After completing the initial homa procedures, now we have to invoke the presiding deity (pradhāna devatā) to whom the oblations are offered. In this article, Lalitāmbikā is taken as pradhāna devatā.

Certain saṁskāra-s are to be done as oblation before invoking Lalitāmbikā in the homa fire. Generally, the following 12 saṁskāra-s are done. Saṁskāra means putting together, forming well, making perfect, accomplishment, embellishment, purification, cleansing, making ready, preparation, etc. There are two ways of invoking Lalitāmbikā in the middle of homa fire. Simplest way is to invoke her by reciting “agni madhye āvahayāmi, āsanaṁ samarpayāmi, etc” and by using āvahana mudras. Certain mudras are demonstrated HERE

However, the following is the detailed procedure. There are twelve agni saṁskāra-s.

1. garbhādhāna, 2. puṃsavana, 3. sīmantonnayana, 4. jātakarman, 5. nāmakarman, 6. niṣkramaṇa, 7. annaprāśana, 8. cūḍākarman, 9. upanayana, 10. keśānta, 11. samāvartana, 12. vivāha,

Now two oblations with small dharvi should be given to agni using this mantra

ॐ वैश्वानर जातवेद इहावह लोहिताक्ष सर्वकर्मणि साधय स्वाहा॥

om vaiśvānara jātaveda ihāvaha lohitākṣa sarvakarmaṇi sādhaya svāhā ||

Then we have to proceed to the following saṁskāra-s one after another, and for each saṁskāra, an oblation is to be offered using the small dharvi. In general, only the following eight saṁskāra-s are done.

1.ॐ अस्याग्ने गर्भा संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om asyāgne garbhā saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(entering into the womb - pregnancy)

2. ॐ अस्याग्ने पुंसवन संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om asyāgne puṁsavana saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(generally this is done at the third of month of pregnancy praying for a male progeny)

3. ॐ अस्याग्ने सीमन्तोन्नयन संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om asyāgne sīmantonnayana saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā |

(This is parting of hair of pregnant women performed on the fourth month of pregnancy; nowadays performed, during sixth and eight months of pregnancy also. This is done for general prosperity)

4. ॐ अस्याग्ने जातकर्म संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om asyāgne jātakarma saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(this is naming ceremony and now the agni should be named after Lalitāmbikā. Jātakarman means naming)

As Lalitāmbikā is taken as an example here, three oblations should be done as follows.

ॐ ललिताम्बिकाग्निः स्वाहा॥

om lalitāmbikāgniḥ svāhā ||

5. ॐ ललिताम्बिकाग्निः अन्नप्राशन संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om lalitāmbikāgniḥ annaprāśana saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(feeding rice into the mouth of the child for the first time)

6. ॐ ललिताम्बिकाग्निः चूडाकरण संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om lalitāmbikāgniḥ cūḍākaraṇa saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(cūḍākaraṇa means tonsuring; this is also known as cūlākaraṇa or caulakaraṇa. This is generally done after the child completes three years of age)

7. ॐ ललिताम्बिकाग्निः उपनयन संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om lalitāmbikāgniḥ upanayana saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(sacred ceremony. This is done not only for gods, but also for goddesses)

8. ॐ ललिताम्बिकाग्निः विवाह संस्कारं करोमि स्वाहा॥

om lalitāmbikāgniḥ vivāha saṁskāraṁ karomi svāhā ||

(marriage ceremony)

After completing the above saṁskāra-s, agni is to be worshiped with the following mantra by joining both the palms (namaskāra mudra).

त्रिणयन-मरुणबद्धामौलिं सुशुक्लां शुक-मरुण-मनेकाकल्प-मम्भोज-संस्थम्।

अभिमत-वरशक्तिं स्वस्तिकाभीतिहस्तं नमत कनमालालंकृतांसं कृशानुम्॥

triṇayana-maruṇabaddhāmauliṁ suśuklāṁ śuka-maruṇa-manekākalpa-mambhoja-saṁstham |

abhimata-varaśaktiṁ svastikābhītihastaṁ namata kanamālālaṁkṛtāṁsaṁ kṛśānum ||

(meaning: I pay obeisance to Agni god who is with three eyes, red hair, wearing pure white garments, red complexioned, adorned with excellent ornaments, seated on a lotus flower, showing  abhaya and varada mudras and with lustrous shoulders.)

After this, seven oblations are offered to Agni’s seven tongues.

{सप्ते ते अग्ने समिधस्-साप्तजिह्वास्सप्तऋषय-सप्तधामप्रियाणि। sapte te agne samidhas-sāptajihvāssaptaṛṣaya-saptadhāmapriyāṇi |}

{O Agni! You have seven samidh-s (a small dried twig, offered during each oblation), seven tongues (for these seven tongues, oblations are being offered now), seven sages worship you with seven mantras (these mantras are scripted by these seven sages for worshiping Agni)}.

1. ॐ हिरन्यायै नमः स्वाहा॥ हिरन्याय इदं न मम॥ om hiranyāyai namaḥ svāhā || hiranyāya idaṁ na mama || (oblation to be done on the North Eastern side of the homa fire).

