11. Chant the guru mantra (Guru mantra japa )
Now you should chant your guru mantra 11, 21 or 108 times depending on either the routine given to you by your guru or your own usual routine.
12. Obeisance to all siddhas
Offer your respects and gratitude to all the siddhas , sages, seers and gurus of the past. Generally, this mantra can differ from tradition to tradition but if your guru is not a mantra adept (therefore not knowing this mantra) or hasn’t initiated you into this mantra. Simply chant the following: Sanskrit (Devanagari) Sanskrit (IAST) Translation ॐ दिव्यौघ नमः Oṃ divyaugha namaḥ My obeisance to all the siddhas of divine bodies. ॐ सिद्धौघ नमः Oṃ siddhaugha namaḥ My obeisance to all the siddhas of the past who are no more in their physical bodies. ॐ मानवौघ नमः Oṃ mānavaugha namaḥ My obeisance to all the siddhas who are either still in a human body or can assume one.
13. Meditating on your deity (Ishta dhyana ) Sanskrit (Devanagari) Sanskrit (IAST) ॐ बालां विद्ययां तु गायत्रीं लोहितां चतुराननाम् । Oṃ bālāṃ vidyāṃ tu gāyatrīṃ lohitāṃ caturānanām । रकताम्बरद्वयोपेतामक्षसूत्रकरां तथा ॥ Raktāmbaradvayopetāmakṣa sūtrakarāṃ tathā ॥ कमण्डलुधरां देवी हंसवाहनसंस्थिताम् । Kamaṇḍaludharāṃ devī haṃsavāhanasaṃsthitām । ब्रहमाणी ब्रहमदैवत्यां ब्रहमलोकनिवासिनीम् ॥ Brahmāṇī brahmadaivatyāṃ brahmalokanivāsinīm ॥ Translation The youthful, glorious and beautiful Devi is an embodiment of the highest wisdom. She is of red color and has four faces. She holds rudraksha beads in one hand and a water pot in the other. Mounted on a swan, She’s like Saraswati. She resides and abides in the absolute Brahman and is a consort of Brahma.
14. Chant the preliminary mantra (Ishta mantra japa )
15. Pray to Mother Earth (Prithvi puja)
Draw a triangle on the floor, right in front of you with water. It’s a symbolic triangle. If you are trying to invoke a masculine mantra, the triangle should point upwards (towards the deity) and if you are invoking a feminine mantra, the triangle should point downwards. Put a dot with water right in the middle of the triangle and put a flower in the middle (on top of the dot) and say the following mantra: Sanskrit (Devanagari) Sanskrit (IAST) Translation ह्रीं आधारशकतये नमः Hrīṃ ādhāraśaktaye namaḥ My obeisance to the primordial energy that is sustaining the entire creation.
16. Take the vow (Sankalpa )
Take it only on the first day of your sadhana.
I … (your full name) born in … (state your gotra. If you don’t know your gotra, simply say Narayana gotra for everyone is a child of the Divine) on … (state your date of birth) hereby vow to do a purushcharana of … (the name of your mantra, like Gayatri, Sri Suktam, Guru Mantra, etc.) over the next … (state the number of days you’ll be chanting the mantra over, for example, 40, 90, 100, 300 and so on) days so I may become a worthy recipient of your grace and attain the desired outcome.
17. Mantra breathing (Mantra shvasa )
Start by completely and gently exhaling from both nostrils before you can begin the mantra breathing process below:
With your right thumb, close your right nostril and breathe in deeply from the left. While breathing in, chant Gayatri mantra.
Now, lift the thumb from your right nostril and close your left nostril by placing the index finger of your right hand. Exhale gently. Chant Gayatri mantra while exhaling.
Keep the same hand position and deeply inhale from your right nostril now. Chant the mantra while inhaling from your right nostril.
Now, lift your index finger from the left nostril and put your thumb on the right nostril to close it. Gently exhale from your left nostril and chant your mantra while exhaling.
This is one round of inhalation-exhalation, which involves inhaling from your left, exhaling from your right, inhaling from your right and exhaling from your left.
Do three rounds of mantra breathing.
18. Application (Viniyoga )
The word viniyoga means application. Unlike sankalpa , viniyoga is chanted every day throughout your sadhana . Use the following mantra with water in your right palm: Sanskrit (Devanagari) Sanskrit (IAST) प्तव्याह्रतीनां जमदग्नि-भरद्वाज अत्रि-गौतम-कश्यप-विश्वामित्र-वसिष्ठा ऋषयः । Saptavyāhratīnāṃ jamadagni-bharadvāja atri-gautama-kaśyapa-viśvāmitra-vasiṣṭhā ṛṣayaḥ । गायत्र्युष्णिगनुष्टु्ब्बृहती-पंक्तििस त्रिष्टु्टुब्जगत्यश्छन्ददांसि । Gāyatryuṣṇiganuṣṭubbṛhatī-paṃktistriṣṭubjagatyaśchandadāṃsi । अग्नि-वायु-सूर्य-बृह्स्पति-वरुणेन्द्र-विश्वे्वेदेवा देवताः । Agni-vāyu-sūrya-bṛhspati-varuṇendra-viśvedevā devatāḥ । सर्वपापक्षयार्थे जपे विनियोगः । Sarvapāpakṣayārthe jape viniyogaḥ ।
19. Purification of hands (Kara shuddhi )
Chant the following mantras and show the appropriate mudras to perform purification of the hands.
Sanskrit (Devanagari)
Sanskrit (IAST)
Handlock (Mudra)
Gesture with both hands
ऐं अंगुष्ठाभ्यां नमः।
Aiṃ aṃguṣṭhābhyāṃ namaḥ।
Touch the tip of your thumb at the base of your index finger.
ह्रीं तर्जनीभ्यां नमः।
Hrīṃ tarjanībhyāṃ namaḥ।
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger.
श्रीं मध्यमाभ्यां नमः।
Srīṃ madhyamābhyāṃ namaḥ।
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your middle finger.
ऐं अनामिकाभ्यां नमः।
Aiṃ anāmikābhyāṃ namaḥ।
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your ring finger.
ह्रीं कनिष्ठिकाभ्यां नमः।
Hrīṃ kaniṣṭhikābhyāṃ namaḥ।