A Simple Morning Ritual From Varaha Purana to Overcome Troubles

ईश्वरः – सर्वशक्तिमत्तया ईश्वरः – being all powerful, he is called Ishwara. There is nothing beyond his power.

The divya nama Ishwara has already come once. There we saw
निरुपाधिकं ऐश्वर्यं अस्येति ईशवरः
His aiswarya, his resources, his position – nobody has given him, he is not dependent on anyone for these.

If someone becomes a minister today, in democracy, then that power, position is given to him by people. He is dependent on people who elect him. Such dependence is not there for Sri Hari. Also another meaning we saw – that he is antaryami. He controls everything, everyone from inside. Not sitting in Vaikuntha, from inside he controls.

He is not like a chess player who moves about the pieces on the board as he wants, he is like someone who drives a vehicle, sitting inside it. Here, another meaning of the divya nama Ishwara –
सर्वशक्तिमत्तया ईश्वरः – he is all powerful, there is nothing that he can not do. Hence he is called Ishwara.

So three aspects – he has independent lordship and resources, he controls from inside, and he is all powerful.
अप्रतिहतस्वेच्छः ईश्वरः – his will is unimpeded. Nobody can stop his will. Whatever he wants he achieves. He can go wherever he wants.
सत्यकामः सत्यसंकल्पः
His wish and his will – they always are real, become real – meaning there is nothing that he can not achieve.

There is a simple but very effective upasana given in Varaha Purana. Anyone can do this. After you take bath in the morning, stand in a clean place, this you can do before or after your regular puja also.

Stand facing east, hold your palms together as anjali. Take water in it. Not two palms separately, hold them together and take water in it. Chant Om Namo Narayanaya. Think about the Lord as he is the greatest in the universe, there is no one greater than him, he rules over everything and everyone, he was there before everything, he is Adipurusha and he is very very kind. I am offering this water for you to alleviate all my worldly troubles. Release me from all my worldly troubles. Then pour that water out through the tips of your fingers like how you offer arghya. If you are standing outside, you can pour it down on the ground or if you are inside home, then you can keep a vessel or plate and pour it into that also.

You may have a doubt here – I am not initiated into Ashtakshara mantra, Om Namo Narayanaya. How can I do this? You are not doing mantra sadhana. There is nothing wrong. If you are doing mantra sadhana with Ashtakshara mantra, then follow all the procedures required in mantra sadhana. Here you are saying the mantra only once.

After this turn clockwise and stand facing west. Repeat the same, this time chanting the mantra – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Think that he only has created the universe, all that you see around you are his own different forms, his wish, his will is always achieved. I am offering this water for you to alleviate all my worldly troubles. Release me from all my worldly troubles. Now offer water.

After this stand facing the north. Here also the mantra is Om Namo Narayanaya. Think that he not only creates, he maintains whatever he creates, he alone eliminates everything at the end. When he wishes to create, he creates. As long as he wants to sustain what he has created, he does that. Whenever he wants to end everything, he does that. I am offering this water for you to alleviate all my worldly troubles. Release me from all my worldly troubles. Offer water in your palms thinking this.

Then again turn clockwise and stand facing south. Remember the sequence is east – west – north – south. The mantra for south is ॐ नमः पुरुषोत्तमाय. Think that he is yajna swaroopa. He himself is all yajnas. Truth both verbal and mental, they are him only. He only assumes different forms for the welfare of everyone. I am offering this water for you to alleviate all my worldly troubles. Release me from all my worldly troubles.

After this again stand facing east. Think that the Lord’s eyes are Surya and Chandra, they resemble lotus petals, he is the ruler of the universe. Giving relief from troubles is natural to him, that is his nature. Then offer namaskara to him – men ashtanga namaskara, fully stretched, and women on their knees, bending down and touching their forehead to the ground. Women should not do sashtanga namaskara.

There are some things that should never come in direct contact with the ground. Spiritual activities – you should never do sitting on ground. There should always be an asana. Bhasma should never be kept on the ground. Bosom of women should never touch the ground. Retas should never fall on the ground. Shankha should not be kept on the ground, there should be asana for shankha. Food should never be spread on the ground, it should always be in a vessel.

A very important thing about this upasana is that you should not overdo this. Meaning, in each direction, you should offer water only once, not eight times or twelve times. If you want you can do this three times a day – morning, noon, and evening.

This upasana is so powerful, it is given by Varaha Swamy himself. This will make the upasaka to cut all karmic connections and attain Vaikuntha.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi