How to perform Purascharana

After knowing that people are interested in knowing about purascharan, see many visiting what is purascharana page, thought of writing a blog on how to do apurascharana.

The first and foremost requirement for doing a purascharana is Mantra. By mantra what we mean is the one initiated by a Guru and not just picked up from a book, due to infatuation or fantasy or the fun of it. Most of the time the mantras, which one is not initiated if put to use, gives a lot of trouble (have myself experienced and seen with others), and this is from a person who did not believe in mantras.

After deciding on the mantra. One should have a proper blessing and guidance of the Guru to perform the purascharana. Without this there is no point in doing it.

After performing the daily oblations, particularly if one is initiated into the sacred thread, should perform the sandhya-vandhana. Without sandhya-vandhana, for the initiated, any number of chanting will only be giving partial or no result. So, I prescribe, atleast for a short period before doing a purascharana, one take up chanting the gayatri mantra along with the sandhya, to gain focus.

After bath, and applying the forehead marks (bhasma, kumkum or whatever one is used to), start with the achamana, ritualistic sipping of water with the mantra initiated (from here on mantra is only the mantra of purascharana). Worshiping of the deity in the form of a yantra or statue is also accepted as a part of the purascharana.

If one is going to use an yantra, it should be the one for the deity of mantra, and should be drawn by the competent person, and if is bought from the shop, should be purified and initiated before the puja. Initiation of the yantra is the pranaprathishtha which a competent Guru should be able to do. Statue puja doe not involve te complexities of the yantra puja. In the yantra puja, one is required to invoke the deities in each portion of the yantra (this is a matter for another blog).

After performing the puja. The mantra should be chanted. These are the angas (limbs) one has to perform before starting the chanting of the mantra – 1. Rishi-chandas-devata nyasa, 2.Anga and Kara nyasa, 3. Devata dhyana (with sloka), 4. Devata dhyana (with the gayatri mantra for the devata), this is optional, 5. Mantra chanting. (may write a different blog for each one of these, in detail)

1. Rishi-chandas-devata nyasa – Rishi - each mantra has a Rishi, who is the one who saw the mantra with the deity associated e.g. ganaka, vamadeva, dakshinamurthy etc, Chandas – the meter in which the mantra is strung e.g. gayatri, pankti etc, Devata – the deity associated with the mantra. There are two more parts in this, the keelaka and the shakti, which is like the key and the power to the mantra. As it is considered each mantra has a shapa (curse) or so, this becomes important.

2.Anga and Kara nyasa – the mantra Shastra says “deva bhutva devan apyeti” (becoming the deity, worships the deity). This is done here. Sometimes the mantra is broken into different portions or it maybe altogether different associated deities, whicb is placed in different parts of the body. In the case of

a. Anga nyasa – the different parts of the mantra are placed or invoked in 1. heart, 2. forehead, 3. Tuft area, 4. Shoulders, 5. Eye triads (including the third eye) and 6 which creates a layer of protection from the unwanted disturbances from the other elements.

b. Kara nyasa – the same different parta (generally) as used in the anga nyasa is used in 1. Thumb, 2.first finger, 3. Middle finger, 4. Ring finger, 5. Little finger and 6. the palm and backside of the palm

3. Devata dhyana (with sloka) – each deity has a different form, shiva in the form of dakshinamurthy is different from the natraja (or if you like, lakshmi is different from saraswati or shakti). And different dakshinamurty or laksmni or ganesha have different froms. The form is for and of the mantra. Should chant this sloka and meditate on the deity in that particular form.

4. Devata dhyana (with the gayatri mantra for the devata) – as said already, this is optional. Not all the deities have gayatri mantra and not all the tradition follow this.

5. Mantra chanting – again and again, I am not tired of saying, chant only the mantra one is INITIATED bu a proper Guru. The deity is of the form of mantra. Fix the number of repetition, in malas or in numbers, per day. And follow the routine. The mantra chould be chant in the morning and the evening. Though in the evening there is no need for the puja as done in the morning. Otherwise, all the other steps explained above should be performed.

If the competent Guru prescribes a path, which overrides all the above, follow the Guru.