Part 29

To the Hindu mind, Yama (the god of death) is a hideous god, whose servants are represented as being capable of tormenting the soul of the dead. "No sooner," writes Monier Williams, "has death occurred, and cremation of the terrestrial body taken place, than Yama's two messengers (Yama Dutan), who are waiting near at hand, make themselves visible to the released spirit, which retains its subtle body composed of the subtle elements, and is said to be of the size of a thumb (angustha-matra). Their aspect is terrific, for they have glaring eyes, hair standing erect, gnashing teeth, crow-black skin, and claw-like nails, and they hold in their hands the awful rod and noose of Yama. Then, as if their appearance in this form were not sufficiently alarming, they proceed to terrify their victim by terrible visions of the torments (yatana) in store for him. They then convey the bound spirit along the road to Yama's abode. Being led before Yama's judgment seat, it is confronted with his Registrar or Recorder named Chitra Gupta. This officer stands by Yama's side, with an open book before him. It is his business to note down all the good and evil deeds of every human being born into the world, with the resulting merit (punya) and demerit (papa), and to produce a debtor and creditor account properly made up and balanced on the day when that being is brought before Yama. According to the balance on the side of merit or demerit is judgment pronounced. The road by which Yama's two officers force a wicked man to descend to the regions of torment is described in the first two chapters of the Garuda Purana. The length of the way is said to be 86,000 leagues (yojanas). The condemned soul, invested with its sensitive body, and made to travel at the rate of 200 leagues a day, finds no shady trees, no resting place, no food, no water. At one time it is scorched by a burning heat equal to that of twelve meridian suns, at another it is pierced by icy cold winds; now its tender frame is rent by thorns; now it is attacked by lions, tigers, savage dogs, venomous serpents, and scorpions. In one place it has to traverse a dense forest, whose leaves are swords; in another it falls into deep pits; in another it is precipitated from precipices; in another it has to walk on the edge of razors; in another on iron spikes. Here it stumbles about helplessly in profound darkness; there it struggles through loathsome mud swarming with leeches; here it toils through burning sand; there its progress is arrested by heaps of red-hot charcoal and stifling smoke. Compelled to pass through every obstacle, however formidable, it next encounters a succession of terrific showers, not of rain, but of live coals, stones, blood, boiling water and filth. Then it has to descend into appalling fissures, or ascend to sickening heights, or lose itself in vast caves, or wade through lakes seething with foetid ordures. Then midway it has to pass the awful river Vaitarani, one hundred leagues in breadth, of unfathomable depth; flowing with irresistible impetuosity; filled with blood, matter, hair, and bones; infested with huge sharks, crocodiles, and sea monsters; darkened by clouds of hideous vultures and obscene birds of prey. Thousands of condemned spirits stand trembling on the banks, horrified by the prospect before them. Consumed by a raging thirst, they drink the blood which flows at their feet; then, tumbling headlong into the torrent, they are overwhelmed by the rushing waves. Finally, they are hurried down to the lowest depths of hell, and yet not destroyed. Pursued by Yama's officers, they are dragged away, and made to undergo inconceivable tortures, the detail of which is given with the utmost minuteness in the succeeding chapters of the Garuda Purana."

