KHADAGMALA STOTRA : A KEY TO UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE SRI CHAKRA.

KHADAGMALA STOTRA : A KEY TO UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE SRI CHAKRA.

( Sri Chakra drawn by Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi)

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INTRODUCTION:

Sri Devi refers to Shakti, the divine mother, Khadaga means sword, Mala refers to garland and Stotram means a hymn or song of praise. So, the Khadagmala Stotram ( KS) is a hymn to the divine mother which is said to bestow a garland of swords upon those who recite it.

The KS takes us mentally through the Sri Chakra; i.e. the mystical geometric representation of the Transcendental Supreme Goddess. This Yantra consists of nine enclosures – each more secret and esoteric than the one before it – surrounding a central point, or Bindu, in which Devi, the Supreme Goddess (here in Her erotic form as Kameshwari) is joined in coitus with her consort i.e., Siva in His erotic form as Kameshwara

It has 15 variant versions one for each phase of the moon. The Sword bestowed upon those who recite the KS symbolizes the power (Energy) that enables us to transcend attachment, facilitating Self-Realization and leading us to the four principal aims of life – namely, dharma, artha, kaama, and moksha. As Sri Amritananda Natha explains, “the Sword metaphorically severs the head, separating the body from the mind. It can be interpreted also as Wisdom – that which separates, categorizes, and classifies. So it is a symbol of Knowledge. Khadgamala is about imagining a garland of synergistic ideas, nourishing and protecting them and putting life into them.”

Because it condenses a long series of complicated rituals into a very simple, easily achievable recitation/meditation that anyone can learn and hugely benefit from. The full puja (formal worship) of the Devis of the Sri Chakra takes hours because for each of them we pause and do a detailed “sub-puja.” Hence the sages of yore created this KS as an alternative, “short-form” recitation more suitable for the demands and time constrictions of modern-day life.

Even those who have not been initiated into Srividya can benefit greatly from the Khadgamala. Stotrams are one tool of Srividya Upasana that is open to all categories of people. It does not have ritualistic injunctions of dos and don’ts. Once a day practice is ideal – if possible, at the same time and same place. The preferable time is at night, just before going to sleep, as the practice will continue working on your resting mind.

It clears your doubts and fears, removes your psychic baggage, and prepares your mind and spirit for dramatic spiritual advancement. “It fulfills all wishes, more than you desire, instantly,” adds Sri Amritananda. “Therein lays its power. Regular practice protects you, nourishes you, and takes you beyond.”

PREPARATION:

One can prepare oneself by any or all of these methods before the recitation of the stotram. It is not mandatory to do this part and can be skipped without any negative injunctions. The governing concept here is that only the divine can worship the divine and hence one is in effect using these preparatory steps to make oneself divine.

1. KARANASYA OR HAND EMPOWERMENT:

Karanyasa, or Hand Empowerment

I place the beeja AIM on my thumb.

While saying this, rub the thumb from its root upward with the tip of the index finger and visualize the thumb as being permeated with this beeja[1]

I place the beeja KLEEM on my index finger.

While saying this, rub the index finger from its root upward with the tip of the thumb.

I place the beeja SAUH on my middle finger.

While saying this, rub the middle finger from its root upward with the tip of the thumb.

 I place the beeja SAUH on my ring finger.

While saying this, rub the ring finger from its root upward with the tip of the thumb.

I place the beeja KLEEM on my little finger.

While saying this, rub the little finger from its root upward with the tip of the thumb.

I cover my arms with the beeja AIM.

Saying this, rub each hand from elbow down the forearm to the top of the hand with the other hand. Repeat on both hands.

B.ANGANYASA OR BODY EMPOWERMENT

Anganyasa, or Body Empowerment

NOTE: Now that the hand is energized, with that energized hand you are going to energize the whole body so that the body becomes Divine and hence authorized to recite the Khadgamala.

I place the beeja AIM in the heart region.

Place your right fist on your chest. Imagine the heart region to be energized and made divine by the beeja AIM.

I place the beeja KLEEM at the crown of the head.

Place the tip of the three fingers – thumb, index, and middle joined together – at the crown of your head.

I place the beeja SAUH at the place where one has his tuft of hair.

Place the fist of your right hand, thumb extended, on the back of your head

I encase myself in the armor with SAUH.

Cross your hands across the chest with ring finger bent — this mudra is called patAkA, the flag – all fingers extended except the ring finger bent at 90 degrees at the second phlange. Imagine a woman nude from the waist up and suddenly someone comes in. How does she cover her breasts? That’s the position, with the palm facing inward in patAkA mudra as an addition.

