you, Bhagwan, may you be pleased.
With that as samput, each of the eight Lakshmis gets her own separate yag and sapariya — eight samput havans in effect.
With that as samput, he says, a separate yag of each of the eight Lakshmis will take place. A special vidhan has been discussed for this, this time. That is, each Lakshmi — whether Dhan Lakshmi or Santan Lakshmi — will have her own separate vidhan, and this will be extra, beyond the eight. Along with it there will be their sapariya, so that in a manner of speaking a vidhan of eight samput havans is being performed this time.
What should be done on Kartik Purnima itself?
On the day after, which is Kartik Purnima, do a havan as far as possible — with the 108 namavali of your aradhya, or with the mantra you do japa of; if it can be managed, certainly do a havan. The speaker adds that in the anushthan being held by his own Grihastha Tantra parivar, since it is Tripura Purnima this time, a full brihad anushthan of Bhagavati Tripur Sundari is being organised.
Where else are the digpalas and their weapons worshipped?
He says that just as we worship the vajra of Bhagwan Indra in aavaran pujan and the like, and worship Bhagwan Indra himself, and the gada of Kuber ji is worshipped, and Kuber ji himself is worshipped — in the same way, for whichever astra we are placing in whichever direction, if the beej mantras related to the shakti we are employing and to the digpal of that direction are used as samput, it gives a most intense effect.
How is an asana given to a deity in avaran pujan?
When all deities are invoked in avaran pujan an asana is given, the speaker says. In the yantra of Durga ji, in the mandala of the Saptashati, the pujan is done at the trikon, the bindu in the middle of the trikon, and Bhagavati is invoked on the bindu — but before Bhagavati is invoked, the lion is invoked. The name of Bhagavati's lion is Somnandi.
What is invoked within the form of Somnandi?
When the invocation of Somnandi ji happens, the speaker says, everyone is invoked within the form of Somnandi. Kaal is in it too, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are in it, Bhagavati Lakshmi is in it. In each separate part of his body the dwelling of a different devi or devata is held to be. So first their invocation, the invocation of Somnandi, is completed; after that Bhagavati is invoked, that she will come and be seated upon him.
The Ashtottar Shatnam must be brought into life beforehand, or the energy for an utara asked of you today will not be there
There are some such destructive prayogas that if your energy is simply not that much — if you never read the Ashtottar Shatnam in your life, and today the situation of doing an utara came and somebody told you to do it — then the effect too will be obtained in that same proportion. It will not be that you become fully safe; the effect will fall. Therefore bring the Ashtottar Shatnam into your life; it is going to come to use everywhere, in whomever's sadhana and upasana you do, and it has great importance in the panchang sevan of a deity.
How should devi archan be done?
Asked how to do devi archan: for doing archan you can do it with flowers, with raisins, with leaves, with bel patra and the like. Whether you are doing it with the Ashtottar or doing it with the Sahasranama, keep everything in that proportion and do it with that.
Navagraha pujan includes the adhipati and pratyadhipati devatas, so this grace reaches the japa of any mantra.
The speaker says that when you are doing japa of any mantra in the tantra kshetra, the pujan of the navagrahas along with their adhipati devatas and pratyadhipati devatas is performed — which the acharya has done — and so the grace of all these reaches you. And even if only Surya is worshipped in an ordinary way, the grace of all ten will be obtained.
Are Nabhidarshana and Tilottama with Surya in Uttarayan and Dakshinayan?
A listener asks whether in Uttarayan the apsara Nabhidarshana Devi is with Surya Dev and in Dakshin, Tilottama Devi. The speaker says this subject has become fully tantrokta: as he explained, the Aditya of each month is different, there are twelve Adityas for twelve months, and each Aditya has his own mandal pujan. When we perform pujan with Twashta, then at that time your Nabhidarshana or Tilottama will not be there — his mandal pujan becomes entirely different. This becomes a whole subject of Martand Tantra, separately.
For whom is the pujan of other deities actually forbidden?
For anyone doing avaran pujan in a mandal. Mandal means having taken a sankalp for forty-one days that you will do the complete mandal pujan and avaran pujan of some particular devi-devata or shakti. For them there is a prohibition by guru's adesh, or in many places a prohibition, because within that mandal the shaktis of all are already being worshipped, so there is no need to worship outside it.
