In the sacred tradition, it is taught that one should gather flowers, unbroken grains of rice, sacred grass, sesame seeds, and pure cow dung for the rituals of purification. Each day, it is proper to bathe—whether in a pit filled with water or in the flowing streams of nature. After collecting five lumps of cow dung, one should, if possible, bathe again, using three lumps for the lower part of the body and six for both the body and the feet. This is the prescribed measure, and with it, one should carefully smear all the limbs, honoring the ancient customs of cleanliness. After this, the aspirant rinses and sips water as prescribed, preparing to bathe with a focused and single-minded attention. With the mind thus purified, one should meditate upon that which cannot be perceived—the imperishable Viṣṇu, the eternal reality. Therefore, at the time of bathing, the wise are advised to remember Nārāyaṇa, the divine source of all. Once the mouth has been rinsed, it should be rinsed again, reciting the appropriate mantra if one knows it: “You are the sacrifice, you are the vaṣaṭ-call, you are the waters, the light, the essence, the immortal.” Alternatively, the learned may recite the sacred Sāvitrī or the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn, invoking the purity and flow of the waters with the words, “O waters, flow forth with these utterances, just so.” Immersed and submerged in the water, the devotee should recite the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn three times, or repeat the sacred syllable Om, or simply remember the god Hari. By reciting this three times while in the water, one is freed from all sins. Placing that sanctified water upon the head brings release from all offenses, for the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn is renowned for dispelling every sin and wrong. After sprinkling oneself, one should gaze upon the deity, the remover of darkness, visualizing the pure swan, as invoked by this mantra and especially by the Sāvitrī. Afterwards, the Sāvitrī should be recited again, for this is known as the recitation-sacrifice. According to one’s capacity, one may also recite the Śatarudrīya, the Atharvaśiras, and the hymns to the Sun. If standing, the recitation should be performed with unwavering concentration, eyes fixed upon the sun. A rosary made of akṣa-beads is to be used for counting, with the most auspicious beads considered to be from the north. During this practice, one should refrain from moving the head or neck, and should not show the teeth. The recitation ought to be performed in a solitary and auspicious place, away from distractions. Having spoken with others and completed the bath, one should again recite the sacred verses, chanting the Sāvitrī and, if desired, the Pavamāni hymns, all to the best of one’s ability. Alternatively, with a pure mind, one may sit upon clean ground or on darbha grass, and, after performing ācamana as prescribed in the scriptures, undertake self-study as able. At the beginning of these offerings, the syllable ‘Om’ should be uttered, and at the end, ‘Salutations’ should be pronounced, as one offers oblations to the divine. With water mixed with sesame seeds, the ancestors are to be satisfied with devotion, following the procedures of one’s own Veda. The wise should also honor the divine sages and ancestors with handfuls of water, performing ancestral rites with the sacred thread draped over the right shoulder, using the proper tīrtha and the right spirit. Using his own mantras, one should worship the gods with flowers, leaves, or water, and also honor other desired deities with devotion, free from anger and without haste. For all waters are themselves deities, and thus, by these acts, they are properly worshipped. The flowers should be placed with reverence, one by one, each set apart. Above all, one should always worship Hari, who is without beginning, middle, or end. Among all the mantras in the four Vedas, none are equal to these two—the Sāvitrī and the Aghamarṣaṇa. With the self identified with that supreme reality, the mind absorbed in it, and the heart at peace, one should recite: “That is Viṣṇu.