Japa rahasya - a brief outline

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Japa rahasya is the procedure to be followed while doing japa just as

pooja rahasya is the procedure for doing pooja. It is a vast subject

mostly learned from gurumukham and I am giving below a very brief

outline.

 

The first step is the identification of the moolamantra for japa

which should be based on the horoscope of the upasak as the mantra

can belong to one of the categories - sidha, sadhya, susidha or ari.

 

Once the mantra is identified, the sadhak should receive the upadesa

(mantragrahanam) from a Guru who has achieved sidhi in the particular

mantra, once again follwing the astrological principles of muhurta.

 

The body and mind of the sadhak should be purified by panchagavya

prasanam and 40,000 chantings of Gayatri(if initiated)

 

Utkeelan of the particular mantra is to be performed in order to

remove the keelakam of the mantra. There are different procedures

followed for this.

 

Then the panchanga purascharana of the mantra should be performed

consisting of chanting of the mantra to the purascharna sankhya,

homam (one tenth of the japa sankhya), tarpana (one tenth of

homasankhya), abhisheka (one tenth of of tarpana sankhya), brahmana

bhojana (one tenth of abhisheka sankhya).

 

There are guidelines to be followed with respect to every aspect of

the japa such as posture, where the lamp should be kept, timings,

dietery restrictions etc. which also vary from mantra to mantra and

deity to deity.

 

The chanting of the mantra should be preceded by deha sudhi, prana

yama, nyasa etc.

 

Even the rosary, numer and type of beeds etc. should be selected

based on the mantra chanted. If rudraksha is used there are

restrictions such as the number of faces, size, colour, number etc.

Only two mukhas or two prishtas of the adjoining beads should face

each other and prana prathishta should be performed on the rosary.

 

There are also special procedures to be followed, in case there is a

sootaka(death of a close relative etc.) during the purascharana

period.

 

On completion of the daily japa, the japa samarpan to the particular

deity is done using the particular japa samarpan mantra (eg:-

Guhyathi guhya gopthasthwam ............).

 

V.V.Ramaswami.