STEP 21
PRELIMINARY MANTRA CHANTING (PURVA MANTRA JAPA)
ONCE YOU HAVE MENTALLY ESTABLISHED YOURSELF AS THE DEITY AND HAVE COMPLETED THE PROCESS, CHANT THE GAYATRI MANTRA 16 TIMES.
STEP 22
PRELIMINARY HANDLOCKS (PURVA MUDRAS)
MUDRAS ARE HANDLOCKS AND THEY ARE USED TO CAPTURE THE ENERGY OF THE MANTRA. GAYATRI SADHANA HAS 24 HANDLOCKS THAT ARE PERFORMED BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE CHANTING AND 8 THAT AREPERFORMED AFTER YOU ARE DONE CHANTING.
THE 24 PRELIMINARY HANDLOCKS ARE AS FOLLOWS :
HANDLOCK (MUDRA) GESTURE WITH BOTH HANDS
(SAMUKHAM) TURN YOUR PALM DOWNWARDS AND
JOIN ALL THE FINGERS OF BOTH HANDS.
(SAMPUTAM) FORM A BRACKET WITH YOUR PALMS FACING EACH OTHER.
(VITATAM) OPEN YOUR HANDS AND LET BOTH PALMS FACE EACH OTHER.
(VISTRAM) INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOUR PALMS FROM THE PREVIOUS MUDRA AND TURN THEM SLIGHTLY UP.
(DVIMUKHAM) JOIN LITTLE AND RING FINGERS OF BOTH HANDS.
(TRIMUKHAM) KEEPING THE EARLIER MUDRA INTACT, JOIN MIDDLE FINGERS AS WELL NOW.
(CATURMUKHAM) KEEPING THE PREVIOUS MUDRA AS IT IS, JOIN THE INDEX FINGERS AS WELL.
(PANCAMUKHAM) NOW JOIN THE THUMBS TOO.
(SANMUKHAM) KEEPING YOUR HANDS JOINED, NOW UNJOIN AND SPREAD THE THUMBS AND LITTLE FINGERS.
(ADHOMUKHAM) BEND YOUR FINGERS AND TURN YOUR HANDS OVER SO THE BACK OF THE RIGHT HAND FINGERS TOUCHES THE BACK OF LEFT HAND FINGERS.
(VYAPAKANJALIKAM) TURN THESE HANDS OVER AND SPREADS SO BOTH PALMS NOW FACE UPWARDS WITH HANDS TOGETHER.
(SAKATAM) TURN YOUR HANDS OVER (PALMS FACING DOWN) AND JOIN THE INDEX FINGERS AND THUMBS.
(YAMPASAM) ENTWINE YOUR INDEX FINGERS AND LET THE RIGHT HAND HANG.
(GRATHITAM) ENTWINE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND FORM ONE FIST.
(UNMUKHONMUKHAM) BRING ALL FINGERS TOGETHER OF BOTH HANDS. FIRST, REST YOUR RIGHT HAND ON TOP OF THE LEFT AND THEN LEFT ON TOP OF THE RIGHT.
(PRALAMBAM) TURN BOTH YOUR HANDS AND LET THE PALMS FACE DOWN. JOIN GENTLY AT THE TIP OF THE THUMBS.
(MUSTIKAM) KEEP YOUR THUMBS OUT AND MAKE FISTS WITH BOTH HANDS.
(MATSYAH) REST YOUR RIGHT HAND ON YOUR LEFT (PALMS FACING DOWN). SPREAD YOUR THUMBS AND TWIDDLE YOUR THUMBS A BIT.
(KURMAH) SPREAD YOUR LEFT HAND. TURN THE INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS KEEPING THE OTHER FINGERS EXTENTED. DO THE SAME WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND. NOW TURN YOUR RIGHT HAND SO IT'S FACING DOWN AND LET IT REST ON YOUR LEFT WITH INDEX FINGERS, THUMBS AND LITTLE FINGERS TOUCHING AT THE TIPS. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF SHOWING THIS MUDRA BUT THIS IS THE ONE I PRACTICE AND GOT FROM MY GURU.
(VARAHAKAM) GRAB FOUR FINGERS OF YOUR LEFT HAND (EXCEPT YOUR THUMB) WITH RIGHT, MIDDLE, RING AND LITTLE FINGERS. JOIN THE TIP OF THE RIGHT INDEX FINGER WITH THE LEFT THUMB.
(SIMHAKRANTAM) RAISE BOTH YOUR HANDS AS IN BENEDICTION, THE BACK OF YOUR PALMS FACING YOU. (LIKE IN HANDS UP POSTURE)
(MAHAKRANTAM) KEEP THE SAME POSTURE BUT TURN YOUR HANDS SO YOUR HANDS SO YOUR PALMS ARE FACING YOUR EARS.
(MUDGARAM) MAKE A FIST WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND AND THEN REST THE RIGHT ELBOW ON YOUR LEFT.
(PALLAVAM) RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND TO YOUR SHOULDER IN BENEDICTION.
STEP 23
OFFERINGS (UPCHARA)
MAKE FIVE OFFERINGS OF INCENSE, LAMP, ANYTHING EDIBLE, BETEL LEAF AND BETEL NUT. SAY, "OM SAMARPYAMI" IN THE END.
STEP 24
INVOKE THE MANTRA (MANTRA SAMSKARA)
THE MANTRA OF GAYATRI WAS CURSED BY BRAHMA, VASISTHA AND VISHVAMITRA. THEREFORE, CHANT THE FOLLOWING MANTRAS SEVEN TIMES EVERY DAY BEFORE YOU DO THE MANTRA JAPA TO ABSOLVE THE MANTRA OF THE CURSE OF THE SAGES (SHAAP VIMOCHANA)
SANSKRIT
OM GAYATRIBRAHMETYUPASITA
YADRUPAM BRAHMAVIDO VIDUH
TAM PASYANTI
DHIRAHSUMANASA
VACAMAGRATAH
OM VEDANTANATHAYA VIDDAHE
HIRANYAGARBHAYA DHIMAHI
TANNO BRAHMA PRACODAYAT
OM DEVI GAYATRI TVAM
BRAHMASAPAVIMUKTA BHAVA
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