Garudapanchasath-sloka1

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angeshu aananda mukhya Sruthi Sikhara milath dhaNdakam gaNdapoorvam

praageva abhyasya shatsu prathidhiSam anagham nyastha Suddhaasthrabandhaah

pakshi vyathyasthapakshi dhvithaya mukhaputa prasphutodhaaratharam

manthram gaaruthmatham tham huthavaha dhayithaa Sekharam Seelayaamah

( GP 1)

 

We practice the chanting of the garudamanthra with pranava , the main import of all the Vedanta, as it is Brahman, the embodiment of bliss absolute, after doing anganyasa, karanyasa and digbandha, and then start the japa . The word pakshi or the reverse of it with pranave either in the beginning or after the word, along with the name of the wife of agni, is the manthra which has garuda as its invocatory deity.

 

 

This sloka describes the method of japa of Garudamanthra. First one starts the sankalpa that he will do the japa on Garuda. This is indicated by dhandakam gandapoorvam, the word ganda indirectly denoting the name of Garuda, by referring to letters `ga' and'da.'.

 

Before starting the japa, praak eva, one should do anganyaasa by chanting, along with the manthraakshara, the pranava which is the embodiment of Brahman, the bliss absolute, aanandamukhya and the purport of all Upanishads, Sruthisikhara. The Upanishads are referred to as the top of the Vedas, as the main purport of the Vedas is Brahman,the main purport of the Upanishads, signified by the pranava. Hence at the outset the pranava should be uttered when doing the anganyasa and karanyasa and digbandha, shadsu angeshu abhyasya prathidhiSam nyastha Suddha asthrabanDham . Then this manthra which is anagha, faultless, should be chanted with the word pakshi in the regular order or in the reverse with the pranava before or after the word ending with the name of the wife of agni., which is svaha.

 

Though the method of chanting is given here the manthra should be learnt from an acharya only to become fruitful. This manthra has five letters and there are four different methods of chanting it according to the instruction of the acharya. First is the pranava , the word pakshi and then the word svaahaa. Second is the same order but the word pakshi is said in riverse as kshipa . Third is by saying the word pakshi first and then pranava and then svaahaa. Fourth is the same order but the word pakshi is reversed as kshipa.