The Ahannikams, or daily observances, of a religious Brahman are very many. Nowadays, Brahmans who lead a purely religious life are comparatively few, and are mostly found in villages. The daily observances of such are the bath, the performance of the Sandhya service, Brahma yagna, Deva puja or Devatarchana, Tarpana (oblations of water), Vaisvadeva ceremony, and the reading of Puranas or Ithihasas. Every orthodox Brahman is expected to rise at the time called Brahma Muhurtam in the hour and a half before sunrise. He should then clean his teeth, using as a brush mango leaf, or twigs of Acacia arabica or nim (Melia Azadirachta). He next bathes in a river or tank (pond), standing knee-deep in the water, and repeating the following:--"I am about to perform the morning ablution in this sacred stream (Ganges, Sarasvati, Yamuna, Godavari, etc.), in the presence of the gods and Brahmans, with a view to the removal of guilt resulting from act, speech, and thought, from what has been touched and untouched, known and unknown, eaten and not eaten, drunk and not drunk." After the bath, he wipes his body with a damp cloth, and puts on his cotton madi cloth, which has been washed and dried. The cloth, washed, wrung, and hung up to dry, should not be touched by anybody. If this should happen prior to the bath, the cloth is polluted, and ceases to be madi. A silk cloth, which cannot be polluted, is substituted for it. The madi or silk cloth should be worn until the close of the morning ceremonies and meal. The man next puts the marks which are characteristic of his sect on the forehead and body, and performs the Sandhya service. This is very important, and is binding on all Brahmans after the Upanayanam ceremony, though a large number are not particular in observing it. According to the shastras, the Sandhya should be done in the morning and evening; but in practice there is an additional service at midday. Sandhyavandhanam means the thanksgiving to God when day and night meet in the morning and evening. The rite commences with the sipping of water (achamanam) from the hollow of the right palm. This is done three times, while the words Achyuthayanamaha, Anantayanamaha, and Govindayana are repeated. Immediately after sipping, twelve parts of the body are touched with the fingers of the right hand in the following order:--

The two cheeks with the thumb, repeating the names Kesava and Narayana;

The two eyes with the ring-finger, repeating Madhava and Govinda;

The two sides of the nose with the forefinger, repeating Vishnu and Madhusudhana;

The two ears with the little finger, repeating Trivkrama and Vamana;

The shoulders with the middle finger, repeating Sridhara and Rishikesa;

The navel and head with all the fingers, repeating Padmanabha and Damodar.

This Achamana is the usual preliminary to all Brahman religious rites. The water sipped is believed to cleanse the internal parts of the body, as bathing cleanses the external parts.

After Achamana comes Pranayama, or holding in of vital breath, which consists in repeating the Gayatri (hymn) and holding the breath by three distinct operations, viz:--

Puraka, or pressing the right nostril with the fingers, and drawing in the breath through the left nostril, and vice versâ.

Kumbhaka, or pressing both nostrils with finger and thumb or with all the fingers, and holding the breath as long as possible.

Rechaka, or pressing the right nostril with the thumb, and expelling the breath through the left nostril, and vice versâ.

The suppression of the breath is said to be a preliminary yoga practice, enabling a person to fix his mind on the Supreme Being who is meditated on.

The celebrant next repeats the Sankalpa (determination), with the hands brought together, the right palm over the left, and placed on the right thigh. Every kind of ceremony commences with the Sankalpa, which, for the Sandhya service, is as follows:--"I am worshipping for the removal of all my sins that have adhered to me, and for the purpose of acquiring the favour of Narayana or the Supreme Being." The performer of the rite then sprinkles himself with water, repeating:--"Oh! ye waters, the sources of all comforts, grant us food, so that our senses may grow strong and give us joy. Make us the recipients of your essence, which is the most blissful, just as affectionate mothers (feed their children with milk from their breasts). May we obtain enough of that essence of yours, the existence of which within you makes you feel glad. Oh! waters, grant us offspring." He then takes up the water in his palm, and drinks it, repeating the following:--"May the sun and anger, may the lords of anger, preserve me from my sins of pride and passion. Whate'er the nightly sins of thought, word, deed, wrought by my mind, my speech, my hands, my feet; wrought through my appetite and sensual organs; may the departing night remove them all. In thy immortal light, Oh! radiant sun, I offer up myself and this my guilt." At the evening service, the same is repeated, with the word Agni instead of Surya (sun). At the midday service the following is recited:--"May the waters purify the earth by pouring down rain. May the earth thus purified make us pure. May the waters purify my spiritual preceptor, and may the Veda (as taught by the purified preceptor) purify me. Whatever leavings of another's food, and whatever impure things I may have eaten, whatever I may have received as gift from the unworthy, may the waters destroy all that sin and purify me. For this purpose, I pour this sanctified water as a libation down my mouth." Once more the celebrant sprinkles himself with water, and says:--"I sing the praise of the god Dadikravan, who is victorious, all-pervading, and who moves with great speed. May he make our mouths (and the senses) fragrant, and may he prolong our lives. Oh! ye waters, the sources of all comforts, grant us food," etc.

