Śrīmad Devi Bhāgavatam | Book 11 Chapter 20
THE ELEVENTH BOOK
Chapter XX
On the description of Brahmā Yajña, Sandhyās, etc.
1-25. The twice born (Brāhmaṇa) is firstly to sip three times (make Āchamana); then to make the Mārjana (sprinkle water) twice; he is to touch the water by the right hand and sprinkle water on his two feet.
Next, he is to sprinkle with water his head, eyes, nose, ears, heart, and head thoroughly.
Then speaking out the Deśa and Kāla (place and time) he should commence the Brahmā Yajña.
Next for the destruction of all the sins and for getting liberation, he should have the Darbha (sacrificial grass, and the Kuśa grasses), two on his right hand, three on his left hand, one grass each on his seat, sacrificial thread, his tuft, and his heels. No sin can now remain in his body.
“I am performing this Brahmā Yajña for the satisfaction of the Devatā according to the Sūtra,” thus thinking he is to repeat the Gāyatrī thrice.
Then he is to recite the following mantras:
“Agnimīle purohitam, etc.,” “Yadamgeti” “Agnirvai,” “Mahāvratanchaiva panthā,” “Athātaḥ Śamhitāyāścha vidāmaghavat,” “Mahāvratasya,” “Īṣetvorjetvā,” “Agna āyāhi” “Śanno Devī rabbīsṭaye,” “Tasya Samāmnāyo” “Briddairādaich” “Śikṣām pravakṣyāmi,” “Pañcha Samvatsareti,” “Mayarasatajabhetyeva,” “Gaurgmā,”
also he is to recite the two following Sūtras:
“Athāto Dharma Jijñāsā,” “Athāto Brahmā Jijñāsā.”
Next he is to recite the mantra:
“Tachhamyoḥ” and also the mantra “Namo Brāhmaṇe namo stvagnaye namaḥ prithivyai nama Osadhībhyoḥ namaḥ”. (These mantras are the famous mantras of the Rig Veda).
Next perform the Deva-Tarpaṇam, thus:
“Om Prajāpati stripyatu”, “Om Brahmā stripyatu”, “Om Vedās tripyantu,” “Om Riṣayastri pyantu”, “ Om Devāstripantu,” “Om Sarvaṇi chhandāmsi tripyantu”, “Om Omkārā stripyatu”, “Om Vaṣaṭ Kāra stripyatu”, “Om Vyārhitayas tripyantu”, Om Sāvitrī tripyatu”, “Om Gāyatrī tripyatu”, “Om Yajña stripyantu,” Om Dyāvā prithivyai tripyatām.
Om Antarīkṣam tripyatu, Om Ahorātrāni tripyantu, Om Sāṁkhya stripyantu, Om Siddhā stripyantu, Om Samudrā stripyantu, Om Nadyās tripyantu, Om girayas tripyantu, Om Kṣettrauṣ adhivana spati gandharvā Psarasas tripyantu, Om nāgā vayāmsi gāvascha sādhyā viprāsta thaiva cha, yakṣā rakṣāṇsi bhūtāni tyeva mantāni tripyantu.
Next, suspending the sacrificial thread from the neck, perform the Ṛiṣi Tarpaṇam, thus:
Om Śatarchinas tripyantu, Om mādhyamās tripyantu, Om Gritsamada stripyatu, Om Viśvāmitra stripyantu, Om Vāmadēva stripyantu, Om Atri stripyatu, Om Bharadvājastripyatu, Om Vaṣiṣṭhastripyatu, Om Pragāthastripyatu, Pāvamānyastripyantu.
Next, holding the sacrificial thread over the right shoulder and under the left arm, perform the Tarpaṇam, thus:
Om Kṣudrasūktā stripyantu.
Om Mahāsūktāstripyantu.
Om Sanaka stripyatu.
Om Sananda stripyatu.
Om Sanātana stripyatu.
Om Sanat Kumāra stripyatu.
Om Kapila stripyatu.
Om Āsuristripyatu,
Om Vohalistripyatu.
Om Pañchaśikhā stripyatu.
Om Sumantu Jaimini Vaiśampāyana Paila Sutra Bhāṣya Bhārata Mahā Bhārata Dharmāchāryah stripyantu.
Om Jānantīvāha vigārgya Gautama Śākalya vābhravya Māndavya Māndūkeyā stripyantu.
Om Gārgī Vāchakṇavī tripyatu.
Om Vadavā prātitheyī tripyatu.
Om Sulabhā maitreyī tripyatu.
Om Kahola stripyatu.
Om Kauṣītaka stripyatu.
Om Mahā Kauṣītaka stripyatu.
Om Bhāradvāja stripyatu,
Om Paimga stripyatu.
Om Mahāpaimga stripyatu.
Om Sujajñā stripyatu.
Om Sāmkhyāyaṇa stripyatu.
Om Aitareya stripyatu.
Om Mahaitareya stripyatu.
Om Vāṣkala stripyatu.
Om Sākala stripyatu.
Om Sujāta vaktra stripyatu.
Om Audavāhi stripyatu.
Om Saujāmi stripyatu,
Om Śaunaka stripyatu,
Om Āśvalāyana stripyatu.
26-54. Let all the other Acharyas be satisfied.
