kAThaka snAna prayoga

SnAna is a very essential nitya karma that a twice born has to perform daily. Following is snAna prayoga of kAthaka shAkhA. The prayogam is taken from handwritten ritual manual of swamI lakshman joo ( srI lakshman rAinA shivAcharya ) .The manual have sandhyA prayoga , tarpana prayoga, nitya snAna prayoga , gurU gItA in handwriting of srI lakshman joo. Although mantras are from kAthaka samhitA and laugAkshI grihya sutraM but neither vedic swaras are marked nor recited with swaras. All mantras are chanted in EkashrutI mode.
snAna have 15 steps according to kAthakas.

1) hastaprakshAlanaM
( Washing the hands )

2) vAma pada prakshAlan

3) daksha pada prakshAlan
( washing of left and right feet , together these steps are called pAda prakshAlan )

4) gandhusha kritya
( cleaning of mouth trice by water )

5) mukha-sammArjana
( cleaning of face by water )

6) yagnyopavIta prakshAlanam
( cleaning of yagnyopavItam by discarding it from left shoulder and keeping in between the right and left thumbs .This practice is not allowed in other vedic shAkhAs , if they do this then they have to undergone punarupanayana. Only certain yajurvedic schools ( kaTha , charaka, taittirIya ,kAnva , vAjasaneya ) are allowed to perform such kind of cleaning of yagnyopavIta .hiranyakeshIya samskAra ratnamAla quotes devala as pramAna for this.

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7) punardhArana
( again wearing of yagnyopavIta on left shoulder )

8) shikhA mArjan
( cleaning of matted lock )

9) tushnIm AchmanaM

10) deha mArjana
( cleaning of upper body till navel )

11)prAnAyAma

12) snAnanagabhuta tarpan
( oblations to gods, manes , sages as a part of bathing )

13) avagAhanaM+snAna
( actual bathe )

14) upasthAnaM

15) vastra dhAranaM
( wearing of panchkacchaM )

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