– Mahāmahōpādhyāya Srī Gopinath Kaviraj
The Mahākāla Saṁhitā states that the best way of propitiating Shivā is to worship Kumārī (virgin) and to feed her. The Kaulas are to worship her in the night and the Smārtas in the afternoon. The virgin should be well-bathed, well-draped in a piece of multi-colored cloth, and well-decorated. She must be one whose heart has not yet been even touched by passion. She must be of seven, eight, or nine years of age, of fair complexion, of noble birth, and with her parents living. She must not be deformed in body, with protruding teeth or betrothed to anybody (vāgdattā).
In the Yāmaḷa, a virgin is described to be of three kinds: Parā, Aparā, and Parāparā. The Virgin was the sole existence before the creation of the universe and is therefore known by the name of ādyā śakti or Primal Energy.
Names of the Kumārī from the 1st to the 16th years are as given below:
1. Sandhyā
2. Sarasvatī
3. Tridhāmūrti
4. Kālikā
5. Subhagā
6. Umā
7. Mālinī
8. Kubjikā
9. Kālasaṁgharṣā
10. Aparājitā
11. Rudrāṇī
12. Bhairavī
13. Mahālakṣmī
14. Kulanāyikā
15. Kṣētrajñā
16. Chaṇḍikā
As for the mode of her worship, the virgin is to be conducted respectfully with music and entertainments to the door of the hall of worship. The number of virgins worshipped should be an odd number, either five, seven, or nine or even eleven. Of these, the brightest is to be considered as the primary one (mukhyā), but if many maidens are not available, only one can be worshipped. In kāmya and naimittika pūjā, only one is needed, while in autumnal worship, a large number is a necessity. The worshipper is to regard the mukhyā as identical with the Goddess herself and go through the process of prāṇāyāma, bhūtāpasāraṇa, obeisance to guru and Gaṇēśa and digbandhana. He is then to wash her feet, place the water on his head and rub her feet with the corner of his own wearing garment. With unbroken rice (akṣata), he should then perform the ceremony for removing the obstacles (vignōtsāraṇa). The ceremonies for expelling the evil influence have to be performed again, the reason being that many minor gods and goddesses enter the hall of worship together with the Kumārī and very often they create disturbances. The worshipper has to take with his left hand the right hand of the maiden, step forth with his right foot planted first on the ground, and lead the line of the maidens on into the hall, uttering various hymns in her praise such as:
tvamamba jagatāmādyē jagadādhārarūpiṇi etc.
The worship of the mukhyā is enough to please the rest. This is followed by an act of offering to the minor gods. Then follows the Kumārī nyāsa. The names of the eighteen Kumārikās are uttered by means of specific mudrās to perform the nyāsa:
1. Mahācaṇḍayōgīśvarī
2. Siddhikarālī
3. Siddhivikarālī
4. Mahākaumārī
5. Vajrakapālinī
6. Muṇḍamālinī
7. Aṭṭahāsinī
8. Caṇḍakapālinī
9. Kālacakrēśvarī
10. Guhyakālī
11. Kātyāyanī
12. Kāmākhyā
13. Chāmuṇḍā
14. Siddhilakṣmī
15. Kubjikā
16. Mātaṅgī
17. Chaṇḍēśvarī
18. Kumārī
Note: Kaviraj-ji lists the eighteen names relevant to Kālīkula. The Kumarī nyāsa differs in the case of śrīkula and one should refer to Sundarī Tantra for details.
The worship of nine goddesses viz. śuddhā, Kālikā, Lalitā, Mālinī, Vasundharā, Sarasvatī, Ramā, Gaurī and Durgā, and two gods viz. Vaṭuka, a boy of five years, and Gaṇēśa of nine years are enjoined. So also of eight Bhairvas – Asitāṅga, Ruru, Chaṇḍa, Krōdha, Unmatta, Kāpāli, Bhīṣaṇa, and Saṁhāra Bhairavas and of eight Dēvīs viz. Mahāmāyā, Kālarātri, Sarvamaṅgalā, ḍamarukā, Rājarājēśvarī, Sampatpradā, Bhagavatī, and Kumārī. The six śaktis attendant on these goddesses are Anaṅgakusumā, Manmathā, Madanā, Kusumāturā, Madanāturā, and śiśirā.
The worship of mukhyā being over, the remaining maidens should next be attended to. They should be requested to eat the food offered to them in silence. No sound of any instrument should be made to disturb them at their meals. The worshipper should sing in their praise, with folded hands, a hymn called Kumārī stōtra (sixteen verses in anuṣṭup meter). After they have taken the naivedya, they should be served with betels in due form. This is followed by the offering of dakṣiṇā and finally the ceremony of visarjana. The leaving of their dishes should be given to jackals or buried in the earth.
The worship of the virgin is recommended during the navarātra festival for nine days in succession. The names of the nine Durgās to be worshipped on the nine nights are Hr̥llēkhā, Gaganā, Raktā, Mahōcchuṣmā, Karāḷikā, Icchā, Jñānadurgā, Kriyā, and Durgā.
There is a remarkable expression regarding the worship of Kumārī:
kumāriṁ na spr̥śēdēva bhāvayuktēna cētasā |
anyathā mr̥tyumāyāti nō cēddēvī parāṅmukhī ||