Malas or Rosaries

http://www.shivashakti.com/mala.htm
As Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara, God is not conscious of a Trinity; As the rose knows nothing of its
fragrance, Men do not know their own Divinity - Dust and Bones, Dadaji
Malas (rosaries) are an integral part of puja , being used to count the mantra recited to the devata
installed in image or yantra. According to Devirahasya , the classic Tantrika rosaries are made of
conch shell, pearls, rodhra (symplocos racemosa), crystal, rudraksha, tulsi (basil), rubies, gold, lotus
seeds, skull bone!teeth.
"ne should commence by purifying oneself, doing the usual nyasas , opening the temple, and
making the rosary. The number of beads may be #$, %& or '() but there is al*ays an e+tra bead
inserted called the meru, so that one kno*s *hen the cycle is finished.
,reath should then be installed in the rosary. Again, according to the Devirahasya , the seer of the
purification is -alagnirudra, the metre is Anushtubh, .hmashana ,hairavi, the /ight of Time, the
0reat 1layful "ne adorned *ith 2uman .kulls is the devata. 2sau is the ,ija, Thah is the .hakti, 2rah
is the 1eg, and the object is the purification of the rosary.
After installing breath, the rosary should be bathed *ith the appropriate pure substances (upachara).
The mantras given in Devirahasya are3
4onch3 "m .hrim .hrim "m .hankhini "m .hrim "m.
1earl3 "m 2rim 2rim "m Muktamalini .hrim .hrim .vaha.
5odhra3 "m .trim "m 5audre 5odhramalini .ah .vaha.
4rystal3 "m Ah 2ram 2ram Arkamale 2ram .vaha.
5udraksha3 "m Ah .hrim 2rim 5um 5udrakshamalini .huddha ,hava .vaha.
Tulsi3 "m .hrim "m .trim Tulasi 6aishnavi 6aushad .vaha.
5uby3 "m Trom Dhum Manimale Manohare .vaha.
0old3 "m .hrim Trim Aim -lim .auh .uvarnamale .auh.
7otus .eed3 "m 1rim "m 1adma Akshamalini 2sauh .vaha.
.kull!Teeth3 2rim .hrim -lim 2ram .auh Dantamale Mundamale 1rim .trim 2sauh .vaha.
After purifying the rosary *ith the appropriate mantra, one should then use it, using one8s root mantra,
and *orshipping it *ith scent, flo*ers 9c.
Then one should pronounce the follo*ing great mantra3 "m Male Male Mahamale
.arvatattvasvarupini 4aturvargastvayi /yastastasmanme .iddhida ,hava .vaha. ("m, " 5osary,
5osary, 0reat 5osary, the true form of all things, place in me the :our Aims of Mankind. 0ive siddhi;
.vaha )
"ne should then close the rite in the usual tantrika fashion, placing the breath in the heart again 9c.
<hen using a rosary to recite mantras, the fruit of the recitation should be given to the installed aspect
in the yantra. 4ycles of mantra should be #$3%&3'() and more, according to *ill. The inde+ finger
should never be used *hen counting the beads, but the thumb and middle finger. The rosary should be
kept safely a*ay from others *hen not in use, and should never be allo*ed to touch the ground. =f this
happens, it must be reconsecrated. The same procedure should be undertaken if the string is cut. The
beads should be scented *ith the eight great scents.