The Common Rites

The night before the saà skä ra proper, one begins with the establishment of the ghaö a, Viñ ë u pü jä, and adhivä sa. The next morning, one should recite the Svasti Vä cana, Saë kalpa, establish the ghaö a, worship Lord Viñ ë u, worship the paramparä ä cä ryas (Sä ttvika Vå ddhi Ç rä ddha), and perform Cedirä ja Pü jä (Vasudhä rä).

· Svasti Vä cana

@ TRANS from Pratistha Vidhi book

Three brä hmaë as should chant:

oà punantu mä m devajanä ù

punantu manasä dhiyaù

punantu viç va bhü tä ë é

jä tavedaù puné hi mä m

One brä hmaë a chants:

oà asya karmanaù punyaham bhavanto bhruvantu

At least three brä hmaë as throw akñ ata in the air three times, while chanting:

oà punyaham oà punyaham oà punyaham

Together they chant:

oà udgat eva ç akune sä ma gä yasi

brahma putra iva savaneñ u samç asi

vå ç eva vä ji ç iç umatirapé tyä

sarvato naù ç akune bhadramä vada

viç vato naù ç akune punyamä vada

One brä hmaë a chants:

oà asya karmanaù svasti bhavanto bhruvantu ayuç mate svasti

The brä hmaë as throw akñ ata in the air three times, while chanting:

oà svasti oà svasti oà svasti

Together:

oà svasti na indro vå ddhaç ravaù

svasti naù pü ç ä viç vavedä ù

svasti nas tä rkñ yo ariç ö anemiù

svasti no bå haspatiù dadhä tu

One brä hmaë a chants:

oà asya karmana å ddhim bhavanto bhruvantu

The brä hmaë as throw akñ ata in the air three times, while chanting:

oà å dhyatam oà å dhyatam oà å dhyatam

Together:

oà å dhyä ma stomam sanuyä ma vä ja mä no

mantram sara thehopa yä tam

yaç o na pakvam madhu goç vanta rä

bhü tä mso aç vinoù kä mamaprä ù

oà svasti no govindaù

svasti no ’cyutä nantau

svasti no vä sudevo viñ ë ur dadhä tu

svasti no nä rä yaë a naro vai

svasti naù padmanä bhaù puruñ ottamo dadhä tu

svasti no viç vakseno viç veç varaù

svasti no hå ñ ikeç o harir dadhä tu

svasti no vainateyo hariù

svasti no ’njanä suto hanur bhä gavato dadhä tu

svasti svasti sumaì galaikeç o mahä n

ç ré kå ñ ë aù saccidä nanda ghä naù sarveç vareç varo dadhä tu

The brä hmaë as should throw the remainder of the akñ ata.

The maì galä caraë a prayers may be recited at this point.

Saì kalpa

Saì kalpa should be performed using a small copper vessel. Silver, stone, clay, conch or bell metal should not be used, nor should saì kalpa be performed using only the hands. One should fill the pot with water, and add sesame, three blades of kuç a (with root and tip intact), flowers, and haritaki or banana.

One should chant the saì kalpa:

oà viñ ë ur

oà tat sat

Adya

_______mä se (lunar month)

_______pakñ e (lunar fortnight)

_______tithau (lunar day)

acyuta gotraù

(name of sponsor) dä sa

(name of function) karmä bhuyadayä rthaà

ç ré kå ñ ë a prityä rthaà

ç ré bhä gavatä rcana vasudhä rä sampä tanä yuñ a sü kta japä bhyudaika ç rä ddha karmä myaham kariñ ye

@translation:

One should then throw some of the water in the North-East direction, pour the balance water on the ground (or into a visarjana pä tra placed on the floor) turn the vessel upside down and place gandha and puñ pa on it.

Then recite Sä ma Vediya Saì kalpa Sü kta

oà devo vo dravië odä ù pü rë ä à vivañ ö vä sicam

udhvä siï cadhva mü pa vä på ë adhva deva uhate

oà saì kalpitaå thasya siddhirastu

@translation:

GHAÖ A STHÄ PANA

The ghaö a or water pot, by assembling with the proper mantras and calling in the Lord, becomes a form of the Lord which can be worshipped with upacä ras (articles such as foot wash, arghya, lamps etc.) in the manner that one worships a mü rti.

The ghaö a (pot) may be made of gold, silver, copper, bell metal, stone or clay. Those made of clay are suitable for all purposes, but should be unbroken, clean and should only be used once.

One should place either nava-ratna (pearl, cat’s eye, gomed, diamond, coral, yellow sapphire, emerald, blue sapphire, ruby), paï ca-ratna (pearl, cat’s seye, diamond, sapphire, ruby), or a piece of gold in the water within the pot.