Arragnements For Navavarana Puja:

1. Lalitāmbikā’s idol.

2. Śri Cakra/ Meru

3. Two lamps on either side. Lamps to the left of sādhaka should be lit with ghee (clarified butter) and lamps to the right of sādhaka should be lit with sesame oil. Totally there will be four lamps. All the four lamps should be placed on bases as shown in part I of this series. One small additional lamp can be kept separately to light dhūpa, dīpa and nīrājana. There is no need of a base for this lamp.

4. This is the āsana. Sitting posture is very important. One should take the most comfortable sitting posture. As far as possible, sādhaka should not change his sitting posture too frequently. Ardhapadmāsana is the best sitting posture for performing navāvaraṇa pūjā.

5. Viśeṣa arghya pātra should be consecrated here on the prescribed base.

6. Sāmanya arghya (conch) should be established here on the prescribed base.

7. Vardhanī kalaśa should be established here.

8. Ācamana pātra can be kept here (this vessel can be moved from this place).

9. Flower bowl can be kept here.

10. Other pūjā accessories such as bell, dhūpa, dīpa, nīrājana etc can be kept here.

11. Naivedya when needed can be kept here.

If idols of Ganeśa, Sun, Viṣṇu and Śiva are available, they can be kept in the places marked A, B, C and D in the diagram. This will be useful while performing caturāyatana pūjā later.

All other materials can be kept in places that are most convenient to sādhaka. Someone who is conversant with mantras can read out the mantras and sādhaka can perform the pūjā. Śri Cakra should be placed in front of the idol. Navāvaraṇa pūjā can be done even without an idol. But Śri Cakra or Meru is must.  Viśeṣa arghya pātra and Sāmanya arghya should not be moved after consecrating them. This is one of the very important aspects of navāvaraṇa pūjā.

9. Laghu prāṇapratiṣṭhā:

Prāṇapratiṣṭhā means infusing vital energy (prāṇa) into the yantra. Take flowers, keep this on anāhata chakra (centre of the chest), recite the following mantra and at the end of recitiation, keep the flowers on Śri Cakra.

ॐ हंसः सोहं सोहं हंसः शिवः श्रिचक्रस्य  प्राणा इह प्राणाः॥

om haṁsaḥ sohaṁ sohaṁ haṁsaḥ śivaḥ śricakrasya  prāṇā iha prāṇāḥ ||

10. Śrīnagara pūjā श्रीनगर पूजा

Place flowers on Śri Cakra by recting the following mantra.

सर्व श्रीनगर देवताभ्यो नमः॥

sarva śrīnagara devatābhyo namaḥ ॥

11. Dīpa pūjā दीप पूजा

Offer flowers to the lamps. This is one of Agni’s mūla mantras.

ॐ नमो अग्नि रूपाय मम शरीरे स्तम्भनं कुरु कुरु स्वाहा॥

om namo agni rūpāya mama śarīre stambhanaṁ kuru kuru svāhā ||

ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं दीपदेवि महादेवि शुभं भवतु मे सदा।

यावत्पूजा समाप्तिः स्यातावत् प्रज्वल सुस्थिरा॥

om aiṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ dīpadevi mahādevi śubhaṁ bhavatu me sadā |

yāvatpūjā samāptiḥ syātāvat prajvala susthirā ||

12. Bhūtaśuddhiḥ भूतशुद्धिः

Inhale through left nostril by reciting mūla mantra and exhale through right nostril and similarly inhale through right nostril by reciting mūla mantra and exhale through left nostril.

13. Nyāsā-s

Please perform japa nyāsā-s here.

14. Ātma prāṇapratiṣṭhā आत्म प्राणप्रतिष्ठा

Avidya or spiritual ignorance is impurity causing duality. Such impurities have already been removed through bhūtaśuddhi. In such a purified body and soul, Brahman and His Power are being established. This is the concept of ātma prāṇapratiṣṭhā.

