Achamanam

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/rituals/aug2002/0003.html

An Achamanam is the simplest of Vaidika karmAs, yet none the less in importance than an
AsvamEdha Yagyam. Its importance can be well realized when we note that it forms the prelude to all
rituals. No vaidika karma can be begun without an Achamanam.

What is the role of this short, simple act? Its main function is to purify the body and the mind. One
may ask: before performing any ritual, we usually bathe well, wear a pure cloth, and apply TirumaN to
the forehead and at eleven other places in the body, and are as pure as can be. What indeed is the need
for another purificatory act, however short or simple? The answer to this question lies in an analysis of
the ritual of Achamanam.

The act consists of sipping water in a cupped palm thrice, to the accompaniment of the mantras
AchutAya nama:, AnantAya nama: and GovindAya nama:, with the PraNava preceding these nAmAs,
and thereafter touching twelve parts of the body with various fingers of the right hand and the palm,
chanting twelve holy names of the Lord, all the while keeping the mind fixed on Him. Simple as it may
sound, there are many dos and donts relating to this function, some of which are enumerated here.

Some of the donts first- Achamanam in not to be done standing up, but always in the KukkutAsanam
or a hen-like posture, sitting down with the soles of the feet firmly planted on the ground, the hands
between the knees.

Achamanam is not to be done facing the west or the south, but always facing the east or the north.
Achamanam should not be done with impure or falling water, as from a tap or rain, but usually with
water from a river or tank, or from a vessel held in the left hand. When doing this in a river or tank, the
left hand should be touching the water. It should not be performed casually, while speaking to others,
wearing a shirt or footwear, with a covered head, with laughter etc., but with devotion, and with the
consciousness that one is uttering the holy names of the Almighty, which purify and protect. Nor should
it be done while wearing a Pavithram. While performing an achamanam, the pavithram should be kept
in the gap between the right ear lobe and the head. This is perhaps meant to avoid the sharp ends of
the pavithram hurting the eyes.

Though an Achamanam generally precedes all karmAs, there are specific mentions in the Smritis about
the occasions that call for one. These are enumerated below:- Immediately after waking up in the
morning After urination and other forms of excretion After brushing ones teeth Before and after a bath
After wearing clothes As a preliminary to all nitya and naimittika karmAs (daily and occasional rituals)
like Sandhyavandanam, Brahmayagyam, Adharashakti tarpanam, VedAdhyayanam, PitrutarpaNam,
mantra japam,etc. Before and after a meal Speaking with or touching Unsuitable persons Before and
after giving or accepting alms or donation After sneezing, shedding tears or blood Upon association with
contact with women, blood, human hair, fire, cows, cats, mice, refuse, etc. Before and after crossing a
river The aforesaid are only indicative occasions for Achamanam and not an exhaustive list.

It is not enough that water is sipped with the mantra- it must reach the heart, and not merely stop with
the tongue, mouth or throat. This will be possible only if enough water is taken in the cupped hand.
Smritis lay down that the quantum of water should be such that the Masha rEkhA in the palm is
immersed. This water is to be conveyed into the mouth via the bottom of the palm, known as the
Brahma TIrttham.

It is a measure of this acts significance that the mantras accompanying it are acclaimed to be the
holiest. The tirunAmAs Achyutha, Ananta, and Govinda are a panacea for all ills, and destroy all
disease, however deep-rooted and serious, says Sage Vyasa- Achyuta Ananta Govinda nAma
ucchAraNa bhEshajAt nasyanti sakalA: rOgA: satyam satyam vadAmyaham These words come from
the mouth of one of the most erudite, venerated sages, who was a master of the Scriptures and the
author of the Brahma SutrAs, whose credibility is beyond question.

The Achyuta nAmA indicates the Lords attachment to His devotees and His promise never to forsake
them, especially in times of distress. It is significant that this tirumama has the akAra or the letter A at
the very beginning, because the letter alone is considered very auspicious and symbolic of Emperuman
(akAra: Vishnu vAchaka: akArArtthO Vishnu: etc.) The Ananta nAma describes Emperumans
Paratvam or supremacy. He is limitless-unlimited by time, place or object (dEsa, kAla, vastu paricchEda
rAhityam). He pervades all objects, and is present always at all places. Thus this sobriquet declares
that the Lord is capable of protecting His devotees. The Govinda nAma indicates the Lords soulabhyam
or accessibility.

The omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient Lord took birth in the midst of unlettered cowherds,
sharing fully in their happiness and sorrow, stealing butter like an ordinary greedy mortal child and
getting punished for it, etc. If the Lord were to be only supreme and inaccessible, He would not be of
much succour to us. On the other hand, if He were to be accessible but not possess omnipotence, He
wouldnt be capable of protecting and preserving us. This unique combination of Paratvam and
Soulabhyam makes Emperuman both capable of and inclined to rush to the rescue of souls in distress.

