Shikshapatri

1
Shikshapatri

• Shloka 51

2
Shikshapatri Text

• Then they shall sit in a clean place, on a clean
  and suitable cloth, untouched by others and
  facing north or east shall perform Achaman.
• (Shloka 51)

3
Clean Environment

• Ensure you sit in a clean/tidy environment
• clean your room if necessary!!!
• Ensure where you sit is clean
• hoover/sweep the floor as required

4
Specification of Asana

• Again Asana should be clean
• Not too big or too small
• Not in contact with anyone elses Asana
• Separate Asana for God and you

5
Types of Asana

• Wool (Desires)
• Deer Skin (Salvation)
• Tiger Skin (Fruits of Penance)
• Grass/Leaves (Good Health)
• Washed Cloth
• Silk

• Stone (Suffering)
• Wood (Illness)
• Unwashed Cloth (Poverty)
• No Asana (No Fruits of Penance)

6
Which Way to Face?

• Face either North or East
• North is the direction of God or the Heavens and
  East is the direction of the rising sun - both
  are pious directions for performing Pooja
• South is the direction of Hell and West is the
  direction of the the setting sun and therefore
  are not pious directions.

7
Achaman - How?

• Achaman is the sipping of water
• Enough water should be used
• Extend right hand towards the East
• Hand shaped in the form of a Cows Ear
• Thumb to touch the little/middle finger
• Release thumb from finger as you take the water -
  ensure lips do not touch the hand
• Left hand should touch the right hand during this
  process

8
Why Do Achaman?

• Achaman is a form of purification
• Performed 3 times
• Purification of the three bodies
• Shool (gross body - 5 mahaboots)
• Shukshma (subtle body - other 19 elements)
• Karana (causal body - body associated with vasana
  or desire)
• Eligibility of doing Pooja only after you are
  pure/cleansed through bathing/Achaman

9
Achaman Mantras

• Following Mantras to be spoken whilst performing
  Achaman
• Ohm Shree Narayanaya Namaha
• Ohm Shree Vasudevaya Namaha
• Ohm Shree Vishnavaya Namaha

10
Purifications

• Sharirik Shudhi - Purity of the Physical Body
  through Bathing
• Antara Shudhi - Purity of the Inner Body through
  Achaman
• Maansic Shuddhi - Purity of the Mind/Self through
  Meditation/ Pooja

11
Spot the Difference
12
Questions?

• 1) What should you do first before getting ready
  to do Achman/Pooja?
• 2) Name two acceptable types of Asana?
• 3) Name two unacceptable types of Asana?
• 4) Which directions should you face when doing
  Pooja? Provide a reason for doing Pooja in one
  of these directions?
• 5) Why is Achman performed? How many times is it
  performed?
• 6) Which Mantras are spoken when doing Achman?