FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.8.4-6

श्रीविश्‍वरूप उवाच धौताङ्‌घ्रिपाणिराचम्य सपवित्र उदङ्‍मुख: । कृतस्वाङ्गकरन्यासो मन्त्राभ्यां वाग्यत: शुचि: ॥ ४ ॥ नारायणपरं वर्म सन्नह्येद् भय आगते । पादयोर्जानुनोरूर्वोरुदरे हृद्यथोरसि ॥ ५ ॥ मुखे शिरस्यानुपूर्व्यादोंङ्कारादीनि विन्यसेत् । ॐ नमो नारायणायेति विपर्ययमथापि वा ॥ ६ ॥
śrī-viśvarūpa uvāca
[shree-vishvaroopa uvaacha]
dhautāṅghri-pāṇir ācamya
[dhautaanghri-paanir aachamya]
sapavitra udaṅ-mukhaḥ
[sapavitra udan-mukhah]
kṛta-svāṅga-kara-nyāso
[krita-svaanga-kara-nyaaso]
mantrābhyāṁ vāg-yataḥ śuciḥ
[mantraabhyaam vaag-yatah shuchih]
nārāyaṇa-paraṁ varma
[naaraayana-param varma]
sannahyed bhaya āgate
[sannahyed bhaya aagate]
pādayor jānunor ūrvor
[paadayor jaanunor oorvor]
udare hṛdy athorasi
[udare hridy athorasi]
mukhe śirasy ānupūrvyād
[mukhe shirasy aanupoorvyaad]
oṁkārādīni vinyaset
[omkaaraadeeni vinyaset]
oṁ namo nārāyaṇāyeti
[om namo naaraayanaayeti]
viparyayam athāpi vā
[viparyayam athaapi vaa]
śrī-viśvarūpaḥ uvāca — Śrī Viśvarūpa said dhauta — having completely washed aṅghri — feet pāṇiḥ — hands ācamya — performing ācamana (sipping a little water three times after chanting the prescribed mantra) sa-pavitraḥ — wearing rings made of kuśa grass (on the ring finger of each hand) udak-mukhaḥ — sitting facing the north kṛta — making sva-aṅga-kara-nyāsaḥ — mental assignment of the eight parts of the body and twelve parts of the hands mantrābhyām — with the two mantras (oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya and oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya) vāk-yataḥ — keeping oneself silent śuciḥ — being purified nārāyaṇa-param — fully intent on Lord Nārāyaṇa varma — armor sannahyet — put on oneself bhaye — when fear āgate — has come pādayoḥ — on the two legs jānunoḥ — on the two knees ūrvoḥ — on the two thighs udare — on the abdomen hṛdi — on the heart atha — thus urasi — on the chest mukhe — on the mouth śirasi — on the head ānupūrvyāt — one after another oṁkāra-ādīni — beginning with oṁkāra vinyaset — one should place om — the praṇava namaḥ — obeisances nārāyaṇāya — unto Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead iti — thus viparyayam — the reverse atha api — moreover vā — or.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-viśvarūpa uvāca
śrī-viśvarūpaḥ uvāca
Śrī Viśvarūpa said
dhautāṅghri-pāṇir ācamya
dhauta
having completely washed
aṅghri
feet
pāṇiḥ
hands
ācamya
performing ācamana (sipping a little water three times after chanting the prescribed mantra)
sapavitra udaṅ-mukhaḥ
sa-pavitraḥ
wearing rings made of kuśa grass (on the ring finger of each hand)
udak-mukhaḥ
sitting facing the north
kṛta-svāṅga-kara-nyāso
kṛta
making
sva-aṅga-kara-nyāsaḥ
mental assignment of the eight parts of the body and twelve parts of the hands
mantrābhyāṁ vāg-yataḥ śuciḥ
mantrābhyām
with the two mantras (oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya and oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya)
vāk-yataḥ
keeping oneself silent
śuciḥ
being purified
nārāyaṇa-paraṁ varma
nārāyaṇa-param
fully intent on Lord Nārāyaṇa
varma
armor
sannahyed bhaya āgate
sannahyet
put on oneself
bhaye
when fear
āgate
has come
pādayor jānunor ūrvor
pādayoḥ
on the two legs
jānunoḥ
on the two knees
ūrvoḥ
on the two thighs
udare hṛdy athorasi
udare
on the abdomen
hṛdi
on the heart
atha
thus
mukhe śirasy ānupūrvyād
urasi
on the chest
mukhe
on the mouth
śirasi
on the head
oṁkārādīni vinyaset
oṁ namo nārāyaṇāyeti
ānupūrvyāt
one after another
oṁkāra-ādīni
beginning with oṁkāra
viparyayam athāpi vā
vinyaset
one should place
om
the praṇava
namaḥ
obeisances
nārāyaṇāya
unto Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
iti
thus
viparyayam
the reverse
atha api
moreover
vā
or.
Viśvarūpa said: If some form of fear arrives, one should first wash his hands and legs clean and then perform ācamana by chanting this mantra: om apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato ’pi vā/ yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ/ śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu. Then one should touch kuśa grass and sit gravely and silently, facing north. When completely purified, one should touch the mantra composed of eight syllables to the eight parts of his body and touch the mantra composed of twelve syllables to his hands. Thus, in the following manner, he should bind himself with the Nārāyaṇa coat of armor. First, while chanting the mantra composed of eight syllables [oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya], beginning with the praṇava, the syllable om, one should touch his hands to eight parts of his body, starting with the two feet and progressing systematically to the knees, thighs, abdomen, heart, chest, mouth and head. Then one should chant the mantra in reverse, beginning from the last syllable [ya], while touching the parts of his body in the reverse order. These two processes are known as utpatti-nyāsa and saṁhāra-nyāsa respectively.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Viśvarūpa said: Washing hands and feet, performing ācamana, wearing a kuśa ring and facing north, after performing aṅga-nyāsa and kara-nyāsa using two mantras, being purified and silent, one should then put on the armor of Nārāyaṇa in times of fear. Using the words oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya, one should place one syllable on each of the following limbs in order: feet, knees, thighs, belly, heart, chest, mouth, and head. One should then repeat the process with the limbs in reverse order and syllables in reverse order. This explains how to place the eight syllable of the mantra on eight limbs starting with the feet. [Note: This is aṅga-nyāsa.] Starting with oṁ, one should place one syllable preceded and followed by the word oṁ on each limb. One should then start from the head and place the syllables on the limbs. The first series is called sṛṣṭi-nyāsa and the second series is called saṁhāra-nyāsa.
When fear arises, first wash hands and feet, then perform ācamana with a mantra remembering the lotus-eyed Lord. Embodied preparation precedes prayer; the body is the threshold of the mantra.
Reflection Questions
  • When fear hits, what is my actual first move — and what would it mean to make it bodily prayer?
  • Have I let physical preparation become routine without intention?
📝 My note

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