66 If the bathing is in a tank or river, after repeating this invocation, he dips right under three times, if it is at a well, he pours water over himself, shouting out Hari "" -one of the names of Vishnu, or "Hara”—one of the names of Siva, according as he is a Vaishnava or a Saiva. Still standing in the water or by the well, he turns to the rising sun, and pours out to it three oblations of water, repeating the Gayatri prayer each time. The bathing over, the next thing is to repeat the morning prayer (Sandhyavandanam), which is done, sometimes near the tank, or river, and sometimes after reaching home. In the event of his doing it at home he will take some water in a vessel from the place where he has bathed. Before, however, the prayers can be said, the Pundrams, or marks must be daubed on (see chapter on the Sacred Marks). If the prayers are said at the water, the worshipper will simply make the marks on his forehead with water, or with earth from the river bed. The morning prayer commences by the repeating of some mantrams to drive away evil spirits from the spot. The worshipper takes three sips of water, repeating the names Keshava, Nārāyana, Mādhava, which are applied both to Vishnu and Siva, according to his sect. This sipping of water is called achamanam, and it is done before every religious ceremony and immediately after meals. The next thing is the mentioning of the time and place, &c. (sankalpam), as will be described in another chapter. Three oblations, or pouring out of water, are again made to the sun, during which the Gayatri is again repeated three times. Three more sips of water are taken, when, taking hold of his sacred thread the worshipper again repeats the Gayatri, at least ten times-marking off the times on the fingers or on the joints of the fingers. After this with clasped hands, he addresses a special prayer to the sun commencing as follows: वस्तमं. fuata zdon ya:, xã zara mafti, az faax The renown of the good Surya, (the sun) who is the supporter of mankind and who is worthy to be adored. It is imperishable and it gives health and prosperity to those who hear and honour it. This done, the worshipper turns to the four quarters of the compass, in the order of east, south, west, and north, repeating at each quarter the following prayer. In all ceremonies and processions of every kind, the turning must always be to the right, and never to the left; hence the order, east, south, &c. The prayer is as follows: ओ नमः प्राच्ये दिशे याश्चदेवता एतस्यां प्रतिवसन्ति एताभ्यश्च नमोनमः ॥ Om. I bow to the east (or other quarter, as the case may be); whatever gods are in this quarter I adore. The prayers conclude by the worshipper mentioning his own name, tribe, family, &c. (pravara), when, if he should be the head of the household, he proceeds to pour out oblations to the manes of his ancestors, three each to his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, mentioning their names and preceding the whole by sankalpam and pravara. This ceremony is called pitrutarpanam. The Gayatri prayer has been before alluded to; and as it enters so largely into the daily ritual, it may be well to describe, at more length, its great importance. This prayer, as indeed is the case with most mantrams, is always preceded by repeating the mystical monosyllable O M, or A U M, as it should be written; this triliteral syllable typifying the Trimurti, or Hindu Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara or Siva. The sacredness in which this word is held may be judged of from the following quotations. "Brahma milked out, as it were the three Vedas, the letter A, the letter U, and the letter M, which form by their coalition the triliteral monosyllable,together with three mysterious words, bhur bhuvah, sever or earth, sky, heaven." "All rites ordained in the Veda, oblations to fire, and solemn sacrifices pass away; but that which passes not away is declared to be the syllable Om, thence called Achshara: since it is a symbol of God the Lord of created beings." (Manu II. 76, 85). The Gayatri is the most sacred of all Hindu prayers, and it must be repeated at least thirty times every day; that is, ten each for morning, noon, and evening prayers, being preceded each time, it is said, by the sacred word O M, and the words bhur, buvaha, swaha. Great advantage is supposed to accrue in proportion to the number of times this prayer is repeated, and many are the injunctions laid down with reference to it. Its origin is thus described by Manu : "From the three Vedas, also, the Lord of creatures, incomprehensibly exalted, successively milked out the three measures of that ineffable text, beginning with the word tad, and entitled Sāvitri or Gayatri." (II. 7. 7). Instructions for its repetition morning and evening and the benefits obtained thereby are thus particularized. “At the morning twilight let him stand repeating the Gayatri until he see the sun; and at evening twilight, let him repeat it sitting, until the stars distinctly appear!" "He who stands repeating it at the morning twilight, removes all unknown nocturnal sin; and he who repeats it sitting at evening twilight, disperses the taint that has unknowingly been contracted in the day !" (II. 101, 102). By continued repetition of the Gayatri at the twilights, the holy sages acquire length of days, perfect knowledge, reputation during life, fame after death, and celestial glory. (IV. 94). One more quotation may be given to show the great benefits suppose to be conferred by the use of this prayer, and which will serve to account for its constant use in the daily ritual. "For as the dross and impurities of metallic ores are consumed by fire thus are the sinful acts of the human organs consumed by suppressions of the breath whilst the mystic words, and the measures of the Gayatri are revolved in the mind." (Manu VI. 71). Before dismissing this topic, it may be well to quote this wonderful prayer, for it is very short, even with the addition of the Om, &c., which are merely used as a kind of preface. So sacred is this mantram held by Hindus, that a pious Brahmin would close his ears with horror if he heard it uttered by impure lips. It is one of the most ancient of all Aryan prayers and its interest is increased when we consider that even now, after being in use since centuries before the Christian era, it still daily rises up to heaven as the aspiration of untold multitudes of pious Hindus. For these reasons, besides quoting the original in the true Devanagari characters, transliteration, as well as the English translation, is appended: ओं भूर्भुवः सुवः ओ तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् || Om, bhur buvah suvah Dhiyo yōnah prachōdayāt. It must be noted that the first line is a kind of introduction to the prayer proper, being an invocation to the gods dwelling in the three worlds, earth, sky, heaven. The prayer is again introduced by the sacred word Om, which I am assured, by a Pandit friend, is the true form now in use. The translation is as follows: Om-earth, sky, heaven! Om-that excellent vivifier, The light divine, let us meditate upon. Which (light) enlightens our understanding. That is:-Let us meditate upon that excellent vivifier, the light divine, which enlightens our understanding. Many who are careless will not perform morning prayers; they will perhaps say them together with those for midday, or perhaps not at all. Any one, however, who wishes to be respected as a good Hindu, will not fail to perform them as above described. Be this as it may, the midday ceremonies, before food, cannot be omitted by any one on pain of liability to excommunication; although it is doubtful whether in these days of latitudinarianism, any one is ever really excommunicated for such a cause. It must be borne in mind that no food of any kind can be taken by the Brahmin before the noontide bath and ceremonies are over; therefore, if occasion should necessitate his setting out for business before midday, things in the household would be hastened. to suit circumstances. The first proceeding in these, as in every other ceremony, is a bath. On going indoors from the bath, the wet cloth is laid aside, and a pure cloth is wound round the waist. When the word pure is here used, it means ceremonially pure. The cloth thus used is one generally kept for the purpose, and, even if it has come home clean from the washerman, it must be at least rinsed out by the person himself or some one of his family. Sometimes a silk cloth is used, as that is supposed to be less liable to pollution than cotton, and this distinction is also conferred upon linen cloths. After putting on the pure waist cloth, the next thing is to put on the pundrams or sacred marks, after which the midday sandhyāvandanam or noontide prayers are said, which prayers are exactly the some as those above described for the morning, except that the special prayer to the sun is a different one; this one commencing thus: आसत्येन रजसा वर्तमानो निवेशयन्नमृतं मर्त्यं च ॥ हिरण्ययेन सविता रथेना देवो याति भुवना विपश्यन् || |