शृङ्गाररससम्पूर्णां सदा भक्तार्तिकातराम् । प्रसादसुमुखीमम्बां चन्द्रखण्डशिखण्डिनीम्
Filled with the essence of love, ever eager to relieve the distress of devotees, with a gracious face, Mother adorned with a crescent moon,
पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिधरामानन्दरूपिणीम् । पूजयेदुपचारैश्च यथावित्तानुसारतः
Holding the noose, goad, boon, and fearlessness, embodying bliss, one should worship her with offerings according to one's means.
यावदान्तरपूजायामधिकारो भवेन्न हि । तावद्बाह्यामिमां पूजां श्रयेज्जाते तु तां त्यजेत्
Until one attains the right for internal worship, one should resort to this external worship; when that is attained, one should abandon it.
आभ्यन्तरा तु या पूजा सा तु संविल्लयः स्मृतः । संविदेव परं रूपमुपाधिरहितं मम
The internal worship is called the union of consciousness; consciousness alone is my supreme form, free from all attributes.
अतः संविदि मद्रूपे चेतः स्थाप्यं निराश्रयम् । संविद्रूपातिरिक्तं तु मिथ्या मायामयं जगत्
Therefore, the mind should be established in my form as consciousness, without dependence; anything apart from the form of consciousness is false, the world made of illusion.
अतः संसारनाशाय साक्षिणीमात्मरूपिणीम् । भावयेन्निर्मनस्केन योगयुक्तेन चेतसा
Thus, for the destruction of worldly existence, one should contemplate the witness, the self-formed Goddess, with a mind free from distractions and united in yoga.
अतः परं बाह्यपूजाविस्तारः कथ्यते मया । सावधानेन मनसा शृणु पर्वतसत्तम
Now I will describe in detail the external worship; listen attentively, O best of mountains.
देवीगीतायां बाह्यपूजाविधिवर्णनम् श्री देव्युवाच प्रातरुत्थाय शिरसि संस्मरेत्पद्ममुज्ज्वलम् । कर्पूराभं स्मरेत्तत्र श्रीगुरुं निजरूपिणम्
In the Song of the Goddess, the description of the method of external worship. The Blessed Goddess spoke: Rising in the morning, one should recall the radiant lotus at the crown of the head, and there remember the revered Guru, shining like camphor, in his true form.
सुप्रसन्नं लसद्भूषाभूषितं शक्तिसंयुतम् । नमस्कृत्य ततो देवीं कुण्डलीं संस्मरेद्बुधः
One should remember him as serene, adorned with splendid ornaments, united with power; after bowing, the wise should then recall the coiled Goddess.
प्रकाशमानां प्रथमे प्रयाणे प्रतिप्रयाणेऽप्यमृतायमानाम् । अन्तः पदव्यामनुसञ्चरन्ती- मानन्दरूपामबलां प्रपद्ये
Shining forth at the first movement, and even at the return, flowing with nectar, traversing the inner path, I take refuge in the blissful, youthful form.
ध्यात्वैवं तच्छिखामध्ये सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । मां ध्यायेदथ शौचादिक्रियाः सर्वाः समापयेत्
Thus meditating, in the midst of her crown, as the embodiment of existence, consciousness, and bliss, one should then meditate on me, and complete all acts of purification and the like.
अग्निहोत्रं ततो हूत्वा मत्प्रीत्यर्थं द्विजोत्तमः । होमान्ते स्वासने स्थित्वा पूजासङ्कल्पमाचरेत्
Then, having performed the fire offering for my pleasure, the best of twice-born, at the end of the offering, seated in one's own place, should undertake the resolve for worship.
भूतशुद्धिं पुरा कृत्वा मातृकान्यासमेव च । हृल्लेखामातृकान्यासं नित्यमेव समाचरेत्
Having first performed the purification of the elements and the installation of the syllabary, one should always perform the installation of the Hrillekha syllabary as well.
मूलाधारे हकारं च हृदये च रकारकम् । भ्रूमध्ये तद्वदीकारं ह्रीङ्कारं मस्तके न्यसेत्
One should place the syllable 'ha' at the root center, 'ra' at the heart, 'i' likewise at the space between the eyebrows, and the syllable 'hrīṃ' at the crown of the head.
तत्तन्मन्त्रोदितानन्यान्न्यासान्सर्वान्समाचरेत् । कल्पयेत्स्वात्मनो देहे पीठं धर्मादिभिः पुनः
One should perform all other installations as taught by the respective mantras, and then, in one's own body, establish the seat with the deities of Dharma and so on.
