Muni's PlayShuddha Upasana: The Pure Worship of the Ten Mahavidyas
This note collates the specific instructions on “Pure Worship” (Shuddha Upasana) from Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni’s Mahavidya Sutram.
1. Kali
Devanagari
जानतः श्वसनं तस्याः शुद्धमुपासनम् ।। 66।। ज्ञायमाना क्रिया महामहिमा स्यात् ।। 67।। मनसे शक्तिं दद्यात् ।। 68।। वाचे ।। 69।। चक्षुषे च ।। 70।। दीर्घजीवितं च दद्यात् ।। 71।। मोक्षाय च भवति ।। 72।।
Translation
- Knowing Her breathing is the pure form of worship.
- When action is known (understood/conscious), it becomes a “Great Majesty” (Maha-mahima).
- She bestows power to the mind.
- To the speech.
- And to the eyes.
- She bestows longevity.
- And She leads to liberation (Moksha).
2. Tara
Devanagari
शुद्धमुपासनं तस्या अन्तरव्यक्ते शब्दे स्थितिः ।। 56।। मनसोङ्कारमन्त्रानुसन्धानादव्यक्तशब्दनिष्ठाऽन्ततः सिध्येत् ।। 57।। संकल्पमूलान्वीक्षणेन वा ।। 58।। अनुज्ञामुद्रया वा ।। 59।।
Translation
- Her pure worship is to remain established in the unmanifest sound within.
- By meditating on the Omkara mantra with the mind, the state of unmanifest sound is eventually achieved.
- Or by observing the source of one’s intentions (sankalpa).
- Or through the Anujna Mudra.
3. Sundari
Devanagari
अस्याः शुद्धमुपासनमात्मनिष्ठा ।। 77।। अहंवृत्तिमूलगवेषणात् सा सिध्येदिति भगवान् रमणः ।। 78।। नित्यमात्मज्ञप्त्या वेति वासिष्ठः ।। 79।। आत्मानं जानता गृह्यमाणा अपि विषयाः स्वतो भेदेन नानुभूयन्ते।। 80।।
Translation
- The pure worship of Her is “Abidance in the Self” (Atma-nishtha).
- The Lord Ramana (Maharshi) says: “That is accomplished by seeking the source of the ‘I-thought’.”
- Vasistha says: “Or by constant Self-awareness.”
- For one who knows the Self, even the objects being perceived are not experienced as separate from oneself.
4. Bhuvaneshwari
Devanagari
अथास्याः शुद्धमुपासनम् ।। 87।। दृग्दृश्ययोरन्तरभूत आकाश एव सदा द्रष्टव्यः ।। 88।। संसारिणां तु दृष्टेर्मार्ग एव नभः ।। 89।। न लक्ष्यम् ।। 90।। पृथिव्याद्युपासनं कष्टम् ।। 91।। प्रियाप्रियोभयास्पदत्वात् ।। 92।। यत्र द्वन्द्वोपरमस्तल्लक्ष्यमुत्तमम् ।। 93।। तादृश आकाशः ।। 94।। आकाशे हि न कस्यचिद्वेषो रागो वा ।। 95।। दर्शनादभ्रसदसीति श्लोकपादोऽत्र भवति ।। 96।। अभ्रस्य सदस्त्वं ब्रह्माण्डसंकीर्णत्वात् ।। 97।। सेयं हिरण्मयाण्डानां सभा द्यौः कनकसभोच्यते ।। 98।। तत्रेशस्य ताण्डवं कालीपटले व्याख्यातम् ।। 99।। पश्यन्नाकाशं साक्षिणि प्रतितिष्ठेत् ।। 100।। द्रष्टावेव हि तदा दृष्टिः स्यात् ।। 101।।
Translation
- Now, Her pure worship.
- One should always contemplate the Akasha (Space) that exists between the seer and the seen.
- For worldly people, the sky is merely a path for the eyes.
- It is not the target (of their focus).
- The worship of Earth and other elements is difficult.
- Because they are the basis of both the pleasant and the unpleasant.