Did only Mahishasura receive the blessing of sayujya worship?
He asks: do you think the blessing of being worshipped along with Bhagavati Durga was obtained by Mahishasura alone, or has any other asura obtained it in sayujya form? When you read the Murti Rahasya of the Durga Saptashati, you read that the sayujya pujan of Mahish too should take place. In the avaran of the Devi, in the first avaran come Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh and their chief Mahashaktis; in the bindu the Parashakti form of Jagadamba; and after that, in the same first avaran or at least by the second or third avaran, we worship the Devi's vahan the lion, and after that the Mahish.
Can Kalika Yogini sadhaks and those who know avaran pujan do more?
The rest of the people who are doing the Kalika Yogini sadhana or other sadhanas connected with Kali ji may also, if they wish, do deep daan; there is no dosha in it. And those who have learned the avaran pujan — by now some have learned three or four of Bhagavati Kalika — who are doing it, the old sadhaks, who have knowledge of the Nityas, of the Ashta Matrikas and the Ashta Tantrik Matrikas: they may do deep daan in their names if they wish, since their sadhana is already running.
Beyond mantra anushthan, a tantratmak one is open — the Shodashopachara pujan of Bhagavati, and her yantra pujan to whoever knows or is learning it.
If you wish to do only mantra anushthan then you can; but apart from that, if you wish to do a tantratmak anushthan — the Shodashopachara pujan of Bhagavati, and especially her yantra pujan — and if you know yantra anushthan or are learning it, then you may.
Can a Havan be done with only one Charitra of the Saptashati?
First, you should have obtained the Saptashati Deeksha or the Shakta Deeksha. And what you are describing falls under the Chandi Yaag — for a Havan with all the Charitras you must know the Avaran and Mandala worship: Sarvatobhadra, Navagraha, the sixty-four Yoginis, the sixteen Matrikas, the Lokpalas, the Dikpalas, and all the Kalashas.
Are such people admitted to the saubhagya archan and chakra pujan?
You will all be greatly astonished to learn, the speaker says, that in the veer bhav process of saubhagya archan and chakra pujan their entry stays forbidden; the entry of women of this kind also stays forbidden. Just as mudra is used to purify madya and free it of the curse, exactly so it is for a woman, and exactly so for a man — there is a process of freeing both from the curse. Without doing that, nobody can ever go inside; never into the chakra pujan.
Do the Rudraganas have a limit of kshetra, and how was Ravana destroyed despite the Nikumbhila path?
The Rudraganas have no maryada, no maryada of kshetra, the speaker says — yes, if you have sent them with a sankalp for some inauspicious work, then there they will be bound by maryada. Asked how important anga pujan is, and how Ravana was destroyed although he was doing the Saptashati path in the Nikumbhila order, he says: in whatever order one recites, and however great a knower of tantra one may be, if he does a wrong act then his destruction will certainly occur. The devtas themselves will destroy him.
Is a rajaswala woman worshipped as the swaroop of Kamakhya in tantra?
People say that in the sequence of tantra a rajaswala woman has been held to be the swaroop of Kamakhya and her puja has been done, the speaker notes. Brother, its maryada is different, he answers — that pujan happens in a peeth. And in a peeth, in the karma pujan and the chakra pujan that take place, keep in mind that in every chakra pujan and in every saubhagya archan the entry of a rajaswala woman is forbidden. It is only in the Kamrup kshetra and in pujans of that kind — and not in every pujan even of Kamakhya.
What is a Mandala, and does it apply to every deity?
A Mandala means forty to forty-one days, and it is said of every deity that at least one Mandala must be done. This holds for japa of any mantra, Archana and Avaran puja of any Yantra, and abundant recitation of any Sukta or Kavach undertaken for Siddhi.
The ordinary Avaran is learnt from Bhadrapada over roughly fifteen months, in forty-day mandalas, a beginner tarpaning all eight Shaktis with one mantra.
From Bhadrapada, at the Kalika and Tara Jayanti, the practitioner is set to learn the Avaran. The ordinary Avaran is learnt first, over roughly fifteen months, in forty-day mandalas — and where a Avaran holds eight Shaktis, a beginner may do the Tarpana and Marjana of all of them with one mantra together.
At about eighteen months the groundwork lets a Guru give the Panchakshari straight away, skipping the four opening sadhanas.
