Items In Tantra
Every question on the site tagged Items In Tantra, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
Notes from our sources
A shivling's head is never left bare
Asked whether bel-patra or flower petals should always sit on a home Shivling, the speaker says yes: at home or anywhere, a shivling's mastak is never kept bare, because Shiva is the maharajadhiraj of the whole brahmand, and a king's head never stays uncovered. Keep a mukut on it; if not a mukut, at least an unbroken grain of rice, or a bel-patra; if fresh bel is not available daily, a silver bel-patra. With it keep the Vasuki serpent — a five-hooded one is best — and Nandi ji and his trishul must be there. To a listener whose brass shivling has a pointed top from which everything slides, he says: have a small silver mukut made, or bring the cap-style mukut sold for Kanha ji and put it on Mahadev, changing it for a new one every month on the masik Shivratri — the head just must not stay bare.
Lemon on the Bhairav trishul: size, changing day and visarjan
From several questions on the Bhairav Trishul: it should be at least big enough to take a lemon — if the three prongs each hold one, fine; if it is too small, put a flower on it, but the speaker uses the lemon last of all and sees nothing smaller for bali-chhedan. Two separate trishuls at home, one for Ma Kali and one for Mahadev, carry no dosh; and where there are three trishuls, the lemon goes only on the iron trishul kept in Bhairava ji's name. The lemon is changed every Saturday; if that day is not possible, Sunday or Tuesday will do. The old lemon is given visarjan under a dev-vriksh, or in a river — for one who lives by the Ganga, in the Ganga; several may be released together.
Why a Brahma is pacified by a janeu: the items that bind or seat a Brahma
The speaker says a Brahma is always pacified by a janeu. Of a bal Brahma two things are said: one, that after crossing twelve years of age it demands a janeu; and, depending on circumstances, it often happens that an old Brahma comes angered for some reason and creates various obstructions in the body, or has been sent through Abhichara. Whatever the kind of Brahma, he says, whenever it is to be bound or seated, the janeu, khadau, Langot and flag are all extremely important.
Items for the sacred-thread vidhan and how they are prepared at home
The speaker lists only four things: a pair of plain white janeu, one earthen pot, raw cow milk, and one lota of water. The vidhan applies to both states of a Brahma Dosha, whether the Brahma is manifest and playing on the body so that no one can control the person, or quiet, not playing but present on the body and troubling. It is done early in the morning. The lota must always be brass, never copper, filled with plain water and a little Gangajal; the raw milk is poured into the earthen pot, both janeu are first washed with Gangajal and dropped into that milk, and the pot is carried to the temple.
Samagri for the Chamunda tantrokta bali pujan of sandhi kaal
The speaker lists the materials: one long, large banana leaf; eleven Chaumukh Deepak diyas and three single-wick diyas, all with cotton wicks made into pairs by binding two wicks together with red Mauli thread; only mustard oil in all of them — pure mustard oil, since til oil is often adulterated, and pure ghee may be used if one wishes, but mustard oil is best because the prayoga is for destroying enemies and their tantric schemes. Then coconuts — more than eleven, keep at least 13 — 13 lemons, 13 pieces of camphor and 26 cloves of the flowered kind.
Chamunda sandhi puja bali vidhan: the lamps, sankalp, offerings and aarti in order
The speaker gives the procedure. First light one of the three single-wick diyas and invoke Bhagwati Durga as Jatved Agni into its flame; that is the Karmasakshi Deepak from which every other lamp is lit. Holding Akshat, flowers, water and Dakshina, take Sankalpa with name, Gotra and place: to worship Bhagwati Chamunda in the Sandhi Kaal as far as one's ability, understanding and available upacharas allow, for the destruction of all one's enemies and of every tantric scheme and conspiracy worked against one. From the Jatved lamp light the first single-wick lamp in the Guru's name and the second in Ganesha's; then the eleven Chaumukh Deepak diyas in a row before the banana leaf — the nine in the middle are the nine forms of Chamunda, the one on one's left is Hanuman ji, the last on the right Batuk Bhairava — lit in that order: Hanuman, the nine, Batuk Bhairav last. Before every lamp place one coconut and one lemon, sprinkle all with Gangajal and give each a fine red Sindoor tilak. Holding akshat and flowers recite the Tantrokta Devisuktam — the recitation by which Kaushiki was invoked — and offer the flowers. Then the Bali: offer every coconut first, in the same order (guru, Ganpati, Hanuman, the nine Durgas, Batuk Bhairav), then cut each lemon standing upright, applying Roli and dropping a little water three times beside each from an Achamana spoon. Any stuti may follow; before Aarti set one camphor with two flowered cloves before every lamp and light it, then do aarti and Kshama Prarthana. The lemons are immersed under a sacred tree or in a river; the coconuts are eaten only by the household, never by outsiders. By Jagadamba's grace, he says, Chamunda destroys many troubles, sorrows and crises in a moment.
Loban and Raal: what each is and where it comes from
The speaker explains that Loban is the solidified milk of a tree that does not grow in India — it is found in Sumatra, Java and Indonesia — and is used for attar and medicine. He adds that in earlier times those lands were the home of the asuras, daityas and rakshasas who opposed the devas, and it would have been they who used it most. What India uses is Raal, the gum of the Sal tree, which hardens at once when the bark is cut; raal dhuni, he says, is done everywhere in Sanatan culture.
Health effects of Loban smoke
The speaker says Loban smoke works both ways: as a medicine it cures many skin diseases and joint pains, and equally it brings on new diseases — of the joints, of the lungs, asthma and the like. Because both are true, its medicinal use should be taken up thoughtfully and under guidance, not on general advice.
Loban as Shyama Dhoop: its purpose in Tantra
Before judging loban, the speaker says, see where and how the rishis used it. In tantra granthas like the Mundamalan Tantra and Kapalika Tantra — which describe shava sadhana, shyama sadhana and Shmashana Jagaran — the dhoop vidhi calls Loban "Shyama Dhoop", and it is used in two places. First, and chiefly, to attract negative and airy energies — bhoot, pret, pishach — not to drive them away; high-order tantriks doing shmashan sadhana or making a Preta-asana siddh (as in the worship of Tripura Bhairavi, who sits on a preta, or Hanuman's markati form) use it for that. Second, in tantra-yukta temples of Shani, Bhairava or Hanuman where other shaktis are also installed, where darbars sit and spirits are called or removed from someone's head. In an ordinary mandir it is not used and should not be.
Why Loban is never burned at home
The speaker explains what Loban dhuni does to whatever is present: a tantrik uses it to call a possessing energy out onto someone's head, and a Preta or Pishach is greatly pleased and calmed by it — but a dev shakti, a positive energy, one's dev-Pitr or a satvik house deity becomes irritated and tries to leave. So, he says, a Sanatani should never do Shyama Dhoop at home: any negative energy already in the house is nourished and satisfied, the shubh shaktis flee, and the kula's pitrs are the first to go. Whether you like the fragrance is a separate matter. He points to where Islam uses it most — at mazars where the dead lie, pleasing Sayyids, Pirs, khabis and jinn — and says those who call it harmless should study first.
Clearing a space of all energies before consecration
The speaker describes the one use of Loban for driving things away. When a house is to be bound and holds many negative energies — satvik and tamasik together, or tamasik alone — gandhak, loban and hing are mixed with certain other herbs and burned over apamarg wood. The whole place empties: no dev shakti stays, no Preta or pishachik shakti; it becomes a nirvat in which only Parabrahma Parameshwar, Jagadamba herself, remains. Only then are the shubh satvik energies invoked — with shankh dhvani, lighting kapoor and so on — and given their place.
The Raal blend for daily household dhuni
Raal, the Sal-tree gum, is crushed to a stone-like grain and burned, and it is that, the speaker says, by which the devi-devatas are nourished and satisfied. For dhuni it is mixed with laung, kala til, kali mirch, kapoor, elaichi and jatamansi and other such medicinal things; from this the shubh satvik energy grows. Its fragrance is divine and sharp; the shubh shaktis are strengthened by it and the negative ones flee. If you burn it after making it mantrit, he says, it is impossible for a negative shakti to stay there — it weakens and runs.
Raal in Tantra: its names and use for sthana bandhan
Tantra uses Raal too, the speaker says, under the names Ashvakarna, Kasya, Dhoop Vriksha, Surya Dhoop and Sarja Dhoop. It is described in many kavachas, and in the Renuka Tantram there are mantra vidhans for pleasing the form of Bhagavati Chhinnamastika whose dhuni is done with Kasya or Ashvakarna dhoop — that dhoop is raal. When dhuni is done with it while reciting those mantras, Sthana-bandhan takes place: the shubh shaktis come easily and the ashubh ones flee.
Month-long nag kesar vidhan of the Daridra Dahan Shiv Stotra anushthan
The speaker's daily vidhan: finish the household's regular puja, take a sankalp to Sadashiv that the daridrata in one's home end and dhan-dhanya grow — adding rog and dukh too, since disease is itself a kind of poverty — then sit on one's asan holding one fistful of nag kesar and recite the Daridra Dahan Stotra at least 8 times, best 16, and tie the nag kesar in a yellow cloth or pouch. Then take a lota of water with a little mishri (milk too if possible), two ghee lamps, flowers and bilva patra, touch the lota to the chaukhat of the house one lives in — even a rented one — and go to a Shiva temple: light both lamps, do abhishek and shringar, pour water over Ganpati, Gauri, Nandi and Skanda (durva for Ganpati, bilva patra and flowers for the rest, a shami leaf on the shivling if found), open the potli, restate the wish and offer all the nag kesar on the shivling. Pick up two or three grains, carry them home and keep them where money is stored; the same cloth is reused every day. This is continued daily from a Shivratri to the next month's masik Shivratri — a full month (Phalgun Mahashivratri to the Chaitra masik Shivratri, for example) — and on the closing day gau vansh are fed according to capacity, even ₹100 worth, best of all stray cattle.
Bilva giri added to the Daridra Dahan prayog for severe disease or abhichar badha
The speaker gives a second prayog for when rog is very heavy and simply will not leave, when everyone in the house has some ailment — and also when abhicharik badha is present along with the money trouble. The dried gum of the bilva tree, bel gond or bilva giri, from a pujan shop, is used: one piece a day with the nag kesar. The only change is that one bilva giri is taken in the fist with the nag kesar, kept on the cloth, and carried to the temple; unlike the nag kesar it is not brought back — after offering it on the shivling it is left there, with a prayer for mukti from the disease.
Samagri and setup for the Mahabhairav siddhi
The speaker says the siddhi is not done at home first. It needs a tantrokta Bhairava Yantra made by a learned person with proper vidhi; if you cannot afford that, do the vidhan in a Shiva temple and dedicate the daily japa to Shiva there. The Mala is Rudraksha, Sphatik or black Hakik Mala — genuine — in a red Gomukhi; clothes red or yellow; the asana Kusha or a red or yellow blanket; face any direction except south. Two lamps: the ghee lamp for Shiva, and a somewhat larger mustard-oil lamp in Bhairav's name that burns a while. Daily Bhog is anything sweet — mithai, besan or boondi laddu, panchmeva — shared with people there and eaten oneself.
Materials and muhurat for the prana pratishtha of a mala
The speaker lists what is needed: the Mala itself, Dhoop, a lota of water, Gangajal, two kinds of Chandan, ashtagandh, Roli, Haldi, a Deepak, nine Peepal leaves and Panchagavya (cow milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine; there is a special ratio, but ordinarily they may simply be mixed). Also two Laung and one elaichi, used after the pratishtha. A shubh Muhurta is checked, or at least the day's auspicious Choghadiya; a morning pratishtha is very good, so a morning choghadiya is chosen.
Nine peepal leaves arranged as an ashtadal kamal for the mala
The speaker says the first step is to lay nine good Peepal leaves in a thali in the form of an ashtadal kamal, while continually taking the name of Bhagwan Narayan, one's ishta and one's kuldevi-devta so that it bears full fruit. A little Haldi and Kumkum is then put on the leaves, which makes them still more divine. Peepal is always used for prana pratishtha because Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are said to dwell in the peepal leaf at all times.
Upachar offered to the consecrated mala
The speaker says that after the prana pratishtha mantra the Mala is laid on the peepal leaves and a flower is offered with "Om sarvashakti swarupane shri malayai namah pushpam samarpayami". Then a Bhog of Laung and elaichi is offered, then a flower again, then a little Chandan and then Kumkum with the same mantra ending "chandanam samarpayami" and "kumkumam samarpayami", the kumkum going on the Sumeru. Then the Deepak is shown with "deepam darshayami" and set in the agni kund, and Dhoop is shown with "dhoopam darshayami". With that, this part of the vidhi is complete.
Marana through an item that touched the target's body
The speaker says there are tantric methods where one shakti is awakened, made siddh and kept ready; whenever marana is needed, on a particular Tithi or Nakshatra some part of the target's body is brought, placed, and the prayoga done on it, and the target dies at once. No energy is projected directly and no special prayoga is done on the person himself. Instead something that has touched his body is used: a garment, a slipper, dirt of the body, hair or nails.
Shroud cloth matched to the target's caste, and an unbroken handi from the cremation ground
The speaker says the putla needs the last garments of a corpse, called vaitalik or pishach vastra, taken from a body that has come to the Shamshaan at the right time, and the corpse must match the target's caste: to destroy a Brahmin one needs a Brahmin corpse's garment, for a Kshatriya a Kshatriya's. If the aim is only to give illness or pain, the garment is taken from a person of the lowest caste. Also gathered is the earthen Handi in which fire was lit and brought from the house, if it is found unbroken.
Choosing bathing clothes for the cold at Prayag
Cotton garments that shed water quickly, prepared in advance. It will be cold, women in particular bathe clothed, and japa attempted in a thick soaked garment can make a person ill — the body is not to be forced.
What should be carried from home to Prayag?
Gold for donation if affordable, silver otherwise — the transcript names a piece within a thousand or two thousand rupees, or a solid silver article or sheet — and Akshat from one's own house, gathered the day before departure.
What should not be worn when travelling for sadhana?
Nothing of leather — no leather belt, purse, shoes or sandals — if the journey is genuinely for sadhana. Going barefoot is what a properly qualified practitioner would do, but the speaker declines to encourage it in the cold.
Japa in the wet clothes, and releasing the household Akshat
Japa begins there in the wet clothes — five repetitions, fifty, one mala, ten, whatever the practitioner can manage — without a mala in hand. The Akshat brought from home is then released into the Ganga with flowers.
What should be done with the clothes, asana and mala used at the Kumbh?
Keep them carefully and never give them to anyone else. Use them lifelong, even torn; keep a torn one at the head of the bed; pass them to spiritual heirs — and never trade them away to a utensil-seller.
How should a returning pilgrim be received at the door?
It is the family's responsibility to worship them at the door, because what is being worshipped is the aura of someone who has performed sadhana for days. The speaker warns that insulting a returning pilgrim at the threshold invites the family's own misfortune.
Washing the feet with turmeric water, then Argha and Madhuparka
The feet are washed first with Haldi water, then argha is offered and Madhuparka performed — at least a spoonful of honey. Where the threshold (Chaukhat) has been worshipped beforehand and a lamp is burning, the merit disperses into the household at once.
Is the bell rung during a night-time Aarti?
No. A night-time Aarti at home is performed without ringing the bell and without blowing the Shankha. The speaker separates this from temples and other places, where the position is different.
Do not carry a lamp to the ghat; an asana and achamani are needed on the bank
A lamp will go out in the water and the administration will not allow it — do the lamp worship at the lodging instead. An asana and an achamani are needed if sitting on the bank; nothing at all is needed if the japa is done standing in the Ganga.
Mala, gomukhi and chandan for the Datta ekakshari japa
The speaker says the Mala for this japa is of Rudraksha, strung in yellow thread, and the Gomukhi is to be yellow too. On the forehead wear yellow cloth and a lepan of yellow Chandan; do not apply red chandan at the start of this sadhana. As an alternative, a lepan of Kesar may be used.
Sadhana cloth, asana, mala and gomukhi reserved for the sadhak alone
The speaker says the cloth used in this sadhana is not to be worn in daily life, only in pujan and paath. No other person should use those clothes or the asana, and no other person should touch the Mala or the Gomukhi; the sadhak alone uses all of them.
Bhog, water and leaves in the Datta ekakshari anushthan
Asked what Bhog to offer, the speaker says any sweet item — chhuhara, kishmish, Mishri. After offering, the sadhak may eat it and feed it to the household. The water kept with the bhog is to be drunk by the sadhak himself. Bilva and Tulsi leaf may both be offered to Bhagavan.
Daily puja of Hanuman's murti in the Bajrang Baan siddhi: avahan, abhishek, sindoor lepan, janeu and tilak
The speaker says Hanuman ji is invoked into his Shri vigraha if there is one; if only a photo, invoke him into a flower, place it on a plate before the photo and do the puja on that. A vigraha is given abhisheka with panchamrita, bathed with Gangajal and with agar, wiped well and set down, then given a Sindoor lepan: on a paan leaf mix chameli oil with orange sindoor and apply it over the whole vigraha from bottom to top. After the full lepan, put a Yajnopavita on Hanuman ji whether or not one wears one oneself. If the vigraha is large a new cloth may be put on him; otherwise a Kalava thread is worn as his vastra. Finally a tilak of Ashtagandha and a fine adornment.
Daily bhog, the five-grain dough lamp and the eleven paths with tulsi leaves in the Bajrang Baan siddhi
The speaker says the daily Bhog for the 11 days is two Laddus with a Tulsi leaf on top — fresh ones bought daily are better than a stock kept in the fridge, and home-made besan laddus are best. Then knead the five-grain flour prepared earlier with a little water, fairly stiff, mixing in a little ghee, and shape a fine ek-mukhi lamp — set in a large clay diya or on a plate so the oil does not leak — with the Kalava measured against one's own body as its wick; into it go 11 cloves, five black peppercorns, a little yellow mustard and one good camphor lump, every day. Light it in Hanuman ji's name at some distance from the vigrahas and cloth, since the dried dough will itself burn; it must be big enough to burn at least half an hour so the path can be completed. Then, after uttering Ram's name and meditating on Hanuman ji, recite: take one of the 11 tulsi leaves inscribed "Ram", do one complete bajrang-baan recitation, offer the leaf on Hanuman ji, and repeat 11 times.
From which animal may a shringi for abhishek be made?
Whether it be nilgai, gauvansh, or Nandi ji — meaning those that are called bulls — of those whose death has occurred of itself, having attained the full span of life: at the time of their death, before they are given a place in the ground, the horn should be obtained by proper vidhi-vidhan, and only then should a shringi be made from it for abhishek. The kind made anyhow, he says, does not do.
What materials go into the protective dhooni?
Do dhooni morning and evening; in the evening especially it should certainly be done. On a cow-dung upla mix raal, yellow mustard, lal chirmi if it can be had, and guggul; mixing all of these with black pepper and the like, a protective dhooni should be made.
Gari — dried copra — cut and filled with ghrita and haridra churna serves where amla cannot be got.
Those who are not getting amla should do it with gari — dried copra. Cut it, make your lamp from it, fill it with ghrita, put haridra churna into it, then light it and then do the paath. This can be done.
What should be brought into the house on Dhanteras but not used?
There is a custom of bringing a broom on that day, the speaker says: a broom should be brought, but it should not be used. Nor is the old broom to be removed — the new broom is to be brought, and it too is not to be used. You may certainly bring it; it is a symbol of comfort. Mor pankh, if it can be had, may also be brought, and green coriander may be brought.
What should be kept in the pujan on Dhanteras?
Coriander should be kept in the pujan, and rock salt should be kept in the pujan; after that you use it. It is used in the binding of the house. The speaker refers listeners to the older videos and to the whole Diwali playlist, where all of this is described in great detail.
How is rock salt used where there is a vastu dosha?
For those whose vastu is bad — the nairitya kon needing to be heavy but being light, or something amiss in the ishan kon — the use of rock salt in this pujan helps to some extent. The rock salt is simply kept in a bowl and offered, nothing more. Then you tie that same rock salt in a white cloth and hang it in the direction in which the vastu dosha lies. To some extent the negative energy diminishes somewhere, and the vastu becomes balanced, as it were, for some time; you get an opportunity to have some correction made, and good sense comes.
Can saffron, sandal and cardamom be put into the amla lamp?
Asked whether saffron, sandal and cardamom can be put into the amla lamp, the speaker says there will be no room left in it. If you were to put saffron, sandal and cardamom in, then for that you would have to make it so deep that your hand would immediately begin to burn. Do not put so much into it — put only ghrita; that is quite enough.
What is offered daily in the 41-day sadhana?
