(Varāhakam)
Grab four fingers of your left hand (except your thumb) with right, middle, ring and little fingers. Join the tip of the right index finger with the left thumb.
सिंहाक्रान्तम्
(Siṃhākrāntam)
Raise both your hands as in benediction, the back of your palms facing you. (Like in a hands-up posture.)
महाक्रान्तम्
(Mahākrāntam)
Keep the same posture but turn your hands so your palms are facing your ears.
मुद्गरम्
(Mud garam)
Make a fist with your right hand and then rest the right elbow on your left.
पल्लवम्
(Pallavam)
Raise your right hand to your shoulder in benediction.
23.Offerings (Upchara )
Make five offerings of incense, lamp, anything edible, betel leaf and betel nut. Say, “Om samarpyami ” in the end.
24. Invoke the mantra (Mantra samskara )
The mantra of Gayatri was cursed by Brahma, Vasishtha and Vishvamitra. Therefore, chant the following mantras seven times every day before you do the mantra japa to absolve the mantra of the curse of the sages (Shaap vimochana ). Brahma Shaap Vimochana Sanskrit (Devanagari) Sanskrit (IAST) ॐ गायत्रीब्रहमेत्युपासीत यद्रूपं ब्रहमविदो विदुः । Oṃ gāyatrībrahmetyupāsīta yadrūpaṃ brahmavido viduḥ । तां पश्यन्ति धीराःसुमनसा वाचामग्रतः । Tāṃ paśyanti dhīrāḥsumanasā vācāmagrataḥ । ॐ वेदान्तनाथाय विद्दहे हिरण्यगर्भाय धीमहि । Oṃ vedāntanāthāya viddahe hiraṇyagarbhāya dhīmahi । तन्नो ब्रहम प्रचोदयात् । Tanno brahma pracodayāt । ॐ देवी गायत्री त्वं ब्रहमशापविमुकता भव । Oṃ devī gāyatrī tvaṃ brahmaśāpavimuktā bhava । Vasishtha Shaap Vimochana ॐ सोहमर्कमयं ज्योतिरात्मज्योतिरहं शिवः । Oṃ sohamarkamayaṃ jyotirātmajyotirahaṃ śivaḥ । आत्मज्योतिरहं शुक्रः सर्वज्योतिरसोस्म्यहम् । Ātmajyotirahaṃ śukraḥ sarvajyotirasosmyaham । ॐ देवी गायत्री त्वं वसिष्ठशापविमुकता भव । Oṃ devī gāyatrī tvaṃ vasiṣṭhaśāpavimuktā bhava । ॐ गायत्रीं भजाम्यग्निमुखीं विश्वगर्भाः यदुद्भवा देवाश्च्क्रिरे विश्वसृष्टिं तां कल्याणीमिष्टकरीं प्रपघे । Oṃ gāyatrīṃ bhajāmyagnimukhīṃ viśvagarbhāḥ yadudbhavā devāśckrire viśvasṛṣṭiṃ tāṃ kalyāṇīmiṣṭakarīṃ prapaghe । यन्मुखान्निः सृतो खिलवेदगर्भः । Yanmukhānniḥ sṛto khilavedagarbhaḥ । ओं देवी गायत्री त्वं विश्वामित्रशापद्विमुकता भव । Oṃ devī gāyatrī tvaṃ viśvāmitraśāpadvimuktā bhava । तथा चः सोहमर्कमयं ज्योतिरर्को ज्योतिरहं शिवः । Tathā caḥ sohamarkamayaṃ jyotirarko jyotirahaṃ śivaḥ । आत्मज्योतिरहं शुक्रः शुक्रज्योतिरसोहमोम् । Ātmajyotirahaṃ śukraḥ śukrajyotirasohamom । महोविष्णुमहेशेशे दिव्य सिद्धि सरस्वती । Mahoviṣṇumaheśeśe divya siddhi sarasvatī । अजरे अमरे चैव दिव्ययोनि नमोस्तु्तुते ।। Ajare amare caiva divyayoni namostute ।।
25. Meditate on your mantra (Mantra dhyana )
You are only one step away from starting your mantra chanting now. Dhyana is meditating on the deity of the mantra before you begin your japa . Personally, I keep it very simple and meditate upon Her using the core mantra. You can do the same. Sanskrit (Devanagari) Sanskrit (IAST) ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः Oṃ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम tatsaviturvareṇyama भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। Bhargo devasya dhīmahi। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात॥ Dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāta॥ Translation May we abide in the Supreme Energy that is eternal, transcendental, radiant, perfect, divine. May such divine grace always guide us on the path of righteousness.
26. Mantra chanting (Moola mantra japa )
The chanting begins at this step. Now you dip your hand into the bead bag (gaumukhi ) and start chanting the mantra as per your sankalpa .
27. Post-japa handlocks (Uttara mudra)
Once your japa
is complete, the mudras post the sadhana are shown now. There are eight handlocks (mudras) that are shown at the completion of your japa
. Rather than showing the standard handlocks as stated in Essential Steps in the Rites of Invocation (Purushcharana),
simply show the handlocks below.
Handlock (Mudra)
Handlock (Mudra)
Gesture with both hands
धेनू (Dhenū)
Join the right index finger at the tip of the left middle finger while the left index finger should touch the tip of the right middle finger. The right ring finger should touch the tip of the left little finger while the left ring finger should touch the tip of the right ring finger. Join both the thumbs at their tips. Point it downwards.
ज्ञानम्(Jñānam
)
Touch your heart with your right hand. The left is usually in vairagya
mudra (the one below) while the right touches your heart.
वैराग्य (Vairāgya
)
Join the index fingers with the thumbs and spread out the rest.
योनि (Yoni
)
Grab the right ring finger with the left index finger and the right index finger with the left ring finger. Join the two middle fingers at the tip. Let the two little fingers rest on it. Put the tips of your thumbs at the base of the little fingers and you have the auspicious yoni mudra.
शंख (Śaṃkha
)
Grab your left thumb with your four fingers of the right hand. Let the four fingers of the left hand cover your right fist with the left index finger joining at the tip with the right thumb.
पन्कजम् (Pankajam
)