The Explanation of the Method of Gayatri Purashcharana

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.11.21.1)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । अथातः श्रूयतां ब्रह्मन् गायत्र्या पापनाशनम् । पुरश्चरणकं पुण्यं यथैष्टफलदायकम् ॥

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca athātaḥ śrūyatāṁ brahman gāyatryā pāpanāśanam puraścaraṇakaṁ puṇyaṁ yathaiṣṭaphaladāyakam

Shri Narayana said: Now, O brahmin, hear about the sin-destroying, meritorious purashcharana of the Gayatri, which bestows the fruit one desires.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.11.21.2)

पर्वताग्रे नदीतीरे बिल्वमूले जलाशये । गोष्ठे देवालयेऽश्वत्थे उद्याने तुलसीवने ॥

parvatāgre nadītīre bilvamūle jalāśaye goṣṭhe devālaye'śvatthe udyāne tulasīvane

On a mountaintop, on a riverbank, at the root of a bilva tree, by a body of water, in a cowshed, in a temple, at a peepal tree, in a garden, in a tulasi grove,

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.11.21.3)

पुण्यक्षेत्रे गुरोः पार्श्वे चित्तैकाग्र्यस्थलेऽपि च । पुरश्चरणकृन्मन्त्री सिध्यत्येव न संशयः ॥

puṇyakṣetre guroḥ pārśve cittaikāgryasthale'pi ca puraścaraṇakṛnmantrī sidhyatyeva na saṁśayaḥ

in a holy field, beside the guru, or in any place conducive to one-pointed concentration — the mantra-practitioner who performs the purashcharana certainly succeeds, without doubt.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.11.21.4)

यस्य कस्यापि मन्त्रस्य पुरश्चरणमारभेत् । व्याहृतित्रयसंयुक्तां गायत्रीं चायुतं जपेत् ॥

yasya kasyāpi mantrasya puraścaraṇamārabhet vyāhṛtitrayasaṁyuktāṁ gāyatrīṁ cāyutaṁ japet

When beginning the purashcharana of any mantra whatsoever, one should recite the Gayatri, joined with the three vyahritis, ten thousand times.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.11.21.5)

नृसिंहार्कवराहाणां तान्त्रिकं वैदिकं तथा । विना जप्त्वा तु गायत्रीं तत्सर्वं निष्कलं भवेत् ॥

nṛsiṁhārkavarāhāṇāṁ tāntrikaṁ vaidikaṁ tathā vinā japtvā tu gāyatrīṁ tatsarvaṁ niṣkalaṁ bhavet

This applies to the mantras of Narasimha, Surya, and Varaha, whether tantric or Vedic; without first reciting the Gayatri, all of that purashcharana becomes fruitless.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.11.21.6)

सर्वे शाक्ता द्विजाः प्रोक्ता न शैवा न च वैष्णवाः । आदिशक्तिमुपासन्ते गायत्रीं वेदमातरम् ॥

sarve śāktā dvijāḥ proktā na śaivā na ca vaiṣṇavāḥ ādiśaktimupāsante gāyatrīṁ vedamātaram

All the twice-born are declared to be Shaktas — neither Shaivas nor Vaishnavas exclusively — for they worship the primordial Shakti, the Gayatri, the Mother of the Vedas.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.11.21.7)

मन्त्रं संशोध्य यत्नेन पुरश्चरणतत्परः । मन्त्रशोधनपूर्वाङ्गमात्मशोधनमुत्तमम् ॥

mantraṁ saṁśodhya yatnena puraścaraṇatatparaḥ mantraśodhanapūrvāṅgamātmaśodhanamuttamam

One devoted to the purashcharana should diligently purify the mantra; and prior to the purification of the mantra stands the excellent limb of self-purification.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.11.21.8)

आत्मतत्त्वशोधनाय त्रिलक्षं प्रजपेद्बुधः । अथवा चैकलक्षं तु श्रुतिप्रोक्तेन वर्त्मना ॥

ātmatattvaśodhanāya trilakṣaṁ prajapedbudhaḥ athavā caikalakṣaṁ tu śrutiproktena vartmanā

For the purification of the truth of the Self, the wise one should recite the Gayatri three hundred thousand times, or else, by the path declared in the Shruti, one hundred thousand times.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.11.21.9)

आत्मशुद्धिं विना कर्तुर्जपहोमादिकाः क्रियाः । निष्फलास्तास्तु विज्ञेयाः कारणं श्रुतिचोदितम् ॥

ātmaśuddhiṁ vinā karturjapahomādikāḥ kriyāḥ niṣphalāstāstu vijñeyāḥ kāraṇaṁ śruticoditam

Without self-purification, the practitioner's rites of recitation, fire-offering, and the like are to be known as fruitless — this cause is declared by the Shruti.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.11.21.10)

तपसा तापयेद्देहं पितृदेवांश्च तर्पयेत् । तपसा स्वर्गमाप्नोति तपसा विन्दते महत् ॥

tapasā tāpayeddehaṁ pitṛdevāṁśca tarpayet tapasā svargamāpnoti tapasā vindate mahat

One should discipline the body with austerity, and offer libations to the ancestors and gods. Through austerity one attains heaven; through austerity one gains greatness.