The secret of Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka of Chandi Sapthasathi

[Guest guest]

Hari Aum, Dear bandhu,

 

Your post kindled a conversation with my learned friend and I would

like to share his inputs with all respected group members. This

information was in the form of a chat transcript so I have done little

editing. Pranam

 

 

 

" Now, these KAVACHA, ARGALA and KILAKA have to be chanted all three

at a time " .

 

 

 

There seems to be no scriptural basis for this statement. Devi

Kavacham is believed to be a part of varAha purANa [brahmANDa

according to some] which does not advocate the exclusive use of

Kavacham only with Argala and Kilakam. Someone reading the Kavacha as

a part of VarAha purANa can study it without referring to argaLa or

kilakam. The ineffectiveness of one of the three without the other two

does not seem to have a scriptural or traditional basis. As for Kilaka

stotra, there is a lot that needs to be examined.

 

 

 

 

" So, when UTKILANA is PERFORMED with the MANTRA, the NAIL or PIVOT is

removed

and the BOLT or ARGALA drops off. When the BOLT AND PIVOT is opened,

at one

shot the entire KAVACHA or ARMOUR is loosened and it drops off from

the Body.This KAVACHA is the KANCHUKA of JIVA which is a limitation

for the JIVA. So, with the UTKILANA mantra and with the mantra " RUPAM

DEHI …… " of ARGALA,

the NUT AND BOLT are removed. As soon as ARGALA AND KILAKA are

removed, the

KAVACHA OF JIVATVA drops off and he is in his SWA-SWARUPA STHITHI "

 

 

 

According to this analogy, kIlana is removed first, then the argala

and then the kavacha drops. In that case, we would need to recite the

three in the same order. But we recite kavacha, argaLA, followed by

kIlaka. Nothing wrong with this analogy, but I am trying to decipher

its relevance in practice.

 

Also, it is always appreciable to incorporate the hoary ideals of

vedAnta into our practices but in a manner that is logical and in line

with the shAstra pramANa. If, a combination of kavacha, argaLA and

kIlaka alone could result in anAvaraNa or pashutva nivrtti, these

three would not have been a~Ngas of the main practice, which is

saptasatI. If the goal of saptasatI japarUpopAsti is agreed as

cognition of the self, then these three, which can grant the same

result, cannot be termed as a~NgAs as the a~NgA~Ngi nyAya falls off

the hook. It should be noted however, that the a~Nga status for

kavacha, argaLA and kIlaka has pramANa in kAtyAyanI tantra:

 

a~NgahIno yathA devi sarvakarmasu na kshamaH

a~NgaShaTkavihInA tu tathA saptasatI stutiH |

tasmAdetatpaThitvaiva japetsaptashatIM parAm

anyathA shApamApnoti hAni~nchaiva pade pade ||

 

As for argaLA, the significance is explained clearly in kAtyAyanI

tantra and its commentary:

 

siddhipratibandhakam pApamargaLAsadR^ishatvAdargaLA | tannAshaka

stotrasyApi lakShaNayA argaLeti saMj~nA ||

 

Argala is typically a wooden bolt used to fasten the door or the lid

of a container. Sins, owing to their nature of causing hindrance to

mantra siddhi, are comparable to argala because they prohibit the

upAsaka from opening the siddhi dvAra. As this stava destroys such

sins and hence the obstacles to mantra siddhi [mantra is saptasatI in

this case], by lakShana of its application, the stotra also comes to

be called argaLA. The pramANa for this is katyAyanI tantra. Similar

approach to kIlakam is seen in the same tantra.

 

As for kIlakam, if one examines the text, which we call popularly call

a stotra, there really is no stuti of devatA per se but instead

prashamsA of the process of niShkIlana. Whether this procedure is

something that is hinted within what we call kIlaka stuti or the text

itself does this kIlana, is something we need to carefully examine. To

get into that direction, we would need to examine the relation between

navAraNa mantra and saptasatI, which I probably discussed earlier

somewhere. When viewed together, one is pradhAna or the principle and

the other is secondary or apradhAna. This pradhAna upasarjana relation

is the key here. The first case is where navAkSharI assumes prAdhAnya

and saptashatI becomes its a~Nga. In this case, the upAsaka receives

navArNa dIkShA from Sadguru, performs purashcharyA and recites

saptashatI as it's a~Nga. The other pakSha is where the upAsaka is

initiated into saptashatI mAlA mantra as described in DAmarAdi tantras

and recites navAkSharI as its a~Nga. With this background, one should

examine the verses from the kIlaka chapter:

 

sarvametadvijAnIyAnmantrANAmabhikIlakam |

so.api kShemamavApnoti satataM japa [jApya]tatparaH ||

siddhantyucChATanAdIni vastUni sakalAnyapi |

etena stuvatAM devI stotramAtreNa siddhyati ||

 

Based on this, it can be understood that by reciting " this " stotra

alone, all siddhis are obtained. What is " this " stotra that we are

talking about? Is it the text that we call kIlaka stava that can alone

grant all siddhis? A simple examination of the content of the text is

sufficient to educate us in this regard and dispel this misconception.