At around a year and a quarter to two years. The speaker undertakes to have the person examined by a suitable authority and formally initiated in a proper tradition — and because the groundwork is done, the Guru may give the Panchakshari straight away instead of the Ekakshari, skipping the opening four sadhanas.
How much of a vidhan does a viewer actually see?
The speaker says he is not capable of showing even one mudra, and is miserly even about showing one. The subjects shown to viewers are very few — you see only ten per cent, and the rest of the vidhan is withheld entirely. A large chakrarchan vidhi contains far more than the little that is shown.
Which powers are present at Kamakhya?
Countless powers are there, but principally the ten Mahavidyas along with eight principal Bhairavs seated near Bhagavati's main Mahamudra. And the twelve Vinayaks — in the Kamarupa region the Vinayaks come to be present in Bhairav form as well, with their own Shaktis, the Vainayaki.
What is the Mahavaran of the sixty-four Yoginis?
In the Mahayantras, where the sixty-four Yoginis are worshipped, sixty-four Bhairavs are worshipped with them — not the fifty-two people know of — and along with them sixty-four Ganpatis in the Siddhi form. Siddhi meaning Ganpati; so Siddhi Maha Ganapati, Siddhi Kshipra Maha Ganapati, the word Siddha prefixed to every name.
What makes the Kamakhya mandal a Mahachakra?
Ordinarily the six Mahadurgas are worshipped in the Shatkona. But Kamakhya's own principal form has six faces — so in that Mahadurga mandal a doubled Avaran worship takes place, with six separate Bhairavs alongside; and at the principal place Bhagavati Kamakhya is worshipped with Umananda Bhairav. That is why it becomes a Mahachakra.
What does the Tantrokta installation actually build in?
A Peeth Yantra is constructed and the deity installed upon it with his whole family; the Nyasa process is completed in all of them, subtly, in a movable installation. Then even a single mantra japa surrendered there nourishes all the connected powers — the eight Bhairavs, the Matrikas, the Yoginis, the Kshetrapal.
Why is Ganpati worshipped first in every Avaran, and what does that block?
Connect it to Tantra, the speaker says: wherever Ganpati's worship has been done — and whenever the Avarans of Bhagavati are worshipped, Ganpati is worshipped first — then even if some disruptive power is present at that place, once his worship is done its entry becomes forbidden and it cannot come.
Why is Ganesh worshipped first together with Ambika?
Because the first worship we perform is of Ganesh together with Bhagavati Ambika — Ma Parvati and Ganesh are the first invoked — and it is described here that when Ganesh is worshipped Bhagavati becomes pleased of herself. A mother is certainly pleased by the worship of her son.
The vidhi of mudra and avaran pujan is never to be performed uncovered, yet it is now shown openly.
He says so-called Shaktas and others are now showing everything vigorously — mudra, the vidhi vidhan of avaran pujan and the rest — whereas at the time of diksha, when the guru paduka mantra is given, learned gurus say a thousand times that this vidhi is never to be performed uncovered, even before the guru himself. That rule, he says, is being flouted.
Why is a yantra needed at all in Agam-ukta worship?
Because in Agam-ukta seva-puja the entire mandala of the deity is worshipped — all the parikars, all the anga vidyas, all the forms present in that deity's family, from the ten digpalas to the matrika group to the yoginis and Bhairavas. If there is any medium by which each one of them can be satisfied, he says, it is the yantra; no other means, special or ordinary, is so easily obtained.
A chowki of two to three hundred rupees for the abhishek, and the tilak of each deity in the yantra
For abhishek you need a chowki, or you may invert a katori that is used in the puja itself and do the abhishek over that. A chowki, he says, is easily had for ₹200–₹300; for daily use take a small chowki and a thali on which the yantra can rest, place it on them and do the abhishek. After that comes the tilak: in the yantra, wherever each deity has his place, there is a vidhi of their archan, pujan and tilak.
Why is the worship centred on the bindu of the yantra?
Because the pujan happens in the mool itself, at the bindu in the middle, at the centre. In yantra pujan, he says, at the beginning they expand themselves, spread out, and afterwards gather themselves in. When the visarjan of the pujan happens, all their parikars in the different mandalas — the ten dikpalas with their weapons, whichever shaktis, the chief shaktis of the ten dikpalas, Bhagavati Kadambari and the rest — come and merge back into the mool shakti within the deity at that same mool bindu, whether Bhagavati or Bhagwan Shiva.
