* Atonement for Sandhya-ritual lapse. * Ritual of performing Hom during Shatkarma. * Ritual of Swadhyay during Shatkarma. * Ritual of Devata and Pitrutarpan during Shatkarma.
Atonement for Sandhya-ritual lapse and importance of Homa.
Shri Narayan muni said: -
‘O Brahmin! If a twice-born, out of negligence or indolence, transgresses the exact hour of the Sandhya-ritual, he should undergo atonement to wipe off the fault; then alone he is purified. 1.
If the time of main morning Sandhya is lapsed, he should repeat the Gayatri one hundred and eight (108) times, after taking bath; he should sip water (Achamana) accordingly and then, perform the usual Sandhya-rite. 2.
If there is an essential duty to attend to, a twice-born can perform the mid-day Sandhya in the morning itself, but if there is no reason, he should not make it a routine. 3.
One who doesn’t perform the morning and evening Sandhya, should certainly be considered as a fallen (Mudhatma); he is as good as a Shudra and is expelled from all religious performances. 4.
In case, there is a defilement caused, either by child birth or by death (Sutak) of some relation, a twice-born should perform Sandhya upto Arghya i.e. offering oblations and that too mentally, without Kusha grass and water. 5.
Sandhya, performed in one’s own house, or in a cow shed, or at a riverside is ten times more fruitful, in the succeeding order. Sandhya performed at the confluence of the rivers, is hundred times higher in merit. Sandhya performed in the vicinity (the image) of God, delivers invaluable merit. 6.
Ritual of performing Hom during Shatkarma.
After completing Sandhya, a Brahmin should perform Homaoffering oblations in sacrificial fire. He should do it by himself and not get it done by others. The fruit, which one gets through the sacrifice done by himself is not gained by getting it done by others. 7.
In case of his absence (out of station etc.,), he may get the sacrifice done at the hands of his son, preceptor, or a priest officiating at the sacrifice, brother, nephew (sister’s son) or sonin- law (daughter’s husband), it is as good as sacrifice done by himself. 8.
Thus, when the sacrifice is done at the hands of above mentioned people, the result for it will be half when compared to that of self- performed sacrifice. 9.
If there is some urgent work or in an adverse condition, one should perform Paksha- Homa (which is performed at the end of every fortnight only); otherwise it should never be practiced. 10.
(Now rite of Homa in detail) A Brahmin, should take bath as per rules, wear white, clean clothes and perform the sacrifice with full concentration and controlled senses every day (without fail). 11.
Details of Tarpan ritual.
While performing Homa, a Brahmin, should wear a Pavitraholy ring around his finger of the right hand. The Pavitra should either be made of Kusha grass, copper, silver, or gold. The succeeding ones are better than the preceding ones. 12.
Of all the Pavitras, gold Pavitra (ring) is considered to be the most precious, as gold is, bright-radiant. (If) engraved with God’s name, it is known to be auspicious in all rituals (works). The gold Pavitra should be worn in the Anamika-the ring finger, a silver Pavitra, should be worn in the fore finger and the jewelled Pavitra, should be worn in the little finger or Kanishthika. A man, who wears the Pavitra according to these, becomes pure. 13 - 14.
Ritual of Swadhyay during Shatkarma.
Having performed the homa, a Brahmin should worship the deities with flowers, food offerings etc. and salute them; (they should) also salute the elderly persons, with respect. 15.
Then, the Brahmin with calm and composed mind, should sit in a holy place on the Kusha grass facing the east and recite the Veda of his branch according to his capacity. 16.
Along with the Vedas, he should read-recite any of the texts like the Ramayana, its ancillaries, the Puranas or the Mahabharata as per his wish; Else, he should recite Strotras i.e. Hymns, occurring in those texts. 17.
O Brahmin! To become an expert in the study of these scriptures, one should learn-recite them regularly. He should utter Pranava in the beginning and at the end of the self-study. 18.
Ritual of Devata and Pitrutarpan during Shatkarma.
Now, about the ritual of Tarpana: One performs Tarpana to please the manes (deceased ancestors), Gods and eminent ancestral seers (Brahmarshis), by offering libations of water. Sitting eastward, he should offer water mixed with Akshata to the Gods and the seers and then facing south, offer water mixed with sesame to the manes of his own family. This is the ritual of the Tarpana, as prescribed by the Smritis. 19 - 20.