As we discussed earlier, there is a category of upAsakas who recite

navAkSharI alone with a customary importance given to saptashatI. Even

such an upAsaka [so.api], who is immersed in constant repetition of

the navAraNa, by understanding the process of niShkIlana, attains

kShema [this word here is indicative of su-siddhi]. Now what about

those, who are devoted solely to the recitation of the mAlA mantra

[i.e. the second pakSha discussed above]? Such an upAsaka, without the

need for other means, attains sarvasiddhi, by achieving niShkIlana of

the mantra. The first pakSha can be interpreted to refer to other

mantras as well but it makes more sense to consider navArNa alone for

various reasons. So, for prathama pakSha, niShkIlana of the iShTa

mantra is achieved by reciting saptashatI stava. For the second

pakSha, the vidhi for niShkIlana of the mAlA mantra itself, can be

picked from tantrAntara or from the verse:

 

kR^iShNAyAM vA chatirdashyAM aShTamyAM vA samAhitaH |

dadAti pratigR^ihNAti nAnyathaiShA prasIdati |

itthaM rUpeNa kIlena mahAdevena kIlitam ||

 

The procedure, hinted above, is explained in greater detail elsewhere:

 

sarvatra chaNDIpAThasya prAchuryeNa mahItale |

brahmakANdaH karmakANdaH tantrakANDashcha sarvadA ||

abhUtpratihato.anena shighrasiddhipradAyinA |

tathA teShAM cha sArthakyaM kartuM kamena bhUtale ||

dAnapratigrahatvena mantro.ayaM kIlito mayA |

dAnapratigrahAkhyaM yatkIlakaM samudAhR^itam ||

 

There are charyA and mantra bhAgas for achieving this niShkilana which

are to be learnt directly from a competent deshika.

 

 

 

 

 

" For Kamya Prayogas, the Seedless Fruits (for eg. seedless grapes, kis-mis

etc.) are not offered. The prayoga would not yield result as there is

no seed

in the fruit. Seed indicates 'Karma Phala Bija'. My gurunatha

prohibited us

from using " SEEDLESS FRUITS " as naivedya in Kamya Prayogas " .

 

 

 

There does not seem to be any shAstra pramANa for this prescription.

The use of sabIja phalas is prescribed for deities like mahAgaNapati

irrespective of whether the worship is nitya, naimittika or kAmya. If

there is a pramANa, then we can examine the relevance of this

statement, or else, it can be assumed as a specific instruction given

by a specific Guru to a specific disciple, and hence of relevance only

in that context. Hare kR^iShNa

[Guest guest]

Hari Aum,

 

In my previous mail, I took the liberty to change one word to

niShkilan, and my friend asked me to use the word utkIlan instead.

Apologies to him and all for the mistake.

 

pranam

[Guest guest]

Respected Mishra,

 

My prostration to your learned friend and it seems I know him by his

style of writing. Whoever he may be, I have a great respect for him

and he is on par with my gurunatha. So, I would not deny his

observations and humbly accept his remarks. This is not to hurt

anybody's sentiments nor to refute anybody's opinions. These are

some of the facts.

 

As I have already mentioned in my earlier mails, these Purva-Angas

and Uttarangas were incorporations of later stage to make Sapthasathi

a Mantra Swarupa as Shad-Angas are required for a Mantra.

 

How exactly was the swarupa of Sapthasathi, we do not know. Whether

it is `Sapthasathi' or `Navasathi " is a debatable issue. Marichi

Kalpa says that the Tantrika Devi Sukta contains " Sahasrakshara

Vidya " and hence to be suffixed with Sapthasathi. Vaidika Vak Sukta

and Ratri Sukta are added as angas which is from Rig Veda. Who made

this connection of Rg Veda and Sapthasathi we do not know.

 

Ancient tantrics while compiling the works have incorporated the

Angas into Sapthasathi as it was being misused by upasakas. Tantrics

just to maintain a low profile would coin the term " siva-parvati

samvada " . This can be seen in the phala sruti of Vishnu

Sahasranama " sri rama rama rameti rame………….ramanama varaanane " .