A shatarchan or sahasrarchan with flowers from your own garden yields punya that never comes to an end
If you have a flower garden at home and 108 flowers can be had, or 1000 flowers can be had, and you perform their shatarchan and sahasrarchan, then such fruit is obtained that that punya can never come to an end. This much is the fruit, he says, if you do the archan of a deity with flowers grown in your own garden.
What sadhana would actually apply to cooking?
If you are entirely serious about it, the speaker says — if you wish to become a master chef or to advance in this line and want to do some such sadhana — then he would have to look into it once, because this question has come for the first time and he cannot say immediately. A Vidyadhar sadhana could be done in this, but which Vidyadhar would have to be looked at; some anga vidya connected with Bhagavati Annapurna would have to be done in this. He would have to see which anga vidya in the mandal pujan of Bhagavati Annapurna can ordinarily be done by anyone, so that taste comes into the very hand.
The four and eight Bhairavs, the sixty-four yoginis and the patala all have to be specified
He continues: the four forms of the Bhairav of the veeras that will run with her — which one will that be? The eight Bhairavs will be the same eight, but in what manner will their mantra be? Along with them the sixty-four yoginis will be there — what will their form be? If pujan is to be done in a patala, which patala will one go into, will one go into the avrit vritta, which will one go into? These, he says, your guru can tell you very correctly if you do it after being initiated.
How is the last avaran of the Durga Saptashati yantra worshipped?
Asked whether in the final avaran of the Shri Durga Saptashati yantra's avaran mandal pujan one does as in the other eight avarans, or only releases rice on the yantra, or both, he says there are two matters. First: if you are performing the pujan of nine avarans, then in the ninth avaran there is the pujan of the ayudhas of the Kshetrapal in the final avaran; and there is the pujan of the ayudhas of the ten Dikpalas.
What is done if one has gone into the tenth avaran?
And if after that you have gone into the tenth avaran, he says, then those shaktis by way of the Aindri shakti — the mahashaktis connected chiefly with the kundalini shakti of the ten Dikpalas — if you are performing their pujan, then for that it stands that the pujan is to be done beside the kalash. But a kalash will not always be installed. So you will do the same thing on the yantra itself with jal and akshat, or whatever else you have used for the rest.
What if a kalash is kept installed all year?
He says: as you have done for all the rest, so here — in Navratri, or if you keep a kalash installed throughout the year at your place of pujan, then you have it that their pujan will then be beside the kalash itself, as is described.
Learning avaran pujan from someone who knows it is a good thing
A listener says he had done the Saptashloki sadhana in Ambubachi with viniyoga and nyasa, that a divyansh was obtained, and having completed the sadhana and reported it he was told that now he wishes to be taught the avaran pujan. The speaker says: you did the Saptashloki sadhana; and having done the Saptashloki sadhana you wish to learn avaran pujan, or are learning it, are learning it from someone — that is a good thing, you learn it. In this, he says, there is nothing further we can do.
How should yantras and vigrahas be maintained daily?
However many yantras there are, he says, have rudraksha malas worn upon all the yantras. The abhishek of all of them happens daily. Make a separate system for the Shri Vigraha and a separate one for the yantra. On hearing it, it will seem a very heavy process, but when you acquire the practice, when you are a sadhak and such practice has come, then make a sequence for all of it and within an hour it will be done in a flash. The abhishek and shringar process will run once, according to the vidhi; then, sitting comfortably on the asana with the vidhi vidhan, the second process, and then for all of them the avaran pujan and the rest of whatever is due. He stops there, saying he will not tell more or people will start including it.
Is there a simple vidhan for the Bagla mandal pujan?
A simple vidhan will not be possible, he answers. In a mandal pujan a simple vidhan will not be possible from anywhere — understand that. It will remain only an extensive and large vidhan, and it will have to be understood.
Does every sampraday have a guru mandal tradition?
Understand one thing, he says: whether Shakta, Kaul, Shaiva, or the Nath parampara, in all the different panths and sampradays that have formed and divided off, there is a tradition of the guru mandal in every one of them. The guru mandal is worshipped. In some places the guru mandal has nine avarans in the avaran pujan; in some places there are up to sixty-four avarans. There is a mool peeth, a siddh peeth, and a maha siddh peeth; at a maha siddh peeth the puja of sixty-four avarans is done and it takes eight hours. Those who have come to know everything thoroughly do it.
