Description of the Purification of the Elements

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.11.8.1)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । भूतशुद्धिप्रकारं च कथयामि महामुने । मूलाधारात्समुत्थाय कुण्डलीं परदेवताम्

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca bhūtaśuddhiprakāraṁ ca kathayāmi mahāmune mūlādhārātsamutthāya kuṇḍalīṁ paradevatām

Shri Narayana said: I shall now describe the procedure of bhuta-shuddhi, the purification of the elements, O great sage. Having raised the Kundalini, the supreme Goddess, up from the Muladhara,

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.11.8.2)

सुषुम्णामार्गमाश्रित्य ब्रह्मरन्ध्रगतां स्मरेत् । जीवं ब्रह्मणि संयोज्य हंसमन्त्रेण साधकः

suṣumṇāmārgamāśritya brahmarandhragatāṁ smaret jīvaṁ brahmaṇi saṁyojya haṁsamantreṇa sādhakaḥ

and taking the path of the Sushumna, one should visualize her having arrived at the Brahmarandhra; the practitioner, uniting the individual soul with Brahman through the Hamsa mantra,

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.11.8.3)

पादादिजानुपर्यन्तं चतुष्कोणं सवज्रकम् । लं बीजाख्यं स्वर्णवर्णं स्मरेदवनिमण्डलम्

pādādijānuparyantaṁ catuṣkoṇaṁ savajrakam laṁ bījākhyaṁ svarṇavarṇaṁ smaredavanimaṇḍalam

should visualize, from the feet to the knees, the four-cornered region marked with the vajra symbol — the earth-mandala, golden in color, bearing the seed-syllable 'lam'.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.11.8.4)

जान्वाद्यानाभिचन्द्रार्धनिभं पद्मद्वयाङ्कितम् । वं बीजयुक्तं श्वेताभमम्भसो मण्डलं स्मरेत्

jānvādyānābhicandrārdhanibhaṁ padmadvayāṅkitam vaṁ bījayuktaṁ śvetābhamambhaso maṇḍalaṁ smaret

Then from the knees to the navel, the half-moon-shaped region marked with a pair of lotuses, one should visualize the water-mandala, white in luster, bearing the seed-syllable 'vam'.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.11.8.5)

नाभेर्हृदयपर्यन्तं त्रिकोणं स्वस्तिकान्वितम् । रं बीजेन युतं रक्तं स्मरेत्पावकमण्डलम्

nābherhṛdayaparyantaṁ trikoṇaṁ svastikānvitam raṁ bījena yutaṁ raktaṁ smaretpāvakamaṇḍalam

Then from the navel to the heart, the triangular region marked with the svastika symbol, one should visualize the fire-mandala, red, bearing the seed-syllable 'ram'.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.11.8.6)

हृदो भूमध्यपर्यन्तं वृत्तं षड्बिन्दुलाञ्छितम् । यं बीजयुक्तं धूम्राभं नभस्वन्मण्डलं स्मरेत्

hṛdo bhūmadhyaparyantaṁ vṛttaṁ ṣaḍbindulāñchitam yaṁ bījayuktaṁ dhūmrābhaṁ nabhasvanmaṇḍalaṁ smaret

Then from the heart to the space between the brows, the circular region marked with six dots, one should visualize the wind-mandala, smoke-colored, bearing the seed-syllable 'yam'.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.11.8.7)

आब्रह्मरन्ध्रं भ्रूमध्याद्वृत्तं स्वच्छं मनोहरम् । हं बीजयुक्तमाकाशमण्डलं च विचिन्तयेत्

ābrahmarandhraṁ bhrūmadhyādvṛttaṁ svacchaṁ manoharam haṁ bījayuktamākāśamaṇḍalaṁ ca vicintayet

Then, from the space between the brows to the Brahmarandhra, one should contemplate the space-mandala — round, clear, enchanting, bearing the seed-syllable 'ham'.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.11.8.8)

