5 Brāhmanas and young maidens. Offering worship to the teacher completes the ceremony. CHAPTER IV to Purascharaṇa or practising the mantra is discussed in this chapter. In Purascharaṇa five things are to be done, namely muttering of mantra, offering Homa, libation, bathing and feeding Brāhmanas. The practitioner has to remember that क्रीं is the heart of Kalimantra as स्त्रीं of Tārā and ह्रीं of all Devis in general. He has to mutter the mantra a thousand times, eating food the evening, sleeping on the earth and avoiding females. The rosary be used in muttering must be of the frontal bone of the human head, containing fifty beads strung together with the thread spun by a Brāhman lady. The form of the rosary and the thread used in stringing vary according to the ends in view. For the consecration of the Mālā it is of great impor- tance that each bead of it should be considered as representing a letter of the alphabet and when telling the letter should be muttered preceded and followed by the Mulamantra. Perfor- mance of the Homa also is necessary for the said purpose. The letters of the mantra serve as letters only unless the mind of the practitioner is fixed on the path of Sushumnā. The daily muttering is to be counted with the help of the finger- joints. These are the middle and bottom joints ring finger, three joints little finger, top-joint ring finger, three joints mid-finger and bottom-joint index finger. Such a Mālā is called the Mālā of Sakti. Muttering the mantra of the deity called Kullukā is essential for getting success in the worship of Tārā. It consists of the three letters i ह्रीं स्त्रीं हूं Kullukā is described having four hands with a dagger in the left hand and blue in colour. Loud utterance of a mantra in a proper manner with the mantra being vitalized is of higher value than the ordinary muttering of it. Homa, Tarpaņa and Abhisheka follow Japa invariably. Cultivation of the devotional spirit is declared as an efficient cause of success in each mantra. as