Archan and tarpan on the tantrokta yantras must be added to the japa
Whichever devi or devata you have been japa'ing for years, you should obtain their tantrokta yantras and do both archan and tarpan of them. Tarpan is not only of the pitrs, he says. When you do tarpan on the yantras of the devi-devatas with their sahasranama, then they will be satisfied — and anant grace is done when tarpan and archan take place.
Can all the swaroops of Kali, and the Kali kula devis, be worshipped on the Kali yantra?
Asked whether the sadhana and puja of all the swaroops of Maa Kali can be done on the yantra of Bhagavati Kali, and whether the pujan of all the devis of the Kali kula besides her can also happen there, he says: when we go along taking any one shakti, then certainly, related to Bhagavati Kali, you may do the pujan of her sixteen Nityas there, in the ang vidya.
How much japa of the beej mantra may be done without initiation?
The japa of the beej mantra you may certainly do up to a limited quantity, the speaker says, because it is Bhagavati Bhuvaneshwari's and it is the Devi Pranava — that you may do. But if a brihat anushthan of hers is to be performed, then doing it after taking upadesh is best, because the matter of avaran pujan and the rest then arises. If you have done a sava lakh there is no issue; do that much certainly. Doing ten mala of japa every day is excellent. But if you now want to do eleven lakh or twenty-one lakh, then you should become initiated.
How is the archan with Kali ji's 108 names done?
Asked whether archan with flowers may be done along with Kali ji's 108 names, the speaker says it may absolutely be done. If there are 108 names then 108 flowers are needed for the archan; you may also do it with petals, mixed with kumkum and the like.
How does one draw mantras out of a sahasranama for the shodashopachara puja?
The speaker says one does it with the ordinary mantra and may also do samput with the sahasranama and the rest. Which mantra to use, you will understand yourself when you do the path. If in a sahasranama the name says that kumkum is exceedingly dear to Bhagwati — kumkumapriya — then where we offer sindoor in the shodashopachara vidhi, there the kumkumapriya mantra may be used, or both mantras recited together while offering.
What other names of a sahasranama map onto which upachara?
In the same way, the speaker says, where Bhagwati has been called vastra-alankrita, where she has been called vaidurya-mani-bhushita, it means that at the place where the saubhagya sutra and the ratnas for ornamenting are to be offered, we may use these mantras. Where she has been called madhupriya, where it is said that the naivedya of honey is exceedingly dear to her, it means we shall recite that where we offer naivedya in the shodashopachara pujan vidhi.
Where does the water for the sankalp come from if the achman water is poured out daily?
A listener asks that if the water kept for the Lord's achman is offered on the earth each day after the nitya pujan and before the sankalp, where the sankalp water is to be taken from. The speaker answers that it is for this very reason that two achman patras are told to be kept: with one the pujan of the devatas will happen, and with the second one will do one's own achman and the rest.
Are flowers offered to Ma Kali in the evening?
A listener says a pandit ji told them that flowers are not offered to Ma Kali in the evening. The speaker answers that at his own place there are four shringar pujas — they do the Mother's full shringar in the evening as well, and then again at night. At his place it does happen; he has been seeing it since childhood and always sees it, and beyond that he does not know.
What if deeksha was received but no mandal puja was given?
There is no upaya, the speaker says; the upaya is straightforward. Suppose you have received the deeksha of Bhagavati Mahakali but you do not know the mandal puja: then make the request to your own guru for the mandal pujan — guru ji, tell me the vidhi for the pujan of the ang vidyas, in which yantra their pujan is to be done, whether it is to be done of Mahakali or of Adya Kali.
How long is a mandal, and who is worshipped in it?
Of how many days will the mandal be — will it be of nine days or of forty days? According to that you should first proceed; all this is different in each case. And chiefly, whose pujan will you carry: if you are doing Mahakali, then you will keep doing Mahakali's alone lifelong with the feeling of bhakti; or if you wish to obtain some shakti connected with tantra, then any one of theirs — a yogini, an upayogini, a paricharika — any one whose seva and puja we may wish to do separately among the ang vidyas. This you should ask.
