The great vidyā of Bālā is said to be cursed by Parāmbā rendering it without potency (prāṇahīnā):
dēvyā śaptā yēna vidyēyamādyā |
pūrvaṁ tēna prāṇahīnā’bhavat sā ||
In the age of Kali, to grant vīrya to this mantra, ādinātha, the primary disciple of Bhagavatī, modified the mantra as below:
śivaśaktibījamata ēva śambhunā
nihitaṁ tayōrupari pūrvabījayōḥ |
akulaṁ kulōpari ca madhyamādharē
dahanaṁ tataḥ prabhr̥ti sō’rjitā bhavat ||
This modification results in the great formula of Tripurabhairavī, who is vīryavatī and hence siddhipradā. Thus, the same Bālā vidyā, when preceded with Akula (akulapūrvā) is called Bhairavī and when Kulapūrvā, is called Vidyā. The latter two forms of Bālā are described as siddhipradā by sāmpradāyikas. Thus, when Vidyā and Mahāvidyā are referred to in the context of śrīkula, they mean Bhairavī and Pañcadaśī respectively.
Thus, without the required Dīpanī, even millions of recitations of Bālā mantra do not grant results:
yataḥ svapnāvasthāmiyamupagatā viśvavinutātataḥ
siddhiṁ naiva pravitarati japtāpi satatam |
prabuddhā cēdvidyā phalati sahasā dīpanakarīṁ
tatō vidyā vakṣyāmyahamiha rahasyāmatitarām ||
The Dīpanī mantra awakens the mantra śakti from sleep and paves way for mantra siddhi.
The Dīpanī for Vāgbhava is described as below:
puṣpaṁ vārimucāṁ davādiraparastāvēva varṇau tatō
dīrghaṁ vārisakhāntamapsvapi tathā dhāntau salikasvarau |
vidyā vāgbhavabījadīpanakarī sārasvatōtpattayē
sākṣātkāṅkṣitapārijātalatikā vasvakṣarōktā mayā ||
The Dīpanī for Kāmarāja is as below:
brahmā śakradr̥ganvitaḥ sahabhagā mēṣānvitā nādinī
kantāntaṁ sabhagaṁ sapūṣaṇamatō dhāntaṁ tvimēśaḥ sadr̥k |
kālō’nantayutaṁ viyat sadaśanaḥ samvartakō bhīśaṇā
sākrūrā kamalāsanaḥ sahaśivō vaiśvānarastādr̥śaḥ ||
The Dīpanī for Parā is:
sāvitrī vadanayutā mahādikālī
vyōmāntaṁ śaśadharakhaṇḍamakhaṇḍitāntam |
mōhinyā sarasijabhūryutastathāgniḥ
vidyēyaṁ parajīvadīpanī sā ||
The main use of Dīpanī is during Japa specifically done for dīpana and the procedure for that is as below:
yā yasya dīpanakarī gaditēha vidyā |
bījasya tasya pura ēva samuccarēttām ||
Also, while performing nyāsa of the mūlamantra (i.e. Bālā), one should use the Dīpanī as well:
vidyāṣaḍaṅgavadanēṣu yathāvadēva |
nyāsēṣu sādhakavarō vidadhīta śañca ||
It may not be incorrect to note that Hādi forms of Bālā mantras incorporate Dīpanī in the ūrdhvāmnāya while the Kādi forms of Pūrvāmnāya do not.
While some prescribe the need for Dīpanī for Pañcadaśī as well, mainly because of its origin in Bālā, this prescription has no śāstra pramāṇa. As for Pancadaśī, the Mahāvidyā has been described as nitya prabuddhā by every Tantra, and thus the need for any samskāra is automatically negated. Also, as Tantras describe the evolution of Bhairavī from ādinātha to grant vīrya to Bālā, it makes no sense to perform punaruddīpana for Bhairavī or for that matter, Pañcadaśī. Hence, the trisaptyakṣara Dīpanī mantra prescribed for Pancadaśī by Umānandanātha (sourced from Rudrayāmala) is rejected by many sāmpradāyikas, even by those belonging to the lineage of Bhāskararāya, as not representative of either śāstra or sampradāya.