एवं भूतानि सञ्चिन्त्य प्रत्येकं संविलापयेत् । भुवं जले जलं वह्नौ वह्निं वायौ नभस्यमुम्

evaṁ bhūtāni sañcintya pratyekaṁ saṁvilāpayet bhuvaṁ jale jalaṁ vahnau vahniṁ vāyau nabhasyamum

Having thus contemplated the elements, one should dissolve each in turn: the earth into water, water into fire, fire into wind, and that wind into space;

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.11.8.9)

विलाप्य खमहङ्कारे महत्तत्त्वेऽप्यहङ्कृतिम् । महान्तं प्रकृतौ मायामात्मनि प्रविलापयेत्

vilāpya khamahaṅkāre mahattattve'pyahaṅkṛtim mahāntaṁ prakṛtau māyāmātmani pravilāpayet

having dissolved space into the ego-principle, and the ego-principle into the great principle, one should then dissolve the great principle into Prakriti, and Maya into the Self.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.11.8.10)

शुद्धसंविन्मयो भूत्वा चिन्तयेत्पापपूरुषम् । वामकुक्षिस्थितं कृष्णमङ्गुष्ठपरिमाणकम्

śuddhasaṁvinmayo bhūtvā cintayetpāpapūruṣam vāmakukṣisthitaṁ kṛṣṇamaṅguṣṭhaparimāṇakam

Having become of the nature of pure consciousness, one should then visualize the 'sin-person', residing in the left side of the belly, dark, the size of a thumb,

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.11.8.11)

ब्रह्महत्याशिरोयुक्तं कनकस्तेयबाहुकम् । मदिरापानहृदयं गुरुतल्पकटीयुतम्

brahmahatyāśiroyuktaṁ kanakasteyabāhukam madirāpānahṛdayaṁ gurutalpakaṭīyutam

having the sin of killing a brahmin as his head, the theft of gold as his arms, the drinking of liquor as his heart, and defiling the guru's bed as his hips,

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.11.8.12)

तत्संसर्गिपदद्वन्द्वमुपपातकमस्तकम् । खड्गचर्मधरं कृष्णमधोवक्त्रं सुदुःसहम्

tatsaṁsargipadadvandvamupapātakamastakam khaḍgacarmadharaṁ kṛṣṇamadhovaktraṁ suduḥsaham

the sin of associating with such sinners as his pair of feet, and minor sins as his crown; dark, bearing a sword and shield, his face turned downward, utterly unbearable to behold.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.11.8.13)

वायुबीजं स्मरन्वायुं सम्पूर्यैनं विशोषयेत् । स्वशरीरयुतं मन्त्रो वह्निबीजेन निर्दहेत्

vāyubījaṁ smaranvāyuṁ sampūryainaṁ viśoṣayet svaśarīrayutaṁ mantro vahnibījena nirdahet

Recollecting the wind seed-syllable, having filled the body with breath, one should desiccate him; then, with the fire seed-syllable joined to the mantra of one's own body, one should burn him utterly.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.11.8.14)

कुम्भके परिजप्तेन ततः पापनरोद्भवम् । बहिर्भस्म समुत्सार्य वायुबीजेन रेचयेत्

kumbhake parijaptena tataḥ pāpanarodbhavam bahirbhasma samutsārya vāyubījena recayet

With that recited during breath-retention, one should then expel outward the ash born from that sin-person, and eject it with the wind seed-syllable on the exhalation.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.11.8.15)

सुधाबीजेन देहोत्थं भस्म सम्प्लावयेत्सुधीः । भूबीजेन घनीकृत्य भस्म तत्कनकाण्डवत्

sudhābījena dehotthaṁ bhasma samplāvayetsudhīḥ bhūbījena ghanīkṛtya bhasma tatkanakāṇḍavat

With the nectar seed-syllable, the wise one should flood that ash which arose from the body; with the earth seed-syllable, one should solidify that ash, transforming it like a golden egg,

