[Advaita-l] snAna vidhi and gangA dhyAnaM

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

Just off the topic !  Thought of sharing something which I follow.  It has been observed in many 
households that people don't follow the basic method of taking bath.  The bath sans ritualistic bath is like 
"kunjara-snAna" (akin to the bath of an elephant) where it takes the bath in river and again 
smudges itself with  the dirt in the banks.  

Furnishing below the basic method of taking bath everyday which everyone can easily follow.  

This is the “gangA dhyAna vidhi” which everyone should chant before taking the morning bath thereby
one becomes externally pure, per se.

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गंगा ध्यानं

गंगा गंगेति यो ब्रूयात योजनानां शतैरपि ।
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ॥

अम्ब ! त्वद्दर्शनान्मुक्तिः न जाने स्नानजं फलम् ।
स्वर्गारोहणसोपाने ! महापुण्यतरंगिणि !

विश्वेशं केशवं ढुंण्ढिं दण्दपाणिं च भैरवम् ।
वन्दे काशीं गुहां गंगां भवानीं मणिकर्णिकाम् ।

त्वं राजा सर्वतीर्थानां त्व्मेव जगतः पिता ।
याचितो देहि मे तीर्थं सर्वपापापनुत्तये ॥

योऽसौ सर्वगतो विष्णुश्चित्स्वरूपी निरंजनः ।
स एव द्रवरूपेण गंगाम्भो नात्र संशयः ॥

नन्दिनी नलिनी सीता मालिनी च महापगा ।
विष्णुपादाब्जसम्भूता गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी ॥
भागीरथी भोगवती जाह्नवी त्रिदशेश्वरी ।
द्वादशैतानी नामानि यत्र यत्र जलाशये ।
स्नाकाले पठेत् नित्यं महापातकनाशनम् ॥	

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Those who can chant अघमर्षण सूक्तं (Aghamarshana Sukta) can chant the same after this shlokas.  
Those who are applying मृत्तिका (mrittika – the soil / clay from tulasi brundavana) can chant मृत्तिका सूक्तं depending upon the 
availability of the time and official schedules.

Infact, ritualistic process of taking bath is a lengthy one and one has to do Achamana followed by snAna-sankalpa.  
These aspects are followed when one is taking bath in flowing river. For taking bath in bathrooms of apartments and 
using soap is the order of the day now.  So,  chanting of  गंगा ध्यानं is enough.  

नग्नस्नानम् (taking bath without clothes) is prohibited in dharma shaastra and one has to wear a white cloth / towel while taking bath.  
Another dry cloth should be placed on the hanger.  Once the bathing is over with gangA dhyAna, one should wipe oneself with the dry cloth, 
rinse it with water and should wear the same (the towel / cloth used for wiping) by removing the wet towel (that was worn while bathing) from upwards. Depending upon the time, one can chant the वस्त्र निपीडिनमन्त्रं (mantra while rinsing the cloth) by which the pitru-devatas get tripti. 

After coming out, should wear the white dry dhoti and uttareeyam by perform पुराण आचमनं.  This is followed by ऊर्ध्वापुण्ड्र धारण either with 
jala or tulasi mrittika and regular procedure of sandhyavandana is performed.  Generally, bhasma dhAraNa is done after arghya pradAna 
which is followed by most of the andhraites and by me also.

Regs,
Sriram