Dhyaana Snaana

January 1, 2007

Hari Sarvottama, Vayu jIvothama

Sri Gurubhyo namaha

Source: "Glories of Gayathri" by Shri Pandurangacharya Srinivasachar Waiker.

METHODS OF ACHIEVING SUCH DUAL PURITY:

shauchaM tu dvividham proktaM bAhyamAntarameva cha |mR^ijjalAbhyAM kR^itaM bAhyaM bhAvashuddhistadantaraM ||There are two purifying methods. One is external ensured by bathing using water etc..

The other is internal purification gained by repeating the name of God.

External cleanliness is accomplished by using mud/water etc... One should not take bath naked or with clothes worn on the previous night. One should take headbath prescribed. After half the bathing is over, one should perform Achamana & sankalpa. Pray & invite Gangas & other rivers dieties into the bathing water. One should think that this bathing is to the Lord dwelling in the lotus heart of Jeevothama. Names of Vishnu pronounced; Apohishta, Aghamarsana & Purusha suktha to be chanted.

Seeing these procedures, one is prone to think & ask that in these days of fast life & hectic days from morning to evening, where is the time to carry on such a detailed bath? Whether this is adoptable in these days could be the possible doubt.

It is not so. All this takes the same time as the normal bath. Let the hands do the work & the mind think of the rest. In other words, by employing both the work organs & the sense organs simultaneously & pronouncing the mantras, the intrinsic value of the karma will be increased multifold & the God will be pleased.

apavitraH pavitro vA sarvAvasthAM gato.api vA |yaH smaretpuNDarIkAxaM sa bAhyAbhyantaraH shuchiH || Whether one is pure or impure, in all stages of life,chanting the name of punNdariikaaksha ensures betterform of purification.Once the external bathing is over, for the purposes ofinternal purification, one has to observe meditativebath call Dhyana Snana. This is prescribed in theVaamana Puraana. It is merely chanting of 13 stanzas,or mental bathing (maanasa snaana). One should getthis Dhyana Snana by-heart (memorized). It is very useful & helps in our difficult days.DHYAANA SNAANA FROM VAMANA PURANA

trivikramaM tIrthapAdaM natvA sarvAghanAshanaM |dhyAnasnAnaM pravaxyAmi sarvasatkarma siddhaye || 1 ||Having bowed down to the sacred feet of LordTrivikrama, I narrate the meditative bathing, thechanting of which not only destroys all sins butis also rewarding for all spiritual rights/karmas.shrI brahmo uvaachasvastithaM puNDarIkAxaM maMtramUrtiM hariM smaret.h |anantAdityasaMkAshaM vAsudevaM chaturbhujam.h || 2 ||

The four headed Brahma Speaks,Remember Lord Hari, whom the Vedas praise. He hasbeautiful lotus like eyes and is dwelling in ourhearts. He is also called Vasudeva who is with fourarms and an effulgunce of infinite number of suns.

sha~NkhachakragadApadma dhaariNaM cha kirITinam.hshrIvatsakaustubhoraskaM vanamAlAvibhUShaNam.h || 3 ||

He is adorned with conch (shell), Wheel(sudharshana),mace(kaumodaki) and lotus. He is wearing a crown onthe head. On the left side of the chest is the markcalled Srivatsa(signifying the abode of Lakshmi) andon the chest shines the Kausthubha Jewel. He isdecorated by a big garland and Vanamala(almost fromneck to knee) made of beautiful fresh flowers.shyAmalam.h shAntavadanaM divya pItAmbarAvR^itam.h |divya chandanaliptA~NgaM chAruhAsaM shubhexaNam.h || 4 ||He is of the color of water bearing clouds. He is calmand resplandant. He wears beautiful silk robes. He hasused fragrant sandlepaste/Gopichandana. There is anenchanting smile on his face and his glance isgraceful and favorable to devotees.anekaratnasaMChanna sphuran.h makarakuNDalam.h |nAradAdibhirAsevyaM bhaasvadvipulaka~NkaNam.h || 5 ||He is decorated with earrings which are studded withseveral precious stones. He wears ornaments on hisarms. He is attended by sage Narada and other devatas.

saki~NkiNIkakeyUra haaranUpurashobhitam.h |dhvajavajraa~Nkushaalaxma padapaathoruhadvyayam.h || 6 ||He is beautified by the additional garlands, goldenbelt and anklets with jingles. On the soles are thecharacteristic markings of flag, diamond, Ankush andlotus peculiar to Vishnu.tatpaadanakhajaaM ga~NgaaM nipatanti svamUrdhani |chintayet brahmarandhreNa pravishanti svakaaM tanum.h || 7 ||Imagine that the holy river Ganga is oozing throughthe nails of His feet and is falling on the middle ofthe head of the meditator. Through the membrane of thehead and astral tubes(Naadis) the holy water entersthe body.tayaa saMxAlayet.h sarvaM antardehagataM malaM |tatxaNaat virajo mantri jaayate sphaTikopamaH || 8 ||

Think that this process washes all the impurities onaccount of Rajas & Tamas. By chanting this prayer, aperson instantly becomes free from inner pollutionand becomes as clear as a crystal.antarbahishcha shudhyarthaM maanasam snaanamaacharet.h |idaM snaanaM varaM mantraat.h sahasraguNamuttamam.h|| 9 ||

For purity, both external and internal, one has toobserve meditative bathing. Since it is mantra sanana,it is thousand times better than any other form ofbathing.

namo naaraayaNaayaivamuchcharan.h bhaktibhaavataH |vaasudevaachyutaananta govinda garuDadhvaja || 10 ||Chant the words "Namo Narayanaya' with devotion. Alsochant the names Vasudeva, Achyutha, Anantha, Govindhaand Garudadhvaja.muraare narasiMheti padmanaabha janaardana |rajasthamo mohajaataan.h jaagrat.h svapnasuShuptikaan.h || 11 ||Also pronounce the names Murari, Narasimha,Padhmanaabha and Janardhana. It irradicates impuritiesaccrued on account of Rajas, Tamas and Moha. Also,such sins accumulated during the states of awakening,dream and sleep.vaa~NmanaH kaayajaan.h doShaan.h navaitaan.h navabhirdahet.h |sArdhatrikoTitIrtheShu snaanaat.h koTiphalapradham.h || 12 ||Also, the sins on account of mischevous activities oftongue, mind and other organs, in all totalling ninetypes of sins, would be destroyed by chanting theabove nine names of God or by chanting the abovestanzas.The meditative bathing is far superior than takingdips in three and a half crores of piligrimageplaces/rivers.yo nityamaacharedevaM sa vai naaraayaNaH smR^itaH |yaH paThet.h praatarutthaaya bhaktiyuktena chetasaa |kaalamR^ityumatikramya jIvanmukto na saMshayaH || 13 ||iti shrI vaamanapuraaNe ga~Ngaamaahaatmyedhyaanasnaanam sampUrNam.h ||shrI kR^iShNaarpaNamastu ||

He who adopts this everyday has offered his prayer to Lord Narayana. He who chants this regularly every morning with devotion will not only overcomes the death but will get salvation (Moksha). No body need entertain any suspicion regarding the efficacy of this Dhyana snana.

Thus the greatness of Ganga as narrated in the VaamanaPuraana writtenby Bhagavaan Vedavyasa completes and the chanting isdedicated to Lord Shri Krishna.

bhAratIramaNamukhyaprANA.ntargata shrii kR^iShNArpanamastu