śāktaṃ vā vaiṣṇavaṃ vāpi śaivaṃ vānyaṃ tathā punaḥ ॥ 11
vārāṇasyāṃ japed yo hi māsatrayaṃ varānane ।
prātaḥkālaṃ samārambha yāvanmadhyandinaṃ bhavet ॥ 12
avaśyaṃ mantrasiddhiḥ syāt satyameva susiddhide ।
nirvāṇaṃ tasya deveśi tvavaśyaṃ jāyate śive ॥ 13
mahāśmaśānaṃ deveśi ānandakānanaṃ tathā ।
avimuktaṃ mahādevi tathā gaurīmukhaṃ punaḥ ॥ 14
vārāṇasī mahākṣetraṃ kālīrūpaṃ parātparam ।
tatra yad yat kṛtaṃ devi kiṃ tasya kathayāmi te ॥ 15
yoginītantrasya ekādaśapaṭalaḥ
Tag: devI
The dhyāna of Bālā tryakṣarī as Kāmākhyā (ongoing note) along with Kāmeśvara mantra and dhyāna
Dhyāna of vāgbhavabīja (aiṃ)
sindūrapuñjasaṃkāśāṃ trinetrāṃ tu caturbhujām
vāmoṛdhve puṣpakoḍandaṃ dhṛtvādhaḥ pustakaṃ tathā
dakṣiṇoṛdhve pañcabāṇānakṣamālāṃ dadhatyadhaḥ
caturṇāṃ kuṇapānāṃ tu pṛṣṭhe’nyaṃ kuṇapāntaram
nidhāya tasya pṛṣṭhe tu samapādena saṃsthitām
jaṭājūṭārdhacandreṇa samāvaddhāśirodharām
nagnāṃ trivalibhedena cārumadhyāṃ manoharām
sarvālaṅkārasampūrṇāṃ sarvāṅgasundarī śubhām
sravaddraviṇasandohāṃ sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutām
Dhyāna of kāmabīja(klīṃ)
bandhūkapuṣpasaṅkāśāṃ jaṭājūṭendumaṇḍitāṃ
sarvalakṣaṇasampūrṇāṃ sarvālaṅkārabhūṣitaṃ
uddyadraviprabhāṃpadmoparyukteṣu susaṃsthitāṃ
muktāratnāvalīyuktā pānonnatapayodharām
valīvibhāgacaturāmāsavāmodamoditām
netrāhlādakarīṃ śubhrāṃ kṣobhaṇīṃ jagatāṃ tathā
trinetrāṃ yonimudrāyāmoṣdhāsasamāyutām
navayauvanasampannāṃ mṛṇālābhacaturbhujām
vāmārdhve pustakaṃ dhatte akṣamālāṃ tu dakṣiṇe
vāmenābhayadāṃ devīṃ dakṣiṇārdhve varapradām
sravadraktaughasūryābhāṃ śiromālāṃ tu bibhratīm
āpādalambinīṃ kalpadrumamāsādya saṃsthitām
kadambopavanāntasthāṃ kāmāhlādakarīṃ śubhām
dvitīyāṃ tripurāṃ dhyāyedevaṃrūpāṃ manoharām
Dhyāna of the third bīja(ḍāmara/mohanabīja) (sauḥ)
tṛtīyaṃ tripurārūpaṃ śṛṇu vetālabhairavaṃ
javākusumasaṅkāśāṃ muktakeśīṃ śubhānanām
sadāśivaṃ hasantaṃ tu pretavad vinighāya vai
hṛdaye tasya devasya hārddhaapadmāsanāsthitām
raktoṛtpalairmiśritāṃ tu muṇḍamālāṃ padānugām
grīvāyāṃ dhārayantīṃ tu pīnonnatapayodharām
caturbhujāṃ tathā nagnāṃ dakṣiṇārdhve’kṣamālinīm
varadāṃ tadadho vāme jaganmāyāṃ tathābhayām
adhastu pustakaṃ dhatte trinetrāṃ hasitānanām
sravadrudhirabhogārtaṃ tathā sarvāṅgasundarīm
evaṃvidhaṃ tṛtīyaṃ tu rūpaṃ dhyāyet tu pūjakaḥ
ādyaṃ tu vāgbhavaṃ rūpaṃ dvitīyaṃ kāmarājakam
ḍāmaraṃ mohanaṃ cāpi tṛtīyaṃ parikīrtitam
mantratrayaṃ tathaikatra kṛtvā ca manumūrtayaḥ
kartavyā ekatastatra madhyarūpe niveṣayet
Blog author’s own note:mantratrayaM=bIjatrayaM
Dhyāna of kāmeśvara(hauṃ) (nātha kāmeśvaraṃ devaṃ prāsādena prapūjayet)
nāthaṁ kāmeśvaraṁ tatra ekavaktraṁ caturbhujam |
bhasmaśvetaṁ madhyahṛdi raktapuṣpaistu kuṅkumaiḥ || 124 ||
triśūlaṁ ca pinākaṁ ca vāmahastadvaye sthitam |
utpalaṁ bījapūraṁ ca dakṣiṇadvitaye tathā || 125 ||
