Introduction

Today, Thursday, August 1, 2019, is the first day of the holy month of Shrāvaṇ. Our Sadguru lineage has established a strong tradition of anuṣhṭhān and pārāyaṇ, a form of service and sevā, performed by sādhaks during this month. In an attempt to answer some basic questions related to this service, as well as to empower sādhaks all over the world to perform this sevā, we have compiled a set of commonly asked questions and answers related to this topic. We hope that you find this useful and look forward to your feedback.

This article, in and of itself, is a small token of our service, made possible only by the grace, guidance and blessing of our Sadguru, His Holiness Shree Shireesh Dada Kawade (“Shree Dada”). We offer this token of service at His feet and pray for forgiveness for any shortcomings in this representation. 

Shree Gurudev Datta!

What is Anuṣhṭhān and Pārāyaṇ?

An anuṣhṭhān is the reading or recitation of a maṅtra, a sūkta from the Vedās or certain texts (graṅtha) for a specific number of iterations over a specific period of time. This anuṣhṭhān is preceded by a saṅkalp, which is a spiritual resolution to perform this particular service within the parameters of the anuṣhṭhān. The spiritual resolution is made by the sādhak per the guidelines given in various shāstrā, or spiritual sciences. The actual reading or recitation of the maṅtra, sūktas or other text for a specific number of iterations during that specific period of time is called the pārāyaṇ.

For example, let’s say a sādhak wants to perform an anuṣhṭhān of the “Shree Datta Mālāmaṅtra”. For this specific maṅtra, recitation of the maṅtra 1,200 times constitutes a complete pārāyaṇ. To perform this anuṣhṭhān, the sādhak must make a saṅkalp and, per this spiritual resolution, must complete the recitation of this maṅtra 1,200 times during the number of days for which the resolution is made. If the sādhak makes a resolution to complete the cycle in 10 days, the maṅtra must be recited 120 times each day for 10 days; and, for completing the cycle in 20 days, the mantra must be recited 60 times each day for 20 days, and so on. It is important to note that these guidelines and rules are specific to each maṅtra, sūkta, text that is read or recited as part of the anuṣhṭhān.

What are the rules and guidelines for performing an anuṣhṭhān?

Recitation of a given maṅtra, a Vedic sūkta or other text as part of the anuṣhṭhān typically comes with its own set of rules that are specific to the content that is being recited. Very often, the book associated with that content specifies these rules of anuṣhṭhān. Typically, these rules revolve around cleanliness, purity and spiritual sanctity of diet and lifestyle during the period of the anuṣhṭhān. 

While cleanliness and purity are self-evident, spiritual sanctity is difficult to measure. Spiritual sanctity is defined in Vedic sciences where there is a presence of “shuddha prāṇa”, or the shakti within ourselves; and, by corollary, there is absence of “vāsanā”, or material desire. Since it is virtually impossible to measure what is and what is not included in spiritual sanctity, it is best to rely on the Vedic prescriptions for these inclusions. As an example, ghee, or clarified butter, made from the milk of cows, is considered to have spiritual sanctity according to Vedic scriptures.

It is also worth mentioning here that, while purity is also self-explanatory, it must conform to Vedic guidelines as well. For example, a sādhak has taken a bath, worn his ceremonial robes and, after due cleanliness of the area where he will perform his anuṣhṭhān, has commenced his daily service. While he is clean in the material sense, purity is achieved only after he does the āchaman and recites the prescribed Vedic maṅtra for inner and outer cleanliness and purity. Since these maṅtra are not necessarily known to everyone, it is recommended that sādhaks at least conform to the basic norms of cleanliness that are part of our daily lives.

When can sādhaks perform an anuṣhṭhān?

A sādhak may perform an anuṣhṭhān during any time of the year, after carefully studying the lunar calendar, or paṅchāṅg. In this lunar calendar, there are certain days that are to be avoided when performing the anuṣhṭhān. Other than these days, the sādhak may choose to perform the anuṣhṭhān on any other day in the year.  For certain deities, there are specific times in the lunar calendar when the anuṣhṭhān bears even more fruit for the sādhak. As an example, the navarātri is a time when a sādhak can perform the anuṣhṭhān for Shree Bhagawati Devī.

Specifically for the lunar month of Shrāvaṇ, typically the month of August according to the Gregorian calendar, it is highly recommended that sādhaks perform the anuṣhṭhān. The month of Shrāvaṇ holds a special meaning in our lineage. 

What is the importance of a Shrāvaṇ anuṣhṭhān?

The month of Shrāvaṇ falls within the monsoon season in India. During this time, in years past, travel was not easily possible. As a result, saints, spiritual guides, gurus and teachers, who would otherwise be traveling to other parts of the country, would typically choose a place to stay and would remain in that place for the better part of the monsoon season. This season, which normally lasts for 4 months, would be the time they would choose to perform the anuṣhṭhān. This was a time when they would guide people on the path of spirituality, get people to read, learn and recite maṅtra, Vedic sūkta and other spiritually useful texts that empowered those people to make progress on the path of spirituality.

