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

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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 CONTINUEDR.Srinath srinath_atreya Want to chat instantly with

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