We are often bogged down when we think about the sins we have committed knowingly or unknowingly. This may even make us feel totally hopeless and helpless since we cannot change what has been done already or turn back time.
If you find yourself in such a situation but you deeply regret the faulty actions of the past, know that there is a way forward for you. The Guru has guided us on how we can uplift ourselves.
Weaken the grip of sins
We can weaken our sins or paapa by taking the support of repentance (pashchataap), atonement (prayashchit) and forgiveness (kshama). Then, by taking Bhagavan naam, our sins burn.
Pashchataap implies that we regret our mistake, made by us knowingly or unknowingly. Prayashchit means that we amend our wrong doings that have occurred due to our impurities and ensure, these mistakes are not made again. If we have harmed anyone, we must ask for their forgiveness or kshama.
Below are some methods to purify ourselves:
- Surya darshan: Small mistakes or sins are destroyed when we have the darshan of Bhagavan Surya in a pure state. This too is a type of prayashchit.
- Touching ears & gold: The highest tirtha in our body are the ears. “Akash” or the sky is its tattva. We must touch our ears for the prayashchit of small sins. Touching gold, that is considered tejas, also burns small sins.
- Self-disciplining & punishment: You may punish the mind by vowing to fast etc, to bring some discipline and regulate its direction.
- Confession: Confess your sins privately with a well-wisher who is a mahapurusha or saintly.
- Bhagavan Naam: Sit alone and repeat the name of your ishta devi/devata 108 times.
The above methods help burn our sins and destroy our bad samskaras.
Power of Bhagavan naam in washing away our sins
Pujayapad Puri Shankaracharyaji explains that chanting the name of Bhagavan has the power to wash away or sins or paapa. This applies to sins that are done both, consciously and unconsciously.
However, we must make a resolve that we will not commit the sin, any further. If we do wrong things in the name of Bhagavan it is called “naam-aparadha”. That is incorrect.
An elephant has a bath and then rolls himself in the mud again. This makes the effort of bathing useless. Similarly, we wash away our sins by chanting the name of Bhagavan, and then go and make the indulge in the same sins or paap again. This cycle continues.
If we do not commit any further sins after cleansing ourselves with chanting Bhagavan’s name, then our sins certainly get burnt off.
You must have heard the constant emphasis on uttering the name of Bhagavan before our last breath. Pujyapad explains that if we take the name of Bhagavan just before death, then due to having no further life and opportunity to commit more sins, that remembrance in the last moment becomes taarak for us, or that which frees us from the cycle of birth and death.
To be able to remember Bhagavan before we die, we need to remember His Divine Name throughout our lives. This is rare as expressed through a short story ‘Ram-Ram‘.
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