Devibhagavatapurana 12.7.4

12.7.4

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca |
śṛṇu dīkṣāṃ pravakṣyāmi śiṣyāṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām |
devāgnigurupūjādāvadhikāro yayā bhavet ||

Nârâyana said:-- O Nârada! Listen. I am now telling you about the rules of initiation (Dîksâ) of the disciples, pure in heart. When they are initiated, they become entitled then and not before that, to worship the Devas, the Fire and the Guru. That method of instruction, and religious act and ceremony is called the Dîksâ (initiation) by which the Divine Knowledge is imparted; and at once flashes in the heart and mind of the initiated that Knowledge and all his sins are then destroyed. So the Pundits of the Vedas and the Tantras, say. (The Divine Knowledge is like lightning, fire, arising and permeating the body, mind, and spirit.) This Dîksâ ought to be taken by all means. This gives excellent merits and pure results. Both the Guru and the S’isya (disciple) ought to be very pure and true. (This is the first essential requisite. Then the results are instantaneous). First of all, the Guru is to perform all the morning duties, he is to take his bath and perform his Sandhyâ Vandanams. He is to return home from the banks of the river with his Kamandalu and observe maunam (silence). Then, in order to give Dîksâ, he is to enter into the assigned room (Yâga Mandapa) and take his seat on an Âsana that is excellent and calculated to please all. He is to perform Âchanara and do Prânâyâma. Then he should take water in his Arghya vessel and putting scents and flowers in that, charge that water with Phatkâra mantra (that is, condense electricity Spirit in that).

Then uttering the Phat mantra, he is to sprinkle the water on the doorways of the worshiproom and begin his Pûjâ. Firstly, on the top of the door at one end invoke the Deity Gananâthâ by His mantra, at the other end invoke Sarasvatî by Her mantra and at the middle, invoke Laksmî Devî by Her mantra duly and worship them, with flowers. Then, on the right side worship Gangâ and Bighnes’a; and on the left side worship Ksettrapâla and Yamunâ, the daughter of the Sun. Similarly, on the bottom of the door, worship the Astra Devatâ by the Phat mantra. Then consider the whole Mandapa as inspired with the presence of the Devî, and see the whole place as pervaded by Her through and through. Then, repeat the Phat mantra and destroy the Celestial obstacles as well as those from the middle space (Antarîksa); strike the ground thrice with the left heel and thus destroy the Terrene obstacles. Then touching the left branch on the left side of the choukât, put the right foot forward and enter into the Mandapa. Then instal the S’ânti Kumbha (the peace jar) and offer the ordinary Arghya (Sâmânyârgha). Next worship the Vâstunâtha and Padmayoni with flowers and Âtapa rice and the Arghya water, on the south-west and then purify the Pancha Gavya. Next sprinkle all the Mandapa and the entrance gate with that Arghya water.

And, while sprinkling with Arghya water, consider the whole space right through as inspired with the presence of the Devî and repeat the Mûla Mantra with devotion and sprinkle with Phat mantra. The Kartâ, then, uttering the mantra “Phat,” is to drive away all the evils from the Mandapa and uttering the mantra “Hûm” sprinkle water, all around, thus pacifying the atmosphere and bringing peace into the hearts of all present. Then burn the Dhûpa incense inside and scatter Vikira (water, sandal-paste, yava, ashes, Durba grass with roots, and Âtapa rice). Then collect all these rice, etc., again with a broom made of Kus’a grass to the north east corner of the Mandapa; making the Sankalpa and uttering Svasti vâchana (invocation of good), distribute and satisfy the poor and orphans with feeding, clothing and money. Then he should bow down to his own Guru and take his seat humbly on the soft Âsanam allotted to him with his face eastwards and meditate on the Deity (Îsta Deva) of the mantra that is to be imparted to the disciple. After meditating thus, he is to do the Bhûta s’ûddhi (purification of elements) and perform Nyâsa, etc., of the Deya mantra (the mantra that is to be imparted to the disciple) according to the rules stated below, i.e., the Risi on the head; the chhandas in the mouth, the Îsta Devatâ in the heart, Bîja on the anus and S’akti Nyâsa on the two legs.

Then he is to make sound thrice by the clap of his palm and thus thwart off all the evils of the earth and the middle space and then make digbandhan (tieing up the quarters) by the mudrâ chhotikâ three times (snapping the thumb and forefinger together). Then perform the Prânâyâma with the Mûla mantra of the would-be-Îsta-Devatâ and do the Mâtrikâ Nyâsa in one’s own body, thus:-- Om Am namah s’irasi, Om Âm namah on the face, Om Im namah on the right eye, Om Îm namah on the left eye, and so on, assign all the letters duly to their respective places. Then perform the Karânga Nyâsa on the fingers and the Sadanga Nyâsa thus:-- Speak: Om Hridayâya namah, touching on the heart, utter Om S’irase svâhâ, touching the head; Om S’ikhâyai Vasat, touching the tuft; Om Kavachâya Hûm, touching on the Kavacha, “Om netratrayâya Vausat,” touching the eye, and “Om Astrâya Phat” touching both the sides of the hand, the palm and its back. Then finish the Nayâsa by doing the Varnanyâsa of the Mûla mantra in those places that are said in the cognate kalpas (i.e., throat, heart, arms, legs, etc.).

O Nârada! Next consider within your body the seat of an auspicious Âsana (a seat) and make the Nyâsa of Dharma on the right side, Jñânam on the left side, of Vairâgyam (dispassion) on the left thigh, prosperity and wealth on the right thigh, of non-Dharma in the mouth and of Non-Jñânam on the left side, Avairâgyam (passion) on the navel, and poverty on the right side. Then think of the feet of the Âsana (the body) as Dharma, etc., and all the limbs as Adharma (non-Dharma). In the middle of the Âsana (body), i.e., in the heart consider Ananta Deva as a gentle bed and on that a pure lotus representing this universe of five elements. Then make Nyâsa of the Sun, Moon, and Fire on this lotus and think the Sun as composed of twelve Kalâs (digits) the Moon composed of sixteen Kalâs (digits) and the Fire as composed of ten Kalâs. Over this make Nyâsa of Sâttva, Râja and Tâmo Gunas, Âtmâ, Antarâtmâ, Paramâtmâ and Jñânâtmâ and then think of this as his Îsta’s altar where the devotee is to meditate on his Îsta Devatâ, the Highest Mother. Nyâsa-assignment of the various parts of the body to different deities which is usually accompanied with prayers and corresponding gesticulations. Next the devotee is to perform the mental worship of the Deya Mantra Devatâ according to the rules of his own Kalpa; next he is to show all the Mudrâs, stated in the Kalpa for the satisfaction of the Deva. The Devas become very pleased when all these Mudrâs are shown to them.