aachamana vidhi - concept and significance

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9/15/2014 Aachamana Vidhi - Concept and Significance...

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In Hindu sampradaya any Nithyaor Nymittika Karma always begins

with a ritual called Aachamanamfollowed by Sankalpa which hasreligious and spiritualsignificance. Aachamanam is thesimplest of Vaidika karmas yet

none the less in importance thanan Aswamedha Yaagam. Itsimportance can be well realized

when we note that it forms theprelude to all the rituals; no Vedickarma begins without

Aachamanam.

What is Aachamanam?

In simple terms the process ofreciting the names of SupremeGod (Maha Vishnu) whileperforming Jalapanam (sippingdrops of water) as per Vedicscripts is called Aachamanam(Aachamana). It is a purificationritual wherein one sips water

Aachamana Vidhi -

Concept andSignificance...
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three times from the BrahmaTheertha (base of the rightthumb) while reciting divinenames. It is done three times tomake ourselves free from threeshortcomings viz. Kayik(physical/bodily); Vachik (verbal)

and Manasik (mental). One wouldhave observed in a temple thepriest offers theertha (sacred

water) three times. Number threedenotes Trinal lords (Brahma,

Vishnu and Maheswara) who alsorepresent the three Gunas Rajasa,Sattwa, and Thamasa. Thesegunas or states of mind arepresent in human beings also.

Aachamanam is an act ofpurifying the inner body (soul) bysipping water while praying thesupreme Lord, the PrimordialPerson Lord Vishnu the karakafor or existence.

Aachamana literally means to sip.But as a ritual of purification, it

means to sip water three timesfrom the right hand and then totouch the various sense organsand parts of the body while callingout the divine names. This form ofpurification is in vogue since timeimmemorial. The physical benefitof this exercise is that, by sipping

water thrice the throat is clearedfrom Vata, Pitta and Kapha

doshas and one is then able tochant the manthra or recite divinenames clearly.

How to performAachamanam?

Simplest version of performingAachamanam is, take a spoonful


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(Uddharani) of water poured intothe cupped palm of the righthand, then recite "KesavaayaSwaaha" and sip it withoutmaking noise with the Palmtipped back slightly from the baseof the thumb in the name of Lord

Kesava. The same act isperformed for the second timereciting of "NarayanayaSwaaha" in the name of LordNarayana. The act is performed athird time reciting "MadhavayaSwaaha" in the name of LordMadhava.

Above act is followed by reciting

the other 21 names of LordVishnu called Kesava Naamaas bytouching various sensory organsand other parts of the body asgiven below

Divine name Correspondingbody part

1. GovindayaNamaha

2.Vishnave Namaha

Both thehands are

washed3. Madhusudhanaya

Namaha4. Thrivikramaya

Namaha

Both the upperand lower lipsare touched

with the righthand fingers

5.VaamanayaNamaha

6. SridharayaNamaha

Left and rightcheeks aretouched

7. HrusheekesayaNamaha

Hands aretouched

8. PadmanabhayaNamaha

Sprinkle wateron the feet

9. DamodarayaNamaha

Centre of thehead istouched withthe middlefinger

10. Sankarshanaya Nose edge is


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Namaha touched withthe fist

11. VasudevayaNamaha

12. PradhyumnayaNamaha

Left and rightnostrils aretouched

13. AniruddhayaNamaha

14.PurushottamayaNamaha

Right and lefteyes are

touched

15. AdhokshajayaNamaha

16. NarasimhayaNamaha

Right and leftears aretouched

17. AchyutayaNamaha

Navel portionis touched

18. Janardhanaya

Namaha

Chest is

touched19. UpendrayaNamaha

Head istouched

20. HarayeNamaha

21. Sri KrishnayaNamaha

Right and leftshoulders aretouched

Types of Aachamanam...

