BATHING PROCEDURE AND PITR YAJINA 

This volume deals with all the do's and don't's related to physical health which must be followed for progress in mental and spiritual Sadhana.


BATHING PROCEDURE AND PITR YAJINA

official source: Carya'carya Part 3

cross-references: none

this version: is the printed Carya'carya Part 3, 5th edition, version 
	(spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most 
	up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

      First pour water on the navel. Then wet the region below the navel by splashing water from the front. Then pour water from behind. Thereafter pour water on the crown of the head in such a way that it trickles down over the backbone. Then bathe all over.

	If you want to take a dip bath, first pour water over the waist, on the navel region, and below, in the above-mentioned way, and then take the dip. 

	After finishing your bath, before drying your body, recite the following mantra while performing the prescribed mudra' and looking at any luminous object:

      Pitr purusebhyo namah rsi devebhyo namah.
Brahma'rpanam' Brahmahavir Brahma'gnao Brahman'a'hutam.
Brahmaeva tena gantavyam' Brahmakarma sama'dhina'.*

      *Meaning of the mantra: Salutations to the ancestors, salutations to the god-like rs'is. (Those who, by inventing new things, have broadened the path of progress of human society, are known as rs'is.)

The act of offering is Brahma; that which is offered is Brahma; the One to whom the offering is made is Brahma; and the person making the offering is Brahma.

One will merge in Brahma after completing the duty assigned to him/her by Brahma.

      Repeat the mantra together with the mudra' three times.

Remembering the rs'is and ancestors in this way is known as Pitr Yajina. Pitr Yajina should be performed as a daily duty even if one's father is alive. 

The mudra' should be performed according to the illustrations.

[illustrations not available in the Electronic Edition]

One must recite each portion of the mantra as shown by the illustrations. The arrows indicate the intended direction of movement of the hands to reach the next position. Remember that this is to be done at the end of the bath.

Sick persons who are sensitive to cold should take their bath in warm water and in an enclosed and covered place. Sun-warmed water is also good.* In extremely cold climatic conditions warm water should be used.* If you are not taking a dip bath you should bathe in a sitting position; it is desirable not to bathe standing.

* The water temperature should always be less than body temperature.

Bathing at midnight is prohibited. One must not take a bath in the midnight sandhya'.** Everyone must bathe in any one of the other three sandhya's. Taking into consideration one's health and the climatic conditions, one may also bathe in one or both of the remaining two sandhya's.

The four sandhya's:

      (1) The period from forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after sunrise is called 'dawn', and dawn is the first sandhya'.

(2) The period from 9 A.M. to 12 noon is called the noon sandhya'.

(3) The period from forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after sunset is called the evening sandhya'.

(4) The period from forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after 12 midnight is called the midnight sandhya' (11:15 P.M. to 12:45 A.M.).