Parvati questions whether there is any short cut to Vishnu

Sahasranama. Shiva initiates her into this mantra. This is though

provoking. So, this shiva-parvati samvada is a work of some low

profiled person. Further, there is also a Rudra-Shapa to Vishnu

Sahasranama. Who dares to put curse on Vishnu, Chandi etc. When

asked, Shri Chandavolu Shastry told that these were the works of

Tantrics so as to protect the Shastra from undeserved hands.

 

Vamakeswara Tantra mentions about the " Sapthasathi " as " Navasathi " .

Moreover, the original sapthasathi which the Tantra claims to be the

primitive one has " rahasya traya " as the 13th chapter. So, " Nava "

has got certain esoteric sense with Sapthasathi because

of " Navakshari " , " Navashati " , " Navakoshta Chandi Yantra "

and " Navaraatri " . Though there is no Shastra Pramana for this, the

Kalyanananda Bharati of Virupaksha Pita and Shri Gopanandanatha have

compiled " Chandi Navashati " .

 

Moreover, the order of Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka are differently

mentioned in Chidambara Samhita which it claims to be the uttama

paddathi.

 

Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka are also chanted independently (not as

anga) without Sapthasathi.

 

The pradhnopasarga lakshana is to show that when importance is given

to Navakshari then Sapthsathi becomes the secondary and vice-versa.

That does not mean that the secondary one is inferior. Though, this

lakshana is a part of Kilaka apart from dana-pratigraha kriya yoga,

there is also exclusively a " Utkilana Mantra " which has to be learnt

from gurunatha.

 

Brahmasri Tadepalli Raghavanarayana Sastry used to do the parayana of

Chandi without Purva-Angas and Uttara-Angas. He used to do the

samputikara of Chandi Navakshari and just used to do the Sapthsathi,

per se. No Kavacha, Argala, Kilaka, Ratri Sukta, Devi Sukta, Rahasya

Traya etc. When I asked him, he said nothing is required when

Navakshari is used as Samputikarana. Those were the later

incorporations.

 

MOREOVER, IF ONE GOES BY SHASTRA PRAMANA, THE CHANDI NAVAKSHARI IS

NOT PREFIXED WITH PRANAVA BUT STILL SOME OF THE UPASAKAS AND SOME

ADVANCED UPASAKAS FROM SRINGERI PITA LIKE SHRI NARENDRA KAPRE, SHRI

VENKATESH DAMBLE MAHARAJ, SHRI DONGRE MAHARAJ DO THE NAVAKSHARI WITH

PRANAVA. TADEPALLI RAGHAVANANARAYANA SASTRY USED TO DO PRANAVA-

RAHITA NAVAKSHARI WHEREAS BRAHMASRI ANANTHARAMA SHASTRY GHANEKAR (MY

PARAMAGURU) USED TO DO PRANAVA-SAHITA NAVAKSHARI.

 

Again, shastra is quoted that when Shakta Pranava like AIM, HRIM etc.

are added, OM is not required. " hreeshcha te lakshmischa patnou "

says the purusha sukta. So, OM is Brahma-vachaka and HRIM is Sakti-

vachaka which is called Saktha Pranava.

 

So, if we go by Shastra Pramana, can we deny these stalwarts and

brush aside their upasana to be wrong. Certainly Not. Several mutts

viz., Pushpagiri, Hariharapura, Hampi, Sampekatte, Yogananda Mutts

are doing the Navakshari Japa with Pranava only. Nevertheless, Shri

Chandrasekhara Bharati objected to this pranava-sahita Navakshari.

 

Devi Atharvashirshopanishad does not say about Pranava-Sahita

Navakshari. Moreover, if Pranava is added, it becomes Chandi

Dashakshari which is against the shastra pramana. But still people

are doing it.

 

And as regards the Naivedya, though there is no shastra pramana for

these, certain facts and observations are made by the subtle

intellect of advanced upasakas. They are able to judge with their

upasana bala and sukshma buddhi. Certain naivedyas are mandatory for

certain kamya prayogas. Infact, there are several reservations

regarding the offering of flowers also. Jasmine has certain subtle

vibrations, rose has certain vibrations, Chrysenthmum has something

and Sunflower has got some vibrations. Even, the naivedya made of

Black Gram has for specific purpose. Pulihora, sweet pongal, curd

rice is used for certain specific purpose depending upon the tantra

prayoga.