In the 41-day sadhana offer naivedya at both times, morning and evening. If possible certainly offer the naivedya of boondi ke laddu at home. And in a vessel crush ginger, mix water and jaggery into it, and keep it as a drink — it is the sattvik madira for Bhairav ji. When the pujan is over, pour it at the root of some divine tree. Two cloves and cardamom may be added if you wish.
What are the exact proportions of the havan samagri?
After mixing black til, guggul and a little ghee, if you have a great deal of fear-related trouble and are doing Bhairav sadhana, mix a little black pepper into the same samagri. As an example: if you have taken 1 kg of black til, mix into it at least 250 grams of guggul, and at least 100 grams of black til, and 100 grams of ghee.
Can japa be done on a mundmala at home?
It is not done at home, the speaker says. A genuine mundmala, made of bone by the vidhi by which it is made, is not available in today's date and cannot be bought from any shop. It is a traditional matter that can be given to you if you have a guru of the Vamachara marga, who can give all these vidhans in the traditional manner. If someone is saying this is a mundmala, then it is of stone, plainly — the rest is your own wish. In our Grihastha Tantra family, he says, this subject does not exist at all.
Is it right to sell sacred materials at high prices?
Someone he knows had sent word that Vrindavan's soil is selling online at 3500 rupees a kilo, and from there is being resold at perhaps 5000 or 7000 a kilo. If you wish to break maryada and proceed from the standpoint of trade, he says, you can sell things for crores upon crores — that is your wish. When someone comes and says that we are trading in gande and taveez, they are not seeing the state of mind behind it, the labour behind it, and what our purpose is. That path is not to be adopted; we must always remember within what maryada we stand and what we are doing.
Should the shankha in the home temple be kept empty?
Asked whether the shankha in the home temple should never be kept empty and what should be filled into it, he answers that for the shankha which is blown there is no such necessity of filling anything into it. The dakshinavarti and such shankhas should be kept filled with rice, with kamal gatta, with the Shri-endowed substances that are symbols of Shri; you may keep coins filled in it. If one is prosperous in wealth and grain, fill it with silver coins; or whatever coins and the like you buy on Dhanteras or on some auspicious tithi, buy them and fill it with them.
What is the danger in buying a premium rudraksha mala?
When the dev diksha anushthan was to take place in the Kashi region and malas had to be arranged because people did not have them, he says he was told to buy the mala and did not have a tantrokta mala at the time. They went to buy there: premium quality rudraksha beads at 3500 or 4000 rupees. On seeing them it was clear there is nothing premium about it — it is our premium that is going to be cut. For those who do not know, in the name of premium something is stuck onto it. Someone messaged him a photograph saying there is an extra hole; that is not an extra hole, it is worm-eaten.
Is a rare tantric object valuable in itself?
Nothing happens from an object alone — always remember this, he says. Until divinity is transmitted into that object it will not be divine. It will be awakened according to the nakshatra, according to the tithi, and then according to the mantra; only then will it be divine, only then priceless. Cut a small page of bhojpatra and keep it and it is not worth even fifty paise; you might get it for five or ten rupees. But write on it a small yantra of Bhagavan Datta and one beejakshar, and do crores of japa on it, and it has become property worth crores.
The arti is done with two cloves on a piece of camphor, shown at least five turns.
The speaker says that after this you will do the arti and so on by lighting camphor, doing the arti together with cloves. At least five turns of arti are to be shown, with two cloves placed upon one piece of camphor.
For 108 ahutis: roughly half a kilo of black til, 250 grams of gur and 125 grams of desi ghee.
The speaker says that in this way your sadhana will be complete, and for doing the havan on the last day the havan samagri to be kept is chiefly black til, into which gur is to be mixed, with a little desi ghee mixed in as well. Taking it that you have to give 108 ahutis, keep roughly half a kilo of black til, 250 grams of gur and 125 grams of ghee.
The 108 ahutis are til laddus dipped in honey, offered into a fire of cow-dung cakes, mango wood and the Navgrah woods.
The speaker says that for this, if you wish, make 108 til laddus yourself from the mixture. After that the laddu is to be dipped in honey and given as ahuti — you will keep the 108 laddus made ready and, dipping each one in honey, give the ahuti into the fire. The havan can be comfortably begun with cow-dung cakes, mango tree wood, Navgrah woods and the like.
Can khair wood be used for the Batuk Bhairav Hriday havan?
Asked by people whether havan can be done with khair wood or not, the speaker says: not now, the time has not yet come. For new sadhaks, havan is not done with khair wood in this way. It has a separate vidhi vidhan of its own — first the dandas have to be purified, and there is some further vidhi of samarpan, and only then is it done. So it should not be done just directly.
What is the minimum bali with the Devi Suktam if a symbolic fruit bali is not done?
At the least, laung and kapoor should certainly be burned. Burning laung on kapoor means the bali of laung and kapoor. Jaiphal is also given as bali by being cut, and jaiphal is also burnt upon kapoor. Both of these have been held to be bali — one becomes an agni bali and the other a shastra bali. By those means too, giving bali, we satisfy the invoked shakti.
What materials are used in the tarpan of a Mahakali yantra?
When the yantra process is complete, then, if it is being done for Mahakali, we will first do her archan and tarpan with this — the tarpan vidhi of the yantra comes afterwards. For Mahakali there will be black til water, black til will be there; in the black til there will be madhu, and mixing it we will begin to pour water on the yantra, lifting it with a tridal bel patra, or with a silver bel patra, with these very mantras.
How is the archan of Hanuman ji done?
Upon the Shri vigraha of Hanuman ji, by means of his 108 or 1008 names, with red akshat — that is, colour the rice with food colour, with good food colour — and rakt pushpa, red flowers; mixing them, do the archan with that.
Is only sindoor to be offered in every puja, as is done in Bengal?
Asked whether there is a difference between sindoor, kumkum and roli, since in Bengal sindoor is offered in every puja, and what it is proper to offer wherever any puja takes place, he says he has lived in Bengal for a good length of time and has never seen only sindoor being offered — when the Vishwakarma bhavan puja takes place, roli and kumkum are offered too, and abir is offered too. It is not so.
What is the difference between roli, kumkum and sindoor?
Kumkum too is of two kinds. The kumkum that people of the south apply is a different one — it is thin. Roli is a little thicker; in it there is a proportion of chuna and haldi. Kumkum is somewhat of a katha colour; that is a separate thing. And that orange sindoor of Hanuman ji which people call kumkum — how can that be called kumkum, it is sindoor.
What may be applied on a parad or Narmadeshwar shivling?
Red sindoor is certainly sindoor. On the "kumkum chandan lepita lingam" that is written, he says he has told this before at the time of Shivratri: if there is a shivling of mercury, a parad shivling, then in that you will not do the lepan of sindoor and the like. If it is Narmadeshwar, then in that you can do bhasma, ashtagandha and above it the lepan of kumkum. The lepan of sindoor is not to be done — the orange sindoor is not to be applied. Sindoor is applied on the arghi, which is held to be the svaroop of Parvati ji; it is not applied on the shivling.
Which deities receive sindoor?
To Ganpati ji red sindoor is offered; his tilak is done with red sindoor, and also with roli and kumkum. To Hanuman ji it is with the orange sindoor, and his whole body receives the lepan of it. Of Bhairav ji too — Batuk Bhairav ji and Kaal Bhairav ji — the sindoori murtis have sindoor offered on them. To Vishnu ji, roli and akshat, a roli tilak.
Which deities must never be given sindoor?
All the devagana — Indra, Varuna, Yama, Kuber — to all of these the tilak is done with roli. Sindoor is not offered to them. He puts it as a remark of Devraj Indra himself: you are offering sindoor even to me; take it, brother, you have offered me sindoor, what shall I do with sindoor. To them it is not to be offered.
Place and samagri for the Rudra gana eclipse siddhi
The speaker says the siddhi may be done at a river bank, a lake bank, or at home; at a river or lake it is best done in a Shiva temple there, and at home one fills a large bronze or brass bowl with pure Gangajal only and installs beside it the Shivling or the Shiva-family picture or murti already worshipped in the house. The samagri is ground Haldi (whole raw haldi works but must be rubbed into ink), five Paan leaves, 44 Laung, 22 elaichi, 11 Kapoor, flowers, chandan and the ordinary puja items; later he adds saunf, which he had forgotten. He lists five paan in the samagri, while the bhog step of the vidhan uses eleven.
How is each offering made during the hundred and eight paths?
Take one lotus flower in the hand, the speaker says, and thereafter, having done one paath of the Mahalakshmi Ashtak, offer it to her; or take a bilva patra and offer it, or do it with a lotus flower, or take a rose petal and offer it, or offer a rose. Doing it in this way, do a hundred and eight paths — Bhagavati bestows special grace.
Which five substances are used for the archan?
One person should collect the petals of roses, the speaker says — even if the roses cost as much as five hundred rupees out of your pocket. Another should do her archan with some kind of mewa, one with kumkum, one person with haldi, and one person with the petals of the lotus, with lotus flowers, or with bilva.
What are the first havan materials prescribed?
Mixing panchmewa into kheer and mixing in ghee, mixing in cow ghee, give the ahuti from that — it is exceedingly excellent, the speaker says. If there is bilva wood, samidha of the bel tree, and cow-dung kanda, let these be used as samidha, and let agni be invoked properly. The whole vidhi vidhan has already been broadcast on the channel two years ago, and he repeats the reminder for those who are new.
In which vessel must madhu be kept for the ahuti?
If you wish to do something more special than that, then keep madhu — only madhu, the speaker says. Keep the madhu in a steel bowl, or else in a brass bowl. Do not keep it in copper, take care of this, when the ahuti is to be done with madhu.
Why must copper not be used for Bhagavati Lakshmi?
And whenever any sweet substance is made, kheer and the like, that too is not to be kept in copper for the ahuti of Bhagavati Lakshmi, the speaker says. When it is of Aghor Lakshmi, then a copper vessel is used. Take care of this for the ahuti.
Which vessels are used for the paushtik forms?
The vessel in which we keep the collection for the ahuti — the copper vessel will be for Aghor Lakshmi and the rest, for those forms of Bhagavati Lakshmi that are ugra, the speaker says. But for the paushtik forms keep brass, keep phula, or keep silver if you wish; steel will also do. And if there is nothing else, then keep it in the plate made of leaves, of palash leaves; that will do.
Of what should the sruva be made?
In the sruva that is used for making the ahuti too, if it is possible, keep brass, the speaker says — then it is exceedingly excellent. Then, when you make the ahuti, you will make the ahuti with ghrit again; you will make the ahuti mixing kheer and ghrit together. That is the first of the two.
How is the madhu ahuti performed?
When the ahuti is to be done with madhu, madhu is not to be used alone, the speaker says — it will not be done with madhu only. Take a hundred and eight or a thousand and eight bilva leaves, dip them one by one in the madhu, and give a hundred and eight ahutis with them. Ghee is not to be mixed into the madhu.
The full vidhi and materials have been shown, so the kalash can be made oneself
The whole subject has been done and shown, the speaker says, from the mantra vidhi to what materials will be needed; search, order it online, only see that the samagri is right, and install it yourself.
The same black kaudi sells at five rupees and at three hundred
One black kaudi you get even for five rupees, the speaker says, and one black kaudi you also get for two hundred and fifty to three hundred rupees.
How is the difference in quality of samagri known?
The difference you will come to know when you take it in your hand, the speaker says. The difference you will come to know when you do japa and the like — you will see then how the divinity in it increases or decreases, and then you will understand. Looking at your own kalash, you will come to understand it yourself.
What does a Morangi rudraksha mala cost?
A whole rudraksha mala of a hundred and eight beads is available for a mere forty rupees, the speaker says — Morangi rudraksha, for only forty rupees; and now it has come down to twenty-five, it has fallen. In twenty-five rupees its beads are so large that you would say, good heavens, a full complete hundred and eight beads in twenty-five rupees.
What does a Himgiri rudraksha cost by comparison?
And if you go to buy the fully proper original one, the whole Terai kind which they call Himgiri rudraksha, the speaker says, then one single rudraksha of that costs two thousand five hundred or three thousand rupees — of the most normal quality. For one who insists that it must be exactly of Himgiri. As you go a little higher up, the price then goes on increasing the higher you go. Coming to Morangi, this is the situation.
When may an ekakshi nariyal be awakened?
Disha, asana and body will all become protected, the speaker says. Asked about an ekakshi nariyal for which no vidhan has been done, and whether it may be awakened on this night or on Margashirsha Ashtami, he answers: yes, absolutely, go and do it — it is exceedingly excellent.
Can mauli thread be used as a wick?
Asked whether the yellow part of the mauli thread is the wick, the speaker says: absolutely, you can use it; and why only the yellow — you can use the entire mauli thread, red and yellow, the whole of it. There is no problem.
Old worn clothes as a medium for a hostile Tantric prayoga
The speaker says that when a person gives clothes they have worn for a long time to someone else, they cannot know what is in that person's mind, and those clothes can be made the medium for an Abhichara Prayoga against the giver. He says this possibility is always there in some measure, that some people ask for a specific garment on purpose, and that such body-worn articles are among the easiest mediums through which a negative Tantric prayoga is accomplished. He adds that people usually realise this only long afterwards, once the trouble has already come.
What should a practitioner wear during the sadhana period?
Unstitched cloth — women wrapping two cotton saris from below upward, men a dhoti, with no alternative offered to men. Worship clothes are kept separate and never worn while eating, and the asana is fixed: never changed, never washed, never sat on by anyone else.
Should the daily bathing of images continue during the sadhana?
The existing rule does not change — if the practitioner bathed the image daily before, they continue. Consecrated stones (Narmadeshwar, crystal, Swarnamukhi, Shaligram) require daily bathing; an ordinary Shri Vigraha in a household does not.
What rules apply to the vessels used in worship?
Metal rather than clay, one set used throughout, washed clean every day. Offering into a vessel still holding yesterday's Naivedya is called wrong; the incense plate that accumulates years of ash is singled out as something not to keep.
What should the Bali vessel be made of?
Metal. A clay Khappar may be used and need not be replaced, but it cracks when heated — and although the reason is ordinary physics, a cracked vessel is held not to be right for a practitioner.
Should the japa mala be changed for the Kumbh sadhana?
Keep the one already in use. The exception is a mala that is itself wrong — a plastic one, or one taken up unknowingly — which should be corrected before beginning a full Mandala rather than carried into it.
Why should bedding, footwear, clothes and comb not be shared?
Because another person's mental impurity spreads into the aura of what they sit on, and because material from beneath the feet is used in Marana prayogas — so energy issues from there, and the practitioner's own merit must not be dispersed.
How is a Trishul consecrated as Bhairava where no image is available?
Bathe it in Panchagavya and Panchamrita on Makar Sankranti morning, coat it in cow ghee, pour a stream of cow milk over it while reciting the Devi Sukta, then dry, perfume and adorn it, wrap Kalawa, and fix a lemon on each of the three points.
What is added to the sandhya bali in a Baglamukhi path?
One further work: if you are doing Bhagavati Pitambara Baglamukhi's, and you are doing her path at the time of sandhya, then in the bali you offer at that sandhya time, mix in a little yellow mustard — yellow mustard, then nine cloves — and kindle it upon camphor.
What is the alum and black pepper bundle?
A small thing added to the Kamakhya Kavach for those days. Everyone knows what alum is: if a mother who performs sadhana is rajaswala, take a little black pepper and a little alum, tie them in a red cloth, and keep it beside you on the bed — beside the pillow, not under your head. When you do japa, simply take it in your hand, complete the japa, and put it back. A woman sitting to do sadhana for the first time in her life should not do this.
A single day's vidhan is possible, and the whole samagri is to be looked over before beginning.
He says that if you perform even a single day's vidhan, what its vidhan is will be told in the video ahead — every single thing will be explained. He then asks the viewer to look carefully at all the samagri that will be needed.
Kalash, purna patra, akshat, doob, tulsi, bilva, paan, supari, laung and elaichi, with a yellow pitambari dhoti and gamcha for the guru varan.
The kalash goods: the kalash, the purna patra that goes above it, rice akshat, and doob. Then tulsi patra, bilva patra, paan leaf, supari, laung and elaichi; and along with all these, for the purpose of guru varan, one vastra — which will be a dhoti, a yellow pitambari vastra. A yellow dhoti and gamcha should certainly be with you.
Dakshina, durva, fruit and sweets, two small bhojpatra, a new gomukhi, and a genuine rudraksha mala meant for a lifetime of japa.
Some money for dakshina; durva grass, fruit, flowers and sweets. Two small bhojpatra will be needed. A gomukhi — a new gomukhi — and a new rudraksha mala. The rudraksha mala should be genuine and correct, the speaker says, because japa is to be done on it for the whole of life. In time, if you wish, you may also take a tantrokta rudraksha mala.
Supari for the Gauri Ganesh mandal; ashtagandha, kesar, kumkum and gorochan for the ink; a silver wire and two kavach khol.
Supari and the like should be with you for making the mandal for Gauri Ganesh. Then ashtagandha will be needed, along with kesar, kumkum and gorochan for making the ink, one silver wire, and two kavach — the kavach khol that is worn around the neck. After arranging all these materials, the speaker says, you will begin this sadhana.
Ashtagandha, then sindoor, then akshat — each applied to a flower and offered to Ganpati first, then to Maa Parvati.
Ashtagandha tilak is done: taking a light touch of the gandh on a flower it is offered to Ganpati ji, then a little gandh is taken and offered to Maa Parvati. Then the sindoor tilak, applied to a flower and offered first to Ganpati ji and then to Maa Parvati. Then akshat is offered to both. The speaker says the full vidhan is being shown slowly, one item at a time, so that an ordinary person can watch and do it.
Naivedya to both, and on a paan leaf with its front tip cut off, supari, two laung and one elaichi offered to each separately.
As much upchar pujan as you know should be done; panchopachar may be done, or what is being done here. Naivedya is offered first to both. The speaker says paan patta could not be obtained here because of some shortage of resources, but that all of you should certainly offer paan patta — cutting off the front tip of the leaf, as shown in other videos. On the paan leaf, supari, two laung and one elaichi are to be offered separately to each. Then bhog is offered and dhoop and deep are shown.
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 kalash is filled with water while the rivers are remembered, marked with a swastika and mauli, and given durva, supari and a coin.
For the puja of Varuna Devta the kalash is decorated and filled with water, and placing the hand upon it all the rivers are remembered with the mantra: Ganga cha Yamuna cha yo Godavari Saraswati Narmada Sindhu Krishna Kaveri jalasnidhyam kuru — or else the names of all these rivers are spoken. A swastika is drawn on it and mauli thread is wound at its neck. Into it are put durva, then supari, and some dravya dakshina — a copper coin here, though any coin may be used.
Five, seven or nine mango leaves marked with sindoor go over the kalash, and the purna patra is a plate of unbroken rice.
After that the panch pallav are put in the kalash: mango leaves, five, seven or nine of them, marked with sindoor and then placed over the kalash. This is the ordinary vidhi of kalash sthapana, told here without any mantra so that everyone can do it. The purna patra is a plate filled with rice — it should be unbroken rice; the speaker says he is showing with what was available, and asks people to use good rice that is not broken.
Ashtagandha and kumkum are offered on a flower, then a flower garland is placed over the kalash.
Ashtagandha is offered for the tilak, applied on a flower; then kumkum is offered in the same way, applied on a flower. After that a mala is to be offered on the kalash of Shri Varuna Devta — a flower garland is placed over the kalash so that he is made to wear it.
On the paan leaf, supari with two laung and an elaichi are offered along with the bhog.
After the flower garland, bhog is offered. The speaker says you should certainly also offer, on the paan leaf, two laung, one elaichi and supari — it was left out here, and he is saying it in the video so that all of you will certainly offer it. He then repeats the list in a differing form: paan patta, one supari, two elaichi, two laung, one elaichi.
Chandan tilak first, then ashtagandha or kumkum, then a fragrant flower and the garland — the whole vidhi done in Hindi, with bhav.
The speaker says the whole vidhi is being told in Hindi with bhav, and it is to be done with bhav — the Lord will certainly be pleased and bestow grace, for his glory is endless. Chandan tilak is then applied on a flower and offered: O Lord, apply the chandan tilak on your forehead. Then ashtagandha or kumkum tilak. Then a beautiful fragrant flower is offered, then flowers and a flower garland, and after that water again for achman.
A sweet that gladdens one's own heart, with bilva and tulsi patra set in it, and water circled five times around the naivedya.
When the shringar of Bhagwan is done, naivedya is offered: a beautiful sweet, whichever sweet brings a feeling of gladness to your own heart. Both fruit and sweets may be offered, and you may put both bilva patra and tulsi patra into the sweet. Placing it before Bhagwan Datta, water is then circled five times around the naivedya and poured. If the mantra is known — Prana Swaha, Vyana Swaha — that may be used; otherwise, plainly, taking Bhagwan's name and remembering Bhagavati Annapurna. Then the aarti of Bhagwan is taken.