Specifically for our lineage, this month holds an even more special meaning. It is during this month of Shrāvaṇ that the jayaṅti, or the date of birth and incarnation, of Lord Shree Kruṣhṇa, Jagadguru Shree Jñāneshwar Mahārāj and P. P. Sadguru Shree Tembye Swāmi Mahārāj falls. During this auspicious month, sādhaks compound the spiritual benefit that they get from performing sādhanā, anuṣhṭhān and other forms of service recommended by our Sadguru lineage.

The month of Shrāvaṇ, as with other months in the lunar calendar, is divided into 2 parts of 15 days each. The first 15-day part is the shukla pakṣha, starting with day 1 of the month and ending in the pūrṇimā or full moon day on the 15th day of the month. The second 15-day part is the kruṣhṇa pakṣha, starting with the 16th day of the month and ending on the amāvāsyā or the no moon day on the 30th day of the lunar month. Note that these 30 days of the lunar month do not necessarily coincide with their counterparts in the Gregorian calendar. The paṅchāṅg, or the Hindu calendar / almanac published each year, provides a mapping of the lunar dates to those in the Gregorian calendar. The lunar months are also called amāṅta mās, or months that end on the no moon day.

According to Vedic traditions and guidelines, the 1st day of the lunar month and the last day – amāvāsyā or no moon day – of the lunar month are to be avoided when beginning or ending an anuṣhṭhān or study. For purposes of performing the anuṣhṭhān, it is hence recommended that we start on the 2nd day of the first 15-day part, or shukla pakṣha, and end on the 14th day of the second 15-day part, or kruṣhṇa pakṣha. Technically, then, an anuṣhṭhān begins on the day of Shrāvaṇ Shukla Dwitiyā (2nd day of the lunar month) and ends on Shrāvaṇ Kruṣhṇa Chaturdashī (29th day of the lunar month).

This tradition of not studying during the days of amāvāsyā and the first day of the lunar month originated in the gurukul system of education. These days are known as anādhya – or, days where students take a break from studies. In a gurukul, or a school where children lived and learned under the tutelage of their guru or teacher, these days provided opportunities for the residents of the gurukul to help complete chores around the campus. The month of Shrāvaṇ was usually the beginning of their school year. On the 5th day of the month of Shrāvaṇ, or Shrāvaṇ shukla paṅchamī, also known as nāga paṅchamī, students would perform the first ritual of their academic year and begin their studies.

There is yet another reason why the month of Shrāvaṇ has traditionally been important to students and citizens alike; more so in an agro-centric economy of a country like India, where the annual calendar of events was more aligned with the activities of farmers. Shrāvaṇ heralds the start of the academic year after a break due to the previous year’s harvest season.

What books or scriptures can I read during the anuṣhṭhān?

For performing this anushthan, our lineage recommends reading the following texts:

1. Shree Gurucharitra Nityapāṭh
2. Shree Saptashatigurucharitrasār
3. Shree Dattaleelāmrutābdhisār
4. Shree Gurusāhasri
5. Shree Swāmī Nāmpāṭh
6. Shree Dattamahātmya
7. Shree Viṣhṇusahastranāmastotra
8. Shree Jñāneshwarī

These texts and scriptures sing the praises of the Lord and various saints in our lineage. Hence, reading and reciting them is recommended as part of the anuṣhṭhān in the month of Shrāvaṇ. Note that it is not important to understand the meaning of these scriptures. Reading them as part of the anuṣhṭhān itself bears fruit. They are considered not mere texts, but a form of maṅtra in and of themselves.

What can I read during the anuṣhṭhān, if I cannot read Sanskrit or Marathi in Devanagari?

Those sādhaks who can read Marathi or Sanskrit in the Devanagari script can choose any of the above scriptures to perform their anuṣhṭhān with. Those of us who cannot read Devanagari script have options as well. We can also perform our anuṣhṭhān by reading biographies of our sadguru lineage, if they are available in English or other languages. Or, any of the above scriptures, transliterated into English, can also be used for reading and recitation during the anuṣhṭhān. 

For those who have completed their upanayan saṅskār, or thread ceremony, may also perform anuṣhṭhān using Vedic sūkta and maṅtra. Those who haven’t completed this ceremony may choose maṅtra from the various purāṇā for the anuṣhṭhān.

In addition, biographies of saints that may not be a direct part of lineage, such as Sadguru Shree Māṇik Prabhū Mahārāj, can also be read as part of the anuṣhṭhān. Scriptures based on philosophy, such as the Shree Jñāneshwarī mentioned above, Shree Dāsbodh, Shree Eknāthī Bhāgwat are also used for reading and recitation during the anuṣhṭhān. Shree Tukārām Mahārāj Gāthā, a compilation of the sacred hymns, or abhaṅga, composed by Shree Tukārām Mahārāj, is also another example of a text that can be used for the anuṣhṭhān. 

