Maanasa SnAnam ( Bathing with Mantras without Water)

[lakshmi-narasimhan-s]

Sri:

Copy pasting only: adiyEn is translating the Ahnika grantam of HH the 45th pattam , Azhagiya Singar , Sri NaarAyaNa Yateendhra Mahaa Desikan

Two Kinds of SnAnam :
As a part of sadAcAram and anushThAnam, SrI VaishNavAs have prescribed rules for performing their daily ablutions (snAnams) to prepare themselves properly for the daily ArAdhanams for their Lord, SrIman NaarAyaNA.
Vangipuram Nampi, who was a direct disciple of AcArya RaamAnujA received instructions from his guru on SrI VaishNava dinacaryA and elaborated on his AcAryA's nitya grantham in his kArikai. Swami Desikan covered many of these topics related to snAnam mainly in his PaancarAtra RakshA, saccaritra RakshA and briefly in SrImad rahasya traya sAram (sAdhyopAya SodhanAdhikAram and PrabhAva vyavasthAdhikAram chapters).
In SrI Sannidhi (Ahobila maTham sampradAyam), the 26th jIyar (SrIvaN SaThakopa SrI RanganAtha SaThakopa yatIndra MahA Desikan) blessed us with a grantham revered as “VaishNava sadAcAra nirNayam” to enhance j~nAnam, anushThAnam and Atma guNams. The 42nd jIyar (Injimettu Azhagiya Singar) edited the original text and corrected the mistakes that had crept in and rereleased this grantham of SrI Sannidhi.
The 45th jIyar (SrIvaN SaThakopa SrI NaarAyaNa YatIndra MahA Desikan) released a magnificently rich edition of the Ahnika grantham of the 26th and 42nd jIyars for our benefit in 1990. Those who wish to obtain additional information are referred to these mUla granthams. I will summarize briefly the different types of snAnams and the meaning of the mantrams of mAnasa snAnam here. The major categories of snAnams are of two kinds; mukhya snAnam and gauNa snAnam. There are subcategories under them, which we will not cover here.
mantra snAnam precedes mAnasa snAnam. The mantra snAnam starts with "Om ApohishThA mayo bhuva:" and ends with "Om Apo janayathA ca na:" We will be covering in great detail the meanings of these mantrAs from the Yajur, Rg and Saama Veda Point of view .
There are nine (9) mantrams here and appropriate sprinkling of water (prokshaNam-s) here on the head, heart and foot regions. The mAnasa snAnam starts thereafter. mAnasa snAnam is the most sacred of all snAnams according to our AcAryAs. Swami Desikan states with authority, "mAnasam vishNu cintanam". For those, who are unable to perform vAruNa snAnam (taking a bath by immersion in water) due to illness or other inconveniences, mAnasa snAnam is vital. It is also performed before wearing Urdhva PuNDrams and prAta: sandhyA Vandanam.
One should meditate upon AkASa GangA that flowed from the sacred feet of Trivikraman falling on our head and entering our body through Brahma randhram (a sacred cavity in our head) and permeate all through our inside and then flow outside and cleanse us of all dirt and blemishes. At that time, we should meditate on the glorious subhASrayam (tirumEni) of SrIman NaarAyaNA from His lotus feet to the sacred tirumuDi. Then the mAnasa snAna Slokams are recited.

Slokam 1:.
khasthitam puNDarIkAksham mantramUrtim harim smaret |
anantAditya sankASam vAsudevam caturbhujam ||
khasthitam = One who resides in SrI VaikuNThtam
puNDarIkAksham = One who has the eyes similar to the red lotus in its beauty and softness (sentAmaraik KaNNan)
mantramUrtim = One who is the embodiment of Pancopanishad mantrams
harim smaret = One should reflect on Hari of these attributes .
anantAditya sankASam vAsudevam catur bhujam = (We should meditate on Him), who has the lustre of limitless AdityAs (Suns) and who is the Vaasudeva mUurty with four arms.
Slokam 2:
Sankha cakra gadA padma dhAriNam vanamAlinam |
SyAmalam Saanta hrdayam divya pItAmbarAvrtam ||
He is the One fit for meditation with Paancajanyam, sudarSanam, divine mace and a beautiful red lotus in His four hands. He is wearing a fragrant garland known as VanamAlai (garland made of wild flowers of the forest). He has the hue of a dark green mountain (Paccai mAmalai pOl mEni). He has the most compassionate and tranquil disposition (hrdayam). He wears the divine
golden yellow garment in His waist (pItAmbaram).
(That is how we should meditate on Him)
Slokam 3:
divya candana liptAngam cAruhAsam subhekshaNam |
aneka ratna sanchannam sphuran makara kuNDalam ||
He has divine sandal paste smeared on His limbs; He has the most captivating smile; He has the benevolent glances that banish all inauspiciousness; His body is hidden under the many pieces of divine jewelry adorning Him; His ears are resplendent with shining makara kuNDalams.
Slokam 4:
nAradAdibhirAsevyam bhAsvadvimala kankaNam |
sakinkiNIka keyUra dhAiNam makuTojjvalam ||
He is surrounded by Sages like NaaradA who are eulogizing Him. He is wearing the resplendent bracelets (KankaNam-s) on His wrists. He is further adorned by KinkiNI (silampu with bells as ankle ornaments) and upper arm jewelry (keyUram-s) and looks beautiful. On His head rests the splendidly radiant crown.
Slokam 5:
dhvaja vajrAnkuSa lakshya pAda padmam sunirmalam |
tat pAdapadmajAm gangAm nipatantIm svamUrdhani ||
As the supreme Lord, the soles of His lotus feet carry the insignia of Flag, Vajram (Ayudham, the back bone of sage MaricI), and goad; those sacred feet are pristinely pure and destroy every kind of inauspiciousness. From those lotus feet flows the sacred GangA and that pravAham falls on my head.
Slokam 6:
cintayed brahmarandhreNa praviSantIm svikAm tanum |
tayA sankshAlitam dhyAyed bhAhyamAbhyantaram malam ||

That sacred GangA should be meditated upon as entering one's body through the brahma randhram (cavity in the head), flowing through out the inside and outside of the body and removing all malams (sins and blemishes).
ityuktam mAnasam snAnam sarva snAnAdhikam param |
iti mAnasa snAnam kuryAt ||
This is the mAnasa snAnam prescribed by the sacred ones (Sages) as the best among all kinds of ablutions to prepare oneself for Bhagavat ArAdhanam and kaimkaryam.

Source: VaradAchAri Sadagopan