Aachamamana

Aachamamana

आद्रवासा जलेकुर्यात्तर्पणाचमनं जपम्

āadravāsā jalekuryāttarpaṇāacamanaṁ japam

Aachamanam, japam and tarpanam, if they are to be performed standing in water, then they should be done with wet clothes.  If these rituals are done on dry earth, riverbanks or at home, one  should wear clean dried clothes.

गोकर्णाकृतिहस्तेन माषमग्नं जलम् पिबेत्।

तन्न्यूनाधिकं पीत्वा सुरापनफलम् भवेत्॥

व्यासेनोक्तं।

gokarṇākṛtihastena māṣamagnaṁ jalam pibet|

tannyūnādhikaṁ pītvā surāpanaphalam bhavet||

vyāsenoktaṁ|

Vyasa had prescribed that the water to be drunk during achamanam should be to the extent of a green gram submerging in the right palm held in the shape of the ear of a cow.  If more or less water is used, the sin of drinking alcohol will visit the performer.

Three types of aachamanam are prescribed as of now. 1. Srautaachamanam.  2. Smarthaachamanam  3. Puranaachamanam.   Aachamanam performed with simple recital of Gayatri mantram is called SrautaachamanaM. Nine parts of the body should be touched during this aachamanam  also and before that according to Vyasa, water should be taken thrice with the chanting of Pranavam.  In smaarthachamanam water should be taken thrice  and five sense organs should be touched.  The aachamanam we are performing now is according to the Padmapuranam.  We take water as prescribed above with the chanting of Achyutha, Anantha and Govinda namaas.  Then we touch the various limbs chanting the twelve names of the Lord, Kesava, Narayana, Madhava, Govinda, Vishnu, Madhusudhana, Trivikrama, Vaamana, Sreedharam Hrishikesa, Padmanabha and Damodara.