- The target lies in the devotion to that where the “pairs of opposites” (duality) cease.
- Such is the Akasha.
- In the Akasha, no one has hatred or attachment.
- Here applies the verse-line: “From seeing, you are the assembly of clouds.”
- The “assembly of clouds” refers to the density of the Cosmic Egg (Brahmanda).
- This assembly of golden eggs is called the “Golden Hall” (Kanakasabha).
- The dance of the Lord (Shiva) there was explained in the chapter on Kali.
- Beholding the Akasha, one should remain established in the Witness (Sakshi).
- Then, vision remains only in the Seer.
5. Bhairavi
Devanagari
अन्तर्ज्योतिरुपासनं शुद्धमुपासनं भैरव्याः ।। 68।। अन्तरूष्मणाऽनुसन्धानात्स्पृशतीव ज्योतिः ।। 69।। शृणोतीवान्तर्नादानुसन्धानात् ।। 70।।
Translation
- The worship of the Inner Light is the pure worship of Bhairavi.
- By contemplating the inner heat (Ushma), one feels as if touching the Light.
- By contemplating the inner sound (Nada), one feels as if hearing it.
6. Chinnamasta
Devanagari
आत्मनो दृष्टिं निभालयेत्तदस्याः शुद्धमुपासनम् ।। 95।। द्रष्टारं वा ।। 96।। अहं घटं पश्यामीति वाक्ये घट आत्मा दृष्टिश्च प्रमेयाः ।। 97।। तथाऽपि संसारी तत्र घटमेवानुभवति न दृष्टिमात्मानं वा ।। 98।। योगी दृष्टिमात्मानं वाऽनुभवेद्घटस्तस्य तदनुभवनिमित्तमात्रम् ।। 99।। रात्रौ दीपे प्रभया भासमाने नरः पदार्थान् पश्येत् ।। 100।। न दीपं प्रभां वा यस्यान्यपदार्थे सक्तिः ।। 101।। यो दीपं प्रभां वा पश्येत्तस्यान्यपदार्थदर्शनं केवलमानुषङ्गिकम् ।। 102।। तद्वदिहापि ।। 103।।
Translation
- To observe one’s own “Vision/Sight” (Drishti) is Her pure worship.
- Or to observe the “Seer” (Drashtar).
- In the sentence “I see the pot,” the pot, the self, and the sight are the objects of knowledge.
- However, the worldly person experiences only the pot, not the sight or the self.
- The Yogi experiences the sight or the self; the pot is merely the pretext for that experience.
- At night, when a lamp shines with radiance, a man sees objects.
- He does not see the lamp or the radiance if he is attached to the objects.
- For him who sees the lamp or the radiance, the seeing of other objects is merely incidental.
- The same applies here.
7. Dhumavati
Devanagari
अस्याः शुद्धमुपासनं व्यतिरेकेणैव भवति ।। 23।। नान््वयेन ।। 24।। सर्वे संकल्पास्त्यक्तव्याः ।। 25।। तदेव महामौनम् ।। 26।। संकल्पेन पूर्णे किमपि नान्तरं कुर्यात् ।। 27।। अन्तरकारिणो भयं श्रूयते ।। 28।।
Translation
- The pure worship of Her happens only through negation (Vyatireka).
- Not through affirmation (Anvaya).
- All thoughts (resolves) must be abandoned.
- That indeed is the “Great Silence” (Maha-maunam).
- When full of resolve, one should not allow any internal gap (or distraction).
- Fear is heard (in scriptures) for those who create such gaps/intervals.
