Mantra Initiation (dīkṣā paddhati) - śrī dakṣiṇāmūrtī ( श्री दक्षिणामूर्ती ) invocation and other essentials.

As much as possible, one must try and obtain a guru, to guide with mantras and properly initiate the devotee or sādhakā. But often, we are faced with a situation, where we cannot find an appropriate guru to guide us. In such situations, one can go ahead and initiate themselves. The procedure to initiate, as well as guidance from the śāstras or scriptures, is provided below.

One must note that all mantras are not suitable. Care and caution must be exercised in this aspect. It is best to check the suitability, before venturing into the mantra japa.

gurorabhāve mantrāṇāṃ grahaṇa krama mucyate।

kṛṣṇapakṣe trayodaśyāṃ dakṣiṇāmūrti sannidhe॥

गुरोरभावे मन्त्राणां ग्रहण क्रम मुच्यते।

कृष्णपक्षे त्रयोदश्यां दक्षिणामूर्ति सन्निधे॥

labhitvā rājate pātre tālapatre'dhavāpunaḥ।

mantraṃ tatstaṃḍile stāpya pūjaitvā maheśvaram॥

लभित्वा राजते पात्रे तालपत्रेऽधवापुनः।

मन्त्रं तत्स्तंडिले स्ताप्य पूजैत्वा महेश्वरम्॥

pāyasādi nivedyaṃ ca kṛtvā taṃpraṇi patyaca।

śatākṛtaḥ paṭhenmantraṃ dakṣiṇāmūrti sannidhau॥

sarveṣāṃcaiva mantrāṇāmevaṃ grahāṇa miṣyate॥

पायसादि निवेद्यं च कृत्वा तंप्रणि पत्यच।

शताकृतः पठेन्मन्त्रं दक्षिणामूर्ति सन्निधौ॥

सर्वेषांचैव मन्त्राणामेवं ग्रहाण मिष्यते॥

āgama rahasyaṃ caturtha paṭhale (śloka 42-44)

आगम रहस्यं चतुर्थ पठले (श्लोक ४२-४४)

The above ślokas state that anyone interested in initiating himself, due to the non-availability of a proper guru, may do so on the 13^th lunar day (trayodaśi) of the dark phase of the lunar cycle (kṛṣṇapakṣa). The devotee must visit a śiva temple and pray to Lord dakṣiṇāmūrti, who’s placed in the southern direction within the same temple. If the Lord dakṣiṇāmūrti idol is not present, then one can seek the idol of Lord śiva or nandi (the bull facing the śiva liṇga) and on a silver sheet, or if not available a brass sheet, or further a palm leaf or just a simple paper, write the mantra related to the mantra japa, that one wishes to perform. Place the sheet in front of the aforementioned idol and sincerely perform the puja or prayer to seek the guidance from the Lord, requesting Him to be the guru and praying for the success of the mantra japa. If a temple is not accessible, then one can pray to the idol or image of Lord dakṣiṇāmūrti also.

After this, offer pāyasam or rice pudding to the Lord as prasādam (offering) and then take back the mantra sheet previously placed in front of the idol, further offering a Namaste.

The mantra related to the mantra japa, must now be recited 100 times and with a final namaste or a sāṣṭāṅga namaskāra (prostrate in front of the idol), one can depart from the temple.

The above procedure can be repeated by those who have a guru dīkṣā too. Choosing sage dakṣiṇāmūrti, an avatar of Lord śiva as a guru, is considered very auspicious for mantra sādhana.