śvetapadmoparisthaṁ ca dhyātvā madhye prapūjayet |
The shaiva/vaiShNava presences on kAmAkhyA nIlAchala according to the kAlikA purANa
Someone should map the shaiva prescences in nIlAchala hill to the shiva shrines actually present there,which would be
1. kAmeshvara(corresponds to the vAmedeva li~Nga named kAmeshvara mentioned in the kAmAkhyAmAhAtmyam just before the traipura vidhi is mentioned)
2. koTili~Nga(sharabheshvara) (yo’sau sharabhamUrtirme madhyakhaNDaprachaNDakaH/mahAbhairavanAmAbhut koTili~NgAhvayastu me//)
3. kambaleshvara(harihara/sha~NkaranArAyaNa)
4. aghora in the kAmAkhyA cave(if someone could help me out about the exact location?I couldn’t identify when I went in)…the corresponding verse in the KP seems to be yacchaghorAhvAyaM shIrShaM tatkAmAyAstu dakShiNe/pIThe bhairavanAmA tu gadite paramArthibhiH//
5. kedAreshvara (kedArasaMj~nakaM kShetraM madhyasthaM siddhakAmayoH/)
6. A li~Nga at the bottom of the saubhAgyakuNDa. It is visible on mahAshivarAtri when the kuNDa is drained then apparently?
7. pANDunAtha=seems to be invoked both as varAha(varAhaH pANDunAthAkhyAH sthitastatra hariryataH) and as the nArAyaNa aShTAkShari in a later chapter of the purANA
8. kAmuka vaTuka seemingly in the main cave of kAmAkhyA itself
9. Amratakeshvara(sadyojAta) (sadyojAtAhvayam shIrShaM pIThe tvAmrAtakeshvara…says the kAlikA purANa’s kAmAkhyAmAhAtmyam,62nd chapter)
10. heruka bhairava apparently
11. bhuvaneshvara bhairava identified with tatpuruSha…bhuvanesha in the cave of bhuvanAnanda
12. siddheshvara identified with IshAna (IshAnAkhya shivo yatra tat siddheshvarasanj~nakaM/shilArupaM siddhakuNDaM madhyasthaM viddhi bhairavaM)
This post should be read in conjunction with this post and this post on other shrines on the nIlAchala hill. I would be glad if someone took a lead and published where exact correspondences to the places mentioned that are less clear(like bhuvaneshvara). The article will be updated as I get new information.
On theological reasons behind a very common Durga / Caṇḍikā dhyana
Normal Reason: rAghava bhaTTa says so and is ratified by the author of prapancha sAra and IshAna shiva in his paddhati. Spiritual reason: The great and the high warlock, aghora parameshvara holds a trishUla in his hands… and according to the devI saptashatI the same shUla is given to chaNDikA parameshvari… for the D700 verily saysshUlaM shUlAd vinishkR^iShya… As per kShemarAja’s commentary on the weapons being held by aghora parameshvara, he says about the shUla: ..”ichChA GYAna kriyAyogi svAtantrya shakti daNDena trishUlena pAshatraya shAtanaM” “Striking down the three bonds [ego, karma, illusion] with the staff of absolute autonomy (svātantrya-śakti), which is conjoined with the powers of Will, Knowledge, and Action (icchā-jñāna-kriyā).”
