INTRODUCTION:
Lord Caitanya has given the instruction that the sum and substance of life is to worship Sri Krsna in pure devotion. In order that we accomplish this, he has recommended constant engagement in the Lord's service according to prescribed rules. In the scriptures, there are many rules for daily life (nitya kriyas), but the acharya have selected those rules which are favorable for the development of pure devotion to the lotus feet of Radha Krsna. By following these rules the devotee may achieve the goal of life, Krsna prema. These activities are described in sequence from rising in the morning to taking rest at night. Following this the distinctive daily activities of the four ashramas are described. What is described here is strictly in accordance with scripture. Most of the material is derived from Hari Bhakti VilAsa, written by Srila Sanatana Goswami and Gopala Bhatta Goswami, which is accepted by the followers of Lord Caitanya as the authorized Vaisnava Smrti, (text regarding all types of Vaisnava behavior). Hari Bhakti VilAsa is not an independent work, but is rather based upon commonly accepted scriptures: the smrti shastras such as the works of Yajnavalkya, Manu and Harita; the puranas such as Bhavisya, Siva, Skanda, Vishnu, Bhagavat Puranas; and the pancaratrika texts such as Hayasirsa and Narada Pancharatra. The text of Hari Bhakti VilAsa is in fact mostly quotations from these works. The rules have by and large been presented here just as they are written in the Hari Bhakti VilAsa, with minimum of deletions, for several reasons.

Firstly, it is not the privilege of a fallible mortal (speaking of myself) to decide the fate of scriptural instructions written by the great sages.

Secondly, when the rules are stated in their entirety, they give sufficient background for the individual to understand the purpose of the rules.

Thirdly, by reading the rules one can begin to understand the great regard given to physical cleanliness and mental purity by the Aryan civilization since time immemorial, and one can begin to admire their sensitivity to the effects of time and place on the body.

Fourthly, though the rules may appear cumbersome on first encounter, it is hoped that the scriptural rules will, through familiarity, be as natural to the people of the future as their neglect is at present.

Fifthly, what may seem anachronistic today may not be in the future. Thus the scriptural rules for the daily activities, especially those concerning the care of the body, may seem superfluous and impractical in the modern age, but one should not, however, underestimate the wisdom of scriptural injunctions, as impractical or contradictory as they may seem. The injunctions are not whimsical decisions simply for the purpose of taxing the mind and body, but have particular physical, mental and spiritual purposes behind them. One may view the unfamiliar rules as the details of the basic and necessary rules. Once having mastered the basics one can proceed to the details. Some of rules are definitely impractical at present, since the rules were meant for a society which, though somewhat urbanized, was still intimately in contact with the natural elements. Since the majority of people at present live in cities far removed from a natural setting, one has no choice but to ignore those rules at present. Most important, one should realize priorities. The main principle of the Gaudiya Vaisnava is surrender to Krsna by chanting the Holy Name. All those rules which favor that end physically, mentally and spiritually, should be implemented. Anything which obstructs that end should be discarded. The vedic ritualistic ceremonies and injunctions are not to be discounted; they are means of being promoted to the spiritual platform. But if one does not come to the spiritual platform, the Vedic ceremonies are simply a waste of time. SB7.6.26.

One must be careful, however, in the process of rejection, not to reject or minimize the importance of rules, including those which are essential for the development of bhakti:...

We have to be very cautious in executing our spiritual duties by observing the rules and regulations and regularly chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra. If we neglect doing this, we will eventually fall down. We must rise early in the morning, bathe, attend mangala arati, worship the Deities, chant the Hare Krsna mantra, study the Vedic literatures and follow all the rules prescribed by the acharyas and the spiritual master. If we deviate from this process, we may fall down, even though we may be very highly advanced. SB.5.8.8.

Therefore no one should think of himself as a liberated person immune to the influence of maya. Everyone should very cautiously execute devotional service by rigidly following regulative principles. Thus he will remain fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord. Otherwise a little inattention will create havoc. SB. 5.18.4........santusto'har ahah kuryannitya naimittikih kriyah  One should happily perform daily sacrifices (nitya kriya) and those for certain occasions (naimittika kriya). SB7.15.11. From the time of rising in the morning to the time of taking rest at night the body and senses are engaged in activity. The nitya kriya are those rules for spiritually cultivating or purifying the senses, so that one may bring them under control and engage them in the Lord's service.

Summary of the Daily Activities:
1. Activities on waking:
a. waking up during the brahma muhurta for physical, mental and spiritual benefit (jagarana). b. immediately chanting the name of Krsna (kirtana) to purify oneself c:. remembrance of guru and Krsna (smarana) by recitation of verses and meditation (dhyana) on Krishna's form, qualities and pastimes. d:. obeisances to the Lord (pranama).

2. Removing Waste Products from the Body.
a.  passing nature (mala mutra tyaga) b:. cleaning oneself after passing nature (saucha) with due regard for public sanitation, personal health and respect.

3. sipping water for purification (acamana)

4. cleaning teeth and mouth (danta dhavana), and tying sikha (sikha bandhana).

5. bathing in cool water (snana) while chanting the Lord's names and meditating on his wonderful form, giving due respect to the water.

6. dressing properly and cleanly as a Vaisnava.

7. applying the tilaka marks of the Vaisnava on the body

8. chanting vedic and vaisnava gayatri.

9. chanting Hare Krsna japa.

10. attending the mangala aratrika of the Lord.

11. glorifying the Lord through kirtana, songs and dancing.

12. performing worship of the spiritual master and the Lord (puja), taking darshana of the Lord, taking his foot nectar (caranamrta), his flowers (nirmalya), performing circumambulation (pradaksina) and obeisances (pranama).

13. worshipping Tulasi.

14. serving the dhama, by remembering, seeing, praising, cleaning.

15. hearing and studying scriptures.

16. respect to vaisnavas.

17. respecting other living entities and reception of guests.

18. eating.

19. occupational duties: during the day a person will performing his duties according to the rules of his ashrama. These duties are described in the separate section on ashrama duties.

20. taking rest

MORNING ACTIVITIES WAKING:
Krsna himself has set the example: Lord Krsna would immediately get up from bed exactly on the appearance of brahma muhurta. After rising from bed, Lord Krsna would wash his mouth, hands and feet and would immediately sit down and meditate on Himself. (This does not mean, however that we should also sit down and meditate on ourselves. We have to meditate upon Krsna, Radha Krsna. That is real meditation.) After his meditation the Lord would regularly bathe early in the morning with clear sanctified water. Then he would change into fresh clothing, cover himself with a wrapper and then engage himself in his daily religious functions. Out of his many religious duties the first was to offer oblations into the sacrificial fire and silently chant the gayatri mantra. Lord Krsna, as the ideal householder, executed all the religious functions of a householder without deviation. When the sunrise became visible the Lord would offer specific prayers to the sun god. The Lord would offer respects to the demigods. The regulative principle by which the demigods and forefathers are worshipped is called tarpana, which means pleasing. One's forefathers might have to take a body on another planet, but by performance of this tarpana system, they become very happy wherever they may be. His next duty was to give cows in charity to the brahmanas. His next duty was to please all kinds of men belonging to the different castes, both in the city and within the palace compound. He made them happy by fulfilling their different desires. Krsna Book.II p.1101.

Rising from Bed:
Time:
The time early in the morning, one and a half hours before sunrise, is called brahma muhurta. During this brahma muhurta, spiritual activities are recommended. Spiritual activities performed early in the morning have a greater effect than in any other part of the day. SB3.20.46.  According to Vedic reckoning, time is divided into dandas of 24 minutes. Two dandas make one muhurta, or 48 minutes. The period starting two muhurtas (96 minutes or one hour and 36 minutes) before the sun appears halfway on the horizon is called arunodaya or dawn. The first muhurta of dawn is called brahma muhurta. The period before this time is for sleep, but beginning at the brahma muhurta a civilized man must rise from sleep and begin to carry out his daily duties (nitya kriya). Brahma muhurta is considered the most auspicious part of the day. According to all the scriptures (e.g. the Manu smrti), and as shown by Krsna Himself, one must rise during the brahma muhurta. Failing to do so is a commission of sin, and therefore prayaschitta is prescribed in the traditional texts. Activities during Brahma muhurta: During the brahma muhurta one must at least rise from bed, fix ones mind upon the spiritual master and Krsna, answer the calls of nature, clean the mouth and teeth, bathe the body completely in cool water, dress in fresh cloth in the proper manner, apply Vaisnava tilaka, have darshana of the Lord, and chant the gayatri mantra (sandhya vandana) at the sunrise.

Effects of Brahma Muhurta:
 The body and mind carry out their functions according to the rising and setting of the sun. With the sunrise the functions become active and with sunset they slow down. Cleaning the body of impure items before the daytime functions of the body begin is an efficient aid to maintaining proper health and a strong mind. If one lets the impurities which gather during sleep remain within the body those impurities will simply re-circulate in the body with the beginning of the new day. Well tuned body and senses produce a controlled and determined mind, which is essential for carrying out efficient spiritual practices. Thus the scriptures glorify waking during the brahma muhurta. This is therefore the first point in effective sadhana.

2. Nama Kirtana: Upon waking, one should immediately chant the name of the Lord. This is the general injunction of the scriptures, and it is practiced by all Vaisnavas. As Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya arose from bed, he distinctly chanted, "Krsna, Krsna." Lord Caitanya was very pleased to hear him chant the holy name of Krsna. CC Madhya v.2.p.322. One should chant the mahamantra: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. One should not tarry in bed after waking, but should immediately rise while chanting. By the chanting of the Lord's name, all inauspicious influences from the night's sleep ar dispelled and the pure image of Krsna becomes the first impression fixed on the mind for the day.

Prayer to the Earth:
Realizing that one is in all cases supported by the Lord, one should give respects to the earth, the consort of the Lord, and beg forgiveness for stepping upon her in order to carry out the Lord's service in the coming day. Placing the right foot upon the earth one should say:

samudra vasane devi parvata stana manditevisnu patni namas tubhyam pada sparsa ksamasva me

Oh earth, wife of Vishnu, receptacle for the oceans and decorated with mountains, I pay my respects to you. Please forgive me for stepping upon you.

3. Smaranam:
smartavyah satatam visnur vismartavyo na jatucitsarve vidhi nisedhah syur etayor eva kinkarah

One should always remember the Lord, and one should never forget Him. All rules and regulations of bhakti are based upon these two injunctions. Hari Bhakti VilAsa Ch.3, V.37 from Padma Purana. Since remembering the Lord is the principle activity of devotional service, at the beginning of the day one is advised remember the Lord. To If one is to perform this according to the scriptures, one should first purify oneself of the impurities of sleep by washing ones hands, feet and mouth, and changing into fresh cloth. Cloth used for sleeping and the bed are considered impure. If one is using a bed roll one should fold it up and store it at this time. One should sit on a clean asana and perform acamana twice. One should first meditate upon the lotus feet of ones spiritual master and recite verses praising him. One should then remember the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna and recite verses praising him. Reciting the Lord's glories is a form of kirtana and is an effective way of remembering the Lord. By the recitation of verses, the Lord's personal form, qualities and pastimes become fixed in the mind.

4. Recitation of Verses:
Hari Bhakti VilAsa quotes the following verses from Srimad Bhagavatam as suitable for recitation at this time. By recitation of these four verses one can remove all the effects of bad dreams.

jayati jana nivaso devaki janma vadoyaduvara parisat svair dorbhir asyann adharmamsthira cara vrjina ghnah susmita sri mukhenavraja pura vanitanam vardhayan kamadevamsmrte sakala kalyana bhajanam yatra jayatepurusam tam ajam nityam vrajami saranam harimvidagdha gopala vilasininamsambhoga cihnankita sarva gatrampavitram amnaya giram agamyambrahma prapadye navanita cauramudgayatinam aravinda locanamvrajangananam divam sprasad dhvanihdadhnas ca nirmanthana sabda mistritonirasyate yena disam amangalam

All glories to Sri Krsna. Krsna is residing within each living entity, yet he is the shelter of all living entities. By his mercy he seemed to take birth from the womb of Devaki, and he played the role of a member of the Yadu dynasty. Fulfilling one role, he eradicated irreligiousity with his own arms, and destroyed the pangs of material existence for the moving and non moving entities such as the trees and cows of Vrindavana. Yet above all, by his sweet smile, he caused the love of the women of Vrindavana and Mathura to increase unlimitedly. I surrender unto the eternal, unborn Lord, by the remembrance of whom one becomes the recipient of all types of auspiciousness. I surrender unto the Absolute Truth, who is unapproachable by the eternal sounds of the Vedas, and who is completely pure, and who yet appears in the morning with the marks of his loving affairs with the gopis on his limbs, and who is now engaged in stealing and eating the butter that they have churned. In the early morning, the kirtana of the gopis, who are filled with love for the lotus eyed Krsna, touches the very roof of the sky. Mixing with the sounds produced from their bangles as they laboriously churn the yoghurt into butter, that kirtana dispels all the inauspiciousness of the world. After remembering the Lord one should drink some charanamrta and with a tulasi leaf sprinkle some on ones head. There are many instances of devotional service rendered by previous acharyas who did not care about social behavior when intensely absorbed in love for Krishna. Unfortunately, as long as we are within this material world, we must observe social customs to avoid criticism by the general populace." Cc Madhya Lila vol 3. p14.

