Devibhagavatapurana 5.34.2

5.34.2

ṛṣiruvāca |
śṛṇu rājanpravakṣyāmi tasyāḥ pūjāvidhiṃ śubham |
kāmadaṃ mokṣadaṃ nṝṇāṃ jñānadaṃ duḥkhanāśanam ||

The Risi said:-- O King! I am now describing the method how to worship the Goddess. Hear. This leads to the fulfilment of all desires, to the liberation from one’s bondage, to self-realisation and to the destruction of all miseries. The worshipper has to perform his bath; then putting on a white cloth, he will have to perform his Vaidik and Tântrik Sandhyâ; then he should, with his heart controlled, perform his Âchamana ceremony and select a good auspicious site for his own Poojâ purposes. Next he should plaster the site with cow-dung and spread his sacred carpet (Âsana) whereon he is to take his seat with a cheerful mind and sip water for Âchamana three times. Then he is to collect the articles for worship according to his best capacity and place them duly in their respective positions. He is to perform Prânâyâma (regulate his breath); and then follows the Bhuta-S’uddhi, the purification of the old and the formation of the celestial body and Jîva-S’uddhi by which the Sâdhaka becomes the Devatâ-maya; he then proceeds to Mâtrikâ Nyâsa (i.e., setting mentally in their several places in the six Chakras and then externally by physical action the letters of the alphabet which form the different parts of the body of the Devatâ. He then places his hand on different parts of his body, uttering distinctly at the same time the appropriate Mâtrikâ for that part).

Bhuta-S’uddhi:-- Dissolve earth into water, water into fire, fire into air, air into ether; ether into Ahamkâra, Ahamkâra into Mahat and Mahat into Prakriti, the final Cause. This process is called Bhuta-S’uddhi. He is to mention then the time, date, tithi, and month of the year and make his Sankalpa; then he will have to assign to the different parts of his body the Mâtrikâ Mantrams duly as well as his own Mantram; next he is to meditate in his own body the seat of the different Devatâs and do the internal worship. He is to breathe life into the Deity outside to be worshipped as well as within himself to be meditated and worshipped; then he is to do the same with the articles for worship and purify them by sprinkling with water and Astra or Phat Mantram, thus removing all sources of obstacles that are likely to interfere with the act. Next, on an auspicious copper plate, he is to draw inside a six-angled (hexagonal) figure (two triangles crossing each other with their vertices one upward and the other below) with white sandal paste or with eight perfumed things and outside this figure, an octagonal figure of eight petals; outside this he is to draw the boundary lines that is called the Bhûpura. On each of the eight petals he is to write each letter of the nine-lettered Vîja (Seed) Mantram and the ninth letter in the central ovum.

Next by the Mantram by which breath is infused or by the Vedic Mantram he will have to place the Yantra in the proper position and then worship the Âdhâra S’akti (the vital Force) in the central ovum and the holy seat with the Pîtha Mantrams. He will have to invoke the Devî, uttering the Seed Mantram over a golden plate or figure and carefully worship Her by offering seats and other articles duly as enunciated in the Yâmala Tântras, etc. Then he will have to perform the six-fold worship of the Ganas in the six angles and worship Indra, etc., and Vajra and others in the Bhûpura (the boundary) and thus finish the Poojâ of the Yantra. (For the Poojâ see the Prapancha Sâra.) Note:-- Bhûpura is what is thought over outside front or in the beginning. Here the Gana Devatâs are first thought over and worshipped. Worship outside, worship inside and See the Deity in and out, everywhere and be free is the motto of the worship. In the absence of the Yantra, one will have to make a metalled image of Bhagavatî and worship Her with the greatest caution with the Mantras as expounded by S’iva in the Tantrams (of Jâmalâ and others). Note:-- Yantra is that which restrains. This human body is the Yantra. And its imitation is placed outside in various shapes and figures. The Yantra is the mystical diagram used by the devotees for worship. Or one may use the Vaidik Mantrams in worshipping the Deity in accordance with the prescribed rules and with his mind controlled;

then, merged in meditation, one is to mutter silently (perform the Japam of) the nine-lettered Mantram. (The Mantram is Krîm Daksine Kâlike Svâhâ). Japam (muttering or repeating silently the Mantram) is of two kinds:-- Nitya (daily) and Pauras’charanik (repetition of the name of the deity accompanied with burnt offerings). In the Nitya Japam, Nitya Homas are performed and in the occasional Pauras’charanik Japam, one tenth of this is offerred; Abhiseka, too, is one-tenth of this Homa; Tarpanam is one-tenth of Abhiseka and the feeding of the Brâhmanas is one-tenth of what is done in the Tarpanam. O King! Thus completing the Japam one is to read daily the Chandî (do the Chandîpâtha) where the three glorious deeds of the Devî are narrated; next he will have to allow the Deity invoked to depart to Her own place. The Navarâtra Vrata (nine night vow) is next to be observed according to the proper rites and ceremonies. Hrîm Mahisa Mardinyai Svâhâ is the Mantra.