Keep the right palm on the heart and recite the following mantra three times and after that recite mūla mantra three times.

ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं आं सोहं ॥

om aiṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ āṁ sohaṁ ॥

15. Pātra sādanaṁ पात्र सादनं

i) Procedure for establishing vardhanī kalaśa:

Sprinkle some water by reciting and place a base and on this place vardhanī kalaśa. Take water from kalaśa pātra and pour into vardhanī kalaśa. Add powdered condiments.

Place the right palm on the vardhanī kalaśa and recite mūla mantra eight times.

Now take water from the vardhanī kalaśa and sprinkle on all pūjā articles by reciting mūla mantra.

ii) Procedure for establishing sāmānya arghya:

Sprinkle water from vardhanī kalaśa and place the base of the conch. Again sprinkle water from vardhanī kalaśa on the base and place the conch and sprinkle water vardhanī kalaśa on the conch. Do this procedure by reciting mūla mantra.

Now pour vardhanī kalaśa water into the conch by reciting mūla mantra.

Offer flowers and akṣata for the sāmānya arghya.

अग्निमण्डलाय नमः । आदित्य्मण्डलाय नमः। सोममण्डलाय नमः॥

agnimaṇḍalāya namaḥ | āditymaṇḍalāya namaḥ | somamaṇḍalāya namaḥ ||

Now by touching the conch, recite the following mantra.

पवनराजाय विद्महे पाञ्चजन्याय धीमहि।

तन्नः शङ्कः प्रचोदयात्॥

pavanarājāya vidmahe pāñcajanyāya dhīmahi |

tannaḥ śaṅkaḥ pracodayāt ||

Now take water from the conch and sprinkle on all pūjā articles by reciting mūla mantra. Fill the conch again with water from vardhanī kalaśa and place it on its base.

iii) Consecrating viśeṣa arghya:

By taking water from sāmānya arghya and sprinkle on the ground where the base of viśeṣa arghya is going to be kept by reciting the following mantra.

ऐं ह्रः अस्त्राय फट्। aiṁ hraḥ astrāya phaṭ |

Now show avakuṇṭhana mudra on the place where the base of viśeṣa arghya is going to be kept.

Now place the ādhāra (base) and offer flowers by reciting the following mantras.

अं अग्निमण्डलाय धर्मप्रथ दश कलात्मने श्री महात्रिपुर्सुन्दर्याः विशेश अर्घ्य पात्राताधाराय नमः।

4 aṁ agnimaṇḍalāya dharmapratha daśa kalātmane śrī mahātripursundaryāḥ viśeṣa arghya pātrātādhārāya namaḥ |

Now do prokṣaṇa with water from sāmānya arghya on the viśeṣa arghya pātrā and after this place it on the ādhāra. After placing it again do prokṣaṇa by saying

ऐं ह्रःअस्त्राय फट्। aiṁ hraḥ astrāya phaṭ |

Now show avakuṇṭhana mudra on viśeṣa arghya pātrā.

By reciting these two mantras place akṣata on viśeṣa arghya pātrā.

i) ॐ उं सूर्य मण्डलाय अर्थप्रद द्वादशकलात्मने श्री महात्रिपुर्सुन्दर्याः विशेष अर्घ्य पात्राय नमः॥

ॐ uṁ sūrya maṇḍalāya arthaprada dvādaśakalātmane śrī mahātripursundaryāḥ viśeṣa arghya pātrāya namaḥ ||

ii) ॐ ह्रीं ऐं महालक्ष्मीश्वरि परमस्वामिनि ऊर्ध्वशून्यप्रवाहिनि सोमसूर्याग्नि भक्षिणि परमाकाश भासुरे आगच्छ आगच्छ विश विश पात्रं प्रतिगृह्ण हूं फत् स्वाहा॥