The ceremonies performed so far are intended for both external and internal purification. By their means, the individual is supposed to have made himself worthy to salute the Lord who resides in the orb of the rising luminary, and render him homage in true Brahman style by what is called Arghya. This is an offering of water to any respected guest. Repeating the Gayatri, the worshipper throws water in the air from the palms of the hands joined together with the sacred thread round the thumbs. The Gayatri is the hymn par excellence, and is said to contain the sum and substance of all Vedic teaching.

After these items, the worshipper sits down, and does Japam (recitation of prayers in an undertone). The Gayatri, as repeated, consists of the Gayatri proper Vyahritis, and Gayatri Siromantra. It runs as follows:--

Om, Bhuh; Om, Bhuvah; Om, Suvah; Om, Mahaha; Om, Janaha; Om, Thapaha; Om, Sathyam. Om, Thatsaviturvarenyam; Bhargodevasya dhimahi dhiyo-yonah prachodayat; Om, Jyotiraso amrutam Brahma, Bhur, Bhuvasvarum.

The Vyahritis are generally taken to refer to the seven worlds, and the prefixing of the Pranava (Om) means that all these worlds have sprung from the Supreme Being. The Pranava given above means "All the seven worlds are (the visible manifestations of) Om, the all-pervading Brahman. We think of the adorable light of the Lord, who shines in our hearts, and guides us. May he guide our intellects aright. Water, light, all things that have savour (such as trees, herbs, and plants), the nectar of the gods, the three worlds, in fact everything that is Brahman, the universal soul."

The mystic syllable Om is the most sacred of all Hindu utterances. Concerning it, Monier Williams writes that it is "made up of the three letters A, U, M, and symbolical of the threefold manifestation of the one Supreme Being in the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, and is constantly repeated during the Sandhya service. This prayer is, as we have seen, the most sacred of all Vedic utterances, and, like the Lord's Prayer among Christians, or like the Fatihah or opening chapter of the Kuran among Muhammadans, must always, among Hindus, take precedence of all other forms of supplication."

The celebrant next proceeds to invoke the Gayatri Devata thus:--"May the goddess Gayatri Devata, who grants all our desires, come to us to make known to us the eternal Lord, who is revealed to us only through the scriptures. May the Gayatri, the mother of all the Vedas, reveal to us the eternal truth. Oh! Gayatri, thou art the source of all spiritual strength. Thou art the power that drivest away the evil inclinations which are mine enemies. Thou, by conducing to a sound mind, conducest to a sound body. Thou art the light of the gods, that dispellest my intellectual darkness, and illuminest my heart with divine wisdom. Thou art all. In the whole universe there is naught but thee that is. Thou art the eternal truth that destroys all sins. Thou art the Pranava that reveals to me the unknown. Come to my succour, Oh! thou Gayatri, and make me wise." This invocation is followed by the repetition of the Gayatri 108 or only 28 times. The celebrant then says:--"The goddess Gayatri resides on a lofty peak on the summit of mount Meru (whose base is deeply fixed) in the earth. Oh! thou goddess, take leave from the Brahmans (who have worshipped thee, and been blessed with thy grace), and go back to thy abode as comfortably as possible." The Sandhya service is closed with the following prayer to the rising sun:--"We sing the adorable glory of the sun god, who sustains all men (by causing rain); which glory is eternal, and most worthy of being adored with wonder. The sun, well knowing the inclinations of men, directs them to their several pursuits. The sun upholds both heaven and earth; the sun observes all creatures (and their actions) without ever winking. To this eternal being we offer the oblation mixed with ghi. Oh! sun, may that man who through such sacrifice offers oblations to thee become endowed with wealth and plenty. He who is under thy protection is not cut off by untimely death; he is not vanquished by anybody, and sin has no hold on this man either from near or from afar." In the evening, the following prayer to Varuna is substituted:--"Hear, Oh! Varuna, this prayer of mine. Be gracious unto me this day. Longing for thy protection, I cry to thee. Adoring thee with prayer, I beg long life of thee. The sacrificer does the same with the oblations he offers thee. Therefore, Oh! Varuna, without indifference in this matter, take my prayer into your kind consideration, and do not cut off our life. Oh! Lord Varuna, whatever law of thine we, as men, violate day after day, forgive us these trespasses. Oh! Lord Varuna, whatever offence we, as men, have committed against divine beings, whatever work of thine we have neglected through ignorance, do not destroy us, Oh! Lord, for such sin. Whatever sin is attributed to us by our enemies, as by gamblers at dice, whatever sins we may have really committed, and what we may have done without knowing, do thou scatter and destroy all these sins. Then, Oh! Lord, we shall become beloved of thee." The Sandhya prayer closes with the Abhivadhana or salutation, which has been given in the account of marriage. After the Sandhya service in the morning, the Brahma yagna, or worship of the Supreme Being as represented in the sacred books is gone through. The first hymn of the Rig Veda is recited in detail, and then follow the first words of the Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharvana Veda, the Nirukta, etc.