5. Pranama (obeisances):
After waking, chanting the Lord's name, purifying oneself and remembering the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord by reciting appropriate verses, one should offer respects to the spiritual master and the Lord in the form of pranama or obeisances, accompanied by prayers. There are two types of pranamas (more detailed information on pranamas is given later.) Astanga pranama: One should pay obeisances with eight items: feet hands chest, knees, head, vision, mind and words. The two feet,, two knees, the chest and head should touch the ground, while the eyes should be downcast and half open, the mouth should be reciting a suitable prayer and the mind should meditate that ones head is under the Lord's lotus feet. Panchanga pranama: One should pay obeisances with five items: knees, arms, head, intellect and words. The chest does not touch the ground. Qualification: Men may perform either type of pranama, but women should perform only panchanga pranama, as it is said that their breasts should not touch the earth. Number: According to Hari Bhakti VilAsa one should offer pranamas at least four times. Guru Pramana Mantras (example): namah om visnu padaya krsna presthaya bhutale srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine namaste sarasvati devam gaura vani pracarine nirvisesa sunyavadi paschatya desa tarine. Gauranga Pranama Prayer: namo mahavadanyaya krsna prema pradaya te krsnaya krsna caitanya name gaura tvise namah. Krishna pranama Prayer: namo brahmanya devaya go brahmana hitaya cha jagad dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah.  he krsna karuna sindho dina bandho jagat pate gopesa gopika kanta radha kanta namo'stu te.   prasida bhagavan prasida bhagavan (Oh lord, be pleased with me)

6. Offering of Service:
pratah prabodhito visno hrsikesena yat tvayayad yat karayasisana tat karomi tavajnaya. O Vishnu, Isana, Hrsikesa, master of the senses, having been awakened by you, I am ready to do whatever you wish me to do. Hari Bhakti VilAsa Ch. 3 v.91, from Vishnu Dharmottara

REMOVING WASTES FROM THE BODY
1. MALA MUTRA TYAGA (evacuating): After remembering the Lord one should relieve oneself of nature. The scriptures give exact rules for urinating and stooling in order to preserve individual and collective health. Some of these rules are difficult to apply in modern city life, but, on the other hand, the rules are certainly practical and economical in a rural environment. According to the vedic mentality, there is a prescribed direction for every activity, which ensures the most efficient performance of the activity. Thus a particular direction is prescribed for passing nature. Though the rules may seem impractical in view of modern toilet systems, one can at least appreciate the keen awareness of the ancient sages concerning proper hygiene. If the rules were still followed in India, the towns would certainly be more pleasant for living.

The practical rules which are still commonly followed are marked *.Forbidden places:* One should not relieve oneself in a ploughed field, among growing grains, in a cow pasture, on a road or path, on the bank of a river or pond, within the water, where many people congregate, in any dark place.*

Out of respect, one should not relieve oneself while looking at or facing a brahmana, a guru or any elder, a cow, fire, the sun, the wind, over ashes of a fire, in any sacred place, in a temple, in a burning ghat, in a hole where an animal lives, on an ant hill, in the shadow of a tree, or on someone else's shadow.

Location: One should go more than a bowshot from the ones house in the southwest direction; a distance of at least three hundred yards from a village; or four times that distance from a town.

Direction: One should face north while evacuating during the daytime or (if unavoidable) during the sandhyas; one should face south while relieving oneself at night.

Forbidden times: One should avoid relieving oneself during the sandhyas (the period near sunrise and sunset).

Procedure: One should cover the earth with grass, leaves or stones before beginning. One should not wear shoes. One should cover ones head.*
Kaccha should be undone. This refers to the kaupina or part of the dhoti which acts for that purpose.*
The upavita (gayatri thread) should be wound around the right ear. If one fails to do this the upavita becomes impure and unusable and one should change the thread. While passing nature, the whole body becomes impure but the right ear remains pure even then. It is said to be equivalent to all the sacred tirthas.*
One should squat both while urinating or stooling, for health reasons. One should never urinate while standing or walking.*
One should not talk, look here and there, gaze at the stars, the sun or moon, yawn or sneeze while in the process of relieving oneself.*
One should finish quickly, clean oneself and leave the place promptly.

2. SAUCHA (cleansing oneself after evacuating):*
One should not delay to clean ones private parts, hands and feet after passing nature. As relieving oneself is an unavoidable activity, saucha is also unavoidable. By the first activity one becomes unavoidably contaminated. To perform any activity one must regain purity, and thus the second activity, saucha, is prescribed. By proper saucha, one becomes purified. The vaidic method of saucha may appear impractical or fanatical. It was quite practical for the people of previous ages as a way of preventing disease. At present, the standard has been minimized to cleaning the private parts with water, and then cleaning the hands with soap. The rules regarding the water pot and the sacred thread are still intact however. Cleansing Agent: Fine earth is a natural cleansing agent for the whole body. It is efficient, readily available, without cost and safe for the skin. One should be careful to select clean earth which has not been previously used for saucha and which does not contain insects etc. One should not take earth from an ant hill, from beneath the water, or from the foundation of a house. Number of Applications: One should apply earth once to the sex organ, three times to the anus, ten times to the left hand and seven times to both hands according to the Vishnu Purana. One should then wash the feet at least once and the hands three more times, according to Kasi Khanda. The finger nails should also be cleaned. Or one may continue to clean until no bad odor remains. If one is only urinating, one should apply earth once to the sex organ, three times to the left hand and two times to both hands.

Exceptions: Saucha may be reduced to one half if at night, if one is sick, if there is some danger or fear, or if one is travelling. The rules given above apply to the householder. It is said that brahmachari should be twice as clean, the vanaprastha should be three times as clean and the sannyasi should be four times as clean. Saucha is considered one of the major duties of the sannyasi. Amount: One should use a quarter of a handful of earth for the first cleaning, and an eighth of handful for succeeding applications. The earth should be applied each time with the left hand only, and then washed off with plenty of water.

Water Pot: One should not hold the water pot to be used for cleaning oneself while one is relieving oneself, for the water will also become impure by that act. If the container used for the water is metal, it may be purified and used for other purposes by scrubbing with clean earth. If it is not purified in this way it cannot be touched during or after the bath. Otherwise one again becomes impure. Since containers made of other materials cannot be properly cleansed, they should not be touched after one performs saucha.

Final Purification: After saucha is complete one should wash the hands with water thoroughly, splash water on the feet and perform acamana while remembering the Lord. In this way, after a necessary but impure act, the physical body and mind attain purity. The upavita may then be taken from the ear.

ACHAMANA (RITUAL SIPPING OF WATER)
Definition:
Achamana means literally to sip. As a ritual of purification it means to sip water three times from the right hand while saying mantra, and then to touch various sense organs and parts of the body with water while saying more mantras. This form of purification has been practiced since time immemorial. In that place Srila Vyasa Deva, in his own ashrama, which was surrounded by berry trees, sat down to meditate after touching water for purification (acamana). SB 1.7.3.

Purpose: Water is profusely glorified in the Vedas and is used in Vedic rituals for sipping, touching to parts of the body, sprinkling over the body, and for bathing the body. Taking pure, cool water internally is purifying and invigorating, both physically and mentally; and, when this is accompanied by utterance of the names of Vishnu, one becomes filled with spiritual qualities. Acamana is a standard form of purification, prerequisite for meditation, puja, homa and other sacred activities. Types: Achamana may be of different types, arising from different scriptures (e.g.. vaidika, srauta, smarta, pauranic, tantric), according to the ceremony and the line of teaching one is following. The difference in these achamanas lies mainly in the mantras recited.

Occasion: One should perform achamana before any sacred ceremony such as worship of the deity, sacrifice, japa, study of scripture, sandhya rites (chanting gayatri mantra) One should perform achamanas after eating, drinking, rising from bed, passing stool, urine or semen, bathing, dressing, touching the lips, spitting, coughing, telling a lie, returning home from outside, visiting a crematorium or a place where four roads meet, seeing impure things. Often achamana is performed twice, as at the beginning of homa or after contacting impure items. Yajnavalkya says that one should perform acamana twice after bathing, drinking, coughing, sleeping, eating, coming from a road or crematorium or putting on cloth.

Dress: One should in most cases have trikaccha dhoti or kaupina. One should wear the sacred thread (upavita). One should have sikha tied. One should not have the head or throat covered. One should not have shoes on. Hands and feet should be clean. Posture: One should sit on an asana facing east, in padma or svastika asana. Knees and feet should not be protruding. If the place does not allow sitting one may squat. One should not be standing. (Exception: one may perform acamana while standing if one is in water which is above the knees but below the navel.)

Place: The place should be clean: free from hair, charcoals, bones, ash or any impure items. Water: The water used for sipping should be pure, and cool, without foam or stagnation bubbles, without foul odor or bad taste, untouched by fingernails or hair, or any impure item. Hand Configuration: The right hand should be held so that the forefinger, middle finger and ring finger are together and slightly bent upwards, while the little finger and the thumb are separated from the other three fingers. Brahma Tirtha: The hand is divided into five parts for offering water to different types of living entities: the tips of the fingers are called deva tirtha, for offering tarpana water to Vishnu; the space between the thumb and forefinger is called pitri tirtha, for offering water to the ancestors; the part of the hand at the base of the little finger is called kaya tirtha, for offering water to mankind; the center of the palm is called agni tirtha, for proksana (sprinkling water oneself); the part of the hand at the base of the thumb is called brahma tirtha, for sipping water for purification.

Qualification: A brahmana becomes purified in performing acamana if the water penetrates to the heart (i.e. by swallowing the water completely). A kshatriya becomes purified in performing acamana if the water reaches his throat. A vaishya becomes purified if the water reaches his palate (inside his mouth). A shudra or woman becomes purified if the water touches his or her lips.

Vaisnava Acamana Procedure:
The following form of acamana is that given in Hari Bhakti Vilasa and Samskara Dipika. It includes both sipping of water with the names of Vishnu and touching parts of the body with names of Vishnu. Though some manuals abbreviate the acamana by omitting touching parts of the body, this abbreviation is not found in the above named scriptures. achamane ei name sparsi tat tat sthana: In acamana one says the twelve names of Vishnu while touching the various parts of the body. CC Madhya v.8.p.112.  One touches various parts of the body because in the different organs of the body are located various energies and their devatas. According the the smrti author Sankha, in the mouth, ganga and yamuna; in the nose the asvini kumaras; in the eyes, sun and moon; in the ears, the wind; in the shoulders, all the devatas; at the top of the head, paramatma. Each finger also has a deity; in the thumb, agni; in the forefinger, vayu; in the middle finger, prajapati; in the ring finger, surya (associated with the eyes); and in little finger, Indra.

The complete vaisnava achamana is as follows:
Water, of quantity to cover a grain of urad dhal, should be poured from the left hand by spoon into the right palm. One should purify the water in ones palm by ones glance. One should say the appropriate mantra. One should sip the water from the brahma tirtha of the right hand without making any noise.
kesavaya namah sip water from brahma tirtha of right hand
narayanaya namah sip water from brahma tirtha of right hand
madhavaya namah sip water from brahma tirtha of right hand
govindaya namah sprinkle water on right and visnave namah left hand
madhusudanaya namah Touch right cheek
trivikramaya namah touch left cheek
vamanaya namah wipe above upper lip with base of thumbs
ridharaya namah wipe below lower lip with base of thumb (as touching the lips is impure, one should curl the fleshy part of the lips within the mouth at this point and wipe the remaining areas.)
hrsikesaya namah sprinkle water on both hands
padmanabhaya namah sprinkle water on feet
damodaraya namah sprinkle water on head
vasudevaya namah touch near upper and lower lips with tips of three middle fingers
sankarsanaya namah touch right nostril with thumb and fore finger
pradumnaya namah touch left nostril with thumb and fore finger
aniruddhaya namah touch right eye with thumb and ring finger
purusottamaya namah touch left eye with thumb and ring finger
adhoksajaya namah touch right ear with thumb and ring finger
nrsimhaya namah touch left ear with thumb and ring finger
acyutaya namah touch navel with thumb and little finger
janardanaya namah touch heart with palm of hand  upendraya namah touch head with all fingers
haraye namah touch right arm with tips of fingers
krsnaya namah touch left arm with tips of fingers.

Simple Acamana:  If one cannot perform the vaisnava achamana, a simple achamana employing both sipping water and touching parts of the body popular in North India is as follows:  Sprinkle water on hands and feet. Sip water from the brahma tirtha three times saying:
om visnu sip water
om visnu sip water
om visnu sip water (Those who are not initiated may say sri visnu.)

Wash hands. Touch mouth, right and left nostrils, right and left eyes, right and left ears, the navel, heart, top of the head. and arms, with the fingers of the right hand.

DANTA DHAVANA (cleaning the teeth):
Before bathing in the morning one must clean the mouth and teeth. If one does not clean the teeth one is forbidden from performing deity worship, sacrifices, japa and other spiritual rites . Even if one performs achamana, with uncleaned teeth one remains impure if his teeth have not been properly cleaned.