The mantra is written on two bhojpatras and the lamp of Shiva and Parvati lit in Dattatreya's place.
He wrote the Panchakshari mantra on two bhojpatras, offered one to Bhagwan Shiva and kept the other before him; where Mata Anasuya, Maharshi Atri and Bhagwan Dattatreya had their lamp, he lit the lamp of Bhagwan Shiva, Maa Parvati and Ganapati ji; he did their pujan and their abhishek by the shodash upachar vidhi.
What is done with the second bhojpatra of the mantra?
One of them he put into a silver casing and wore around his neck — with full bhav, the speaker says, and the matter is finished there.
What goes into the water vessel for the family abhishek?
In some one large kalash, in a gagra, in some large vessel, keep water. Into the water crush camphor and mix in a little roli and a little ashtagandha and the rest, and keep it. And keep one lota there.
What goes into the vessel for the sixty-day abhishek?
Camphor; agaru if it can be got — sandal water is called agaru, and there is a separate one too; if not, then sandal water, ashtagandha and the rest mixed in, with a little of the roli kumkum that there is. With that do the abhishek of the Shivling yourself and have the people of the family do it too.
What does lepan with sandal, agaru, kapur and kumkum give?
Those who do archan and lepan of the Shivling with sandal, agaru, camphor and kumkum — that is, Bhagwan Shiva being wrapped about with fragrant dravyas and decorated on all sides — it is said, obtain residence in svarga for crores of kalpas.
What is the offering of five fragrances?
Five fragrances — elaichi, kapur, kankol, that is, the pan ka beeda that we make — if that is made and offered to Bhagwan Shiva, then from that too the attainment of Rudra loka happens.
What does offering a flag on the temple shikhar give?
Those who offer to Bhagwan Shiva a dhwaja of white or gerua or red cloth, and have it raised on the shikhar of his temple, obtain the Shiva loka from it.
Can aarti be done daily with camphor and clove to all deities?
Yes, it can be done, the speaker answers. Into the vessel in which the aarti is shown, first put camphor, place the clove upon it, light it and show it. There is no difficulty at all.
Can the Shiv Raksha Stotra be worn round the neck like a kavach?
Absolutely it can be, the speaker answers. Whoever is doing the path of the Shiv Raksha Stotra may, on any day in this Savan — on a Monday, on Purnima, on Amavasya — write it on bhojpatra with a pen made of bel wood and with ink of ashtagandha or of kesar ground in Gangajal, write the whole kavach, then do the path 108 times, do the havan and so on, and only then put it into a silver casing and wear it.
Where should a lamp be lit in the house during Shraddha Paksha?
At the place where drinking water is stored, which is held to be the ancestors' place — a ghee lamp on Kusha, lit in the evening facing south. Water in the body is said to be sustained by ancestral grace, and its lack to indicate displeased ancestors.
Is there a fault in worshipping in a room where meat and alcohol are consumed?
Yes, and the speaker says there is no way around it. Deities accept everything in the form of fragrance, so even a curtain does not help — sattvic worship cannot be performed where meat and alcohol are consumed.
Under which trees should observances for the ancestors be performed?
Bael, Peepal and Banyan. Any auspicious act performed beneath these three during Shraddha Paksha is said to reach the ancestors directly by divine grace, and Bhagavati is said to dwell in the Bael tree itself.
What do the Aparajita and Tulsi plants indicate about a household?
Tulsi is described as the most sensitive plant, drying repeatedly where negativity is being absorbed; the speaker says to keep replanting regardless. Where Aparajita spreads and flowers, he says auspicious power has begun to arrive in that house.
Can a householder do Pitru Gayatri japa, and can Durva replace Kusha?
Yes — keep the count at 27, or 54, at most 108, and only until Shraddha Paksha. On the materials: three Kusha means three long blades, each cut to about a finger's length. Durva Grass cannot be substituted — it is used for bhoots, while the ancestors require Kusha.
Where should an akash deep be obtained from?
He says many akash deeps are available on Amazon and some links will be shared in the group, but if bamboo workers live nearby they can make one and it will be far cheaper — it will be made within ₹100, or 100 to 200. Ordering online is very expensive, he had just been checking and it is written as 2000 or 3000, and what the quality will be is not known.
Only common, easily available materials are used, and every person may perform them — of any varna or jati, man, woman or child.
He says he will place before them only what uses common things whose materials are easily available, and which every single person can perform — of whatever varna, of whatever jati, of either gender, man or woman, and even a child. Whatever anyone at all can do, that is what he will set out.
Yellow mustard and red chirmi ground to a thorough powder, camphor powder mixed in, and the whole kept in a box.
Take yellow mustard and take red chirmi — these two things. Grind the chirmi and yellow mustard in a mixer grinder into a thorough powder. Into it mix a little camphor, camphor powder, and keep the whole in a box.
A brass or bronze bowl of it is set on a white asana before you, on a Purnima or any parva kaal, after bathing.
First take a bowl of brass or of bronze and fill one bowl with it. On a Purnima, or in any parva kaal, seat it upon an asana — upon a white asana, before you. Bathe and sit down on the asana.
Charged 108 times, the material is then kept safely in a box.
Doing this, charge it first. How many times? Do it 108 times, he says, and keep it safely in a box — having done it 108 times.
What kind of bamboo should the akash deep be made of?
Order the akash deep in bamboo, and order it somewhat large, he says, so that it does not happen that when the wick burns at the last the flame becomes very high and burns the thing away. The bamboo should be kaccha — slightly green; do not on any account keep dried bamboo. At least let it be a little green.
Ghee may be used, but mustard oil is held best for this time and this prayoga; the pitrs' lamp takes mustard oil.
Mustard oil may be used in it, and ghee may be used too. In his own view, he says, mustard oil is the very best for this time and for this prayoga. So one lamp is done: the one for the pitrs, with mustard oil. The second lamp can also be kindled — or order two lanterns if you wish, so there are two akash deeps.
Those charging ₹51,000 or ₹1 lakh use these very materials, and any effect that reaches you comes from these — the same thing being told free in a live.
Of those who take ₹51,000 or ₹1 lakh, he says: look at their material. If they truly have ten disciples, then one or two among them will be someone who has performed these mantras properly. They will use these very things; and if any effect is really going to reach you, it will come from these very things. And that same thing, he says, he is telling them free in a live — and they are not enjoying it.
Red sandalwood shavings, where the budget allows, are mixed into the charged Hanuman dhuni material.
If there is a little financial budget, he says, then red sandalwood powder — which is the most easily available, obtainable as a sort of shaving. Mix a little of that red sandalwood powder into the dhuni material you had charged, if you are doing Hanuman ji's, and use it. Camphor will be there in any case; then, he says, see the effect.
Dried turmeric — black if it can be got, otherwise yellow — is powdered into the mustard and chirmi for the Pitambara mantras.
If the listener is doing the mantras of Bhagavati Pitambara, then when their prayoga has to be made, dried turmeric is used — and if by good fortune black turmeric has been got, then dry the black turmeric, whether grown at your own place or brought directly, and make its powder; failing that, make the powder of yellow turmeric after drying it. Mix that too into the yellow mustard and red chirmi powder.
A large supari is kept established in the deity's name for the duration, symbolically even without pran pratishtha.
Whether you are doing the Kartik deep daan or the dhoop-and-deep prayoga — the dhoop, the dhuna and the deep — then in the name of whichever deity you are doing it, at the very least keep established a supari, a large one; the big supari that is available in a puja shop. Keep it in their name; even if you do not perform pran pratishtha in it, keep it symbolically in their name.
It is bathed daily — plain water and eleven spoonfuls will do, with its mantra eleven times — and its shanti performed every day.
Bathe them every day, he says — even with plain water if nothing else. Even if only reciting their own mantra, their nav mantra, eleven times; even if only eleven spoonfuls; but certainly bathe them, and perform their shanti every day. Symbolically. In the elaborate form one can do a great deal, abhishek and the rest, and he is not telling them to do anything so intricate — but at least this much should certainly be done.
At least two cloves and one cardamom go into the lamp for a 64 Yogini prayoga, the rest of the material unchanged.
For their prayoga, keep all the material that has been discussed from the beginning until now exactly as it is. One thing more has to be mixed in: whenever you perform the vidhan of the prayoga of the 64 Yoginis, of the Matrikas, then in the lamp you kindle you should certainly put at least two cloves and one cardamom.
A clove is reckoned the equal of one bali, so a pair is given as bali; the cardamom quiets the ugrata that would otherwise continue after the work.
The clove and cardamom have an importance, he says, and people mock it, asking what comes of clove and cardamom, that tantriks put them into everything. The tantriks say a clove is the equal of one bali: here you are giving a pair of cloves as a bali. From the cardamom, shanti will come — the ugrata they will have after their work is finished will be quieted, their ugrata will not continue in continuity, and they will become still there.
Half a kilo of yellow mustard to 100 grams of red chirmi, with 100 grams of pure bhimseni camphor mixed into the powder.
Supposing you took half a kilo of yellow mustard, he says, then in that half kilo of yellow mustard you will have to keep at least 100 grams of chirmi — red chirmi, lal gunja, 100 grams. Mix it and a powder is made. Into this mix at least 100 grams of desi camphor, or what they call brass camphor, pure bhimseni camphor. That is the basic material you should have.
What is done with kheer on Sharad Purnima?
Since amrit varsha takes place, he says, we make kheer, keep it in a clay vessel covered with a red cloth, and place it on the roof where the light of the moon falls — that certainly has to be kept, before the rays of the moon. In the morning, after performing pujan and the rest, it is also eaten; in some places it is to be eaten on an unwashed mouth. Do according to whatever the rule is in your own region.
Baglamukhi takes black turmeric, yellow failing that, with kesar to keep her saumya; the 64 Yoginis take clove and cardamom.
He restates it for clarity so that no khichdi is cooked. When they were making Baglamukhi Ma's prayoga, the material was yellow mustard and red chirmi; in it they used black turmeric if it was got, and otherwise yellow turmeric, and kesar can also be used, to keep the devi saumya. In the 64 Yoginis they used clove and cardamom.
Kali's stotra, satnam or kavach takes 50 grams of black pepper into the half kilo of mustard and 100 grams of chirmi — this being dhuna, not havan.
When you are making the prayoga of Bhagavati Kali's stotra, satnam, kavach and the rest for protective purposes — and here, he insists, we are doing dhuna, we are not doing havan; no havan of a kavach is taking place, we are charging it and doing dhuna — then in this you may also use black pepper. That is: half a kilo of yellow mustard, 100 grams of red chirmi, and 50 grams of black pepper in it. Grind it, make a powder. The camphor will remain the same 100 grams.
Guggul is used where the deity is already ugra, so that her prachand energy completes the work and turns saumya afterwards.
If some devi is already ugra and you are making her prayoga, then there guggul will be used at the time of the dhuna. Guggul is used, he says, so that Bhagavati's energy, which is already so prachand, may mould itself to us and complete our work — but afterwards may become saumya and beneficent.
Five or seven small guggul balls, dipped again and again in ghee, are laid on the dhuna — usable for every shakti, not this case alone.
For that, when we do the dhuna, we shall put guggul in — making small balls of guggul, five or seven, dipping them again and again in ghee and placing them too upon the dhuna. The fragrance of guggul will spread through the whole house. Although, he says, this can be done for everyone: the use of guggul can be made for every shakti.
What does he warn about bringing objects home on astrological advice?
He says that nowadays people get anything at all done in the name of jyotish. You have no knowledge, you bring something and keep it at home — and you do not know what thing may be in your house that finds a place in it. So never buy land where plants of that kind are present.
Why does the metal being made abhimantrit matter?
He says it is necessary to explain this subject because when we employ any energy, when we generate mantra energy, the greatest matter is which metal you are making abhimantrit, which object we are making abhimantrit — so that it may be understood how much its capacity of holding is.
Can a trishul be placed in the havan kund on Ashtami?
He answers that you can absolutely place the Bharat trishul in the havan kund and do havan on every Ashtami; there is no difficulty. There is no problem in an iron trishul; you can do it.
What materials are used in a tantrik dhwani?
He says the tantrik dhwani depends on whose it is; but ordinarily, in a tantrik dhwani, yellow mustard, red chirmi and apamarg wood — if you use these, then abhichar will be destroyed and whatever prets and pishachs there are will be removed.
Chaumukh lamp on black sesame, bhog and dhoop for Bhairav
The speaker says the lamp is lit first of all: a Chaumukh Deepak lamp on a heap of black sesame, with two cloves, one cardamom and camphor put into it, kindled in Bhairava ji's name. Then offer Bhog of imarti, jalebi, or dahi bada made with one's own hand, papad, or any sweet one wishes; then flowers, itra, and fragrant Dhoop or the Guggul cup sambhrani sold nowadays, burnt well.
Order of items placed inside the Navratri kalash
The speaker gives the order of contents of the Kalash. If one knows Sankalpa, it comes first: Supari, a little unbroken rice (Akshat) and some coins are taken, the sankalp is made and they go into the kalash. Then the kalash is filled with water, and then a small piece of real Chandan wood, red or yellow. After that come haritaki, supari, coins of three metals, panchratna, good-quality sarvaushadhi, madhu without fail, and a little well-washed Durva Grass grass. After all these initial items are in, the Pallav go on top.
Panchratna for the kalash: getting genuine upratna made at a jeweller
The speaker says the five-rupee or ten-to-fifteen-rupee panchratna sold at puja shops is a matter of great doubt, whether it is panchratna at all. Since Navratri puja has to be done every year, he advises getting upratna of a sava ratti each made up at a jeweller. It costs about fifty to a hundred rupees per stone, five to six hundred rupees in all, and then one has panchratna for life; it also looks bigger and finer and gives great satisfaction that one is doing such a good puja.
Sapta mrittika: inside the kalash or in the barley bed
The speaker says sapta mrittika is very often put inside the Kalash, but this differs by region: in many places it is said to go inside the kalash, while in many others one reads, hears and sees that it is put where the barley (Jaware) is sown. One may put it inside or outside as one prefers; in his own view putting it outside is more appropriate.
Removing and reusing the kalash items at visarjan
The speaker says that at Visarjan in the river, the mouth of the Kalash is held pressed shut (the coconut on top is released first) and the Chandan wood, the three coins and the panchratna are taken out; everything else is left in the kalash and released with it. These items are tied in red cloth, kept in a good place at the puja sthan and worshipped, and can be used again in the kalash next year and repeatedly; there is no dosh in this. The chandan may be replaced if one likes, but a gold coin and genuine panchratna can certainly be reused.
How is a chola applied to a brass murti of Hanuman ji?
A chola should always be applied from below upwards, the speaker says. The orange sindoor that is Hanuman ji's should be prepared in pure ghee or in chameli oil upon a paan leaf, and it is most excellent to apply it from below upwards with that same paan leaf.
To which deities may jayfal and lemon be given?
Asked to which devatas jayfal and nimbu may be given, the speaker says they may be given to all the ugra shaktis, to all the ugra forms. But among deva shaktis jayfal is not given to very many; to those who are devis it is given.
Should elaichi be offered upon the kapur?
Elaichi should not be offered upon kapur, the speaker says. Elsewhere in the session he adds, naming another questioner, that elaichi is not to be offered on kapur — laung is to be offered.
Is it right to coat Bhairav ji in black kajal?
A listener says he has applied a coating of black kajal to Bhairav ji. Ah, so you have made Bhairav ji entirely black, the speaker teases, naming him. Very well, he says — if it is done in your region, then it is all right.
How should ghee and guggul be given in a havan?
Asked whether, when doing a havan with guggul mixed in, one may give the initial ahutis with ghrit, the speaker says three ahutis of ghrit should be given first, and after that the guggul-mixed.
When is elaichi given upon the kapur at all?
Elaichi is not to be offered on kapur, laung is, the speaker repeats. Elaichi upon kapur is given when the seva-puja of the Gandharvas takes place — not otherwise. If in someone's mandala pujan there is a Gandharva, then it is given.
In what ways is jayfal offered to the deities?
People give jayfal to devi-devatas in two ways, the speaker says, and it also goes by region. Some people offer it cut as well. In our region, he says, it is given in the ahuti; or else upon a laung, upon kapur — five kapur with one jayfal upon them.
Of which metal should a trishul be for a Batuk Bhairav sthapana?
Asked, if the sthapana of Batuk Bhairav is to be done in the form of a trishul, of which metal the trishul should be: keep the trishul of brass; you can keep it of silver. You can keep it up to six inches as well; if you want to keep it outside, in a courtyard and so on, then you can keep a big one too, of about up to one hand. In a small box of rice — yes, it can be done, standing, with red and yellow rice mixed together.
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.
When may clove, cardamom, camphor, batasa, supari, jaiphal, gola and lemon be offered?
Asked when clove, cardamom, camphor, batasa, supari, jaiphal, gola and lemon bhog are given, and in what manner they may be given to gods and goddesses: in the nitya, give the ordinary bhog. The vidhi vidhan of giving bhog and offerings of this kind is tantrokta, of a different kind. Such bhog should not always be given.
Can oil be used in tarpan?
Asked about videos of tarpan in which oil has been put and others in which it has not: it can be put — it can be done putting black oil.
Is offering clove, cardamom and raisins on a paan leaf right?
Asked about giving bhog of clove, cardamom and raisins on a paan leaf before the Mother: very good.
What is the bhojpatra vidhi for making a mantra chaitanya?
Surya's dear flower is the japa pushpa, what we call the gudhal flower. When a mantra has not remained chaitanya, the speaker says, then by the guru's permission the mantra is written twelve times on red bhojpatra with a red sandalwood pen and ink of rakta chandan, samputed with the tantrokta beej of Bhagavan Surya; the tree is plastered well with cow dung, the mantra is established at its root with a Surya kalash set up, and 12,000 japa of that mantra is performed.
May an ordinary person give the tantrokta arghya with black pepper?
In the tantrokta vidhans it comes that arghya should be given to Surya with black pepper and other kinds of dravyas added, the speaker says — but an ordinary person should not perform this kriya, because the mantras will then become excessively effective and it is possible that their tej will itself trouble you. Give arghya with ordinary water alone, but with thirty-six recitations.
How is the arghya to Surya to be given in practice?
One view is that arghya should be given to Surya only in wet clothes, the speaker says, but this is not possible for everyone, since not everyone bathes in a river; and where one has to step out on to a tiled terrace or balcony in wet clothes, one may slip and fall. So bathe well, go to the puja place, and give arghya wearing the clothes you have put on. While giving arghya the splashes of the water should not fall on you.
What should the arghya water fall into?
For this, the speaker says, one should use such a vessel as one can fill with baalu — sand, as it is called — or fill with soil. Or plant something in it, especially the gudhal flower tree, which is called japa kusum. Give arghya into that itself in the name of Surya Narayan, while looking at him; that is proper.
What is done with the khunta to which the cow is tied?
Where a bamboo khunta is present, its puja should certainly be done that day — bathing it with Gangajal, coating it entirely with haldi, then a tilak with roli, and before it, on a pan leaf, a bhog offered, with one ghee lamp standing there; the remaining eleven lamps you arrange at different places in the goshala. He says he always tells people whose homes have cows that there should be a bamboo khunta, not the iron ones being made nowadays.
What is the order of the evening procedure?
Go barefoot; first offer pranam to the gau mata, then pranam to Bhagavan Pashupatinath Mahadev. After that feed sweet roti to all the gau mata and gau vansh present, and with that same yellow cloth lightly sweep up whatever dry dust you find there and wrap it in that same yellow cloth. Very little dust is needed, he says.
Which dust exactly should be taken?
It should be the dust near the khunta. The dust of the gau mata's hind foot and of her fore foot — if you take the dust of the hind foot, that is the very best. Take it, and if you can get the dust from beneath the hoof, where the imprint of the hoof has fallen, then when she lifts her foot away, pick that up.
How is the Yamraj lamp made?
For the deep daan for Yamraj there should be a four-mouthed lamp. Use mustard oil or til oil, either of the two — in his view mustard oil should be used, it is the most excellent for Yamraj. After that, a grain such as wheat or a whole grain; on the leaf-plate of palash leaves used at weddings for serving, keep a heap of grain, and upon it the four-mouthed lamp in the name of Yamraj.
What is kept alongside the Yamraj lamp?
Or only give a tilak with ashtagandha, and there keep a little dakshina for that lamp — much as we do the kshetrapal nikari; it is roughly the counterpart of that. There you will keep a little mithai. After that, take that lamp in your hand.
What is written on the pan leaves for Hanuman ji?
For Hanuman ji it is eleven pan leaves on which we say again and again that Ram is to be written. Mix the orange sindoor into chameli oil, or into desi ghee, and with the finger with which we do tilak — the small one beside the kanishthika, on which people wear an engagement ring — write Ram on every pan leaf: ra with an aakar and a bindu above it.