While offering Tarpana to the manes, he should wear his sacred thread from the right shoulder to the left side of his waist (Apasavya), face the south and offer libation of water mixed with sesame; he should offer Tarpana to Yama and other Gods by offering Devatirtha, facing the east and with Savya (wearing the sacred thread from the left shoulder to the right waist). One should never wear the sacred thread around the neck while offering Tarpana or perform it facing the northerly direction. 21.
Thus, after offering water for the gratification of the ancestors, the Gods and the seers, each separately; he should offer water etc., to all living beings in brief, by saying ‘may entire world from Brahma the creator, to the small leaf of grass (Stamba), be satisfied by this offering.‘ 22.
At the end of Tarpana to Gods, sages and manes, one should say the above mentioned and take off his clothes. This however is not to be done on the Dvadashi (Twelth Tithi), Chaturdashi (fourteenth Tithi), Samkranti and on death anniversary days. Clothes should not be washed by making them soiled on these days. 23.
In the case of offering Tarpana to Gods, the sacred thread should be worn as usual (Yajnopaviti; in the case of sages/Rishis, the sacred thread should be worn around the neck and in the case of Tarpana to the manes the sacred thread should be in Prachinaviti: opposite to the normal position, while uttering the mantras. 24.
(One has to offer) Devatirtha to GGods and Brahmatirtha to sages and Brahmins. For manes, the offerings are of two kinds: Divya and Adivya. 25.
Darbhas (Kusha grass) having stems and roots should be held in right hand and Gods should be offered Tarpana, with sacred thread in the normal position. 26.
Gods should be offered Tarpana, with the stems facing towards Gods; human beings should be offered Tarpana, with the middle portion of the Kushas and manes should be offered Tarpana, with the roots facing them. 27.
There are various kinds of Darbha-grass: Kushas, Kasha, Yava, Durva, Usira, Sakundara, Godhooma, Vreehi, Munja are the main among them. 28.
Kushas are to be cut on the new moon day; Amavasya of the Sravana month are considered to be pure. They can be used again, in other rituals as they are considered pure i.e. brought in the above said day. 29.
Kusha is of length of Pradesamatra: the length between fore finger and thumb (spread); ‘Darbha’ is twice in length of Kusha, ‘Vajra’ is of the length of a hand; and those like cows tail are called ‘Truna’. 30.
Kusha is best for obsequies or rites done in the name of the deceased (Shraddha); for giving gifts, Darbhas are good. Vajras are preferred for ‘Avasathya’, i.e. for rites related to household sacred (Sacrificial) fires and Truna is preferred for funeral rites (Preta karmas). 31.
Darbhas of a hand’s length are best for the Tarpana of the manes, in hundred times, Khadgapatra should be used for the Tarpana of the manes. 32.
One handful (Anjali) of water is proper for Gods, two for ancient seers like Sanaka and others, three for manes, and a handful water is desirable for women. 33.
Mother, father’s mother, grandfather’s mother – these three should be offered three handful of water each and to women, other than these, a handful of water each is to be offered in Tarpana. 34.
On Sundays, Fridays, Tuesdays, all thirteenth Tithis, all seventh Tithis, at night and at twilight (sunrise and sunset hour of Sandhya) on the Magha Nakshatras, Nanda i.e. first Tithis, sixth and eleventh Tithis etc., tarpana with sesame should not be done. 35.
But at the holy places and in particular Tithis (like Amavasya), or on the banks of holy Ganga, or in Pitrupaksa in the holy Ganga, dark fortnight of Bhadrapada, even on the forbidden days, tarpana with sesame mixed water, could be done. 36.
When sesames are not available or on days when their use is prohibited, gold or silver might be used for Tarpana and when gold or silver is not available, Darbha grass or only water with utterances of mantras will suffice. 37.
O Brahmin! Thus, I have told you about the essential duties of a Brahmin,mainly the Homa: morning sacrifice (upto Tarpana) ritual and its details related to it as told by the Smritis: the religious code. Now I shall narrate about the rite of worship of the God that is to be performed every day by the twice-born. 38.
Thus ends the sixth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of the rituals of morning Homa, Brahma-Yajna and propitiation of Gods and ancestors,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra (the rules of the code of conduct). 6