There is another siddha guru mantra, that can be repeated by those who wish to do so. This mantra can be repeated on a daily basis before and after the regular mantra japa. One japa mala is sufficient or a few repetitions are also good, if one is short of time. This siddha guru mantra is said to invoke the grace of gurus who are very powerful and in their astral bodies, roaming around the Earth blessing sincere sādhakās.

     oṃ hrīṃ siddhaguro prasīda hrīṃ oṃ

     ॐ ह्रीं सिद्धगुरो प्रसीद ह्रीं ॐ

Meaning of Mantra :-   

makāraṃ mananaṃ prāhustrakārastrāṇa ucchyate।

manana trāṇa saṃyukto maṃtra ityabhidhīyate॥

मकारं मननं प्राहुस्त्रकारस्त्राण उच्छ्यते।

मनन त्राण संयुक्तो मंत्र इत्यभिधीयते॥

“Manana” means deep contemplation. “tra” means protection. One that protects the sādhaka from all kinds of hardship, is “mantra”.  One who has complete faith in the mantra and does deep contemplation/japa with the mantra, will surely derive benefits from it.

Meaning of Japa :-

 jakāro janmavicchedaḥ pakāraḥ pāpanāśakaḥ।

janmapāpa vināśitvā jjapa ityabhidhīyate॥

जकारो जन्मविच्छेदः पकारः पापनाशकः।

जन्मपाप विनाशित्वा ज्जप इत्यभिधीयते॥

“ja” in the śloka denotes, “that which prevents janma or life, from reoccurring (reincarnation) again and again, due to the karmas.”

“pa” in the śloka denotes, “that which dissipates pāpa or sins and burns all the karmas.”

“japa”, therefore helps in burning all the karmas and in turn helps us achieve liberation in this lifetime itself.

puraścaraṇa ( पुरश्चरण ) :-

puraścaraṇa is nothing but the prescribed process of mantra japa.

 pañcāṅgopāsane neṣṭadevatā prītidānaḥ।

purascarati bhaktasya tatpuraścaraṇaṃ priye॥

पञ्चाङ्गोपासने नेष्टदेवता प्रीतिदानः।

पुरस्चरति भक्तस्य तत्पुरश्चरणं प्रिये॥

A body that has no prāṇa or consciousness, is useless for accomplishing any tasks. Similarly, a mantra japa does not become siddhi or fruitful, if the puraścaraṇa process involving the five procedures such as mantra japa, homa, tarpaṇa, mārjana and bhojana are not completed as per the prescribed format.

More details on puraścaraṇa are available here.

Mantra – Deity – Guru Relationship :-

It is said that the mantra and the deity are one and the same. Likewise, the guru who provides the mantra, may help us reach the Guru or the Universal Consciousness or SELF. One must treat all three as the same and offer our reverence to them.

śloka:  yadhāghaṭaśca kalaśaḥ kuṃbhaścaikārdha vācakāḥ।

             tadhā mantro devatā ca guruścaikārdha vācakāḥ॥

श्लोक:  यधाघटश्च कलशः कुंभश्चैकार्ध वाचकाः।

       तधा मन्त्रो देवता च गुरुश्चैकार्ध वाचकाः॥

śloka:  yadhādevī tathāmantre yathāmantre tathāgurau।

            yathāgurau tathā smātmānyevaṃ bhaktikramaḥ smṛtaḥ॥

श्लोक:  यधादेवी तथामन्त्रे यथामन्त्रे तथागुरौ।

       यथागुरौ तथा स्मात्मान्येवं भक्तिक्रमः स्मृतः॥

Just the way ghaṭa, kalaśa and kuṃbha come to represent the same entity, a water pot, Similarly, mantra-deity-guru represent the same and must be treated as Guru or Self.

One who reveres the deity must have the same faith towards the mantra and the guru, to obtain success at the earliest.

The guru represented here need not be a physical person. One can choose the Guru or the Universal Self to be their guru, if they cannot find a suitable guru.

Muhūrta ( मुहूर्त ) Timing:-

 In general, One must get a proper time to get the initiation, based on their birth horoscope and the general timing of the day, that could be suitable for them. An astrologer or the guru himself might find the suitable timing for the initiation. There are jyotish software, that can also help find the appropriate muhūrta or auspicious time, for the mantra initiation.

Some mantras do not require any specific time and can be initiated at the discretion of the guru or can be self-initiated.