What should I take to the Kali temple?
Certainly make a mala of at least twenty-seven lemons — you can also make it mixing lemons and flowers. Having bathed, make the mala, and take a little mithai and certainly take akshat from home when going to a temple for pujan of this kind. Akshat means unbroken rice, dyed yellow, taken in a yellow cloth or in a bowl or some vessel; first keep it at your own puja place, offer pranam, and take it to Bhagavati's temple.
How are the sixteen lamps arranged at night?
At night sixteen lamps are to be lit. Take roli — a two hundred fifty gram or two hundred gram packet, since you will need roli in good quantity for all three days — and make sixteen heaps of roli below at the puja place, and on each heap arrange one lamp. Clay lamps may be used, and if clay, take a fresh lamp each day; buy up to five dozen at one time, since you will need them in Diwali anyway. In each put a wick of cotton, a double wick in all of them, mustard oil in all, and five black peppercorns in each — certainly. No laung or elaichi is to be put in, only black pepper.
Which materials in the kalash may be changed, and may the kalash itself be replaced?
The kalash is not to be changed, he says — not that this time the kalash is not looking good to us, or that we improve it a bit or add something additional of our own mind. None of that is to be done. Only the material that is kacha may be changed: if the lal gunja in it has spoiled, if the kamal gatta has spoiled, change it; if the kali haldi has spoiled you may bring kali haldi. But the pakki vastus — the shankh, the kaudi, the keel and the rest, the coins, the ratnas — none of these things are to be changed. And the kalash will never be changed; the older it is, the more excellent it goes on becoming, for all your energy stays contained in it.
Should dhoop of pigeon droppings be given in the house?
Told of an astrologer who tells a sister to give dhoop of pigeon droppings in the house, and that she gives it with guggul and camphor, he says to Anil ji, without offence: you do so much sadhana-puja, and it is this pigeon dropping that is doing the work of smearing over that sadhana-puja. If tantra is being done, then in a household he explains clearly: this kind of vishtha tantra is used for a house that is empty of human beings — where people have left for two, four or five years, where there is no dhoop-deep even once a year, where the house is closed even at Diwali and Holi, so that when they come again, in that empty house the presence of pret-pishach has formed. To empty such places this is used, and sukar vishtha, mushak vishtha and bidal vishtha are used. Not in a house where the householder is already living and the devi-devatas are already present.
Are the hundred-rupee navratna sets real?
The navratna that come for a hundred rupees are not even that, he says — one does not even come to know whether they are of plastic. Better than that, go to a goldsmith's shop; tell them and they will tell you. If you get even one ratti, or even a ratti and a quarter, that will do, at least; or take uparatna, which you will get for less. But this small dot-shaped thing that comes for a hundred rupees, called navratna — what will come in that? Who will give it? Go and try to buy even so small a diamond and you will come to know. They give it only as a symbol; nothing is in it.
What is Krishna's Shashthi puja, and how is it done?
On the sixth day after the festival, perform Krishna's Shashthi worship — as a child born in a house has its Shashthi Samskar on the sixth day. Make five, six or twelve kinds of dishes as your means allow and offer them to Krishna with Bhagavati Yashoda; bathe him again, and give him new garments, a crown and earrings.
May two cloves be offered daily to Ma Kali?
You may absolutely offer it; there is no difficulty. The question comes from a claim that a daily clove-and-camphor offering to Kali ji falls in the category of Tamasic worship — a claim he rejects sharply.
Which materials should be used for a Havan of the Saptashati recitations?
Whenever you perform a Havan of these four recitations, do it with ghee, with honey, with kheer — with food substances in particular. Please do not perform the Havan with Sakalya. And if women are performing it, they will not do it with ghee, but with food substances in its place.
May prasad from a temple be eaten while fasting?
When prasad is received, touch it to your head and repeat in your mind: O Bhagavan, whichever form it is, I am today in a fast, so I accept this respectfully and honour it by touching it to my forehead — but I am in a vrat, so honour that, and let no fault attach to me. Then eat it the next day, or give it to someone at home.
May the family eat the Bhog offered to Bhairav at home?
Yes, absolutely — the Bhog offered to Bhairav ji at home may be eaten by everyone. And the Bhairav Tandav and the Kaal Bhairav Ashtak may certainly be recited at home in the ordinary way, as may Bhairavam Visham-kasht-haram and Devraj-sevyamana Kaal Bhairavam.
How is a new image consecrated at home?
Never have an Achal Pran Pratishtha done; have a Chal Pratishtha. If doing it yourself: Abhishek well with milk and Panchamrita; then 108 times with raw milk by a silver spoon or bowl in the deity's name; then Abhishek with water and the Adhivas.
Should the stalk of a Bilva leaf be broken off?
The stalk should be broken off. The one that has the knot on it — break that stalk off and then offer it.
What ghee should be used when pure ghee is unavailable?
Try to obtain good ghee. A branded ghee such as Amul, in the speaker's view, does not carry that kind of difficulty, and it can be used for Havan and the like.
Is a sesame-oil lamp forbidden for any deity?
It can be used generally. In some places a description is found that a sesame-oil lamp should not be lit for Bhagavan Shiva — the speaker has heard from elders that on the Trayodashi tithi a sesame-oil lamp should not be lit before Shiva, and says he has no reason for it himself.
How is a copper kada consecrated for protection?
First check whether a copper kada suits you at all. Then submerge it at least twelve days in the water of the Triveni Sangam or in Gangajal — in Gangotri water above all, because that alone leaves no film on it — keeping the water itself in a copper vessel. Then consecrate it with a mantra.
What restrictions come with even an unconsecrated copper kada?
Four, the speaker says, will attach in any case. Do not drink liquor while wearing it. Do not let juice from something sweet land on it and then lick it off — it becomes like poison. Do not eat meat, fish or eggs. And remove it before the touch of a woman, even your own wedded wife.
Is the horseshoe part of the Sanatan tradition?
Within the Sanatan tradition, in Tantra and in the Agama, mention of these subjects has been there. And in what has become popularly current in the present time — the Lal Kitab remedies — all of these subjects are mentioned in particular.
Does Bel in a dream mean a Brahmarakshas?
No — the speaker rejects the reading outright. Bel is Shriphal, the very form of Bhagavati Lakshmi; Shiva and all the deities are by the Bel tree; we offered Bel through the whole of Shravan. Seeing Bel in a dream is very auspicious, and like the lotus it is a symbol of Lakshmi.
What is the Gomti Chakra used for?
It is also called the Vishnu Chakra, obtained from the sea, used particularly in Lakshmi-related matters — for the protection and holding of a womb where it is repeatedly lost, and where an Abhichar Karma is repeatedly being done. Two kinds are found: living and dead.
How does the thirty-four Yantra procedure actually work?
None of those hundred and eight goes into the taveez. Write it a hundred and eight times on Bhojpatra, pack the Yantras into wheat flour as a hundred and eight pellets and put them into a flowing river or a pond so they reach the fish — a water-element matter, accomplished by Varuna's blessing. Then make a fresh Yantra to wear.
How is a kada made from a mother's anklet consecrated?
It will not need consecrating. Have the kada made; then on a Monday of the Shukla Paksha, wash it well with cow's raw milk and tell your mother to put it on you herself. She has kept it against her body so many days — it is greatly consecrated already.
What mantra and materials are used for a dhuni?
Do the mustard dhuni on Apamarg wood, as described before. Either consecrate the material once with the mantra and do the dhuni daily, or do the dhuni while reciting the mantra. And each evening sprinkle a little gomutra mixed with Gangajal using Kusha, with the Narasimha mantra — or the Dattatreya Mala Mantra at night.
What should be done if a Kula deity asks for liquor?
First ask the elders of your maternal uncle's Kula which deity is worshipped there — Bhairav, or someone else. Very few deities in white garments ask for liquor. Find out first; do nothing without knowing. If Sattvik liquor can be given there is no fault; otherwise show it to a knowledgeable person and then act.
Materials for the Pitru Beesa ahuti: kishmish, honey, silver, an earthen fire pot and the rest
The speaker lists what is needed daily: about twenty-one kishmish; honey, of which at least 250 grams should be bought and kept at one go; a small silver vessel; an earthen vessel for lighting the agyari (the fire), round or four-cornered as one likes; about 50 grams of cow's desi Ghrit; a little raw milk in a silver glass or a copper vessel; Kapoor; white cloth; a Kusha Asana; and a kusha Pavitri, which he calls very necessary in this krama and says must be with you.
Kusha pavitri in pitru karma: where to get it and how it is worn
The speaker says a kusha Pavitri is available in shops nowadays, or can be had made by a pandit ji, who will also tell you how to put it on. Ordinarily, he says, the pavitri is worn on the finger next to the smallest finger. At the time of Tarpana one wears a pavitri on both hands, and one may do that here too; but at the least the right hand must certainly have the pavitri while doing this karma.
What is the vidhan of Kalika pujan with itra?
Asked what the vidhan is for the pujan of Kalika with itra, the speaker says the questioner is now going into another line, and that he too knows which Kalika pujan is done with itra — declining to set it out.
What materials go into a dhooni for cutting a tantra prayoga?
For cutting a tantra vichar, the speaker says, you chiefly use kali mirch, pila sarson, the black one called kala rai, chirmi, guggul and gandhak — all these things are used in a particular measure, and some other things are mixed in as well. He notes he has told this in one or two videos too.
What is used for a dhoona done for shanti?
The speaker says that if the second, the shanti purpose, is to be served, you can make the dhoona from gandhak — pound the gandhak and make the dhoona with it, and mix guggul into it. It is nourishing, peace-giving, and increases divinity.
Of what metal should the trishul established for Batuk Bhairav be?
Asked by someone who followed his video on establishing a trishul for Batuk Bhairav ji but could not find an iron one and kept a brass one, the speaker says there is no difficulty at all. A brass trishul, a silver trishul, and if you have the means a gold trishul; and if you have the means a platinum trishul with diamonds set in it — keep whichever you wish. Only do not keep one of tin, and do not keep one of steel.
Which jaiphal is to be used for bali, and how is it cut?
Asked which jaiphal is to be given in bali, he says it is the jaiphal without its shell, the one that is like a large supari. To one speaking of harad, he says: rather than giving bali of harad, give bali of jaiphal. Remove the outer shell — do not smash it. He recounts a listener who sent a video saying the jaiphal would not cut for bali: he filed at it slowly, it would not cut because it still had its shell, so he pounded it with a lodha and asked, is this not also bali. He replied, jai ho bhagat ji — first break its outer shell and the jaiphal will come out.
What ahutis are held most dear to Jagadamba?
Keep the bhaav in the mind and Mother will certainly hear and fulfil it, he says. Ahuti by navagraha samidha, bel wood, and cow-dung kande and uple with ghee, or with guggal and ghee, is most specially dear to Jagadamba. As for ahuti by jaiphal and the like, he says it is a tantrokta vidhi vidhan and havan of jaiphal and such should not generally be done very much without adesh — but it is exceedingly dear to Jagadamba; when the ahuti falls in the fire, Bhagavati Swaha is exceedingly pleased.
The coconut on the Navratri Kalash must never be broken
The speaker says that breaking the coconut placed on the Kalash and distributing it as Prasad at Dashami Visarjan, whether at the river or at home, is a very wrong practice that brings great dosh and shatters the whole Navratri Vrat, no matter how learned the person who advised it. That coconut, he says, is the visible form of Bhagavati: it receives worship for nine days and Jagadamba sits in the jyot and the Kalash for those nine days, so if you break it, what is left? The permitted courses are to leave it in the river after visarjan, or to bring it home, keep it in the puja place, worship it and immerse it next year. If it has sprouted, it may be planted at a clean spot in the house and watered so it grows, which protects the home.
Daily samagri for the Mahabhairav prayoga at the temple
The speaker lists what to take to the temple every day: two medium-size four-faced lamps of mustard oil, with the wicks doubled in every face (two wicks joined together in each face, so eight wicks per lamp); a little chameli oil; at least two boondi laddus; two cloves and one cardamom; and clove-camphor kept separately. For Japa have a Rudraksha Mala or a black Hakik mala that is prana-pratishthit; the mala may be bought anywhere so long as it is genuine, and the Prana Pratishtha vidhan is shown live on the channel. In this Prayoga, he says, there is no restriction of clothing, of direction, or of asan.
How are siyar singhi and hattha jodi to be perfected and served?
If you obtain them, first check with the one giving them whether the right thing is reaching you, the speaker says. Since this is a living substance, a living thing, its seva-puja happens in a different manner, and he will make a separate video on it. One thing to keep particularly in mind: whenever sutak and the like attaches in the house, then just as sutak attaches to a living creature, in the same way sutak attaches to siyar singhi and hattha jodi too, so their pujan is done differently. Secondly, women should never touch them, because it is a thing that consumes sindoor, that consumes the saubhagya — sindoor is its food.
With what may a shivling be washed?
There is no need to wash a shivling with soap or detergent, he says; it should never be washed with soap or detergent. The abhishek of Shiva should be done with pure water, with Gangajal, with pure milk, with panchgavya, with panchamrit — with all of these. Cow's milk is held to be amrit; you speak of amrit and panchamrit, and in its place you would use a chemical soap. Do not make this mistake.
Should kusha and durva also go into the packet?
Asked whether kusha and durva should also go into the wooden packet, he answers: yes, absolutely, kusha and durva should be there as well. He adds that in every kshetra secrecy is being maintained.
Materials for the Sankat Nashan Ganpati Stotra sadhana: a new white copy, a red pen and the stotra
The speaker says one must first bring a white copy, a completely blank new one, and a red pen. One must also have the Sankat Nashan Ganpati Stotram; he says he will link a PDF of it in the video description, to be downloaded and kept as a printout.
First-day Ganpati puja: snan, new clothes, janeu, bhog and offerings
The speaker says that on the Chaturthi one does Ganesh pujan with five, ten or sixteen upachars, as one is able or knows. If there is a murti or photo, the murti is bathed with milk and panchamrita, dressed in new clothes, and a Yajnopavita must be offered; a man who wears the janeu may put it on the murti, but a woman only offers it and does not put it on. Then a bhog of Laddu or Modak is given, Durva Grass must be offered after the bhog, and Dhoop, Bilva and red flowers are offered; a fragrant lamp, best of all one burning ghee, is lit.
Daily paths of the Sankat Nashan Stotra: 27 to 108 a day, each offered on a durva blade
The speaker says that after the writing, the paths begin: at least 27 and, if one can, 108 paths daily, kept up from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi, which makes the path pure and its effect very intense. One keeps Durva Grass at hand, 108 blades if possible; one path is done over one blade and the blade is offered to Ganpati. If durva is scarce, ten or eleven paths are done over a single blade before offering it, so 108 paths are completed on eleven blades. If durva cannot be found, red flowers or any flower offered to Ganpati serve, red kaner or gudhal being best.
Seat, direction and the shorter routine on the later days of the Ganpati sadhana
The speaker says the asana and clothing may be red or yellow, and the direction faced east or north, either of the two. Ganpati need not be bathed every day: the snan is on the first day only, and from the next day one sprinkles Gangajal on him, offers bhog, lights dhoop and lamp, and does the paths. The eight writings likewise belong to the first day alone.
Special case: havan samagri for a woman sadhika in the Ganpati sadhana
The speaker says a woman sadhika, instead of the ghee-and-guggul ahuti prescribed for men, should if possible do the Havan with havan samagri: the havan wood and fragrant dhoop mixed with black til, panchmeva, gud and a little honey. Jau need not be added, but rice must be. All of this is mixed together for the havan, after which the Purnahuti and Aarti follow as usual.
How should the bali of a kushmandi be performed?
In many places it is said that even where the bali of a kushmandi is being offered, one should not watch at the moment of the cutting. Put a red cloth over the kushmandi that has been placed, then cut it — a sharp strike of the khadga so that it goes into two parts — and at the moment of the cutting your eyes should be closed.
Why must milk never be poured from a copper lota?
Never do abhishek by putting milk into a copper lota, the speaker says, however loudly anyone insists that Shiva will be pleased by it. Milk in a copper lota becomes like poison, and you cannot offer poison to Bhagwan Shiva in this way. Use a brass lota, a phool lota, and do the abhishek with that.
How many cloves are offered to the 64 Yoginis, and with what?
For any daivik badha in your life, after the pujan of Shiva ji do the pujan and remembrance of the 64 Yoginis. Then, if you are financially able, through the whole of Savan offer two cloves each to the 64 Yoginis — which makes 128 cloves — with camphor as much as you can, laid under them in a khappar; there is no need to count the camphor.
Is it true that offering a bali of jayfal causes harm?
The speaker anticipates the objection that people have heard that harm comes from offering a bali of jayfal, that one should not do things of one's own invention, that jayfal bali should not be given. If you go on like that, he answers, it will become difficult to walk at all. Next they will say a ghee lamp must not be lit, only an oil lamp; that Shiva puja must not be done at home; that keeping a shivling paralyses a man's legs. There is no need to become so superstitious.
Why must the head of a shivling never be left empty?
A chief subject he has always spoken of, he says: the head of Bhagwan Shiva, the head of the shivling, is never kept empty. Where a shivling is seated in the house, either have a silver crown made and keep it there, or a silver belpatra, or daily offer flowers and belpatra upon it; and if nothing else, then akshat, unbroken rice of the pujan kind.
How is the lemon fixed on Batuk Bhairav's trishul?
Asked whether the lemon is to be fixed upright on Batuk Bhairav's trishul, he answers yes, it will be fixed upright — it cannot be laid on its side on them.
What is the seva vidhan before leaving on a long journey?
No fault will attach, he says. If you are going somewhere, then having offered naivedya, having offered a bhog of dry fruits, having covered it, having made pranam, make a request of the Lord: that we are going to this place and will return in so many days, so we request that we shall remember and worship you mentally and that you accept that same pujan of ours and be pleased; and that you too come along with us, help us in our work, and come back with us when we return. Say that and go — keep the seva vidhan just this much.
Can fruit and sweets be placed on top of the shivling?
If you place fruit upon his head, if you place sweets upon the shivling, then he cannot accept them, the speaker says — this must be kept in mind.
Can Bhimseni camphor be put into the deepak?
Asked whether Bhimseni camphor may be put into the deepak, he answers: absolutely, it may be put in.
On what should a metal kavach be worn?
If your kavach is of silver then it will not be pure with a thread — do not keep a thread. In that case wear the kavach on a silver chain or a gold chain, if that is your duty and work. If it is kept in copper it will become impure at once and will then be of no use. Keep your kavach in silver or gold, and keep the chain of silver or gold too; if you wear a thread of any kind, everything becomes impure.
Dattatreya 108-name milk tarpan under a peepal, bargad or bel tree to free bound pitr
The speaker prescribes a Tarpana of Bhagavan Dattatreya's 108 names for bound Pitr, begun on any Thursday, Amavasya or Poornima under a Peepal, Bargad or Bilva tree at a place where worship is done, never a lonely tantra-mantra spot. Raw milk with Gangajal and dissolved Mishri is taken in a brass or silver lota (not copper, especially for a woman), at least half a litre or a paav, and poured at the root with a leaf of the tree or a silver spoon at each namah of the 108 names, after a sankalp with name and Gotra, Akshat, a flower and a one- or ten-rupee coin. White cloth is worn; a woman wears a white saree with a border and a full Ghunghat, for women must never do pitr work without ghunghat. A man of the house is best; failing him the badi bahu, then the chhoti bahu. It is done Amavasya after Amavasya, not daily, and after three Amavasyas he expects the kripa to begin and the pitr to show themselves in dreams.
Datt mala mantra recited 27 times after the tarpan, with a white flower and five camphors
The speaker says that seated under the same tree, right after the Dattatreya milk tarpan, you recite the dattatreya-mala-mantra 27 times holding a white flower, then offer that flower at the root of the Peepal or bargad in Bhagavan Dattatreya's name. Then place five Kapoor pieces with one Laung on each — single cloves, never a pair — light them, pray to Dattatreya and return home.
Jwalamukhi stone prayoga at a Kali temple to free bound pitr
The speaker's third remedy is a Tantrokta Prayoga to be tried only after many others have failed, since it needs a hard-to-get item: a jwalamukhi stone, sold at some puja shops at a high price. On Amavasya, bathe it in Gangajal and have the pandit place it on the right foot of Kali in a temple at least 12 years old; take the sankalp and do japa of the first mantra of the Argala Stotra for at least a sava ghanta. Neither you nor the pandit (paid daan-Dakshina for this) may touch the stone: push it with a Peepal leaf onto a second peepal leaf, tie it in yellow or white cloth, and hang it outside the main door on the side that falls to your right as you enter, with daily dhoop-deep to Kali reciting the same mantra. Its sudha shakti frees the pitr from however great a Bandhan; a genuine stone finishes the work in one go, though whether the freed pitr then become active for you is, he says, a separate matter.