“Om Ye Ke chāsmaṭ kule Jātā aputrā gotriṇo mritāh. te grihṇantu Mayā dattam vastraniṣpīḍi to dakam. ” - Saying thus offer water squeezed out of a cloth.
O Nārada! Thus I have spoken to you of the rules of Brahmā Yajña. Whoever performs thus the Brahmā Yajña gets the fruits of studying all the Vedas.
Then performing, in due order, the Vaiśva deva, Homa, Śrāddha, serving the guests, and feeding the cows, the devotee is to take his meals during the fifth part of the day along with the other Brāhmaṇas.
Then the sixth and the seventh parts of the day he is to spend in reading histories and the Purāṇas.
Then the eighth part of the day he is to devote in seeing the relatives, talking with them and receiving visits from other persons; then he will be prepared to perform the evening Sandhyā.
O Nārada! I am now talking of the evening Sandhyā. Listen. Śrī Bhagavatī is pleased very quickly with him who performs the evening Sandhyā.
First make the Āchamana and make the Vāyu (air) in the body steady. With heart stilled and with the seat Baddha Padmāsana, be calm and quiet while engaged in performing the Sandhyā.
At the commencement of all actions prescribed in the Śrutis and Smriti, first perform the Sagarbha Prāṇāyāma. In other words recite the mantra mentally for the due number of moments and make the Prāṇāyāma. Simply meditating is called Agarbha Prāṇāyāma. Here no mantra is necessary to be recited.
Then have the Bhūtaśuddhi (have the purifications of the elements) and make the Sankalpa.
First of all, the purification of elements, etc., is to be done first; one becomes, then, entitled to do other actions.
While doing Pūraka (inhaling), Kumbhaka (retaining) and Rechaka (exhaling) in Prāṇāyāma, meditate on the Deity stated duly.
In the evening time meditate on the Bhagavatī Sandhyā Devī thus:
The name of the then Gāyatrī Devī is Saraswatī. She is old, of black colour, wearing ordinary clothes; in her hands are seen conch shell, disc, club and lotus.
On Her feet the anklets are making sweet tinkling sounds; on Her loins there is the golden thread; decked with various ornaments. She is sitting on Garuda.
On Her head the invaluable jewel crown is seen; on Her neck, the necklaces of stars; Her forehead is shining with a brilliant lustre emitting from the pearl and jewel Tāṭamka ornaments.
She has put on yellow clothes; Her nature is eternal knowledge and ever-bliss. She is uttering Sāma Veda. She resides in the Heavens and daily She goes in the path of the Sun.
I invoke the Devī from the Solar Orb.
O Nārada! Meditate on the Devī thus and perform the Sandhyā. Then perform the Mārjanam by the mantra “Āpohiṣṭhā” and next by the mantra “Agniścha mā manyuścha.” The remaining actions are the same as before.
Next, repeat the Gāyatrī and offer, with a pure heart, the offering of Arghya to the Sun for the satisfaction of Nārāyaṇa.
While offering this Arghya, keep the two legs level and similar and take water in folded palms and meditating on the Devatā within the Solar Orb, throw it towards Him.
The fool that offers Sūryārghya in the water, out of ignorance, disregarding the injunctions of the Śrutis, will have to perform Prāyaśchitta for that sin.
Next, worship the Sun by the Sūrya mantra.
Then taking one’s seat, meditate on the Devī and repeat the Gāyatrī. One thousand times or five hundred times the Gāyatrī is to be repeated.
The worship, etc., in the evening is the same as in the morning. Now I am speaking of the Tarpaṇam in the Evening Sandhyā. Hear.
Vaṣiṣṭha is the Ṛiṣi of the aforesaid Saraswatī. Viṣṇu in the form and Saraswatī is the Devatā; Gāyatrī is the Chhanda; its application is in the Evening Sandhyā Tarpaṇam.
Now the Tarpaṇam of the Sandhyānga (the adjunct of Sandhyā) runs as follows:
“Om Svaḥ Puruṣam Tarpayāmi.”
“Om Sāmavēdam Tarpayāmi.”
“Om Sūrya Maṇḍalam tarpayāmi.”
“Om Hiraṇyagarbham tarpayāmi.”
“Om Paramātmānam tarpayāmi.”
“Om Saraswatīm tarpayāmi.”
“Om Devamātaram tarpayāmi.”
“Om Sāmkritīm tarpayāmi.”
“Om Vriddhām Sandhyām tarpayāmi”
“Om Viṣṇu rūpinīm Ūṣasīm tarpayāmi.”
“Om Nirmrijīm tarpayāmi.”
“Om Sarvasiddhi kāriṇīm tarpayāmi.”
“Om Sarvamantrā dhipatikām tarpayāmi.”
“Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Svaḥ Puruṣam tarpayāmi.”
Thus perform the Vaidik Tarpaṇam.
O Nārada! Thus have been described the rules of the sin destroying evening Sandhyā.
By this evening Sandhyā, all sorts of pains and afflictions and diseases are removed. And ultimately the Mokṣa is obtained.
What more than this that you should know this Sandhyā Bandanam as the principal thing amongst the good conduct and right ways of living.
Therefore Śrī Bhagavatī fructifies all the desires of the Bhaktas who perform this Sandhyā Vandanam.
Here ends the Twentieth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the description of Brahmā Yajña, Sandhyās, etc., in the Mahāpurāṇam Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahāṛṣi Veda Vyāsa.