ॐ hrīṁ  aiṁ mahālakṣmīśvari paramasvāmini ūrdhvaśūnyapravāhini somasūryāgni bhakṣiṇi  paramākāśa bhāsure āgaccha āgaccha viśa viśa  pātraṁ pratigṛhṇa  hūṁ phat svāhā ||

iii) हमलवरयूं सूर्यमण्डलाय नमः॥ hamalavarayūṁ sūryamaṇḍalāya namaḥ ||

Now take a piece of peeled ginger and hold in the left hand with tattva mudra (joining thumb and ring finger of the left hand is tattva mudra). Now take kāraṇa kalaśa in the right hand and pour amṛta (viśeṣa arghya) slowly through into the viśeṣa arghya pātra by reciting mūla mantra.

Now by reciting the following mantra offer some akṣata on the viśeṣa arghya.

ॐ आप्यायस्व समेदु ते विश्वतः सोमवृष्णियम्। भवावाजस्य संगते॥ सां सीं सूं सैं सौं सः समलवर्यूं सोममण्डलाय नमः॥

ॐ āpyāyasva samedu te viśvataḥ somavṛṣṇiyam | bhavāvājasya saṁgate || sāṁ sīṁ sūṁ saiṁ sauṁ saḥ samalavaryūṁ somamaṇḍalāya namaḥ ||

By touching the viśeṣa arghya pātra, recite the following mantra eight times.

ॐ जुंसः स्वाहा ॥ om juṁsaḥ svāhā ||

i) ॐ अखण्डैक रसानन्दकरे परसिधात्मनि। स्वच्छन्द स्पुरणामत्र निधेहि कुलनायिके॥ नमः॥

ॐ akhaṇḍaīka rasānandakare parasidhātmani | svacchanda spuraṇāmatra nidhehi kulanāyike || namaḥ ||

ii) ॐ अकुलस्थामृताकारे शुद्धज्ञानकरे परे। अमृतत्वं निधेह्यस्मिन् वस्तुनि क्लिन्नरूपिणि॥ नमः॥

ॐ akulasthāmṛtākāre śuddhajñānakare pare |  amṛtatvaṁ nidhehyasmin vastuni klinnarūpiṇi || namaḥ ||

iii) ॐ तद्रूपिण्यैकरस्यत्वं कृत्वा ह्येतत्स्वरूपिणि। भूत्वा परामृताकारा मयि चित्स्फुरननं कुरु॥ नमः॥

ॐ tadrūpiṇyaikarasyatvaṁ kṛtvā hyetatsvarūpiṇi | bhūtvā parāmṛtākārā mayi citsphurananaṁ kuru || namaḥ ||

iv) ॐ ऐं ब्लूं झ्रौं जुं सः अमृते अमृतोद्भवे अमृतेश्वरि अमृवर्षिणि अमृतं स्रावय स्रावय स्वाहा॥ नमः॥

4 ॐ aiṁ blūṁ jhrauṁ juṁ saḥ amṛte amṛtodbhave amṛteśvari amṛavarṣiṇi amṛtaṁ srāvaya srāvaya svāhā || namaḥ ||

v)  ॐ ऐं वद वद वाग्वादिनि ऐं। क्लीं क्लिन्ने क्लेदिनि क्लेदय महाक्षोमं कुरु कुरु क्लीं। सौः मोक्षं कुरु कुरु। ह्सौं। स्हों॥

ॐ aiṁ vada vada vāgvādini aiṁ | klīṁ klinne kledini kledaya mahākṣomaṁ kuru kuru klīṁ | sauḥ mokṣaṁ kuru kuru | hsauṁ | s-houṁ ||

By recting the following mantra, offer flowers and akṣata to viśeṣa arghya.

ॐ सुधादेव्यै नमः सर्वोपचारन् समर्पयामि॥

ॐ sudhādevyai namaḥ sarvopacāran samarpayāmi ||

Now worship Sudhā Devi with yoni mudra.