What is the Datta mudrika?
The speaker says that for the last two years there has been the mudra, the mudrika of Bhagavan Dattatreya — that is, a small coin called the Datta mudrika, upon which the ekakshari beej of Bhagavan is written, and upon which the whole mantra is offered when we do it. What is had done by you, he says, he has done himself; the only difference is that his is quite old and yours will be a year or so new.
May a metal lamp be used for daily deepdaan at home?
Yes, absolutely, the speaker says: you should rinse them and use those same lamps again and again. A metal lamp should not even be changed until it breaks. Wash it daily and polish it; if it is brass, rub it and shine it so much that it looks like gold, and do deepdaan in it — the more your lamp shines, the more your fortune will be polished and shine.
How should worn out sadhana clothes be disposed of?
Asked how clothes worn in sadhana should be disposed of when they tear, the speaker says: wear them at home, brother — what is there to do? Wear the dhoti and walk about the house saying Bam Bam Mahadev.
What should a sadhak troubled in sleep do at his bed?
First you have to keep your bed clean, the speaker says — the first thing is that your bed should remain pure and there should be no impurity. Second, bring fitkari, wrap it in a black cloth and certainly keep it at your bedhead. Before sleeping at night, rinse the mouth at least sixteen times, become completely pure, and sleep; and after that, as far as possible, recite the Ratri Suktam, and then sleep. If there is still trouble, then in a small silver bowl place two cloves upon a piece of camphor and burn them near your bedhead in the name of your ishta aradhya. Do this much; if it stops, well and good, and if it does not stop, then the further matter becomes a matter of the house.
Can clove, nutmeg and camphor be offered as bhog to Dattatreya?
You can, the speaker says, but give only the clove. The nutmeg, whatever nutmeg there is, will be for the sake of Bhagavati Tripur Bhairavi, who comes among the gupta shakti, the gupta yogini, of Bhagavan Datta.
Can a trishul that opens into three parts be used in worship?
A listener who worships a large trishul as Bhairav Baba says it opens into three parts, and asks whether she may use it in pujan or should establish a new trishul. There is no such subject, the speaker says: do not open it. Fix everything well at one time and keep it fixed. Wrap cloth on it, tie it well, keep it perfumed, so that it does not have to be opened again and again. Once or twice in a year, open it some time, clean it, do whatever has to be done, and keep it back again.
What is siyar singhi, and is it available?
Siyar singhi, also called gidad singhi, is a tantric object, he says. It is banned now. What you get here and there on the roads is not actually it; the same thing is also handed over to people in the form of mrig kasturi, but in reality such things are not what they are sold as. The government and the forest department have imposed a ban, and if a genuine one were found it would mean going straight to jail.
How is the siyar singhi made siddha, and by whom?
He says this belongs particularly to the sadhaks of the Kamakhya parampara and that he is reporting what he saw directly. The siyar singhi is made siddha with the mantras of Bhagavati Chamunda, or with mantras of such forms of Bhagavati in which Jagadamba is in a most prachanda form; it is consecrated and energised by those mantras. Only sadhaks of that guru parampara are able to do it — a brand-new sadhak who wishes to attempt it will probably draw some ill effect.
On which day should a silver chhalla be worn, and how is it consecrated?
Wear a silver chhalla on the finger on the Monday of the Shukla Paksha, he says, and consecrate it with the Tantrokta Divya Sukta.
What is gandhodak and how is it made?
In place of milk, perform the abhishek of Bhagavan Shiva with gandhodak. What is gandhodak? Into water, put in the kumkum or roli that there is and dissolve it. Put in a little camphor powder, having powdered the camphor. Put in agaru — agaru is had for 20 to 25 rupees; agaru is the liquid extracted from agar, and it will be like sandalwood water. Mix it in, mix in rose water. This becomes gandhodak.
May water be offered to Surya from a copper lota with sugar and roli?
Asked whether water may be offered to Suryadev in a copper lota with sugar and roli put in, he answers that men may certainly offer it. Women should not give it from a copper lota but should give water from a brass lota. And in place of sugar, put gur — that is more excellent: roli, chaval and gur.
Gur in copper is said to become vish — heard from elders, and he offers no pramana for it
If anyone asks why it should not be given in copper, he says the truthful thing is this: he too has heard this subject repeatedly from gurujans, from learned people, from elders. He does not have a pramana himself either, and asks that if anyone finds one, they send it to him. But if good learned people say it should not be given, then it should not. The reason he has heard is only this: that from putting gur into copper it becomes vish, and vish should not be offered by a woman. Beyond that, you have the licence not to accept it — he does not wish to make any controversy of it.
What should be done daily instead of bathing the vigrahas?
What should you do daily? It is very good, he says, to mix Gangajal, rose water, agaru, itra and so on into a bottle that has a spray facility, and to sprinkle and spray it over all of them. This is the best: the snan of all of them is done and they also become fragrant.
What is the Gutika worship?
A tradition still exists in which Gutika worship is performed. Practitioners in whose lineage this worship stands obtain the silver Gutika; the golden Gutika is the rarest. And even those who obtain it, so far as the speaker knows, perform only the outer Shringar of the cave and not the touch or full Darshan of the Mahamudra.
What preparation is made before Ambubachi begins?
Make the whole preparation on the 21st, before Ambubachi begins. Through these four days offer the Mother as much as you can of fruit, of dry fruits, and honey as the Naivedya.
What is done on the first morning of Ambubachi?
On the morning of the 22nd, at dawn, before sunrise if possible: from whatever service-Vigraha you have — Mahakali's, Durga's, whichever — take off the garments already put on, all the gold chains, whatever is in the ears, the nose, the hands, the anklets, the crown, all of it.
How is the Vigraha covered?
After removing them, cover the Mother's whole body well with a new red cloth — of whatever form her Vigraha is, even Baglamukhi's — right up to the neck. Then seat her in her place, keep the ornaments together somewhere good, and light a lamp a little distance in front of her.
What is offered during the four days of Ambubachi?
If you wish you may offer a fragrant garland daily through the four days — not an ordinary garland but the small fragrant kind, so that it is no weight on her. And offer as much Paushtik material as you can as Naivedya. But never change your Aradhya or Ishta.
What may be used for the Archana?
You may offer Archana with kumkum, with flowers. Where the matter is of grain, offer with raisins, with cashews, with makhana — whatever you can manage. And if you are a Dhan-Kuber, offer with silver coins, with gold coins, with five hundred and two thousand rupee notes — though not with a demonetised one.
What is done with the Ambubachi offerings after the observance?
Keep the flowers, cloves and cardamom used in these four days' Archana safe; do not throw them away and do not immerse them. Household members should eat a little daily on an empty stomach after the worship, or fill them into a Kavach and wear them. And any gold, silver or coins should be tied in red cloth and kept — never immersed, never removed.
What is done on the morning Ambubachi ends?
When the four days' worship is complete, then on the morning of the 26th, at dawn, before sunrise itself, the red cloth you had put upon Bhagavati's form is to be removed — and that cloth is to be kept safe.
What if putting clothes on and off an image feels wrong?
Then do not do it — there is nothing to be offended about here. The reason it can arise is the Shringariya Vigraha now in fashion, which has no garment carved at all, so that removing the cloth makes it seem the deity has none. Take a Vigraha in which the garment is made, so that your feeling is never wrong in any condition.
How is the Devi bathed and adorned on the fifth day?
Bathe her well with scented water — raw milk, rose water, agaru and kewra water mixed and made fragrant — with kumkum and haldi; then grind sandalwood on stone and apply the Gandhanulepan; then bathe her with water and do her Shringar beautifully, with garments and all.
How should the Nikari lamp be kept from going out?
Keep the Nikari lamp such that it does not go out at all — keep the wick thick, light it with camphor applied, and if there is wind while you are carrying it out, carry it inside the big kind of biscuit carton so the wind cannot get in.
Is the Vigraha bathed during the four days?
No. After covering Bhagavati there will be no daily bath for four days, and no touching of her either. All you may do in the four days is put on a fragrant flower and take it off the next day — nothing beyond that by way of touching the Vigraha.
Does a copper Kavach stop working after a year?
If you have not gone into a Sutak or Patak, there is nothing to be tense about. If you have gone into a Sutak or Patak, then in copper its work does stop.
Why consecrated tantric objects like a yantra or danda are never discarded
Taking the example of a Peeth Yantra many listeners had made — by a Hindu goldsmith, by hand, after checking the nakshatra — and then worshipped, the speaker says such things are never to be removed: what is invested in them is not just money but one's daily japa and tapa, and they are what will serve you in the future. Likewise the danda given after a Dattatreya yaag: once abhimantrit with such mantras it is fully able to guard the house for a long age. Calamities come more often than we know and are absorbed by such objects and by our punya; they begin to fail only when punya thins and pride sets in. So stay surrendered and free of pride, and learn to respect every tantrokta object you have awakened or received.
Why is Sindoor used for Ganpati, and which Sindoor?
Because Parvati said that since Sindoor appears on his face, he will always be worshipped by people with Sindoor. Use the red Sindoor, or the orange one — both have their accounts. And, the speaker warns, do not offer Sindoor mixed with blood.
What kind of Durva is offered to Ganesh?
The Durva for Ganesh's worship should be a span, twelve Angul, in length; possessed of three knots; and rootless — no root in it. Such Durva alone is offered to him, a hundred and one or twenty-one of them, upon the installed image.
What should someone in serious difficulty do on Chaturthi?
On the Chaturthi tithi, perform Ganesh's Abhishek, worship with fragrance, and offer twenty-one Durva while reciting the Sankat Nashan Ganapati Stotram twenty-one times — with the Durva as specified: twelve Angul, three knots, rootless. Do this through the year's twenty-four Chaturthis.
The ordinary worship through the year: Shodashopachara, Durva, Sahasrarchan, Tarpan — and Sindoor, sandal, Ketaki flowers and Tandul
Shiva says that whoever, with faith and according to his capacity, worships Ganesh with Sindoor, sandal, Ketaki flowers, Tandul and many kinds of Upacharas for the fruit of all desires, will always obtain Siddhi and his obstacles will be destroyed. Ketaki flowers and Tambul both go to Ganesh.
What are the conditions on the haldi used in the Kolahal Narasimha threshold lamp?
Use a khadi batti, and ghee made from desi cow's milk alone, and mix in a little yellow haldi. The haldi has its own tantric condition: it should be from a Hindu's own house or field; a kumari kanya who has not yet become rajaswala should uproot it and dry it; and the haldi powder should be made by her hands. Empowered with this mantra, the speaker says, the prayoga will not need to be done a second time.
Can one and the same yantra serve pujan, wearing and uchchatan?
Yes. Bisa yantras are found of various kinds — connected with wealth, with protection, and the most fierce of them, which is held to be Bhagavati's. But that same protective yantra of Bhagavati, made for wearing, is also obtained for pujan, and is also employed in kamya prayoga for uchchatan. What changes, he says, is the direction of the lines drawn, the ink, the pen, and the time and tithi at which the pen was fetched.
What material should a yantra be made on?
For the purpose of dharan, one may make a symbolic yantra on the shell of the kavach; or, if making it fully solid, make the complete yantra properly in that manner — that will work too, but it will be visible, and many more vidhis then attach to it. Chiefly, he says, get the yantra made for pujan on metal.
In a marana prayoga the kalash is of iron, without panchratna or a coin, and the yantra is made on an iron vessel
In the Navratri kalash sthapana one puts in panchratna and a piece of metal, whether a copper one or some other coin. When you go into marana prayoga you cannot use that. The form of the deity in the kalash sthapana changes too; there it must be an iron kalash, other metals related to iron, and the yantra made on an iron vessel and established in that.
Which five things must a sadhak have perfect?
He recalls a video from two or three years earlier: mala, yantra, asana, mantra and vastra — these five things should be perfect with oneself. The first of them concerns one's own body, and the first thing on the body is the cloth; vastra has its importance at the time of sadhana.
What kind of cloth should a sadhak wear?
After bathing and becoming pure, the first thing is that the cloth should be suitable, and no one else should wear it. The sadhanatmak vastra is the dhoti and gamcha that are used; in the cold season one may wrap a blanket, or even stitched cloth, according to the body's capacity. If someone says stitched cloth will absolutely not do, he answers that he cannot ask people to give up their lives. If you have the capacity, do it wearing no kurta and only the uttariya vastra.
Where a yantra comes from, and why the state of the craftsmen limits what is available
For the abhishek, he says, suppose it is Bhagwan Shiva's yantra — or take Bhagwan Dattatreya's: you are doing Bhagwan Datt's seva-puja and have some yantra connected with him, whether obtained through an anushthan, made by yourself, had made to order, or one whose nitya pujan you do. The only difference that arises is of the vidhi — from where it will be taken, in what condition and by whom it is made. The condition of the craftsmen, he says, is very pitiable; Sanatani goldsmiths are hard to find, and so a great many such things are available to us only within very narrow limits.
What liquid should the abhishek of a yantra be done with?
If possible, the raw milk of a cow. Do not perform abhishek with packet milk, he says, because it is already heated and cooled — it is the pasteurisation process, so it is boiled milk and not raw milk. If cow's raw milk can be had, use that; otherwise there is no difficulty at all with gandhodak.
How is gandhodak made for the abhishek?
Into water, rub a little camphor and make it into a powder; add ashtagandha, add a little roli, and mix it well. Add rose water and agaru water. The lota has become fragrant.
How should a yantra that has gone yellow be cleaned?
Where much seva-puja has been done the yantra turns wholly yellow — with sandal and tika going on it, with milk, curd, butter and ghee. To clean it, he says, do not use any chemical powder: use the coarse grit of sugar, and it will shine very well. After the abhishek put a little of the grit on, add a little water, and rub it well.
How long will a metal yantra last?
Therefore, he says, birth after birth will pass over its coming loose, its breaking, its being effaced — it will never be effaced. That yantra will remain at your place generation after generation, until someone bends or breaks it with his own hand.
Only force breaks a yantra; sugar grit and then abhishek bring the gleam back
Even in washing and wiping it will break only if someone applies great force and bends or breaks it; with the ordinary seva that should be done, it will never be effaced or broken. So without anxiety wash them well with sugar grit, and after that do the abhishek over them with gandhodak, with milk, with whatever you wish — the yantra will begin to gleam. It stays gleaming always, he says, especially the silver one.
Why does a copper Dhanada yantra turn black again so quickly?
Whoever has a Dhanada yantra will mostly have a copper one, and with copper, however much you clean it, within half an hour the blackness returns — from the water or from the flowers offered. He says he himself has them, and that he does everything in daily seva-puja that his listeners do, so a little labour is required; cleaning them and bathing them daily takes time.
On what should the yantra be seated?
All the deities are satisfied, he says; do their abhishek, wipe them well with cotton cloth, and they are dry. As to the asana: one way is to keep it standing, which may be done and is no difficulty. The second is to have a chowki-like asana, spread a cloth over it and seat them upon it — just as, if a Shri Vigraha is to be placed over a yantra, the yantra is placed on the chowki and then the Shri Vigraha. Keeping it that way, he says, is more fitting.
What is offered to a yantra as its vastra?
A vastra should certainly be placed over the yantra. It is not necessary to offer a whole sari and dhoti. Cotton mauli thread is easily had in the market and everyone uses it: keep a large bundle of it. He does not say to offer a new one every day — if you have the time, offer a new one daily; it takes hardly five seconds. Wind it round your hand five, seven or nine times, make a small heap, break it off, scent it lightly, and place it on the yantra.
What is the fruit of offering a flower grown at home?
If you have planted even one flowering plant at home and even one flower blooms on it daily, offer that one flower on that yantra, and the fruit of offering gold to the whole assembly of deities will be obtained — gold, he repeats. A flower planted at home and tended, when you offer and dedicate it to the deity, brings from the deity the very fruit of offering gold.
What if a flower must be brought from a neighbour?
If at any time you must bring a flower from a friend's or a neighbour's place, even after asking, then if you bring and offer that flower without giving any money, 50 percent of it is cut and goes to them — they get the punya just like that. However much you decorate it and do everything, you should bring it from another's place only after purchasing it with some money. Even give them a little, or give something in exchange; otherwise a debt remains and half the punya goes to them.
After a sutak every cloth and chandani in the puja sthan is washed or replaced and the place cleaned
The first task is that whatever cloths you have put on or spread beneath each deity of the puja place must all be changed. If they cannot be changed, then at the least they must be washed, dried and put on again. Even the chandani that is fixed above must be washed or replaced. If the puja place can be painted and mopped, that is very good; otherwise dust it and clean it.
How the 27 paths are counted and when the flower is offered
Speak the 27 paths only on the yantra; on everything else — the kavachas, the malas — offer even one path each. Take 27 flowers, or if you have only one flower take that one; keep some material to count 27 with, whether a mala, laung, elaichi or supari, or count on the kar mala. Offer the flower on the yantra only after you have done its abhishek, had its agni sparsh done, performed the abhishek again, seated it in its place and done the shringar. Then recite any Tantrokta Devi Suktam — it must be a tantra one, he cautions. With the re-establishment, every dosha and difficulty is removed at once.
What is common to everyone daily, before the brihad practices begin
A yantra can be given tarpan too, he says, but that is going a little into the brihad. Everything told so far should be done by everyone as a daily rule: as much abhishek as you can, and after that the japa of their stotra and satnaam, offered on the yantra; and whatever kavach or mantra you do gets offered on that same yantra daily. When the yantra's colour fades — from sandal, from roli, and because the colour of sindoor sometimes does not come off and a slight redness stays — you will have to put sugar grit on and rub it well four or five times. This much, he says, is common for everyone.
Nimbu, laung-kapoor or jaiphal bali during the prayoga, closed with a coconut bali eaten as prasad
After the abhishek with the sankalpa, and the separate archan and pujan, bali will certainly be offered. Here you give a bali of nimbu, or separately a bali of laung and kapoor; if it is Bhagavati's, a bali of jaiphal. Having given all the bali, when release from that suffering is obtained, after that the coconut bali is the complete pujan. Suppose you had to do five extra days of anushthan and their suffering ended gradually in five days: when everything is done on the fifth day, then after the sixth day's pujan you no longer have to do anything extra, but on that day give one coconut bali without fail. After that bali is offered, everyone will eat it as prasad in the house.
Which flowers and malas should be taken for the Kamakhya pithas?
Separate flower malas were taken for all of them. Counting Bhagavati Tara, Kali, Bagalamukhi Mai, Bhuvaneshwari Mata, Dhumavati Mata, Tripur Bhairavi and the rest, there are seven places to go to, so at least 14 flower malas were taken — seven each, and seven for their Bhairavs and for whoever else is found at each place, or else two each, and along with them lotus and other flowers. That is, one mala of blue Aparajita, one full mala of java flower, one mala of yellow flowers for Bhagavati Pitambara, lotus flowers for all, durva and bilvapatra — all of these you may take.
How many lotus flowers should be offered daily during Navratri?
The prescription is a hundred and eight lotus flowers daily; if that cannot be managed, one or nine, as many as you can get. Consecrate them with a Stuti — the Tantrokta Devi Suktam, or a single mantra recited eleven or twenty-seven times, or Devi Sarvabhuteshu Lakshmi Rupena Samsthita — and offer them at the Kalash, the Vigraha, the photograph, or the Akhand Jyot.
Why is the lotus flower offered in particular?
Because Jagadamba is already coming with that energy and in that form — as the giver of prosperity — and worship and Archana with the lotus flower becomes one that increases Shri. So as soon as you surrender it, your feelings will be reflected there and her grace will very quickly be obtained.
How are the sixty-four Yogini names to be recited?
Keep the Namavali with you, download it, and daily at the night hour repeat the names of the sixty-four Yoginis at least nine times over — from one to sixty-four once, then again from one to sixty-four, nine times in that way — and then give a bali of nine cloves and camphor.
May a Havan be done in an iron kunda?
Absolutely not. Whoever your so-called Mahasant or Jagadguru may be, telling you to do the Havan in an iron kunda or in aluminium — do not do it. In an iron vessel the Maran karma, the forbidden karma, is performed. It will give you baseness and destroy your merits.
May a worn gemstone ring be put into the Kalash?
No. Once you have worn that gem or ring, then however much you wash it you cannot put it into the Kalash. Do not put it in. If it is new, put it in; if it is not, do not.
Can the Yogini Archan be done in a house that keeps no Kalash?
Absolutely do the Archan of the sixty-four Yoginis and the Nama-japa. But you cannot eat food with garlic and onion. Where a Navratri custom is kept in the house, all the more should the custom be kept properly.
Where does the lamp on the Chaukhat go?