 

SO, I THINK ONE SHOULD HUMBLY BOW BEFORE ONE'S GURUPARAMPARA AND

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF ONE'S LINEAGE.

 

With regards,

Sriram

 

 

 

 

 

, " shri.tripura " <shri.tripura

wrote:

>

> Hari Aum, Dear bandhu,

>

> Your post kindled a conversation with my learned friend and I would

> like to share his inputs with all respected group members. This

> information was in the form of a chat transcript so I have done

little

> editing. Pranam

>

>

>

> " Now, these KAVACHA, ARGALA and KILAKA have to be chanted all three

> at a time " .

>

>

>

> There seems to be no scriptural basis for this statement. Devi

> Kavacham is believed to be a part of varAha purANa [brahmANDa

> according to some] which does not advocate the exclusive use of

> Kavacham only with Argala and Kilakam. Someone reading the Kavacha

as

> a part of VarAha purANa can study it without referring to argaLa or

> kilakam. The ineffectiveness of one of the three without the other

two

> does not seem to have a scriptural or traditional basis. As for

Kilaka

> stotra, there is a lot that needs to be examined.

>

>

>

>

> " So, when UTKILANA is PERFORMED with the MANTRA, the NAIL or PIVOT

is

> removed

> and the BOLT or ARGALA drops off. When the BOLT AND PIVOT is opened,

> at one

> shot the entire KAVACHA or ARMOUR is loosened and it drops off from

> the Body.This KAVACHA is the KANCHUKA of JIVA which is a limitation

> for the JIVA. So, with the UTKILANA mantra and with the

mantra " RUPAM

> DEHI …… " of ARGALA,

> the NUT AND BOLT are removed. As soon as ARGALA AND KILAKA are

> removed, the

> KAVACHA OF JIVATVA drops off and he is in his SWA-SWARUPA STHITHI "

>

>

>

> According to this analogy, kIlana is removed first, then the argala

> and then the kavacha drops. In that case, we would need to recite

the

> three in the same order. But we recite kavacha, argaLA, followed by

> kIlaka. Nothing wrong with this analogy, but I am trying to decipher

> its relevance in practice.

>

> Also, it is always appreciable to incorporate the hoary ideals of

> vedAnta into our practices but in a manner that is logical and in

line

> with the shAstra pramANa. If, a combination of kavacha, argaLA and

> kIlaka alone could result in anAvaraNa or pashutva nivrtti, these

> three would not have been a~Ngas of the main practice, which is

> saptasatI. If the goal of saptasatI japarUpopAsti is agreed as

> cognition of the self, then these three, which can grant the same

> result, cannot be termed as a~NgAs as the a~NgA~Ngi nyAya falls off

> the hook. It should be noted however, that the a~Nga status for

> kavacha, argaLA and kIlaka has pramANa in kAtyAyanI tantra:

>

> a~NgahIno yathA devi sarvakarmasu na kshamaH

> a~NgaShaTkavihInA tu tathA saptasatI stutiH |

> tasmAdetatpaThitvaiva japetsaptashatIM parAm

> anyathA shApamApnoti hAni~nchaiva pade pade ||

>

> As for argaLA, the significance is explained clearly in kAtyAyanI

> tantra and its commentary:

>

> siddhipratibandhakam pApamargaLAsadR^ishatvAdargaLA | tannAshaka

> stotrasyApi lakShaNayA argaLeti saMj~nA ||

>

> Argala is typically a wooden bolt used to fasten the door or the lid

> of a container. Sins, owing to their nature of causing hindrance to

> mantra siddhi, are comparable to argala because they prohibit the

> upAsaka from opening the siddhi dvAra. As this stava destroys such

> sins and hence the obstacles to mantra siddhi [mantra is saptasatI

in

> this case], by lakShana of its application, the stotra also comes to

> be called argaLA. The pramANa for this is katyAyanI tantra. Similar

> approach to kIlakam is seen in the same tantra.

>

> As for kIlakam, if one examines the text, which we call popularly

call

> a stotra, there really is no stuti of devatA per se but instead

> prashamsA of the process of niShkIlana. Whether this procedure is

> something that is hinted within what we call kIlaka stuti or the

text

> itself does this kIlana, is something we need to carefully examine.