Place of worship for japa sādhana :-

The below śloka from śāradā tilakaṃ tells us that, any secluded place such as mountains, caves, river fronts or sea beaches or parks or temples or wherever there’s seclusion without any disturbance from people, would be an ideal location for mantra japa sādhana. If no such place is available, then our home itself is suitable for this purpose. We just need the privacy and a calm environment to continue with the japa.

puṇyakṣetraṃ nadītīraṃ guhā parvata mastakaṃ।

tīrtha pradeśā ssindhūnāṃ sangamaḥ pāvanaṃ vanaṃ।

udyānāni viviktāni bilvamūlaṃ taṭam gireḥ।

devatāyatanaṃkūlaṃ samudrasya nijaṃ gṛhaṃ।

sādhakeṣu praśastyante sthānānyetāni mantriṇaṃ॥

-- (śāradā tilakaṃ)

पुण्यक्षेत्रं नदीतीरं गुहा पर्वत मस्तकं।

तीर्थ प्रदेशा स्सिन्धूनां सन्गमः पावनं वनं।

उद्यानानि विविक्तानि बिल्वमूलं तटम् गिरेः।

देवतायतनंकूलं समुद्रस्य निजं गृहं।

साधकेषु प्रशस्त्यन्ते स्थानान्येतानि मन्त्रिणं॥

 -- (शारदा तिलकं)

Preliminaries or aṅgās for Japa :-

The following have been identified as aṅgās or pre-requisites for a japa sādhana. Out of the below 10, a sādhakā or devotee, must strive to perform as many as possible, for obtaining best results.

A few important ones are being presented here. Please note that prāṇapratiṣṭha can be done through the ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā as well.

Bhūśuddhi ( भूशुद्धि ) :-

The sādhakā must pray to his guru and Lord gaṇeśa and then clean the place he has chosen for performing the mantra japa. This place can be cleaned using the darbhā grass or any other long stalk grass that may be available, if not just clean with any device or cleaning mop that may be available. Then recite the following ślokas and mantras. Some unbroken rice or akṣatās can be sprinkled on the floor after the recitation of each śloka and mantra.

śloka:-     viṣṇuśakti samutpanne śaṃkhavarṇa mahītale।

    anekaratna sampanne śrī bhūdevī namostute॥

श्लोक:-  विष्णुशक्ति समुत्पन्ने शंखवर्ण महीतले।

    अनेकरत्न सम्पन्ने श्री भूदेवी नमोस्तुते॥

Bhūgāyatrī mantra ( भूगायत्री मन्त्र ) :-

The gāyatri mantra to appease the Earth goddess bhūdevi is below. It should be repeated 10 times. :-

oṃ dhanurdharāyai vidmahe।

sarvasiddhyaica dhīmahi।

tanno dharāḥ pracodayāt॥

ॐ धनुर्धरायै विद्महे।

सर्वसिद्ध्यैच धीमहि।

तन्नो धराः प्रचोदयात्॥

Now recite the mūla mantra that one is initiated into, and sprinkle some water and using the darbha grass or equivalent substitute, strike the ground uttering the mantra huṃ phaṭ ( हुं फट् ).

 Now recite the following śloka:-

śloka: āpasarpantu ye bhūtāḥ yebhūtāḥ bhūmisaṃsthitāḥ।

            ye bhūtā vighna kartāraḥ te naśyaṃtu śivājñayāḥ॥

श्लोक: आपसर्पन्तु ये भूताः येभूताः भूमिसंस्थिताः।

      ये भूता विघ्न कर्तारः ते नश्यंतु शिवाज्ञयाः॥

After this, sprinkle some unbroken rice or akṣatās on the floor.

kūrmacakraṃ ( कूर्मचक्रं )

The kūrma cakra shown below, can be drawn on the floor, where the mantra japa is to be performed. Alternately, one can print the kūrma cakra and place it under the āsana or seat, that one would sit on, during the mantra japa. 

Upon the kūrma cakra, Place some unbroken rice or akṣatās during and after reciting the below mantras. They can be placed after the recitation of each individual mantra. This is to activate the kūrma cakra and gain the blessings for a fruitful mantra japa.