A set of sixty-four yoginīs of Kāmākhyā(supplemented by the Kālikā purāṇa)
Brahmāṇī,Caṇḍikā,Raudrī,Gaurī,Indrāṇī,Kaumārī,Vaiṣṇavī,Durgā,Nārasiṁhī,Kālikā,Cāmuṇḍā,Śivadūtī,Vārāhī,Kārtikī,Māheśvarī,Śaṅkarī,Jayantī,Sarvamaṅgalā,Kālī,Kapālinī,Medhā,Śivā,Śākambharī,Bhīmā.Śāntā,BhrāmarīRudrāṇīAmbikā,Kṣemā,Dhātrī,Svāhā,Svadhā,Aparṇā,Mahodarī,Ghorarūpā,Mahākālī,Bhadrakālī,Bhayaṅkarī,Kṣemaṅkari,Ugracaṇda,Caṇḍogrā,Caṇḍanāyikā,Caṇḍā,Caṇḍavatī,CaṇḍīMahāpriyaṅkarī,Balavikaraṇī,Balapramathanī,Manonmathanī,Sarvabhūtadamani,Umā,Tārā,Mahānidrā,Vijayā,Jayā
followed by a set of yoginis mentioned as śailaputryādi which are: śailaputrī,guptakāmā,Śrīkāmā(Caṇḍikā),vindhyavāsinī(Caṇḍaghaṇṭā/Candraghaṇṭā),koṭīśvarī,vanasthā,pādadurgā(Katyayani),dīrgheśvarī and bhuvaneśvarī.
The verses dealing with them are posted below
brahmāṇī caṇḍikā raudrī gaurīndrāṇī tathaiva ca || 39 ||
kaumārī vaiṣṇavī durgā nārasiṁhī ca kālikā |
cāmuṇḍā śivadūtī ca vārāhī kārtikī tathā || 40 ||
māheśvarī śaṅkarī ca jayantī sarvamaṅgalā |
kālī (ka)pālinī medhā śivā śākambharī tathā || 41 ||
bhīmā śāntā bhrāmarī ca rudrāṇī cāmbikā tathā |
kṣemā dhātrī tathā svāhā svadhā’parṇā mahodarī || 42 ||
ghorarūpā mahākālī bhadrakālī bhayaṅkarī |
kṣemaṅkarī cogracaṇḍā caṇḍogrā caṇḍanāyikā || 43 ||
caṇḍā caṇḍavatī caṇḍī mahāpriyaṅkarī tathā |
balavikaraṇī devī balapramathanī tathā || 44 ||
manonmathanī caiva hi sarvabhūtasya damanī |
umā tārā mahānidrā vijayā ca jayā tathā || 45 ||
pūrvoktāḥ śailaputryādyā yoginyaṣṭau tathā kramāt |
tābhirabhiśca sahitāścatuṣṣaṣṭiśca yoginīḥ || 46 ||
pūjayed maṇḍalasyā(ntā?ntaḥ) sarvakāmārthasiddhaye |
nānāvidhaṁ tu naivedyaṁ pānaṁ pāyasameva ca || 47 ||
moḍakāpūpapiṣṭādi devyai samyak pradāpayet |
evaṁ tu pūjayed devīṁ kālikāṁ kāmadāyinīm || 48 ||
bhaktiyukto naro bhūtvā sarvān sa labhate priyān |
mahocchvāsā mahādevī mahāmāyā tu sā smṛtā || 49 ||
The central deity according to both the sources alluded to is Tripurā of the three syllables that corresponds to the Goddess Bālā,although She is visualized as a collection of three Goddesses akin to most traditions of Caṇdī navārṇa today. In this case,each goddess corresponds to each syllable of the mantra.
The Ogha-traya(the lineage of the divine,siddha(perfected) and human teachers) of Bālā Tripurāsundarī’s tradition as described in two hymns
Divyaugha(the Divine transmission/flow [of the tāntrika teaching]). In this case,they seem to be deifics of certain technical terms of advaya śaivāgama(Nondual Śaiva tantra would be a close enough translation). The terms which would be specific to the traipura tradition building on the older Śaiva tradition would be kāma and kāmeśvara. Amṛta hearkens back to the older Mṛtyuñjaya/Mṛtyujit based based traditions,a technical excursus of which is provided here and an introduction on the Netra tantra,centred on the nectarine Rudra Tryambaka/evolute Amṛteśvara(Lord of Nectar). As noted by the author of that blog:
…the bhairava srotas underwent a syncretic development with a much earlier independent stream of the mantra-mArga, i.e. the worship of mR^ityu~njaya. This resulted in the system of amR^iteshvara bhairava and amR^iteshvarI which is expounded by the netra tantra.