Aachamanam could be ofdifferent types arising fromdifferent scriptures viz. Vaidika,Srauta, Smartha, Pouranic andTantric based on theceremony/ritual being performedand on the line of learning that is

being followed. There can also bedifference in the rules followed.The difference mainly lies mainly

in the mantras recited. Reciting ofmanthras during Aachamanadiffers from place to place, regionto region based on sampradaya.In some places we find peoplerecite Achyutaya Namaha,

Ananthaya Namaha, andGovindaya Namaha in the

beginning while sipping waterthree times and thereafter 24


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Kesava Nama are recited bytouching the body parts withfingers. Generally family traditionis followed. Whatever may be thetype of Aachamanam followed, its

very objective is one and the samethat is, purification of the body

and mind. It is said thatAachamanam should beperformed twice at the beginningof Sandhyavandana Kriya andonce/twice at the end.

In practice we find there are twotypes of Aachamanam which arein vogue. They are,Srouthaachamanam and

Pouranikaachamanam also calledSmarthaachamanam. The onethat is performed with Gayathri iscalled Srouthaachamanam andthe one which is performed withKesavadi Namas is calledPouranikaachamanam. Majorityfollow the system ofPouranikaachamanam. It is saidthat while performingSandhyavandana Kriya oneshould follow thePouranikaachamanam and whileperforming Brahma YajnaSrouthachaamanam should befollowed.

Place & Posture The placeshould be clean, free from any

impure items. One should sit onan asana (mat) facing East orNorth in Padma or Swastikaasana. Knees and feet should not

be protruding. One should notstand while performing

Aachamanam, but always inKukkutasana (hen-like posture)sitting down with the soles of thefeet firmly planted on the ground,


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the hands between the knees.

Hand configuration Theright hand should be held so thatthe forefinger, middle finger andring finger are together andslightly bent upwards, while the

little finger and the thumb areseparated from the other threefingers.

Water Water used forAachamanam (sipping) should bepure, cool but not hot, withoutfoam or stagnation bubbles,

without foul odor or bad taste,untouched by fingernails or hair

or any other impure items. Waterof quantity to cover a grain ofUrad Dal (Black gram) should bepoured from the left hand byspoon (Uddharani) into the rightpalm. One should say theappropriate mantra and sip the

water from the Brahma Theerthaof the right hand without making

noise.

It is said that a Brahmin shouldalways perform Aachamanamusing Brahma Theertha. He canalso do it using Rishi theertha andDeva theertha but he should neverdo it using Pithru theertha. Thisclassification is based on where

we hold the water in the right

hand. If we hold it just below thethumb it is Brahma Theertha. If itis held just below the little fingerit is Rishi Theertha and at theedge of four fingers, then it isDeva theertha. If it is held

between the thumb and the firstfinger it is called Pithru Theertha.

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Aachamana Vidhi 9

When to performAachamanam?

Though Aachamanam generallyprecedes all karmas, there arespecific occasions when it is calledfor/prescribed. They are

As a preliminary to all nithyaand naimittika karmas like,Sandhyavandana, Devatha

Archana, Brahma Yajna,Vedaadhyayana, Pithru Yajna(Sraddha/Tharpana),Manthra japa, Homa etc.Immediately after waking upin the morning;

After urination and otherforms of excretion;After brushing ones teeth;Before and after taking bath;

After wearing clothes;Before and after the meals;Speaking with or touchingunsuitable persons,

After telling a lie;Before and after giving or

accepting alms or donation;After sneezing, shedding tearsor blood;Upon physical contact with

women;Before and after crossing ariver

When not to performAachamanam?

Aachamanam is not to bedone in a standing position.Exception: one may perform

Aachamanam while standingif one is in water which isabove the knees but below thenavel.

Aachamanam is not to be


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done facing west or south;always it should be facing eastor north.

Aachamanam should not bedone with impure or falling

water as from a tap or rain,but usually with water from a

river or tank, or from a vesselheld in the left hand. Whendoing in a river or tank, theleft hand should be touchingthe water.It should not be performedcasually, while speaking toothers, by wearing a shirt orfootwear; with a coveredhead; with laughter etc. It

should be performed withdevotion and with theconsciousness that one isuttering the holy names of the

Almighty which purify andprotect.

Aachamanam should not bedone wearing a Pavithra.

While performing

Aachamanam Pavithra shouldbe kept in the gap between theright ear lobe and the head.This is perhaps meant to avoidthe sharp ends of the Pavithrahurting the eyes.

When Aachamanam isforbidden?

