Sri Guru Charitra - By Shri S.N.Huddar

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Chapter XXXVI - Code of Brahmin's Daily Rituals In the bath at home do not do `Aghamarshan' (saying of mantra wiping off the sins) and `Tarpan' (offering til to

Gods, forefathers and Rishis). Do not take hot water bath on the day of birth of a son on day of Shraddha or death on Sankranti, Purnima and Amavasya. Take the darbha in hand, tie the hair on the head (shikha) with them, and enchant the water of your bath with `Apohishta' etc., mantra and three Gayatri. Take cold water first and then hot water. While taking bath in the river, face to the flow of the river and do `Aghamarshan'. In the bath at home, turn your face to the east in the morning and to the west in the evening. Bath purifies the body if taken after weeping, vomiting, sex-act

and sight of bad dreams. A Grahastha should not wear wet and saffron cloth. He should have a `upwastra' such as dupatta. If there is no upwastra, the credit of the bath goes to Rakshas. The Brahmins should wear white dhoti and should have a cloth, a dupatta or a shawl on the body. Bhasma or Vibuthi After bath one should apply Basma or Vibuthi as per Shastra rules. If it is not available 'Gopichandan' should be applied. Devotees of Vishnu have vertical lines of Bhasma (tripundra) on

the forehead. For acquiring long life one should apply bhasma with the middle finger, for devotion use the tarjani i.e. the 2nd finger near the Thumb, for food use the anamika i.e. the 4th finger Bhasma should not be applied on the day of Shraddha, Thread, Wedding and other ceremonies and after funeral bath. Darbha (kind of grass) These are required for Brahmayadna and Tarpan, Durva, wala, darbha, kush, kunda, wheat, paddy, mola, nagarmotha, Bhadra and mustha are the ten kinds of

grass which can be used as darbha. Darbha should be brought on Bhadrapad and Shravan Amavasya and stored and used for a year. Brahma is at the end of the darbha, Rudra is at the root and Vishnu is in the middle. Pavitraka (ring) of darbha should be kept in a finger. Sins are wiped off due to this. While doing jap (recitation), tap (penance), homa, (sacrifice) and chanting of Vedas, gold or silver rings should not be taken off, for wearing the darbha pavitraka. Ring should not be put in the tarjani by one who has father. Ring with 9 gems destroys sins. A Brahmin should have a ring with at least one gem. Sandhya A Brahmin should start Sandhya after bath, early in the morning when the nakshatra (stat) is visible in the sky. He should offer 'Arghyas' (offering water) to the Sun at Sunrise. If the normal time for the Arghya has elapsed one more Arghya should be given. Mandesh

demons are always fighting with the Sun. To nullify the obstruction in the rising of the Sun, these Arghyas are to be given. These Arghyas strike the demons like weapons and in order to wipe off this sin, one has to move round oneself saying 'Asavaditya Brahma...' Recitation of Gayatri After this recollect the names of Rishis etc. and recite 'Gayatri Mantra.' For this purpose a wreath of Rudraksha, coral beads or white stone beads should be used. The wreath should not have any

broken beads. One should observe 'moun' (nonspeaking) while reciting. One should recite the morning and midday Sandhya after standing and the evening Sandhya after sitting. Recitation of Gayatri at home gives one credit; if done outside it gives double credit. If done on the bank of a river the credit is threefold, and if done at a cowshed or a vrindawan (Tulsi plant planted in the hallow stone or in brick construction) the credit is tenfold. The recitation at a place of Agnihotra, gives 100-fold credit; at a holy place or near a shrine of god it gives 1000 fold credit, while recitation near Vishnu gives crore-fold credit and near Shiva it gives immeasurable credit. Recitation made while sitting on a broken wood plank causes misery, and that done while sitting on grass, causes loss of good fate and glory. Recitation done while sitting on a stone causes disease; that done while sitting on bhasmasan causes cure of diseases. A blanket seat gives pleasure; a seat of the skin of a black deer gives knowledge, while that of the skin of a black deer gives knowledge, while that of the skin of a tiger gives salvation. Kushasan causes hypnotism and destroys all diseases and sins. The appearance (Dhyan of Gayatri in the morning Sandhya is of Kumari. Her color is red, her clothes are red. She is riding a goose. She has four hands and four heads. The appearance of Gayatri in the midday Sandhya is of a young lady. Her color is white. Her clothes are white. She is riding on ox. She has five heads. The appearance of Gayatri in the evening Sandhya is of an old lady. Her color is black. Her clothes are black. She rides Garud. She has four heads. Sunmukh, Samput, Vitat, Vistrat, Dwimukh, Trimukh, Chaturmukh, Panchmuykh, Shanmukh, Adhomukh, Vyapanjalik, Shakat, Y:ampash, Gnanthit, Sanmukhonmukh, Pralamb, Muohti, Matsya Kurma, Varaha, Sinhakranti, Mahakranti, Mudgar and

Pallava are the 24 mudras (poses). Recitation of Gayatri with mudras is more fruitful. Gayatri has three parts (pad or charan), and they should not be recited without pause after each part. 'Man' means mind and 'Tra' means Pran (soul). Recitation of a mantra should therefore be done with the union of mind and soul. To Be Contd...Devotees Can Read This Book from The Book Section ofwww.Saileelas.org/books/ShriGuruCharitra.doc

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