Can til be used in place of rice in the avaran puja?
Why would you use til in the place of rice, he says — in the place of rice, rice alone will be used, not til. For the other substance you may use a flower if you wish, but til should not be used in that way. Til you may use at the time of tarpana — when you are doing tarpana upon a yantra — and not at the time of archan.
Is Bhairav worshipped even outside the Shaiva traditions?
He says that whichever gods or goddesses you worship, Bhairav ji is worshipped regardless. Even if you do the puja of Narayan and are a Vaishnav, or belong to some other Shaiva sampraday, Bhairav ji is worshipped. Among the shaktis and avatars connected with Bhagavan Narayan too there is a description of Bhairav ji, and in their mandal pujan the Bhairavs are worshipped. And wherever the Ashta Matrikas are worshipped, there the Ashta Bhairavs are certainly worshipped.
Where are the Ashta Bhairavs worshipped in a mandala?
The Ashta Bhairavs are extremely famous, and their samarthya and their forms are met with in every kind of tantra. In whichever tantra — connected with daivi shakti, with the Shakta, with the Shaiva, and in Vaishnav too the param Vaishnav and maha Vaishnav shaktis — whenever their pujan takes place in the ashtadal kamal, it is the Ashta Matrikas who are worshipped there in different forms; in the middle the Ashta Matrikas, and right at the front, as their eight shaktis, the Bhairavs are worshipped.
Which are the Ashta Matrikas?
The eight Bhairavs are chiefly those whom we all know, corresponding to the Ashta Matrikas whom we worship: Brahmi, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani, Chamunda and Mahalakshmi.
Which Bhairav is paired with each of the Ashta Matrikas?
Asitanga is the Bhairav of Brahmi; the Bhairav of Maheshwari is Ruru; of Kaumari, Chanda Bhairav; and of Bhagavati Vaishnavi, Krodh Bhairav — the same Krodh Bhairav who is worshipped alongside Ma Bhagavati Chhinnamastika. Unmatt Bhairav is worshipped with Devi Varahi, and with Indrani, that is Indrakshi, Kapal Bhairav. To those whose kuldevi is Chamunda and who ask who goes with her, he answers that chiefly Batuk Bhairav is with all the shaktis, but seen in that way, with Chamunda the puja of Bhishan Bhairav takes place, and with Lakshmi that of Sanhar Bhairav.
Why are the Bhairavs missing from many avaran pujan texts?
These chief eight Bhairavs and the Ashta Matrikas are worshipped in every yantra: in the yantra mandala of whichever gods and goddesses there are, the pujan of the Ashta Matrikas certainly takes place, and along with them the Ashta Bhairavs certainly are there. But in avaran pujan and the rest you will find various kinds of difference, and at many places the description of the pujan of the Bhairavs is simply not given. He says he does not know the reason; each will have had his own.
Who are the ten Veer Bhairavs, and where are they worshipped?
The chief ten Veer Bhairavs come for such pujan when the pujan of the ten-armed Mahadurga takes place — the ten-armed Durga who is Mahishasura Mardini — whose distinctive pujan happens in the Sharadiya Navratri in the region of Bengal; there, those who perform tantrokta anushthan especially worship these ten Bhairavs. He names Srishti Veer Bhairav, Sthiti Veer Bhairav, Sanhar Veer Bhairav, Rakt Veer Bhairav, Yam Veer Bhairav, Mrityu Veer Bhairav and Bhadra Veer Bhairav; most of them are worshipped in the kshetra of the shamshaan, for veer and the like. Very few people worship them independently — either they are worshipped within the avaran, in the ten-armed pujan, or they are used when one is to be awakened or made siddha.
The pujan of the sixty-four Bhairavs alongside the sixty-four Yoginis is rarely taught, though after a time the guru ought to give the adesh for it
It will astonish you, he says, that nobody tells this from the front — this is exactly the sort of subject people do not tell, that in the avaran pujan of the sixty-four Yoginis the pujan of the sixty-four Bhairavs is also to be done — whereas after a certain time the adesh for it ought to be given.
What is inside a Durga Saptashati yantra that people do not see?