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.11.8.16)

विशुद्धमुकुराकारं जपन्बीजं विहायसः । मूर्धादिपादपर्यन्तान्यङ्गानि रचयेत्सुधीः

viśuddhamukurākāraṁ japanbījaṁ vihāyasaḥ mūrdhādipādaparyantānyaṅgāni racayetsudhīḥ

pure and mirror-like in form. Reciting the seed-syllable of space, the wise one should then fashion anew the limbs of the body, from the head down to the feet,

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.11.8.17)

आकाशादीनि भूतानि पुनरुत्पादयेच्चितः । सोऽहं मन्त्रेण चात्मानमानयेद्धृदयाम्बुजे

ākāśādīni bhūtāni punarutpādayeccitaḥ so'haṁ mantreṇa cātmānamānayeddhṛdayāmbuje

generating again, from the mind, the elements beginning with space; and with the mantra 'so 'ham', I am That, one should bring the Self into the lotus of the heart.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.11.8.18)

कुण्डलीजीवमादाय परसङ्गात्सुधामयम् । संस्थाप्य हृदयाम्भोजे मूलाधारगतां स्मरेत्

kuṇḍalījīvamādāya parasaṅgātsudhāmayam saṁsthāpya hṛdayāmbhoje mūlādhāragatāṁ smaret

Taking up the Kundalini together with the individual soul, now made of nectar through union with the Supreme, and having established it in the lotus of the heart, one should then visualize it as returned to the Muladhara.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.11.8.19)

रक्ताम्भोधिस्थपोतोल्लसदरुण- सरोजाधिरूढा कराब्जैः शूलं कोदण्डमिक्षूद्भवमणिगुण- मप्यङ्कुशं पञ्चबाणान् । बिभ्राणासृक्कपालं त्रिनयन- लसिता पीनवक्षोरुहाढ्या देवी बालार्कवर्णा भवतु सुखकरी प्राणशक्तिः परा नः

raktāmbhodhisthapotollasadaruṇa- sarojādhirūḍhā karābjaiḥ śūlaṁ kodaṇḍamikṣūdbhavamaṇiguṇa- mapyaṅkuśaṁ pañcabāṇān bibhrāṇāsṛkkapālaṁ trinayana- lasitā pīnavakṣoruhāḍhyā devī bālārkavarṇā bhavatu sukhakarī prāṇaśaktiḥ parā naḥ

Seated upon a shining red lotus resting on a boat in the ocean of red nectar, holding in her lotus-hands a trident, a bow, a sugarcane bowstring, a goad, and the five flower-arrows, bearing also a skull-cup filled with blood, radiant with three eyes, full-breasted — may that Goddess, colored like the rising sun, the supreme Life-Force, bestow happiness upon us.

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.11.8.20)

एवं ध्यात्वा प्राणशक्तिं परमात्मस्वरूपिणीम् । विभूतिधारणं कार्यं सर्वाधिकृतिसिद्धये

evaṁ dhyātvā prāṇaśaktiṁ paramātmasvarūpiṇīm vibhūtidhāraṇaṁ kāryaṁ sarvādhikṛtisiddhaye

Having thus meditated upon the Prana-shakti, who is of the very nature of the Supreme Self, one should then apply the sacred ash, for the accomplishment of every undertaking.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.11.8.21)

विभूतेर्विस्तरं वक्ष्ये धारणे च महाफलम् । श्रुतिस्मृतिप्रमाणोक्तं भस्मधारणमुत्तमम्

vibhūtervistaraṁ vakṣye dhāraṇe ca mahāphalam śrutismṛtipramāṇoktaṁ bhasmadhāraṇamuttamam

I shall now declare in detail the greatness of, and the great fruit of wearing, the sacred ash — this excellent practice of bhasma-dharana, declared authoritative by the Shruti and Smriti.