Time:
Cleaning the teeth must be done before bathing because in the process of cleaning the teeth and mouth the body and clothing become impure from falling saliva. Thus one should brush ones teeth before the bath and before sunrise;  It should be done never while bathing; and never before the noon bath.  Women should not brush their teeth publicly.  The teeth are brushed usually only once a day, since too much brushing wears away the teeth. After meals the teeth are usually cleaned using water only. Those using modern tooth brushes may disregard the following information, but should brush their teeth, clean the tongue, and rinses the mouth thoroughly.

Danta Kastha (twigs):  Since reusable plastic tooth brushes and chemical tooth pastes have been universally adopted as the modern standard for cleaning teeth, the use of twigs may seem primitive, but is sanitary and healthy.  According to the vedic tradition, for cleaning the teeth, certain twigs or leaves should be used, as they contain natural cleansing agents suitable for the health of teeth and gums.  It is said that one gains long life from brushing teeth with a twig that comes from a tree which oozes white sap, while a bitter twig yields good health; a pungent twig yields strength; and an astringent yields comfortable life. Twigs from the nima tree are the most commonly used. The twig should be the diameter of the middle or little finger, twelve fingers long, with bark intact.  Exceptions: Some texts state that brahmacharis and sannyasis should not brush their teeth using twigs. Madhvacharya says the same. They may use salt and triphala, according to some.

Forbidden Twigs:
One should not use twigs from the palasa, banyan or pippal trees for brushing the teeth or for making shoes, as these trees are worshippable. One should also avoid using twigs from the malati, vilva, karavira, arka, khadira and mango trees.

Forbidden tithis:
One should not clean the teeth with twigs on pratipat (first day of the waxing or waning moon), on sasthi (sixth day), on astami (eighth day), on navami (ninth day), chaturdasi (fourteenth day), purnima (full moon), amavasya (dark moon); neither on Sundays, Saturdays or sankrantis (day when the sun enters a new zodiac sign); nor on fasting days (ekadasi or any day of vrata), nor on days of observing sraddha rites, since the body is weaker on all these days. Brushing the teeth takes energy from the body, since the gums become slightly damaged. On these days one should carefully clean the teeth with a leaf, not damaging the gums. On ekadasi and amavasya even a leaf is forbidden. On these days one should simply wash the mouth thoroughly twelve times with clean water. On all these forbidden days, however, one should still clean the tongue. In Sadhana Dipika, Narayana Bhatta states that Vaishnavas, out of respect for the deity they are worshipping, should disregard the forbidden days and brush their teeth every day. The rules for forbidden days are not strictly observed at present.

Procedure: One should begin by chanting:
ayur balam yaso varcah prajah pasu vasuni cabrahma prajnam ca medham ca tvam no dhehi vanaspate

Lord of the forest, give us long life, strength, fame, offspring, animals, wealth, spiritual wisdom, and intelligence. One should then wash the mouth twelve times with water, wash the twig with water, and chew the twig on the smaller end. Facing east or north, one should commence to brush the teeth. After the teeth are clean, one should bend the twig and clean the tongue. In all cases one must clean the tongue. One should then discard the twig in a clean place and rinse the mouth twelve more times with water. While brushing the teeth and washing the mouth all fingers except the index finger may enter the mouth.

SIKHA
According to Vedic custom, upon cuda karanam (hair cutting ceremony) and upon upanayanam (Vaidic initiation) a person must shave his head, leaving a tuft of hair called a sikha. The sikha is considered a necessary qualification for performing all types of yajna. Therefore traditionally in India all the brahmanas whether Vaisnava or otherwise kept a sikha.  The ayurveda authorities Susruta and Charaka say that shaving the head is beneficial for health, for it bestows long life, physical strength and purity of mind. They explain that the sikha remains on the head while the rest is shaved in order to protect a sensitive area of the head.

Size of the sikha:
The scriptures usually mention that the size and shape of the sikha is according to family tradition. Some say it should be the size and shape of a banyan leaf and others say it should be the size of a cow's hoof. Gaudiya Vaishnavas and people of North India usually keep small sikhas, maximum one and a half inches diameter.  Tying the sikha: The sikha is usually kept tied tightly in a knot and is untied only when washing, cleaning or oiling it; when one goes to sleep; or when one attends funeral rites or is in mourning. As an untied sikha is a sign of death in ones family, it is considered inauspicious to go about ones daily duties with untied sikha. One who bathes with sikha untied is considered a shudra, according to Hari Bhakti Vilasa. It is also said that if one keeps the sikha untied, the body becomes weak.

Procedure:  One should not tie the sikha while facing south or while standing. According to Hari Bhakti Vilasa while tying the sikha one should chant "om" and the gayatri mantra.

SHAVING:
(Shaving and rubbing oil on the body are placed here for convenience, but are usually performed before the noon bath rather than the early morning bath.)  The rules below are optional, but they are given for information's sake, and are commonly observed in some parts of India.

Time:
Cutting hair is said to cause loss of energy. Certain days also put the body into a weak state. Therefore on these day shaving is not recommended, especially for sick or unhealthy people. Shaving at night is forbidden. It is done in the daytime, usually before the noon bath. It should never be done after eating. It is said that shaving on Sundays reduces ones life by one month; shaving on Saturdays reduces ones life by seven months; shaving on Tuesdays reduces ones life by eight months. Shaving on Wednesdays increases ones life by five months; shaving on Mondays increase life by seven months; shaving on Thursdays increases life by ten months; and shaving on Fridays increases life by eleven months. Other authorities say that shaving on Sunday brings physical well-being; shaving on Monday, bright complexion; shaving on Thursday, success; shaving on Friday, universal respect. Shaving on Tuesdays reduces life span; shaving on Saturdays causes decay of the body. Monday is good only during the waxing phase of the moon. However, brahmanas may shave on Sundays and kshatriyas may shave on Tuesdays. Sannyasis customarily shave on purnima. Of the tithis, prathipat, chaturthi, astami, chaturdasi, purnima, amavasya; and sasthis, navamis, dvadasis, sankrantis, and any day of fasting, such as ekadasi, are also unfavorable. The favorable tithis are dvitiya, tritiya, panchami, saptami dasami and trayodasi. The moon in waxing phase is favorable and in the waning phase, particularly the latter half, is unfavorable.

Place:
One should not be shaved in a public shop, but in a private place, preferably by the family barber. Procedure: Head and face should be shaved, then nails should be cut. Then one should take a full bath.

OIL BATH
Rubbing oil on the body, then bathing with water, is called oil bath. If one uses sesame oil, its use is forbidden on the same days that shaving is forbidden. This does not apply to mustard, coconut or perfumed oils. Oil bath is undertaken before the noon bath. Oil bath is particularly recommended on dasamis.

Procedure:
Brahmanas start by applying oil to the left foot first and finish with the head. After rubbing the oil well on the body, especially on the head feet and ears, one should bathe thoroughly, for having oil on the body is an impure state. While one has oil on the body one is forbidden to pass nature.

SNANA (bathing):
Necessity: Having risen from sleep, relieved himself of nature, cleansed himself, brushed his teeth and tied his sikha, the civilized man should then bathe. The Kurma Purana says that without taking the pratah snana (bath taken after the dawn but before sunrise) one remains impure, and subsequently one cannot perform any of the daily activities of the civilized man. This includes japa, homa and deity worship. If one takes his meals without having bathed, then he is said to be eating only filth, for everything he touches becomes as impure as himself. The Padma Purana considers the person who does not take bath in the morning to be a sinner fit to suffer in hell. Exceptions:  It is compulsory for all people except those who are sick. Purpose: The effects of the early morning bath are also described in the scriptures. By taking the bath even the sinful person can become purified, for it has the power to wash away all external and internal contamination's. The bath also gives strength, beauty, good voice, good complexion, sensitivity, long life, good odor, effulgence, youthfulness, attractiveness to women, and purity. Taking the early morning bath increases ones knowledge, fame determination, peace of mind and all good fortune and wealth. The early morning bath can remove the effects of heaps of sinful activities, unhappiness, lamentation, degradation, bad thoughts and bad dreams. According to Katyayana Smrti and Kasi Khanda, with the passage of time during the night, the nine holes of the body become filled with the waste products which are continually being produced by the body. The early morning bath most effectively removes all of this dirt so that the body can begin its daily activities in a fresh state. In this way the early morning bath has physical, mental and spiritual effects, and is therefore glorified in the scriptures. Because of the importance of the early morning bath, the act of bathing has become codified as a sacred ritual for bodily and mental purification since time immemorial. Accordingly there are many rules of propriety to be observed when taking a bath. The purely Vaidic bath is a complicated affair accompanied by many mantras, but even the bath in its simplest form should at least be accompanied by the chanting of the Lord's sacred names. Types of bath: There are seven types of bath: parthiva (using earth) varuna (using water), agneya (using ashes from the sacrificial fire), vayavya (contacting air filled with dust raised by cows), divya (ethereal bath of rain falling while the sun is shining), mantra (chanting appropriate verses), and manasika (by meditation on Visnu). Using different elements, they all purify the body of contamination. However, the manasika, mantra and varuna bath are the most important of these. The daily bath is usually the varuna snana (water bath).

1. Manasa Bath:
Manasa bath consists of remembrance of Lord Vishnu. According to Manu the best of baths is the manasa bath, Remembrance of Vishnu is the most powerful means of eradicating all types of sins:

apavitrah pavitro va sarva vastham gato'pi vayah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantarah sucih

 Hari Bhakti Vilasa Ch.3, V.47 from Garuda Purana.  Therefore along with all types of bath one must take the mental bath.

2. Mantra Bath: Mantra snana consists of sprinkling water over the body while reciting appropriate verses. This is often performed directly before engaging in worship and vedic ceremonies. The common vaidic verse is as follows:  om apo hi stha mayo bhuvahta na urje dadhatanamahe ranaya caksaseyo vah sivatamo rasahtasya bhajayateha nahusatir iva matarahtasma aram gamama vahyasya kshayaya jinvathaapo janayatha ca nahOr one may sprinkle water on the body chanting the deity mula mantra (pancaratrika method).

3. Varuna Bath (Water Bath): The early morning bath should normally be a water bath. This is the normal bath for purification.

Source of Water:
In order of preference, beginning with the best, one should bath in a holy river, a river which runs directly into the sea, (i.e. not a tributary), any river, canal, pond, lake, water fall, or using water drawn from a well or other clean source.

Alternatives:
If cool water bath (varuna snana) in the early morning (or at any other time) is difficult because of health, then a warm water bath is permitted. Though warm water is also physically purifying, it does not have the same value as a cool water morning bath when performing a vrata. Neither should one bathe in warm water on the birthday of a son, on a sankranti, or at the time of an eclipse of the sun or moon. If the warm water bath is not possible, one can take bath without wetting the head, or by simply rubbing the body with a clean damp cloth. If this cannot be done one must at least take a mantra bath and mental bath. In the case of women, during the daily bath they do not have to submerge their heads in water and wet their hair. Full bath for women is required however after their monthly contamination period.

Frequency of Bathing :The brahmachari is obligated to bathe only in the early morning. The grihastha and the vanaprastha must take early morning and noon bath. The sannyasi must take bath in the early morning, at noon and before sunset. However, if this is impossible one must at least take the early morning bath. Thus the early morning water bath is obligatory for all.

Other Occasions for Varuna Bath: Besides taking water bath in the morning, noon and evening, one must take a varuna snana after shaving, after having sex, after going to the crematorium, after touching a woman in her period, or after touching a woman who has just borne a child, after touching a naked person, a bearer of a dead body or a person of sinful habits. One should not take a bathe during the middle six hours of the night, nor after having taken a meal.

Forbidden Times for Bathing:
Bath is forbidden directly after puja, yajna, festivals, visiting a tirtha, performance of other auspicious ceremonies and meeting with friends. Even if one touches a chandala during a wedding, festival, yajna or near a temple, one does not have to bathe.

Rules (Most of these are commonly observed in India. The most important are marked *):* One should not bathe naked. (Out of respect to the water, out of sense of decency in a public place and because bathing is a sacred act.) One should not bathe wearing one cloth. (a second cloth is usually tied around the waist. In this way one is properly dressed for the sacred act of bathing.)* One should wear a kaupina or if not, the cloth should have a tail tucked in at the back (kaccha). (This is a matter of respect to the personality of the water, as well as indicating that one should be properly dressed for the sacred act of bathing. This should particularly be observed when bathing in a river.) One should not take baths unnecessarily. (Only three times a day plus after any occasion of impurity.)* One should not bathe in impure water.* One should not bathe without first having passed nature. (Doing so is like the elephant who bathes very nicely in the river and then comes out of the water and throws dust on his body.) One should not accept or give greetings while bathing. One should not shake ones wet hair to dry it after bathing. One should not shake water from cloth or legs after bathing.* One should not rub oil on the body after bathing. (Oil on the body is considered impure, and should be rubbed on the body before taking the water bath.) One should dry ones body with a separate, dry cloth. One should not wipe the body with the hands, with a dirty cloth, or with the edge of the damp cloth that one is wearing. If one wipes oneself with ones bathing cloth one becomes impure again. One should wring ones wet cloth so that the water does not fall back into the body of water.

Procedure:
Two procedures for taking bath are given. The first is the procedure for bathing in a river, and may be performed when one has the opportunity to bathe at a tirtha such as Ganga or Yamuna. Traditionally houses were conveniently located near bathing ghatas on a river or lake, or had their own private pond for bathing, since bathing was an important part of daily life. Thus the daily bath was performed according to the first procedure given. Since at present most people bath in their own houses, the daily bath will be according to the second procedure given, the grha snana (house bath). This bath is much simpler.

