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

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Dear Srinath Ram Atreya jee,

Could u send under mentioned mantra in Sanskrit format if possible. It is easy to understand

and chant. Thank you,

Madhav Mainali, KAthmandu, Nepal.

>Srinath Ram Atreya

> > >Subject:

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

Sat, 26 Jul 2003 21:54:28 +0100 (BST) > > >|| 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 | > >nmastE 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 >

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