Āsana ( आसन ) :-

ātmasiddhi pradānaśca sarvaroga nivāraṇāt।

navasiddhi pradānāśca āsanaṃ parikīrtanaṃ॥

आत्मसिद्धि प्रदानश्च सर्वरोग निवारणात्।

नवसिद्धि प्रदानाश्च आसनं परिकीर्तनं॥

The letter ‘ā’ means that which provides the essence of the self or ātma.

Similarly, ‘sa’ means that which rids us of all diseases and conditions or rogas.

And finally, ‘na’ means that which provides the 9 siddhis or magical rites.

In short, the āsana, which literally is the seat upon which the mantra japa is performed, is regarded as that which can rid of all diseases and fulfill all our wishes and may even provide us the secret siddhis.

kuśāsane mantrasiddhirnātra kāryā vicāraṇā

कुशासने मन्त्रसिद्धिर्नात्र कार्या विचारणा

The above statement tells us, that the kuśā or darbhā grass mat, is best suited to get mantra siddhi. It is to be noted, that in general, a red color woolen cloth is preferred for all wishes. A yello color cloth may be used to obtain victories. Black is generally preferred to cause destruction of enemies.

A woolen cloth may be placed over the kuśā mat

āsana mantraṃ ( आसन मन्त्रं ) :-

After sitting on the āsana, the following mantras should be repeated in the respective geographic corners.

Shower some unbroken rice or akṣatās, as well as flowers on and around the āsana.

Japa recitation method :-

Mantra japa can be performed with verbal chanting or with a very low voice with lip movement or simply in the mind. The latter, is considered the best. The mind needs to be calmed before the mantra japa begins. The alternate nostril breathing or nāḍī śodhana ( नाडी शोधन ) praṇāyāma, must be practiced at least 3 times prior to the start of the mantra japa. The mantra alignment discussed here must be followed as well, for best results.

akṣarākṣara saṃyuktaṃ japenmauktika paṃktivat

अक्षराक्षर संयुक्तं जपेन्मौक्तिक पंक्तिवत्

The above quote states that one must recite the mantra with each letter or akṣarā, pronounced correctly appearing like a pearl necklace. There are no silent letters and all letters should be pronounced in a similar manner. The japa should not be very slow nor very fast, it should be normal and the speed should be in synchronization with the mind.

satyenāpi na bhāṣeta japahomārcanādiṣu।

anyathānuṣṭhitaṃ sarvaṃ bhavatyeva nirardhakaṃ॥

सत्येनापि न भाषेत जपहोमार्चनादिषु।

अन्यथानुष्ठितं सर्वं भवत्येव निरर्धकं॥

The above śloka tells us NOT to get into conversations during pūjas, homas or mantra japas. Doing so, will invalidate the task and we may have to repeat it again. Utmost care must be taken to also prevent thoughts from disrupting the japa as well. This is the reason for the praṇāyāma. Initially, it will be very difficult, but after due course of time, more stability can be expected and the quality of japa will improve.

digbandhanaṃ  ( दिग्बन्धनं ) :-

Mix some unbroken rice or akṣatās with kumkum or any red color powder, to make the combination red in color. Then recite the following śloka and the mantra and sprinkle the combination, all around ourselves.

śloka ॥    sudharśanasya  mantreṇa diśābandhanaṃ samācaret।

                  bhūtaśuddhiṃ tataḥ kṛtyā prāṇasthāpana mācaret॥

श्लोक ॥     सुधर्शनस्य  मन्त्रेण दिशाबन्धनं समाचरेत्।

                     भूतशुद्धिं ततः कृत्या प्राणस्थापन माचरेत्॥

mantra॥ oṃ namo bhagavate mahācakrarājāya sahasrārāya sarva diśobandha, bhūtāṃ

               stāḍaya।

    rākṣasānmāraya, sahasrāra huṃphaṭ kroṃ raṃ svāhā॥

मन्त्र॥      ॐ नमो भगवते महाचक्रराजाय सहस्राराय सर्व दिशोबन्ध, भूतां स्ताडय।

                  राक्षसान्मारय, सहस्रार हुंफट् क्रों रं स्वाहा॥

japa saṃkalpaṃ ( जप संकल्पं )

This process is for taking the oath to perform the puraścaraṇa. First perform ācamana with the following 3 mantras.