A. Tirtha Snana (bathing in a river, lake or any body of water):
If one is bathing in a river or pond one may do as follows. The procedure for bathing may vary according to the tradition one is following. Thus there are different procedures according to vedic, tantric and puranic texts using different mantras. Hari Bhakti Vilasa give an example of a bath mixing vaidic and tantric traditions. Since the tirtha snana is not the daily bath for most people, only an outline is given here. Full details of all the steps are given in the Practical Manual (prayoga section). One should approach the river, pond or reservoir with fresh cloth and cloth for drying the body. One should wash hands and feet. One should sit and perform achamana. One should offer arghya (respectful offering of auspicious articles, represented by pure water) to the tirtha by taking water in the palms of ones hands and pouring back into the water. One should then pay obeisances (pranamas) to the tirtha. (specific pranama prayers for specific tirthas may be uttered.)  Folding ones hands one should beg permission (anujna) to bath in the holy water: One should enter into the water and face the current or towards the sun (east). One should perform tirtha avahana (calling the tirtha). At a famous tirtha one should glorify that particular tirtha and not others, and one should not call other tirthas to be present, for that is offensive to the tirtha. At an ordinary river or ghata however one may call ganga etc.

gange ca yamune caiva godavari sarasvati narmade sindhu kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru

While standing in the water one should perform pranayama while thinking of Krishna's lotus feet, and while repeating his name submerge oneself in water. It is customary while submerging oneself to cover ones mouth, eyes, nostrils, and ears with the fingers of both hands. One should then take earth from the river bank and apply to the body. One should submerge oneself in water twelve times saying the twelve names of visnu: keshava, narayana, madhava, govinda, visnu, madhusudana, trivikrama, vamana, sridhara, hrsikesha, padmanabha, damodara. One should then pour the foot water from guru or elders or brahmanas (if present) over ones head, and then drink visnu charanamrta and pour some over ones head. Cupping ones hands one should gather water in ones hands and pour over the head three times while reciting krsna mula mantra. Coming out of the water one should perform acamana again, and then wipe ones limbs with a dry cloth while reciting the twelve names of ganga or other stotras:

nalini nandini sita malini ca mahapagavisnu padarghya sambhuta ganga tri patha gaminibhagirathi bhogavati jahnavi tridasesvari

The water from wringing ones wet cloth should not fall back into the river or pond. One should then dress and apply tilaka.

Ganga Snana:
If one is bathing in the actual Ganga before entering one may recite:

om gange devi jagan mata padabhyam salilam tavasprsamity aparadham me prasanna ksantum arhasi. While bathing one may recite:  visnu padarghya sambhuta gane tripathagaminidharma draviti vikhyate papam me hara jahnavisraddhaya bhakti sampanne srimatar devi jahnaviamrtenambuna devi bhagirathi punihi mamvisnu pada prasutasi vaisnavi visnu devatapahi nastvenasas tasmad ajanma maranantikat

Yamuna Snana:
Bathing in the yamuna one may say:

kalinda tanaye devi paramananda vardhinisnami te salile sarvaparadhan mam vimocaya

B. Grha Snana (bathing in the house):
If one cannot go to a river or ghata one may bath in ones house as follows: One should first wash ones hands and feet, and then sitting, perform achamana. One should then call the tirthas into ones bath water from the sun planet by showing the ankusa mudra while reciting:

gange ca yamune caiva godavari sarasvati narmade sindhu kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru.

One should then remember the spiritual master and beg permission from the Lord to bathe in his water. One should then pour the water over ones head saying om namo narayanaya, while meditating on the lotus eyed Lord as effulgent as a million suns, with four arms carrying conch, lotus, club and disc; who is wearing yellow silk robes, whose dark body is covered with sandalwood paste; whose face is pleasing with a sweet smile, being lit by the glitter from his jewel-inlaid shark earrings, and who is garlanded by fresh flowers and decorated with armlets; belt and golden crown, and is surrounded by a multitude of sages headed by Narada.  One should meditate that from the lotus feet of Narayana, who resides upon the water, is flowing a stream of sacred water which falls upon ones head, enters the brahma randhra, and cleanses the body of all foul matter. This is the manasa snana the best of all baths. One may pour water from the feet of guru, elders, sankha and salagrama sila over ones head.

NOTE: The most important element in this bath is remembrance of the Lord (manasa snana) and chanting the names of the Lord. Though all other elements may be overlooked, these two acts should always be performed while bathing. In this way the bath retains its sacred nature.

TARPANA (satisfying obligations):
As a rule, every human being is indebted to God, the demigods, great sages, other living entities, people in general, forefathers, etc. for various contributions received from them. Thus everyone is obliged to repay the debt of gratitude. SB3.3.26.  A person is indebted to those who have contributed to his present position (devas, rsis, bhuta, men and pitrs) and one must pay the debt. One does this in a simply way, by means of offering water to them. By this they derive satisfaction (trpti). The system of offering water is therefore called tarpana. As far as the servant of Mukunda is concerned, his act of surrender covers all debts (rni) to all living entities. If the Lord is satisfied, all living beings are also satisfied. Therefore the devotee of Krsna need not actually perform these tarpanas.  devarsi bhutatma nrnam pitrnamna kinkaro nayam rni ca rajansarvatmana yah saranam saranyamgato mukundam pari hrtya kartam.  One who giving up all other duties, has taken shelter of Mukunda, by body, mind, words and soul, has no obligations to the devas, rsis, living entities, men or forefathers.  However, though such nitya kriyas are not necessary for the devotee, sometimes they may be performed. Thus Krsna himself performed tarpana.  There are many instances of devotional service rendered by previous acharyas who did not care about social behavior when intensely absorbed in love for Krsna. Unfortunately, as long as we are within this material world, we must observe social customs to avoid criticism by the general populace. CC Madhya v.3.p.14.  As the devotee does not normally perform vaidic or puranic tarpana, the rules for its performance and the mantras are given in the prayoga section.

VASTRA PARIDHANA (dressing):
After bathing one should dress properly. If one is dressed improperly one is considered naked. to be naked is to be uncivilized.  To cover the lower part of the body is a principle of human civilization, and when a man or woman forgets this principle, they become degraded. Krsna Book I, p.70.

Improper Cloth:  Brightly colored cloth (for men), damp cloth, cloth which is too long or too short to be worn properly, stitched cloth, torn cloth, oil-stained or dirt-stained cloth, burned cloth, cloth chewed by animals or insects, and unclean cloth should not be worn.

Unclean Cloth:  Cloth which has already been worn, but has not been washed and dried again is considered unclean. Silk, however, is an exception. It may be worn many times, provided it does not contact impure items.  Cloth worn while sleeping, passing urine or stool, while having sex is unclean. (Wool is an exception.)  Cloth which touches any impure items such as wine, meat, blood, a dead body or a woman in her period of contamination is unclean.  Cloth washed by a laundry man is unclean.  Cloth which though washed, has become stale, are also unclean.

Cleaning Cloth:  Cotton becomes clean by washing with water, or water and soap, and drying. Silk may be cleaned using water or water and soap. Wool becomes clean by contact with air, fire, sun or moon light (gross contamination needs washing).

Upper Cloth:
One should wear an upper as well as a lower cloth. Wearing only a lower cloth is improper.  The top cloth is properly worn over the left shoulder, in the position that the sacred thread normally rests.  If a grihastha is wearing three upavitas (nine strands of gayatri thread) the top cloth is not considered obligatory, but is still usually worn out of decorum. Exception: In coming before the Lord, however, the scriptures say that one should not wear a cloth covering the upper body, as a sign of humility: Anyone who offers respects and obeisances to the deity while wearing garments on the upper portion of his body is condemned to be a leper for seven births. CC Antya v.4.p.68.  This rule is still observed in South India. At the Padmanabha temple in Trivandrum and the Madhvacharya's Krsna Temple at Udupi, men are not allowed to come before the deity without first taking off their shirts. The upper cloth may be worn around the waist, in the case of pujaris. This rule does not seem to be strictly followed in North India however.

Lower Cloth:
The lower cloth should be worn properly, i.e. in tri kaccha style. Tri kaccha refers to tucking in the hem (kaccha) of the dhoti three times. This means one should wear ones cloth with the dhoti tail tucked in at the back. This originally served the function of kaupina. If one is wearing a kaupina however, this rule is not so strictly applied, though it is still commonly observed as the proper mode of dress for deity worship, sacrifice, ceremonial functions, reading scripture and eating. Color: According to some scriptures (Grha Sutras), a brahmana brahmachari should wear earth-colored or white cloth, kshatriya brahmachari should wear reddish cloth and vaishya brahmachari should wear yellow cloth. At present brahmacharis often are seen wearing white, and reddish color is reserved for those fixed in fixed brahmacharya and for sannyasis. According to Manu, brahmana householders should wear white, kshatriyas should wear red, vaishyas should wear yellow and shudras should wear blue. Thus it is the custom even at present for the male grihastha to wear clean white cloth. The prescribed colors for the other ashramas are not generally followed at present. Vanaprasthas if still living with their wives remain wearing white cloth. Sannyasis should wear reddish cloth.

Dress in Kali Yuga:
So far as your dress is concerned, that is immaterial. But as a soldier you know that every soldier has got a uniform dress according to the army etiquette of regulation. Therefore, the army of Krsna consciousness must have at least the tilaka on the forehead in all conditions. For your business you can wear your naval service uniform; similarly, if you have tilaka on your forehead as a soldier of Krsna consciousness, you may not have so much objection, because it is essential. letter from Srila Prabhupada, Robert Hendry, Aug.3., 1969

ASANA (seat):
After dressing one should sit on an asana and perform achamana. The seat of a sannyasi should be white and shaped like a turtle. Other persons should use a rectangular asana with four legs. The asana should not be made of cowdung, clay, palasa wood, asvattha (pippal) wood, or arka wood. It should not be trimmed with iron and should not be broken. One should sit on the asana in svastika or padma asana with knees and feet covered.

URDHVA PUNDHRA--TILAK
AIn Kali Yuga one can hardly acquire gold or jeweled ornaments, but the twelve tilaka marks on the body are sufficient as auspicious decorations to purify the body. SB4.12.28.  Tilaka refers to marking the body with different substances. Urdhva pundra refers to the two vertical marks placed on the forehead and other parts of the body in order to indicate ones surrender to Vishnu. According to the Padma Purana and Yajur Veda, these two vertical marks symbolize the lotus feet of Visnu. Necessity: All of you except a sannyasi may dress yourself just like a fine up-to- date American gentleman but one must have the tilaka etc. as I have mentioned. letter from Srila Prabhupada Calcutta, Oct.11, 1967.

The Padma Purana says that if one does not wear urdhva pundra one has no qualification for performing yajna, charity, austerity, vedic study, sandhya rites or any authorized activities. The person without urdhva pundra is no better than a dead man, and the person who wears horizontal marks, having broken the temple of Vishnu (urdhva pundra), goes to hell. Seeing such a person one should look at the sun for purification or bathe in a river or pond with ones clothes on. By applying the mark of the Lord and chanting his name, the Lord becomes pleased and comes to reside with the devotee. In this way the material body becomes the sanctified temple of the Lord. The tilaka is applied to twelve parts of the body, which indicate energy centers (i.e. in the forehead, navel, heart, throat and top of the head, with protection on the sides and back as well) which are important for proper functioning of the body and mind. Placing tilaka and reciting Vishnu's names on these places sanctifies then and dedicates them to Vishnu's service. Krsna is actually present everywhere. ...This is a process of meditation on the Lord's situation in the different parts of the body, but for those who are not Vaishnavas, great sages recommend meditation on the bodily concept of life-- meditation on the intestines, on the heart, on the throat, on the eyebrows, on the forehead and then on the top of the head. Krsna Book II, P147.

Characteristics:
The urdhva pundra may vary in shape, color and material according to ones sampradaya, but other features are shared. It should not be crooked, uneven, uncentered, dirty or bad smelling. The center portion should be open from eyebrows to the hair line, but it should be joined at the bottom .The solid portion may extend three quarters of the way down the nose. Visnu is said to reside in the central portion, while Brahma resides on the left and Siva on the right. It should not be too long or too short: Brahmanda Purana says that urdhva pundra ten fingers long is best, nine fingers long is mediocre and eight fingers long is the minimum length. Material: Ash being tama guna and red candana, being raja guna, should not be used. Earth, being sattva guna, should be used. Earth from a tirtha such as Radha Kunda or Ganga, earth from a river bank or an ant hill, or earth from beneath a tulasi tree may also be used. One may apply tilaka using candana which has been offered to the deity. Gopi candana, a special earth from Dvaraka, is especially glorified in the scriptures. It is so pure that a cow killer or great sinner can become purified of his sin simply by touching it. According to the Skanda Purana, the person who has tulasi, conch, salagrama, dvaraka chakra, and gopichandana in his house has no fear of going to hell.

According to the Garuda Purana if one performs his rites without proper mantra or fails to perform sraddha rites, by wearing gopichandana he still receives the permanent benefits of those activities. If all the above are unavailable one may apply tilaka using charanamrta water from the deity.