I place the beeja KLEEM on the three eyes.[2]

Place your right hand over your eyes as follows: forefinger on your right eye, middle finger at the place of the third eye and ring finger on your left eye.

With AIM I destroy all blocks to the sadhana.

Strike the left palm facing upward with the forefinger and middle finger so that the sound of an arrow’s release is created.and visualize arrows flying in every direction destroying any negativities around that may be waiting to pounce on you to stop you from doing sadhana or to snatch away the results of sadhana

I protect my body and the place of sadhana with the beejas “bhoorbhuvaswaraH AUM” and no negativity can penetrate this protective wall.

Snap your fingers around your head as protection. Imagine a wall of fire surrounding you and the place of sadhana protecting you from all the negativities around while letting in positive vibrations.

C.DHYANA OR MEDITATION:

“With breasts round and firm and curved like graceful jugs, adorned with shining jewelry;

Thus shall She be meditated upon, the Devi (Kameshwari) seated with Her Deva (Kameshwara) upon a red lotus.”

Sri Amritananda also offers this variant dhyana: “I meditate upon Sri Devi, glowing with red, yellow and blue flames of passion, fanning the arousal of Kameshwara, seated in the center of a triangle called HRIM, whose three points are the Three Gurus – Hari, Hara and Virinchi. She wears the Full Moon upon Her crown (SAUH); Her body is overflowing with the desire for Union (KLEEM) with Kameshwara, Lord of Desire. She wears a saree woven of golden threads; She is as fair as nectarine milk and the moonlight; She has three eyes; and in Her four hands, She carries the Book of All Knowledge, the noose, the goad, and a garland of letters. She embodies all that is beautiful, aesthetic, harmonious, joyful and vibrant; and She resides in the Sri Chakra.”

D.MANASA PUJA

                                                 Manasa Puja

With the earth beeja LAM, I offer all that is good on earth and everything that is desirable in the world, in the form of good association (satsanga) unto Devi and Kameswara.

So saying, rub your little finger from the root to the tip with the tip of the thumb, and in that process visualize everything offerable to the Devi on Earth (or in the waking state) being offered to Her – anything and everything that is permeated with the earth quality. You should be able to feel the smell of parched earth freshly soaked in rain at the tip of the little finger when you do it. You must actually smell it; it should not be imagined. Those around you should be able to smell it too.

With the ether beeja HAM, I offer all of my sensual desires unto Devi in the form of all ethereal flowers; all flowers in the world; all that is beautiful in the world.

Thus reciting the beeja, rub the tip of your index finger on the thumb from root to tip. HAM is the akasha or ether beeja. Ether is the quality with which one destroys the sensual desires. You are offering Her all that attracts you in the world – through love or hate; sexual or non-sexual attraction; every sensual pleasure, taste, smell, sight, etc.; all the pleasures that one can feel with the five senses. Once offered to Her, they are no longer yours, and hence you have overcome the sensual pleasures.Initially, this is all imaginary but as time goes by this will become real.

With the air beeja YAM, I offer everything in the heavens unto Devi.

So saying, rub the index finger from the root upward, with the thumb. Dhoopa or smell is the effect of the Vayu or air beeja. When you rub the index finger with thumb the smell of scented smoke should permeate the area. With this, we offer all the enemies to sadhana – internal and external – unto Devi so that they will cease to trouble us because once we have offered them to Her we have implicitly overcome them.

With the mind beeja RAM, I offer the lamp (representing the mental aspect of the Universe) unto Devi.

So saying you shall you shall rub the middle finger with the thumb from the root upward. In the process, you must feel the heat – the precursor of light – permeating the middle finger. The lamp is that which lights and hence bestows sight. With this offering, you shall light up the darkness of ignorance and hence gain divine vision capable of perceiving Devi’s form. With proper visualization you will be able to light a wick with this mudra reciting the fire beeja RAM. All mental processes that lead to enlightenment are thus offered unto Devi.

With the nectar beeja VAM, I offer all the nectarian qualities in the world, from earth unto the Ultimate (that is, Siva in the form of the joint Siva-Shakti aspect), in the form of sustenance for Devi that gives Her Divine Immanence pleasure.

Saying this, rub the ring finger with the thumb. On the esoteric plain, it is the Union of Seer and Seen. The bliss of this Union is offered unto Devi and the sadhaka must feel that bliss when offering naivedya.