Aachamanam is not to be doneimmediately after taking prasadaor sipping theertha as these areholy and pure and the symbolicact of purifying oneself through

Aachamanam insults theirholiness.

Exemption fromAachamanam:


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There is one more type ofAachamanam that is in vogue. Itoften happens that, though weneed to purify ourselves through

Aachamanam, no water may beavailable at that time and place.In such a situation the scripts

prescribe an easy method ofpurification; that of touching thetip of the nose and then the rightear uttering Pranava mantra. It is

based on the Scriptural textswhich say that, Agni resides in theBrahmanas nose tip and holyrivers like the Ganga in his rightear. Hence touching these twopurifies a person immediately.

One would have observed eldersreciting names of God (Krishna,Govinda etc.) whenever theysneeze or yawn. Perhaps this is

with respect to the aboveprinciple. It is to be notedthat this short cut is to be adoptedonly when performing regular

Aachamanam is not possible.

Significance of Aachamanam

Water is profusely glorified inVedas and is used in Vedic ritualsfor sipping, touching to parts ofthe body, sprinkling over the

body, and for bathing the body.Taking pure, cool water internallyis purifying and invigorating both

physically and mentally. When itis accompanied by utterance ofthe divine names of Lord Vishnuone becomes filled with spiritualqualities. Aachamanam is astandard form of purification,prerequisite for meditation, pooja,homa and other sacred activities.

A Brahmana becomes purified by


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performing Aachamanam if thewater penetrates to the heart (i.e.by swallowing the watercompletely). A Kshathriya

becomes purified by performingAachamanam if the water reacheshis throat. A Vysya becomes

purified if the water reaches hispalate (inside the mouth). ASudra or a Woman becomespurified if the water touches his orher lips.

During Aachamanam one touchesvarious parts of the body becausein different organs of the body arelocated various energies and their

deities. It is said that, as per SageSri Veda Vyasa, all the deities arepropitiated by the intake of water

with the Achyuta, Ananta andGovinda Nama. Wiping the lipspleases Ganga and Yamuna; whiletouching the eyes pleases Suryaand Chandra. Similarly AswiniDevathas are propitiated by

touching the nose, Agni and Vayuby the ears. With thePadmanabha manthra all thethirty-three crore Deities arepleased and the Paramatma bytouching the head.

When manthra arerecited/chanted lot of heat isproduced in the body due to

which the throat and the mouthcan become dry. Aachamanamdone three times aims atremedying this dryness. One neednot drink mouthful of water in

Aachamanam. One only needs tosip as much as is required to makethe mouth and throat wet andreach the heart.


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It is said that any ritual performedwithout Aachamanam andSankalpa do not yield any resultsand is useless. All karmasperformed without Aachamanamare destined to fail and would be

futile.

Anaachamyakritham yachhayachha sankalpa varjithamrakshasam thattbhavet. It is saidas per Sri Bhagavatha Purana thatLord Sri Krishna had observedthese rituals very strictly in hisdaily routine and shown to the

world the significance of

Aachamanam and Sankalpa.

Significance of Aachamanam& 24 Kesava Namas...

Among the several thousandnames of Lord Vishnu (VishnuSahasranama) these 24 namescalled Chaturvimshati Kesava

Namas are very important. Werecite 24 names of Lord Vishnuduring Aachamanam the firstthree while sipping water andremaining 21 while touching the

body parts. They are Kesava,Narayana, Madhava, Govinda,

Vishnu, Madhusudhana,Trivikrama, Vamana, Sridhara,Hrusheekesa, Padmanabha,

Damodara, Sankarushana,Vasudeva, Pradhyumna,Anirudhha, Purushottama,Adhokshaja, Naarasimha,Achyuta, Janardhana, Upendra,Hara, and Sri Krishna...

It is said that Manu Smruthicompares these 24 names of the


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Supreme God with 24 tattvas(elements) of creation with whichthe universe is formed. Forexample Kesava represents

Avyaktha tattva, Narayanarepresents Mahatattva, Madhavarepresents Ahankara tattva, and

Govinda represents Manotattva.Remaining twenty namesrepresents Pancha Gnanendriyas(eyes, ears, nose, tongue, andskin), Pancha karmendriyas,(hands, legs, speech, and twoexcretory organs), Pancha Pranas(prana, apana, vyana, udana, andsamana) and Pancha Bhoothas(sky, water, fire, air, and earth). It

is believed that, the first threenames Kesava, Narayana,Madhava are TapatrayaNivarakas. These 24 names alsorepresent the 24 syllables ofGayathri Manthra calledBeejaksharas that have influenceon the human body.

