GangA - GAyathri snAna paddathi (Tantric SandhyA, part -1)

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|| Om Shree GanESha - ShAradA - GuruBhyO namah ||

 

SnAna or bathing is a ritual. It should be carried out only

in accordance with the scriptures. A ritualistic or a ceremonial

bath is of primary importance for a SAdhaka; it is the first of

the 5-fold purification (panchAnga Shuddhi) laid down for him.

All know the importance of daily bathing from the view point of

health. While an ordinary bath with a soap removes only the dirt

on the skin, a ritualistic bath removes the sins accrued in the

body of the SAdhaka and helps him attain "divya Shareera"

(divine or pure body) which is a must to spiritual progress.

 

A person is considered eligible for any spiritual activity only

after he has taken bath. Our seers have coined a beautiful word

for the ritual bath - aGhamarShaNa snAn. "aGha" means sins,

ignorance. "nimarShaNah" indicates washing away. The aGhamarShaNa

sooktha is found in the yagneeya mahAnArAyaNa upaniShad (mAdhu

Chchandas, varuNa devatha). It is of such great importance that

the daily ritual of SandhyA is often termed SnAn-SandhyA.

 

There is a purAnic reference as to why one should bathe in the

rivers (teerThAs). Once Rshi Angeerasa (the perceptor of the

aTharvaNa vEda; the other being aTharvan) kept all his puNya

earned through severe penance, in the teerThas. Hence one who

bathes in the teerThas acquires some of those puNyas. The

importance of aGhamarShaNa snAn is upheld as:

 

yaThAShwamEdhah krathurAT sarva pApApa nOdanah |

taThAGhamarShaNam sooktham sarva pApApanOdanam || (Manu Dharma)

 

tadvath Eva vA brahma hatyA surApAnAstEya guru talpEShu

prANAyAmaih tAnthah aGhamarShaNam japan samam aShwamEdhAvaBhrtEna

idam cha prAyaSchittam || (Gauthama Dharma soothra)

 

[summary: Just as the avaBhrTha snAn done while concluding the

aShwamEdha yagna frees a person from the sins earned by killing

guru-brAhmaNa, consumption of liquor & other such great sins,

the aGhamarShaNa snAn frees an individual from all his sins]

 

The basic concept of aGhamarShaNa snAn is very similar to that

of yagna: purification of body and mind. In the succeeding

paragraphs, one can easily make out that this ritual is a

wonderful combination of both the antaryAga (internal sacrifice/

worship) and bahiryAga (external sacrifice/worship). Hence it

has a two-fold benefit:

 

1. Elimination of the existing sins

2. Acquiringt of new merits

 

Above all, the ritual establishes a cohesive relationship between

the sadhak and the Mother Nature.

 

Hence,

 

ritualistic bath = mantra + yOga + pschycology + Nature worship

+ AyurvEda + .........

 

ONE CAN EXPERIENCE OR REALISE THESE BENEFITS NOT BY MERE READING

BUT ONLY BY PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICING.

 

It may not be possible for one to follow the rituals completely

under the present-day lifestyle. But at least during special

occasions and while bathing in a river (GangA or other holy

rivers) it should be essentially followed. All TantrAs and Agamas

clearly uphold the importance of such a bath. Though the mantras

and other details slightly vary among them, the underlying concept

is the same.

 

aGhamarShaNa snAn should be followed followed during the

following occasions:

 

1. On SankramaNa

2. During eclipses (grahaN)

3. Before obtaining mantra deekSha

4. Before performing any Saadhana

5. Before performing ChandikA havan, SudarShana hOma, Shree

Chakra Pooja etc

6. Whenever some sin is committed or the Sadhak's body is

contaminated due to stale food, contact with a crow or its

excreta, contact with a woman during her periods, contact

with a corpse, entry into graveyard etc.

 

Following is a snAna paddathi which owes its origin mainly to

Sri VidyArNava Tantra and has incorporated advises and suggestions

from different seers of the GAyathri and Shri-Vidya parampara.

Mantras from the Vedas are indicated by - VE; others are

tantric and purAnic mantras. Any mistake in this article is

only due to my ignorance.