Please note again that most of these published texts contain instructions, guidelines and rules for performing the pārāyaṇ and anuṣhṭhān of the respective text. If, for any reason, you do not find these instructions or would like to recite something other than the texts and scriptures prescribed above, please feel free to email Shreepad Seva Mandal for guidance. 

As yet another option, sādhaks may also choose to use Shree Jñānadev Haripāṭh, Shree Swāmī Nāmpāṭh (given above) or any of the stotra given in the Nityopāsanākram and Nityaārtikram books published by Shree Vamanraj Prakashan. These texts are also transliterated in English and, for many, the audio version is available as well. Recitation of these texts and stotras as part of the anuṣhṭhān is perfectly acceptable. 

Sādhaks may choose how many times they would like to recite a given text or maṅtra in such cases, and for how many days you would like to perform the anuṣhṭhān. For example, a sādhak may choose to recite the Shree Jñānadev Haripāṭh 3 times a day for 7 days. This schedule would be considered the sādhak’s anuṣhṭhān. 

For the transliterated and audio versions of some of these texts and stotra, please download the SMF Petals mobile application from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. In addition, the complete English transliteration of all ārti, stotra, abhaṅga, Shree Dattabhāvāṅjalī, Shree Swāmī Nāmpāṭh, Shree Jñānadev Haripāṭh is available via Shree Vamanraj’s “Nityapāṭh Saṅgraha” publication.

Perhaps the simplest form of recitation that can be included as part of your anuṣhṭhān is the recitation of the nitya siddha maṅtra, the collection of maṅtra and jap that are given in the Nityopāsanākram and Nityaārtikram books mentioned above. These require neither the resolution nor the monitoring of the number of times these are recited, nor does the sādhak need to pre-determine the number of days that the pārāyaṇ must be completed in. As an example, a sādhak may choose to recite the maṅtra “Digaṁbarā Digaṁbarā Shreepād Vallabh Digaṁbarā” any number of times for any amount of time available in a day for any number of days within the month of Shrāvaṇ. This service, too, is very much accepted as a valid anuṣhṭhān by the sādhak. 

What is the importance of the Devanagari script?

The Devanagari script itself is very important. Each letter of the alphabet has a deity associated with it. “Dev” meaning deity and “Nagar” meaning place of residence, come together to form the name “Devanagari”; literally, it means the place of residence of the deity. According to the science of sound, or Dhwanīshāstra, and the science of maṅtra, or Maṅtrashāstra, this script is the pictorial or diagramatic representation of the deity and its power. Utterance of a letter of the alphabet causes the astral form of the letter to appear in space. The script is a diagramatic form of the representation of this astral form. Such visual representation is also called the yaṅtra, a physical representation that may be used in worship. Devanagari, hence, is a script that does not require the design and creation of a separate yaṅtra, since it is self-sufficient in utterance as well as visual representation. And, Sanskrit as well as Marathi are languages that are written in Devanagari. 

What is the objective of the anuṣhṭhān?

Sādhaks perform the anuṣhṭhān, not for any material or spiritual gain, but to ensure that we make progress on the path of spirituality, under the able guidance of our Sadguru. Since there is no intention to achieve any material or spiritual objective, many norms and restrictions associated with performing anuṣhṭhān to achieve these objectives are waived in many ways. For example, if a sādhak cannot perform the anuṣhṭhān by sitting cross-legged on an āsan, or mat, on the floor, it is perfectly acceptable for the sādhak to sit on a chair and perform this reading and recitation service. 

What do I do if my anuṣhṭhān is interrupted?

For those of us who have had to interrupt our anuṣhṭhān, due to travel or other unforeseen circumstances, there is a remedy as well. We can simply restart the anuṣhṭhān from the beginning, not from the point where we were interrupted, and complete the anuṣhṭhān per our resolution. This resumption may take place at any point later in the month of Shrāvaṇ or during any following month, but as soon as reasonably possible for the sādhak to complete the anuṣhṭhān per the resolution that was originally made by the sādhak. 

Where can I perform the anuṣhṭhān?

Sādhaks may visit a nearby Shreepad Seva Mandal center to perform their anuṣhṭhān or simply sit at home for completing this service. As long as the location of the anuṣhṭhān conforms to Vedic rules of cleanliness and purity, the sādhak can perform the anuṣhṭhān at their location. 

How do I end the anuṣhṭhān?

At the end of the anuṣhṭhān, the sādhak should offer the entire anuṣhṭhān as a service at the feet of Lord Shree Kruṣhṇa or their Sadguru, under whose grace and guidance the sādhak was able to complete the anuṣhṭhān. This offering ensures that sādhaks do not fall prey to their ego or, in any way, attribute the success of their anuṣhṭhān to anything or anyone other than their Lord and Sadguru, who continues to guide them on the path of spirituality. Humility and sacrifice are an indivisible part of any sevā or service. To be able to spend one’s life in His service should be but the only objective of any sevā or service performed by sādhaks. The anuṣhṭhān is no exception.