- Prakāśānanda
- Parameśānanda
- Paraśivānanda
- Kāmeśvarānanda
- Mokṣānanda
- Kāmānanda
- Amṛtānanda
After the transmission/flow of teachings amongst the divyaugha,comes the siddhaugha(the transmission/flow of tantrik teachings in the line of the perfected ones). In this case,they are the five faces of Śiva,deifics of a famous pentad of 5 mantras in Śaivism known as the Pañca-Brahma-s.
- Īśāna
- Tatpuruṣa
- Aghora
- Vāmadeva
- Sadyojāta
After the divyaugha and siddhaugha,comes the mānavaugha(the first humans who brought down the tantrik tradition as expounded in the hymn). In this case they are
- Gaganānanda
- Viśvānanda
- Vimalānanda
- Madanānanda
- Ātmānanada
- Priyānanda
And then one goes on to worship the immediate quartret of gurus(one’s own guru,his guru,his guru’s guru and that figure’s guru) before going on to worship other figures in the Goddess’ retinue. The hymn in question is the Bala Khadgamala stotra.
The 1000 names of Bālā as ascribed to the Rudrayāmala tantra have a slightly variant list
The divyaugha there consists of
- Prakāśānandanātha
- Śivānandanātha
- Śaktyānandanātha
- Samayānandanātha.
- Kauleśa and Devī are mentioned though I am not sure if they are epithets for Śiva and Śakti in this case.
In this case the gurus are the dialogic union of Śiva-Śakti/deifics of this contexts
Klinnāṅgānandanātha, Vedānandanātha, and Sahajānandanātha are the siddhaugha gurus listed in this tradition of the hymn. Their names are significant and reflect on the nature of the Goddess on Her practical manifestation.
The human gurus in the 1000 names are listed as Vimalānandanātha, Madanānandanātha, Bhuvanānandanātha, and Svātmānandanātha.
On the praise of the wife,from the Annadākalpa
strīsaṅginā sadā bhāvyamanyathā na prasīdati।
kṣubdhāyāṃ yoṣiti kṣubdhā sadā devī na saṃṣayaḥ॥
sā cedbhavati saṃkṣubdhā danamāyuśca nāśayet।
vṛthā sadakṣiṇo homo yadyapriyakaraḥ striyaḥ॥
buddhirbalaṃ yaśorūpamāyurvittaṃ sutādayaḥ।
naśyanti tasya sarvāṇi yoṣinnindāparasya ca॥
mātāpitrorvaraṃ tyāgastyājya śambhustathā hariḥ।
varaṃ devī parityājyā naiva tyājyā svakāminī।
varaṃ janamukhānnindā varaṃ vā garhitaṃ yaśaḥ॥
varaṃ prāṇā paritryājyā na kuryādapriyaṃ striyāḥ।
na dhātā nācyutaḥ śambhurna ca vā sā sanātanī॥
yoṣidapriyakartāraṃ rakṣituṃ na kṣamo bhavet।
śmaśānasādhanaṃ nātra na citā śavasādhanām॥
yoṣitpūjanamātreṇa annapūrṇā susiddhidā॥
iti annadākalpe siddhisādhanādivivaraṇaṃ nāma ṣoḍaśaḥ paṭala
Pañcastavī=an archaic traipura text?
I got reminded of the Pañcastavī on reading about a fragment of it,the laghustavī transmitted in Kerala as the Bālāviṁśati(literally:Twenty verses on the goddess Bālā) in an article by Karasinski and GSK Sharman. and that led me to read up on the Pañcastavī and try to note various points in it that point to a possible historical marker/concrete historical anchoring
- A possible reference to a certain Vatsarāja in its 12th verse of the Laghustavi. This could be a very likely reference to the same Vatsarāja who composed the Kāmasiddhistuti in the context of an archaic form of worship of Śrīvidyā that does not survive today.
- The 11th verse of the Laghustavi also has a description of Bālā that is close to Tripurābhairavī(also considering the closeness in nyāsas compared to Bālā and Tripurābhairavī and the construction of (Tripurā)bhairavī from Bālā by adding the syllables representing sūrya,soma and agni in each bīja of the Bālā tryakṣarī=this shift from kāma to adding the ̍Śiva’ component parallels the development seen in Lalitā and the Nityā cult as well). This also implies that at one point in Her cult,Bālā was seen as bhairavī Herself.