After this, sādhaka has to bring in two or three small cups. When it is two cups, they refer to Guru pātra and ātma pātra. When three pātra-s are placed, third one is known as patnī pātra, meant for the wife of the sādhaka, provided she is also initiated either into Pañcadaśī or Ṣoḍaśī by the same Guru. These pātra-s should be either in silver or copper. These pātra-s should be kept to the right side of viśeṣa arghya pātra. Next to viśeṣa arghya pātra is Guru pātra, next to this is ātma pātra. If there is going to be patnī pātra, this should be kept next to ātma pātra. These three pātra-s should be purified by sprinkling water from vardhanī kalaśa.

Now using an uttaraṇi, transfer one uttaraṇi of viśeṣa arghya to Guru pātra after reciting each of the following mantas.  Thus there will be three transfers from viśeṣa arghya pātra to Guru pātra.

1) svātmārāmapañcara vilīnatejase śrīparameṣṭhi gurave namaḥ ॥

स्वात्मारामपञ्चर विलीनतेजसे श्रीपरमेष्ठि गुरवे नमः ॥

2) svacchaprakāśa vimarśahetave śrī paramagurave namaḥ ॥

स्वच्छप्रकाश विमर्शहेतवे श्री परमगुरवे नमः ॥

3) svarūpa  nirūpaṇa hetave śrīgurave  namaḥ  ॥

स्वरूप  निरूपण हेतवे श्रीगुरवे  नमः ॥

sadāśivasamārambhāṁ śaṁkarācāryamadhyamāṁ |

asmadācāryaparyantaṁ vande guru paraṁparāṁ ||

सदाशिवसमारम्भां शंकराचार्यमध्यमां।

अस्मदाचार्यपर्यन्तं वन्दे गुरु परंपरां॥

Now transfer this viśeṣa arghya from Guru pātra to ātma pātra (it is assumed that Guru is not present in person) and patnī pātra (if present). Now wash Guru pātra and keep this in its place (next to viśeṣa arghya) or this can be washed kept safely by moving this from the pūjā maṇḍala. Take this ātma pātra in right hand and hold the bottom of the pātra (a small cup) using thumb, middle and ring fingers.

Recite the following mantras now.

ॐ इतः पूर्वं प्राण-बुद्धि-देह-धर्माधिकारतः जाग्रत्-स्वप्न-सुषुप्त्यवस्थासु मनस वाचा कर्मण हस्ताभ्यां पद्भ्यां उद्ररेण शिश्ना यत्स्मृतं यदुक्तं यत्कृतं तत्सर्वं ब्रह्मार्पणं भवतु स्वाहा॥

ॐ itaḥ pūrvaṁ prāṇa-buddhi-deha-dharmādhikārataḥ jāgrat-svapna-suṣuptyavasthāsu manasa vācā karmaṇa hastābhyāṁ padbhyāṁ udrareṇa śiśnā yatsmṛtaṁ yaduktaṁ yatkṛtaṁ tatsarvaṁ brahmārpaṇaṁ bhavatu svāhā ||

ॐ आर्द्रं ज्वलति ज्योतिरहमस्मि ज्योतिर्ज्वलति ब्रह्माहमस्मि। योऽहमस्मि ब्रह्माहमस्मि। अहमस्मि ब्रह्माहमस्मि। अहमेवाहं मां जुहोमि स्वाहा॥

ॐ ārdraṁ jvalati jyotirahamasmi jyotirjvalati brahmāhamasmi | yo'hamasmi brahmāhamasmi | ahamasmi brahmāhamasmi | ahamevāhaṁ māṁ juhomi svāhā ||

Recite mūla mantra three times and consume viśeṣa arghya from ātma pātra, wash the cup and keep this in its original place. This is required again towards the end of navāvaraṇa pūjā.

Now add a few drops of viśeṣa arghya into kāraṇa kalaśa (in whihch viśeṣa arghya was prepared). Similarly, add a few drops of viśeṣa arghya to sāmānya arghya (conch).

From now on viśeṣa arghya and sāmānya arghya should not be shaken or moved from their respective places.