u/Agitated-Jump-8584

Namaste everyone,
Sri Gurubhyo Namaha 🙏

I have been following this subreddit for some time and finally gathered the courage to post. I am relatively new here and would sincerely appreciate guidance from experienced sadhakas.

A little background about myself:

• I am a Hindu Brahmin living outside India, so regular temple visits are unfortunately not very feasible.
• I received Upanayana at a young age and was initiated into Gayatri Mantra chanting.
• I used to perform Sandhyavandanam daily until my engineering years, after which life became inconsistent.
• I am currently learning Veda chanting under a qualified Guru.
• I have also completed Inner Engineering and learned a few Hatha Yoga practices through Isha Foundation.

My current daily sadhana includes prayers and stotras dedicated to various deities including Ganesha, Guru, Dakshinamurthy, Vishnu, Shiva, Bhairava, Devi, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Annapoorneshwari, Subrahmanya, Narasimha, Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, Dattatreya, Raghavendra Swami, etc.

Additionally:

• Gayatri Mantra – 32 repetitions daily
• Hanuman Chalisa
• Siddamangala Stotram
• Ganapati Atharva Sheersha
• Devi Kavacham
• Argala Stotram
• Sri Lalitha Sahasranama

Before moving toward Devi sadhana, I was primarily focused on mantra japa such as:

• Om Namah Shivaya
• Gam Ganapataye Namaha
• Om Bhairavaya Namaha
• Hare Rama Hare Krishna Mahamantra
• Hum Hanumate Namaha

I used to do at least one mala each of these mantras regularly for quite a long time. However, over the past few months, I have felt deeply drawn toward Devi worship, and gradually my sadhana shifted in that direction.

Since beginning Devi sadhana, I have stopped most of the mantra japa practices mentioned above, except for continuing 32 repetitions of Gayatri Mantra daily. In place of the earlier mantra japa, I now spend that time chanting Devi Kavacham, Argala Stotram, and Sri Lalitha Sahasranama.

Now coming to my questions:

1. Since I do not have formal initiation (diksha) into Devi upasana or Tantra, is it acceptable to chant texts like Devi Kavacham and Argala Stotram, considering they are associated with tantric traditions?
2. I recently came across a video by Rajarshi Nandy where he mentioned that Sri Lalitha Sahasranama belongs to a very high level of tantric practice and traditionally should not be chanted without initiation. How should householders and sincere seekers understand this?
3. While I do not claim perfection, I do have a Sanskrit background and can pronounce the stotras reasonably correctly after considerable effort and practice. Does proper pronunciation and sincere bhava make any difference in such cases where formal initiation is absent?
4. Was it a mistake to stop the earlier mantra japas and replace them almost entirely with Devi stotras? Is it spiritually acceptable for one’s sadhana to evolve naturally in this manner when one feels strongly drawn toward a particular devata?

I ask these questions with humility and genuine seeking, not out of curiosity or casual experimentation. I would be grateful for guidance from knowledgeable practitioners, especially those familiar with Sri Vidya, Devi Upasana, or traditional sampradayas.

Pranams 🙏