Old Clothes, Marana Prayoga, and How a Sadhak Should Protect Himself

The speaker says a very big medium for a hostile prayoga is this: a person gives away old clothes that they wore for a long time to some other person. The giver does not know what is in that person's mind, and that person makes the clothes a medium and performs an Abhichara rite on the giver. He says this possibility is present somewhere or the other whenever such clothes change hands, and that many people actually ask for a garment and take it away. He says he gets calls from many people who tell him that a sister's dupatta was asked for and taken, and after that her condition became such-and-such. People assess this only long afterwards, when the trouble comes; he says only someone who has suffered it can understand these matters. Closing the topic, he says such things are learned from one's own life experience — when someone misuses your things, only then do you learn how they should be protected. He says everyone, and especially every SadhakOne who undertakes a sadhana; the practitioner as distinct from the ordinary worshipper. or sadhika, must keep these things in mind, because these are the very articles through which negative prayogas in tantra are accomplished very easily, and listeners will hear of such matters from many people.

The speaker says the first matter is this: whether one is a SadhakOne who undertakes a sadhana; the practitioner as distinct from the ordinary worshipper. or a sadhika, one's puja garment must always be kept separate. If a person is not doing this, he says, they are making a very big mistake. He explains that if the garment one wears to do puja is the same garment worn to roam about, to eat and drink, and for ordinary daily life, it becomes a problematic matter. He repeats the point as the first rule of the topic: keep your puja clothes separate.

The speaker states the rule of garments: if a person is in GrihasthaThe householder, who carries a family alongside practice — the audience these talks address. life and there is the householder's work, meaning the husband-wife relationship, then the garment worn in that state is prohibited for puja and similar acts. He says there are scriptural proofs for this, but that the same thing happens whenever one goes to give proof — people get very agitated and say, why, we will do as we like. He says that is their wish and no concern of his, yet the matter that is true is being placed before the listener so that those who want to follow it can at least gain the benefit.

The speaker lists what men can wear specifically for puja: a dhoti, a gamchha, a kurta or kurta cloth — these are the things worn particularly in puja. Women, mothers and sisters, wear a suit and also a saree. But he says one should always remember and keep in mind that the complete fruit and full effect of puja, done in the right way, and as also described in Tantra sadhana, lies in ek vastra: one single garment, big and long, wrapped from below to above, with which women too should cover their body well. This, he says, is the glory of ek vastra, meaning an unstitched cloth.

The speaker says whatever garments one keeps and uses for puja and similar work should be kept separately and should not be given to anyone else at all. When such a garment becomes old, gets torn and is no longer fit to wear, he says people nowadays have bedsheets stitched from them, as was done earlier too. He advises having a bedsheet stitched: keep the cloths safe until there are ten or fifteen of them, then give them all at once and tell the tailor that the bedsheet must be made from this very cloth and that he should not put in cloth of his own. That bedsheet can be used as one's own bedding, or the cloth can be used in some other work of the house. As far as possible, he says, that garment should not go outside the house.

The speaker turns to the remaining, non-puja garments and says clearly whom this is for: not ordinary sadhaks, but a SadhakOne who undertakes a sadhana; the practitioner as distinct from the ordinary worshipper. who does sadhana — someone doing 27 malas or 100 malas of Japa daily and performing AnushthanaAn extended ritual observance — such as 108 recitations of a scripture — carrying its own strict rules. from time to time, whether a new sadhak or an old one. For such a person, he says, whenever old clothes are to be donated or given to anyone, even to a poor person, they must first be washed well at least twice so that they are clean. In the final, second wash, take a good large vessel of water, mix Sendha NamakRock salt, used in water to strip residual influence from an object or garment before it is given away or reused. into it, soak the garment in it thoroughly and leave it for at least half an hour. Then dry it, and only after that give it to someone to wear. He says this is to be kept in mind before giving any garment.

The speaker says that if a SadhakOne who undertakes a sadhana; the practitioner as distinct from the ordinary worshipper.'s garment has become small and a younger brother or sister in the house wants to wear it, one must not do an exchange of the kind "you wear it for four days, then give it back to us" — where both keep wearing the same garment. He is clear that this is only for those who are walking the path of sadhana and doing sadhanas. Ordinary people, he says, may absolutely exchange clothes among themselves and increase affection; there is no problem at all. For a sadhak there is a rule, a limit, a maryada in this, which must be kept in mind. He points to something listeners will have heard — not to step on the guru's asana — and says that even in Shabar mantras (Sabar Mantra) oaths are sworn about stepping on someone's asana or on their bed. Why do all these oaths exist? For these very reasons, he says: if you are a sadhak, no one else should sit on your asana and no one else should use your garment. If a garment is being given to wear, he says, give it permanently. When giving it to a younger brother or sister, follow the same method — wash it well, soak it thoroughly in Sendha NamakRock salt, used in water to strip residual influence from an object or garment before it is given away or reused. water, dry it — and then give it away for good. The sibling wears it from then on; there should be no need to take it back and wear it again.

The speaker says the same applies to chappals: when a chappal has become old, people donate it or give it to some poor person while it still has some wear left, rather than throwing it away. Before giving it, he says, the chappal too must be washed well. It must not be that it looks dirty and disgusting and is simply left as it is and given away; wash it properly and then give it, so that no element of the giver's body remains in it. Give it clean and tidy, and if there is a need, donate a new chappal after wearing it for one day. But a cast-off, used (jootha) chappal, he says, should never be given anywhere without this — that too must be kept in mind. Giving it clean, he says, is also a mark of respect for the person who will use that chappal or shoe further, and from the point of view of protection it is right for the giver too. In this way, he says, a person can make good use of the old clothes and footwear discarded from their body and also protect their body.