28.1) Prathamāvaraṇam प्रथमावरणम् - First āvaraṇa

i. Name of the āvaraṇa: Trilokyamohanacakra

ii. Bījākṣara-s of prathamāvaraṇam:  अं आं सौः aṁ āṁ sauḥ

iii. Cakreśvarī: Tripurā

iv. Siddhi śakti: Animā

v. Mudra śakti: Sarvasaṁkṣobhiṇī

vi. Yoginī: Prakaṭayoginī

(There are nine yoginī-s in navāvaraṇa pūjā. Each yoginī represents one type avasthā (state of condition) which gets associated with Citśakti (Absolute Consciousness of Śiva) with a particular upādhi. Upādhi means condition or substitution. When upādhi is associated with Citśakti, the unlimited Citśakti appears as limited. As we proceed from the first āvaraṇa to the ninth āvaraṇa, the power of upādhi gradually decreases and in the ninth āvaraṇa, the worshipper enters into nirvikalpa samādhi and then experiences Her in the form of Bliss. Yoginī-s have vāsanā-s. Vāsanā means perception or residual traces of our actions retained in the mind unconsciously, also known as habit formation. These nine yoginī-s have one common vāsanā in the form of a mantra ऐं ह्रः अस्त्राय फट् aiṁ hraḥ astrāya phaṭ. Typically, this mantra is meant for purification of body. Yoginī-s who remain in the form of above mantra or who act through the above mantra purifies different vāsanā-s embedded in our mind. ऐं (aiṁ) signifies the four Vedas; technically this bīja refers to Brahman (contextually it is Śiva). ह्रः is known as astra bīja (astra means missile or weapon). Here knowledge of Advaita is referred as astra, which acts in destruction dualistic knowledge. Therefore, worshiping yoginī-s at the end of each āvaraṇa leads to successive stages of liberation. Apart from the above, yoginī-s make masculine and feminine energies unite to cause creation.)

vii. Number of śakti-s in the āvaraṇa: Twenty eight.

viii. Pūjā procedure:

First Navavarana

4 अं आं सौः॥ त्रैलोक्यमोहनचक्राय नमः॥4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ || trailokyamohanacakrāya namaḥ ||

There are three walls in this āvaraṇa and totally there are 28 śakti-s in this āvaraṇa. These 28 śakti-s are marked as 1 to 28 in the above image and are correspondingly numbered below. The worship is neither clockwise nor anticlockwise. Therefore, sufficient care should be taken to worship these śakti-s in their respective places marked in the image. The number in the image and the number mentioned below refer to the abode and name of each śakti. Both pūjanaṁ and tarpanaṁ should be done for each śakti.

First wall or outermost covering:

(4 represents om aiṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ (ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं); aṁ āṁ sauḥ (अं आं सौः) are the bījākṣara-s of Cakreśvarī Tripurā. Apart from these seven bījākṣara-s, one bījākṣara is prefixed before the name of each śakti.  Thus there will eight bījākṣara-s prefixed to each śakti. Example à om (1) -  aiṁ (2) -  hrīṁ (3) - śrīṁ (4) - aṁ (5) - āṁ (6)  sauḥ (7) aṁ (8) - aṇimāsiddhi śrī pādukāṁ pūjayāmi tarpayāmi namaḥ. Though the first seven bījākṣara-s will remain the same, the eight one will modify according to the respective śakti-s.

1. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ aṁ aṇimāsiddhi śrī pādukāṁ pūjayāmi tarpayāmi namaḥ || 4 अं आं सौः अं अणिमासिद्धि श्री पादुकां पूजयामि तर्पयामि नमः॥

2. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ laṁ laghimāsiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः लं लघिमासिद्धि spptn ||

3. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ maṁ mahimāsiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः मं महिमासिद्धि spptn ||

4. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ īṁ īśitavasiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ईं ईशितवसिद्धि spptn ||

5. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ vaṁ vaśitasiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः वं वशितसिद्धि spptn ||

6. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ paṁ prākāmyasiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः पं प्राकाम्यसिद्धि spptn ||

7. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ bhuṁ bhuktisiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः भुं भुक्तिसिद्धि spptn ||

8. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ iṁ icchāsiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः इं इच्छासिद्धि spptn ||

9. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ paṁ prāptisiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः पं प्राप्तिसिद्धि spptn ||

10. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ saṁ sarvakāmasiddhi spptn || 4 अं आं सौः सं सर्वकामसिद्धि spptn ||

Second wall or middle covering:

11. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ āṁ brāhmīmātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः आं ब्राह्मीमातृ spptn ||

12. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ īṁ māheśvarimātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ईं माहेश्वरिमातृ spptn ||

13. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ ūṁ kaumārīmātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ऊं कौमारीमातृ spptn ||

14. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ ṝṁ vaiṣṇavīmātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ॠं वैष्णवीमातृ spptn ||

15. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ ḹṁ vārāhīmātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ॡं वाराहीमातृ spptn ||

16. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ aiṁ māhendrīmātṛ 4 spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ऐं माहेन्द्रीमातृ spptn ||

17. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ auṁ cāmuṇḍāmātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः औं चामुण्डामातृ spptn ||

18. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ aḥ mahālakṣmīmātṛ spptn || 4 अं आं सौः अः महालक्ष्मीमातृ spptn ||

Third wall or the innermost covering:

19. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ drāṁ sarvasaṅkṣobhiṇī mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः द्रां सर्वसङ्क्षोभिणी मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

20. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ drīṁ sarvavidrāviṇī mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः द्रीं सर्वविद्राविणी मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

21. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ klīṁ sarvākarṣiṇī mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः क्लीं सर्वाकर्षिणी मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

22. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ blūṁ sarvavaśaṅkarī mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ब्लूं सर्ववशङ्करी मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||  

23. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ saḥ sarvonmādinī mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः सः सर्वोन्मादिनी मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

24. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ kroṁ sarvamāhāṅkuśā mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः क्रों सर्वमाहाङ्कुशा मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

25. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ hskhphreṁ sarvakhecarī mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ह्स्ख्फ्रें सर्वखेचरी मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||  

26. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ hsauḥ sarvabīja mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ह्सौः सर्वबीज मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||  

27. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ aiṁ sarvayooni mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ऐं सर्वयोनि मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

28. 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ hsraiṁ hsklrīṁ hsrauḥ sarvatrikhaṇḍā mudraśakti spptn || 4 अं आं सौः ह्स्रैं ह्स्क्ल्रीं ह्स्रौः सर्वत्रिखण्डा मुद्रशक्ति spptn ||

{After completing the worship of āvaraṇa śakti-s (devi-s), Cakreśvarī, Siddhi devi, Mudrāśakti (the concerned mudra to be shown here) and Lalitāmbikā are worshiped jointly, known as samaṣṭi pūjā and severally. At the end of this worship, dhūpaṁ, dīpaṁ, naivedya and nīrājana are offered. After offering nīrājana, worship of first āvaraṇa is submitted to Lalitāmbikā.  Lalitāmbikā along with the Yoginī is worshiped at the end of each āvaraṇa. Finally, Lalitāmbikā is worshiped with yoni mudra by submitting the first āvaraṇa pūjā to Her with reverence. The same sequence of these eight pūjā-s/rituals is applicable to all the nine āvaraṇa-s.}

The following is known as samaṣṭi pūjā. After reciting this mantra, offer flowers on Śri Cakra. There is no tarpaṇaṁ here.

1. एताः प्रकटयोगिन्यः त्रैलोक्यमोहने चक्रे स-मुद्राः स्-सिद्धयः सायुधाः स-शक्तयः स-वाहनाः स-परिवाराः सर्वोपचारैः संपूजिताः सन्तर्पिताः सन्तुष्टाः सन्तु नमः॥

etāḥ prakaṭayoginyaḥ trailokyamohane cakre sa-mudrāḥ s-siddhayaḥ sāyudhāḥ sa-śaktayaḥ sa-vāhanāḥ sa-parivārāḥ sarvopacāraiḥ saṁpūjitāḥ santarpitāḥ santuṣṭāḥ santu namaḥ ||

2. 4 अं आं सौः त्रिपुराचक्रेश्वरी spptn || 4 aṁ āṁ sauḥ tripurācakreśvarī spptn ||

3. 4 अं अणिमासिद्धि spptn || 4 aṁ aṇimāsiddhi spptn ||

4. 4 द्रां सर्वसंक्षोभिणी मुराशक्ति spptn || 4 drāṁ sarvasaṁkṣobhiṇī murāśakti spptn ||

Now recite drāṁ and show sarvasaṁkṣobhiṇī mudra.

(pūjanaṁ and tarpaṇaṁ for 5 below is to be done three times by repeating the mantra three times)

5. 4 – मूलं (Pañcadaśī or Ṣoḍaśī) - श्रीललिता महात्रिपुरसुन्दरी पराभट्टारिका spptn |

    4 - mūlaṁ (Pañcadaśī or Ṣoḍaśī)  Śrīlalitā Mahātripurasundarī Parābhaṭṭārikā spptn ||

6. dhūpaṁ, dīpaṁ, naivedya and nīrājana to be done now.

7. 4 आभीष्टसिद्धिं मे देहि शरणागतवत्सले।
         भक्त्या समर्पये तुभ्यं प्रथमावरणार्चनम्॥

     4 ābhīṣṭasiddhiṁ me dehi śaraṇāgatavatsale |      

         bhaktyā samarpaye tubhyaṁ prathamāvaraṇārcanam ||

(Now take a drop of sāmānya arghya in uttaraṇi (it is important that sāmānya arghya should not be moved from its place) and offer to Her left hand)

8. There is no pūjanaṁ and tarpaṇaṁ here. She is to be worshiped with yoni mudra.

      4 प्रकटयोगिनी मयूखायै प्रथमावरण देवतासहितायै श्रीललिता महात्रिपुर्सुन्दरी पराभट्टरिकायै नमः ||

      4 prakaṭayoginī mayūkhāyai prathamāvaraṇa devatāsahitāyai śrīlalitā mahātripursundarī parābhaṭṭarikāyai namaḥ ||

(Now we have to worship Her with yoni mudra)

This concludes the worship of the first āvaraṇa.

* Preparation of karpūravīṭikā: saffron, cardamom, clove, camphor, kastūri, nutmeg and mace or myristica fragrans or jātipattrī (arillus of the nut also known as myristica officinalis).  The ingredients are finely powdered and mixed with powdered sugar candy.  Refer Lalithā Sahasranāma 26 - Karpūravīṭikāmodha-samākarṣi-digantarā.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

1. For each āvaraṇa, there is a Carnatic music composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar and these compositions are known as navāvaraṇa kīrtana-s. Whenever time permits, these songs are sung at the end of each āvaraṇa.  A video for the first āvaraṇa is available in the link below.

http://youtu.be/cYoVpHvwuvs

2. Learning mudra-s is available in the following link.

http://youtu.be/1Er86YgP1Po

3. Further reading:

Journeyto Śri Cakra - Part 8

Śri Cakra and human body – Part 6