The next item is the Tarpana ceremony, or offering of water to the Devatas, Rishis, and Pitris. The sacred thread is placed over the left shoulder and under the right arm (upavita), and water is taken in the right hand, and poured as an offering to the Devatas. Then, with the sacred thread round the neck like a necklace (niviti), the worshipper pours water for the Rishis. Lastly, the sacred thread is placed over the right shoulder (prachina vithi) and water is poured for the Pitris (ancestors).

The various ceremonies described so far should be performed by all the male members of a family, whereas the daily Devatarchana or Devata puja is generally done by any one member of a family. The gods worshipped by pious Brahmans are Siva and Vishnu, and their consorts Parvati and Lakshmi. Homage is paid thereto through images, salagrama stones, or stone lingams. In the house of a Brahman, a corner or special room is set apart for the worship of the god. Some families keep their gods in a small almirah (chest).

Smarthas use in their domestic worship five stones, viz.:--

1. Salagrama, representing Vishnu. 2. Bana linga, a white stone representing the essence of Siva. 3. A red stone (jasper), representing Ganesha. 4. A bit of metallic ore, representing Parvathi, or a lingam representing Siva and Parvathi. 5. A piece of pebble or crystal, to represent the sun.

Smarthas commence their worship by invoking the aid of Vigneswara (Ganesha). Then, placing a vessel (kalasa) filled with water, they utter the following prayer. "In the mouth of the water-vessel abideth Vishnu, in its lower part is Brahma, while the whole company of the mothers (matris) are congregated in its middle part. Oh! Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindhu, and Kaveri, be present in this water." The conch or chank shell (Turbinella rapa) is then worshipped as follows:--"Oh! conch shell, thou wast produced in the sea, and art held by Vishnu in his hand. Thou art worshipped by all the gods. Receive my homage." The bell is then worshipped with the prayer:--"Oh! bell, make a sound for the approach of the gods, and for the departure of the demons. Homage to the goddess Ghanta (bell). I offer perfumes, grains of rice, and flowers, in token of rendering all due homage to the bell." The worshipper claps his hands, and rings the bell. All the tulsi (sacred basil, Ocimum sanctum) leaves, flowers, sandal paste, etc., used for worship on the previous day, are removed. "The tulsi is the most sacred plant in the Hindu religion; it is consequently found in or near almost every Hindu house throughout India. Hindu poets say that it protects from misfortune, and sanctifies and guides to heaven all who cultivate it. The Brahmins hold it sacred to the gods Krishna and Vishnu. The story goes that this plant is the transformed nymph Tulasi, beloved of Krishna, and for this reason near every Hindu house it is cultivated in pots, or in brick or earthen pillars with hollows at the top (brindavanam or brinda forest), in which earth is deposited. It is daily watered, and worshipped by all the members of the family. Under favourable circumstances, it grows to a considerable size, and furnishes a woody stem large enough to make beads for the rosaries used by Hindus, on which they count the number of recitations of their deity's name." [163] Writing in the seventeenth century, Vincenzo Maria [164] observes that "almost all the Hindus ... adore a plant like our Basilico gentile, but of a more pungent odour.... Every one before his house has a little altar, girt with a wall half an ell high, in the middle of which they erect certain pedestals like little towers, and in these the shrub is grown. They recite their prayers daily before it, with repeated prostrations, sprinklings of water, etc. There