 

1. The SAdhaka should get up from the bed at 4 a.m. and should

perform Kara-darShan:

 

karAgrE vasthE lakShmee, karamaDhyE saraswathi |

karamoolE sThithO gauree praBhAtE kara darShanam ||

 

Next, assuming the padmAsana he should contemplate on the holy

feet of his Guru in the Sahasra Kamala by displaying the guru

pAdukA mudrA on the head and chanting:

 

aKhanda mandalAkAram vyAptham Ena charA charam |

tatpadam darShitam yEna tasmai Shree guravE namah ||

|| Shree (amukA nanda nAtha) Shree pAdukAm poojayAmi ||

 

followed by Bhoo-prArThana - salutations to the mother earth:

 

samudra vasanE dEvi parvatha sthana manditE |

viShNu patnee namasthuBhyam pAda sparSham kShamaswa mE ||

 

2. After attending nature's call, he should go to the river bank,

carrying along with him mrdA (the holy soil of Tulasi), gOmaya

(cow dung), Bhasma (sacred ash) nimba kAShta (neem twig) and

vastra (fresh clothes). Tila (Seesamum seeds) are also prescribed

to offer tarpaNa (oblations) at the end of the bath.

 

3. Even before stepping into the waters, he should seek the

permission of the water-gods and the KShEtrapAlaka (deity-in-charge

of the place) by displaying the yOni mudrA and chanting thus

 

AdhArah sarva Bhootasya viShNOratula tEjasah |

tadroopAScha tatO jAtAsthA apah praNamAmyaham ||

 

atikroora mahAkAya kalpAntha dahanOpamA|

BhairavAya namasthuBhyam anugnAm dAtu marhasi ||

 

After this, he should sprinkle the waters above his head thrice

and wash his hand and feet. He should enter the river displaying

the SammuKhee-karaNa mudrA and withholding his breath.

 

4. After a few steps into the water, the neem twig should be

sanctified by washing with it with the water and the mantra:

 

|| Om aim hreem kleem kAma dEvAya sarvajanapriyAya namah ||

 

then a sincere prayer should be offered to the nimba kAShta

before the teeth is brushed.:

 

Ayurbalam yaShO varchah prajAh paShu vasoonicha |

brahma prajnAncha mEDhAncha twannO dhEhi vanaspathEh ||

 

The face should be splashed with water, thrice by chanting the

ChandrikA mantra:

 

|| Om hreem chandrikE, hansah, kreem, kleem swAha ||

 

If the sadhaka has maintained the ShiKhA (long sacred hair),

then he should tie it by chanting: (the mantra is different for

GAyathri upAsaks)

 

oorDhwa kEShi viroopAkShee mansa ShONita BhakShiNee |

tiSTa dEvi ShiKhA banDhE chAmundAh aparAjithE ||

 

Then, he should apply the mrdA first, to his head with the

Tulasi mantra: (VE)

 

aShwa krAnthE raTha krAnthE viShNu krAnthE vasunDhara |

ShirasA DhArayiShyAmi rakShaswa mAm padE padE ||

 

next, all over his body by chanting the mrttikA Sooktha: (VE)

 

Bhoomir - DhEnur - DharaNi - lOkaDhAriNI |

UDhRtAsi varAhENa kRShNEna Shata bAhunA |

mrttikE hana mE pApam yanmayA duShkrtam krtam |

mrttikE brahma dattAsi kAShyapENABhi mantritA|

mrttikE dEhi mE puShtim twayi sarvam pratiShTitam |

mrttikE pratiShTitE sarvam tanmE nirNuda mrttikE |

tayA hatEna pApENa gachchAmi paramAm gatim ||

 

gOmaya should be applied over the mrdA by chanting the

GAyathri mantra or:

 

agra magram charantheenAm OShaDheenAm rasam vanE |

tAsAm vrShaBha pathneenAm pavithram kAya ShODhanam ||

(yanmE rOgAnScha ShOkAnScha pApam mE hara gOmaya ||)

 

The Bhasma should be applied chanting the AGhOra mantra: (VE)

 

aGhOrEBhyO thaGhOrEBhyO GhOra GhOra tarEBhyah |

sarvEBhyah sarva SharvEBhyO |

namastE asthu rudra roopEBhyah||

 

Then, he should go so far inside the river that the waters

are up to his navel.

 

(will be continued)

 

 

R.Srinath

srinath_atreya