Chapter 4 - Preliminaries to the Puraścaraṇa (continuous repetition of the Mantra)

The chapter deals with some preliminaries to the puraścaraṇa (lit. "continuous repetition" of the mantra).

It opens with the rules concerning the favourable time in which the puraścaraṇa should be undertaken (vv.1-12'). In this way, having considered the auspiciousness of both the time as well as of the place, an initiate should propitiate the ground (bhūmiparigraha) and make offerings (bali) to the kṣetrapālas, dikpālas, gaṇas, yoginīs and all the beings (vv.12"-19). Then, the next day in the early morning, he should bathe and repeat one thousand times the gāyatrī, by means of which all sins are purified, both known and unknown (v. 20).

Then are given the gāyatrīs of the Aṣṭamātṛkās (the Eight Mothers) and a list of the Sixty-four Yoginīs (vv.21-29’). Thereafter are presented some exceptions for the auspicious time for dīkṣā (vv.29"-36'); for example, it is said that if the master by his own desire summons the disciple to bestow upon him initiation, the rules about time should not be taken into account (v. 31"-32’).

The second part of the chapter gives instructions about japa and āsana (seat). For counting the repetitions of the mantra three kinds of mālā (rosary) are described: karamālā, i.e. the hand rosary (vv.36"-50'), varṇamālā, the rosary of the letters of the alphabet from a to kṣa, with kṣa as Meru (vv.50"-51'), and maṇimālā, a regular rosary made of beads (51"-53').

Then are indicated the appropriate mālās for each deity and the fruits arising from making japa with the various mālās (vv.53"-72).

Then a description of various āsanas (seats), such as seats made of wool, in particular red for one’s own deity, of sacred grass (kuśa), of black antelope' skin and of tiger's skin. Instead one shouldn't make japa while sitting directly on the ground without any āsana, and one should avoid to use āsanas made of wood, bamboo, stone, grass, twigs or cloth (vv.73-76').

Verses 76"-77 say that in order to perfect the mantra (mantrasiddhaye) of Vārāhī one should sit on a human skin and repeat the mantra with a bone mālā, using a skull vessel for one's worship. It is added that Vajravārāhikā is the Protectress of all the gods.

The chapter concludes describing the ten saṃskāras ("consacrations") to purify a rosary made of bones (vv.78-96).