- Imagery from older Daurga cults/Caṇḍikā cult being used in the worship of Bālā,affirming Her royal position and as the kuladevī of kings in the 13th verse
- Reference to the offerings of milk,ghee,honey and wine (in conjunction with the offerings of brahmins,kṣatriyas,vaiśyas and śudras respectively?)
- The author does not seem to know the Lalitopākhyāna or any detail of the war against Bhaṇḍāsura and Bālā is a supreme independent Goddess in Her own right,most frequently equated with the ‘battle-queen’ Caṇḍikā
- Attraction of women is mentioned without any negative remark about it
- Mention of Tripurā as being worshipped by Gaṇeśa and Vaṭuka in the Carcāstava section as mentioned in the Kāmasiddhistuti(as opposed to later South Indian lineages that tend to elide the worship of Vaṭuka in practice and/or use replacements)
- The mention of the name Tārā to be uttered when one is under danger from water brings to my mind the usage of the ‘oṃ tāre tuttāre ture…’ mantra in the Paraśurāmakalpasutras as the jalāpat-śamanī vidya. In both the cases the deity is Ārya Tārā.
- A certain form of the Goddess Parā is being alluded to in the fourth stava(ambāstava) section where She is bearing a crystal mālā,a book,cinmudrā and a cupt(yaḥ sphāṭikākṣaguṇapustakakuṇḍikāḍhyāṃ vyākhyasamudyatakarāṃ śaradinduśubhrāṃ…)? (She is also alluded in the beginning of the hymn in its Laghustavī section in a slightly different form).
- In the 25th verse of the Ambāstava,the reference to Her being His body reminds one of a certain conceptualization of Abhinavagupta.
- Mention of the ṣaḍadhvas in the 30th verse=this is one concept poorly understood outside the śaivāgamic world. They arethe varṇa,pada,mantra,kalā,tattva and the bhuvanadhvan-s. The six adhvans are three vācya(referent)-vācaka(word) pairs. kalā,tattva and bhuvanadhvans are the vācya and pada,mantra and varṇādhvans are the vācakas. This and other referents indicate that the tattvacintana of the Goddess was done in the tradition of nondual flavour of śaivāgama rather than advaita vedānta.
- The 5th sakalajananīstava section also acknowledges that no philosophy can truly fully express Her.
- The 22nd verse of the sakalajananīstava expresses that it was through Her that Śiva severed the head of Brahmā and used it as a skullcup,impaled Viṣṇu(later traditions note it as Viśvaksena) and become Nīlakaṇṭha by bearing the halāhala poison in His neck. I wonder if the reference to the first and second ākhyānas is not coincidental and the author is establishing Her as the female version of Bhairava,i.e.Bhairavī?
- In the very last verse of the sakalajananīstava She is identified with the classical śaiva aṣṭamūrtayaḥ.(Earth,Water,Fire,Air,Vyoma,Surya,Soma and the Yajamana).
- Further points:Paramadvaya influence in the stava could serve as anchoring the terminus ante quem in addition to the post quem as it would have been older than kevalādvaita but śrīvidyā at one point did not have this either. The mūlavāmakeśvarīmata itself is an example of this process. It has purvāmnāya elements but not the high philosophy of Abhinavagupta,Utpaladeva etc…that would need the Yoginīhṛdaya and commentaries. [Note:Abhinavagupta and Kṣemarāja were very likely aware of the Nityā-Dakṣināmnāya/the earliest beginnings of ̎proto-Śrīvidya(beyond Bālā and Her system)?]
An elucidation on Puraścaraṇa of Caṇdī navārṇa Mantra and Durgāsaptaśatī
The text of the book Durgopāsanākalpadruma mentions the various ṛśyādi nyāsas for caṇḍī navārṇa(which,if one has even a half decent guru,one should be knowing about:At least one of them),following which the following are listed as the famed ekādaśa(eleven) nyāsas for caṇḍī navārṇa,which are:
- mātṛkā nyāsa
- sārasvata nyāsa
- mātṛ-gaṇa nyāsa
- nandinyādi nyāsa
- brahmākhya nyāsa
- mahālakṣmyādi nyāsa
- mūlākṣara nyāsa
- varṇa nyāsa
- mantra-vyāpti nyāsa
- ṣaḍaṅga nyāsa
- khaḍginyādi śloka-nyāsa
A note for those who are looking at the above list of nyāsas:If you,the reader’s guruparamparA has a different sequence or emphasis on nyāsas,or more or less nyāsas,the krama as instructed by one’s own guru is to be followed.