are also many of these maintained at the bathing-places, and in the courts of the pagodas." The legend, accounting for the sanctity of the tulsi, is told in the Padma Purana. [165] From the union of the lightning that flashed from the third eye of Siva with the ocean, a boy was born, whom Brahmadev caught up, and to whom he gave the name of Jalandhar. And to him Brahmadev gave the boon that by no hand but Siva's could he perish. Jalandhar grew up strong and tall, and conquered the kings of the earth, and, in due time, married Vrinda (or Brinda), the daughter of the demon Kalnemi. Naradmuni, the son of Brahmadev, stirred up hatred against Siva in Jalandhar, and they fought each other on the slopes of Kailas. But even Siva could not prevail against Jalandhar, so long as his wife Vrinda remained chaste. So Vishnu, who had lived with her and Jalandhar, and had learnt their secret, plotted her downfall. One day, when she, sad at Jalandhar's absence, had left her garden to walk in the waste beyond, two demons met her and pursued her. She ran, with the demons following, until she saw a Rishi, at whose feet she fell, and asked for shelter. The Rishi, with his magic, burnt up the demons into thin ash. Vrinda then asked for news of her husband. At once, two apes laid before her Jalandhar's head, feet, and hands. Vrinda, thinking that he was dead, begged the Rishi to restore him to her. The Rishi said that he would try, and in a moment he and the corpse had disappeared, and Jalandhar stood by her. She threw herself into his arms, and they embraced each other. But, some days later, she learnt that he with whom she was living was not her husband, but Vishnu, who had taken his shape. She cursed Vishnu, and foretold that, in a later Avatar, the two demons who had frightened her would rob him of his wife; and that, to recover her, he would have to ask the aid of the apes who had brought Jalandhar's head, feet, and hands. Vrinda then threw herself into a burning pit, and Jalandhar, once Vrinda's chastity had gone, fell a prey to Siva's thunderbolts. Then the gods came forth from their hiding place, and garlanded Siva. The demons were driven back to hell, and men once more passed under the tyranny of the gods. But Vishnu came not back from Vrinda's palace, and those who sought him found him mad from grief, rolling in her ashes. Then Parvati, to break the charm of Vrinda's beauty, planted in her ashes three seeds. And they grew into three plants, the tulsi, the avali, and the malti. By the growth of these seeds, Vishnu was released from Vrinda's charm. Therefore he loved them all, but chiefly the tulsi plant, which, as he said, was Vrinda's very self. In the seventh incarnation, the two demons, who had frightened Vrinda, became Ravan and his brother Kumbhakarna, and they bore away Sita to Lanka. To recover her, Ramchandra had to implore the help of the two apes who had brought her Jalandhar's head and hands, and in this incarnation they became Hanuman and his warriors. But, in the eighth incarnation, which was that of Krishna, the tulsi plant took the form of a woman Radha, and wedded the gay and warlike lord of Dwarka.

The Shodasopachara, or sixteen acts of homage, are next performed in due order, viz.--

1. Avahana, or invocation of the gods. 2. Asanam, or seat. 3. Padhya, or water for washing the feet. 4. Arghya, or oblation of rice or water. 5. Achamanam, or water for sipping. 6. Snanam, or the bath. 7. Vastra, or clothing of tulsi leaves. 8. Upavastra, or upper clothing of tulsi leaves. 9. Gandha, or sandal paste. 10. Pushpa, or flowers. 11. 12. Dhupa and Dhipa, or incense and light. 13. Naivedya, or offering of food. 14. Pradakshina, or circumambulation. 15. Mantrapushpa, or throwing flowers. 16. Namaskara, or salutation by prostration.