Book Title: Comparative and Critical Study of Mantrashastra
Author(s): Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri, K V Abhayankar
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab
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78
INTRODUCTION
"2. Purification of place is making the house of worship as clean as the centre of a mirror by dusting, wiping, and so forth, and adorning it with auspicious ornaments, such as powders of five colours, with seat, canopy, incense, lamp, flowers, garlands, and so forth.
3. Purification of Mantra is the performance of Japa of the letters of the alphabet which compose the Måtrikāmantra, once in their regular order (anuloma), and once again in the opposite order (viloma), by linking the letters af the Mülamantra with them.
4. Purification of articles is the sprinkling on articles of worship of water sanctified by a recital of the Mülamantra and the weapon Mantra, and then displaying the Dhepumudra (cow-mudrā) over them.
5. Purification of Devata is the placing of the image of the Devată on the Pitha, invoking the Shakti of the Devatā into it by means of Astramantra Pranamantra and so forth, then bathing it (at least) thrice along with recital of Mülamantra, and finally adorning it with garments, ornaments, and the like, and offering incense, light and so forth. These five forms of purification must be performed first, and then the worship should be commenced." (From Principles of Tantra Vol. II)
BHUTASHUDDHI Bhūtashuddhi, X which is a part of Atmashuddhi, is an important Tantrik rite and means purification of five 'elements' of which the body is composed. These elements are not to be understood to be gross 'earth,''water,' 'fire,' 'air' and 'ether' but the five forms in which Prakriti manifests Herself. These have centres of operation in the five Chakras Mūlādhāra to Vishuddha in the spinal cord in the human body. We have described above Kundaliyoga and mentioned Kundalini ordinarily remaining coiled in the lowest Chakra viz, Mülādhāra. She is considered a form of the Saguna Brahman and is also identified with the presiding deity of the Mantra i. e. Ishtadevatā. "In Kundaliyoga she is aroused and brought up through the five centres, absorbing as She passes through each the Bhūta of that centre, the subtle Tanmātrā from which it derives and the connected organ of sense (Indriya). Having absorbed all these, She is led to the sixth or mind centre (Ajnā) between the eyebrows where the last Bhūta or ether is absorbed in mind, and the
x देवा योग्यताप्राप्त्यै भूतशुद्धिं समाचरेत् ॥–मन्त्रमहोदधिः प्रथमस्तरंगः
