55. देवतोद्वासनम् devatodvāsanam:

This is the combination of two words devatā and udvāsanam, where devatā refers to Śiva, Śakti and all the gods and goddesses who were worshiped in Śri Cakra and udvāsana means the act of taking away. It is to be recalled that we have enthroned all of them using our subtle prāṇa. During external worship, the Self within is brought out and worshiped externally and once the external worship is done, the Self in the idols should be brought back within, again using our prāṇa and this is called udvāsanam. For this purpose, the process done in 22.1 is to be reversed. In addition to this, one has to use kecarī mudra to bring Them back to daharākāśa.

Lalitā Sahasranāma (609) is Daharākāśa-rūpiṇī, which is explained thus.

In the hearts of all beings is Her subtle form.  Kaṭha Upaniṣad ((I.iii.1) mentions daharākāśa as “In this superior space of the heart, present in the cave of the intellect”.  It further says (II.i.12), “Of the size of a thumb, the Brahman resides in the centre of the body”. Chāndogya Upaniṣad says “This body is the city of the Brahman.  Within it is an abode in the shape of a lotus (meaning heart) and within that there is a small space (Please note the word.  It is ‘space’ and not ‘place’.  Space is infinite and place is definite).  One must search within this space and earnestly desire to know what is there (Self-realization)?”  Brahma Sūtra (I.iii.14) says, “dahara uttarebhyaḥ दहर उत्तरेभ्यः”, referring to the small space in the heart.  It proceeds to say, “That is which is inside, that is sought for, that is surely to be inquired into”, indicating the process of Self-realisation.

{For the sake of convenience, the following lines are reproduced from 22.1 of this series. “Now, we have to take flowers using trikhaṇḍā mudra, move the kuṇḍalinī from mūlādhāra to sahasrāra using our breath and consciousness. First inhale and by holding breath within, move kuṇḍalinī to sahasrāra. Now exhale and at the time of exhalation, hold fingers of trikhaṇḍā mudra with flowers below the nostrils and visualize Kāmeśvara and Kāmeśvarī in the form of subtle prāṇa in the flowers and place the flowers in the middle of Śri Cakra. If three different colour flowers are available, they can be kept in three joints of trikhaṇḍā mudra. This means that we are transferring the visualized image of the Divine Couple through our prāṇa (exhalation) to be consecrated in the middle of Śri Cakra. Without proper contemplation within, as discussed in antaryāga (previous part), consecration in Śri Cakra will be futile. The flowers are to be placed in Śri Cakra very carefully and very gently using the following mantra. Under no circumstances, flowers should be thrown on Śri Cakra. They are to be placed with great reverence.”}

There are five mantras in this section that impart subtle conveyances. Following are the mantras, which are to be recited after understanding their conveyances.

1) O! Devi! I worship You, who shines in the form of Gaṇeśa, navagraha (nine planets), twenty seven stars, yoginī-s (yoginī-s can be interpreted to mean nine āvaraṇa yoginī-s or six yoginī-s of psychic chakras), twelve rāśi-s (astrological houses), saptakoṭi mantras (70 million), mātṛkā akṣara-s (Sanskrit alphabets) and five pīṭha –s (kāmagiri, pūrṇagiri, jālandhara, oḍyāṇa and śāmbhava pīṭha-s associated with five of the six āmnāya-s).

गणेश ग्रह नक्षत्र योगिनी राशी रूपिणीं।

देवीं मन्त्रम्यीं नौमि मातृकापीठ रूपिणीं॥

gaṇeśa graha nakṣatra yoginī rāśī rūpiṇīṁ |

devīṁ mantramyīṁ naumi mātṛkāpīṭha rūpiṇīṁ ||

2) “Let my speech be your japa, my movement of hands be your mudras, my locomotion be circumambulation for you, my eating and drinking be fire oblations for you, my lying down be prostrations for you, all my enjoyments be my surrender to You and let these actions of mine become the main part of Your worship.” (Saundaryalaharī – verse 27)