Procedure:
One should pour some water (preferably ganga water) in the left palm and, grasping the gopi candana in the right hand, one should rub it in clockwise direction in the water until sufficient tilaka is made. The tilaka should be applied by the right hand, using the fingers but not the finger nails. Using the ring finger bestows whatever one desires, using the middle finger bestows long life, using the thumb bestows good health, and using the index finger bestows liberation.

One should apply the tilaka reciting the names of Vishnu.
keshavaya namah on the forehead
narayanaya namah on the stomach
madhavaya namah on the chest
govindaya namah on the hollow of the throat
visnave namah on the right side
madhusudanaya namah on the right arm
trivikramaya namah above the right collar bone
vamanaya namah on the left side
sridharaya namah on the left arm
hrsikesaya namah above the left collar bone
padmanabhaya namah on the back of the neck
damodaraya namah on the back at waist level
vasudevaya namah wash hands and touch top of head.

Optionally one may also recite the kirita mantra while touching the top of the head:

om sri kirita keyura hara makara kundalacakra sankha
gada padma hasta pitambara dharasri vatsankita
vaksah sthala sri bhumisahitasvatma jyotir
diptikaraya sahasraditya tejase namo namah

I pay my respects to the Supreme Lord who is effulgent as a thousand suns, who is accompanied by his consort Sri Bhumi, whose chest is decorated with the srivatsa, who wears yellow cloth and holds the conch wheel club and lotus, and has ornaments of earrings, necklaces, armlets and crown. One should perform acamana once more.

Mudras (stamps):
Mudras are stamps of items such as conch or disc which may be applied to the body. Some sampradayas apply mudras permanently or periodically by pressing hot metal stamps on various parts of the body, either at the time of initiation or on the dvadasi tithi at the beginning of chaturmasya vrata. Gaudiya Vaishnavas apply the mudras using gopi candana. Gautamiya Tantra says that one should place chakra on the right arm, conch on both arms, club on the left arm, chakra on the left arm below the club, lotus on both arms above the conch, knife on the chest and bow and arrow on the head. On the right hand one should put matsya and on the left hand, kurma. The names of the Lord may also be stamped on the body with gopichandana. This is common amongst Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

TULASI KANTHI MALA (tulasi neck beads):
Like urdhva pundra, neck beads worn around the neck indicate ones surrender to the Lord, and therefore a person wearing tulasi around his neck is dear to the Lord. However, a person who wears tulasi neck beads in order to look like a Vaisnava for material reasons, and who is not seriously endeavoring to surrender, becomes an offender. According to sampradaya, the beads worn by the devotee may be tulasi, lotus seed or amalaki fruit. All are praised in the scriptures. Some people wear the beads only while performing puja, japa or other sacred functions, and take them off when bathing or leaving the house. Such persons will therefore put the beads around their neck after bathing and dressing and putting on tilaka. Gaudiya Vaishnavas however wear tulasi neck beads permanently, on the basis of scriptural injunctions to wear the tulasi mala at all times. As well, the beads protect the person from bad dreams, accidents, attack by weapons, and from the servants of Yamaraj. Upon seeing tulasi mala the servants of Yama flee like leaves scattered by the wind.

yajopavita badddhayam sada tulasi malikanasaucham dharane tasya yatah sa brahma rupini

Just as the sacred thread must always be worn, even to drink water, so tulasi beads should always be worn. They never become impure, being spiritual substance. Padma Puranasnana kale tu yasyange drsyate tulasi subhagangadi sarva tirthesu snatam tena na samsayaah. That person who is seen to have tulasi on his neck when bathing has without doubt gained the benefits of bathing in the Ganga and all other holy tirthas. Skanda Puranayat kanthe tulasi nasti tenara mudha manasahanna vistha jalam mutram payasam rudhira bhavet.  One who does not wear tulasi beads is the most fallen person; his food becomes stool, the water that he drinks becomes urine, and milk becomes as impure as blood.

Mala Samskara:
According to the scriptures, before wearing tulasi mala one should offer them to the Lord: haraye narpayet yas tu tulasi kastha sambhavammalam dhatte svayam mudhah sa yat narakam dhruvam. The fool who wears tulasi mala without first offering them to the Lord certainly goes to hell. Hari Bhakti Vilasa Ch.4, V.310, from Skanda Purana.

The procedure is as follows:
One should first wash the beads in pancha gavya:
Over the cow urine one should chant: brahma gayatri.
Over cow dung one should chant:
om gandha dvaram duradharsamnitya pustam karisinimisvarim sarva bhutanamtva ahopahvaye sriyam.

Over milk one should chant; om a pyayasva sametute visvatah soma vrsnyambhava vajasya sangathe.

Over ghee one should chant:
om tejo'si sukram asiamrtam asi dhamanan asipriyam devanam anadhrstamdeva vajanam asi.

Over the yoghurt one should chant:
dadhi kravno akarisimjisnor asvasya vajinahsurabhi no mukha karatprana ayumsi tarisat.

Over kusa water one should chant;
om devasya tva savituhprasave'svinor bahubhyampusne hastabhyam adade.

One should mix the substances together and chant brahma gayatri over the mixture and bathe the beads in the mixture.
One should wash the beads in pure water. One should chant the mantra that one will chant on the beads, and the gayatri, eight times over the beads. One should purify the beads by passing them through incense smoke.

One should chant the following mantra over the beads:
om sadhyo jatam prapadyamisadyo jataya vai namahbhave bhave nati bhavebhajasva mam bhavodbhavaya namah.

One should place the beads around the deity's neck and then receive them, saying:

tulasi kastha sambhute male krsna jana priyebibhrami tvam aham kanthe kuru mam krsna vallabham.

Oh tulasi mala, worshipped by the devotees of Krsna, I will now wear you around my neck. Please make me the recipient of Krishna's affection. One should then wear the beads around ones neck.

NOTE: The principle here is that the devotee should accept the prasadam of the Lord. Tulasi, being one of the Lord's intimate associates, cannot be enjoyed independently by the ordinary living entity. Thus tulasi is first offered to the Lord and then received by the devotee as the Lord's mercy. If the procedure mentioned above cannot be followed, at least the neck beads should be worn by or touched to the deity before wearing on ones own body.

SANDHYA VANDANA (chanting the gayatri mantra)
Qualification for Vaidic Gayatri:
The brahma gayatri mantra is given to males who are qualified as brahmana, kshatriya and vaishya, at the initiation samskara known as upanayanam, and signifies the beginning of gurukula life when the child commences his spiritual education. As those of shudra qualities can derive no benefit from chanting this mantra and will simply waste time and commit offense,, the scriptures forbid giving this mantra to sudras. Since women are classed with shudras, and are not allowed to chant vedic mantras, traditionally they are not given the brahma gayatri, nor do they receive the sacred thread or attend gurukula. Women are allowed to chant pancaratrika mantras and gayatris (e.g.. gopala mantra, kama gayatri) since there are no such restrictions on pancaratrika mantras.

Initiation:
The upanayanam is the major samskara of life. In this ceremony the child is initiated into spiritual knowledge by the guru (traditionally the father) who gives the child the gayatri mantra and explains its meaning and the method of chanting. At this time the boy takes the dress of the brahmachari and the gayatri thread (upavita), and begins learning the duties of civilized man. When his spiritual education is completed the boy graduates and may take up household life.

Procedure for Chanting:
As the chanting of the gayatri mantra is a spiritual practice which will continue daily for the duration of life of the individual, pure offenseless chanting of the mantra is fundamental. To encourage pure chanting, in order to purify the mind and thus, traditionally, aid concentration on the mantra, various rituals have been prescribed along with the chanting of the mantra: acamana, pranayama, sankalpa, marjana (sprinkling the body with water), aghamarsana (method of purifying the body), offering of arghya, offering of tarpana to Vishnu, nyasa, dhyana, gayatri avahana (calling the presiding deity of the mantra), the actual japa, gayatri visarjana (dismissing gayatri devi), prayers to the sun, obeisances to the forms of gayatri, to the directions, to Vishnu and his associates, and dedication of self to the Lord. The chanting of the gayatri mantra along with performance of the rituals is called sandhya vandana. The procedures and prayers are standard even today, with minor variations according to the Veda one follows (rg, yajur, or sama) and according to locality and sampradaya. Since the standards are well known, Hari Bhakti Vilasa explains the importance of performing sandhya vandana but does not give details on it execution. All the rites are for the purpose of pure chanting of the vedic mantra, which is difficult to chant correctly and with effect. If one can chant the mantra without offense, and thus gain the benefit, the accompanying rituals may be discarded. A sample sandhya vandana procedure is given in the practical manual.

Frequency of Chanting; ahar ahah sandhya upasita.  According to the Vedas, one who has been given the mantra must chant the gayatri mantra at the sandhyas every day for the duration of his life. Marici says that one who does not know the sandhyas or perform worship of them (i.e. chant the gayatri mantra at the proper times of day) is a sudra.

Calculation of Sandhyas: The first sandhi (the period joining night and day) lasts from 24 minutes before sunrise to 24 minutes after sunrise. During this time the first sandhya rites of the day should be performed. It is also said that chanting when the stars are still visible in the sky is the best; chanting when the stars have disappeared but the sun has not yet risen is second class; and chanting when the sun is visible is third class. The second sandhi occurs at that time of day when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky, midway between sunrise and sunset. If one divides the daylight hours into five equal parts, the first part is called pratah or early morning; the second part is called sangava or forenoon; the third part is called madhyahna or noon; the fourth part is called parahna or after noon; and the fifth period is called sayahna or the end of the daylight, twilight. One should perform the second gayatri japa during the third period of the day, madhyahna. The evening sandhya starts 24 minutes before the sunset and lasts until 24 minutes after sunset. Chanting the gayatri mantra within the 24 minutes before the sunsets is best; chanting after the sun sets but before the stars appear in the sky is second class; chanting after sunset after stars have appeared in the sky is third class. The scriptures have given exact details on the proper times to chant the gayatri mantra because these times are the most conducive parts of the day for meditative practices.

Neglect of the Sandhyas: If one neglects to chant the brahma gayatri at the proper time it is considered a sin, an offense to Gayatri Devi, the personification of the sandhyas. One may overcome that sin by chanting the mantra ten extra times when one finally manages to chant. However, if the first gayatri has not been chanted by noon, one should fast from the noon meal, and if one has not chanted the morning gayatri by nightfall, then he should also fast from his second meal. If one neglects the gayatri for a complete day, one should fast on the next day. If one neglects the mantra for a year he loses his right to chant the mantra.

Place: Chanting the gayatri mantra in ones house has a quality rating of one. Chanting the gayatri mantra in open area such as a field has a rating of ten. Chanting on a river bank or up to the knees in water has a rating of 100,000.  Chanting in the proximity of the Lord has a rating of infinity.  One should not chant in a vehicle or on a bed.  One should not chant with ones back to an acharya or guru, a temple, a murti, water, fire or a pippal tree.

Cleanliness: One should have cleaned his teeth and mouth in the morning before bath. One should be bathed. One should have clean hands.

Dress: Ones cloth should be clean, i.e. freshly washed. One should be clothed in lower and upper cloth, wearing either kaupina or tri kaccha dhoti. One should not be wearing wet or damp cloth. one should have tilaka on twelve parts of the body. One should have sikha tied. One should not be wearing shoes.

Posture and Direction: One should stand facing east in the morning.One should stand facing the sun or sit facing east at noon. One should sit facing north or west in the evening.

Position of Hands: Ones hands should always be covered with a cloth when chanting the gayatri. Ones upper cloth may be used. The hands should not touch below the waist. If they do, one should wash them. Therefore, the dhoti or lower cloth should not be used to cover the hands. While counting the gayatri japa on the fingers, the fingers should be as straight as possible, and should not be open but held together with no spaces between them. According to the Vyasa Smrti one should chant the gayatri japa in the morning with the hands raised at nose level, with the palms held upwards. One should perform gayatri japa at noon with the hands at chest level with palms facing the heart. One should perform gayatri japa in the evening with the hands at navel level, palms facing downwards.

Forbidden Activities: One should not look here and there. One should not yawn, spit or doze. One should not talk. If an important person such as an acharya comes, one should interrupt ones japa, give proper reception to the person, and with his permission resume ones activities.

Types of Japa: The best mode of chanting the brahma gayatri is manasika, or in the mind, silently. Yajnavalkya says that one should meditate on the syllable of the mantra, the meaning of each word, and the meaning of the whole mantra, without moving the lips or tongue, without shaking the head or neck and without showing the teeth.

Number of Japa: The minimum number of times one should chant the gayatri mantra is ten times. One may chant 100 times or 1000 times.

Knowledge: One should know the meaning of the mantra being recited; aviditartha mantra anustheyartha prakasana samartha na bhavatiOne who does not know the meaning of the mantra will not be able to accomplish the goal which is intended by the chanting of the mantra. Yajnavalkya Smrti.