A lamp may certainly be kept on the Chaukhat — you will perform worship there too, with the lamps kept, flowers offered, Gandha and fragrance and everything. Which side depends on which deity it is for; but ordinarily, standing inside and looking out, keep it on your right.
May one do mala japa wearing a tantric taabij?
Asked again whether mala japa can be done wearing a tantric taabij, he says: yes, wear the tantric taabij; it is connected with Sanatan, wear it and do it. He adds that he does not understand why the questioner is asking — everybody wears them.
Should everyone keep siyar singi and hattha jodi?
He says again, as he has told before, that siyar singi does not suit everybody, and therefore it should not be kept by all and sundry. Hattha jodi and siyar singi have their rules — they are a living thing, living tantrokta objects.
When were tantrokta objects like siyar singi formerly given?
In former times, he says, if elders are alive, find out from them who used to keep siyar singi and hattha jodi. It was when progeny had increased, when vansh vriddhi had taken place. In the same way as, when a new bahu comes into a family, the saas looks over the bahu's fitness and only after some time gives her the keys — in that same manner, after the birth of a child, when a second child had been born and the second child had reached at least three years of age, or, if there was only one child, it is said, twelve years of age, then the tantrokta objects were given. Today, he says, a man is going about carrying siyar singi and hattha jodi from childhood. And who observes these things, he asks.
Fragrant substances are best worn by the mantrokta vidhi
He tells a listener by name that he had told her this thing last time, how and what should be done. You should wear fragrant substances by the mantrokta vidhi — that, he says, will be the best.
Is the blue lotus important in Uchchhishta Ganapati?
Asked whether the blue lotus flower is important in Uchchhishta Ganapati, he answers: yes, it is very important.
How should the seva of Laddu Gopal be done at home?
The speaker says the whole niyam of Shaligram seva applies here too — if about that much niyam can be kept, it is excellent. That means daily abhishek, good shringar, naivedya of makhan and mishri, arti, and after the evening arti a night naivedya as well with an arrangement made for his sleep.
How should arghya be given to Surya Deva?
If you perform sandhya, the arghya described within sandhya is a separate subject and giving it that way is excellent. If you do not do sandhya and want to give a general arghya, take water in a vessel and offer it with plain water; you may also add akshat and chandan — red chandan or roli — and gud may also be put in. But if you offer water in a copper vessel, a copper lota, only men should do so: women should not offer water from a copper lota.
May a silver lamp be lit at home?
A listener who lights a brass lamp asks whether she may light a silver lamp in her house. Absolutely you may light it, the speaker says.
What is the daily niyam for the Datta paduka?
The Datta paduka will always stay at the guru sthan, the speaker says — that is, at the pujan place, where you make a good arrangement, spread a yellow cloth and give the guru paduka, the Datta paduka, a place upon it. You may do their abhishek daily; after the abhishek, decorate them with fragrant chandan, kumkum and the like, making a swastik and so on upon them, offer flowers, and show dhoop. In paduka pujan you may generally apply itr as well. In this manner the paduka pujan will be done.
What should be done with the yantra when the household worshipper must travel?
A listener says nobody else in her house does any puja — not her mother-in-law, father-in-law or husband — and that she must go to her maternal home for some days, and asks by what vidhi to take it. If nobody in the house is going to do the daily abhishek and panchopachar pujan, the speaker says, then to take it along, a change of place, the transgressing of the threshold, is not proper. Nor can you leave them. You can do one thing: take a red cloth, of pure cotton, and scent it by applying itr and the like. Wrap the yantra on all four sides — that is, cover them with that cloth. Show dhoop and deep. And make a prayer to them that after so many days, when I come, I will again do your seva and pujan.
Can a silver lamp be used in the home temple?
Asked whether a silver lamp may be lit in the mandir of the house, the speaker says yes, it may be lit.
The separate thing that remained to be given for a child who does not speak is a solid ball made of pure 999 silver
A listener had earlier asked about her child not speaking and was told the japa of the mantra of the eleventh adhyaya, which is going on, and was also told that something separate would be given. It was the matter of the silver ball that had remained to be said, the speaker says: get one solid ball made of pure silver, the 999 silver which is entirely pure.
What bhog should be offered to Ma Kamakhya?
If it is possible, the speaker says, to offer a little honey as bhog in a small silver vessel, that is the most excellent of all; if not, then offer raisins.
Water, asana and clothing for the eclipse guru sadhana
The speaker says to keep Gangajal in a bowl with rose water mixed in, and a lota of water with an achamani. The asana cloth is yellow or white, or a Kusha Asana. Women sadhikas may wear a yellow or a red saree, or colours of their choice, but not black: because this guru sadhana is sattvik and for householders, black or dark cloth is not to be used at all; yellow, red or pink may be used. One sits on the asana facing east.
The two-wick lamp for the eclipse sadhana
The speaker says that if one has much wish, and to give the sadhana strength, a lamp of either ghee or Til oil may be lit. A Deepak's mouth is always towards the east, so it is placed and lit facing east. The wick is always two threads: whether Kalava, raw thread, or cotton, the cotton is mixed with kalava, because a single thread, a single wick, is never lit; two wicks are lit. The two wicks are twisted together and lit so that the lamp can burn for three hours, through the whole Grahan kaal.
The kaner root kept in the water through the eclipse
The speaker says one more thing is needed: the root of a kaner plant, either yellow kaner or white kaner, brought on a Thursday. It is properly brought in Pushya Nakshatra, but even if Pushya is not available, bring it and keep it. This root is kept in the bowl of water, the one in which the mala is placed, through the whole Grahan kaal.
What is the use of a rhino-horn kada in tantra?
Asked about the use of a kada made from a rhino's horn, the speaker says its use is made in tantra in a special manner, and that its first prayoga exists in the sabar vidyas and the like — but that somewhere this prayoga has been forbidden to a householder. He says he does not know which panth the questioner is following with it, and that there are many things a householder is forbidden to keep at home.
Should a rhino horn be kept at home?
The speaker notes that this listener has asked the same question before and is asking it repeatedly. If you have it, he says, learn its prayogas properly from the person from whom you took it. According to his own view and the knowledge he has, a householder should not use it at home unless it is absolutely necessary and life itself is at stake.
What small upaya helps someone in great distress going to Vindhyachal?
There is nothing greater than her, the speaker says; when all doors in life have closed and it seems no human being will support you, it is those devi shaktis that support you. So whenever you go to Vindhyachal and are not finding any person, and there is much distress in your life and trouble connected with tantra, do this small thing: before going, have a silver supari made, solid and not hollow, upon a sheet of silver. Have either the name of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini written on it, or if you do not have anything written, then have an Om, the symbol of a trishul, or Bhagavati's face made upon it. It becomes a kind of amulet, of silver.
May a rhino-horn bangle given by someone be worn, and how much Rudrashtak in Shravan?
A listener says the rhino-horn item was presented to him by a Girish ji, who gave it only to be worn. Then wear it, the speaker says; there is no difficulty, and since he gave it, take directions from him. Asked how much Rudrashtak should be recited in Shravan, he says: do eight paths each day, or do nine paths.
What is needed against a ghunghat masani, and what of sapta mritika in the Bajrang Baan?
In this, the speaker says, the support of high-order tantra sadhanas has to be taken; the support of the Mahavidyas has to be taken. Asked whether the sapta mritika is to be mixed into the flour of five kinds of grain used at the time of the Bajrang Baan, he says: if you mix it, that is excellent; and if you do not mix it, there is no matter either.
What are the two kinds of Ganpati prayoga?
A prayoga of Ganpati is always of two kinds. The first, which is the root prayoga, is upon a supari — and in supari, if it be a silver supari, then it serves particularly for oots, pitrs and everything connected with them. In Vedic or Pauranik pujan you will not at all come to know from the mantras that something is being said for the peace of the pitrs; only a particular marmagya might explain it.
How should a newly brought ashtadhatu Ganpati be installed?
Asked how to do the prana pratishtha, in the Ganpati Navratra, of a new ashtadhatu Ganpati brought that day, he first tells Mishra ji that if he wears the yajnopavit — and then says that ashtadhatu Ganpati will not be found anywhere. Everyone listening should take this notion out of their minds, that any Shri vigraha made of ashtadhatu is available in the market.
Why are ashtadhatu murtis not genuinely sold?
However much anyone may thump his chest and say it is an ashtadhatu pratima, an ashtadhatu pratima is never easily available; and if it is available, its price is at the heights of the sky. They are not made from ashtadhatu. At the maximum they are of tridhatu only.
What should be bought instead of an ashtadhatu murti?
Either take one of a single metal if you get one, or take whatever is available, in brass. Saying ashtadhatu, it is not ashtadhatu — either they will take money from you, or they will keep you in the dark; it will have been made by mixing some impure metal.
What did ashtadhatu casting once do to the caster?
He says that however much technology has progressed today, there was a time — and this, he says, is not said by him but told by the goldsmiths themselves — that whenever a vigraha was constructed from ashtadhatu, the smoke that came from it, or its effect upon the body, would give the one to whom it attached a leprosy-related problem, so that he would become a leprosy patient. So in earlier times the kings who had ashtadhatu murtis made took upon themselves the cost and responsibility of maintaining the whole family of the man who made the murti, saying that if you suffer any distress or any difficulty, I will take up the responsibility of your family.
Should a havan kund be of iron or copper?
Never use an iron kund for havan. Only the copper kund should be used. If you ever do havan in an iron kund, then from the smoke that rises from it, from the burning of the fire caused by the havan samagri and the rest, it is as with the question about the ashtadhatu murti: it will give a contrary effect in your body and you will have trouble.
When is the charmasan of a boar used?
Asked when the charmasan of a varaha is used, he answers that it is used particularly in maran karmas, is used in ugra karmas, is used in the kriyas of the shamshaan and the like. And householder people had better not use it at all — it is good if they do not.
Why is shamshan bhasma sprinkled in such prayogas?
The speaker says people speak of shamshan ash being sprinkled, and that ash is not there for nothing. In the uchchatan process there are particular things to be mixed together, and when the operator mixes and applies them, that group of deva shaktis established there for the purpose of samuh vashikaran — whoever they may be — will be the first thing he uchchatit.
What is said about rasa-siddha parad?
He says rasa-siddha parad is a consumer of gold. Parad shivlings, or what relates to paras — genuine parad — consume gold itself: just as there is a silver leaf, so a gold leaf is applied, and they consume it. Understand from this, he says, what the subject is; and it is not proper for everyone to do this.
How should several items be worn together?
He tells the listener Uma Sut to have everything made into one silver mala together, a beautiful one, and to wear it. At least wear it around the neck at the time of pujan.
Should such practices be dismissed as totka?
Do not go into that, he says — everything cannot be called a totka, and everything cannot be put into totka either. Some things are very good, which are obtained only by a divine effect; so do that, and keep it.
What samagri should a woman use when she performs havan?
Only this much is to be kept in mind about the samagri, he says: whenever women perform havan they will not give ahuti with ghee. They will keep the quantity of guggul greater and the quantity of ghee less; or they will mix together all that havan samagri about which a video has been made on the channel, and give ahuti with that.
What is the filling of a khappar?
There are a great many shaktis, he says, who move with a khappar in the hand. When you recite the Durga Saptashati — or leave that, look at what is shown on television — Bhagavati has taken up the khappar for the slaying of Raktabeej, and when she cuts his head she is filling his blood into her khappar. In just this manner the khappar has been spoken of in tantra as chiefly of three kinds, with various further divisions, and many divisions also according to guru parampara: there is the satvik khappar and there is the tamasik khappar, and in the tamasik khappar too many further divisions arise.
A khappar is never given to kshudra shaktis, though replicas of the vidhi have spread the practice like a disease.
Making a replica of this very thing — copying it somewhere or other — people have begun to give a khappar to kshudra shaktis as well. A khappar is never given to kshudra shaktis, he says. What happens in it is that something is made to run in the khappar; as Maa filled Raktabeej's blood in the khappar, that was one kind of tantra, so understand it in this way, that something is seated in the khappar and set running. The khappar ran, its capability fell upon somebody, a marana prayoga and so on took place — this is spoken of in this language as: a khappar has been offered, get the khappar taken off. Negative shaktis are also taken down into a khappar, and there is a vidhi vidhan of tantra in that.
Is a khappar offered to Mata Durga as well?
Absolutely, he answers: a khappar is offered to Mata Durga too. To the maximum of Bhagavati's forms a khappar certainly is offered. People will say that to Bhagavati Saraswati it is offered nowhere; then he will say only this — you will not find it written anywhere, but go to Maihar, go to Sharda Bhavani, and you will come to know. He adds that he cannot give the answer to every single thing, and often has to fall silent, asking why every single thing should be told.
Does the satvik khappar vidhan apply to Mata Durga?
For Mata Durga that will not be so, he tells the questioner. That vidhan of the satvik khappar will not be.
Once a conviction is formed, even good people turn away from a truth that strikes at it.
Speaking the truth creates great difficulty for people, he says. When he said the thing about the flower khappar, even good people turned away, saying no, it does not happen like that. Once a conviction is formed in the mind, striking at it, taking an axe to it, becomes a very difficult matter; people are not ready to accept.
Is a khappar offered to Bhagavati Saraswati at Amarkantak?
Told of Bhagavati Saraswati at Amarkantak, at a place where she is mounted on a lion, he says that then the khappar will certainly be offered, it certainly must be offered. He adds that he is not writing the temple here.
Isn't incense in temples a loss to dharma, given bamboo may not be burnt?
Aditya Raj ji asks that burning bamboo has been prohibited, and nowadays there is agarbatti in all small and large Hindu temples — is dharma not being harmed by this? The speaker answers that on this very channel there is a video connected with this subject in which a good many small points have been explained, and asks him to listen to it once.
What is the sendha namak prayoga?
There is sendha namak, he says: abhimantrit the sendha namak with the Datta Mala Mantra by doing a hundred and eight. Bring and keep at least a hundred and twenty-five grams of salt for the whole of eleven days and charge it. Then tell whichever woman there is in the house that when food is to be given to him, this salt is to be mixed in the dal or the sabzi and given. But the mantra must already have been made siddha by you beforehand, japped well for at least three to six months.
What bhog should be offered when Kali ji and Bhairav ji are worshipped together?
You can offer any sweet thing at all as bhog, he answers Keshav Mishra ji — what is there that they will not accept in bhog? Offer sweet bhog to Kali ji and Bhairav ji. If you do puja at home, then on Saturday you can make urad bade and offer dahi bada as bhog to Bhairav ji, and to Bhagavati you can give a bhog of anything sweet such as laddu. Daily, raisins, cashew or whatever you are able — patase — and daily laung and elaichi should certainly be offered.
Does the Navnath sadhana need new grain and new vessels if repeated?
Asked whether, to do it again, one again needs grain and new vessels for the Navnath sadhana, he answers: yes, absolutely, it should be done in that very same manner.
What should be done in the Navnath sadhana if there is no space for vessels?
If there is a problem of space and you are not able to keep the vessels, he says, then in the Navnath sadhana do it without vessels — but do it with a photo of the Navnath and of Bhagavan Dattatreya.
Is bhaav enough when only a lota of water and five raisins are offered?
And you keep, the speaker says, one lota of water, five raisins counted out, two cloves, one camphor — and then say, how will they not be pleased, how will the work not be done? Then in five raisins you say, my bhaav is this much. If it is bhaav, he asks, why are you doing so much? With bhaav, fold your hands and sing a stuti.
How can real siyar singhi and real hattha jodi be identified?
The speaker says hattha jodi and siyar singhi are in themselves a jagrit vastu. One should keep them in the house only after taking complete information about them. He asks the questioner to message him in the group and says he will separately make a full video on the rules of hattha jodi and siyar singhi — a five-minute video in which he will try to show them as well.
How is the shringar of Hanuman ji done?
The chief shringar of Hanuman ji, the speaker says, is the chola shringar, which should be done on Saturday and Tuesday. The chola is applied from below upward: on a paan leaf, the kesariya sindoor — called bhakhra sindoor, or the orange-coloured Hanuman sindoor — is soaked in chameli oil or in desi ghee, and then, taking Ram ji's or Sitaram ji's name, the chola is applied from below upward.
What is offered after the chola in Hanuman ji's shringar?
After the chola, the speaker says, the Ram naam should be written on paan leaves — at least eleven paan leaves — and a garland made of them, or else written on a bargad leaf, and hung around Hanuman ji's neck. After that, if you wish, shringar may be done with banana fruit or with banana leaves; all these things are very dear to Hanuman ji.
Why do kamal gatta malas spoil so quickly, and what should be used instead?
The speaker says the kamal gatta mala spoils fastest of all — his own spoils in three to four months. Either the thread breaks because it has been put on Bhagavati and bathed, or a white growth appears and the bead begins to hollow out and gets worm-eaten. For japa of Bhagavati Lakshmi, he says, take a sphatik mala properly and do japa on that.
Why should a copper murti of Gayatri not be kept?
A copper murti should not be kept for Ma Gayatri, the speaker says; rather than copper, keep a panchdhatu murti or a brass murti. Copper is tamba: if you keep a tamba murti you can never have her bathed with sweet water, since jaggery or any sweet substance put into copper becomes like poison, and such things find their use in abhichaar karma.
Is nag mani really found?
Whether it is found or not found is a separate matter, the speaker says; those who talk of it and show it may show that this is nag mani, but what its reality is, is a thing to be known. If he were to say yes, it is found, you would then say show it — and from where would he show it, since he does not have it. Yes, he has seen such things; whether it was really that is a different matter to speak of.
Can a parad shivling be installed by a householder?
If a householder installs anything relating to parad, the speaker says, following the niti and niyam becomes necessary. According to his own view, if you do not do tantrokta sadhanas and are an ordinary householder, then more excellent than installing a parad shivling is the Narmadeshwar shivling; that is what should be installed.
Which lemon should be used in tantra prayogs?
The speaker says the lemon is a necessity in every household because, once understood, it serves in every shatkarma prayog and every protective prayog. Lemons come in many varieties and tantra prayogs use different kinds, but the one lemon usable for any shatkarma matter — protective prayogs, bandhan and the like — is the green, raw lemon, which in the language of tantra is often called the kunwara (virgin) lemon; he says to use that one most of all.
A yellowed lemon only as the last option
The speaker says the one thing to keep specially in mind is that a lemon which has turned yellow is the very last option. Otherwise try to the maximum that the lemon always stays green, and use only the green, raw lemon for tantra prayogs of any kind.
Should Batuk Bhairav be given a copper or a brass lamp?
Asked whether a copper or brass lamp may be lit for Batuk Bhairava, since a clay lamp is not always obtainable, and what real chameli oil is, the speaker says you may certainly light a brass lamp. Lighting a copper one will give a little trouble; do not light copper, light a brass lamp. And if chameli oil is not obtainable, then use mustard oil.
In which metal vessel is it best to keep a shivling?
Asked in which metal vessel it is best to keep a Shivling, the speaker says that if it is to be spoken of that way, a vessel of silver is the most excellent. You may keep it in brass as well — keep it in brass.
To whom may deepdaan be made with a copper lamp?
Asked to whom Deepdaan may be made with a copper lamp, the speaker says the use of a copper lamp is itself different. Lighting a copper lamp is not auspicious for everyone. In a copper lamp you may always burn mustard oil; never burn til oil or ghee in it in the ordinary daily way.
Can chameli oil be made by mixing it into til oil?
Asked whether chameli oil may be made by mixing chameli oil into til oil, given that top-quality til oil and chameli oil are available, the speaker says yes, mix it, there is no difficulty. Keeping only chameli, he adds, it burns away very fast.
May the same silver bowl be used for kindling and for Naivedya?
No. The vessel in which you kindle and the vessel in which you offer Naivedya will be separate. You will not burn clove and camphor in the same bowl in which Naivedya is offered — that has become a small Khappar in form.
What exactly is the twelve-Durva prayoga?
Take at least twelve blades of Durva ankur, the Doob grass, and offer one to Ganpati at home on each of twelve daily recitations of the Sankat Nashan. With it, Akshat — unbroken rice tinted lightly with turmeric or yellow sandal. Recite the twelve names, offer one blade and a little Akshat, and repeat twelve times in the morning.
How is Ganpati tarpan done by someone who is not initiated?
In the Tantrokta method, use Durva in place of Kusha; or if you bathe in a river, offer the tarpan straight there. It is a Deva tarpan, so water is given straight from the Anjali. Say Shri Vakratundaya tarpayami namah and release the water, and so through the twelve names.
May Tulsi be worshipped on Ekadashi?
Worship, yes — Tulsi Vivah itself takes place on that day. But Argha is forbidden. Bhagavati Tulsi is on her fast that day, so nothing that would break her fast — no Naivedya, no Argha — should be given.
Can one fire in one kunda serve several deities in turn?