What better evidence of the efficacy of the Govinda nAma do we need, than the episode of the Damsel
in Distress-Draupati. When she cried out Govinda! PundarIkAksha!Raksha mAm sharanAgatAm the
Lord protected her modesty with bales of clothing appearing miraculously to overwhelm even the
powerful DucchAsana, intent on disrobing her. Sri LokAchArya goes to the extent of
saying:Draupadikku Apatthil pudavai surandadu tirunAmam irE( it is indeed the Govinda nAma that
saved PanchAlis modesty- by implication, this denies the credit for this act of protection to the Lord
Himself, and ascribes the same to His tirunAmam).

The Acharya says that Emperumans holy names are more powerful than He Himself is, lauding the
comparative greatness of the Vachaka( the name) over that of the VAchyam ( the possessor of the
name). Even when the Lord is too far away to protect us, His hallowed name, if it is on our tongue, will
protect us immediately (avan doorastthan AnAlum idu kiiti nindru udavum). The combination of the
Achyuta, Ananta and Govinda nAmAs has the effect of purifying us bodily and in spirit, of destroying all
disease, whether of the body or the soul, of affording us constant protection, and washing away all sin,
past, present and future.

Thus it is out of their infinite mercy that the Maharshis who authored the various Smritis prescribed
Achamanam as a prelude to and as a concluding act to all vaidika karmAs, and even to our daily
ablutions. Though there is a wealth of information on Achamanam to be found in the Ahnika granthAs,
especially the one by prakritam Srimad Azhagiasingar, Smritis and their commentaries, notably the
Smriti MuktAphalam etc., adiyen stops here, seeking the Bhagavatas permission to cover some other
aspects of this important purificatory rite later.

Achamanam-2
http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/rituals/aug2002/0005.html

We have seen the various occasions warranting Achamanam. One of these is eating or drinking.
However, there are occasions too when Achamanam is forbidden; for instance it is not to be done after
the intake of holy water like PerumAl Tirttham (Vishnu pAdOdakam), Sri PAda tIrttham of bhAgavatAs,
madhuparkam, sOmapAnam (after conclusion of the SomayAga),etc.
The Achamanam in practice during Sandhyavandanam etc., is described in the Smritis. There is one
more prescribed by the Shruti and which is done at the time of Brahma Yagyam ( done after
PrAtah:sandhyAvandanam, in which one prasna from the Veda is recited daily in sequential order, along
with the Purusha Sukta).

This Achamanam is described in the TaittirIya AraNyaka ( 2nd Prasna, 15th panchati) thus-
tri:AchAmEt,dvi:parimrijya,sakrit u0pasprisya,shira: chakshushee nAsikE shrOtrE hridayam Alabhya As
in the ordinary Achamanam, here too, water is sipped thrice, the lips wiped twice. Then one should
touch the head, eyes, two nostrils, two ears and the heart. This constitutes the Shrouta Achamanam.
The important difference in this type of Achamanam is that it is done without any mantra being uttered-
the intake of water is without the accompaniment of Achuta Ananta Govinda nAmAs. Further, the body
parts to be touched are only eight, against twelve in the SmArta Achamanam.

Additionally, even while touching these parts, no mantra is to be recited (i.e., without the KesavAdi
nAmAs). Perhaps due its peculiarities, and the absence of accompanying Bhagavan nAmAs, this
Achamanam is prescribed only during Brahma Yagya and nowhere else. There is one more type of
Achamanam in vogue. If often happens that though we need to purify ourselves through Achamanam,
no water is available at the time and place.

In such situations, the Smriti prescribes an easy method of purification- that of touching the tip of ones
nose and then the right ear, uttering the Pranava mantra. This is based on the Scriptural texts, which
say that Agni resides in the Brahmanas nose tip and holy rivers like the Ganga in his right ear. Hence
touching these two purifies a person immediately. This is why perhaps the YagyOpaveetam is rolled onto
ones right ear while carrying on excretory functions.

We would have observed elders performing this ShrOtra Achamanam after letting out a yawn or
sneezing. It is to be noted that this short cut is to be adopted only when the regular Achamanam is
impossible due to circumstances. Other types of mini-AchamanAs are prescribed by Sri BodhAyana, who
says that when the vastram is worn again after its removal, one should perform Achamanam, and if that
is not possible, touch wet grass, wet earth or wet gOmayam.

The importance attached to Achamanam is evident from the Smriti Chandrika vachanam, ya: kriyA
kurutE mOhAt anAchamya Eva nAstika: bhavanti hi vritA tasya kriyA:sarvA na samsaya: All karmAs
done without Achamanam are doomed to failure and would be futile, warns the Smriti. There are many
Smritis, which prescribe different types of Achamanam, some mutually conflicting. Whenever one has a
doubt, one should approach elders and BhAgavatAs and have the matter clarified, as there is nothing
that is more authoritative. Adiyen seeks the pardon of BhagavatAs for any errors of commission or
omission that might have crept in the above piece.

