Śrī Mahāṣoḍaśī Mahāmantra Japaḥ श्री महाषोडशी महामन्त्र जपः

(This is the simple way of doing Śrī Mahāṣoḍaśī Mahāmantra Japa)

Before reading this article, please read the explanatory notes for this mantra HERE

Seating: While doing Maha Shodashi mantra japa, one has to either face East or North. If one does not have a guru, contemplate on Lord Dkṣiṇāmūrti and mentally accept Him as Guru.

1. Curse removal mantra:

Śrī Mahāṣoḍaśī Mahāmantra japatvena śāpavimocanamantram kariṣye |

श्री महाषोडशी महामन्त्र जपत्वेन शापविमोचनमन्त्रम् करिष्ये।

First Part – should be recited seven times:

ई ए क ल ह्रीं ī e ka la hrīṁ
ह स क ह ल ह्रीं ha sa ka ha la hrīṁ
स क ल ह्रीं sa ka la hrīṁ

Second Part – should be recited three times:

ह स क ह स क ह ल ह्रीं ha sa ka ha sa ka ha la hrīṁ
स क ल ह्रीं sa ka la hrīṁ
ई ए क ल ह्रीं ī e ka la hrīṁ

Third Part – should be recited one time.

ह ल भ भ भ भ भ अ ha la bha bha bha bha bha a

2. Ṛṣyādi nyāsaḥ ऋष्यादि न्यासः

asyaśrī Mahāṣodaśī Mahāmantrasya -  Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti ṛṣiḥ - Gāyatrī chandaḥ - Śrī Lalitāmahātripurasundari Parābhaṭṭārikā Devatā |

अस्यश्री महाषोदशी महामन्त्रस्य - श्री दक्षिणामूर्ति ऋषिः - गायत्री छन्दः - श्री ललितामहात्रिपुरसुन्दरि पराभट्टारिका देवता ।

aiṁ bījaṁ | sauḥ śaktiḥ | klīṁ kīlakam || ऐं बीजं। सौः शक्तिः। क्लीं कीलकम्॥

Śrī Lalitāmahātripurasundari Parābhaṭṭārikā darśana bhāṣaṇa siddhyarthe Śrī Mahāṣoḍaśī Mahāmantra jape viniyogaḥ  ||

श्री ललितामहात्रिपुरसुन्दरि पराभट्टारिका दर्शन भाषण सिद्ध्यर्थे श्री महाषोडशी महामन्त्र जपे विनियोगः॥

3. Karanyāsaḥ करन्यासः

Om - śrīṁ - hrīṁ - klīṁ - aiṁ - sauḥ: aṅguṣṭhābhyām namaḥ ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं ऐं सौः अङ्गुष्ठाभ्याम् नमः (use both the index fingers and run them on both the thumbs)

om - hrīṁ - śrīṁ tarjanībhyāṁ namaḥ ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं तर्जनीभ्यां नमः (use both the thumbs and run them on both the index fingers)

ka – e - ī – la- hrīṁ madhyamābhyāṁ namaḥ क ए ई ल ह्रीं मध्यमाभ्यां नमः (both the thumbs on the middle fingers)

ha - sa – ka – ha - la - hrīṁ anāmikābhyāṁ namaḥ ह स क ह ल ह्रीं अनामिकाभ्यां नमः (both the thumbs on the ring fingers)

sa – ka - la - hrīṁ kaniṣṭhīkābhyāṁ namaḥ स क ल ह्रीं कनिष्ठीकाभ्यां नमः (both the thumbs on the little fingers)

sauḥ - aiṁ - klīṁ -  hrīṁ - śrīṁ karatalakarapṛṣṭhābhyāṁ namaḥ सौः ऐं क्लीं ह्रीं श्रीं करतलकरपृष्ठाभ्यां नमः  (open both the palms; run the opened palms of the right hand on the front and back sides of the left palm and repeat the same for the other palm)

