SADAACHARA SMRUTI - SNANA TYPES PART - 1

Mala snana

Before having Varuna snana when one cleans the dirt from *nava dwaras (nine gates), by rubbing them with gram flour, mud or soap and submerging into the water three times its called Mala snana.

*Nava dwara – 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth, 1 anus (excretory organ) and 1 genital (reproductive organ).

Sankalpa

Madye hakyam bhagavan mandira sanprakshalanam karma karishye.

Meaning

Think (do anusandhana) as our body is bhagavan mandira. I am cleaning bhagavan mandira before doing abhisheka for God.

Varuna snana

When bathing by submerging in water, like seas, river. After mala snana one has to do achamana, snana sankalpa then again go to the river or sea and take bath is called Varuna snana.  It is also called avagahana snana.

*Sankalpa can be done either before or after Mala snana.

Snana sankalpa

But please note we HAVE do to sankalpa everyday in our home before going to bath even if we are bathing in tap water.

Guru Jagannatha dasaru

 Jala snana

The bath taken from well, or from tap where we fetch water and pour on us.

When going to bath in a lake or river or tap first sprinkle some water on the head. Then do hand wash and leg wash. Think of Varuna bhaghvan(theertha raja), and Lord Matsya resides inside Varuna.   

Tvam raja sarva theerthanam

Thvameva jagathath pitah

Yachitham dehime theertham

Sarva papai hi pramochaya.

Hey Varuna (also think of matsya rupi bhagavan in him). Your responsible for all the water bodies. You save the world with your water. I should bath to remove my dirt, all my sins. So help make this water pure so that I get rid of all the sins and dirt. Pray Matsya before getting into water.

We should wear a wet cloth to do snana. Remember snana should be done nude, we should wear atleast one cloth either wrap ourselves with a towel or langoti (loin cloth). There is an instance in bhagavatha where Krishna has spoken about this. As we all know this story - :

The gopika sthri’s when doing kathiyayini vrata, came to bath in the river early in the morning. Everyone were bathing unclothed. So shri Krishna took all the clothes of these women and sat on the tree. So when these women plead Krishna to return their clothes. Krishna told 1. You should not feel shy in front of God as you should surrender yourself to God. 2. You should not bath without any dress. You should wear atleast one dress else it’s like insulting the theerth abhimani devatas (devatas responsible for water/theertha).

Mantra snana

Sprinkling (prokshne) of water on the head by saying mantra like apo hi shta mayo bhavah is Mantra snana. When one feels very sick, when too old, too weak, and not able to do snana. In that case take hot water and a towel/cloth that’s washed clean our body. The old cloth has to removed after the towel bath and a washed cloth has to be worn. Do achamana two times. The third time hold some water in your palm and meditate on gayathri mantra thrice. Sprinkle (prokshna from tulasi leaf) this water on your head. “apo hi shta mayo bhavah Ta na”. Then again do achamana thrice.  Apply gopichanda, mudra darne and sandyavandana. This shows we should not leave sandyavandana in any circumstance. The ones who is bed ridden, very old then he can think of gayathri mantra and think of Suryanthargada Bharathiramana Mukyapranathargada Lakshmi Narayana. Think of Pundarikaksha who makes us pure. They can do dhyana snana.