Shloka 143
Slaying of Andhaka; Hymn to the Sun; Glory of Brahmins; Gayatri Nyasa and Pranayama
सप्तपंच तथा ब्रह्म यजुरष्टादशाक्षरम् । ज्वलनादिहकारांतं जले स्थित्वा शतं जपेत्
saptapaṃca tathā brahma yajuraṣṭādaśākṣaram | jvalanādihakārāṃtaṃ jale sthitvā śataṃ japet
Im Wasser stehend, soll man hundertmal das achtzehnsilbige Yajur-Mantra sprechen—beginnend mit „jvalana“ und endend mit „ha-kāra“—sowie das „saptapañca“ und das Brahma-Mantra.
Unspecified (instructional narrative voice within the chapter)
Concept: Mantra-sādhana is embodied and disciplined: perform japa in water, repeat prescribed mantras a fixed count (100), and maintain exact phonetic boundaries (from ‘jvalana’ to ‘ha-kāra’).
Application: Create a consistent daily practice: choose a clean place (bath/river), keep count (mālā), pronounce carefully, and let the water-contact remind you of inner cleansing and steadiness.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka stands waist-deep in a clear river at dawn, hands in japa-mudrā, lips softly forming syllables as ripples radiate outward. Above the water’s surface, faint fiery letters—beginning with ‘jvalana’—hover like sparks, then dissolve into calm light as the count completes.","primary_figures":["Sadhaka (mantra practitioner)","River deity presence (subtle)","Mantra-letters as luminous sparks"],"setting":"River shallows near a stone ghat with distant trees and a small shrine; morning mist over water.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["misty silver","sunrise gold","river teal","sandstone beige","flame orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: devotee in river at a ghat, hands holding a mālā; stylized glowing akṣaras rising like sparks; gold leaf highlights on sunrise and letters, rich reds/greens in shrine details, ornate border framing the river scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil riverbank with soft mist, slender figure in water reciting; delicate glowing letters above ripples; cool blues and gentle gold, fine brushwork, lyrical trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined river scene with patterned waves, devotee in waist-deep water, akṣaras as stylized flame motifs; strong pigment palette, temple mural composition with a small shrine on the bank.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: river rendered as decorative blue field with lotus motifs; devotee centered, akṣaras as floral-spark patterns; ornate borders with lotuses and vines, deep blues and gold accents, devotional textile aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","morning birds","soft mantra murmur","distant temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यजुरष्टादशाक्षरम् = यजुः + अष्टादश-अक्षरम्; ज्वलनादिहकारांतं = ज्वलन-आदि-हकार-अन्तम्; (सप्त पञ्च) enumerative usage.
FAQs
It prescribes mantra-japa while standing in water: repeating a specified eighteen-syllabled Yajur-mantra (noted by its opening and closing syllables), along with the ‘saptapañca’ and the Brahma-mantra, one hundred times.
This is a traditional way of identifying a mantra without fully quoting it—by giving its first word/syllable and its final syllable—so that practitioners who know the ritual corpus can recognize the exact formula.
It emphasizes disciplined repetition (japa) combined with bodily purification (standing in water), suggesting that inner focus and outer ritual cleanliness together support spiritual efficacy.