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THE ELEVENTH BOOK
Chapter XX
On the description of Brahmâ Yajñâ, Sandhyâs, etc.
1-25. The twice born (Brâhmana) is firstly to sip three times (make Âchamana); then to make the mârjana (sprinkle water) twice; he is to touch the water by the right hand and sprinkle water on his two feet. Next, he is to sprinkle with water his head, eyes, nose, ears, heart, and head thoroughly. Then speaking out the Des’a and Kâla (place and time) he should commence the Brahmâ Yajñâ. Next for the destruction of all the sins and for getting liberation, he should have the Darbha (sacrificial grass, and the Kus’a grasses), two on his right hand, three on his left hand, one grass each on his seat, sacrificial thread, his tuft, and his heels. No sin can now remain in his body.
“I am performing this Brahmâ Yajñâ for the satisfaction of the Devatâ according to the Sûtra,” thus thinking he is to repeat the Gâyatrî thrice. Then he is to recite the following mantras :-- “Agnimîle purohitam, etc.,” “Yadamgeti” “Agnirvai,” “Mahâvratanchaiva panthâ,” “Athâtah S’amhitâyâs’cha vidâmaghavat,” “Mahâvratasya,” “Îsetvorjetvâ,” “Agna âyâhi” “S’anno Devî rabbîstaye,” “Tasya Samâmnâyo” “Briddairâdaich” “S’iksâm pravaksyâmi,” “Pancha Samvatsareti,” “Mayarasatajabhetyeva,” “Gaurgmâ,” also he is to recite the two following Sûtras :-- “Athâto Dharma Jijñâsâ,” “Athâto Brahmâ Jijñâsa.” Next he is to recite the mantra “Tachhamyoh” and also the mantra “Namo Brâhmane namo stvagnaye namah prithivyai nama Osadhîbhyoh namah”. (These mantras are the famous mantras of the Rig Veda). Next perform the Deva-tarpanam, thus :-- “Om Prajâpati stripyatu”, “Om Brahmâ stripyatu”, “Om Vedâs tripyantu,” “Om Risayastri pyantu”, “ Om Devâstripantu,” “Om Sarvani chhandâmsi tripyantu”, “Om Om Kâra stripyatu”, “Om Vasat Kâra stripyatu”, “Om Vyârhitayas tripyantu”, Om Sâvitrî tripyatu”, “Om Gâyatrî tripyatu”, “Om Yajñâ stripyantu,” Om Dyâvâ prithivyau tripyatâm. Om antarîksam tripyatu, Om Ahorâtrâni tripyantu, Om Sâmkkyâ stripyantu, Om Siddhâ stripyantu, Om Samudrâ stripyantu, Om Nadyâs tripyantu, Om girayas tripyantu, Om Ksettraus adhivana spati gandharvâ Psarasas tripyantu, Om nâgâ vayâmsi gâvascha sâdhyâ viprâsta thaiva cha, yaksâ raksânsi bhutanî tyeva mantâni tripyantu. Next, suspending the sacrificial thread from the neck, perform the Risi tarpanam, thus :-- Om S’atarchinas tripyantu, Om mâdhyamâs tripyantu,
Om Gritsamada stripyatu, Om Vis’vâmitra stripyantu, Om Vâmadeva stripyantu, Om Atri stripyatu, Om Bharadvâjastripyatu, Om Vas’isthastripyatu, Om Pragâthastripyatu, Pâvamânyastripyantu. Next, holding the sacrificial thread over the right shoulder and under the left arm, perform the Tarpanam, thus :--
Om Ksudrasûktâ stripyantu.
Om Mahâsûktâstripyantu.
Om Sanaka stripyatu.
Om Sananda stripyatu.
Om Sanâtana stripyatu.
Om Sanat Kumâra stripyatu.
Om Kapila stripyatu.
Om Âsuristripyatu,
Om Vohalistripyatu.
Om Pañchas’ikha stripyatu.
Om Sumantu Jaimini Vais’ampâyana Paila Sûtra Bhâsya bhârata Mahâ Bhârata Dharmâchâryah stripyantu.
Om Jânantîvâha vigârgya Gautama S’âkalya vâbhravya Mândavya Mândûkeyâ stripyantu.
Om Gârgî Vâchaknavî tripyatu.
Om Vadavâ prâtitheyî tripyatu.
Om Sulabhâ maitreyî tripyatu.
Om Kahola stripyatu.
Om Kausîtaka stripyatu.
Om Mahâ Kausitaka stripyatu.
Om Bhâradvâja stripyatu,
Om Paimga stripyatu.
Om Mahâpaimga stripyatu.
Om Sujajñâ stripyatu.
Om Sâmkhyâyana stripyatu.
Om Aitareya stripyatu.
Om Mahaitareya stripyatu.
Om Vâskala stripyatu.
Om Sâkala stripyatu.
Om Sujâta vaktra stripyatu.
Om Audavâhi stripyatu.
Om Saujâmi stripyatu,
Om S’aunaka stripyatu,
Om Âs’valâyana stripyatu.