Yes, absolutely. Lighting the fire once in a square kunda and then putting Palash wood first for Datta, then other wood for Ganpati, then Bel wood for Lakshmi and the sixty-four Yoginis, taking them in turn, may certainly be done.
Can one clay lamp be kept permanently for camphor Aarti and bali?
If it is a clay lamp, it will have to be changed every day. Take a brass one and you can use it for these purposes.
How is a Jaiphal bali actually given?
Either kindled upon camphor — the best way for Paushtik Karma, washed lightly first — or cut in two on a small Peeth: a firm, flat, square stone, washed, with a small mandala drawn on it, an inverted triangle for the Devi, an upright one in the Kashi kshetra.
How is Sheetla Mata worshipped when she is the Kuldevi?
It is done differently in every region — three or four ways within UP and Bihar alone, differently again further north, differently in the Purvanchal, differently in Chhattisgarh. Only you can say what your own region's way is. The common element is the Naivedya; everything else changes.
What should be done with a newly obtained mala or Kavach?
No prescription is needed — use it directly. Only this: whenever you obtain a Kavach or a mala, certainly perform their first worship, in five ways. Abhishek with raw milk, then with water, an anointing with Gandha, Dhupa, Deepa and Naivedya offered, and Aarti shown with camphor.
How are new unstitched clothes for sadhana consecrated?
They will be consecrated of themselves when you perform the procedure, or the japa and Havan and the rest. Do not consecrate them separately without a Deeksha Vidhan and the like.
How does a practitioner guard against something put in his food?
One thing should certainly be done in general: wherever you eat and whatever you eat, offer Naivedya from it first — dedicate it in the name of your Ishta. The full prescription, with the mantras, is on the Siddh Sabari Vidya channel.
Materials for the kul havan: kund, wheat flour, gud, ghee, chaumukh lamps, oils and sindoor
The speaker lists what is needed. A large earthen pot to do the Havan in, or a Havan kund of copper, never aluminium or iron, of medium size, because a vedi cannot be built here. Wheat flour, either wheat one has brought, washed and had ground oneself, or flour from a place that sells pure wheat for puja, two and a half to three kilos; good Gud from a puja shop where salt is not sold so it carries no dosha; and ghee. Two Chaumukh Deepak lamps each day, new ones daily, so about thirty for Purnima to Amavasya or twenty for Navratri, with mustard oil and sesame oil and wicks made of Kalava. And genuine orange Mahabiri sindoor, which he says is also called bakhra sindoor.
The threshold rite of the kul havan: kush and mango leaf, five tilaks and the two lamps at the main door
The speaker says the house is cleaned a day before and the prayog begun with a firm Sankalpa, at the main door of the house, or in a rented house at the door where one's own boundary begins. The door is wiped with a cloth soaked in Gangajal. A mango leaf with its tip cut off is bound at the back with at least three Kusha, dipped in Gangajal and hung exactly at the middle of the door; it is marked with Mahabiri Sindoor mixed with ghee, and five tilaks are made on the Chaukhat in the Kuldevi's name. Facing out of the house, a Chaumukh Deepak lamp of mustard oil is lit on the right for the kula's protector Bhairava and one of sesame oil on the left for the kuldevi, each set on a little Akshat or flowers, never on bare ground.
The daily havan of the kul prayog: the rot, the thirty ahutis and their order, and the ash
The speaker says fire is kindled in the earthen pot or kund with cow-dung upale or mango wood. Beforehand, after bathing, a Rot is made from wheat flour, Gud and ghee with a little black Til, cooked in ghee, then crumbled and divided into thirty pieces: twenty-seven for the Kuldevi and three more. Facing out of the house and working quickly, with the mantras said in the mind, the first three Ahuti go to Ganesha, the kul guru and Hanuman; if the Kulguru is known he comes first and Ganpati second, otherwise Ganpati first. The remaining twenty-seven are offered in the kuldevi's name with namah added and no Om, for example Durgaya namah, swaha being optional; if her name is unknown one says kuldibbe namah swaha. He says namah is compulsory here and the usual havan rule of swaha without namah does not apply. Afterwards water is taken in the hand, circled three times round the kund and poured there, the fire is left to burn out, and the ash is removed and collected in one place.
A khatiya woven from moonj rope is used in several tantra vidhis, work differing by region
A listener says that in their guru parampara a rope is made from moonj and a khatiya is woven from it, which is later used in several tantra vidhis. Yes, he answers, according to the place and region different kinds of work take place. Moonj has very great importance.
Can a metal murti be kept at home without pran pratishtha?
Harish Kumar ji, he says, two kinds of opinion are found: in some places it is said that if you do not do pran pratishtha and keep it in the house, the full fruit will not be attained, and therefore pran pratishtha should be done. Given the present lokachar rules, running according to desh, kaal and circumstance, he will say only this much: keep the murti of metal, and keep it solid. Do not keep a hollow murti.
When should coconut oil be used at all?
Coconut oil should be used when there is no availability of ghee, he says. So make the attempt to do it with ghee; and if there is some special reason, then he cannot give a suggestion just like that. As for whether Rudrabhishek can be done, he asks again in which manner the Rudrabhishek is going to be done — it will depend on that.
What should actually be done about the ants and the bhog?
Yes, in that place do a sprinkling of something fragrant, he says — such as agaru, or itra and the like; by that alone they will move away. And if you offer sweet bhog, then do not offer it and leave it there. After the pujan, lift up the bhog and so on; you may let the water remain.
Where should cloves and paan leaves be disposed of?
Asked whether the cloves and paan leaf and so on should be given visarjan in a river or under a dev vriksha, he says: in a river, or under a dev vriksha.
In "kanchan thal virajit", what is kanchan?
Vipin Kumar Singh ji asks what kanchan is in "kanchan thal virajit agar kapur baati". Kanak, kanchan, he says — recalling the line about kanak having a hundred times more intoxication, that one who eats it is maddened and one who obtains it is maddened, which you will have heard or read somewhere. So kanchan thal means a plate of gold; kanchan means gold, swarna. In a plate of gold, the arti of Bhagavati is being done with camphor and wick.
Can havan be performed with khair wood?
Yes, certainly. The speaker says khair is one of the navagraha woods and there is no difficulty at all; do it quite comfortably.
What materials should be used for the havan, and how much of each?
Do it with guggul and ghee, the speaker says — for a paushtik havan always use guggul and ghee, which is the very best. Mix in panchmeva, madhu and so on and it is better still: panchmeva, madhu, black til and guggul-ghee is the best of all. Only this must be kept in mind, that men will keep the quantity of ghee higher and women will keep the quantity of guggul higher. Give 108 ahuti with this same mantra.
How many flowers should be offered in the chakra vidhi?
Doing it thirty-three times will be more fitting, the speaker says; the more you do the better it will be. If that is not possible you may do thirty-three paaths on a single flower. If you are doing five chakra paaths, then thirty-three times five offerings should be made if you want to do it that way; otherwise do it on five flowers alone, with thirty-three paaths on each. There is no difficulty in that either — but if you have more available, doing more is better.
Can a banana be offered as bali?
Absolutely it can be done, the speaker says. The bali of banana, of cucumber, of bottle gourd, of kushmanda is the very best; lemon, coconut — the bali of all of them can be offered.
Should two cloves be held for each chakra, or one?
There is no need for two cloves, the speaker says; keep only one. There is no need of a pair, because in this it is Bhagavati alone, and the samput here is of Bhagavati's pranavas. So taking one clove at a time, since there are thirty-three paaths, thirty-three cloves will be needed to complete one chakra. They may certainly be burnt at the end.
How is the dhooni made?
Let the cow-dung cake be kindled first, the speaker says; when the fire has taken hold fully, then guggul is dropped upon it while the mantra is being spoken. The smoke that comes out of that is the dhooni.
What should be done when the required materials are not available?
Do it with whatever means are available, the speaker tells Vikas. Sadhana and anushthan should be performed according to the means available in the place where one lives. By the rule it goes so far, he says, that if there is a lack even of fruit and leaves in that region, then make the offering mentally and complete the pujan that way.
What should be done with the cloves added each day at the aarti?
The cloves you put in for the aarti — once the aarti is done and the fire in the lamp has gone quiet and cooled, go on collecting those cloves in one place, the speaker says. Make a powder of them, mix in kesar and the rest, and apply it as tilak every day after the Navratra. Whatever has burnt in the lamps has to be emptied out in any case.
Can the deity be invoked and established with rice?
Yes, the speaker tells Hitesh Gauri, the avahan can absolutely be performed with rice and the establishment made; there is no problem in it. But the point that arises here, he says, is that if there are no flowers at all — the complete absence of flowers — then that is a matter for thought.
Of which metal should the havan kund be?
Always take a havan kund of tamra — of copper, the speaker says. Do not take iron, steel, any of these.
How should a coconut bali be broken?
A new coconut is not to be given with the khadga, the speaker says; it is to be dashed down and broken, as it is done, the way one breaks it by hand. According to one tantra text the bali is broken with one hand alone. This two-handed practice that has come into currency — he says he is stating what is shastrokta, what is absolutely written: the coconut is to be broken with one hand alone, with the right hand alone. With one hand.
Can a havan be done on cow-dung cakes placed over sand?
Yes — placing the cow-dung upla over the sand, it can be done with cow dung, the speaker says.
Which wood is best for a Saraswati havan?
If bel wood is available for the Saraswati havan, it will be excellent, the speaker says.
How many lamps are offered in the deepdaan for Mahalakshmi?
The speaker says that for Mahalakshmi the deepdaan should be of sixteen lamps. Answering another question, he says the pan leaf and the madira patra and all such things will go to visarjan — satvik madira.
Is it inauspicious if the coconut burns in a deepdaan?
A listener says a coconut-shell deepdaan was done yesterday and the coconut burned, and asks whether it is inauspicious. The speaker answers that there is nothing inauspicious — the coconut will certainly burn, in the deepdaan and in the khappar both, it is bound to burn. The more the coconut burns, the more auspicious it is. In the khappar vidhi the khappar coconut is sometimes reduced wholly to ash and sometimes remains partly burnt; in the deepdaan too it sometimes burns a little and sometimes fully. Whatever has burned has burned; give visarjan to what remains.
What material must not be used in a havan on Ekadashi?
The speaker says: do not do a havan with samagri containing rice — on the day of Ekadashi.
Should one feel disgust at lemon, egg and liquor left at a local shrine?
A listener says people come and offer lemon, egg, liquor and the like at their Mai's place, that she cleans the temple, that a feeling of disgust arises in the mind and she removes them into the trees, and asks whether that is right or whether they should not be touched. The speaker answers that it depends which form of Bhagwati is there: if substances of that kind are used there too, then you should not feel disgust. It has been offered for the shakti's sake, so you should not keep such a thought in your mind.
May a first attempt at a dish be offered to Bhagwati?
A listener writes that by his guidance and Mahalakshmi's grace, one who does not even know how to make tea made kheer for the first time and offered its bhog to the Mother, though the milk fell short. The speaker says it is a very good thing that she has offered kheer as naivedya to Bhagwati today, and tells her to make full kheer sometime. Of himself he says that whatever divine dish they make, they offer its bhog to Bhagwati and say — Mother, you yourself give it whatever name you wish.
What bhog is given to Lakshmi Kali Mata?
If you are asking about the bhog, then for one thing there is makhana, which you may give, the speaker says; the second is kaju-kishmish. At the least, if you are doing Kali ji's puja, then two cloves and one cardamom for her — all these things should be there. If it is Bhagavati Chandika, then madhu for her.
If someone wishes to offer silver to Hanuman, what should they offer?
Spend a little more money, he says: put a silver kada on Hanuman's feet; have a silver Ram made, a locket of Ram ji, and put it around his neck. He will be pleased with you for a lifetime. Instead people offer ten rupees of silver vark, copying what they see others do.
What may be offered to Hanuman in place of vark?
If you have so much wish to offer silver and silver is not beyond your means — offer Hanuman a Ramnami locket; have some ornament of gold or silver made for him and offered; put a mukut on him; a mala of Tulsi; Ram written on a paan leaf, Ram written on a peepal leaf. Offer those. Which bhakta ever said to offer chandi ka vark?
No description of the practice exists anywhere — offer dry sindoor or ashtagandha instead
Because the question kept coming, he looked at it properly, and nowhere is there any description of it, nowhere has it been said to do this thing. Bring pure sindoor, pure oil, pure desi ghee — and if you make ghee at home yourself, offer that. If it is not available, offer dry sindoor; there is no difficulty, Hanuman will be pleased. Offer ashtagandha.
Til oil should be bought pressed before your own eyes, especially around Navratri
That til oil should be used with thought, because around Navratri many brands of it appear with excellent outer packing and a thing inside that is not right; burn that til oil and it will only give you harm. If you can get oil pressed before your own eyes, take it; otherwise pure mustard oil, which nowadays is pressed by machines set up in many places. It will cost fifty or a hundred rupees more, but it is pure, and the deities will be nourished by it.
Coconuts bought in Navratri kept turning out bad — what does that mean?
This was a childhood matter, he says, and what the circumstances were at that time cannot now be stated. This thing can happen by dev yog as well. If the coconut is old it can also turn out bad. And if you are breaking it after bringing it into the house, that too can cause some difficulty.
What is Krishna prishtha in the panchgandha?
Chandan, kumkum, krishna prishtha, kapur — the lepan of a shivling is done with these panchgandhas. As for what krishna prishtha is called, he says one and the same thing has different names; if it is being said in connection with panchgandha, one must see according to where you have read it. Just as the ashtagandha of the devatas is different and the ashtagandha for the devis is different, so also the trigandha and panchgandha for Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are each different; and, more than that, according to the Puranas you will find that in every Purana some one thing or another in it changes. So without seeing it, he says, it would be a little difficult for him to say.
May sindoor and chameli oil be offered to a Hanuman murti at home?
Asked whether sindoor and chameli oil may be offered on the Hanuman murti kept at home, or whether it should be done only on a temple murti, he says: you may offer it at home too, there is no difficulty.
Is cold-pressed til oil all right for the lamp?
He answers frankly that he does not know what cold-pressed is, so how can he tell. What he knows is that there is a machine for pressing oil and it is got pressed in front of you and taken out; his sadhak friends send him pressed oil when he asks for it. What cold-pressed and hot-pressed are he does not know — he is not so lettered. He asks the listener to tell him the process once so that he may look at it; only there should be no use of any chemical.
Can a clay lemon be used on Bhairav's trishul?
He refuses it. Where is a clay lemon, he asks — offer the original one; is there any scarcity of lemons? You do not have to change the lemon day after day; put at least one lemon in it on one day of the week. And if the lemon is not available, then in the absence of the lemon at least put a marigold flower in it, which will certainly be found.
Who needs a hattha jodi or a sukar dant?
Do not wear the hattha jodi, he tells the questioner. Hattha jodi and sukar dant are not for everybody — what maran prayoga are you going to bear? Those upon whom maran prayoga has been done in particular, or those who deal with such things in the tantra field — who go into others' houses and do nikasi, do utara, destroy tantra prayoga — they have need of these things. Because it is a living thing: when maran prayoga comes upon you it will absorb that energy and itself attain death. Though it is held to be a form of Bhagavati Chamunda. He adds that at present hattha jodi is banned, that Modi ji has placed a ban on all these things, and that these things are all right if a genuine one is obtained.
Can havan be done in a brass thali?
Do not do havan in a brass thali, he says. Rather than that, take a small copper havan kund.
How is petha offered, and can laung bali be given to Hanuman?
If you have to offer petha, its vidhi will remain the ordinary one; but if you have it done at some temple it is better.
What is used in the aarti at the Vindhyavasini temple?
In the Vindhyavasini temple there is aarti of four pahars, he says; and the decoration and shringar of all four aartis is made using entirely natural, pure articles. The rua too is made by the pandits there themselves — you may see them sitting and preparing it behind the temple, at the Mata's khazana. Ghee is dipped into pure ghee, hardened, kapur and so forth mixed in; it is not a candle, it is a rua. It is hardened so that it will burn slowly, slowly. And it is used not only at the Vindhyavasini temple but at other temples too.
Should a leather wallet or leather shoes be avoided?
In today's time, is this possible, he asks — for the people of earlier times it was possible. At present a shoe will mostly be found of leather only; sports shoes are one thing where you do not get all this in leather. So if it is possible for you, if you do not do that kind of work, then wear a shoe without leather; it will be very good. A purse without leather is available — keep that. But if you work in some factory or the like, a safety shoe is made of leather only, and there it will not be possible for you.
Is Hanuman's japa to be done after eating garlic and onion, and is there a Mandar Tantra?
The japa of Hanuman should not be done after eating garlic and onion, he says. And asked whether there is any grantha called Mandar Tantra — yes there is; Mandar vidya is an anga vidya of Bhagavati, having a separate mantra of its own, and Mandar Tantra is a different thing altogether.
Seven-day Janmashtami anushthan for siddhi of the Krishna kavach
The speaker gives a roughly seven-day anushthan run from the Dwitiya of the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada up to the Navami after Janmashtami. Only the kavach mula — shlokas one to eight, without purva pithika and phalashruti — is written on a white bhojpatra in gopi chandan, or in ashtagandha ink mixed with kesar and gorochan using a silver, white-chandan or red-chandan pen, or at the least a tulsi pen, in very small letters. It is placed at Krishna's feet and 108 paths are done daily for seven days, with as many as possible on the Janmashtami night so that 1100 paths are completed. The bhojpatra then goes into a silver khol bearing Krishna's form, his names or Radha's name; on the day after Janmashtami a havan is done with Krishna's 108 names or the sahasranama (men with plain ghee, women with mixed paushtik havan samagri), makhan mishri and the like is fed to at least five small boys and to small girls, and the kavach is worn on the neck — best placed on the neck or arm by the hand of an innocent child of up to five or seven years. Worn thus, he says, it is said the Sudarshan Chakra and the gopis protect the wearer wherever he goes.
Niyams of Pitambara sadhana that get skipped
The speaker asks whether the other niti-niyams of Pitambara sadhana were kept at all: yellow cloth is said to be necessary (not green or bhagwa, which is why she is named Pitambara), so does the sadhak wear a pitambari dhoti and know how to tie its lang; is the asana yellow; was Bhagavati ever worshipped with haridra-samskarit materials, with her Sahasranama, her shatnam or her 108 namavali before even a photo; was she ever given abhishek, and was her Bhairav, Bhagwan Shiva, ever given abhishek. He also asks whether the sadhanatmak side was looked at first: the Tithi, the Nakshatra, how and what is to be done and when it is not to be done. If none of this was done, he says, that is the root cause of the trouble, though other causes may also exist.
Tarpan of Bhagavati Pitambara to make an ugra shakti saumya
If everything preparatory was done and trouble still grows while the sadhana is repeated, the speaker says the first thing is the sahasrarchan of Bhagavati Pitambara and her Tarpana, and the tarpan of her Yantra: when a shakti begins to turn Ugra, she is made shant and saumya by tarpan. He gives only a small general outline and says one's guru will tell the rest: raw milk of a single-coloured cow if one can be found, with haridra and Kesar mixed in, done in one's own janma Nakshatra (any paksha, any time), before a picture of Bhagavati that will not spoil when wet; for a 108-name tarpan, 108 Bilva patra are dipped in the milk one by one, lifted with a little milk still on them, and offered with one name of Bhagavati and "tarpayami namah" each. By this her ugrata is quietened, the sadhak's Aura that could not receive her energy turns saumya, and whatever the underlying cause, mantra dosha, devi dosha, a Shraap, Pitru Dosha or other doshas, the japa one is doing becomes auspicious in its fruit.
Before ordering a yantra one must ask who will make it and how, because the craftsmen it is outsourced to matter
So much confusion has spread about yantras that one hardly knows what to say, he says. A few days ago someone posted a silver yantra, offering to have one made for anyone who asked. A maharaj ji enquired — brother, how will you make the yantra, what will it cost — because he is very conscious that what a sadhak has should be of the right kind. In the discussion it emerged that the yantras were being made by outside craftsmen the seller did not know; the answer given was that there are no craftsmen left among us who do the fine work of shaping the leaves and bending the wires, and nobody wants to learn it.
May one make murtis of the gods and goddesses?
Absolutely, murtis of the gods and goddesses can be made, he answers.
Is abhishek with pomegranate juice and ghee effective?
Absolutely — abhishek with pomegranate juice, ghee and all such things will have a positive effect.
What is to be done with the wheat kept in the Navnath sadhana?
The wheat that you had kept in the vessel in the Navnath sadhana — you may mix it, and you may also perform its visarjan.
On what should the worship be performed?
If you have installed your Sadgurudev's Paduka, or his Shri Vigraha, or his photograph, perform the complete worship on that. Where it is a photograph, Abhishek cannot be done on it — so install a supari before it and do it on that, or on a flower.
What if there is no Vigraha or photograph at all?