8. Bagalamukhi
Devanagari
ध्रुवा स्मृतिरस्याः शुद्धमुपासनम् ।। 28।। तप उपासनं योगो ध्रुवा स्मृतिरिति पर्यायाः ।। 29।। योगपदं प्राधान्येण पतञ्जलिना उक्तम् ।। 30।। योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोध इति तस्य लक्षणम् ।। 31।। व्यतिरेकतस्तत् ।। 32।। अन्वयत आलोचनं योगस्य लक्षणम् ।। 33।। आलोचने स्वयं चित्तवृत्तयो निरुद्धाः स्युः ।। 34।। आलोचनं च तपः ।। 35।। तदेवोपासनम् ।। 36।। सा ध्रुवा स्मृतिः ।। 37।। आलोचने स्वात्मज्ञप्तिरपि वृत्तिरिति चेन्मूलच्छेदः ।। 38।। पश्य विस्मृतस्य वस्तुनोऽन्तर्मार्गणे निजां स्थितिम् ।। 39।। सा योगस्तत्तपोऽसौ ध्रुवा स्मृतिः ।। 40।। मृगयमाणो लब्ध्वैव निवर्तते ।। 41।। योगी तु नित्यं मृगयत इवान्यस्य लब्धव्यस्याभावात् ।। 42।। अनात्मजिज्ञासोरालोचनं मार्गणम् ।। 43।। आत्मजिज्ञासोर्योगः ।। 44।। पश्य दुःखे निजां स्थितिम् ।। 45।। स योगस्तत्तपोऽसौ ध्रुवा स्मृतिः ।। 46।। दुःखितः शिष्टभोग्यजातसन्निकर्षात्पुनर्निवर्तते ।। 47।। न तु योगी जितभोग्यजालत्वात् ।। 48।। सुषुम्नया संवित् सहस्रारपर्यन्तं प्रवहति ।। 49।। तत्र मानसस्थानमासाद्याप्रतापा शीता भवति ।। 50।। सा शीता सर्वनाडीद्वारा शरीरे प्रवहति ।। 51।। संवित्प्रवाहमध्ये सेतुं बध्नीयात् स यथा मानसस्थानं न प्राप्नुयात् ।। 52।। भ्रूमध्य इत्येकः प्रकारः ।। 53।। सेतुबन्धनं नाम स्थापनं ध्यानेन ।। 54।। तदालोचनान्नातिरिच्यते ।। 55।। स योगस्तत्तपोऽसौ ध्रुवा स्मृतिः ।। 56।। तदा संविदः प्रभुत्वं पूर्णं स्यादविभक्तत्वात् ।। 57।। तत्र संविदोऽग्रं लक्ष्यम् ।। 58।। तत्र प्रतितिष्ठन् विश्वपुरुषे प्रतितिष्ठति ।। 59।। कण्ठ इत्यन्यः प्रकारः ।। 60।। तत्र संविदो मध्यं लक्ष्यम् ।। 61।। तत्र प्रतितिष्ठंस्तैजसपुरुषे प्रतितिष्ठति ।। 62।। हृदय इत्यन्यः प्रकारः ।। 63।। तत्र संविदो मूलं लक्ष्यम् ।। 64।। तत्र प्रतितिष्ठन्प्राज्ञपुरुषे प्रतितिष्ठति ।। 65।। शुद्धोपासनेन ध्रुवायां स्मृत्यां तत्र मन्त्रं संस्थाप्यावर्तयेत् ।। 66।। अथ तेजोमयो भवेत् ।। 67।। अथास्त्रं भवेत् ।। 68।। ग्रन्थिच्छेदश्च ध्रुवया स्मृत्या ।। 69।। स्मृतिलम्भे सर्वग्रन्थीनां मोक्ष इति श्रुतेः ।। 70।।
Translation
- The pure worship of Her is Dhruva Smriti (Steady, Unwavering Remembrance).
- Penance (Tapas), Worship (Upasana), Yoga, and Dhruva Smriti are synonyms.
- Patanjali used the term “Yoga” with prominence.
- His definition is: “Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind” (Chittavritti Nirodha).
- That is a definition by exclusion (negative).
- Looking at it positively (by inclusion), the definition of Yoga is Alochana (Keen Observation/Reflection).
- In the state of Alochana, the movements of the mind are naturally restrained.
- And Alochana is Tapas (Austerity/Heat).
- That itself is Upasana (Worship/Sitting near).
