The Agni Purana

by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596

This page describes The narration of the spell relating to Tvarita which is chapter 310 of the English translation of the Agni Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas dealing with all topics concerning ancient Indian culture, tradition and sciences. Containing roughly 15,000 Sanskrit metrical verses, subjects contained in the Agni-Purana include cosmology, philosophy, architecture, iconography, economics, diplomacy, pilgrimage guides, ancient geography, gemology, ayurveda, etc.

Chapter 310 - The narration of the spell relating to Tvaritā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: The narration of the spell relating to Tvaritā (tvaritāmantra)]

Fire-god said:

1-5. I shall describe (to you) the worship of Tvaritā by another method that would yield enjoyment and emancipation. One has to worship the Goddess in a diagram of the shape of a thunderbolt drawn with dust. One has to draw a lotus inside it. One has to contemplate the Goddess and draw quickly eight thunderbolts in the (main) directions and the intermediate directions and also draw pathway, entrance, ornamental arch and secondary decoration. (One has to worship the Goddess) as having eighteen hands and Her left shank placed on the lion. Two-fold fee should be offered at Her pedestal. (She should be worshipped) in the sacrificial pit in the form of the thunderbolt as being adored by serpents, and as holding the sword, disc, mace, spike, arrow and mace in the right hands and as conferring boons and as holding the bow, noose, arrow, bell, threatening posture of the first finger, conch, goad and thunder-bolt in the left hands and as offering protection.

6. If one worships this form, one’s enemy would die, one would win a kingdom with ease, gain long life, become the ruler of a kingdom and gain perfections such as supernatural powers.

7-8b. There are the seven nether regions below, which are as destructive as the destructive fire at the end of the world. The syllable oṃ and others denote (the space) beginning with the heaven and ending with the primordial egg. One has to whirl round water with (the repetition of) the syllable oṃ (and repeat) “Totalā, Tvaritā” then. (Then) one has to whirl round water with (the repetition of) the syllable ‘ta’ (and repeat) “Totalā, Tvaritā” then.

8c-18. I shall introduce the (method of writing the mantra). The group of vowels should be written on the ground. (The next group) would be the ‘ka’ group (belonging to) the palatal class. The third (letter) is (the letter belonging to) the tongue and palate. The fourth (letter) is (the letter belonging to) the palate and the tip of the tongue. The fifth (letter) is that of the tongue and teeth. The sixth one consists of eight letters. The seventh one is of mixed group of letters. (The eighth one consists of) the śa group of letters (known as) sibilants. The mantra should be constructed then. The first (basic syllable) should begin with the sixth vowel and end with last of the letters of ūṣma (sibilants) together with bindu (the nasal sound marked by a dot). Then the second (letter) among the palatals is compounded with the eleventh vowel. Then the combination of the (letters belonging to) the tongue and palate would be the first simple (basic syllable). The second (letters) of the same (group of letters) should be compounded below. Then the first letter among the palatals should be compounded with the eleven vowels. Then the second letter among the sibilants is coupled from below. The second letter among the sibilants coupled with the sixteenth vowel should be compounded below with the first letter belonging to the union of the tongue and dental region. Then the second letter belonging to the mixed group should again be coupled below. Then the second letter among the sibilants combined with the fourth vowel and yoked with the first letter of the palatals should be coupled below. Then the last among the sibilants together with the bindu (the nasal sound) is coupled with the eleventh vowel. Then the letter formed by the union of the (two) lips is joined with the fifth vowel. Then the second of the palatals is joined with (the letter belonging to) the tip of the tongue. Then the first letter of the fifth group should be combined with half-vowel and thus the mantra is constructed. One should repeat (the above mantra coupling) with the syllable Oṃ at the beginning and obeisance at the end. One has to add ‘oblation’ (at the end) in acts of offering oblation in fire. (The rite of location of the above mantra should be done as follows): “Oṃ, hrīṃ, hrūṃ, hraḥ (let it permeate) the heart. Hāṃ haḥ (let it permeate) the head. Hrīṃ, burn, burn would be (for) the tuft. Hulu, hulu is for the armour, Hrūṃ, śrīṃ, kṣūṃ is said to be the mantra for the three eyes. Kṣauṃ, haṃ, khauṃ, hūṃ, phaṭ is for the weapon. The secret auxiliaries are assigned before (the above location is done).