To

> get into that direction, we would need to examine the relation

between

> navAraNa mantra and saptasatI, which I probably discussed earlier

> somewhere. When viewed together, one is pradhAna or the principle

and

> the other is secondary or apradhAna. This pradhAna upasarjana

relation

> is the key here. The first case is where navAkSharI assumes

prAdhAnya

> and saptashatI becomes its a~Nga. In this case, the upAsaka receives

> navArNa dIkShA from Sadguru, performs purashcharyA and recites

> saptashatI as it's a~Nga. The other pakSha is where the upAsaka is

> initiated into saptashatI mAlA mantra as described in DAmarAdi

tantras

> and recites navAkSharI as its a~Nga. With this background, one

should

> examine the verses from the kIlaka chapter:

>

> sarvametadvijAnIyAnmantrANAmabhikIlakam |

> so.api kShemamavApnoti satataM japa [jApya]tatparaH ||

> siddhantyucChATanAdIni vastUni sakalAnyapi |

> etena stuvatAM devI stotramAtreNa siddhyati ||

>

> Based on this, it can be understood that by reciting " this " stotra

> alone, all siddhis are obtained. What is " this " stotra that we are

> talking about? Is it the text that we call kIlaka stava that can

alone

> grant all siddhis? A simple examination of the content of the text

is

> sufficient to educate us in this regard and dispel this

misconception.

> As we discussed earlier, there is a category of upAsakas who recite

> navAkSharI alone with a customary importance given to saptashatI.

Even

> such an upAsaka [so.api], who is immersed in constant repetition of

> the navAraNa, by understanding the process of niShkIlana, attains

> kShema [this word here is indicative of su-siddhi]. Now what about

> those, who are devoted solely to the recitation of the mAlA mantra

> [i.e. the second pakSha discussed above]? Such an upAsaka, without

the

> need for other means, attains sarvasiddhi, by achieving niShkIlana

of

> the mantra. The first pakSha can be interpreted to refer to other

> mantras as well but it makes more sense to consider navArNa alone

for

> various reasons. So, for prathama pakSha, niShkIlana of the iShTa

> mantra is achieved by reciting saptashatI stava. For the second

> pakSha, the vidhi for niShkIlana of the mAlA mantra itself, can be

> picked from tantrAntara or from the verse:

>

> kR^iShNAyAM vA chatirdashyAM aShTamyAM vA samAhitaH |

> dadAti pratigR^ihNAti nAnyathaiShA prasIdati |

> itthaM rUpeNa kIlena mahAdevena kIlitam ||

>

> The procedure, hinted above, is explained in greater detail

elsewhere:

>

> sarvatra chaNDIpAThasya prAchuryeNa mahItale |

> brahmakANdaH karmakANdaH tantrakANDashcha sarvadA ||

> abhUtpratihato.anena shighrasiddhipradAyinA |

> tathA teShAM cha sArthakyaM kartuM kamena bhUtale ||

> dAnapratigrahatvena mantro.ayaM kIlito mayA |

> dAnapratigrahAkhyaM yatkIlakaM samudAhR^itam ||

>

> There are charyA and mantra bhAgas for achieving this niShkilana

which

> are to be learnt directly from a competent deshika.

>

>

>

>

>

> " For Kamya Prayogas, the Seedless Fruits (for eg. seedless grapes,

kis-mis

> etc.) are not offered. The prayoga would not yield result as there

is

> no seed

> in the fruit. Seed indicates 'Karma Phala Bija'. My gurunatha

> prohibited us

> from using " SEEDLESS FRUITS " as naivedya in Kamya Prayogas " .

>

>

>

> There does not seem to be any shAstra pramANa for this prescription.

> The use of sabIja phalas is prescribed for deities like mahAgaNapati

> irrespective of whether the worship is nitya, naimittika or kAmya.

If

> there is a pramANa, then we can examine the relevance of this

> statement, or else, it can be assumed as a specific instruction

given

> by a specific Guru to a specific disciple, and hence of relevance

only

> in that context. Hare kR^iShNa

>

[Guest guest]

Shri Gurubhyo namah

Shri Mahaganapathaye namah

Friends:

 

It is wonderful to see points of view expressed without any negative references

to individuals.

It is nice to see authority being placed behind one's words.

 

This is the kind of vAgvivAdam that one needs in this forum.

 

Thanks and Regards.

KR.

 

Shree Maatre namaH

 

 

 

-

sriram

Monday, July 07, 2008 4:08 AM

Re: The secret of Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka of Chandi

Sapthasathi

 

 

Respected Mishra,

 

My prostration to your learned friend and it seems I know him by his

style of writing. Whoever he may be, I have a great respect for him

and he is on par with my gurunatha. So, I would not deny his

observations and humbly accept his remarks. This is not to hurt

anybody's sentiments nor to refute anybody's opinions. These are

some of the facts.

