46. उपचाराःupacārāḥ:

This is different from chatuḥ-ṣaṣṭyupacāra discussed under 22.4. The upacāra under discussion here adores Her by recitations from four the Vedas, hymns (stotra) in Her praise, rendering songs in Her praise. Apart from the above, generally cāmaraṁ is used for fanning Her during the above recitations. Veda recitations should not be done, unless one is very conversant with Veda recitations.

The following recital can be made duly filling the blanks as detailed below.

देवदेवोत्तमे देवत सर्वभौम अखिलाण्डकोटि ब्रह्माण्डनायिके ------ प्रिये ****** मवधारय॥

devadevottame devata sarvabhauma akhilāṇḍakoṭi brahmāṇḍanāyike ------- priye *******    mavadhāraya ||

------- is to be filled what is to be recited ****** is again to be filled with what is mentioned in -------

Suppose Rig Veda is to be recited, then ------ is to be filled with Rig Veda and ****** is also to be filled with Rig Veda. Example is given here.

Example:

देवदेवोत्तमे देवत सर्वभौम अखिलाण्डकोटि ब्रह्माण्डनायिके ऋग् वेद प्रिये ऋग् वेद मवधारय॥

devadevottame devata sarvabhauma akhilāṇḍakoṭi brahmāṇḍanāyike ṛg veda priye Ṛg Veda mavadhāraya ||

Generally Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, stora and saṅgita.

A famous song, Śri Chakrarāja Siṁhāsaneśvarī is in this link.

47. कामकलाद्यानम् kāmakalādyānam:

This is known as kāmakalā meditation. There are two types of kāmakalā meditation. One is subtle and another is gross. This is to be done with intent concentration. Some worshipers do this separately in solitude after completing navāvaraṇa pūjā.

i) Gross kāmakalā meditation:

It is about the union of two supreme powers of the universe Śiva and Śakti, the one without the other is inefficacious to create and sustain the universe. Śiva alone has Power, but He does not use His Power directly. Śiva by means of a Power of Attorney, transforms a miniscule of His Svātantrya Śakti (unique and absolute power of Śiva) to Śakti. Śiva is in the form of Light (Prakāśa) and it is Śakti who diffuses this Light and the universe is created. Śiva is contemplated with the first letter of Sanskrit अ (a) and Śakti is contemplated with the last letter of Sanskrit ह (ha). When these two letters unite, this union gives rise to अहं (ahaṁ), which means “I”. This is not merely the union of two letters, but the union of Prakāśa and Vimarśa, also known as union of Śiva and Śakti and Sāmarasya-parāyaṇā (Lalitā Sahasranāma 792). Śiva is Self-illuminating Brahman and Śaktī is His svabhāva.  Svabhāva means nature, innate or inherent disposition.  The nature of Śiva is reflected through Śaktī.  Śiva can realise His Self only in Śaktī, who acts as a mirror to Him.  Śaktī is the power of doership of Śiva.  It is said that the ultimate reality were to be merely Śiva, He would become inert. Brahman cannot become inert.  Though Śiva continues to be inert, Śaktī, the power holder of Śiva acts as the energetic force in creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe.  Therefore Śiva without Śaktī or Śaktī without Śiva becomes torpid.  They are known as the parent of the universe. Contemplating the union of Śiva and Śakti leads to the realisation of अहं. What is realized as अहं (अहं means ‘I”)? The Self (Brahman) is realized as अहं. This contemplation is known as gross kāmakalā meditation. This is explained in all the Upaniṣad-s as Cit-ānandā. Saundaryalaharī (verse 19) also explains about kāmakalā.  “The one who meditates on Your Kāmakalā form with Your face as bindu; below Your face, Your two bosoms and still below that, the triangle, the creative aspect of Śiva causes immediate agitation in the minds of women of three worlds, who have sun and moon as their bosoms towards the aspirant.”

ii) Subtle kāmakalā meditation:

In gross the meditation was on अहं (union of Śiva and Śakti). In subtle meditation, contemplation is to be done on the akṣara ईं (īṁ). This kāmakalā is explained in detail in Lalitā Sahasranāma (322) Kāmakalā rūpā which can be read in this link. This is about contemplating Her bosoms and yoni and visualizing our merger with Her for the purpose of cessation from the pains of transmigration and ultimate unto Śiva.

iii) Mantras for contemplation.

(Essence of above discussion is given in these two verses.)

a) महामन्त्रराजान्त बीजं पराख्यं स्वतो न्यस्त बिन्दु स्वयं न्यस्त हार्दम्। भवद्वक्त्र वक्षोज गुह्याभिधानं स्वरूपं सकृद्भावयेत् स त्वमेव॥

mahāmantrarājānta bījaṁ parākhyaṁ svato  nyasta bindu svayaṁ nyasta hārdam | bhavadvaktra vakṣoja guhyābhidhānaṁ svarūpaṁ sakṛdbhāvayet sa tvameva ||

b) तथान्ये विकल्पेषु निर्विण्ण चितास्तदेकं समाधाय बिन्दुत्रयं ते। परानन्दसंदाधान सिन्धौ निमग्नाः पुनर्गर्भरन्ध्रं न पश्यन्ति धीराः॥

tathānye vikalpeṣu nirviṇṇa citāstadekaṁ samādhāya bindutrayaṁ te | parānandasaṁdādhāna sindhau nimagnāḥ punargarbharandhraṁ na paśyanti dhīrāḥ ||

48. बलिदानम् balidānam:

Bali is meant for extraterrestrial beings (referring to all disruptive forces such as certain demigods, semi-divine beings, household divinities, spirits, etc in our spiritual journey). In order to satiate their hunger and in order to please them, bali is offered. This also refers to bhūta-yajña out of five mahā-yajñas (Lalitā Sahasranāma 946 - pañcayajña-priyā). Difference between naivedya and bali is that naivedya should be consumed by the worshipper and bali should not be consumed. Bhagavad Gītā (III.13) says, “Those who eat the remnants of fire oblations (yajña) are freed from all sin (referring to naivedya).  But the sinners who eat food merely to nourish their bodies consume only sin.”

There is another interpretation for bali. Naivedya is meant for the Divine in whose favour pūjā is done. After naivedya is performed, it can be distributed to everyone. Bali is meant for all other Divinities, except the one in whose favour pūjā is done; but mostly, this version is neither accepted nor followed.

Bali pātrā was already established during mahānaivedya (part 26 under 42.14). Now worship the base (maṇḍala, on which a plank was placed) with flowers and akṣata with the following mantra.

4 - ऐं व्यापकमण्डलाय नमः। 4 - aiṁ vyāpakamaṇḍalāya namaḥ |

Procedure:

Take water from vardhanī kalaśa in uttaraṇi using right hand. Form tattva mudra (connecting left ring finger and the thumb) and pour the water from the uttaraṇi through tattva mudra (shown here) on the contents of bali pātrā. After doing this place the uttaraṇi back in the vardhanī kalaśa. Now clap using both the hands three times. Now look up and show bāṇa mundra (bāṇa means arrow). There are two types of bāṇa mudra. One is to use both the hands as if we are releasing an arrow from a bow. Alternatively, avakuṇṭha mudra using right hand can be shown.

49. जपः japaḥ:

Now do japa with initiated mantras.