Achamana

Āchamanam (Sanskrit: , ) is a purification ritual performed at the beginning of more complex religious ceremonies in the Hinduism, which is believed to cure all physical and mental impurities.

Types of Āchamanam

There are three types of Āchamanam, namely, Śrautācamanam (Sanskrit: ), Smṛtyācamanam (Sanskrit: )Template:Refn and Purāṇācamanam (Sanskrit: )Template:Refn.

However, in the Sandhyavandana ritual, there exists fourth version of āchamana, known as mantrācamana.

Śrautācamanam

In śrautācamanam, water is sipped three times and is accompanied by the recitation of the three padas of the Gayatri in succession. Then, 21 parts of the body are touched while the 21 mantras are recited: the nine Abliṅgas, Template:Refn the seven VyahritisTemplate:Refn (the names of the seven worlds, preceded by the sacred pranava Om), and the 3 padas of Gayatri siras. It is defined in ṣatkarma candrikā as

Smṛtyācamanam

The Smṛtyācamanam is an abridged version of the śrautācamanam. Water is sipped three times, accompanied by the ritual utterance svāhā. Then, 9 parts of the body are touched, accompanied by recitation of the specific sutras that instruct the version of the achamana in question.

Purāṇācamanam

Purāṇācamanam is done with the 24 names of Vishnu starting with keśava, etc.Template:Refn The water is poured on the right hand palm, which made as gokurna sipped thrice with the first three names. Both hands are washed with the next two names.Template:Refn For the remaining 19 names different parts of body are ritually cleansed.