History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.141
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.141
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v5.c74.141.1
Let us suppose that the pilgrim has come to the Ganges. Then the question is, how is he to proceed about a bath in the Ganges. Many of the digests contain several alternate forms of the *saṅkalpa* to be made at the time of Gaṅgā-snāna. For example, the Prāyaścittatattva (pp. 497-498) contains a very elaborate saṅkalpa. A simple one is quoted below from the Gaṅgāvākyāvalī.¹³³⁹ The mode of bathing prescribed in the Matsyapurāṇa 102 is common to people of all varṇas and students of all the different recensions of the Veda. The Matsyapurāṇa, chap. 102, which contains one of the earliest procedure of a religious bath, and which has been taken over by several digests such as the Gaṅgāvākyāvalī (pp. 148-152) is summarised here. Cleanliness (of the body) and clean thoughts do not exist without a bath; therefore bathing is first prescribed for making the mind pure. One may bathe with water drawn (in a vessel from a well or stream) or with water not so drawn. A wise man should fix upon a holy spot after repeating the fundamental mantra 'namo Nārāyaṇāya' (reverent bow to Nārāyaṇa). A man holding darbha grass in his hand and being clean and pure should perform *ācamana* (ceremonial sipping of water). He should select a spot four *hastas* square on all sides and invoke the Ganges (to come or be present there) with the following mantras 'you are sprung from the foot of Viṣṇu, you are a devotee of Viṣṇu, you worship Viṣṇu; therefore save us from sins committed from birth to death.
v5.c74.141.2
Vāyu declared that there are three and a half crores (35 millions) of holy places in heaven, on the earth and in mid air; all these, O Ganges (daughter of Jahnu), belong to you. Your name among the gods is Nandinī (the joy-giving) and also Nalinī and there are other names of yours viz. Dakṣā, Pṛthvī, Vihagā, Viśvakāyā, Amṛtā, Śivā, Vidyādharī, Supraśāntā, Viśva-prasādinī, Kṣemā, Jāhnavī, Śāntā, Śāntipradāyinī. 1339a One should utter these holy names at the time of bathing; then the Ganges flowing in the three worlds would be near (even if a man bathed at home). He should, after folding his hands, cast on his head thrice, four times, five times or seven times water on which he has muttered the mantras seven times. After having invoked the clay (in the river bed) with the mantras 'O earth! Oh clay! you are crossed over by horses and chariots, by Viṣṇu, remove my sin which I may have committed by my evil deeds; you were brought up (from the depths of the sea) by the Boar incarnation of Kṛṣṇa with his hundred hands. O clay! you are given (to the world) by Brahmā and you had mantras repeated over you by Kāśyapa. Occupying my limbs may you drive away all my sin! Oh clay! Give us prosperity; everything is centered in you; a bow to you, that are virtuous and the source of all worlds'. Having thus bathed and having sipped water (*ācamana*) according to the procedure prescribed, he should get out of the Ganges and should put on two white and pure garments.
v5.c74.141.3
Then he should perform *tarpaṇa*¹³⁴⁰ for the satisfaction of the three worlds. (He should say) 'This water is being offered by me for satiating gods, yakṣas, nāgas, gandharvas, apsarases, asuras, cruel snakes, eagles, trees, jackals, birds, creatures that sustain themselves on air and water or that move in the sky, all beings that are without support and those that are devoted to the dictates of *dharma*'. The person (performing tarpaṇa) should wear the sacred thread in the *upavīta* form (when satiating gods) and then wear it in the *nivīta* ¹³⁴¹ form (when satiating men). He should devotedly satiate men, the sages who were sons of Brahmā; he should say "May Sanaka, Sananda and Sanātana, Kapila, Āsuri, Vodhu, Pañcaśikha—may all these reach satiety by the water offered by me." Then he should satiate with water and *akṣata* grains (the sages) Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracetas, Vasiṣṭha, Bhṛgu, Nārada; he should satiate all these *devarṣis*, and *brahmarṣis*, ¹³⁴² and *ṛṣis* with water and *akṣatas*. Then wearing the sacred thread in the *apasavya* mode, bending his left knee on the ground, he satiates with water mixed with sesame and sandal-wood paste pitṛs called Agniṣvātta ¹³⁴³, Saumya, Haviṣmat, Ūṣmapa, Sukālin, Barhiṣad and others called Ājyapa. He should make a bow to Yama, Dharmarāja, Mṛtyu, Antaka, Vaivasvata, Kāla, destroyer of all beings, Audumbara, Dadhna, Nīla, Parameṣṭhin, Vṛkodara, Citra and Citragupta.
v5.c74.141.4
With darbhas in his hand a wise man should satiate his pitṛs. He should satiate with devotion his father and the rest by uttering their names and gotra and his maternal grandfather and others in the same way and should recite the following mantra 'May those who are my bandhus or not my bandhus or were my bandhus in some previous life reach satisfaction and also whoever desires satisfaction from me.' Then he should sip water (perform *ācamana*) in the prescribed way and draw the figure of a lotus in front of himself and offer thereon to the Sun *arghya* (respectful offering of water) with water mixed with red sandal-wood paste, flowers and akṣatas (grains of rice) and repeat the names of Sūrya (the Sun) 'Bow to thee! that are Viṣṇu in another form, that art the face of Viṣṇu, that hast thousand rays and that art all refulgence. Bow to thee that art beneficent, the lord of the world. Bow to thee that art adorned with divine sandalwood, that art seated on a lotus, adorned with ear-rings and armlets, the lord of people; that awakenest (or enlightenest) the whole world, that goest everywhere and markest the good and evil deeds; a bow to thee who art a god to all. O Bhāskara (Sun), be well disposed to me A bow to thee, Divākara (maker of day). A bow to thee, Prabhākara (source of refulgence)'.
v5.c74.141.5
Having thus bowed to the Sun and having circumambulated thrice (the lotus drawn for representing the sun) and touching a brāhmaṇa, gold and a cow, the person (bather) should go to a temple of Viṣṇu (or to his own house, according to another reading).¹³⁴⁴