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Ahneeka Prakarana (The details of the acts/rituals to be performed )
Ahneekam are the acts that we should perform during the day and night. This chapter gives in detail, the proper ways of doing our duties from the time we wake up on a day till we wake up next morning.
I Prabodha Samaya:-
(Waking up time)
1.Manu:-
We should wakeup during the Brahma Muhurtha (4.30 AM) . As soon as we wake up we should take a stock of
1.The actions we did yesterday.
2. The money we earned by just means
3. The actions that we plan to do today.
4. How we are going to earn money today.
5. How we have to behave so that we do not hurt others. And
6.The efforts involved in doing the duties.
And then we should think of God.
2.Smruthi Bhaskara:-
The last part of the night is Brahma Muhurtha. The night s divided in to four Yamas of three hours each. Each three hours is subdivided in to 3¾ Muhurthas. Thus there will be two last Muhurthas in the in the final Yama of the night. The first of these is called Brahma and the second would be called Roudhra. Approximately the Brahma Muhurtha would start at 4.30 Am.
3.Vishnu:-
Daily as soon as we wake up we should take stock of our life. We should think about 1. The activities of the previous day
2. Whether we gave any charity during the previous day
3 .Even if we have not given anything in charity, did we ask some body else to give
4. The truths that we have spoken and think about our age , death disease , sorrows, passions and also the future when we would become older.
II.Brahme Muhurthe Japyani”:-
(To be chanted in the Brahma Muhurtha)
The following Slokas are to be chanted as soon as one gets up:-
Oh Brahma, Oh Vishnu, Oh Lord Shiva , Oh Sun God, Oh Moon God,
Oh Budha, the son of earth, Oh Guru, Oh Shukra, Oh Saturn ,
Oh Rahu Oh Kethu , All of you please make this morning good to me. 1
Oh Sage Shukra, Oh sage Vasishta, Oh sage Krathu, Oh sage Aangeeras ,
Oh king Manu, Oh sage Pulasthya , Oh sage Pulaha , Oh sage Gowthama,
Oh sage Rahibhya, Oh sage Mareechi , Oh sage Chyavana ,
And Oh Daksha, all of you please make this morning good to me. 2
Oh sage Sanathkumara, Oh sage Sananda, Oh sage Sanathans,
Oh sage Appyasura, Oh sage Simhala , Oh seven notes,
Oh seven great mountains , Oh seven sages , oh seven holy rivers,
Oh seven animals , and oh seven worlds, make this morning good to me. 3
Oh sweet smelling earth along with its rivers , Oh air which touches me,
Of fire , which burns fiercely, Oh sky . Oh passing sounds,
And all the great things, make this morning good to me. 4
If these very holy verses are read in the morning or at least remembered,
that would destroy bad dreams , and make the morning good, by the blessing of God.
Reading the epic Mahabharata , or singing it with blessing of Saraswathi.
If Brahmins also sing the name of Lord Kesava as soon as they get up,
Would be blessed by Nala , Yudhishtra , Goddess Sita and Lord Janardhana. 6
3. Shandilya:-
In the early morning the names of God should be repeated in a loud voice. Singing the names is considered equivalent to reciting prayers.
The Brahmin who recites Vedas in the morning and sees lucky people , cow , fire and the person doing Yaga would be saved from all dangers.
III, Soucha Vidhi
(laws of cleanliness)
1.Angeeras:-
After getting up from the bed , gargle and clean your mouth , do Achamana (ritual of inner cleaning) , cover your head with a cloth and without spitting as well as taking deep breath, attend to your calls of nature in bushes covered by grass which are not used for worship. It is clear from here that when we are engaged in some activity and want to answer the calls of nature, we have to do Achamana before that.
2.Yagnavalkya:-
During day time as well as dusk , hang the sacred thread on the right ear and face north while answering calls of nature. In the night face the south.
Take with you water and mud for cleaning yourselves and attend calls of nature facing north in the day time and face south at night. If we collect water and mud afterwards, then we have to take bath with the cloths that we are wearing.
3.Aangeeras:-
If you happen to urinate in a place where water is not available for cleaning , then clean yourself as soon as you get water and take bath. If you happen to attend calls of nature with wet cloths, do Pranayama three times and take bath again. If you attend calls of nature before cleaning yourself after vomiting, after shaving and after cropping and after making love , you become dirty for three days. That is you cannot do any rituals for three days.
4.Manu:-
You should not attend to calls of nature in the way , or on ash, or in cattle house or while seeing air, fire , Brahmin, Sun , Water and cow. We should not attend to calls of nature in ploughed land, water , land meant for fire sacrifice, in dilapidated temples, in ant hills and in nests of animals You should not attend calls of nature while standing, walking , in the river shores and on the top of a mountain. We should not attend calls of nature in front of fire, Sun , moon, water, Brahmin, cow and wind. If such wrong things are done by one, he will loose his intelligence and become mad.
