SADHANA STEPS (STEP FROM 31 TO 36)

  

                                                              STEP 31

                                             FIRE OFFERING (YAJNA)

                   FIRE OFFERINGS HAVE BEEN DETAILED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THIS APPENDIX. THE NUMBER OF FIRE OFFERINGS SHOULD BE ONE-TENTH OF YOUR MANTRA CHANTING.

                                                         STEP 32

                                       LIBERATIONS (TARPANA)

                  TARAPANA  ARE WATER OFFERINGS OR LIBERATIONS - AS THEY ARE USUALLY CALLED - MADE TO THE DEITY OF YOUR MANTRA. ONE-TENTH OF YOUR YAJNA IS YOUR LIBERATION COUNT. ADD "OM TARPYAMI" AT THE END OF GAYATRI MANTRA WHILE CHANTING.

                                                               STEP 33

                                CORONATION (MARJANA OR ABHISHEKAM)

                        THE NUMBER OF  OFFERINGS DONE IN MARJANA IS ONE-TENTH THE NUMBER OF LIBERATIONS. TO DO  MARJANA, TAKE VESSEL NUMBER TWO CONTAINING WATER. JOINING YOUR THUMB AND RING FINGER, DIP IT IN WATER AND SPRINKLE ON YOUR HEAD WITH THE SAME MUDRA.

                      IN THE END, YOU CAN EITHER OFFER THIS WATER TO THE SUN OR POUR IT AT THE ROOT OF ANY TREE. BOTH ARE EQUALLY EFFECTIVE.

                                                          STEP 34

 

                CHARITY (SADHAK BHOJAN OR BRAHMIN BHOJAN)

                 SADHAK BHOJAN IS USALLY DONE NOT EVERY DAY OF YOUR SADHANA BUT ON EHT LAST DAY WHEN YOU COMPLETE YOUR SADHANA. THE IDEA IS TO FEED GOD PRESENT IN LIVING ENTITIES. IT IS ALSO A MOMENT OF CELEBRATION TO MARK THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF YOUR INTENSE ROUTINE SPREAD OVER SO MANY DAYS. IN THE OLDEN TIMES, AN ASPIRANT WOULD EITHER BE PART OF A GURUKUL WHERE THERE WOULD BE OTHER ASPIRANTS AND FEEDING THEM WOULD BE ENOUGH. OR, AN ASPIRANT WOULD GATHER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BRAHMINS. THEY WOULD COME TOGETHER AND WITH BEAUTIFUL VEDIC CHANTS ENERGIZE THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT. THE ASPIRANT WOULD FEED THEM.

 

                  DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO DO EITHER. SO, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ELSE, WHICH EQUALLY EFFECTIVE. SIMPLY SET ASIE WHATEVER YOU CAN EVERY DAY, AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD BUY AT LEAST ONE MEAL FOR A PERSON OR WHATEVER YOU CAN REASONABLY AFFORD. IF YOU ARE REALLY PRESSED FINANCIALLY AND CAN'T SET ASIDE EVEN RS.50 OR A DOLLAR A DAY, THEN SIMPLY SET ASIDE A HANDFUL OF DRY FRUITS EVERY DAY. AT THE END OF YOUR SADHANA, OFFER THEM TO A FELLOW ASPIRANT WHO IS ALSO WALKING THE PATH. IF YOU CAN'T FIND THAT, OFFER IT TO A BRAHMIN WHO SERVES IN A TEMPLE OR CHANTS VEDIC MANTRAS DAILY. IF YOU CAN'T FIND THAT BRAHMIN, THEN OFFER IT TO ANY ORPHANAGE. IF THERE IS NO ORPHANAGE, YOU CAN GIVE IT TO ANY OLD-AGE HOME. IF YOU CAN'T FIND EVEN THAT, FEED IT TO THE BIRDS. IF BY SOME RARE CHANCE, YOU CAN'T DO THAT EITHER, THEN IMMERSE THE OFFERINGS IN A STREAM, RIVER OR THE OCEAN. THE IDEA IS THAT SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOU OR OTHER THAN YOUR OWN FAMILY SHOULD PARTAKE OF YOUR OFFERING SO WHATEVER YOU DID TANGIBLY ALSO HELPS SOMEONE ELSE.

                      

                                                                   STEP 35

                                    SEEK AGAIN (KSHAMA PRARTHANA)

                      REPEAT THE HYMN OF FORGIVENESS AS IN STEP NUMBER 30 FOR THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISTAKES IN YOUR ACTIONS FROM STEP 31-34.

                                                                   STEP 36

                                  OFFER WATER TO THE SUN (SURYA ARGHYA)

                  STEP OUTSIDE AND OFFER THE WATER TO THE SUN. YOU SHOULD DO THIS BY FACING THE SUN. IF DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS OR THE TIME OF THE DAY YOU CAN'T SEE THE SUN, SIMPLY FACE THE DIRECTIONSTHE SUN RISES IN. CHANTING THE MANTRA OF YOUR DEITY, SIMPLY RAISE THE VESSEL OF WATER ABOVE YOUR HEAD AND POUR IT IN ON THE GROUND.

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