For performing any Kriya oneshould have AnthhakaranaSuddhi (inner purity) that ispossible only by praying God byreciting His divine names(manthras) and the process of

Aachamanam is only meant forthat purpose. By reciting 21names a person is getting purified

bodily and by reciting three

names he is getting purifiedinternally.

Reciting these names of SupremeGod is the link for devotion as itcleanses the inner body of thehuman being that helps inattaining quick results. The nameof God is so powerful that it has


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the capacity to vanquish any sinsand desires. Whether it is doneknowingly or unknowingly with or

without understanding itsmeaning and significance, recitingdivine name will never go a waste.Best example we find in the story

of Ajaamila as given inAjaamilopakhyanam of SriMadBhagavatham where,

Ajaamila chants unknowingly thename of Lord Narayana at thetime of his death and gets rid ofhis sins. The one that is done byknowing its meaning andsignificance will not onlyeliminate the sins but also helps

in gaining the divine knowledgethat leads to ultimate salvation.

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu

Aachamana Vidhi: (Rules for

inner cleaning as said by

sages)

Vyasa

Wash your hands and legs andface, keep the sacred thread innormal position, and keeping

both hands in between the knees,we have to do Aachamana. Thenwe have to clean the teeth. Makeyour right hand in the shape ofthe ear of the cow and take waterthree times. Then wipe your lipstwice. Keeping the thumb andlittle finger open and folding theother three fingers, you have todrink the water. This is called the

Aachamana method. Every timeyou have to take water sufficientto drown a single grain of blackgram.


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Manu

Aachamana should be done usingBrahma theertha which is not hot,facing east or north. For gettingclean we should bathe in water

reaching up to the chest in case ofBrahmins, reaching up to the neckin case of Kshatriya, reaching upto the mouth in case of Vysyasand reaching up to the bottom ofthe mouth in case of Shudhrasand ladies.

Mareechi

Aachamana should not be donestanding or firmly sitting or withhands held outside the knees.Immediately after meals

Aachamana can be done sittingfirmly on the earth. You shouldnot Achamaneeyam with uppercloth worn on one side of the bodyor with cloth hiding the shoulders.

It should also not be done withoutsacred thread, wearing dirtycloths and not tying the hair. Allactivities following such wrong

Aachamana need to be repeatedagain. If Aachamana is donefacing south or west, then we needto take bath again and perform

Aachamanam again.

Yama

While doing Aachamana we haveto touch water (pot or river) withthe left hand. This is because inthe left hand reside the twelve

Adithyas as well as Varuna thelord of water. Water in the Bronze

vessel, copper vessel and silver


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vessel is always pure. So you haveto hold the Uddharani(ceremonial spoon) and take the

water from the vessel and pour itin the right hand and do

Aachamana. Taking it directly bythe left hand is considered

equivalent to drinking of Alcohol.

Saunaka

The water has to be taken afterwashing the hand and legs. Thewater that we see clearly shouldbe used. The water which can justdrown a black gram should betaken and it is sufficient if it

reaches up to the chest. After theAachamana, we have to close ourlips and wipe the mouth by the

base of the thumb twice. Then wehave to touch the mouth by allfingers held together. It is saidafter this all organs should betouched by the fingers. We drinkthe water saying Achyuthaya

Namaha, Ananthaya Namaha andKesavaya Namaha and touch theorgans using fingers chanting the12 names of Vishnu.

Samvartha

Aachamana must be performedafter bath, after taking food, afterdrinking fluids, after sneezing and

after sleep. If during chanting ofmantra, we happen to seeanything dirty, Aachamanashould be performed andchanting recommenced.