Meaning: Gayatri in the general sense refers to a type of stanza used frequently in vedic hymns, which consists of three parts of eight syllables each. The original and most famous verse in this form is the brahma gayatri, which was handed down by the disciplic line from Visvamitra Rsi.  All vedic mantras, of which the brahma gayatri is one, are eternal sound vibration of spiritual import. The Vedas are apaurseya; that is, not composed by any man at a certain point in history. The mantras of the Vedas are eternal representations of God in the form of sound, sabda brahma. Each mantra is a particular combination of sounds, words, meaning, rhythm, intonation or pitch, with a particular presiding deity and particular purpose. If one is not a shudra by nature, controlled by the mode of ignorance, by repetition of a particular mantra under authorized guidance, one can realize the spiritual purpose of the mantra. The first mantra is pranava "om". The Vedas glorify "om" as the origin of the whole material creation and as the origin of the Vedas. For this reason it is prefixed to every Vedic mantra. "Om" expands into the vyahrtis (bhuh, bhuvah, svah), which indicate the whole expanse of the creation: the earth and the lower planetary systems, the region of sky, and the upper planetary systems. The Vyahrtis then expand into the brahma gayatri mantra. The gayatri mantra expands into all the Vedas. The pranava, the vyahrtis and the brahma gayatri, combined together, are considered to be the essence of the Vedas and the most potent of mantras. Therefore repetition of these sounds has remained the corner stone of spiritual upliftment (upa nayanam) in vedic culture since time immemorial, transmitted confidentially to all men of the three upper varnas of the Aryan civilization, in order that they commit it to daily practice in a serious manner for the duration of their lives. The gayatri mantra is a verse constituted of sounds. These sounds are non different from the personality of Gayatri Devi, the consort of Vishnu. She is also called Laksmi, Sarasvati, Savitri, and Sandhya. After purifying oneself by acamana, pranayama, aghamarsana, nyasa and dhyana, one calls gayatri Devi from the sun planet into ones heart through meditation. Chanting of the gayatri mantra is worship of Gayatri Devi. By this worship one gains her mercy. By gaining the mercy of gayatri devi, the energy of the Lord, one can approach Vishnu. Vishnu is residing in the sun planet, as the object of meditation in the gayatri mantra. Vishnu is also residing in the heart. By chanting the gayatri mantra (the sound representation of Gayatri Devi), at the sandhyas (the time representation of Gayatri Devi) one gains the mercy of the Lord's energy. By her mercy one is able to penetrate through ignorance and realize service to Visnu. Therefore the purpose of chanting gayatri mantra is to lead the person to realization of the all powerful, omniscient Lord, and to act with that realization in daily life, in full Krsna consciousness. The mantra indicates Vishnu as the Supreme Lord, transcendental to the material creation, and indicates the jiva as the eternal servant of the Lord. Brahma Gayatri as explained in Agni Purana, commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami.  The Agni Purana discusses the brahma gayatri in order to show that the object of worship for all people is Vishnu alone. First, there is discussion of the name of the verse, which is called variously gayatri, savitri and sarasvati. These names also denote three consorts of the Lord. When these names are applied to the verse, they indicate that the verse itself is non-different from the energy of the Lord, a sound embodiment of his sakti.

The word gayatri is analyzed into two parts: gaya and tri. Gaya means to reveal and tri means the three vedas or the essence of the three vedas. thus gaya tri means to reveal the meaning of the three vedas. The essence of the three vedas is the cause of all life and consciousness, the ever-effulgent Lord Vishnu.. Thus, gayatri indicates that verse which reveals the Supreme Lord Vishnu; or the energy (consort) of the Lord, who reveals her Lord. The word savitr means the consort of savita. The word savita means that person who stimulates or inspires, and refers to the original cause of all beings and things. Savitri therefore means that verse or energy of the Lord who reveals or bestows Savita, the Supreme Lord. The word sarasvati refers to the goddess of knowledge and expression. Applied to the gayatri verse, it signifies that this verse is the essence of all verbal and artistic expression, the culmination and source of all knowledge.

What does the verse or energy of the Lord reveal? The words tat and bharga indicate the para brahman. Bharga means literally that which is effulgent and full of life and energy. It signifies the independent, self-effulgent source, who is situated much like the sun within this universe, which appears to the mundane eye as the independent source of all light. According to grammarians such as Panini, bharga means the source of all light. By this reasoning, the gayatri verse does not indicate sun worship, which is material, but rather worship of the ultimate, spiritual source of all light and life, the Supreme Lord. The import of bharga is further clarified by its modifier, the word varenyam. This word indicates the best amongst all forces or the personality who is the ultimate shelter, or paramam padam. Literally it means that which should be sought out or chosen by all people. The words om bhur bhuvah svah also indicate Vishnu. om is his sound representation, the root of the whole creation. Bhur, bhuvah and svah indicate the totality of all levels of existence in the universe, which is the effect of the Supreme Cause. The Agni Purana emphatically points out that savituh (the original cause) cannot refer to the sun, nor to fire, not to Siva nor to Siva sakti, but to Vishnu alone. Vishnu alone is all pervading, manifesting himself within all living beings, exhibiting his qualities through them, and yet is at the same time aloof. Thus he is known as brahma, the great source of everything. Savituh, meaning the original cause, can therefore refer only to Visnu. Devasya refers again to that personality who is divine and shining, who is transcendental to the dull material world. The verb dhimahi indicates our activity in relation to the Lord. Dhi means to hold in the mind or meditate. It is in the first person plural optative form and thus it means the we must all meditate or fix our minds on Vishnu. This is the duty of all intelligent living beings. Yah (changed by sandhi rule to yo), meaning "who" refers back to Vishnu, bharga. Nah meaning "our" refers again to all living entities. Pracodayat means 'may he inspire or impel us forwards." this indicates that Vishnu is the force who should bless us by taking us along the correct path of action in this word. the ordinary man acts and receives karma, but the Lord should impel us to act on His behalf, for His enjoyment. By His will we can go to heaven or hell, and by his wish we can become liberated from this world of samsara. Though Savita may refers to the sun, we should understand that Savita actually dwells in the sun planet; and whereas the sun planet is destructible, Savita or Vishnu is not. The sun planet is seen by the mortal eye, but Savita or Vishnu can only be seen through meditation and spiritual vision. Visnu is located in the sun planet; he is located in vaikuntha; and he is located in the heart. we may reach a transcendental vision of the Lord in the sun and the world and in his spiritual realm of vaikuntha by meditation in the heart, using the eternal sound of the gayatri mantra, the eternal consort of the Lord. Japa or repetition of the mantra constitutes worship of the consort. By the mercy of the Lord's consort we reach the Lord. With that realization we will be able to act in this world according to His will, for our duration of life, and, on giving up our bodies, we can attain his eternal abode, eternally free from birth, death, old age and disease. Summary: Let us meditate upon (dhimahi) the param brahma (tat), the cause of all causes (om) who creates, maintains and destroys all existence in the universe (bhur bhuvah svah), who is the independent source and primeval root of energy and life (bhargo), who is the shining (devasya) supersoul of the sun (savitur), who (yo) may guide (pracodayat) our intelligence (dhiyo nah) to reach the transcendental world.

Yajnopavita:
The upavita is given to a person at the time of the upanayanam ceremony by the father of acharya with instructions on chanting the brahma gayatri and rules for leading brahmachari life. It is a sign of qualification for study of spiritual subjects. It is retained in grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa life, though paramahamsas may give it up, to show their renunciation of all signs of varnasrama.

Material and Color: Brahmana: cotton, white, Ksatriya: hemp, red, Vaisya: wool, yellow or cotton for all, white or yellow (the practice at present)

Number: Brahmacari: one set of three strings.  Grhastha: two sets or more. Vanaprastha: three sets (Vaikhanasa Sutra) Sannyasi: one (Manu) or four sets (Vaikhanasa Sutra) It is recommended that the householder wear at least three:

tritiyam uttariyarthe vastrabhave tad isyate chandrika

The third set of threads of the upavita is to take the place of the upper cloth in case one must perform a ceremonial function but is lacking the upper cloth.

Length: The upavita should not extend below the navel or above the breast. (Katyayana) rg vedi: the upavita passes between the navel and the breast. yajur vedi: the upavita extends to the navel.  sama vedi: the upavita extends as far as the elbow joint of the hanging arm.

Method of Making: The thread should be spun by a young brahmana girl or a brahmana. The thread should have three strands twisted together. The upavita should be tied with a brahma granthi.

Mode of Wearing: Upaviti: the normal mode of wearing, with the upavita hanging over the left shoulder. For worshipping the Lord it remains in that position. Praciniviti: the threads are worn over the right shoulder, when worshipping the pitrs, performing pitr tarpananas, sraddha rites. Niviti: the threads are hung around the neck like a garland, when performing ceremonies such as tarpanas for humans beings.

Changing thread:
The upavita should be replaced when it becomes damaged or impure. There are many variations in procedure for changing the thread. two acamanaspranayamasankalpa:...... tithau...... ksetre sri bhagavat priyartham yajnopavita dharanam karisye.  Stretching one set of new threads between the backs of the two hands, right hand on top facing upward and left hand on bottom facing down: Facing east or north: yajnopavitam ityasya mantrasya  brahma rsihtrstup chandahparamatma devata yajnopavita dharane viniyogah yajnopavitam paramam. pavitramprajapater yat sahajam purastatayusyam agryam pratimunca subhramyajnopavitam balam astu tejah.  One should then place the new thread on over the head. One should repeat the process for each set of threads (i.e.. twice or more for grihastha, four times for sannyasi).  Performing acamana, one should shed the old upavita, placing it in pure water saying:  upavitam chinnatantu jirnam kasmala dusitamvisrjami punar brahman varco dirghayur astu me

Use of the Thread:
Some persons use the thread to count their gayatri japa when chanting a large number of times. They use right and left hands to count to one hundred, and wind the thread around the thumb to record the hundreds. In chanting gayatri in lesser numbers, this practice is not necessary. Others hold the knot while chanting because they say it represents the power of brahman. Though there is no scripture reference to wrapping the thread around the thumb while performing gayatri japa or while performing acamana or puja rites, it is a common local custom in Bengal. Thus it may be done, but is not a necessity. The thread represents upper cloth, and is a symbol of vaidic initiation, or admittance into the upper three varnas as a twice- born individual.

Respect for the Upavita:
One should not be without his upavita at any time. One should not touch the upavita with contaminated hands. One should not break another persons upavita. It is considered a great offense, for which prayaschitta must be done. One should keep the thread (it may be in niviti position) over the right ear (pure at all times) while passing nature, since the thread remains pure in that position while the rest of the body is impure. After saucha is completed, the thread may be restored to its normal position.

TANTRIKA SANDHYA
Just as the qualified son is given brahma gayatri at the upanayanam samskara in accordance with Vedic rites, a qualified man or woman of any background, may be given pancaratrika gayatri and mantras in accordance with pancaratrika vidhi. Just as a person must chant his Vedic gayatri mantra daily at the sandhyas according to certain rules, so one must also chant ones pancaratrika mantras at the sandhyas according to rules. One should perform tantrika sandhya after the vaidic sandhya. Procedure for tantrika sandhya is described in Hari Bhakti Vilasa and is given in the practical manual. The rules for chanting are similar to the Vedic gayatri. The pancaratrika mantras should be chanted daily at the sandhyas. One should concentrate on the mantra and not engage in other activities simultaneously. One should be properly dressed, with clean cloth, tilaka, and tied sikha. The place should be clean and quiet. The hands should be covered. The japa should be manasika. The mantra should be chanted ten times minimum. One should know the meaning of the mantra being chanted.

Meaning of Kama Bija:  Just as oµ is prefixed to all mantras from the Vedic hymns, various bijas are prefixed to different pancaratrika mantras. one of these commonly associated with Krsna mantras is the kama bija. As "om" is endowed with energy, so these bijas are also endowed with energies to invoke the deity to which is corresponds. Prabhodananda Sarasvati states that this bija represents Krsna, Radha, and their relationship of love. By chanting this bija, one can gain access to their service. According to the scriptures, Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati has analyzed the meaning of the kama bija as follows:

K gives rise to water.
L gives rise to earth.
I gives rise to fire.
M (chandrabindu) gives rise to air and ether.

This bija is called "bhutatmaka" or consisting of the elements.

Gautamiya Tantra says that this bija gives rise to the universe: klimkarat asrjat visvam iti prahuh sruter girah. The sounds also represent various shaktis of Krsna, and various parts of the body.

K represents the face, head and throat.
L represents the eyes, ears and arms.
M (chandra bindu) represents the chest, back, waist, thighs, knees and feet.

K represents the nayaka or hero, Krsna.
L represents ananda or prema.
I represents the nayika or heroine, Radha.
M (Chandra bindu) represent kiss and embrace.

Gopala mantra: It is stated in the Brahma Samhita that Lord Brahma was initiated into the eighteen letter Krsna mantra, which is generally accepted by all the devotees of Lord Krsna. We follow the same principle because we belong to the Brahma sampradaya, directly in the disciplic chain from Brahma to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, from Vyasa to Madhva Muni, from Madhva Muni to Madhavendra Puri, from Madhavendra Puri to Isvara Puri, from Isvara Puri to Lord Caitanya and gradually to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, our divine master. The chanting of this holy mantra is the only shelter of the desireless pure devotee of the Lord. SB 2.9.6, purport. The gopala mantra is an example of a diksa mantra which is not in gayatri rhythm, which both chanted at sandhya time and used during puja. This diksa mantra was given to Lord Caitanya by his guru Isvara Puri when he was initiated at Gaya. He had previously undergone upanayanam and received the brahma gayatri as a child. This krsna mantra is glorified in pancharatra for its extraordinary powers. It is a direct glorification and meditation on Krsna, his form, qualities, and pastimes, establishing sambandha (krsna), abhidheya (govinda) and prayojana (gopijana vallabha).