 

As I have already mentioned in my earlier mails, these Purva-Angas

and Uttarangas were incorporations of later stage to make Sapthasathi

a Mantra Swarupa as Shad-Angas are required for a Mantra.

 

How exactly was the swarupa of Sapthasathi, we do not know. Whether

it is `Sapthasathi' or `Navasathi " is a debatable issue. Marichi

Kalpa says that the Tantrika Devi Sukta contains " Sahasrakshara

Vidya " and hence to be suffixed with Sapthasathi. Vaidika Vak Sukta

and Ratri Sukta are added as angas which is from Rig Veda. Who made

this connection of Rg Veda and Sapthasathi we do not know.

 

Ancient tantrics while compiling the works have incorporated the

Angas into Sapthasathi as it was being misused by upasakas. Tantrics

just to maintain a low profile would coin the term " siva-parvati

samvada " . This can be seen in the phala sruti of Vishnu

Sahasranama " sri rama rama rameti rame.....ramanama varaanane " .

Parvati questions whether there is any short cut to Vishnu

Sahasranama. Shiva initiates her into this mantra. This is though

provoking. So, this shiva-parvati samvada is a work of some low

profiled person. Further, there is also a Rudra-Shapa to Vishnu

Sahasranama. Who dares to put curse on Vishnu, Chandi etc. When

asked, Shri Chandavolu Shastry told that these were the works of

Tantrics so as to protect the Shastra from undeserved hands.

 

Vamakeswara Tantra mentions about the " Sapthasathi " as " Navasathi " .

Moreover, the original sapthasathi which the Tantra claims to be the

primitive one has " rahasya traya " as the 13th chapter. So, " Nava "

has got certain esoteric sense with Sapthasathi because

of " Navakshari " , " Navashati " , " Navakoshta Chandi Yantra "

and " Navaraatri " . Though there is no Shastra Pramana for this, the

Kalyanananda Bharati of Virupaksha Pita and Shri Gopanandanatha have

compiled " Chandi Navashati " .

 

Moreover, the order of Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka are differently

mentioned in Chidambara Samhita which it claims to be the uttama

paddathi.

 

Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka are also chanted independently (not as

anga) without Sapthasathi.

 

The pradhnopasarga lakshana is to show that when importance is given

to Navakshari then Sapthsathi becomes the secondary and vice-versa.

That does not mean that the secondary one is inferior. Though, this

lakshana is a part of Kilaka apart from dana-pratigraha kriya yoga,

there is also exclusively a " Utkilana Mantra " which has to be learnt

from gurunatha.

 

Brahmasri Tadepalli Raghavanarayana Sastry used to do the parayana of

Chandi without Purva-Angas and Uttara-Angas. He used to do the

samputikara of Chandi Navakshari and just used to do the Sapthsathi,

per se. No Kavacha, Argala, Kilaka, Ratri Sukta, Devi Sukta, Rahasya

Traya etc. When I asked him, he said nothing is required when

Navakshari is used as Samputikarana. Those were the later

incorporations.

 

MOREOVER, IF ONE GOES BY SHASTRA PRAMANA, THE CHANDI NAVAKSHARI IS

NOT PREFIXED WITH PRANAVA BUT STILL SOME OF THE UPASAKAS AND SOME

ADVANCED UPASAKAS FROM SRINGERI PITA LIKE SHRI NARENDRA KAPRE, SHRI

VENKATESH DAMBLE MAHARAJ, SHRI DONGRE MAHARAJ DO THE NAVAKSHARI WITH

PRANAVA. TADEPALLI RAGHAVANANARAYANA SASTRY USED TO DO PRANAVA-

RAHITA NAVAKSHARI WHEREAS BRAHMASRI ANANTHARAMA SHASTRY GHANEKAR (MY

PARAMAGURU) USED TO DO PRANAVA-SAHITA NAVAKSHARI.

 

Again, shastra is quoted that when Shakta Pranava like AIM, HRIM etc.

are added, OM is not required. " hreeshcha te lakshmischa patnou "

says the purusha sukta. So, OM is Brahma-vachaka and HRIM is Sakti-

vachaka which is called Saktha Pranava.

 

So, if we go by Shastra Pramana, can we deny these stalwarts and

brush aside their upasana to be wrong. Certainly Not. Several mutts

viz., Pushpagiri, Hariharapura, Hampi, Sampekatte, Yogananda Mutts

are doing the Navakshari Japa with Pranava only. Nevertheless, Shri

Chandrasekhara Bharati objected to this pranava-sahita Navakshari.