Achamanam-3

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/rituals/aug2002/0016.html

This is an unintended sequel to the earlier two-part posting on the subject, resulting from the
clarifications sought by various BhAgavatAs, which enabled adiyen to research deeper into the Smritis
and Ahnika Granthas, especially the one by Prakritam Srimad Azhagiasingar. Is Achamanam prescribed
for ladies too? Yes, it is.

The difference between the regular Achamanam and that to be done by ladies is that the latter is to be
done without the pranava and the chaturtthi. That is, the water is to be sipped thrice, once each with
Achuta, Ananta, and Govinda only and not AchyutAya Nama.etc. Also, only these three namas are to
be uttered and not the other twelve beginning with Kesavaya Nama:
How is the water to be sipped? Water is to be taken for Achamanam via the Deva tIrttham (formed by
the joined finger-tips-this is especially when Sandhyavandanam is performed in rivers or tanks), held in
the palm which should be in the form of a cows ear, and sipped via the Brahma Tirttham(that is, via the
bottom of the palm).This is indicated by the Saccharitra Sudhanidhi vachanam Brahma tIrtthEna
nissabdam mAsha magnam jalam pibEt.

This also implies that the intake of water should be without any sound, as occasioned by noisy sucking.
This would necessitate the head to be in a slightly raised position, not of course as raised as for drinking
water normally, so that the water comfortably flows down the throat. Incidentally, an Achamanam is
supposed to be complete only when the water sipped reaches the heart-it is not enough if it stops with
the tongue, palate or even the throat. (apsu prAptAsu hridayam brAhmaNa; shuddim ApnuyAt).

Though this appears difficult, it should be possible with practice, correct posture of the head, sipping the
correct quantity of water, etc. One more clarification sought was whether the practice of Brihaspatis, not
to advise Achamanam at the commencement of various rituals, is correct. Adiyen can only quote the
HArIta Smriti- Shrouta SmArtEshu gArhyEshu kritEshu vidhivat budha: dvirAchAmEt tu sarvatra This
pramANA enjoins upon all to perform two AchamanAs at the beginning of all rituals of all descriptions.

A few prescriptions regarding the water used for Achamanam- Achamanam should not be done using hot
water, water with bubbles or froth, mixed with mud or sand, with a foul-smell, that emanating from
dirty sources, discoloured water, water perfumed with the addition of cardamom, sandalwood paste,
etc., water left over after washing the feet, after Agni kAryam, etc., salty or bitter water, etc. Nor
should Achamanam be done with seawater, because the Shruti prohibits drinking of the same-tasmAt
samudrasya na pibanti.

Why should one touch the various body parts while performing Achamanam? Replies Sage VyAsa- All
the DevAs are propitiated by the intake of water with the Achuta, Ananta and Govinda nAmAs. Wiping
the lips pleases Ganga and Yamuna, while touching the eyes pleases SuryA and Chandra. Similarly, the
AswinI dEvAs are propitiated by touching of the nose, Agni and Vayu by the ears. When the heart is
touched with the Padmanabha mantra (which is also the mantra for touching the navel) all the thirty-
three crore dEvAs are pleased and the Paramatma by touching the head. The importance of Achamanam
can be well understood, when we find it prescribed even as a PrAyaschittam (act of atonement) for all
sins.

Says Sri BodhAyana in the PrAyaschitta PrakaraNa, AchamanAdEva sarvasmAt pApAt pramuchyatE
The purpose of this piece is not to list so many dos and donts that people despair of performing this
correctly, but to emphasise the need for due care in this regard, so that any ritual, to which Achamanam
is a prelude, is well-begun. And, as everybody knows, well begun is half-done. Such a simple act, and
so many rules for its performance! One might wonder: but in view of the apparently boundless benefits
to be derived from a single correctly done Achamanam, it is well worth our while to observe the
requirements to the maximum possible extent.

Srimad InjimEttu Azhagiasingar, the 42nd Pontiff of Sri Ahobila Mutt, renowned for His erudition and
anushttAnam, was reputed to devote great care on every Achamanam He performed, consuming quite a
few minutes for the act. And so have several other MahAns of different SampradAyAs, highlighting the
significance they attached to this simple, but extremely effective act.

Re: performance of Acamanam

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/rituals/sep2002/0014.html

In addition to the details Srimaan Sadagopan Iyengar has given, I wanted to add that there are several
varieties of Acamanam. Many groups of Vaidikas, even within the Sri Vaishnava community, do not
perform Acamanam in the aforementioned way, nor do they recite even AcyutAya namaH, anantAya
namaH, gOvindAya namaH. I was surprised when I saw some people begin their Acamanam with
keSavAya namaH, etc., and touch totally different parts of their body to the utterance of the names.
(This group happened to be from a set of Sri Vaishnava villages in Karnataka). All the above are smArta
forms of Acamanam in that they are based on the smritis. The Srauta Acamanam is simpler, consisting
essentially of three sips of water, and continues to be performed before the daily brahma-yajna. But for
all other purposes, it appears that the smArta Acamana has prominence. Those in the know are
requested to give more details and explain why.