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 |

nmastE asthu rudra roopEBhyah||

Then, he should go so far inside the river that the waters are up to his navel.

(will be continued)

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