Kama gayatri: There are many gayatris mentioned in pancaratrika scriptures, such as visnu gayatri, nrsimha gayatri, krsna gayatri. Kama gayatri indicates kama deva, but in relation to Krsna, it refers to the the Lord of prema. As the seed of the brahma gayatri is oµ the seed of the kama gayatri is the kama bija klim. Whereas the brahma gayatri is a meditation on the Supreme Lord in his functional aspect as Lord of all energies and as the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the universes, the kama gayatri is a meditation on the Supreme Lord in his ultimate aspect as Krsna, with specific name, form, qualities and pastimes. Whereas the brahma gayatri purifies a person of the material modes, removing material kama, the kama gayatri impels one towards the form of Krsna in Goloka with the experience of madhurya rasa. This is the form Gayatri Devi takes in the rasa lila, according Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. As in the gopala mantra, the meditation takes place in three stages: sambandha, by acknowledgment (vid) of the transcendental Cupid; abhidheya or worship (dhi) of Krsna, by which one can develop prema; and prayojana or prema, which impels one (pracodayat) spontaneously to Krsna. We know Kamadeva, the personality who enjoys pastimes with steady desire towards the object of his love. Let us meditate upon Kamadeva, possessed of flower arrows, with which he pierces the hearts of those who become the object of his desire. May Kamadeva inspire us to meditation and service. According to Prabhodananda Sarasvati, each syllable represents one of the moons on the body of Krsna, by which he enacts his pastimes. Klim represents the Lord.  kama are his two cheeks  deva are his mouth and forehead.  ya, a half moon, is his tilaka.  vidmahe, puspa are the five moons on the right hand.  vanaya dhimahe are the five moons on the left hand.  tan no'nanga are the five moons of his right foot.  pracodayat are the five moons of his left foot.  Thus the kama gayatri is a sound representation of the all- attractive form of Krsna. By chanting this mantra one should realize Krishna's sublime beauty.

NAMA JAPA (Chanting Hare Krsna on Beads)
Japa of the Holy Name is considered to be one type of kirtana, for internal, personal purification and development of attraction to Krsna. It is the essential item of devotional service as taught by Lord Caitanya, combining hearing, chanting and remembering the Lord's name.

Necessity of chanting:  Then the Bhattacharya asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu: Which item is most important in the execution of devotional service?

The Lord replied that the most important item was the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. CC Madhya v.2.p.334  yadyapi anya bhaktih kalau kartavya, tada kirtanakhya bhakti samyogenaiva. The other eight processes should be executed, but they must be preceded and followed by kirtana, the chanting of the holy name. CC Madhya v.6.p.53 from Bhakti Sandarbha, Jiva Goswami.

Unless one has come to the platform of spontaneous love of God, he must follow the regulative principles... he first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna mahamantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds. CC Antya v.4.p.12

Rules for Nama Japa (chanting Hare Krsna on beads):
The rules given in scripture for chanting japa apply to the chanting of mantras (e.g. Gopala mantra). The holy name is not dependent on such rules for its effect. However, since many of these rules are for the purpose of concentration on the mantra, in chanting the Holy Name one may utilize these rules in order that one fix ones mind on Krsna and to avoid offense to the Holy Name. The hare krsna mahamantra, ... may be chanted at any place and any time, and this will bring results very quickly. Yet even while chanting the Hare Krsna mantra one may observe regulative principles. Thus while sitting and chanting one may keep his body straight, and this will help one in the chanting process; otherwise one may feel sleepy. SB 7.15.31.

Counting Japa:
One should count ones japa. To do this one may use fingers or beads:  anguly agresu taj japtam yaj japtam meru langhaneasakhyatan ca yaj japtam tat sarvam nisphalam bhavet.  Japa done on the finger tips, japa which passes over the head bead, and japa done without counting the number of times is all useless. Vyasa Smrti, HBV Ch.17, v. 135.

Mala (Japa beads):
According to the Varaha Purana one should use beads to count his japa. One who does not do so is considered asuric, whereas one who chants his mantras using mala becomes quickly favored by the Lord. One may have mala of twenty beads, fifty beads or one hundred and eight beads. The latter is the best type. Beads may be made of different materials, each with its own benefits. Thus there are conch, silver, gold, lotus seed, rudraksa, coral, pearl, and jewel beads. But beads made of tulasi are considered the best, as they yield all results to all people.  tulasi kastha ghatitair manibhir japamalikasarva karmani sarvesam ipsitartha phala prada (Gautama) The beads should be washed in pancha gavya before stringing.  The beads should be strung on cotton thread, with knots (preferably brahma granthi) tied between each bead. There should be an extra bead, called meru over which one should not cross in ones chanting. After the beads have been strung mala samskara should be performed.

Holding the beads:
The different fingers have different qualities: The thumb gives moksa. The forefinger is used for cursing. The middle finger gives perfection of dharma. The ring finger gives peace. The little finger gives siddhi. The Gaudiya Vaishnavas should chant on the beads using the thumb and middle joint of the middle finger. One should not touch the mala with the left hand of the forefinger. One should keep the beads and the hand covered, for when one chants with the beads uncovered, the bhutas, raksasas, and gandharvas steal the effect of ones chanting. The mala should not fall from the fingers. (this is usually due to inattention or dozing.)

Types of Japa:
There are three types of japa:  vacika: pronouncing the mantra so that it is audible.  upamsu: chanting the mantra so that it is audible only to the chanter.  manasika: chanting in the mind.   Diksa mantras should be chanted in the manasika manner, but the Holy Name may be chanted in any manner.

Cleanliness:
One should have brushed his teeth in the morning, for if one does not do so one is considered asuci, unclean. Kasi Khanda, HBV ch3, v.211)  One should be bathed.   pratah snanam vina pumsam papitvam karmasu smrtam   home jape visesena tasmat snanam samacaret.  If one does not take the early morning bathe (before sun rise) all of ones activities, especially japa and homa, become impossible to execute purely. Therefore one should take the early morning bathe. Kurma Purana.  Ones hands should be clean.

Dress:
One should not be naked. (Note: one is considered naked if he wears only one piece of cloth; if he does not wear his dhoti in trikaccha style, or alternatively, with kaupina;, oil stained cloth, torn cloth, cloth too long or too short; if he wears dirty cloth. cotton is considered clean if washed in water and dried.  One should dress in two pieces of clean cloth as for puja): japa homopavasesu dhauta vastra dharo bhavet (Padma Purana HBV ch4, v.150)  For japa, homa, and fasting one should were a washed piece of cloth.  One should wear vaishnava tilaka. Ones sikha should be tied. Throat should be uncovered. Head should not be covered, by cloth, hat or turban. One should not chant with too little or too much clothing on. One should not wear shoes.

Posture:
One should sit decently, with legs crossed and covered, not spread out. One should sit on a asana and face east. One should not lie down to chant japa. One should not shake the head and neck while chanting. One should not show the teeth.Place: One should not make a habit of chanting in dark places. One should chant ones japa in a crematorium (an impure place), on the open road, in a vehicle, on a bed. Time of chanting: One should not chant ones japa at night, but rather in the early morning. Chanting japa should be done early in the morning with full concentration preferably during the brahma muhurta. Concentrate fully on the sound vibration of the mantra pronouncing each name distinctly and gradually your speed in chanting will increase naturally. Do not worry so much about chanting fast, most important is the hearing. letter of Srila Prabhupada, Bombay, Jan.6, 1972  Number of rounds: The sixteen rounds is just a minimum I set for my disciples so they will chant at least that much. Actually chanting should always be going on. letter from Srila Prabhupada, Jun.25, 1974

Incomplete rounds:
If one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual life. CC Antya v.4.P.11  Everyone should strictly follow the regulations of sixteen rounds daily. If one is busy for other Krsna consciousness activities and cannot fulfill the regular routine of chanting he must compensate it the next day, curtailing his activities in the matter of sleeping or eating or any other sense gratificatory process. letter from Srila Prabhupada Oct.11, 1969

Attention:
One should not chant while carrying on a conversation. One should not chant while moving here and there, while shaking the body, while lying down. One should not chant while looking here and there. One should not chant while giving and receiving gifts. One should not chant with a troubled mind, being filled with anger or while afflicted with hungry. One should not chant while possessed of yawning, sneezing or hiccupping. One should withdraw the mind from objects of the senses, exclusively concentrate on the sounds of the mantra, meditate on the meaning of the mantra (relationship to Radha and Krsna), and remain undisturbed by any other thoughts or external situations. Through devoted concentration on the syllables of the Holy Name one should step by step realize the form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord.

Negligence in chanting:
There are two types of negligence.  Negligent utterance for the sense gratification of materialistic persons is not a vibration of transcendental sound. Utterance of the holy name while one engages in sense gratification is an impediment on the path toward achieving ecstatic love for Krsna. On the other hand, if one who is eager for devotional service utters the holy name even partially or improperly, the holy name which is identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhibits its spiritual potency because of that person's offenseless utterance. Thus one is relieved from all unwanted practices, and one gradually awakens his dormant love for Krsna. "The letters of the holy name have so much spiritual potency that they act even when uttered improperly." CC Antya V.1.p.236  Meaning of the Mantra: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.  Meaning (as explained by Gopala Guru Goswami, disciple of Svarupa Damodara of Puri): The word "Hare":  hari harati papani dusta cittair api smrtahanicchayapi samsprsto dahaty eva hi pavakahvijnapya bhagavat tattvam cid ghanananda vigrahamharaty avidyam tat karyam ato harir iti smrtahJust as the fire, on contacting an object, automatically burns it, so the name of Hari takes away (harati) or burns up all the sins of the people with materialistic hearts. It removes (harati) all ignorance and reveals the transcendental, blissful form of the Lord. Gopal Guru Goswami also says that Hari means that personality who attracts (harati) the minds of all the people in the universe by when they hear stories of his transcendental qualities, or he who attracts the minds of people by his beautiful youthful form. "Hari" in the grammatical form of address, (vocative, calling out of a person) becomes "hare". The word "hare" has another meaning.  svarupa prema vatsalyair harer harati ya manahhara sa kathyate sadbhih sri radha vrsabhanuja.  Hara is Srimati Radhika, daughter of Vrsabhanu, who steals (harati) the mind of Hari, Krsna by her unalloyed love. Hara, in the form of address, also becomes "Hare. "The word "Krsna": krsir bhu vacakah sabdo nas cananda svarupakahtayor aikyam param brahma krsna ity abhidhiyate.  The word "krsna" is composed of the root "krsi" meaning "bhu," the shelter of all existence and the word "na" meaning "nivriti" or the form of supreme bliss. Combined they form the word "krsna" which signifies the param brahma, the supreme personality of godhead with blissful form.  Krsna in the form of address remains as "krsna". The word "Rama": ramante yogino'nante nityanande cidatmaniiti rama padenaiva param brahmabhidhiyate.  The param brahma is known as Rama because the yogis take pleasure (ramante) in meditating on his eternal, blissful form.  vaidagdhi sara sarvasva murti liladhidevatamsri radham ramayan nityam rama ity abhidhiyate.  The Supreme Lord is called Rama because he carries out pastimes of pleasure with the most beautiful Sri Radha.  Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare  Oh Radha, please attract my mind, and free me from this material world.  Oh Krsna, please attract my mind.  Oh Radha, attract my heart by showing your sweetness.  Oh Krsna, purify my mind by giving knowledge of how to perform worship of you through your pure devotee.  Oh Krsna, give me steadiness to appreciate your name, qualities and pastimes.  Oh Krsna, may I develop a taste for serving you. Oh Radha, please make me qualified for your service.  Oh Radha, please instruct me one how I can serve you. Oh Radha, let me hear of your intimate pastimes with your beloved.  Oh Rama (Krsna), let me hear of your intimate pastimes with your beloved.  Oh Radha, reveal to me your pastimes with your beloved.  Oh Rama, reveal to me your pastimes with your beloved.  Oh Rama, engage me in remembering your name, form, qualities and pastimes.  Oh Rama please make me qualified for your service.  Oh Radha be pleased with me.  Oh Radha be pleased with me.

Vaidik, Pancaratrika Mantras and Hare Krsna:
According to the pancaratrika philosophy, vaidic initiation with brahma gayatri (upanayanam) is insufficient by itself to stand as spiritual sadhana for Kali yuga. In this age, without following the regulations of pancaratrika diksa (initiation into visnu or krsna mantras), spiritual progress is very difficult. In this age, the vedic mantras will bear fruit only if chanted along with the pancaratrika mantras. Therefore in order to worship the deity one must not only have upanayanam, but pancharatrika or vaisnava diksa. Additionally, even without undergoing upanayanam, a person who has pancaratrika diksa is permitted to worship the deity.  Lord Caitanya has however emphasized that sravana and kirtana of the the Hare Krsna mantra as the principle sadhana, superceding chanting of vedic or pancharatrika diksa mantras. The Holy Name is independent of diksa.  no diksam na ca sat kripyam na ca purascaryam managa iksate.  Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the purascharya regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for all these activities. It is self-sufficient. CC Madhya V.6, p.59, verse by Srila Rupa Goswami, PadyavaliIt may be given out to and chanted by all people without restriction. Thus the Holy Name may be utilized in public chanting, sankirtana. The Holy Name therefore functions as a practical preaching instrument in Kali yuga. At the same time Lord Caitanya has also emphasized, and shown by his personal example, that those interested in spiritual progress must take Vaisnava (pancharatrika) initiation. Though the Holy Name itself is independent of diksa vidhi, the majority of serious aspirants in spiritual life need the pancharatrika process of initiation to tame the restless mind and assist in the purification process. Thus both taking up the chanting of the Holy name and receiving pancharatrika mantras from a bona fide guru have been fundamental to the movement of Lord Caitanya.