With the beeja SAM, I offer to Devi the union of mind with Her in the form of the camphor flame.

Say this with hands folded in Anjali mudra, i.e., the holding of both hands palm joined (Westerners will most easily understand this mudra as the Indian gesture of “Namaste”). The camphor flame is that flame which leaves nothing behind as residue, and as such represents the Ultimate Union of the soul in Devi – whereby one merges ultimately, completely in the Absolute. Thus we have offered Devi all that is in the Universe, all that is contained in the Pancha bhootas (the five elements), and we have ultimately merged with Her, becoming One with Her. In the case of initiated kaulas, this camphor is replaced by absolute alcohol. After the offering this alcohol is poured on the floor in a flowing motion towards the right side and as it burns on the floor one shall touch it with the ring finger and the wetness of alcohol is applied to the forehead. This is called Shakti tilaka that grants shakti or power to the sadhak.

Now that we have become One with Devi, we mentally offer her paan, or betel leaves smeared with lime and with areca nuts, representing all esoteric knowledge, for Her pleasure – which is now Your pleasure.

Then we pray: “May the Great Devi – who is Bala Tripura Sundari and also the Great Kameshwari, who is One with the great and original Guru Siva – be pleased with the mentally offered Universe of the five elements. May She be pleased and happy, and grant me Her blessings.”

KHADAGMALA  STOTRA PRARAMBHA:

OM AIM HREEM KREEM AIM KLEEM SAUH

Reciting the three-lettered Bala mantra may you grant the benediction of knowledge, power, and grace, as well as the power over Creation, Nourishment and Destruction.

AIM HREEMKREEM OM NAMAH TRIPURA SUNDARI

I bow to you, Most Beautiful Lady of All the Waking, Dreaming, and Sleeping Worlds.

             16 NITYAS:

I bow to Your compassionate heart, to Your royal crown, to Your flowing hair, to Your protective hands, to Your graceful glance, to Your protective weapons. I bow to your 16 aspects known as the Nityas (or the Eternals, corresponding to the 16 phases of the Moon, starting from New Moon to Full Moon).

THE GURUS: Here we recite the names of the Seers – the Rishis who realized Union with Devi for the first time doing Upasana of their respective forms of Sri Vidya:

THE NINE ENCLOSURES (AVARNAS)

( The 4 upward pointing triangles and the 5 downward pointing triangles)

(The 3-dimensional views can be seen in this video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zeXYjfnJ6I)

The Sri chakra has within it 98 yoginis or aspects of Devi. They are arranged in 9 enclosures( avarnas). The first avarna has 3 bhupras. There are 9 triangles, 4 pointing upwards representing Shiva and 5 pointing downwards representing shakti

AVARNA 1: TRILOKYA MOHANAM ( the wheel that bewitches the 3 worlds- A square of 3 lines with 4 portals

Deity: Prakriti

Component: bhupura

Body awareness: feet

The walls of the first enclosure of Sri Chakra are generally represented in the Sri Yantra as three square enclosures with openings on their four cardinal points, collectively forming the first of the Nine Enclosures. The three lines are respectively white, red and yellow in color. The yellow is not bright yellow, but Peeta, the yellow color of butter. Nor is the red a deep blood red; it is aruna, the color of rising sun – a sort of orange-red.

The White (Outer) Wall/first bhupura

I bow to the Ten Siddhis, or Powers, guarding the outermost wall of the First Enclosure, which is white in color, representing the sattvic guna, or quality:

I bow to:

The Red (Middle) Wall/second bhupura

These are the Saptamatrikas (Seven Little Mothers) plus Mahalakshmi, here representing the Eight Passions, and guarding the middle wall of the First Enclosure, which is red to symbolize the rajasic guna.

I bow to:

The Yellow (Inner) Wall/third bhupura:

Next, we encounter the “Control Devis,” guarding the innermost wall of the First Enclosure, which is yellow in color, symbolizing the tamasic guna. Sri Amritananda Natha comments: “These are the Ten Devis offering the devotee control over the passions of lust, anger, possessiveness, obsession, pride, jealousy, good, and evil” – represented by the Eight Mothers of the previous wall or line.

I bow to:

I bow to the Mistress of the Wheel of the Three Worlds of Waking, Dreaming, and Sleeping; the Prakatayogini  who expresses Herself openly and without inhibitions

AVARNA 2: SARVASAPARIPURAKA ( The wheel that fulfills all desires)

DEITY: Moon,stars & planets.