जपो जल्पः शिल्पुं स सकलमपि मुद्राविरचना

गतिः प्रादक्षिण्यक्रमणमिनाद्याहुततवीधिः।

प्राणमः सम्वेशः सुखमकिलमात्मार्पणदृशा

सपयापपयापयस्तव भवतु यन्मे विलसितम्॥

japo jalpaḥ śilpaṁ sakalamapi mudrāviracanā

gatiḥ prādakṣiṇyakramaṇamaśanādyāhutivīdhiḥ |

praṇāmassaṁveśassukhamakhilamātmārpaṇadṛśā

saparyāparyāyastava bhavatu yanme vilasitam ||

3) By reciting the following mantra, pour a drop of water on Her left palm. Remove sāmānya arghya (conch) with right hand, lift the conch and make three circles around Śri Cakra/Meru. Empty the water in the conch into the right palm and sprinkle on the self and on all others present there. Wash and dry the conch and place it safely.

“O! Parāśakti! Whatever actions I did in your praise, whether rightly or wrongly, please accept all my actions with Compassion.” (sādhuvā asādhu vā in the following verse is taken from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.9.12)

साधुवाऽसाधु वा कर्म यद्यदाचरितं मया।

तत्सर्वं कृपया देवि गृहाणाराधनं मम॥

sādhuvā'sādhu vā karma yadyadācaritaṁ mayā |

tatsarvaṁ kṛpayā devi gṛhāṇārādhanaṁ mama ||

4) “O! Śaṁkari (Consort of Śaṁkara is Śaṁkari; She is Parāśakti, Lalitāmbikā, Mahādevi and She is everything that exists in the universe), Mahādevi! Please come back to the pericarp of my heart (where is Self is seated) with Śiva along with all Your ornaments.” After reciting this mantra, contemplate that Kāmeśvara and Kāmeśvarī have come back to your body as the Self. Meditate Them within for a few minutes and after ensuring that They are back in the body, mentally perform pañca pūjā, given after the mantra.

4 - हृत्पद्मकर्णिका मध्ये शिवेन सह शंकरि।

प्रविश त्वं महादेवि सर्वै रावरणैः सह॥

4 - hṛtpadmakarṇikā madhye śivena saha śaṁkari |

praviśa tvaṁ mahādevi sarvai rāvaraṇaiḥ saha ||

Pañcapūjā to be done mentally:

लं - पृथिव्यात्मिकायै गन्धं समर्पयामि।

हं - आकाशात्मिकायै पुष्पैः पूजयामि।

यं - वाय्वात्मिकायै धूपमाघ्रापयामि।

रं - अग्न्यात्मिकायै धीपं दर्शयामि।

वं - अमृतात्मिकायै अमृतं महानैवेद्यं निवेदयामि।

सं - सर्वात्मिकायै सर्वोपचार पूजाम् समर्पयामि॥

laṁ - pṛthivyātmikāyai gandhaṁ samarpayāmi|

haṁ - ākāśātmikāyai puṣpaiḥ pūjayāmi|

yaṁ - vāyvātmikāyai dhūpamāghrāpayāmi|

raṁ - agnyātmikāyai dhīpaṁ darśayāmi |

vaṁ - amṛtātmikāyai amṛtaṁ mahānaivedyaṁ nivedayāmi |

saṁ - sarvātmikāyai sarvopacāra pūjām samarpayāmi||

56. शान्तिस्तवः śāntistavaḥ:

This is the penultimate part of navāvaraṇa pūjā. This part consists of three mantras. Śānti contextually refers to eternal peace, which can be experienced only by jñānin-s. For a jñānin, nothing needs to be attained, as he is devoid of desires and as a result of which, he always remains united with the Self. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gītā (VII.15 - 17), “Arjuna! Four types of virtuous men worship Me, the seekers of material prosperity, the afflicted, the seekers of knowledge and men of wisdom.  Out of the four, a man of wisdom (jñānin) who is always established in Me and possessing single pointed devotion to Me is superior.  I am very dear to him and he is very dear to Me.” This goes to prove that at the end of navāvaraṇa pūjā, a sādhaka transforms into a jñānin, as described by Lord Kṛṣṇa

This part consists of three prayers to Her, not only for the sādhaka, but also for everyone around him. This confirms his transformation as a jñānin.