You should not attend calls of nature wearing slippers and holding umbrella. You should not attend to calls of nature in the sky, in front of a woman, Guru and a Brahmin.
If we forget to put the sacred thread on the ears while attending calls of nature, then we have to wear a new sacred thread.
5.Devala:-
After attending to calls of nature one should not get in ponds and rivers to clean yourself. We should take water in a pot and clean yourself.
6.Mareechi:-
The water are mud which we get in a place or country is suitable for cleaning one self.
7.Manu:-
The method of cleaning oneself using mud is described. We should clean the penis once by using the mud and anus thrice using mud after attending the calls of nature. Then the left hand should be cleaned using water mixed with mud ten times and right hand cleaned seven times. This number is for the householder. For Bramacharis it is double this number and Vana Prasthas thrice this number and for Sanyasis four times this number. The leg should be cleaned seven times using the mud. Water should be taken in a broad necked pot , water poured in the concerned place , then the place cleaned by left hand. Then the water should be transferred to left hand and the right hand cleaned.
8.Vyasa:-
First you should clean the anus, then penis, then feet and then the hand.
9.Aapasthambha:-
The above rules of cleanliness has to be observed in the day time. In the night half of it only need to be observed, and while on travel quarter only need to be observed. When you are sick or handicapped, observe as much as possible.
Even boys who have not received sacred thread, women and non Brahmins also should use the above method using water and mud. The number rules above does not apply to them. They have to clean themselves adequately.
10.Devala:-
If you happen to touch man’s bone, open flesh, stool (other’s) , urine , semen and blood , you have to take bath , apply ointments , clean yourself again and do Achamana. Suppose these were our own, then we need only to clean that spot and do Achamana,
Suppose some one takes the entire water of Ganga and uses one mountain of mud to clean oneself till he dies , if he does not have faith , the operation of cleaning will never clean him. So it is necessary to follow the ritualistic rules with faith.
11, Bodhayana:-
Cleaning can be done either by time, fire , water , mud , mental satisfaction . Even if we do not know how they clean, they would definitely clean.
Act of cleaning brings fame to Brahmin. So he should take special effort for doing that. Cleanliness and Dharmic laws unless followed will not give results for any action.
contd..2
I Prabodha Samaya:-
(Waking up time)
1.Manu:-
We should wakeup during the Brahma Muhurtha (4.30 AM) . As soon as we wake up we should take a stock of
1.The actions we did yesterday.
2. The money we earned by just means
3. The actions that we plan to do today.
4. How we are going to earn money today.
5. How we have to behave so that we do not hurt others. And
6.The efforts involved in doing the duties.
And then we should think of God.
2.Smruthi Bhaskara:-
The last part of the night is Brahma Muhurtha. The night s divided in to four Yamas of three hours each. Each three hours is subdivided in to 3¾ Muhurthas. Thus there will be two last Muhurthas in the in the final Yama of the night. The first of these is called Brahma and the second would be called Roudhra. Approximately the Brahma Muhurtha would start at 4.30 Am.
3.Vishnu:-
Daily as soon as we wake up we should take stock of our life. We should think about 1. The activities of the previous day
2. Whether we gave any charity during the previous day
3 .Even if we have not given anything in charity, did we ask some body else to give
4. The truths that we have spoken and think about our age , death disease , sorrows, passions and also the future when we would become older.
II.Brahme Muhurthe Japyani”:-
(To be chanted in the Brahma Muhurtha)
The following Slokas are to be chanted as soon as one gets up:-
Oh Brahma, Oh Vishnu, Oh Lord Shiva , Oh Sun God, Oh Moon God,
Oh Budha, the son of earth, Oh Guru, Oh Shukra, Oh Saturn ,
Oh Rahu Oh Kethu , All of you please make this morning good to me. 1
Oh Sage Shukra, Oh sage Vasishta, Oh sage Krathu, Oh sage Aangeeras ,
Oh king Manu, Oh sage Pulasthya , Oh sage Pulaha , Oh sage Gowthama,
Oh sage Rahibhya, Oh sage Mareechi , Oh sage Chyavana ,
And Oh Daksha, all of you please make this morning good to me. 2
Oh sage Sanathkumara, Oh sage Sananda, Oh sage Sanathans,
Oh sage Appyasura, Oh sage Simhala , Oh seven notes,
Oh seven great mountains , Oh seven sages , oh seven holy rivers,
Oh seven animals , and oh seven worlds, make this morning good to me. 3
Oh sweet smelling earth along with its rivers , Oh air which touches me,
Of fire , which burns fiercely, Oh sky . Oh passing sounds,
And all the great things, make this morning good to me. 4
If these very holy verses are read in the morning or at least remembered,
that would destroy bad dreams , and make the morning good, by the blessing of God.
