Aachman- The Process of Spiritual Cleansing
Spiritual Cleansing of our Mind and Soul
Besides, Pavitrikaran (the ritual of purification of our bodies), there is yet another ritual that is essentially required for the completion of the purification process.
This ritual is done for our spiritual cleansing and is called as “Aachman” in Hindu scriptures.
In our material world, we often believe that once we have taken a complete bath and wore clean clothes, we are fully clean. Isn’t it?
But, we fail to understand that without cleaning of our malicious mind and heart which houses various negative feelings, we cannot call ourselves fully clean.
In addition, Mantra sadhana is actually the spiritual awakening of our bodies that helps us to tap into the positive vibes of the Universe. So, even with a cleaner body and a cleaner surrounding, we won’t be able to get the results of sadhana , if we are mentally grimy.
This makes the Aachman ritual quite important.
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What is Aachman?
Now let us understand the process of Aachman ritual.
Technically, this ritual involves “sipping up of water” from our hands such that the water reaches our throat and finally to the heart.
Remember, the quantity of water should be so small that it doesn’t reach your stomach.
This ritual helps us to open the “Heart Chakra” in our bodies. It is believed that opening up of Heart Chakra increases abundance and prosperity in our lives. Even Hindu scriptures states that the Aachman ritual multiplies the result of your mantra meditation.
So, what are the steps involved in the “Aachman” ritual.
Steps for Aachman
Aachman is a daily ritual done before Mantra sadhna, so the holy water for Aachman should be kept near the place of your sadhana. You should keep water or Ganga Jal in a copper pot with a copper spoon (Aachmani) in it.
The water in the glass should be sprinkled with Tulsi leaves to make it sacred.
Now let’s start with the process:
- Face North, East or North-East while seating on your aasan or mat. Remember, you should never face South or West direction for this process.
- Now stretch your fingers of your right hand. Bring the index finger and thumb in contact to each other. The other three fingers i.e. the middle finger, the ring finger and the small finger should be made such that it represents the ears of the cow. This is the mudra for the Aachman. Don’t freak out, it’s simple. You can follow the mentor to understand it better.
- Now pour small amounts of water from the Aachman pot with the Aachmani on the middle of your palm and sip it through your lips. Remember, this should be done 3 times and each time you should chant a mantra. The Mantras are:
“Aum Keshvaya Namah” (take a sip)
“Aum Narayanay Namah” (take a sip)
“AumMadhavaya Namah” (take a sip)
“Aum Govindaye Namah”
- Now final wash your hands by pouring small amount of water from the same Aachman pot. This completes the process.
Final Words
Aachman process purifies you complete mind, body and soul and hence is considered very important.