If some small yantra, say the yantra of the Durga Saptashati, has been given to you — do you know what is in it? People will say yes, fine, leaves and flowers are drawn on it, the puja of Durga ji takes place, nothing else, akshat, pushpa, gandha. But when you understand the whole science within it, then you will know how precious it is for you — and then you will know that in it, along with the Ashta Matrikas, eight Bhairavs are worshipped, and along with the sixty-four Yoginis, sixty-four Bhairavs are worshipped.
Who should make a yantra, and under what conditions?
A yantra has a whole science, he says, and it depends on the chief hours of the person making it. Pushya nakshatra has just gone — how many yantras will have been made in Pushya nakshatra? Who will make them? Those who make them according to vidhi. But what kind should the maker be? When he makes a yantra he should be doing smaran of the names of Bhagavati, or japa of the guru-given mantra, and should begin in the order in which the avaran is formed. Ordering one from an unknown craftsman — what he had eaten or drunk before making it, who is making it, when and how — and then worshipping it at home is, he says, a big dosha.
How long should one do archan before learning the avaran vidhi?
The beginning pujan, he says, is at the least for a sava month; for some people even for a year or more. First the suktas and the rest should be memorised, and if not that, then archan by satnam and the like should be done beforehand for six months, for a year or more. Only then should the avaran vidhi also be learnt.
Avaran pujan is taken up only once a daily niyam of archan is settled, learnt slowly over many sittings, and the beej mantras only after that
When it becomes memorised for you and a niyam is formed — that we are sitting for roughly half an hour or a sava hour and doing a good archan, doing the sahasra archan, doing the shat archan, it has come into our niyam, we are doing it for our own gods and goddesses — then you should sit and learn the avaran pujan. You will not learn it in one sitting; learn it in ten sittings, slowly and slowly.
After the beej mantras come the mudras, then the avaran vistar and the peeth pujan
When those are learnt, then learn it with the mudras — which mudra is to be shown in which avaran, after how many mantras it is to be shown, how each one differs, where the dhyana is and how it is to be done. When those are learnt, after these three or four things, then learn the avaran vistar — that we are now up to the ninth avaran, how we shall do the tenth and the eleventh, how the twelfth and the thirteenth. Learn that, and learn the peeth pujan.
Asking for a vidhi of merely ringing a bell and showing an agarbatti, so that all work is done by that much, is called foolishness
People are so foolish, he says: they say that these people conduct big pujan and tell big things, that it will not be done by them. Tell us some vidhi of ringing a bell and showing an agarbatti, so that all my work may be done by that much. Everybody's life is made up in just that much — do not tell us more than this. Pandit ji, do not tell it so long. That will not do.
Where does a vidhan explicitly require a copper vessel?
When it is given to Bhairav ji, when the pujan of the Ashta Bhairavs is performed, it is stated explicitly there that you are to use a copper lota only — the copper vessel, with tamra patra shodhan. After that, displaying a particular mudra, water is to be poured in a particular way. He declines to state the whole of it. Where such a prescription is absent, either brass or a clay vessel is used.
Can Neelkanth Bhairav be worshipped like Batuk Bhairav?
For Neelkanth Bhairav the vidhan is to take diksha and do it with the full vidhi vidhan, the speaker says, whereas Batuk Bhairav's puja can ordinarily be done by everyone — and both are Bhairavs. He gives an example: for Bhagavati Baglamukhi, Mahamrityunjay is worshipped in the Bhairav swaroop, Batuk Bhairav is also worshipped, and Swarnakarshan Bhairav is there too in her anga vidya. In the same way, here there is Neelkanth Mahadev, Neelkanth Bhairav, and Batuk Bhairav also.
What is the difference between a Devi's designated Bhairav and Batuk Bhairav?
There is swaroop bheda, the speaker answers, but Batuk Bhairav's puja can be done with every form of Bhagavati. Whichever swaroop you are doing upasana of, you should and must do the upasana of the Bhairav of that swaroop; but if you perform the upasana of Batuk Bhairav, it will serve in every swaroop, because Batuk Bhairav is present in every swaroop anyway.
Is there a dosha in worshipping Shiv ji instead of a Devi's designated Bhairav?
The puja will simply become incomplete, the speaker answers. Shiv ji is indeed there in the Bhairav swaroop, but if you want special grace and are performing puja by their special vidhi, then it becomes necessary. The swaroop exists precisely so that his special pujan may take place. So whichever swaroop you are worshipping — if you are worshipping Bhagavati Baglamukhi or doing some aradhana of hers — do at the very least the Batuk Bhairav along with it.