Reading the epic Mahabharata , or singing it with blessing of Saraswathi.
If Brahmins also sing the name of Lord Kesava as soon as they get up,
Would be blessed by Nala , Yudhishtra , Goddess Sita and Lord Janardhana. 6
3. Shandilya:-
In the early morning the names of God should be repeated in a loud voice. Singing the names is considered equivalent to reciting prayers.
The Brahmin who recites Vedas in the morning and sees lucky people , cow , fire and the person doing Yaga would be saved from all dangers.
III, Soucha Vidhi
(laws of cleanliness)
1.Angeeras:-
After getting up from the bed , gargle and clean your mouth , do Achamana (ritual of inner cleaning) , cover your head with a cloth and without spitting as well as taking deep breath, attend to your calls of nature in bushes covered by grass which are not used for worship. It is clear from here that when we are engaged in some activity and want to answer the calls of nature, we have to do Achamana before that.
2.Yagnavalkya:-
During day time as well as dusk , hang the sacred thread on the right ear and face north while answering calls of nature. In the night face the south.
Take with you water and mud for cleaning yourselves and attend calls of nature facing north in the day time and face south at night. If we collect water and mud afterwards, then we have to take bath with the cloths that we are wearing.
3.Aangeeras:-
If you happen to urinate in a place where water is not available for cleaning , then clean yourself as soon as you get water and take bath. If you happen to attend calls of nature with wet cloths, do Pranayama three times and take bath again. If you attend calls of nature before cleaning yourself after vomiting, after shaving and after cropping and after making love , you become dirty for three days. That is you cannot do any rituals for three days.
4.Manu:-
You should not attend to calls of nature in the way , or on ash, or in cattle house or while seeing air, fire , Brahmin, Sun , Water and cow. We should not attend to calls of nature in ploughed land, water , land meant for fire sacrifice, in dilapidated temples, in ant hills and in nests of animals You should not attend calls of nature while standing, walking , in the river shores and on the top of a mountain. We should not attend calls of nature in front of fire, Sun , moon, water, Brahmin, cow and wind. If such wrong things are done by one, he will loose his intelligence and become mad.
You should not attend calls of nature wearing slippers and holding umbrella. You should not attend to calls of nature in the sky, in front of a woman, Guru and a Brahmin.
If we forget to put the sacred thread on the ears while attending calls of nature, then we have to wear a new sacred thread.
5.Devala:-
After attending to calls of nature one should not get in ponds and rivers to clean yourself. We should take water in a pot and clean yourself.
6.Mareechi:-
The water are mud which we get in a place or country is suitable for cleaning one self.
7.Manu:-
The method of cleaning oneself using mud is described. We should clean the penis once by using the mud and anus thrice using mud after attending the calls of nature. Then the left hand should be cleaned using water mixed with mud ten times and right hand cleaned seven times. This number is for the householder. For Bramacharis it is double this number and Vana Prasthas thrice this number and for Sanyasis four times this number. The leg should be cleaned seven times using the mud. Water should be taken in a broad necked pot , water poured in the concerned place , then the place cleaned by left hand. Then the water should be transferred to left hand and the right hand cleaned.
8.Vyasa:-
First you should clean the anus, then penis, then feet and then the hand.
9.Aapasthambha:-
The above rules of cleanliness has to be observed in the day time. In the night half of it only need to be observed, and while on travel quarter only need to be observed. When you are sick or handicapped, observe as much as possible.
Even boys who have not received sacred thread, women and non Brahmins also should use the above method using water and mud. The number rules above does not apply to them. They have to clean themselves adequately.
10.Devala:-
If you happen to touch man’s bone, open flesh, stool (other’s) , urine , semen and blood , you have to take bath , apply ointments , clean yourself again and do Achamana. Suppose these were our own, then we need only to clean that spot and do Achamana,
Suppose some one takes the entire water of Ganga and uses one mountain of mud to clean oneself till he dies , if he does not have faith , the operation of cleaning will never clean him. So it is necessary to follow the ritualistic rules with faith.
11, Bodhayana:-
Cleaning can be done either by time, fire , water , mud , mental satisfaction . Even if we do not know how they clean, they would definitely clean.
Act of cleaning brings fame to Brahmin. So he should take special effort for doing that. Cleanliness and Dharmic laws unless followed will not give results for any action.
contd..2