ततो ध्यायेन्महादेवीं प्राणायामैर्विजृम्भिते । हृदम्भोजे मम स्थाने पञ्चप्रेतासने बुधः
Then, with the breath expanded through prāṇāyāma, the wise one should meditate on the Great Goddess, seated in my place upon the lotus of the heart, on a throne of five corpses.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च ईश्वरश्च सदाशिवः । एते पञ्च महाप्रेताः पादमूले मम स्थिताः
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Īśvara, and Sadāśiva—these five great corpses are stationed at my feet.
पञ्चभूतात्मका ह्येते पञ्चावस्थात्मका अपि । अहं त्वव्यक्तचिद्रूपा तदतीतास्ति सर्वथा
These are composed of the five elements and also embody the five states; but I am of the nature of unmanifest consciousness, always transcending them.
ततो विष्टरतां याताः शक्तितन्त्रेषु सर्वदा । ध्यात्वैवं मानसैर्भोगैः पूजयेन्मां जपेदपि
Thus, having attained vastness in the Śakti Tantras, one should meditate in this way and worship me with mental offerings, and also recite my mantra.
जपं समर्प्य श्रीदेव्यै ततोऽर्घ्यस्थापनं चरेत् । पात्रासादनकं कृत्वा पूजाद्रव्याणि शोधयेत्
Having offered the recitation to Śrī Devī, one should then arrange the arghya; after preparing the vessel, one should purify the articles of worship.
जलेन तेन मनुना चास्त्रमन्त्रेण देशिकः । दिग्बन्धं च पुरा कृत्वा गुरून्नत्वा ततः परम्
With water and the appropriate mantra, and with the astra mantra, the teacher should first perform the binding of the directions, then bow to the gurus.
तदनुज्ञां समादाय बाह्यपीठे ततः परम् । हृदिस्थां भवितां मूर्तिं मम दिव्यां मनोहराम्
Having received their permission, one should then, at the external seat, invoke my divine and enchanting form, which abides in the heart.
आवाहयेत्ततः पीठे प्राणस्थापनविद्यया । असनावाहने चार्घ्यं पाद्याद्याचमनं तथा
Then, one should invoke me upon the seat by the science of establishing life, and offer arghya, water for washing the feet, and water for sipping, as appropriate for the seat and the invocation.
स्नानं वासोद्वयं चैव भूषणानि च सर्वशः । गन्धपुष्पं यथायोग्यं दत्त्वा देव्यै स्वभक्तितः
One should offer bathing, two garments, all ornaments, and, according to propriety, fragrance and flowers to the Goddess with one's own devotion.
यन्त्रस्थानामावृतीनां पूजनं सम्यगाचरेत् । प्रतिवारमशक्तानां शुक्रवारो नियम्यते
One should properly worship the coverings of the yantra; for those unable to do so daily, Friday is prescribed.
मूलदेवीप्रभारूपाः स्मर्तव्या अङ्गदेवताः । तत्प्रभापटलव्याप्तं त्रैलोक्यं च विचिन्तयेत्
The limb-deities, who are forms of the radiance of the Root Goddess, should be remembered; one should contemplate the three worlds as pervaded by that expanse of her radiance.
पुनरावृत्तिसहितां मूलदेवीं च पूजयेत् । गन्धादिभिः सुगन्धैस्तु तथा पुष्पैः सुवासितैः
One should again worship the Root Goddess along with her retinue, with fragrant substances such as perfumes and with sweet-scented flowers.
नैवेद्यैस्तर्पणैश्चैव ताम्बूलैर्दक्षिणादिभिः । तोषयेन्मां त्वत्कृतेन नाम्नां साहस्रकेण च
With offerings of food, libations, betel leaves, gifts, and so on, one should satisfy me by your actions and also by the thousand names.
कवचेन च सूक्तेनाहं रुद्रेभिरिति प्रभो । देव्यथर्वशिरोमन्त्रैर्हृल्लेखोपनिषद्भवैः
With the armor hymn, the Sūkta beginning 'I am with the Rudras', the mantras from the Devyatharvaśirṣa, and the Hrillekha Upaniṣads,
महाविद्यामहामन्त्रैस्तोषयेन्मां मुहुर्मुहुः । क्षमापयेज्जगद्धात्रीं प्रेमार्द्रहृदयो नरः
One should repeatedly satisfy me with the great Vidyās and great mantras, and, with a heart softened by love, ask forgiveness from the Mother who sustains the world.