4. Hrdayādi nyāsaḥ ह्र्दयादि न्यासः

Om - śrīṁ - hrīṁ - klīṁ - aiṁ - sauḥ: hrdayāya namaḥ| ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं ऐं सौः ह्र्दयाय नमः (open index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand and place them on the heart chakra)

om - hrīṁ - śrīṁ śirase svāhā ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं शिरसे स्वाहा (open middle and ring fingers of the right hand and touch the top of the forehead)

ka – e - ī – la- hrīṁ śikhāyai vaṣaṭ क ए ई ल ह्रीं शिखायै वषट्  (open the right thumb and touch the back of the head. This is the point where tuft is kept)

ha - sa – ka – ha - la - hrīṁ kavacāya huṁ ह स क ह ल ह्रीं कवचाय हुं  (cross both the hands and run the fully opened palms from shoulders to finger tips)

sa – ka - la - hrīṁ netratrayāya vauṣaṭ स क ल ह्रीं नेत्रत्रयाय वौषट् (open the index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand; touch both the eyes using index and ring fingers and touch the point between the two eyebrows (ājñā cakra) with the middle finger.)

sauḥ - aiṁ - klīṁ -  hrīṁ - śrīṁ  astrāya phaṭ सौः ऐं क्लीं ह्रीं श्रीं  अस्त्राय फट् (open up the left palm and strike it three times with index and middle fingers of the right hand)

भूर्भुवस्सुवरोमिति दिग्बन्धः॥ bhūrbhuvassuvaromiti digbandhaḥ||  (by using right hand thumb and middle fingers make rattle clockwise around the head)

5. Dhyānam ध्यानम्

cāpaṁ cekṣumayaṁ prasūnaviśikhān pāśāṅkuśaṁ pustakaṁ
māṇikyāṣasṛjavaraṁ maṇīmayīṁ vīṇāṁ sarojadvayaṁ |
pāṇibhyāṁ varadā abhayaṁ ca dadhatīṁ brahmādisevyāṁ parāṁ
sindūrāruṇa vigrahāṁ bhagavatīṁ tāṁ ṣoḍaśīmāśraye ||

चापं चेक्षुमयं प्रसूनविशिखान् पाशाङ्कुशं पुस्तकं
माणिक्याषसृजवरं मणीमयीं वीणां सरोजद्वयं।
पाणिभ्यां वरदा अभयं च दधतीं ब्रह्मादिसेव्यां परां
सिन्दूरारुण विग्रहां भगवतीं तां षोडशीमाश्रये॥

Meaning: She has twelve hands, holds (1) a bow made of sugarcane, (2) arrows made of kadamba flowers, (3) a noose, (4) a hook, (5) a book, (6) a rosary made of rubies, displays (7) abhaya (removal of fear) and (8) varadha (giving boons) mudras. She closely holds a veena (a musical instrument) with two hands (9 and 10)  and lotus flowers in two hands (11 and 12) one on each side. She is worshipped by Brahmā and other gods and goddesses. She is red in complexion. I surrender unto this Supreme Goddess.

(There are other dhyāna verses also)

6. Pañcapūjā पञ्चपूजा (follow as per Karanyāsa)

laṁ - pṛthivyātmikāyai gandhaṁ samarpayāmi|
haṁ - ākāśātmikāyai puṣpaiḥ pūjayāmi|
yaṁ - vāyvātmikāyai dhūpamāghrāpayāmi|
raṁ - agnyātmikāyai dīpaṁ darśayāmi |
vaṁ amṛtātmikāyai amṛtaṁ mahānaivedyaṁ nivedayāmi |
saṁ - sarvātmikāyai sarvopacāra pūjām samarpayāmi||

लं - पृथिव्यात्मिकायै गन्धं समर्पयामि।
हं - आकाशात्मिकायै पुष्पैः पूजयामि।
यं - वाय्वात्मिकायै धूपमाघ्रापयामि।
रं - अग्न्यात्मिकायै दीपं दर्शयामि।
वं अमृतात्मिकायै अमृतं महानैवेद्यं निवेदयामि।
सं - सर्वात्मिकायै सर्वोपचार पूजाम् समर्पयामि॥

7. Śrī Mahāṣoḍaśī Mahā Mantraḥ श्री महाषोडशी महा मन्त्रः

om śrīṁ hrīṁ klīṁ aiṁ sauḥ -- ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं ऐं सौः
om hrīṁ śrīṁ -- ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं
ka e ī la hrīṁ -- क ए ई ल ह्रीं
ha sa ka ha la hrīṁ -- ह स क ह ल ह्रीं
sa ka la hrīṁ -- स क ल ह्रीं
sauḥ aiṁ klīṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ -- सौः ऐं क्लीं ह्रीं श्रीं

Note: 1.There are two ॐ in this mantra and the second ॐ will be replaced by ātmabīja by one’s Guru at the time of initiating this mantra.

