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

Why can giving away your old worn clothes expose you to a hostile Tantric attack?

The speaker says that when a person gives away clothes they have worn for a long time to someone else, they cannot know that person's intentions, and those clothes can be used as a medium to perform Abhichara against the giver.

The speaker explains that a common but overlooked risk is giving away one's own old, long-worn clothes to another person — the giver has no way of knowing what is in that other person's mind, and the clothes can become the medium through which they perform an Abhichara rite against the giver. He says this possibility exists in some measure whenever such clothes leave one's possession, and notes that some people specifically ask for and take away a particular garment. He recounts that he receives calls from people who say a family member's dupatta was specifically asked for, and afterward that person's condition worsened — adding that such harm is usually only recognised much later, once trouble has already arrived, and that only someone who has suffered it truly understands the danger.

Why should puja garments be kept separate from everyday clothes and from garments worn during conjugal relations?

The speaker says a sadhak or sadhika should always keep the garment worn for worship separate from clothes used for daily life, and that scripture prohibits wearing, for worship, any garment that was worn during a householder's conjugal relations with their spouse.

The speaker states that the first thing every sadhak or sadhika must observe is to always keep their puja garment separate — wearing the same clothes used for worship while also roaming about, eating, and going through ordinary daily life is a serious mistake. He adds a further rule for a householder: for someone in a grihastha life who has a conjugal relationship with their spouse, the garment worn during that state is prohibited from being used in worship or similar acts, and he says this restriction has scriptural backing. He notes that stating this openly tends to provoke strong objections from people, but says the point is placed before the listener regardless, so that whoever is willing to follow it may benefit.

What should a puja garment be, and why is a single unstitched cloth considered ideal?

The speaker says men may wear a dhoti, gamchha, or kurta cloth for worship, and women a suit or saree, but says the full benefit described in Tantra sadhana comes from a single, long, unstitched cloth wrapped from below the waist upward to fully cover the body.

The speaker explains what may be worn specifically for worship: men can wear a dhoti, a gamchha, or kurta cloth, while women — mothers and sisters — may wear a suit or a saree. He says one should always remember, though, that the complete fruit and full effect of worship, as also described in Tantra sadhana, comes from using a single garment: one long, unstitched cloth wrapped from the lower body upward, with which women too should properly cover their bodies. He describes this as the glory of Eka Vastra — a single, unsewn cloth. Whatever garments are used and kept for such purposes, he says, should be kept separate and never given away to anyone else.

What should be done with a puja garment once it becomes too old or torn to wear?

The speaker says that once a puja garment becomes old and unfit to wear, it should not be given away — instead, several such garments should be collected and stitched into a bedsheet for one's own personal or household use, and it should never leave the house.

The speaker says that once a worship garment becomes old, torn, and no longer fit to wear, people traditionally have such cloth stitched into a bedsheet, as was done in earlier times. He recommends collecting ten to fifteen such garments safely over time and having them stitched into a bedsheet in one go, being explicit with the tailor that only that specific cloth should be used and no other cloth substituted. Such a bedsheet can then be used for one's own bedding or for other household purposes, but he says the garment itself should not go outside the home — it should be kept within the house as much as possible rather than passed on to anyone else.

What precaution should a dedicated sadhak take before giving away their other old clothes?

The speaker says that a dedicated sadhak's old clothes — beyond puja garments — should be washed at least twice before being given to anyone, including to the poor, and on the final wash soaked for at least half an hour in a large vessel of water mixed with rock salt, then dried before giving.

The speaker addresses sadhaks who maintain a serious daily practice — those doing 27 or 100 rounds of japa daily and periodic anushthans, whether new or long-established on the path — and their other old clothes, beyond the puja garment itself, that they may wish to donate or give to anyone, including a poor person. He says that before giving such a garment away, it should be washed thoroughly at least twice. On the final wash, the garment should be soaked in a large vessel of water mixed with rock salt (sendha namak) for at least half an hour, then dried, and only after that should it be given to anyone to wear.

Why should a sadhak give an old garment permanently, and why not swap clothes back and forth even with a sibling?

The speaker says a sadhak should never temporarily lend or swap their worn garment even with a younger sibling and take it back later; if given at all it must be given permanently, and only after washing it well and soaking it in rock-salt water, comparing this caution to the traditional warning against stepping on a guru's seat.

The speaker cautions that if a sadhak's garment has become too small and a younger brother or sister at home wants to wear it, it should never be a back-and-forth exchange — lending it for a few days and then taking it back to wear again oneself. He is explicit that this restriction applies only to those walking the path of sadhana and doing regular practice; ordinary people can freely exchange clothes with each other as an expression of affection, with no issue at all. For a sadhak, though, there is a rule and a boundary that must be observed. He connects this to the traditional warning people have heard — not to step on a guru's asana, and the cautions repeated even within Shabar mantras about not stepping on someone's seat or bed — saying these warnings all exist for the same underlying reason: a sadhak's asana and garment should never be used by anyone else. If a garment is to be given to a younger sibling, he says it should be given permanently — following the same procedure of washing it well and soaking it in rock-salt water before drying and handing it over for good, with no expectation of taking it back to wear again.

How should old footwear be handled before it is given away or donated?

The speaker says old footwear should also be washed well before being donated to a poor person rather than thrown away, that worn or already-used footwear should never be given without cleaning it, and that donating new footwear is preferable when possible.

The speaker extends the same caution to footwear: when a pair of chappals becomes old, rather than throwing them away, people often donate them to someone poor. He says that before giving them away, the footwear should be washed well — not handed over as-is simply because it seems dirty or unpleasant, but properly cleaned so that no trace of the giver's own body remains on it. He adds that if one has the means, it is better to donate new footwear instead, but that already-worn, leftover ('jootha') footwear should never be given away without first cleaning it thoroughly. Giving it clean, he says, is also a mark of respect for the person who will use it going forward, and it serves as a protective measure for the giver as well.

Body-worn articles carry a trace of their wearer, which is what these precautions are protecting

The speaker says that following these precautions lets a sadhak both make good use of their old clothes and footwear and protect themselves, since these body-worn articles are among the easiest mediums through which a negative Tantric attack is accomplished against a person.

The speaker closes by saying that observing these precautions allows a person to make good use of clothes and footwear discarded from their own body while also protecting themselves. He notes that lessons of this kind are often learned only through one's own life experience — when something of one's own is misused by someone else, only then does a person come to understand how such things need to be safeguarded. He addresses listeners directly, especially sadhaks and sadhikas, saying they must keep these things in mind precisely because such personal articles are among the easiest mediums through which negative Tantric applications are accomplished against a person — something he says many people will have heard described elsewhere as well.