COMPONENT: 16 petals

BODY AWARENESS: hip/pelvic region

I bow to:

I bow to the Mistress of the Wheel Which Fulfills All Directions and All Desires, who is the Secret Yogini.

AVARNA 3: SARVA SAMKSHOBHNA( CONTROL OVER PEOPLE)

DEITY: Wind

COMPONENT: 8 petals

Here follow the Eight “Erotic Sentiments” (note that Ananga also indicates that they are “limb-less,” i.e., bodiless or incorporeal Devis) of the Third Enclosure

I bow to:

I bow to the Mistress of this All-Agitating Wheel of the Esoteric Yoginis.

AVARNA 4: SARVA SAUBHAGYA DAYAKA( the wheel that gives all good fortune)

DEITY: turiya Maya

COMPONENT: 14 Triangles

BODY AWARENESS: Hridayam or heart.

I bow to:

I bow to the great mistress of the Chakra that Bestows All Good Fortune; the Great Traditional Yogini.

AVARNA 5: SARVA SADHAKAM ( The wheel that bestows all wealth)

DEITY: Shree Mahavishnu

COMPONENT: 10 Triangles

BODY AWARENESS: Throat

I bow to:

I bow to the Mistress of the Wheel providing of all manner of things that propel us along the righteous path, granting all wealth, fulfilling all desires, and making liberation possible; the Yogini who is beyond all classification, who is not bound by anything – and who is the Grantor of All Things.

AVARNA 6 : SARVA RAKSHAKAR( The wheel of complete protection)

DEITY: Jyoti Swaroop shakti

COMPONENT: 10 triangles

BODY AWARENESS: Eyebrows.

I bow to:

I bow to the Mistress of the Wheel of All Protection, the Yogini who protects me like a child in Her womb.

AVARNA 7: SARVA ROGAHARA ( the wheel that destroys all illness)

DEITY: Kamarupini

COMPONENT: 8 TRIANGLES

BODY AWARENESS: Forehead

I bow to:

I bow to the Mistress of the Wheel that Destroys All Illness, the Secret Yogini.

Here we pause to worship the weapons of the Divine Mother as the carrier of those weapons.

I bow to:

bA-nini –She who carries the five flower-arrows of Kama – which are the senses of sound (music), touch (eros), form (beauty), taste (sweetness), and smell (fragrance), and known by their respective beeja mantras, drAM, drIM, kLIM,bLooM and saH.

cA-pini – She who carries the sugarcane bow (i.e., the mind, which likes the sweet things of life), with its string of bumblebees.

pA-shini – She who carries the noose of love.

anku-shini – She who carries the elephant goad to control evil and wayward sensory desires.

AVARNA 8: SARVARTHA SADHAKA( The wheel that bestows complete attainment on the sadhka)

DEITY: Chandra Prabha.

COMPONENT: Final triangle.

BODY AWARENESS: Dome of head

I bow to:

(1/95) mahA-kAmeshvari – Mistress of All Desires

(2/96) mahA-vajreshvari – Mistress of the Cosmos in Indestructible Seed Form

(3/97) mahA-bhaga-mAlini – Mistress of the Infinite Cosmic Wealth Outside the Seed Form

(4/98) mahA-ShrI-sundari – Most Beautiful Embodiment of the Cosmos.

I bow to the Mistress of the Wheel of Realizations; the Most Secret Yogini.

AVARNA 9: SARVA ANANDMAYI( The wheel of unalloyed bliss)

DEITY: Chandra prabha.

COMPONENT: Final triangle

BODY AWARENESS: Dome of head

                ( The Bindu)

I bow to Sri-Sri-mahA-bhattArikA – Shakti on Siva

I bow to the Transcendental Secret Yogini who is the joint form of the worshiper and the worshiped; who is the Great Goddess, the Ultimate Unity that is the Cosmos. 

Having worshiped the Devis residing in the previous circuits, we now pay homage to those Goddesses who control or govern each of the Nine Wheels:

I bow to:

Then we recite eight additional names of praise for Devi:

I bow to:

Finally, we worship the Devi who governs the Ninth Enclosure:

I bow to:

She who is the Great Transcendental Consciousness, Empress of the Wheel of Sri Chakra

I bow to You, I bow to You, I bow to You in the Three States of Waking, Dreaming, and the Sleeping States, O Great Divine Mother!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmKo72JSLac

Dr. Pallavi Kwatra.

Author of spiritual poetry books

www.drpallavikwatra.com