GangA - GAyathri snAna paddathi (Tantric SandhyA, part -2)

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All texts and sampradaayaas are unanimous in declaring that one

should first bath according to his own ShaaKhaa followed by

tAntrik snAn. The former is called Vaidic snAn. It is very

cumbersome to go into the details of all sampradaayas. In this

article, no such distinction is made. The SADhaka is advised to

take guidance from his Guru. However, all the details in part -1

are the prelims for ritual bathing. The succeeding paragraphs

are predominantly tantrik in nature, although mantras from the

Vedas are used; it is often called miShra sampradaaya. No one

should ever think that the Veda mantras are useless/powerless

(as quoted in the translation of some tantric texts by foreign

authors). This is a very sorry state of affairs.

 

Vedas are the main source of all spiritual and material knowledge.

 

“Tantra” means “Practical VEdAnta”; they dwell upon the details

about rituals that enable us to experience the abstract

philosophies propounded in the Vedas. It is because of our

limited mEDhA Shakthi (intellectual power), that we are unable

to understand the Vedas in its entirety. An advanced SADhaka

will realize that there is no difference between the Vedas and

Tantras and the ultimate aim of both are the same – MokSha by

means of JnAna, Bhakthi & VairAgya.

 

In view of the title of this article, the stress is more on the

GAyathri sampradAya.

 

NOTE: It is impossible to represent Vedic mantras in English.

Hence All Vedic mantras ( indicated as VE ) should be learnt

from a Vedic scholar only ; wrong intonations and pronunciations

will bring disastrous results.

 

5. Facing east, the SADhaka should do prANAyAma 3 times. A

complete cycle of Pooraka-kumBhaka-rEchaka (inhaling air,

withholding it, & finally exhaling) constitutes one prANAyAma.

 

Inhale fresh air very deeply but slowly, through the left

nostril while mentally chanting the VAyu – beeja “Yam” ,

8/16/32 times. This is called Pooraka. The lungs should

expand to their maximum and the diaphragm should press

downwards during Pooraka.

 

Withhold the air while chanting the agni-beeja “ram”,

16/32/64 times.

 

Slowly exhale while chanting the VaruNa-beeja “vam”,

16/32/48 times.

 

Instead of “yam”, “ram” and “Vam”, just “Om” or “hreem”

also can be use.

 

PrANAyAma helps the SAdhaka to focus his mind on the

foregoing ritual. Its benefits are uncountable.

 

6. Next, the snAna sankalpa should be uttered, while

displaying the Sankalpa mudrA:

 

“mama upAttha samastha duritha kShaya dwAra Shree

paramEShware preethyarTham, mama Atmanah

Shruthi-smrti-purANokta phala siddhyartham, shareerAShrita

samastha pApa roopa peeda parihAra poorvaka mantra dEvatA

AvAsa sThairyata siddhyartham, Shree paradEvatA preetyartham

asyAm (river name- GangA, GOdAvari, kAvEri etc) mahAnadyAm

prAthah/mADhyAnhika/sAyam snAnAKhyam karma kariShyE || “

 

For the present GOdAvari PuShkara, the following should be

suitably included:

 

“…….asyAm gOdAvari mahAnadyAm sinha gata dEva gurau - sArDha

trikOTi teerTha sahita teerTha rAja samAgamAKhya mahA parvaNi

puNya kAlE, stree hatya - gO hatya - BhrooNa - brAhmaNa -

pitr-mAtr-Guru hatyAdi mahA pAtakAnAm, vEda-ShAstra-mantra

dEvatA-Guru nindana Adi pAtakAnAm, duShta anna BhOjana, duShta

chintanAdi upa pAtaka nivAraNArTham……..|| “

 

Next, he should write a chaturaShra (square) and imagine it to

be the teerTha (main source). Then the Soorya mandala should

be contemplated either looking at the sky or imagining the

Sahasraara chakra with:

 

AdithyO vA ESha Ethan-mandalam thapathi thathra - thA Rcha-sthadrchA

mandalagam RchAm sa lOkOTha ya ESha Ethasmin-mandalEr - chir-dheepyathE

thAni sAmAni sa sAmnAm lOkOTha ya ESha Ethasmin – mandalEr- chiShi

puruShasthAni yajooganShi sa yajuShA mandalagam sa yajuShAm

lOkassaiShA thraiyyeva vidyA thapathi ya EShOntharAdhithyE hiraNmyah

puruShah || (VE)

 

brahmAnDOdara teerThAni karaih sprStAni tE ravEh |

tEna satyEna mE dEva teerTham dEhi divAkarah ||

 

and the Soorya mandala should be tapped by chanting KrOm – the

ankuSha beeja while displaying the ankuSha mudrA. All holy rivers

and the PuShkara should be attracted (invoked) from the Soorya

mandala, into the chaturShra by chanting:

 

gangE cha yamunE chaiva gOdAvari saraswathi |

narmadE sindhu kAvEri jalEsmin sannidhim kuru ||

puShkarAdyAni teerThAni gangAdyAh saritastaThA |

Agachchantu pavithrANi snAna kAlE sadA mama ||

 

Then offer a sincere prayer to the PuShkara PuruSha:

 

hE PuShkara mahA – BhAgA namasthE cha thri – PuShkarah |

hum hoom haum sarithAm nATha pApam mE hara PuShkara ||

 

7. The moola mantra (mantra given by one’s Guru) should be

written inside the chaturaShra with the forefinger and the

teerTha Shakthi should be invoked with:

 

 

 

Om hrAm hreem hroom hraim hraum hrah |

namO Bhagavathi ambE ambAlikE ambikE mahAmAlini EhyEhi Bhagavathi |

aShESha teerthAlavAlE ShivajatAdhirooDhe gangE gangAmbikE swAhA ||

 

The chaturaShra teerTha should be covered with the matsya mudrA

while chanting:

 

hiraNya Shrngam varuNam prapadyE teerTham mE dEhi yAchitah |

yanmayA Bhuktama sAdhoonAm pApEBhyaScha pratigrahah |

yanmE manasA vAchA karmaNAvA duShkrtam krtam |

tanna indrO varuNO brhaspatissavitA cha punah punah || (VE)

 

the teerTha should be offered salutations by displaying the

yOni mudrA near the forehead and chanting:

 

namOgnayE aPssumatE nama indrAya namO

varuNAya namO vAruNyaie namOdBhyah || (VE)

 

8. The teerTha should be stirred 3 times in the anti-clockwise

direction while chanting the BhuvanEShwari beeja - “hreem”and :

 

||yadapAm krooram yadamEdhyam -

yadaShAnthamthadapagaChchatAt || (VE)

 

Next, displaying the dhEnu mudrA over the teerTha, “vam” should

be chanted 10 times. Then, avagunTana mudra should be displayed

while chanting “kavchAya hum”; ChOtika to be performed while

chanting “astrAya Phat” and the paradEvatA presiding over the

Shree Chakra should be contemplated. GAyathri upAsakAs should

invoke the paradEvata into the theerTha by forming the anjali

mudrA near the heart and chanting :

 

“gAyathreem, bAlAm, prAthah sandhyAm rakthAngeem, rakta

vAsasam, hansa-skandha-samArooDhAm, brahmadaivatyAm,

chaturmukheem, kamandalu-akSha-sootra-srk-srva dhAriNeem,

rgvEdaswaroopAm, Aditya paTha gAmineem, agni hOtra PhaladAm,

OmkAra ShiKhAm AvAhayAmi ||”.

 

The 6 AvAhan mudrAs should be displayed:

 

AvAhitO Bhava |

(AvAhana mudrA)

 

SThApithO Bhava |

(sansThApana mudrA)

 

SanniruDdhO Bhava |

(sanniDhApa mudrA)

 

SanmuKhO Bhava |

(sanmuKheekaraNa mudrA)

 

avagunTithO Bhava|

(avagunTana mudrA)

 

PrArThaneeyO Bhava |

(prArThanA mudrA)

 

along with ShanKha - chakra - gadA- suraBhi & mahA yOni mudrA.

 

The 5 upcharas should be offered mentally along with the

appropriate mudrAs:

 

“lam“ prThivee thathwAthmikE gandham samarpyAmi ||

“ham” AkASha thathwAthmikE puShpam samarpyAmi ||

“yam” vAyu thathwAthmikE dhoopam samarpyAmi ||

“ram” agni thathwAthmikE deepam samarpyAmi ||

“vam” amrtha thathwAthmikE amrthOpahAram samarpyAmi ||

 

[mAdhyandina sandhyAyAm - sAvithreem, yauvvanasthAm,

mAdhyandina sandhyAm, ShwEtAngeem, ShwEtavastrAm, ShEtavAhanAm,

vrShaskandha samArooDhAm, rudra daivatyAm, trinEtrAm,

varada-akShamAlA, aBhayahastAm, trishoola dhAriNeem, yajurvEda

swaroopAm, Aditya patha gAmineem, agniShtOma PhaladAm, Om kAra

ShiKhAm AvAhayAmi || ]

 

[sAyam sandhyAyAm - saraswatheem, vrddhAm, sAyam sandhyAm,

krShNAngeem, krShNa vAsasam, garuda saknadha samArooDhAm,

viShNudaivathyAm, chaturBhujAm, ShanKha - chakra - gadA - padma -

dhAriNeem, sAmavEda swaroopAm, Aditya paTha gAmineem, vAjapEya

PhaladAm, Om kAra ShiKhAm AvAhayAmi || ]

 

If the snAn is being done for some special purpose, then the

appropriate deity also should be invoked with the corresponding

mantras.

 

WILL BE CONTINUED

 

R.Srinath

srinath_atreya