26-54. Let all the other Âchâryas be satisfied. “Om Ye Ke châsmat kule Jâtâ aputrâ gotrino mritâh. te grihnantu mayâ dattam vastranispîdi to dakam.” Saying thus offer water squeezed out of a cloth. O Nârada! Thus I have spoken to you of the rules of Brahmâ Yajñâ. Whoever performs thus the Brahmâ Yajñâ gets the fruits of studying all the Vedas. Then performing, in due order, the Vais’va deva, Homa, S’râddha, serving the guests, and feeding the cows, the devotee is to take his meals during the fifth part of the day along with the other Brâhmanas. Then the sixth and the seventh parts of the day he is to spend in reading histories and the Purânas. Then the eighth part of the day he is to devote in seeing the relatives, talking with them and receiving visits from other persons; then he will be prepared to perform the evening Sandhyâ. O Nârada! I am now talking of the evening Sandhyâ. Listen. S’rî Bhagavatî is pleased very quickly with him who performs the evening Sandhyâ. First make the Âchaman and make the Vâyu (air) in the body steady. With heart tranquilled and with the seat Baddha Padmâsana, be calm and quiet while engaged in performing the Sandhyâ. At the commencement of all actions prescribed in the S’rutis and Smritis, first perform the Sagarbha Prânâyama. In other words recite the mantra mentally for the due number of moments and make the Prânâyama. Simply meditating is called Agarbha Prânâyama. Here no mantra is necessary to be recited. Then have the Bhutas’uddhi (have the purifications of the elements) and make the Sankalpa. First of all, the purification of elements, etc., are to be done first; one becomes, then, entitled to do other actions. While doing Pûraka (inhaling), Kumbhaka (retaining) and Rechaka (exhaling) in Pranâyâma, meditate on the Deity stated duly. In the evening time meditate on the Bhagavatî Sandhyâ Devî thus :-- The name of the then Gâyatrî Devî is Sarasvatî. She is old, of black colour, wearing ordinary clothes; in her hands are seen conch shell, disc, club and lotus. On Her feet the anklets are making sweet tinkling sounds; on Her loins there is the golden thread; decked with various ornaments. She is sitting on Garuda. On Her head the invaluable jewel crown is seen; on Her neck, the necklaces of stars; Her forehead is shining with a brilliant lustre emitting from the pearl and jewel Tâtamka ornaments. She has put on yellow clothes; Her nature is eternal knowledge and ever-bliss. She is uttering Sâma Veda. She resides in the Heavens and daily She goes in the path of the Sun. I invoke the Devî from the Solar Orb. O Nârada! Meditate on the Devî thus and perform the Sandhyâ. Then perform the Mârjanam by the mantra “Âpohisthâ” and next by the mantra
“Agnis’cha mâ manyus’cha.” The remaining actions are the same as before. Next, repeat the Gâyatrî and offer, with a pure heart, the offering of Arghya to the Sun for the satisfaction of Nârâyana. While offering this Arghya, keep the two legs level and similar and take water in folded palms and meditating on the Devatâ within the Solar Orb, throw it towards Him. The fool that offers Sûryârghya in the water, out of ignorance, disregarding the injunctions of the S’rutis, will have to perform Prâyas’chitta for that sin. Next, worship the Sun by the Sûrya mantra. Then taking one’s seat, meditate on the Devî and repeat the Gâyatrî. One thousand times or five hundred times the Gâyatrî is to be repeated. The worship, etc., in the evening is the same as in the morning. Now I am speaking of the Tarpanam in the Evening Sandhyâ. Hear. Vas’istha is the Risi of the aforesaid Sarasvatî. Visnu in the form of Sarasvatî is the Devatâ; Gâyatrî is the Chhanda; its application is in the Evening Sandhyâ Tarpanam. Now the Tarpanam of the Sandhyânga (the adjunct of Sandhyâ) runs as follows :--
“Om Svah Purusam Tarpayâmi.”
“Om Sâmavedam Tarpayâmi.”
“Om Sûryamandalam tarpayâmi.”
“Om Hiranyagarbham tarpayâmi.”
“Om Paramâtmânam tarpayâmi.”
“Om Sarasvatîm tarpayâmi.”
“Om Devamâtaram tarpayâmi.”
“Om Samkritim tarpayâmi.”
“Om Vriddhâm Sandhyâm tarpayâmi
“Om Visnu rûpinîm Usasîm tarpayâmi.”
“Om Nirmrijîm tarpayâmi.”
“Om Sarvasiddhi kârinîm tarpayâmi.”
“Om Sarvamantrâ dhipatikâm tarpayami.”
“Om Bhurbhuvah Svah Purusam tarpayâmi.”
Thus perform the Vaidik Tarpanam. O Nârada! Thus have been described the rules of the sin destroying evening Sandhyâ. By this evening Sandhyâ, all sorts of pains and afflictions and diseases are removed. And ultimately the Moksa is obtained. What more than this that you should know this Sandhyâ Bandanam as the principal thing amongst the good conduct and right ways of living. Therefore S’rî Bhagavatî fructifies all the desires of the Bhaktas who perform this Sandhyâ Vandanam.
Here ends the Twentieth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the description of Brahmâ Yajñâ, Sandhyâs, etc., in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.