SADHANA STEPS ( THE COMPREHENSIVE METHOD)

     

                                                                 STEP 16 

                                              TAKE THE VOW (SANKALPA)

  

                TAKE IT ONLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR SADHANA

                  1.... (YOUR FULL NAME) BORN IN ..... (STATE YOUR GOTRA. IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR GOTRA, SIMPLY SAY NARAYANA GOTRA FOR EVERYONE IS A CHILD OF THE DIVINE) ON .... (STATE YOUR DATE OF BIRTH) HEREBY VOW TO DO A PURUSHCHARANA OF ... (THE NAME OF YOUR MANTRA, LIKE GAYATRI, SRI SUKTAM, GURU MANTRA, ETC.) OVER THE NEXT ... (STATE THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU'LL BE CHANTING THE MANTRA OVER, FOR EXAMPLE, 40, 90, 100, 300 AND SO ON) DAYS SO I MAY BECOME A WORTHY RECIPIENT OF YOUR GRACE AND ATTAIN THE DESIRED OUTCOME.

                                                              STEP 17

                                  MANTRA BREATHING (MANTRA SHVASA)

       

                     STARY BY COMPLETELY AND GENTLY EXHALING FROM BOTH NOSTRILS BEFORE YOU CAN BEGIN THE MANTRA BREATHING PROCESS BELOW:

                   WITH YOUR RIGHT THUMB, CLOSE YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL AND BREATHE IN DEEPLY FROM THE LEFT. WHILE BREATHING IN, CHANT GAYATRI MANTRA.

                 NOW, LIFT THE THUMB FROM RIGHT NOSTRIL AND CLOSE YOUR LEFT NOSTRIL BY PLACING THE INDEX FINGER OF YOUR RIGHT HAND. EXHALE GENTLY. CHANT GAYATRI MANTRA WHILE EXHALING.

                 KEEP THE SAME HAND POSITION AND DEEPLY INHALE FROM YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL NOW. CHANT THE MANTRA WHILE INHALING FROM YOUR RIGHT NOSTRIL.

                NOW, LIFT YOUR INDEX FINGER FROM THE LEFT NOSTRIL AND PUT YOUR THUMB ON THE RIGHT NOSTRIL TO CLOSE IT. GENTLY EXHALE FROM YOUR LEFT NOSTRIL AND CHANT YOUR MANTRA WHILE EXHALING.

                THIS IS ONE ROUND OF INHALATION-EXHALATION, WHICH INVOLVES INHALING FROM YOUR LEFT, EXHALING FROM YOUR RIGHT, INHALING FROM YOUR RIGHT AND EXHALING FROM YOUR LEFT.

                          (  DO THREE ROUNDS OF MANTRA BREATHING )

                                                                 STEP 18

                                               APPLICATION (VINIYOGA)

                 THE WORD VINIYOGA MEANS APPLICATION. UNLIFE SANKALPA, VINIYOGA IS CHANTED EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT YOUR SADHANA. USE THE FOLLOWING MANTRA WITH WATER IN YOUR RIGHT PALM :

            SAPTAVYAHRATINAM JAMADAGNI BHARADVAJA ASTRI-GAUTAMA

           KASYAPA-VISVAMITRA-VASISTHA RSAYAH

           GAYATRYUSNIGANUSTUBBRHATI-PA MKTISTRISTUBJAGATYACHANDADA MSI

           AGNI-VAYU-SURYA-BRHSPATI-VARUNENDRA-VISVEDEVA DEVATAH

           SARVAPAPAKSAYARTHE JAPE VINIYOGAH

  

                                                              STEP 19

                           PURIFICATION OF HANDS (KARA SHUDDHI)

                  CHANT THE FOLLOWING MANTRA AND SHOW THE APPROPRIATE MUDRAS TO PERFORM PURIFICATION OF THE HANDS. 

                      SANSKRIT                                               GESTURE WITH BOTH HANDS

       AIM AMGUSTHABHYAM NAMAH                 TOUCH THE TIP OF YOUR THUMB AT 

                                                                                          THE BASE OF YOUR INDEX FINGER

       HRIM TARJANIBHYAM NAMAH                    TOUCH THE TIP OF YOUR THUMB TO                                                                                                  THE TIP OF YOUR INDEX FINGER.

      SRIM MADHYAMABHYAM NAMAH               TOUCH THE TIP OF YOUR THUMB TO  

                                                                                         THE TIP OF YOUR MIDDLE FINGER.

     AIM ANAMIKABHYAM NAMAH                       TOUCH THE TIP OF YOUR THUMB TO

                                                                                         THE TIP OF YOUR RING FINGER.

   HRIM KANISTHIKABHYAM NAMAH                TOUCH THE TIP OF YOUR THUMB TO 

                                                                                        THE TIP OF YOUR LITTLE FINGER.

  SRIM KARATALAKARA PRSTHABHYAM          TOUCH THE BACK OF YOUR LEFT HAND

    NAMAH                                                                     WITH THE BACK OF YOUR RIGHT HAND                                                                                             AND THEN CLAP SOFTLY.

                                                                                               

                                                               STEP 20

                            UNIFICATION WITH THE MANTRA ( MANTRA NYASA)

               IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS IN SADHANA. WITH NYASA, YOU ESTABLISH THE VARIOUS LETTERS OF THE MANTRA IN YOU. YOU BECOME THE DEITY YOURSELF.

                                         PLEASE DO ALL THE NYASA SHOW BELOW :

                                       NYASA OF THE SAGES ( RISHYADI NYASA )

            SANSKRIT                                                TOUCH WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND YOUR...

         OM GAYATRYA VISVAMITRA                         HEAD

         RSIH NAMAH SIRASI

          GAYATRICHANDASE NAMAH                     MOUTH

         HRADAYE

          SAVITA DEVATA NAMAH                               HEART

          HRADAYE

           JAPOPANAYANE VINIYOGAH                   TAKE THE RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR

          NAMAH SARVAMGE                                     HEAD AND THEN BRING IT BACK IN                                                                                                   FRONT OF YOU JOINING YOUR HANDS

                                                                                     HANDS NEAR YOUR HEART IN THE                                                                                                     POSTURE OF NAMASTE.

         OM VISVAMITRA RSAYE                                 HEAD

         NAMAH SIRASI