I · Nyāsa — Placing the Mantra Upon Oneself

The commentary explains the principle:

"The Ṛṣi should be meditated upon in the head, because he is the Guru, the seer of the mantra; the Devatā in the heart, because the deity is to be meditated upon in the heart alone; as the metre consists of letters, it should be meditated upon on the tongue… The object of the japa is to attain the four objects of human desire." — Saubhāgya-Bhāskara (p. 42)

The Viniyoga — the declaration

अस्य श्रीललितासहस्रनामस्तोत्रमहामन्त्रस्य । वशिन्यादिवाग्देवता ऋषयः । अनुष्टुप् छन्दः । श्रीललितापरमेश्वरी देवता । श्रीमद्वाग्भवकूटेति बीजम् । मध्यकूटेति शक्तिः । शक्तिकूटेति कीलकम् । श्रीललितामहात्रिपुरसुन्दरीप्रसादसिद्धिद्वारा चिन्तितफलावाप्त्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः ॥

asya śrī-lalitā-sahasranāma-stotra-mahāmantrasya · vaśinyādi-vāgdevatā ṛṣayaḥ · anuṣṭup chandaḥ · śrī-lalitā-parameśvarī devatā · śrīmad-vāgbhava-kūṭeti bījam · madhya-kūṭeti śaktiḥ · śakti-kūṭeti kīlakam · śrī-lalitā-mahātripurasundarī-prasāda-siddhi-dvārā cintita-phalāvāptyarthe jape viniyogaḥ

Meaning ▾

Of this great mantra-garland of the thousand names of Śrī Lalitā — the seers are Vaśinī and the goddesses of speech; the metre is Anuṣṭubh; the deity is Śrī Lalitā Parameśvarī; the bīja is the first (vāgbhava) group of her Vidyā; the śakti is the middle group; the kīlaka is the śakti group; and its application is in this japa, that through the grace of Śrī Lalitā Mahātripurasundarī the fruit one holds in the heart may be attained.

Kara-nyāsa — upon the hands

ऐं अङ्गुष्ठाभ्यां नमः । क्लीं तर्जनीभ्यां नमः । सौः मध्यमाभ्यां नमः । सौः अनामिकाभ्यां नमः । क्लीं कनिष्ठिकाभ्यां नमः । ऐं करतलकरपृष्ठाभ्यां नमः ॥

aiṁ aṅguṣṭhābhyāṁ namaḥ · klīṁ tarjanībhyāṁ namaḥ · sauḥ madhyamābhyāṁ namaḥ · sauḥ anāmikābhyāṁ namaḥ · klīṁ kaniṣṭhikābhyāṁ namaḥ · aiṁ karatala-kara-pṛṣṭhābhyāṁ namaḥ

Meaning ▾

With her seed-sounds the hands are consecrated finger by finger — thumbs, forefingers, middle fingers, ring fingers, little fingers, then palms and their backs — so that the very hands that will count her names become her instruments.

Aṅga-nyāsa — upon the body

ऐं हृदयाय नमः । क्लीं शिरसे स्वाहा । सौः शिखायै वषट् । सौः कवचाय हुम् । क्लीं नेत्रत्रयाय वौषट् । ऐं अस्त्राय फट् । भूर्भुवःसुवरोम् इति दिग्बन्धः ॥

aiṁ hṛdayāya namaḥ · klīṁ śirase svāhā · sauḥ śikhāyai vaṣaṭ · sauḥ kavacāya hum · klīṁ netratrayāya vauṣaṭ · aiṁ astrāya phaṭ · bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvarom iti digbandhaḥ

Meaning ▾

The mantra is placed upon the heart, the head, the crown-lock, the armour of the shoulders, the three eyes, and the weapon of the hands — the whole body sealed as her temple — and with "bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, suvaḥ, om" the ten directions are bound, so that nothing distracted or unguarded remains during the recitation.

These nyāsas are given here as universally published in devotional editions; their living touch is traditionally received from the Guru.

II · Dhyāna — The Invocatory Verses

Four verses, chanted before the names, paint her for the inner eye. Tap “Meaning” beneath any verse to unfold its complete, unabridged translation.