What should be done when the kuldevi is not known for generations?
First of all, their dhyan mantra, the speaker says — when there is no knowledge of the kuldevi, there is the dhyan mantra of the three forms of the kuldevi, which is that portion of the Kuldevi Aavahan khand. Do the dhyan of the kuldevi with that mantra. Second, the rule and vidhi of aavahan is also given on this channel; watch the video once and do the aavahan accordingly. But it will not be quick: the anushthan will have to be done again and again, and within a year you will get its answer with accuracy. The vidhi of doing havan at the chaukhat for the kuldevi aavahan has also been told, and that works with the greatest accuracy of all.
They are meant only for those who cannot do the Saptashati or the full vidhi at home
Apart from this, whatever you do yourselves — you will do your own pujan and anushthan at home. His purpose, the speaker says, is only this: that if you are not able to do the Saptashati paath at home, or if it seems to you that you cannot do it with the full vidhi vidhan — as they do the whole mandal pujan, the avaran pujan, the fifty things, the tantrokta pujan, the bali — then whatever of it you can do at home you should do, and what you cannot do you should have done. The lowest they have kept for nine days is ₹1100, and there is one lower than that as well.
What is permitted during a 41-day avaran pujan of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini?
For example, the speaker says, if we are doing a 41-day mandal of the avaran pujan of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, then in the middle of it the special pujan of any other devi-devata cannot be done either. In it we can do only the abhishek of Shiva ji. As for the rest of the ordinary devi-devatas, whatever pronunciation occurs in the svastivachan and the like occurs. After that there is no special pujan of anybody: only and only the complete avaran pujan of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini, and her Sahasranama and Gita paath and the rest, and her mantra japa, as much as you do in the whole day. No other special pujan of any other devi-devata will take place.
How is a tantrokta nine-brahman anushthan different?
And in the tantrokta anushthan, the speaker says, where nine brahmans perform the anushthan together, those nine brahmans will not perform anybody else's anushthan; they do not stay within our anushthan. Where people have great anushthans done — that this thing of mine must happen — then the aim is that yes, there will be a Nav Chandi, there will be a havan of nine days, a very extensive pujan of nine days takes place. Those nine men will do no pujan-paath anywhere else; theirs is fixed, and one man is having it done. So his expense is of lakhs of rupees, and it has nothing to do with the fact that here they are doing it in 1100, that in 700 they all together are doing it well. If someone says to have a Shatchandi done in nine days with that vidhi vidhan, then the expense in that is lakhs upon lakhs.
What should a sadhak do for sadhana and avaran pujan in Navratri?
Asked what a sadhak should do for sadhana and avaran pujan in Navratri, the speaker answers that the avaran pujan has already been learned. For the sadhana and the rest: first of all, Saraswati is not to be dropped. Do the Saraswati at the least by the Mahavidya krama. Do the havan and the rest, and at night-time the mantra japa; he will tell them about it.
What is said of yantra archan done on a mountain peak on the nights of Holi and Diwali?
Against a whole year of effort: if on this night of Holi, or the night of Diwali, one goes to the peak of a mountain and performs yantra archan and avaran pujan, the shaktis being pleased grant kripa at once to those whom we take as our aim and make our sankalp for. The kripa of the Vidyadhars especially is obtained swiftly.
How does yantra archan differ from mantra japa alone?
Yantra archan has a very distinctive place of its own. When a yantra is worked and its avaran pujan done, the shaktis that receive satisfaction give great kripa. In mere mantra japa an exchange of energy is taking place; but when you perform the tarpan of a yantra — one built by the fully distinctive method, not these market yantras — that is another matter.
May sahasra archan be done with the water of a tirtha?
Asked whether sahasra archan can be done with the water of a tirtha, he says do it — do the sahasra archan by pouring water. That, he notes, has become tarpan.
What should a sadhak do with a yantra before avaran pujan?
Among the sadhaks in his own sadhana parivar who take up the fully tantrokta path, the very first thing he has done is abhishek: the vidhi of abhishek — do abhishek, keep doing abhishek. When 108 abhisheks are completed, and along with all the abhisheks the archan too, and when both of these are complete, then slowly he checks how far each has reached and what the position is. Then, of those, he teaches the avaran pujan.
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