Followed by the mantra-varṇa nyāsa and then the classic dhyānas of mahākālī(khaḍgam cakreṣu..ṃadhuṃ kaiṭabham),mahālakṣmī(akṣasrak..pravālaprabhām…sarojasthitāṃ) and mahāsarasvatī(ghaṇṭāśūlahalāni…daityārdinīm) and then the text specifies
evaṃ dhyātvā japellakṣaṃ catuṣkaṃ taddaśāṃśataḥ।
pāyasānnena juhuyātpūjite hemaretasi॥
and then specifies the pīṭha and āvaraṇa pūjā of the mantra-deity.The section ends by stating:
evaṃ siddhe manau mantrī bhavet saubhāgyabhājanam।
mārkāṇḍeya purāṇoktaṃ nityaṃ caṇḍīstavaṃ paṭhan।
puṭitaṃ mūlamantreṇa japannāpnoti vāñcitam॥
Meru tantra as quoted in the Caṇḍī bhakti vinodinī of Navamīsiṃha states:
caṇḍīṃ dhyātvā japellakṣacatuṣkaṃ taddaśāṃśataḥ।
pāyasānnena juhuyātpūjite hemaretasi।
tarpaṇaṃ mārjanaṃ caiva tathā brāhmaṇabhojanam।
sarvasādhāraṇam tadvacchaṇḍīpāṭhapuraścaram॥
Now on puraścaraṇa of the whole Durgāsaptaśati,Navamīsiṃha in his Caṇḍī bhakti vinodinī further quotes the vidhi of the Māricīkalpa
saptaśatyāvidhānam ca puraścaraṇapūrvakam।
yogāṃśca vividhān vakṣye sarvārthasya ca sādhakān॥
kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṃ samārabhya yāvatkṛṣṇacaturdaśīṃ।
japedekottarāvṛttiṃ devīsūktena pūrvakam॥
rātrisūktaṃ japedādau madhye saptaśatīstavam।
prānte devyāśca suktaṃ ca pauraścāraṇikaḥ kramaḥ॥
tadante havanaṃ kṛtvā pratiślokena pāyasam।
rātrīsūktaṃ pratiṛcaṃ tathā devyāśca sūktakam॥
hutvā’nte siddhayaḥ stotramādau pūjādikaṃ mune।
saurvarṇīṃ pratimāṃ devyāḥ kārayanniṣkamānataḥ।
yantraṃ vā kārayanmantrī tadardhaṃ cāpi śaktitaḥ॥
maṇḍale sarvatobhadre ṣaṭkoṇāṅkitakarṇike॥
vakṣyamāṇena vidhinā pīṭhaṃ devyā prapūjayet।
jayākhyā vijayā bhadrā bhadrakālī tataḥ param।
sumukhī durmukhī saṃjñā paścādvyāgramukhī tathā॥
atha siṃhamukhī durgā navaśaktīḥ prapūjayet।
svasvamantreṇa vidhinā pūjanaṃ tu yathākramam।
āsanaṃ mūlamantreṇa dadyādyktena sādhakaḥ॥
mūrtiṃ mūlena saṅkalpya tasyāmāvāhya pūjayet।
saṃpūjya vidhivatpūjyāmupacārādinā kramāt॥
mātṛkā gaṇaśaktīśca pūjayedvidhipūrvakam।
naivedyāntaṃ samabhyarcaṃ tato dhyānaṃ samācaret॥
mantreṇa navadurgāyā athavā jātavedasaḥ।
navākṣaryathavā mantro durgāmantraṃ praśasyate॥
idaṃ stavaṃ japeddevyā siddhidaṃ stavamuttamam।
May that motherly Sarasvatī who ever helps her votaries begining from the hoary days of Kavaṣa Ailuṣa be pleased.