Parasara

Manu and Parasara are of the


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opinion that the sacred waters ofthe river like Ganges, Sun,

Varuna, Chandra, Fire and windare always in the right ear of aBrahmin. If we are not able to do

Aachamana, or if we are not ableto get water for Aachamana when

we have to do Aachamana,we need only to touch our rightear. This is equivalent to

Aachamana. During meals, Homa,taking of alms, eating, or giving ofalms, we need to perform

Aachamana twice.

Markandeya

After eating mango, sugar canepiece, betel leaf and Soma Pana,there is no need to do

Aachamanam. After taking theVishnu Pada Theertha alsoAachamana should not beperformed.

Posted 24th Mayby nirikhi krishnabhagavan

Labels:Aachamana Vidhanam,AacharaVichara,Achamana Vidhi,Concept &

Significance of Aachamana,Significanceof Aachamanam

9 View comments

pandumuchu September 17,2009 at 6:58 PM

That a good post. Thanks for the

information. i have readsomewhere that these 24 namascan be related to the 12pournamis and 12 amavasyaswhich are 24 in a year. but icould not get the full text. Can ugive some information

Namaste

Praveen

Reply
http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1253194124192#c6393568711462921107http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.in/search/label/Concept%20%26%20Significance%20of%20Aachamanahttp://bhargavasarma.blogspot.in/search/label/Achamana%20Vidhihttp://bhargavasarma.blogspot.in/search/label/Aachara%20Vicharahttp://bhargavasarma.blogspot.in/search/label/Aachamana%20Vidhanam


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bhargavasarma September 21,2009 at 8:13 AM

Dear Sri Praveen

One Pournima and OneAmavasya forms an integral partof a month also called as Masa.Lord Maha Vishnu is also known

as Masa Niyamaka. Each Hindumonth starting from ChaitraMasam is denoted by a specificname of Lord Maha Vishnuwhich is a part of 24 KesavaNamas. Accordingly

Chaitra Masam (Vishnu)Vaisakha Masam(Madhusudhana)Jyesta Masam (Trivikrama)

Aashada Masam (Vamana)

Sravana Masam (Sridhara)Bhadrapada Masam(Hrusheekesa)

Aaswayuja Masam(Padmanabha)Kartheeka Masam (Damodara)Margasira Masam (Kesava)Pushya Masam (Narayana)Magha Masam (Madhava)Phalguna Masam (Govinda)

If you have any otherinformation, kindly provide the

same. I will update myself.

Thanks for visiting my blog andfor your word of appreciation.

Best regards

bhargavasarma

Reply

pandumuchu September 21,

2009 at 10:27 AM

Thank you sir.

Reply

Hariprasad Alur September 30,2009 at 11:09 AM

Namaskara Sri BhargavaSarma,
http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1254289167453#c1692893550443806438http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1253509057854#c4602037245980955059http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1253501008219#c817789721085772164


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Your article is very neatlypresented with lot of inputs.Godbless you and yourfamily.Please keep up theNarayana Seva.

Humble RegardsHariprasad Alur

Reply

bhargavasarma September 30,2009 at 12:13 PM

Namaskara Sri Hariprasad

Thank you very much for visitingmy blog and also for your goodwishes.

Best regardsbhargavasarma

Reply

Anonymous August 28, 2011at 2:35 PM

Thank you very much for thedetailed explanation on

Aachamanam. Its really veryhelpful.

Humble regards,

Krishna

Reply

bhargavasarma August 28,2011 at 3:04 PM

Dear Sri Krishna

Thank you very much!

bhargavasarma

Reply

Anonymous December 15,2011 at 7:38 PM

Bhargavasarma garu,

Thank you for the detailedexplanation. I am a non-brahminand recite "apavitrahapavitrova..." before commencing
http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1323958104477#c145517795318298649http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1314524099463#c5629047788563344521http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1314522310463#c2223054137994774659http://bhargavasarma.blogspot.com/2009/04/aachamana-vidhi-its-significance.html?showComment=1254292982910#c5569291311291658429


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to daily pooja or preparing toread any lord's charitra. Is it thatonly brahmins to performachamana? If others canperform can you tell me theproper way to learn this? Thankyou.

Raja

Reply

bhargavasarma December 16,2011 at 9:39 AM

Vedic activities can be learnedand practiced only by those whoare eligible and had upanayanasanskara.

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aachamana vidhi - concept and significance

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