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..MISCELLANEOUS
101
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The object of a japa is an auspicions incantation while this incantation is of the form of a benedictory chaut addressed to some deity; and an incantation of this description draws out sins (from a man's soul) in the same fashion as it does poison (from a man's body).
देवतापुरतो वाऽपि जले वाऽकलुषात्मनि । . विशिष्टद्रमकुञ्ज वा कर्तव्योऽयं सतां मतः ॥३८३॥ devatāpurato vā' pi jale vâ'kaluşātmani /
višistadrumakusje vā kartavyo'yam salām mataḥ 11383|| · The noble ones are of the view that a japa ought to be performed either in front of the deity concerned, or by the side of water free from dirt, or in a well-formed grove of trees.
पर्वोपलक्षितो यद् वा पुत्रजीवकमालया । नासाग्रस्थितया दृष्ट्या प्रशान्तेनान्तरात्मना ॥३८४॥ parvo palakṣito yad vā putranjivakamālayā /
nāsāgrasthitayā drstyā praśāntenāntarātmanā (1384)/ : At the time of japa the thumb should move either on one's own finger-markings or on the beads of a rudrākşam-rosary (this with a view to counting mutterings); again, one's eyes should then be fixed on one's nose-tip and one should be calm from within.
विधाने चेतसो वृत्तिस्तवर्णेषु तथेष्यते । अर्थे चालम्बने चैव त्यागश्चोपप्लवे सति ॥३८५।। vidhäne cetaso výttis ladvarneșu tathesyate /
arthe cālambane caiva tyāgaś copaplave sati 11385||| . Furthermore, one's mind should then be concentrated on the object of the japa (which object is of the form of an incantation addressed to some deity), on the wording of this object, on the meaning of this object, on the central subject matter of this object; lastly, one should give up the japa when one finds oneself mentally disturbed.
मिथ्याचारपरित्याग आश्वासात् तत्र वर्तनम् । तच्छुद्धिकामता चेति त्यागोऽत्यागोऽयमीदृशः ॥३८६॥ mithyācāra parityāga aśvāsāt tatra vartanam /
tacchuddhikamatā celi tyāgo'lyūgo'yam idīšah 1/386|| :: Such a giving up of the japa is in fact 10 giving up of it, for this way one is prevented from acting hypocritically, one (later on) resumes the japa' with a sense of confidence, and one becomes desirous of ensuring the purity of the japa (when resumed).