Vaidic initiation (upanayanam samskara) on the other hand has not been given a crucial role for several reasons. Over the centuries the vaidic initiation has become a formality performed by a family priest on behalf of the father, with little spiritual significance and no training under a guru in the gurukula. As well, it has also been misconceived as a ceremony based on birth right: if one is born in a brahmana family, one is entitled to be initiated as brahmana no matter what qualities one may have. As well the upanayanam rites connote the excessive rules of varnasrama, which impede bhakti on the level spontaneous love for Krsna. Lord Caitanya however never rejected the Vedas or the rules of varnasrama. Those who require those rules for their spiritual development should practice them. Thus, those on the level of sadhana bhakti should follow those rules of varnasrama which purify body and mind and thus aid the development of pure bhakti. Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami has written Sat Kriya Sara Dipika as a samskara manual for Vaishnavas, and included in it the upanayanam ceremony, or Vaidic diksa. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur implemented this Vaidic diksa samskara according to the pancharatrika philosophy that the initiated Vaisnava surpasses the brahmana in qualification. Thus anyone who is qualified for pancaratrika initiation qualifies also for the Vaidic initiation, regardless of family or background. When he gave Vaisnava mantra (pancharatrika initiation), he also gave the vaidic mantra (brahma gayatri, vaidic initiation). He was of course criticized by the orthodox followers of varnasrama for superceding the conventional rules of caste by birth, and he was criticized by some Gaudiya Vaishnavas for emphasizing varnasrama vidhi over raga (spontaneous love). His act was simply a confirmation of pancaratrika theory of the superior nature of the Vaisnava, and an attack on the misconceptions of casteism. The Upanishads and Mahabharata give examples of those who, though from low family, were initiated as brahmanas. As well he restored the samskara to its original significance as a spiritual samskara, which may assist the devotee on the level of sadhana bhakti. Thus the practicing devotee chants the Hare Krsna mantra, pancaratrika mantra and vaidic mantra.

The purpose of Samashrayanam - Panch samskara diksha

SEEING THE LORD:
Since the first sense impressions of the day leave a lasting impression on the mind, one is advised to gaze upon auspicious items and avoid looking upon inauspicious items. The following items are auspicious:  a brahmana, ones chaste wife, a cow, a sacrificial fire, rochana (yellow pigment), sandalwood paste, mrdanga, mirror, jewels, guru (elders and teachers), and the sun. The following are inauspicious: any person who is sinful, blind, disfigured, or naked; crows, rats, cats, and asses. The Lord is the most auspicious to see. Therefore it is advised that on waking in the morning, one should chant the Lord's name, meditate on his form, qualities and pastimes, and visit the temple to see the form of the Lord and His first worship of the day. This makes ones whole day Krsna conscious. One is advised to perform the mangala aratrika of the Lord after waking Him in the morning, but if that is not possible one should at least see the worship at this time.

strinam pumsam ca sarvesam etat sarvesta purakamsamasta dainya darikdrya duritady apasantikrt.

By worshipping the Lord at mangala aratrika the desires of all men and women become fulfilled, and all sorrows, poverty, and sins are destroyed. Hari Bhakti Vilasa Ch.3, V. 152

aradhanasamarthas ced dadyad arcana sadhanamyo datum naiva saknoti kuryad arcana darsanam.

One who can perform the worship of the deity personally should give items for worship. One who cannot give items for worship should see the worship of the Lord, Hari Bhakti Vilasa Ch.11, V.52 from Agastya Samhita

nirajanantvidam sarvaih kartavyam suci vigrahaihparama sraddhayotthaya drastavyam ca sada naraih.

One should always perform the early morning aratrika to the deity, and if one cannot do it personally, then at least one must rise and with devotion see it being performed. Narada Pancharatra.  Whereas one may have difficulty in meditating on the Lord's form, pastimes and qualities early in the morning, by attending mangala aratrika one can engage the eyes in seeing the wonderful forms of Radha and Krsna, one can engage the ears in hearing their names, one can engage the tongue in chanting the Lord's name, and one can engage the whole body in dancing for His pleasure. In this way, by such complete engagement of the senses, one is sure to remember the Lord early in the morning and make the whole day auspicious (mangala). Therefore attendance at mangala aratrika is a necessity for the serious devotee: Please institute these most important points of attending mangala aratrika and chanting 16 rounds. These are the most important points of Krsna consciousness process. letter from Srila Prabhupada, Calcutta, Feb.13, 1972.  All men who live in the devotee rooms must attend mangala aratrika or starve. letter from Srila Prabhupada Giriraj, Bombay.

Going to the temple, seeing the deity with great devotion and seeing the aratrika and worship of the Lord are among the angas of devotional service (direct means of developing bhakti) mentioned by Srila Rupa Goswami in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu. At the aratrika and after, one should engage in the the following angas of devotional service: singing songs before the deity, performing sankirtana before the deity, dancing before the deity, worshipping the deity, paying obeisances to the deity, circumambulation of the deity, drinking charanamrta and accepting the prasad flowers of the Lord on ones head.

NRTYA (dancing):
By dancing for the pleasure of the Lord a person can employ his whole body in devotional service. The devotee of Vishnu who dances in joy destroys all inauspiciousness in the earth by his feet, in all directions by his glance, and in svarga by his hands. Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya.  One who dances joyfully and with great attention and devotion turns hundreds of sinful births to ash. Dvaraka Mahatmya, Hari Bhakti Vilasa, Ch 8. V.287.  All the sins of those who dance before the deity while playing karatala fly from their bodies like birds. Vishnu Dharmottara Hari Bhakti Vilasa Ch.8, V.291.

Rules:
When the devotees are dancing no one should remain sitting and watching and no one should come between the Lord and the dancers. That person who remains sitting and watches the devotees dance will be born lame birth after birth. Hari Bhakti Vilasa Ch.8, v. 252-3. Dancing should be done enthusiastically by raising hands. All of Lord Caitanya's followers used to dance with raised hands. If someone dances with ecstasy, that is all right, but is is better to dance with raised hands. letter from Srila Prabhupada, Kirtanananda Swami, Nov.10, 1975. While dancing, a person on the level of sadhana bhakti one should as a rule maintain reverence and avoid deity offenses, such as pointing feet disrespectfully at the deity, keeping ones back to the deity, acting or thinking irreverently etc.

GITA (singing songs for the Lord's pleasure):
One should use the voice to sing melodious tunes glorifying the Lord. The songs may be about the Lord's activities or the activities of the devotees. One should not sing unauthorized songs. The words or songs of a person not fixed in vaisnava behavior, not strictly following the rules and regulations and chanting the Hare Krsna mantra should not be accepted by pure devotees. SB6.16.33. The devotee should absorb his mind in the Lord and sing for the Lord's pleasure, but should not sing to earn his living. No one should come between the the devotee singing and the deity, who is receiving the song. The songs may be accompanied by instrumental music and dance. The songs may be according to raga suited for that part of the day and season. There may be singing at all times for the Lord but especially at the sandhyas (sunrise, noon and sunset) and on special days such as ekadasi or festivals.

SANKIRTANA:
Loudly proclaiming the lord's names, lilas, and qualities is called kirtana. Kirtana may also take the form of lectures, reciting scripture or explanations of Krishna's glories. When this is performed by a group of devotees it is called sankirtana. Kirtana is the main process of devotional service. Though one should perform the other eight angas of bhakti in kali yuga, one should perform them along with kirtana. As it says in Srimad Bhagavatam, yajnair sankirtanaih prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah (The intelligent men of kali yuga will worship the Lord by sankirtana). This indicates the superiority and independent nature of sankirtana. Jiva Goswami, Krama Sandarbha. Of the types of kirtana, nama kirtana, or chanting.

Hare Krsna is the best:
Then the Bhattacharya asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu: Which item is most important in the execution of devotional service? The Lord replied that the most important item was the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. CC Madhya v.2.p.334

Nama sankirtana is the best process of preaching in Kali yuga.

yagnaih sankirtana prayair yajananti hi su medhasah

In execution of nama kirtana or nama sankirtana one should chant the authorized names of Krsna: Not liking the chanting of His transcendental qualities, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chastised them as if He were angry. "What kind of chanting is this?" He asked. "Are you leaving aside the chanting of the holy name of the Lord?"
Purport: Thus Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chastised all the devotees, telling them not to show impudence and spoil the entire world by becoming independent. CC Madhya V.1. vv270-271.

Regarding kirtana during the aratrika, Srila Prabhupada has taught his disciples to chant:

sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityanandasri advaita gadadharasrivasadi gaura bhakta vrnda

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

The Hare Krsna mantra as taught by Lord Caitanya himself, should be the main element of the kirtana. All the words should be pronounced and heard distinctly in their proper order. One person should sing the mantra alone, and then the group of devotees should sing the same mantra together in response.  In addition, at the first aratrika in the early morning Gurvastakam by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti should be sung first, in the standard melody for that time of day. At the evening aratrika the Gaura Aratrika by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur should be sung.

Names of the Lord for all occasions:
One should chant the names of the Lord all day while engaging in ones activities.

The following names have specific potencies.
madhusudana: for purification.
vasudeva: when bathing, doing puja, homa, parikrama,
pranamarama, parasurama, nrsimha visnu, trivikrama: for victory over enemies.
balabhadra: at the commencement of battle
hrsikesa: for dispelling fear
narayana: when sneezing, falling, in drought and excessive rain, during eclipses or inauspicious times
nrsimha: for warding off wild animals or bandits
jalasayi, visnu: when there is a fire

sri nrsimha jaya nrsimha jaya, jaya jaya nrsimha: for destroying the effect of killing a brahmana
rama: for success
pursottama: for success in scholastic pursuits
ajita, dhipa, sarva, sarvesvara: for success in business
halayudha: when starting an agricultural venture
cakri, gadi, sarngi, khadgi: for beginning a journey
pundarikaksa, keshava: for relief to the eyes
acyuta, marta, visnu: for gaining best effect from medicine
garuda dvaja: to stop the effects of poison
visnu: when rising from bed
madhava, padmanabha: when taking rest
govinda, janardana: when eating
prajapati: at a wedding
varaha: when in the water
nrsimha: when in a forest
raghunandana: when on a mountain
madhava, vasudeva: for all activities

PUJA:  Guru Puja:
Before beginning the daily worship of the Lord the scriptures prescribe that one must worship the spiritual master. As one must respect the spiritual master in the same way that one respects the Lord, the procedure for worship follows the method of worship of the Lord, that is, by offering asana, foot water, arghya, achamana, madhuparka, bath, cloth, thread, gandha, flowers, incense, lamp and mahaprasadam. This is described in the archana section. If one does not have opportunity to personally perform guru puja he can at least perform mental worship, and participate in the guru aratrika at the conclusion of the guru puja.

Deity Puja:
One should perform worship of the deity (archana) according to pancaratrika vidhi.

Who should perform worship of the deity?
According to scripture, all initiated householders should engage in deity worship.

It should be performed by means of rightfully obtained wealth and with a pure heart: ayam svastyayanam pantha dvijater grhamedhinahyacchraddhayapta vittena suklenejyeta purusah (S B 10.84.37) This is thus a nitya kriya or daily activity prescribed for the householder to engage his body and mind in serving the Lord. As the rules for this nitya kriya are extensive, they are explained in a separate section. If one cannot maintain such worship, one should give materials for worship to one who is executing such worship, and he will gain half of the results of that worship. If one cannot give donations for worship, then one should take darshana of the deity while aratrika is being performed, and in that way one can accrue the benefits of deity worship. Thus after the morning worship has been completed by the assigned pujaris the general devotees should view the srngara aratrika being offered to the Lord.

PARIKRAMA or PRADAKSINA (circumambulation):
To walk around a person clockwise, showing ones right side to the person is a mode of showing respect. Here one utilizes the whole body to give worship to the Lord. One may circumambulate the deity, the temple or the Lord's ratha. One should not circumambulate someone else in front of the deity, as a matter of etiquette, for by doing so one will have to show ones back to the Lord. One should not circumambulate Vishnu only once. One should circumambulate Vishnu four times. Candi accepts one circumambulation, surya seven, ganesa three and siva one half (like a crescent moon). Circumambulating the whole temple only once is allowed. One should perform pradaksina while performing kirtana. After circumambulating one should pay pranamas.

PRANAMA (paying obeisances):
One should bow down immediately upon seeing the deity. Offering respect by lowering the body is called pranama. Nrsimha Purana says that prostration before the Lord is the best of yajnas. As it is a physical expression of complete surrender to the Lord and indicates offering ones head beneath the Lords lotus feet.

Occasions:
One should offer pranamas to the Lord out of respect