On the necessity of mantrasiddhi and its primary means(puraścaraṇa in this context)
vīracūḍamaṇyām kālītantre ca:-
puraścaraṇahīnasya mantrasiddhirnajāyate।
ādau puraṣkriyaṃ kuryat niyamena yathāvidhi॥
vīratantre:
ādau mantrasya siddhyarthaṃ puraścaraṇamācaret।
tato siddhamanurmantri kāmyakarmāṇi sādhayet॥
uttaratantre:
sarvasvenāpi kartavyam puraścaraṇamuttamam।
anyathā nādhikāraḥ syat tasyapūjādiṣu priye॥
yoginīhṛdaye:
gurorājñāṃ samādāya śuddhāntaḥkaraṇo naraḥ।
tato puraṣkriyāṃ kuryānmantra saṃsiddhi kāmyayā॥
jīvahīno yathā dehaḥ sarvakarmasu na kṣamaḥ।
puraścaraṇahīno’pi tathāmantraḥ prakīrtitaḥ॥
yāmale:
akṛtvā tu puraścaryāṃ yo yatkarma samācaret।
tat tasya cābhicārāya jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ॥
rāmārcanachandrikāyām:
saṃsāre duḥkhabhūyiṣṭhe ya icchet sukhamātmanaḥ।
pañcāṅgopāsanenaiva rāmaṃ bhajatu bhaktitaḥ॥
pañcāṅgopāsanaṃ bhaktyā puraścaraṇamucyate।
etat hi viduṣāmsreṣṭhaṃ saṃsārocchedakāraṇam॥
nānena sadṛṣo dharma nānena sadṛśantapaḥ।
nānena sadṛśaṃkiñcit iṣṭārthasya tapodhana॥
वीरचूडमण्याम् कालीतन्त्रे च:-
पुरश्चरणहीनस्य मन्त्रसिद्धिर्नजायते।
आदौ पुरष्क्रियं कुर्यत् नियमेन यथाविधि॥
वीरतन्त्रे:
आदौ मन्त्रस्य सिद्ध्यर्थं पुरश्चरणमाचरेत्।
ततो सिद्धमनुर्मन्त्रि काम्यकर्माणि साधयेत्॥
उत्तरतन्त्रे:
सर्वस्वेनापि कर्तव्यम् पुरश्चरणमुत्तमम्।
अन्यथा नाधिकारः स्यत् तस्यपूजादिषु प्रिये॥
योगिनीहृदये:
गुरोराज्ञां समादाय शुद्धान्तःकरणो नरः।
ततो पुरष्क्रियां कुर्यान्मन्त्र संसिद्धि काम्यया॥
जीवहीनो यथा देहः सर्वकर्मसु न क्षमः।
पुरश्चरणहीनोऽपि तथामन्त्रः प्रकीर्तितः॥
यामले:
अकृत्वा तु पुरश्चर्यां यो यत्कर्म समाचरेत्।
तत् तस्य चाभिचाराय जायते नात्र संशयः॥
रामार्चनछन्द्रिकायाम्:
संसारे दुःखभूयिष्ठे य इच्छेत् सुखमात्मनः।
पञ्चाङ्गोपासनेनैव रामं भजतु भक्तितः॥
पञ्चाङ्गोपासनं भक्त्या पुरश्चरणमुच्यते।
एतत् हि विदुषाम्स्रेष्ठं संसारोच्छेदकारणम्॥
नानेन सदृषो धर्म नानेन सदृशन्तपः।
नानेन सदृशंकिञ्चित् इष्टार्थस्य तपोधन॥
Some points to be noted from the above quotes
- It is essential for kāmya rites
- Without puraścaraṇa,one does not do pūjā etc(basically mantrasiddhi at its various levels is essential for the deity to be responding to the ritualist:This is the point being hinted at here)
- The classic simile of a lifeless body being unable to perform any work;and a mantra that is not siddha is employed in the Yoginīhṛdaya
- A yāmalatantra even goes as far as to say that one who does rites without doing puraścaraṇa,his rites are akin to abhicāra
- Rāmārcana-candrikā,a text on Rāma worship notes that the puraścaraṇa ritual is also the cause of breakage of the bonds of saṃsāra;hence this is not merely recommended only for kāmya rites alone. And the ritual is also praised highly. This sentiment on the importance of mantrasiddhi at various levels is thus,not something that exists only in Śākta works but can be seen in Vaiṣnava works as well.
padmavajra 