Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c10.s1.38

c10.s1.38

After finishing his bath, the devotee should dry his body with a piece of cloth, and putting on fresh clothes he should sit down and do Ācamana again. He should put proper sectarian Tilaka marks on his body and perform Saṃdhyā (religious act to be performed at the three divisions of the day), according to the Vedic and Tāntric modes. In the case of the former mode, he should sit on a seat of Kuśa-grass facing the east, perform Prāṇāyāma thrice and repeat the Gāyatrī a thousand times, or a hundred times, or even ten times only. In the case of the latter mode (Tāntric), he is to offer libations of water thrice to Kṛṣṇa with the utterance of the Mūla-Mantra, and make offerings to Kṛṣṇa, residing in the orb of the sun, with the citation of the Kāma-gāyatrī (klim kāma-devāya vidmahe, puṣpa-bāṇāya-dhīmahi, tan no'naṅgaḥ pracodayāt). Leaving off with the word 'forgive' (kṣamasva), he should then make offerings to the sun. There is, however, according to some authorities, a different mode of the Tāntric Saṃdhyā. The devotee in this case should attain inner and outer purity by uttering the Hṛdaya-mantra (namaḥ), the Netra-mantra (vauṣaṭ), and the Astra-Mantra (phaṭ). Then libation of water is to be offered thrice to Kṛṣṇa, residing in the orb of the sun, with the citation of the Gopāla-gāyatrī (gopi-janāya vidmahe, gopi-janāya dhīmahi, tan naḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pracodayāt). The six parts of the Mantra are to be placed on the six limbs, namely, head, forehead, two eyes, two arms, two feet and the whole body. Contemplating Kṛṣṇa as enjoying the Rāsa-sport in the orb of the sun, the Vaiṣṇava should then extend his two hands and repeat the Gopāla-gāyatrī for a while. He should perform the Ṣaḍ-aṅga Nyāsa, Mudrās like Dhenu-mudra, utter the Pīṭha-mantra and offer libations of water (Tarpaṇa) one hundred and eight times, first for the satisfaction of the god and then for the whole world, including other gods, Pitṛs, saints and sages.