 

Devi Atharvashirshopanishad does not say about Pranava-Sahita

Navakshari. Moreover, if Pranava is added, it becomes Chandi

Dashakshari which is against the shastra pramana. But still people

are doing it.

 

And as regards the Naivedya, though there is no shastra pramana for

these, certain facts and observations are made by the subtle

intellect of advanced upasakas. They are able to judge with their

upasana bala and sukshma buddhi. Certain naivedyas are mandatory for

certain kamya prayogas. Infact, there are several reservations

regarding the offering of flowers also. Jasmine has certain subtle

vibrations, rose has certain vibrations, Chrysenthmum has something

and Sunflower has got some vibrations. Even, the naivedya made of

Black Gram has for specific purpose. Pulihora, sweet pongal, curd

rice is used for certain specific purpose depending upon the tantra

prayoga.

 

SO, I THINK ONE SHOULD HUMBLY BOW BEFORE ONE'S GURUPARAMPARA AND

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF ONE'S LINEAGE.

 

With regards,

Sriram

 

, " shri.tripura " <shri.tripura

wrote:

>

> Hari Aum, Dear bandhu,

>

> Your post kindled a conversation with my learned friend and I would

> like to share his inputs with all respected group members. This

> information was in the form of a chat transcript so I have done

little

> editing. Pranam

>

>

>

> " Now, these KAVACHA, ARGALA and KILAKA have to be chanted all three

> at a time " .

>

>

>

> There seems to be no scriptural basis for this statement. Devi

> Kavacham is believed to be a part of varAha purANa [brahmANDa

> according to some] which does not advocate the exclusive use of

> Kavacham only with Argala and Kilakam. Someone reading the Kavacha

as

> a part of VarAha purANa can study it without referring to argaLa or

> kilakam. The ineffectiveness of one of the three without the other

two

> does not seem to have a scriptural or traditional basis. As for

Kilaka

> stotra, there is a lot that needs to be examined.

>

>

>

>

> " So, when UTKILANA is PERFORMED with the MANTRA, the NAIL or PIVOT

is

> removed

> and the BOLT or ARGALA drops off. When the BOLT AND PIVOT is opened,

> at one

> shot the entire KAVACHA or ARMOUR is loosened and it drops off from

> the Body.This KAVACHA is the KANCHUKA of JIVA which is a limitation

> for the JIVA. So, with the UTKILANA mantra and with the

mantra " RUPAM

> DEHI .. " of ARGALA,

> the NUT AND BOLT are removed. As soon as ARGALA AND KILAKA are

> removed, the

> KAVACHA OF JIVATVA drops off and he is in his SWA-SWARUPA STHITHI "

>

>

>

> According to this analogy, kIlana is removed first, then the argala

> and then the kavacha drops. In that case, we would need to recite

the

> three in the same order. But we recite kavacha, argaLA, followed by

> kIlaka. Nothing wrong with this analogy, but I am trying to decipher

> its relevance in practice.

>

> Also, it is always appreciable to incorporate the hoary ideals of

> vedAnta into our practices but in a manner that is logical and in

line

> with the shAstra pramANa. If, a combination of kavacha, argaLA and

> kIlaka alone could result in anAvaraNa or pashutva nivrtti, these

> three would not have been a~Ngas of the main practice, which is

> saptasatI. If the goal of saptasatI japarUpopAsti is agreed as

> cognition of the self, then these three, which can grant the same

> result, cannot be termed as a~NgAs as the a~NgA~Ngi nyAya falls off

> the hook. It should be noted however, that the a~Nga status for

> kavacha, argaLA and kIlaka has pramANa in kAtyAyanI tantra:

>

> a~NgahIno yathA devi sarvakarmasu na kshamaH

> a~NgaShaTkavihInA tu tathA saptasatI stutiH |

> tasmAdetatpaThitvaiva japetsaptashatIM parAm

> anyathA shApamApnoti hAni~nchaiva pade pade ||

>

> As for argaLA, the significance is explained clearly in kAtyAyanI

> tantra and its commentary:

>

> siddhipratibandhakam pApamargaLAsadR^ishatvAdargaLA | tannAshaka

> stotrasyApi lakShaNayA argaLeti saMj~nA ||

>

> Argala is typically a wooden bolt used to fasten the door or the lid

> of a container. Sins, owing to their nature of causing hindrance to

> mantra siddhi, are comparable to argala because they prohibit the

> upAsaka from opening the siddhi dvAra. As this stava destroys such

> sins and hence the obstacles to mantra siddhi [mantra is saptasatI

in

> this case], by lakShana of its application, the stotra also comes to

> be called argaLA. The pramANa for this is katyAyanI tantra. Similar

> approach to kIlakam is seen in the same tantra.

