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[Full title: Materials of worship (1) Sadhana of the Sadhaka (2) Mala or Rosary]

The first important accessory after the seat is the rosary. A rosary is called mala in Sanskrit. Mala is recommended to be used by a sadhaka to 68 MYS 39.4-6. 69 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.4

keep a count of the number of japa he does. This is so because the goddesses in tantra require some specific minimum repetition of their respective seedmantras. The components of a mala are (i) Meru (ii) Beads (iii) String. (a) Meru. A meru is a pendent bead. This bead is bigger than the other beads. (b) Beads. 70 . Beads are small round objects which help in keeping a count. Beads are made of various materials like seeds, parts of plants, metals, crystals, gems, shells, and even of bones are mentioned. The MLRKspeaks of different types of rosaries based on the different beads used as a rosary of Rudraksa seed, rosary of shell, rosary of the Putradipaka (a type of medicinal plant), rosary of pearl, rosary of crystal, rosary of jewel, rosary of ruby, rosary of gold, rosary of coral and rosary of the Kusa grass The MYS too gives a brief description of the various types of rosary beads and their results. The rosaries made of Aristapatra, Bija, Sankha, Padma, Mani, Kusagranthi and Rudraksa are stated to be superior in succession. The rosaries are also made of Coral, Pearl, Crystal, Tulasi, the Ruby, Hiranyagarbha mani (some material which a gold within in pigment form.), the Emerald, the Amlaka fruit, Indraksa or Cats-eye, Gold, Silver and Parada". Rosaries are also made up of bones 72. A rosary made of bones is refered to as Mahasankhamala in tantric terms. The bones of a candalas and those devoid of mantras contain the letters 'a to ksa' in Devanagari script naturally. Such a rosary should be made either in the shape of a serpent or a cows tail and sanctified by the Guru. This Mahasankhamala is to be used in 70 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.14,15. 71 MYS 76.124-136. 72 Guptasadhana-tantra ch. XI

Savasadhana. The bones of a Brahmin or that of an initiated women are to be avoided. The reason for avoiding these two types of bones is that it is commonsense that the sadhaka uses a rosary which is new and is uncharged. He has to charge it by the dint of his austerities and penance. This is known as japa-sadhana. In case of selection of bones for a Mahasankhamala, the bones of a brahmin and that of a woman who was formerly initiated are to be avoided because both are charged with mantras. The Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa 73 states the effect of doing japa with a count. It is stated that the japa done by simply counting of the fingers gives benefit for that much count only nothing more or nothing less. The japa done by using the finger lines as count is beneficial eight times, ten times is the power of the japa done using a Tulasi bead rosary while the conch-rosary yields charges the japa to a thousand times. The power accumulated by using a rosary of the Putrajiva bead is ten thousand times and that with a pearl bead is a lac times. The japa done with a crystal bead is ten lakh times while that done with a diamond is equivalent to a crore of japa, the japa done with a cats eye is ten crore times and that with a sapphire is a hundred crore times. The japa done with a rosary of Pusparaga-jewel is a hundred crore times and that done on a Padmaraga-jewel is infinite. The benefit of using a rosary of Rudraksa seeds is crore times of a crore. The benefits of the different types of rosaries and mentioned in the MYS 74 is given below in tabular form. Sno. 1. 2. Bead type. Tulasi or Mani Hiranyagarbha mani Benefit. Undecaying fruit. Results a hundred times more. 73 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.16-19 74 MYS 76.125-130

3. Crystal 4. 5. Putra-jiva (not clear) Kusagranti 6. Rudraksa 15 7. Coral Kingdom Fame and wealth. Self knowledge All desires Power of captivating every one. Emancipation. All kinds of knowledge and learning. The women of all the three worlds. Terror in the enemies. 8. Amlaka 9. Pearl 10. Ruby 11. Emerald 12. Gold 13. Silver 14. Mercury All the above mentioned fruits. Immense wealth. Bestows the desired maidens. (c) String. 345 A string acts as a binder for the beads to deem them fit for usage of the sadhaka. This binder can be a cloth string, silk threads or even metals such as gold, silver or copper. The sadhaka has to purify the beads every day, say every time he begins with the sadhana. The purification is done by washing the beads with the five products of the cow and water followed by smearing it by a paste of sandalwood and saffron repeating the root mantra. The rosary should be kept in a small pouch and made secure by means of a white thread. The rosary should never ever be touched with the left hand 76. In the opinion of 75 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII. 25,26. 76 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.24,28

the grandmasters of tantra, separate rosaries should be used for different deities. Rosary is a personal possession and should not be shared or given to someone else not even shown to another person. 80 79 It is stated in the Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa that a sadhaka should do a hundred and eight count of the japa or fifty counts the least necessary minimum is twenty seven counts". The worship of the goddess done by the means of Japa is the most excellent one as it does not involve any trouble or killing 78. Three types of doing japa" are manasika, vacika and upamsu are already dealt with in the introduction elaborately, here the benefits of the mantra japa is stated. The Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa states that the purpose of doing manasika japa is for those desirous of success, the those desirous of prosperity, abundance should resort to the upamsu type while the vacika is undertaken for marana, ie. to destroy the enemy. The procedure of doing a japa is that the pronunciation between the different letters should neither be too long nor extremely fast but a moderate mix of the two. A japa in which the pronunciation process is slow results in suffering for the sadhaka due to disease and the one which is too fast results in loss of penance for the sadhaka. The different syllables which together constitute a mantra should be repeated like the pearls in the strings. A mantra is a unit composed of specific parts. The Sri-vidyarnava-tantra 82 lists the different components of undertaking a mantra-japa. The different components of a mantra which occur in order are bija, sakti and kilaka. 77 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII. 20 78 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.24 79 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.17 80 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.27 81 Mahalakshmi Ratnakosa ch. XVII.39 82 Sri-vidyarnava-tantra ch. II