- That is Dhruva Smriti.
- If it is argued that even Self-awareness during ‘Alochana’ is still a Vritti, the answer is: (that awareness) cuts the very root.
- Observe your own state while searching for an object you have forgotten.
- That (state of intense searching/focus) is Yoga, that is Tapas, that is Dhruva Smriti.
- One who searches returns only after finding [the object].
- But the Yogi searches eternally, as there is nothing else to be gained.
- For one who does not know the Self, Alochana is a search.
- For the seeker of the Self, it is Yoga.
- Observe your own state during [a moment of] pain.
- That (intensity of focus) is Yoga, that is Tapas, that is Dhruva Smriti.
- The worldly person returns [to distraction] once they come into contact with objects of enjoyment.
- But not the Yogi, because he has conquered the web of enjoyments.
- Consciousness (Samvit) flows through the Sushumna up to the Sahasrara.
- Having reached the “Place of the Mind” (Manas-sthana), it becomes cool and loses its heat.
- That cool energy flows through all the nerves (Nadis) into the body.
- One should build a “dam” (Setu) in the flow of consciousness so that it does not reach the place of the mind.
- One method is at the midpoint of the eyebrows (Bhrumadhya).
- Building a “dam” means stabilizing the focus through meditation.
- This is nothing other than Alochana.
- That is Yoga, that is Tapas, that is Dhruva Smriti.
- Then, the sovereignty of Consciousness becomes full/perfect because it is undivided.
- There, the “tip” (front) of Consciousness is the target.
- Established there, one is established in the Universal Person (Vishwa Purusha).
- The Throat is another method.
- There, the “middle” of Consciousness is the target.
- Established there, one is established in the Luminous Person (Taijasa Purusha).
- The Heart is another method.
- There, the “root” of Consciousness is the target.
- Established there, one is established in the Intelligent/Causal Person (Prajna Purusha).
- Through pure worship, having established the Mantra in that Dhruva Smriti, one should repeat it.
- Then, one becomes full of brilliance (Tejomaya).
- Then, one becomes the weapon.
- The “cutting of the knots” (of the heart/ego) happens through Dhruva Smriti.
- For the Scripture says: “Upon gaining the steady remembrance, all knots are loosened.”
9. Matangi
Devanagari
स्वाध्यायाध्ययनमस्याः शुद्धमुपासनम् ।। 42।। प्रणववाहित्वे शब्देषु तारतम्यम् ।। 43।। ध्वनिभ्यो वर्णेष्वधिकम् ।। 44।। तत्रापि मन्त्रवर्णिकेषु ।। 45।। मन्त्राणामन्तर्यामितस्तेजोमयशब्दरूपतयैव प्रादुर्भावात् ।। 46।। शंसेदुक्थं सुदानव उत द्युक्षमित्यादयो निगमा अत्र भवन्ति ।। 47।। मन्त्राणाम् भाषान्तरीकरणे गूढार्थसमर्पणमेव प्रयोजनम् ।। 48।। न जपोपयोगित्वम् ।। 49।।
Translation
- The pure worship of her consists of the study of one’s own scriptures (Svadhyaya).
- When carried by the Omkara (Pranava), there are gradations in sounds.
- Letters (Varnas) are superior to mere sounds (Dhvanis).
- Even among those, the letters of Mantras are superior.
- Because Mantras manifest from the Inner Controller as forms of luminous sound.
- There are Vedic verses here, such as “Praise the hymn, O bountiful ones…”
- The purpose of translating Mantras into other languages is only to convey their hidden meaning.
- It is not for the purpose of chanting (Japa).
10. Kamalatmika
Devanagari
सूर्यरश्मयश्चैतन्यवाहिनो न जडाः ।। 22।। अथास्याः शुद्धमुपासनम् ।। 23।। रश्मीनेव ध्यायेत् ।। 24।।
Translation
- The rays of the Sun are carriers of Consciousness; they are not inert (material) matter.
- Now, her pure (internal) worship:
- One should meditate on the Rays themselves.
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