01

Ächamanam
____________________________________________________________________
* MEANS OF ____
PURIFICATION *
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What is achamana?

1. Achamana, or sipping water (infused with mantras) is a means of

purification
2. Immersing the body in water brings about physical and subtle cleansing
3. Sipping water infused with mantras results in subtle and spiritual
cleansing
4. Where purification is required but is inconvenient to bathe, achamana is
prescribed (in exceptional cases)
5. However, achamana should not be used as a substitute for bathing,
rather, it should be utiltised as an additional means of purification – after
bathing
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Remember

When one comes in contact with any of the following, the

contamination is heavy and hence achamana alone is
insufficient to re-establish purity:

1. Blood (rakta)
2. Stool (mala)
3. Urine (mutra)
4. Bone/marrow (asti/majja)
5. Dead body etc., (shava)

To regain purity it is recommended that one bathe,

dress in fresh clothes, apply tilaka and also do full achamana
Recommended to perform achamana before: 04
1. Applying Vaishnava tilaka
2. Chanting Gayatri, japa
3. Performing puja, homa
4. Observing a vrata
5. Reciting shastra or mantras
6. Giving charity etc.,

Recommended to perform achamana after:

1. Coming in contact with lips, saliva
2. Eating or drinking
3. Spitting, coughing or sneezing
4. Speaking improper words
5. Touching something impure
6. Walking on a road etc.,
 05

Remember:

It is recommended to perform achamana

twice, before:

1. Worshipping Deities (archana)

2. Cooking for Deities (paaka)
3. Performing fire sacrifices (yajna)
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Paraphernalia required to perform achamana:

1. Achamana cup (pancha-patra)

2. Achamana spoon (uddharini)
3. Potable water
4. Clean asana
5. Clean place

If there is no asana, then, you can clean the place, sit

with right knee touching the floor and left knee above
and do the achamana
Pancha-patra and uddharini should be: 07
1. Free from blemish, stains or water marks
2. Shiny and clean – inside out

Achamana water should be:

1. Sourced from a clean place
2. Fresh and cool
3. Free of bubbles or foam
4. Free of odor or taste
5. Untouched by finger nails
6. Free of any impure item (hair etc.,)

Remember:
Rain water being in the mode of passion is unsuitable for
achamana!
 Do not perform achamana:
08
1. When your head or throat is covered
2. When you are not wearing sacred thread
3. When your shika is untied
4. When you are not wearing a kaupina
5. Without having washed your hands and feet
6. While standing*
7. While wearing shoes
8. With your knees or feet showing
9. With your upavita thread in your hand or
wrapped around the thumb (this is a Bengali
custom not gaudiya tradition!)

*sandhyoh shayanam naiva na shaucam mrtikaam vinaa

tisthat-achamanam naiva tathaa gurvaasna na asanam
Vishnu-Yaamala
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Arrangement for performing
achamana:

1. Clean asana for

sitting
2. Pancha-patra +
Uddarini
3. Wiping cloth for
cleaning (before and
after doing
achamana)
Achamana procedure: 10
1. Sprinkle water on the floor and wipe the place clean
2. Keep aside the wipe cloth and purify your hand
3. Sit on a clean asana, facing either East or North
4. You could use either padmasana or svastikasana for sitting
5. Never position the asana by dragging it with your feet
6. Always use your hand to place asana; purify your hand once this is
done
7. Clean both hands by sprinkling water from the spoon
8. Holding achamana spoon in your left hand, take water from the
achamana patra
9. Pour a few drops into your right palm
10. While gazing at the water, chant the appropriate mantra
11. Sip the water from the base of the right thumb (called the brahma-
tirtha)
Complete Achamana mantras (1):
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1. oà keçaväya namaù
• Sip water from the brahma-tirtha
2. oà näräyaëäya namaù
• Sip water from the brahma-tirtha
3. oà mädhaväya namaù
• Sip water from the brahma-tirtha
4. oà govindäya namaù
• Purify your right hand
5. oà viñëave namaù
• Purify your left hand
6. oà madhusüdanäya namaù
• Touch right cheek with right hand finger tips
7. oà trivikramäya namaù
• Touch left cheek with right hand finger tips
8. oà vämanäya namaù
• Wipe above your upper lip with base of right thumb
Complete Achamana mantras (2):
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9. oà çrédharäya namaù
• Wipe below your lower lip using base of right thumb
10. oà håñékeçäya namaù
• Purify both hands
11. oà padmanäbhäya namaù
• Sprinkle water on feet
12. oà dämodaräya namaù
• Sprinkle water on the top of head
13. oà väsudeväya namaù
• Touch upper & lower lips with right hand finger tips
14. oà saìkarñaëäya namaù
• Touch right nostril with right thumb and index finger
15. oà pradyumnäya namaù
• Touch left nostril with right thumb and index finger
16. oà aniruddhäya namaù
• Touch right eye with right thumb and ring finger
Complete Achamana mantras (3):
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17. oà puruñottamäya namaù
• Touch left eye with right thumb and ring finger
18. om adhokñajäya namaù
• Touch right ear with right thumb and index finger
19. oà nåsiàhäya namaù
• Touch left ear with right thumb and index finger
20. om acyutäya namaù
• Touch navel with right thumb and little finger
21. oà janärdanäya namaù
• Touch your heart with palm of right hand
22. oà upendräya namaù
• Touch top of head with right hand finger tips
23. oà haraye namaha
• Touch right upper arm with left hand finger tips
24. oà kåñëäya namaùa
• Touch left upper arm with right hand finger tips
At the end of achamana: 14
While in pranama-mudra or Anjali mudra, chant the following
mantra from the Rig Veda:
(oà) tad viñëoù paramaà pada(g)à
sadä paçyanti sürayaù
divéva cakñur-ätatam / tad vipräso vipanyavo
jägåvaà saù samindhate / viñëor yat paramaà padam
NOW,
• Rise from the asana
• Place back the asana in its place
• Remove the pancha-patra
• Wipe the place clean, store the same in its designated
place & purify your hand
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Chakra mudra – burns the subtle faults

Gaalini mudra – filters subtle impurities
Surabhi mudra – transforms into nectar
Ankusha mudra – brings 7 holy rivers
Beejaakshara mudra – makes it fit to offer/use
Matsya mudra – maintains the purity
 14

Sämänya-arghya:
Used for purifying all kinds of articles of worship
Also used for preliminary worship
Fresh sämänya-arghya should be prepared twice a day:
Before morning Jagarana, for the morning worship
Before afternoon Jagarana, for the evening worship
 Sämänya-arghya sthäpana: 14
• Clean the place where you have done äcamana; Purify your hand.
• Place a fresh païca-pätra filled with fresh water.
• Do prokñaëa of the païca-pätra while chanting: oà asträya phaö
• Over the païca-pätra show the cakra-mudrä, then gäliné-mudrä, then
dhenu-mudrä (or surabhi-mudrä).
• Invoke the Gaìgä and other holy rivers by showing the aìkuça-mudrä
and chanting:
gaìge ca yamune caiva godävari sarasvati
narmade sindho käveri jale 'smin sannidhià kuru
Invoke the pranava oà into the water silently (eight times) while holding
the béjäkñara-mudrä over the païca-pätra.
Then show the matsya-mudrä over the païca-pätra.