2. Please also note that the arrangement of bījā-s in the first line (om śrīṁ hrīṁ klīṁ aiṁ sauḥ ) are reversed in the last line (sauḥ aiṁ klīṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ). This is known as sampuṭīkaraṇa or the sealing of the mantra.

8. Hrdayādi nyāsaḥ ह्र्दयादि न्यासः

Om - śrīṁ - hrīṁ - klīṁ - aiṁ - sauḥ: hrdayāya namaḥ| ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं क्लीं ऐं सौः ह्र्दयाय नमः (open index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand and place them on the heart chakra)

om - hrīṁ - śrīṁ śirase svāhā ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं शिरसे स्वाहा (open middle and ring fingers of the right hand and touch the top of the forehead)

ka – e - ī – la- hrīṁ śikhāyai vaṣaṭ क ए ई ल ह्रीं शिखायै वषट्  (open the right thumb and touch the back of the head. This is the point where tuft is kept)

ha - sa – ka – ha - la - hrīṁ kavacāya huṁ ह स क ह ल ह्रीं कवचाय हुं  (cross both the hands and run the fully opened palms from shoulders to finger tips)

sa – ka - la - hrīṁ netratrayāya vauṣaṭ स क ल ह्रीं नेत्रत्रयाय वौषट् (open the index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand; touch both the eyes using index and ring fingers and touch the point between the two eyebrows (ājñā cakra) with the middle finger.)

sauḥ - aiṁ - klīṁ -  hrīṁ - śrīṁ  astrāya phaṭ सौः ऐं क्लीं ह्रीं श्रीं  अस्त्राय फट् (open up the left palm and strike it three times with index and middle fingers of the right hand)

भूर्भुवस्सुवरोमिति दिग्विमोकः॥ bhūrbhuvassuvaromiti digvimokaḥ||  (by using right hand thumb and middle fingers make rattle anticlockwise around the head)

9. Dhyānam ध्यानम्

cāpaṁ cekṣumayaṁ prasūnaviśikhān pāśāṅkuśaṁ pustakaṁ
māṇikyāṣasṛjavaraṁ maṇīmayīṁ vīṇāṁ surojadvayaṁ |
pāṇibhyāṁ varadā abhayaṁ ca dadhatīṁ brahmādisevyāṁ parāṁ
sindūrāruṇa vigrahāṁ bhagavatīṁ tāṁ ṣoḍaśīmāśraye ||

चापं चेक्षुमयं प्रसूनविशिखान् पाशाङ्कुशं पुस्तकं
माणिक्याषसृजवरं मणीमयीं वीणां सुरोजद्वयं।
पाणिभ्यां वरदा अभयं च दधतीं ब्रह्मादिसेव्यां परां
सिन्दूरारुण विग्रहां भगवतीं तां षोडशीमाश्रये॥

10. Pañcapūjā पञ्चपूजा

laṁ - pṛthivyātmikāyai gandhaṁ samarpayāmi|
haṁ - ākāśātmikāyai puṣpaiḥ pūjayāmi|
yaṁ - vāyvātmikāyai dhūpamāghrāpayāmi|

raṁ - agnyātmikāyai dīpaṁ darśayāmi |
vaṁ - amṛtātmikāyai amṛtaṁ mahānaivedyaṁ nivedayāmi |
saṁ - sarvātmikāyai sarvopacāra pūjām samarpayāmi||

लं - पृथिव्यात्मिकायै गन्धं समर्पयामि।
हं - आकाशात्मिकायै पुष्पैः पूजयामि।
यं - वाय्वात्मिकायै धूपमाघ्रापयामि।

रं - अग्न्यात्मिकायै दीपं दर्शयामि।

वं अमृतात्मिकायै अमृतं महानैवेद्यं निवेदयामि।
सं - सर्वात्मिकायै सर्वोपचार पूजाम् समर्पयामि॥

11. Samarpaṇam समर्पनम्

guhyāti guhya goptrī tvaṁ gṛhāṇāsmat-kṛtaṁ japam|
siddhirbhavatu me devi tvatprasādānmayi stirā||

गुह्याति गुह्य गोप्त्री त्वं गृहाणास्मत्-कृतं जपम्।
सिद्धिर्भवतु मे देवि त्वत्प्रसादान्मयि स्तिरा॥

(Meaning: You sustain the secret of all secrets. Please accept this japa performed by me and bestow Your perpetual Grace on me.)

Note: This mantra has a number of nyāsa-s (placing) to be done all over the body.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Variations of SHODASHI MANTRA is given in this posting.