2. ॐ कनकायै नमः स्वाहा॥ कनकाय इदं न मम॥ om kanakāyai namaḥ svāhā || kanakāya idaṁ na mama || (South East)

3. ॐ रक्तायै नमः स्वाहा॥ रक्ताय इदं न मम॥ om raktāyaī namaḥ svāhā || raktāya idaṁ na mama || (East)

4. ॐ कृष्णायै नमः स्वाहा॥ कृष्णाय इदं न मम॥ om kṛṣṇāyai namaḥ svāhā || kṛṣṇāya idaṁ na mama || (South West)

5. ॐ सुप्रभायै नमः स्वाहा॥ सुप्रभाया इदं न मम॥ om suprabhāyai namaḥ svāhā || suprabhāyā idaṁ na mama || (West)

6. ॐ अतिरक्तायै नमः स्वाहा॥ अतिरक्ताया इदं न मम॥ om atiraktāyai namaḥ svāhā || atiraktāyā idaṁ na mama || (North West)

7. ॐ बहुरूपयै नमः स्वाहा॥ बहुरूपाया इदं न मम॥ om bahurūpayai namaḥ svāhā || bahurūpāyā idaṁ na mama || (center of homa fire)

Now three oblations are to be offered to Agni using the following three mantras (already two oblations are offered with the following mantra before saṁskāra-s

1.ॐ वैश्वानर जातवेद इहावह लोहिताक्ष सर्वकर्मणि साधय स्वाहा॥ अग्नये इदं न मम॥

om vaiśvānara jātaveda ihāvaha lohitākṣa sarvakarmaṇi sādhaya svāhā || agnaye idaṁ na mama ||

2. ॐ उत्तिष्ठ पुरुष हरितपिङ्गल लोहिताक्ष सर्वकर्मणि साधय मे देहि दापय स्वाहा॥ अग्नये इदं न मम॥

om uttiṣṭha puruṣa haritapiṅgala lohitākṣa sarvakarmaṇi sādhaya me dehi dāpaya svāhā || agnaye idaṁ na mama ||

3. चित्पिङ्गल हन हन दह दह पच पच सर्वज्ञाज्ञापय स्वाहा। अग्नये इदं न मम॥

citpiṅgala hana hana daha daha paca paca sarvajñājñāpaya svāhā | agnaye idaṁ na mama ||

With these all preparatory agni procedures are over. The next step is to invoke Lalitāmbikā in the middle of the fire. Let us assume that we are invoking Her using one of the dhyāna verses of Lalitā Sahasranāma. Then the procedure goes like this.

First we have to meditate on Her using the dhyāna verse. While doing this, take some flowers in the palms and bring both the palms together. Meditate on Her using a dhyāna verse.

sakuṃkuma-vilepanāṃ alika-cumbi-kastūrikāṃ
samanda-hasitekṣaṇām saśara-cāpa-pāśāṅkuśam ।
aśeṣa-jana-mohinīṃ aruṇa-mālya-bhūṣāṃbarāṃ
japā-kusuma-bhāsurāṃ japavidhau smaredaṃbikām ॥

सकुंकुम-विलेपनां अलिक-चुम्बि-कस्तूरिकां
समन्द-हसितेक्षणाम् सशर-चाप-पाशांकुशाम् ।
अशेष-जन-मोहिनीं अरुण-माल्य-भूषांबरां
जपा-कुसुम-भासुरां जपविधौ स्मरेदंबिकाम् ॥

ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं अकिलनण्डकोटि ब्रह्माण्डनायकि श्री राजराश्वरी ललिता महात्रिपुरसुन्दरी परा भट्टारिका महादेव्या अग्नि मध्ये आवाहयमि॥

om aiṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ akilanaṇḍakoṭi brahmāṇḍanāyaki śrī rājarāśvarī lalitā mahātripurasundarī parā bhaṭṭārikā mahādevyā agni madhye āvāhayami ||

Now the flowers held in palms should be offered in the middle of the fire. After this, āvāhanāti mudra-s are to be offered to HER, who is now seated in the middle of the fire in homa kuṇḍa.

Then, following upacāra-s are to be offered –

आसनं, पाद्यम्, अर्ग्यम्, आचमनीयम्, स्नानम्, वस्त्रम्, उपवीतम् गन्धम् and पुष्पम्

āsanaṁ, pādyam, argyam, ācamanīyam, snānam, vastram, upavītam, gandham and puṣpam

Now Ṛṣyādi nyāsa, karanyāsa and hrdayādi nyāsa should be offered as in the case of mantra japa. At the end of each mantra नमः स्वाहा। महादेव्यै इदं न मम॥ namaḥ svāhā| mahādevyai idaṁ na mama || should be added. Śrī saubhāgyavidyā pañcadaśākṣarī, mantra is given here as an example. For every single japa mantra that is offered as oblation, “namaḥ svāhā | mahādevyai idaṁ na mama” should be suffixed to the mantra.

ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं । ऐं - क ए ई ल ह्रीं । क्लीं - ह स क ह ल ह्रीं । सौः - स क ल ह्रीं नमः स्वाहा। महादेव्यै इदं न मम॥

om aiṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ । aiṁ - ka e ī la hrīṁ । klīṁ - ha sa ka ha la hrīṁ । sauḥ - sa ka la hrīṁ namaḥ svāhā| mahādevyai idaṁ na mama ||

With this middle part of homa procedure is concluded. There are two more parts to conclude this series on homa procedure.