1) Let peace prevail due to the Grace of Brahman for those who do pūjā, who have conquered their organs of action and perception and those who rule all the beings.

4 - संपूजकानां परिपालकानां येतेन्द्रियाणां च तपोधनानाम्।

देशस्य राष्ट्रस्य कुलस्य राज्ञां करोतु शान्तिं भगवान् कुलेशः॥

4 - saṁpūjakānāṁ paripālakānāṁ yetendriyāṇāṁ ca tapodhanānām |

deśasya rāṣṭrasya kulasya rājñāṁ karotu śāntiṁ bhagavān kuleśaḥ ||

2) Let all sādhaka-s and all siddha-s (endowed with supernatural faculties; also means beatified) remain in the state of blissfulness. Let the curses of yoginī-s befall on those who mock at samayācāra worship. Let the inexplicable state of śāmbhavī (Lalitā Sahasranāma 122) prevail in me due to the grace of my Guru, as I continue to behold his lotus feet.

4 - नन्दन्तु साधककुलान्य अणिमादिसिद्धाः शापाः पतन्तु समयद्विषि योगिनीनाम्।

सा शांभवी स्फुरतु कापि ममाप्यवस्था यस्यां गुरोश्चरणपंकजमेव लभ्यम्॥

4 - nandantu sādhakakulānya aṇimādisiddhāḥ śāpāḥ patantu samayadviṣi yoginīnām |

sā śāṁbhavī sphuratu kāpi mamāpyavasthā yasyāṁ guroścaraṇapaṁkajameva labhyam ||

3) All the tattva-s (36 tattva-s) beginning from Paramaśiva till the earth; all the living beings beginning from Brahmā till tiny insects and from kālāgni (the fire of Śiva that annihilates the universe) to Śiva (the Creator) become satisfied with this yajña (navāvaraṇa pūjā).

शिवाद्यवनि पर्यन्तं ब्रह्मादिस्तंब संयुतम्।

कालाग्न्यादि शिवान्तं च जगद्यज्ञेन तृप्यतु॥

śivādyavani paryantaṁ brahmādistaṁba saṁyutam |

kālāgnyādi śivāntaṁ ca jagadyajñena tṛpyatu ||

57. विशेष अर्घ्य उद्वासनम् viśeṣa arghya udvāsanam:

Now viśeṣa arghya is to be removed as navāvaraṇa pūjā has come to an end. By reciting mūla mantra, take viśeṣa arghya pātrā above the head and then transfer the amṛta within to another vessel by reciting the following mantra. While reciting this mantra, it is to be contemplated that oblations are made with viśeṣa arghya into the eternal fire of kuṇḍalinī.

4 - आर्द्रं ज्वलति ज्योतिरहमस्मि। ज्योतिर्ज्वलति ब्रह्माहमस्मि। योऽहस्मि ब्रह्माहमस्मि। अहमस्मि ब्रह्माहमस्मि। अहमेवाहं मां जुहोमि स्वाहा॥

4 - ārdraṁ jvalati jyotirahamasmi | jyotirjvalati brahmāhamasmi | yo'hasmi brahmāhamasmi | ahamasmi brahmāhamasmi | ahamevāhaṁ māṁ juhomi svāhā ||

After transferring viśeṣa arghya to another vessel, viśeṣa arghya pātrā is to be washed and kept safely.

Now distribute viśeṣa arghya to all those present and offer them prasāda.

CONCLUSION:

This concludes our series on navāvaraṇa pūjā. The entire contents of this series will be edited and uploaded for download in due course along with Journey to Śri Cakra and Śri Cakra and human body. I thank Shri. Aum Ravi for his valuable suggestions in compiling this series. If possible, Devi Khaḍgamālā will be discussed later.

With this, I place this series before the lotus feet of Śiva and Śakti with a sole prayer to shower Their Grace on all of us.