Now recite the below śloka substituting the country name and the current location for ‘deśe’, the current year for ‘samvatsare’, phase of the year for ‘āyane’, season for ‘ṛtau’, month for ‘māse’, phase of the moon for ‘pakṣe’, the lunar day for ‘tithau’, day of the week for ‘vāsare’ and the star constellation of the day for ‘nakṣatre’. The gotra can be said, if known and the name of the devotee itself for ‘ahaṃ’ and the name of the deity to which the mantra is being recited for, for ‘devatā’.

mama upātta samasta duritakṣaya dvārā śrī mahāviṣṇo rājñayā pravartamānasya ādya brahmaṇaḥ dvitīyapadhārthe śvetavarāhakalpe vaivasvata manvantare kaliyuge pradhamapāde ---- deśe  bhagavat sannidhau asmin vartamāna vyavahārika candramānena ---- samvatsare ---- āyane ---- ṛtau ---- māse ---- pakṣe ---- tithau ---- vāsare ---- nakṣatre śubhayoge śubhakaraṇe evaṃ guṇa viśeṣaṇa viśiṣṭāyāṃ ---- gotrodbhavasya ---- ahaṃ ---- devatā prītyardhaṃ puraścaraṇa pūrvaka śrī ---- devatā japaṃ kariṣye

मम उपात्त समस्त दुरितक्षय द्वारा श्री महाविष्णो राज्ञया प्रवर्तमानस्य आद्य ब्रह्मणः द्वितीयपधार्थे श्वेतवराहकल्पे वैवस्वत मन्वन्तरे कलियुगे प्रधमपादे ---- देशे  भगवत् सन्निधौ अस्मिन् वर्तमान व्यवहारिक चन्द्रमानेन ---- सम्वत्सरे ---- आयने ---- ऋतौ ---- मासे ---- पक्षे ---- तिथौ ---- वासरे ---- नक्षत्रे शुभयोगे शुभकरणे एवं गुण विशेषण विशिष्टायां ---- गोत्रोद्भवस्य ---- अहं ---- देवता प्रीत्यर्धं पुरश्चरण पूर्वक श्री ---- देवता जपं करिष्ये

After the saṃkalpa, the following prayer to Lord gaṇeśa and the guru must be made, to prevent any obstacles to the mantra japa.

śrī gaṇapati prārthana ( श्री गणपति प्रार्थन ) :-

vakratuṇḍa mahākāya koṭisūrya samaprabhā।

nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarva kāryeṣu sarvadā॥

वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय कोटिसूर्य समप्रभा।

निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्व कार्येषु सर्वदा॥

guru vandanaṃ ( गुरु वन्दनं ) :-

gururbrahma gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ।

gurussākṣāt parabrahma tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ॥

गुरुर्ब्रह्म गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।

गुरुस्साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥

sampuṭīkaraṇa ( सम्पुटीकरण )

For those who are performing the initiation by themselves, some additional purification rituals may be needed for some special mantras.

In some cases if there’s any problem with the mantra and one wishes to reject it, they may do so by performing one mala of the mantra with the words pronounced in the reverse order. For example if the mantra ‘oṃ vakratuṇḍāya huṃ’ could be reversed as ‘huṃ vakratuṇḍāya oṃ’.

The reversing sequence when added to the mantra itself, is called sampuṭīkaraṇa and it can be employed in situations where the mantra is not suitable for the individual or if it’s causing some issues. After sampuṭīkaraṇa, the sādhakā or devotee can continue with the mantra japa.

This article is scripted by Shri. Krishna Vallapareddy. He can be contacted at  krishna@manblunder.com