सिन्दूरारुणविग्रहां त्रिनयनां माणिक्यमौलिस्फुरत्-
तारानायकशेखरां स्मितमुखीमापीनवक्षोरुहाम् ।
पाणिभ्यामलिपूर्णरत्नचषकं रक्तोत्पलं बिभ्रतीं
सौम्यां रत्नघटस्थरक्तचरणां ध्यायेत्परामम्बिकाम् ॥

sindūrāruṇa-vigrahāṁ trinayanāṁ māṇikya-mauli-sphurat-tārā-nāyaka-śekharāṁ smita-mukhīm āpīna-vakṣoruhām · pāṇibhyām ali-pūrṇa-ratna-caṣakaṁ raktotpalaṁ bibhratīṁ saumyāṁ ratna-ghaṭastha-rakta-caraṇāṁ dhyāyet parām ambikām

Meaning ▾

One should meditate upon the Supreme Mother: her form red as vermilion; three-eyed; her ruby crown flashing, crested by the moon, the lord of stars; her face lit with a smile; her bosom full with a mother's fullness; bearing in her two hands a gem-studded cup brimming with nectar, over which bees hum, and a red lotus; gentle and gracious; her red feet resting upon a vessel of jewels. The commentary itself renders this scene at pp. 42–43.

अरुणां करुणातरङ्गिताक्षीं धृतपाशाङ्कुशपुष्पबाणचापाम् ।
अणिमादिभिरावृतां मयूखैरहमित्येव विभावये भवानीम् ॥

aruṇāṁ karuṇā-taraṅgitākṣīṁ dhṛta-pāśāṅkuśa-puṣpa-bāṇa-cāpām · aṇimādibhir āvṛtāṁ mayūkhair aham ity eva vibhāvaye bhavānīm

Meaning ▾

I contemplate Bhavānī — rosy as the dawn, her eyes rippling with waves of compassion, holding the noose, the goad, the flower-arrows and the bow, surrounded by her own rays, the powers beginning with aṇimā — and I contemplate her as "I" itself (aham ity eva vibhāvaye): not as another to be seen, but as one's very Self. In a single verse, adoration and non-duality are made one act.

ध्यायेत् पद्मासनस्थां विकसितवदनां पद्मपत्रायताक्षीं
हेमाभां पीतवस्त्रां करकलितलसद्धेमपद्मां वराङ्गीम् ।
सर्वालङ्कारयुक्तां सततमभयदां भक्तनम्रां भवानीं
श्रीविद्यां शान्तमूर्तिं सकलसुरनुतां सर्वसम्पत्प्रदात्रीम् ॥

dhyāyet padmāsanasthāṁ vikasita-vadanāṁ padma-patrāyatākṣīṁ hemābhāṁ pīta-vastrāṁ kara-kalita-lasad-dhema-padmāṁ varāṅgīm · sarvālaṅkāra-yuktāṁ satatam abhayadāṁ bhakta-namrāṁ bhavānīṁ śrī-vidyāṁ śānta-mūrtiṁ sakala-sura-nutāṁ sarva-sampat-pradātrīm

Meaning ▾

One should meditate upon Bhavānī, who is Śrī-Vidyā herself: seated upon the lotus; her face blossoming with joy; her eyes long as lotus petals; radiant as gold and robed in yellow; a shining golden lotus playing in her hand; of most beautiful form; adorned with every ornament; ever bestowing fearlessness; tender toward the devotees who bow to her; peace embodied; praised by all the gods; the giver of every prosperity.

सकुङ्कुमविलेपनामलिकचुम्बिकस्तूरिकां
समन्दहसितेक्षणां सशरचापपाशाङ्कुशाम् ।
अशेषजनमोहिनीमरुणमाल्यभूषाम्बरां
जपाकुसुमभासुरां जपविधौ स्मरेदम्बिकाम् ॥

sakuṅkuma-vilepanām alika-cumbi-kastūrikāṁ samanda-hasitekṣaṇāṁ saśara-cāpa-pāśāṅkuśām · aśeṣa-jana-mohinīm aruṇa-mālya-bhūṣāmbarāṁ japā-kusuma-bhāsurāṁ japa-vidhau smared ambikām

Meaning ▾

In the rite of japa one should remember the Mother: her body anointed with kuṅkuma; the musk-mark kissing her brow; her glance carrying a gentle smile; bearing the arrows and the bow, the noose and the goad; the enchantress of all beings without exception; clothed and garlanded in the red of dawn; radiant as the japā blossom. With this remembrance held, the recitation of her names begins.