>

> As for kIlakam, if one examines the text, which we call popularly

call

> a stotra, there really is no stuti of devatA per se but instead

> prashamsA of the process of niShkIlana. Whether this procedure is

> something that is hinted within what we call kIlaka stuti or the

text

> itself does this kIlana, is something we need to carefully examine.

To

> get into that direction, we would need to examine the relation

between

> navAraNa mantra and saptasatI, which I probably discussed earlier

> somewhere. When viewed together, one is pradhAna or the principle

and

> the other is secondary or apradhAna. This pradhAna upasarjana

relation

> is the key here. The first case is where navAkSharI assumes

prAdhAnya

> and saptashatI becomes its a~Nga. In this case, the upAsaka receives

> navArNa dIkShA from Sadguru, performs purashcharyA and recites

> saptashatI as it's a~Nga. The other pakSha is where the upAsaka is

> initiated into saptashatI mAlA mantra as described in DAmarAdi

tantras

> and recites navAkSharI as its a~Nga. With this background, one

should

> examine the verses from the kIlaka chapter:

>

> sarvametadvijAnIyAnmantrANAmabhikIlakam |

> so.api kShemamavApnoti satataM japa [jApya]tatparaH ||

> siddhantyucChATanAdIni vastUni sakalAnyapi |

> etena stuvatAM devI stotramAtreNa siddhyati ||

>

> Based on this, it can be understood that by reciting " this " stotra

> alone, all siddhis are obtained. What is " this " stotra that we are

> talking about? Is it the text that we call kIlaka stava that can

alone

> grant all siddhis? A simple examination of the content of the text

is

> sufficient to educate us in this regard and dispel this

misconception.

> As we discussed earlier, there is a category of upAsakas who recite

> navAkSharI alone with a customary importance given to saptashatI.

Even

> such an upAsaka [so.api], who is immersed in constant repetition of

> the navAraNa, by understanding the process of niShkIlana, attains

> kShema [this word here is indicative of su-siddhi]. Now what about

> those, who are devoted solely to the recitation of the mAlA mantra

> [i.e. the second pakSha discussed above]? Such an upAsaka, without

the

> need for other means, attains sarvasiddhi, by achieving niShkIlana

of

> the mantra. The first pakSha can be interpreted to refer to other

> mantras as well but it makes more sense to consider navArNa alone

for

> various reasons. So, for prathama pakSha, niShkIlana of the iShTa

> mantra is achieved by reciting saptashatI stava. For the second

> pakSha, the vidhi for niShkIlana of the mAlA mantra itself, can be

> picked from tantrAntara or from the verse:

>

> kR^iShNAyAM vA chatirdashyAM aShTamyAM vA samAhitaH |

> dadAti pratigR^ihNAti nAnyathaiShA prasIdati |

> itthaM rUpeNa kIlena mahAdevena kIlitam ||

>

> The procedure, hinted above, is explained in greater detail

elsewhere:

>

> sarvatra chaNDIpAThasya prAchuryeNa mahItale |

> brahmakANdaH karmakANdaH tantrakANDashcha sarvadA ||

> abhUtpratihato.anena shighrasiddhipradAyinA |

> tathA teShAM cha sArthakyaM kartuM kamena bhUtale ||

> dAnapratigrahatvena mantro.ayaM kIlito mayA |

> dAnapratigrahAkhyaM yatkIlakaM samudAhR^itam ||

>

> There are charyA and mantra bhAgas for achieving this niShkilana

which

> are to be learnt directly from a competent deshika.

>

>

>

>

>

> " For Kamya Prayogas, the Seedless Fruits (for eg. seedless grapes,

kis-mis

> etc.) are not offered. The prayoga would not yield result as there

is

> no seed

> in the fruit. Seed indicates 'Karma Phala Bija'. My gurunatha

> prohibited us

> from using " SEEDLESS FRUITS " as naivedya in Kamya Prayogas " .

>

>

>

> There does not seem to be any shAstra pramANa for this prescription.

> The use of sabIja phalas is prescribed for deities like mahAgaNapati

> irrespective of whether the worship is nitya, naimittika or kAmya.

If

> there is a pramANa, then we can examine the relevance of this

> statement, or else, it can be assumed as a specific instruction

given

> by a specific Guru to a specific disciple, and hence of relevance

only

> in that context. Hare kR^iShNa

>