19-26. Listen to me! I shall describe the constituent parts of the mantra relating to (the worship of Goddess) Tvaritā. The first two (letters in the mantra) are said to be the heart. The third and fourth are said to be the head. The fifth and sixth are said to be the tuft and the seventh and eighth as the armour. The pupil (of the mantra) would be the eye. It has the characteristic (of containing) nine and half letters. It is known to be (the mantra of) Totalā (Tvaritā). Then (the worship of) Vajratuṇḍā (would be described). There are ten syllables in (Her worship). Kha, kha, hūṃ (obeisance to) Vajratuṇḍā, the messenger of Indra. Khecarī! Jvālinī! Jvālā! kha! kha are the ten syllables for Jvālinī (glowing) Śabarī (huntress)! Bhīṣaṇī (frightening)! kha! kha! grow! are (the syllables) for Śabarī. Che! Chedanī (one that cuts)! Karālini (terrible)! kha! kha! are for Karālī. Śravadravaplavanī (one who floods the ear and the liquid)! kha kha (is for) the messenger Plavaṅgī for the sky. Strīkālakāra (one who creates women and time)! Dhunanī (one who agitates)! is for Śvāsī (the Goddess possessing the swiftness of breath). Kṣepakṣa! Kapila! Haṃsa (is for) the messenger called Kapilā. Hrūṃ! Tejovatī (one having lustre)! Raudrī (terrible one) and Mātaṅgī (huntress) (are for) the messenger of Rudra. Puṭe puṭe kha kha khaḍga (to the sword) phaṭ (for) Brahmadūtikā (messenger of Brahmā). Ten syllables of (the mantra of) Vaitālinī have to be discarded like the cloud and straw. (This is the method) for locating (the mantras relating) to the heart and the like. A wise man should locate (the mantra of) the eyes at the centre.

27-31. Beginning with the leg and ending with the head, beginning with the head and ending with the leg, and beginning with the navel, heart and neck and (ending) in the feet, knees, thighs and genital organ the location is done. The votary should contemplate the vajramaṇḍala above and the basic beginning syllables above and below that and then the cow of the form of a moon that showers ambrosia as entering (the brain) through the aperture in the crown of the head. The votary should locate the first basic syllable (a) in the head, face, neck, heart, navel, genital organ, thigh, knee, feet and (the fingers)such as the fore-finger again and again. One who visualises the body made up of the basic syllables as flanked above by the moon and the lotus below would not die. He would not suffer from diseases or fevers. One should locate the Goddess thus and worship Her repeating hundred and eight times.

32-41. I shall describe the postures such as the Praṇītā and the like. (The postures called) Praṇītās are known to be of five kinds. The two hands are interlocked and the thumbs are put over that. Then they are placed on the head, the two forefingers resting on the head. This is known to be the Praṇītā. That is then brought to the region of the heart. The twice-born know (the Praṇītā) to be an excellent one in which the little and middle (fingers) are turned upward and endowed with the basic syllables. When the tip of the thumb is placed beneath the middle finger and the fingers are mutually resting on the middle (part) of the fore-fingers, it is said to be the Bhedanī. This (mudrā) held in the navel region and the thumbs raised upwards is known as the great mudrā Karālī. The same located in the heart of the votary and the middle finger resting on the aperture on the head and raised upwards is said to be the Vajratuṇḍa. It should be placed on the vajradeśa (the part of the body known as vajra) and the wrist should be locked up by the two hands stretching the three fingers (of each hand); it is said to be the Vajramudrā. The postures such as Daṇḍa (club), Khaḍga (sword), Cakra (disc) and Gadā (mace) are known to have the (respective) shape. Three fingers (are stretched) and held upwards and (their bases) are touched by the thumb. It would be Triśūla (trident posture). If the middle finger is held upwards it is said to be Śakti (spear). Thus there are twenty-eight postures of the hand such as Śara (arrow), Varada (bestowing boon), Cāpa (bow), Pāśa (noose), Bhāra (weight), Ghaṇṭā (bell), Śaṅkha (conch), Aṅkuśa (goad), Abhaya (offering protection) and Padmam (lotus) (having the respective shape). The five Praṇītā mudrās such as Grāhaṇī (one that seizes), Mokṣaṇī (one that liberates), Jvālinī (one that sets fire to), Amṛtā (ambrosia), and Abhayā (that offers protection) should be employed in the worship and while offering oblation.

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