Then on that day make a heap of rice with yellow Akshat — rice tinted yellow — and install upon it the large kind of supari. If your Guru traditionally has his Shakti with him, a Guru Mata, then install two supari on two heaps, the second of red Akshat.
The Guru on the yellow heap, the Guru Mata on the red — Anagha Lakshmi as Guru Mata for Datta
The Guru on the yellow heap and the Guru Mata on the red. For those who performed Bhagavan Datta's Dev Deeksha Vidhan, the yellow heap with the large supari and a yellow Kalava wrap is for Bhagavan Datta as the Guru, and the red heap to its left, with a red Kalava, is for Ma Bhagavati Anagha Lakshmi as the Guru Mata.
What are the opening acts before the worship begins?
Once the place is given, the invocation begins the worship. Before that: keep two Lotas and an Achmani, consecrate the water with the Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati mantra and perform the Achman; then the washing of the hands; then the wearing of the Pavitri, the Kusha ring.
How is the asana purified, and why does it matter?
Place a flower beneath the asana, draw a triangle, pour water, and recite the mantra of Prithvi Devi — saluting Bhagavati Jagadamba in her earth form so that the asana becomes protected and whatever act you perform seated on it is accomplished. If you give the asana no respect, no Siddhi is going to come.
May an asana, a Pavitri or an Achman vessel be shared?
No. When you are performing an Anushthan or Purashcharan of a mantra, nobody else should ever sit on your asana, nor should you sit on anyone else's — not looking at whether he is a Brahmin, a Guru, a scholar or of a higher or lower Kula. And a Pavitri is never exchanged.
Why must the asana, the Pavitri and the Achman vessel be treated with such respect?
Because all these things — the Achman vessel, the Pavitri, one's own asana — are held to be the Parshads of the Aradhya whose sadhana we are performing. The respect is not for us: it is for the power we are invoking into our own body, whose energy will be projected onto us and who will be present in our aura.
How much Ganpati worship is done on Guru Purnima?
Perform it on whichever Ganesh Vigraha you already keep at home. If not more, at least the Panchopachara worship — Avahan, Asana, Argha and the rest, with Naivedya, Dhupa and Deepa shown. Then recite the Sankat Nashan Ganpati Stotram, which carries his twelve names. That much is enough.
What is the sequence of the Guru's Shodashopachara?
Take a flower in hand, contemplate Gurudev and Guru Mata, and drop one flower before each supari with the feeling that they have come. Then Asana; then Padya, washing their feet with water; Madhuparka; then Achman, Snana, and garments with the Yajnopavita — and try to offer cloth to both if you can.
Is Dakshina obligatory?
Yes. Dakshina should certainly be offered to Gurudev and to Guru Mata — in the worship of any deity whatsoever, Dakshina is obligatory in a Shodashopachara worship.
How is a Guru mantra written for its worship?
The prescription is a silver plate, on which the whole mantra is written with the ring finger in Ashtagandha ink. Where silver is unavailable, write on Phula metal or on brass — brass is best. Never on copper, never on steel.
Where is the written mantra placed?
On a high place, never directly on the earth. It is described that if we let it touch the earth directly, the splendour of that mantra is carried off from us. Tantra also describes that the Dakinis — Bhagavati's Dakini powers — carry away the mantra's entire capacity, and whatever Prokshan you had done becomes an utter blank.
What completes the Guru puja?
The Gau puja. Without Gau puja the full fruit of the Guru puja will not be obtained. After the Guru's worship, food and the rest should certainly be offered to Gau Mata. Those with a living Guru should offer him the Naivedya in person and accept his leavings as Prasad.
What is offered to the cow, and does the chart matter?
Whatever food you serve out for Gau Mata should certainly include something connected with yellow substances — if you are making kheer and puri, put a little saffron in the kheer. And do not go looking at your birth chart to decide whether Guru is a favourable graha for you and whether this is a Daan.
What is the Guru Danda, and how is it made?
A piece of white Kaner wood at least one hand long, brought on Guru Purnima after the worship — the invitation given a day earlier. Perform a Panchopachara on it with a cow's-milk Abhishek, then wind yellow cotton thread over the whole length, top to bottom, while reciting the Guru mantra.
A silver nail consecrated with the Guru mantra is hammered into the Guru Danda, and one mala of every Purashcharan is surrendered upon it
Take a silver nail, consecrate it with at least one mala of the Guru mantra, wash it, and hammer it into one end. Install it as the Guru Danda; and whenever you perform a Purashcharan of the Guru mantra or of any mantra, surrender at least one mala upon this Guru Danda.
What if pure curd is unavailable for the Abhishek?
Arrange cow's milk for at least a week and set curd with a starter — even a quarter litre a day is enough. There is no substitute for curd in this. Curd with jaggery is the most excellent of all, by which forgiveness is obtained at once and any deity-fault or mantra-fault is immediately remedied.
Can another wood be used in place of white Kaner?
No. In this, white Kaner alone is what is required.
How is buffalo-curd starter purified for use?
Put the starter into cow's milk on the first day; the next day take the starter from that set curd and put it into cow's milk again; the third time, when it has been put into cow's milk once more, it becomes pure. Three rounds of setting are needed.
How can real Sphatik be told from fake?
It is true that Sphatik sparks when rubbed in the dark — but the fake, properly speaking the crystal, will shine more than the real when rubbed. Genuine Sphatik mostly looks dull and poor. The very clear one that is genuine is not India's but foreign; and the intermediate grade, which fills the market, outshines both.
What oil may replace mustard oil?
The speaker will not tell anyone to use groundnut oil. Rice-bran oil, groundnut oil — if mustard is unavailable, use ghee.
Can milk be offered to Shiva from a copper lota?
He says plainly: do not offer milk from a copper lota. Keep this in mind. What is done in a temple under a special vidhi vidhan by those who do it, or as whichever pandit ji has said, is a separate matter.
Why is milk in a copper vessel treated as poison?
If you put milk in a copper lota and offer it, he says, that is equal to poison. Milk is not offered in a copper lota. Do not make this mistake. If you have the means, offer it in silver. Where a pandit ji is nonetheless offering it, either he has some special knowledge behind it — such as the use of astra mantras like Neelkanth Aghorastra.
Which metal should an ordinary devotee use, and what is the rule for suhagan women?
He answers that a temple is a public thing — you are not to do that personally. Where there is a special desire and it is written that it should be done for that desire, do it there. Generally, for the fulfilment of all wishes, use a brass lota; it is the very best. And he repeats a restriction he says he states again and again: suhagan women should not use copper when offering jal to Bhagwan Suryanarayan and to Bhagwan Shiva, and should use brass in its place.
Where is a copper vessel with gud and water actually used in tantra?
He says that if you put honey in copper it will in any case become poison. When rudragana sadhana is performed, and some prayog of the special ganas of Rudra is done, and the kachche kalve are used in their vidhi, then what is given to them as prasadi or as the dhaar is bound in a copper lota itself, with gud and water in it — and that is exactly the poison. He says the tantrokta vidhan states this plainly too.
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.
On what may an astra-mantra abhishek be performed at home?
If you are doing the abhishek vidhi at home, either use the tantrokta rudraksha you have — of Harihar, or of Bhairav-Bhairavi, whichever you did it upon earlier. If it is to be done on a shivling, it may be a Narmadeshwar ji, and you may do it on that. But do not do it on a sphatik shivling — do not do an abhishek with any astra mantra on a sphatik shivling. His experience has been that ruin begins to set in. So do not do it at home on a sphatik shivling if you are in grihasthi.
Does the sphatik prohibition apply in a temple too?
No. If outside, in some temple, a sphatik Mahadev is seated, you may do it upon that and there is no difficulty. In a temple you may do it on any kind of shivling — old or new, a Narmadeshwar ji, a Banalinga, or any other linga; there is no difficulty in it. Sadhaks of astra mantras will keep this in mind.
Does a sphatik shivling need praan pratishtha before installation?
Asked whether praan pratishtha should be done to install a sphatik shivling, he says you can have the pratishtha done if you want it by the vidhi vidhan — though in his view there is no particular need. If you call a pandit ji and have the paath of the Atharvashirsham done, even that is plenty.
Which kavach is the most generally wearable?
The most normal one, he says, is the copper kavach — the copper khol — because it will be the lowest in requirement and anyone at all can wear it. For the rest, he says the whole subject has been written in the description of this video: what the kavach is and who is to wear it. For those who cannot give up eating meat and fish and cannot give up drinking liquor, but whose circumstances are bad and who wish to wear one and gain some benefit, a kavach will be made using swaroop mantras of that same kind.
The sixteen items of the tantrokta Mahalakshmi kalash
The speaker lists the samagri: a Kalash of any size, best with a lid, and Mauli thread; then, each taken eight in number, Lakshmi kaudi (chitti kaudi), laghu Nariyal, Hakik stones in yellow, orange, white and red, rakta Gunja, small moti Shankha, copper coins, Gomti Chakra with the chakra formed on the back, one fragrant Chandan stick sawn into eight pieces, kali Haldi if it can be found, kamal gatta, dry yellow haldi knots, copper nails, Supari (ordinary if tantrokta is not available), plain kaudi, and two kinds of Kapoor, ordinary and the pure natural bhimseni kapur. Only the mirror is single: one small darpan, which he calls very special. He advises buying kaudi from a known shop so it is genuine, and says a hacksaw blade under ₹50 will cut the chandan.
Preparing the items for the Mahalakshmi kalash: sunset sitting, cow-milk wash, no dhaniya, kumkum tilak
On Sharad Purnima, the speaker says, sit for the puja in Pradosha kaal, at sunset, with Dhoop and lamp lit and the Kalash placed first. Wash every item in raw cow milk, wipe it and dry it fully, in the sun if possible; do not leave the Haldi soaking, and do not wash the Kapoor. Whole dhaniya used to be put in, but people drop it in damp or the kalash stays damp and insects breed, so dhaniya is not to be used at all now and kamal gatta and the other items take its place; everything must be dry. Then give each item a Kumkum or Roli tilak while saying Mahalakshmyai Namah, or any Mahalakshmi mantra one holds; the uninitiated use Mahalakshmyai Namah, tilak and mantra again and again until every single item is charged.
Charging the sixteen items with the Mahalakshmi Ashtak and the order of filling the kalash
After the sankalp and remembering Guru and Ganesha, the speaker gives two ways to charge each set of eight: hold one item in a closed fist at the heart, recite the whole Mahalakshmi Ashtakam once, drop it in the Kalash, and repeat for each of the eight; or hold all eight together and recite the Ashtak once. Both are fine, but one item at a time is best, and anyone whose kula badly needs Shri, whose Lakshmi has turned away, who is sunk in debt, should give it the full time. The order of dropping in: bhimseni Kapoor first, then kali Haldi, kamal gatta and the haldi knots, every Aushadhi before anything else; then Supari, kaudi, copper nails, Hakik, rakta Gunja and Chandan; last the mirror after one Ashtak, and the camphor on top of everything. Then close the lid or tie the kalash with cloth, bind and decorate it with a Rudraksha mala if one has one, dress it with dhoop, lamp and flowers, and complete the installation with Mahalakshmi path, puja and Havan.
What materials and procedure does the Kshetrapal nikari use?
Take rice equal to two persons' portion — ordinary unboiled paddy rice — and mix into it 250 grams urad, 100 grams dahi and red sindoor. Place it on a pattal, the plate made of sal leaves; on it light a chaumukh lamp, apply tilak, and keep five kinds of sweets and dakshina. Then circulate it through the whole house in the name of Kshetrapal Bhairav, touching it over the heads of everyone in the house, and go out of the house with it, speaking the prayer.
Can an old clay lamp be washed and used again?
In his own view, the speaker says, washing an old clay lamp and using it again is not right. To the second point, that a clay lamp harms the environment, he answers that a baked clay lamp does no harm — it breaks up and finishes somewhere or other; if it is a lamp made of some other kind of clay, that is a different matter.
Should a chameli oil lamp be kept burning through a whole sadhana?
No, the speaker says: the chameli lamp should not burn through the entire sadhana kaal. And those who are newly lighting a chameli oil lamp should not be frightened — know that when it is lit in chameli oil the lamp burns down very quickly and the whole lamp catches fire. So nothing should be nearby, or it will catch fire at once; it flares up completely.
Which oil should be used for Bhairav ji?
Mustard oil is better than til oil, the speaker says — use mustard oil for Bhairav ji.
Can an old brass trishul already kept beside Bhagavati be used for Bhairav puja?
If nothing has previously been consecrated upon that old brass — that is, if no astra pujan or similar vidhi has already been performed on it — then you may perform on it, in the name of Batuk Bhairav ji, the vidhi he has given: cleansing it with panchgavya and so on, and then doing it again upon that.
Must a cigarette be kept with Bhairav pujan as is seen in some temples?
It does not have to be kept at home, the speaker answers. All that happens in temples — do it only where it is done. Where it is not done, do not start it anew.
Can garlic and onion bhog be offered to Baal Bhairav at home?
His answer is that whatever sattvik food you cook at home, without garlic and onion, is what should be offered as bhog. Because it will not be only Bhairav ji in your house — and to Bhairav ji, and to Baal Bhairav too, only wholly sattvik bhog should be offered.
Why does a jyoti kept before Ma keep going out?
Ajay Sharma ji writes that he has kept a jyoti burning before Ma for three years, but for some days now it goes out during the pujan and goes out again when relit. If you are burning it in ghee, the speaker answers, then if the ghee does not melt the wick will not burn properly. Attend to that first.
How is a silver trishul installed for Batuk Bhairav in a home temple?
Do it by the same vidhan he has already given for installing a trishul, the speaker says. A silver trishul may also be kept.
What may an uninitiated person offer to Kaal Bhairav in place of madira?
You are not initiated, the speaker says, so you should not offer madira bhog to Bhagavan Kaal Bhairav yourself. In that case you should offer sattvik madira: mix ginger and jaggery in water, and you may offer that as bhog. For full madira, one must be initiated.
Can the Bhairav Janjira be done at home in a sattvik bhaav?
It will depend on which janjira it is, the speaker answers. Bhairav ji has a great many, and Hanuman ji also has a great many; there is a little difference among them, and the bhog changes.
What materials and quantities does the dhaniya and mishri prayoga use?
You need dhaniya seed, ground to powder in a mixer-grinder — at least 250 grams of dhaniya. Then tal mishri: ask at the ration shop for tal mishri and you will get it. If you have taken 250 grams of dhaniya, take 100 grams of tal mishri; if you take half a kilo of dhaniya it will comfortably last a whole month, and in that case take 200 to 250 grams of tal mishri. This too is to be ground together in the grinder. Grind both thoroughly and keep them in a bowl — a brass bowl is excellent. Take care that a copper bowl or copper vessel is not used in this.
Can the bhog of all the family deities be offered in one vessel?
It is a very good question and everyone should listen to it and follow it, the speaker says. More than one deva and devi may absolutely be kept at home; there is no difficulty, as you wish. Offer the bhog in two places. If you offer in two places, then one vessel's bhog is for the whole Shiv Parivar and all the shaktis connected with Shiva, to whom a tulsi leaf is not surrendered — because if you put in a tulsi leaf, that bhog will not be accepted even by the amsha of Ganpati, Bhagavati Durga cannot accept it, Bhagavan Shiva cannot accept it, and a great many shaktis will not accept it.
What is the method if the bhog is offered in a single vessel?
If you offer in one place, do not put in the tulsi leaf first. Set the bhog down and begin the pujan. When the pujan is done, before the aarti, or even after the aarti: you will certainly be keeping water beside the bhog vessel — take water out with the achamani and circle it five times around the bhog. Leave the Vedic mantras aside; you may say the Annapurne Sadapurne mantra or "श्री अन्नपूर्णाय नमः", remembering Bhagavati Annapurna: O Bhagavati Annapurna, serve food to all the devatas and all the devis, let all obtain their share of the food, let the naivedya reach all. Pour the water five times there. Then put in one tulsi leaf and, with folded hands, pray that all the devatas accept the bhog — Narayan too will accept it, and the remaining shaktis as well.
Why should the bhog arrangement be kept simple?
He hopes this method will serve people, because not everyone can manage so elaborate a vidhi as to offer in one vessel for the kula's devi-devata, one for the kula Bhairav, one for Narayan, one for Shiv ji. Someone will say his whole salary is going into offering bhog to Bhagavan, and that at this rate he himself will become the bhog. So keep it ordinary.
Shakambhari anushthan setup and order of worship: cloth, direction, vigraha, nyas and kavach
The speaker says to use red or yellow cloth, a yellow or red asana, and to do the japa facing east or north, before an installed Shri Vigraha of the four-armed Jagadamba or, alternatively, of the eight-armed Durga, on which the archan and pujan are done. The order is smaran of Guru, Ganapati and the rest, then dhyan of Bhagavati Shakambhari Durga, then the viniyoga, rishi and other nyas, kar nyas, hriday nyas, dhyan mantra and japa mantra exactly as written in the PDF linked in the video description. Before that vidhi one may recite the Shakambhari kavach, or, if it is not available, Bhagavati's Chandi Durga kavach from the Saptashati, and then perform the anushthan of the mantra.
Dress, direction and the vigrah before you in the Kali kavach anushthan
When taking up the anushthan against enemies and Abhichara in Kali's own form, the speaker says everyone — man or woman, new or old — should wear red clothing and sit on a red asan, since the colour of clothing matters greatly. On direction, he warns against copying the idea that "it is Kali, so face south", which he says will create a very grave situation: householders and ordinary sadhaks without a proper guide, or who do not yet know sankalp properly, must not face south. He settles on east or north, allowing west only if neither is available. It is excellent to have Bhagavati's vigrah before you; if you keep no photo or vigrah of Kali, the completed path is dedicated with water into the left hand of whichever form of Jagdamba is installed there.
Puja before each Kali kavach session: lamp, setup and avahan on a single flower
The speaker says the puja before the path is the ordinary puja vidhi; if you know little, keep at least five red jaba (gudhal, hibiscus) flowers. Light the karma-sakshi lamp before sitting on the asan — the lamp comes first of all. Sprinkle everything with gangajal, do achaman, wear the pavitra, do shikha bandhan if you know it, remember Bhagavati and then guru and Ganpati. Take one flower and invoke her: "O Bhagavati Kali, I invoke you; please be present here, accept the puja I perform and fulfil my wishes." Place that flower down and offer everything on it — a flower beside it as asan, water for achaman, gandhodak, sindoor and the rest, naivedya in front — as panchopachar or dashopachar with dhoop, deep, naivedya and bhog, following your own tradition for naivedya if you know it; only then does the kavach path begin.
Listeners across India and abroad revealed lamps and bhog vessels that are never washed
The speaker says that meeting people from every corner of India and from abroad through YouTube makes it clear where mistakes are being made, and as soon as a mistake is caught he makes it public so that people stop doing it. As an example: many people never washed the lamp at all, using it unwashed for a whole year, and were not washing the vessel used for offering bhog. He says he had no idea such a thing happened, since in his own house they are washed morning and evening every day, and he had assumed everybody washed them.
What is the correct procedure for removing the kravyadi amsha?
There is a vidhi for it, the speaker says: how we take out the kravyadi amsha, taking the fire from the agni kona and first placing it in the nairitya kona, and then putting it outside. Then we call the pure fire in the form of Svaha. Then we array Bhagavati Svaha there in the form of a garment: the sarkanda is placed, which is the garment of Ma. If that is not given, it will be said that Devi Svaha has not accepted a garment, that she has not put on a garment. Only after knowing all these subjects — and then how the ahuti is to be given — should you do it.
Must one fast while an akhand jyot is burning if health is poor?
Asked whether it is necessary to fast when the akhand jyot has been kindled if health is not good, the speaker answers: health is not good — if you can look after the akhand jyot, then this is the point, that if you are going to eat salt, take the food of the salt which is the pahadi salt; at that time do not take the food of sea salt. Doing it in this way too you can do the seva and puja of the akhand jyot.
What is required before a householder sits on a vyaghracharma?
Asked what should be done if a tiger skin is obtained and whether it must be perfected before sitting on it, the speaker answers first that if you get one you should hide it, or the forest department people will come to know and will carry you off. If it is coming through the guru parampara and you know it, then at least first do its documentation; and if you are receiving a new one, then hiding it is the greatest matter so far as he knows. The second thing is that before a householder does sadhana seated on a baghambar, there must be proper diksha — and according to him, when the amnaya diksha, the shakta diksha and the rest have taken place fully through the kula parampara, then afterwards, by the guru's adesh, when the sadhana in Veer bhav takes place upon it, then you should do the japa of Bhagavati and the rest upon it first. To do siddhi directly upon it, he says, is in his view forbidden.
May dried shriphal and satnaja be put into the utara?
Asked whether dried shriphal and satnaja may also be put into the utara, he answers yes, they may be put.
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