Sattva Bādhā Praśamana

The Sattva Bādhā Praśamana is a Vaishṇava rite for healing and protection taught in the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa. The name means “calming the troubles of a being”. It is performed by a devotee of Bhagavān Vishṇu on behalf of another person.

Its main tool is the Vishṇu Pañjara Stotra (the “cage of Vishṇu” hymn of protection). This is combined with mārjana (gently sweeping the body with kuśa grass), the pratishṭhā (installation) of Nṛsiṃha, and calling on the Caturvyūha, the four forms of Vishṇu: Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Saṅkarshaṇa and Vāsudeva. The rite is meant to heal the sick, drive away harmful grahas (troubling spirits or planetary forces), undo poisons and abhicāra (harmful spells), and destroy every kind of unseen trouble.

Purpose and Background

In Chapter 195, the ṛshi Mārkaṇḍeya teaches the Vishṇu Pañjara Stotra to King Vajra as ātma-rakshā, protection for oneself. Vajra then asks: “Those who feel compassion for others, how can they protect someone else? You are a treasure of knowledge and understand all the mysteries of Vishṇu.” Mārkaṇḍeya then teaches the Sattva Bādhā Praśamana, the method of healing and protecting another person through Vishṇu’s power.

How the Rite Is Done

The healer should:

  1. Become śuci (pure): perform ācamana (sipping water for purification) and become clean inside and out.
  2. Honour Hari: keep an upavāsa (fast) and offer pūjā to Bhagavān Hṛshīkeśa (Vishṇu).
  3. Recite the Vishṇu Pañjara Stotra.
  4. Perform mārjana: with the tips of kuśa grass (kuśāgra), touch and sweep the body of the troubled person while reciting the stotra.
  5. Prokshaṇa: sprinkle water in which kuśa has been dipped (kuśodaka) over the person.

This aṅga-rakshā (protection of the body), done in this way, is amogha, never failing. For those suffering from ādhi (illness of the mind) or vyādhi (illness of the body), it is the paramaushadha, the supreme medicine.

The Order of Invocations

The rite includes a series of invocations:

Salutation to the Formless: “Namaskāra to the Paramātman (supreme Self), arūpa (without form) yet bahu-rūpa (of many forms), Sarva-vyāpin (present everywhere). Namaskāra to the nishkalmasha (stainless), śuddha (pure) one, who removes the pāpa of those who remember him. Whatever I now say, may it come true.”

Calling the avatāras: the healer calls on the form of Varāha and Narasiṃha, and on Vāmana, saying: “I bow to you. May what I say come true.” Then the healer calls on Trivikrama, Rāma, Vaikuṇṭha and Nara with the same words. Then: “O Varāha! O Narasiṃha! O Vāmana! O Trivikrama! O Hayagrīva! O Sarveśa (lord of all)! O Hṛshīkeśa! Remove all that is aśubha (inauspicious) from this person.”

Calling the Cakra: “O Aparājita (unconquered one), with your four supreme weapons, by your endless līlās (divine play), be the remover of all duḥkha (suffering).”

The Troubles It Treats

The rite addresses these kinds of harm:

  • Pāpa (past karma bringing disease)
  • Durupavāsa dosha (harm from fasting wrongly)
  • Dushṭa-yajña phala (the results of yajñas done wrongly)
  • Mṛtyu-bandha (the bond of untimely death)
  • Āpakārika (ill will from others toward the person)
  • Ābhicārika (harmful spells, abhicāra, aimed at the person)
  • Visha-sparśa (contact with poison)
  • Mahā-roga (serious disease)
  • Troubles from grahas like Balāsura

The text calls on Nṛsiṃha especially for driving away grahas:

Nṛsiṃha Graha-Nāśana (Narasiṃha, destroyer of grahas): “O Narasiṃha, great lion! With your fearsome mouth and tongue of flame, O Sarveśa, fire-eyed one, consume, consume all the grahas! … The cruel grahas, the Revatī grahas, the Vṛddhi grahas (various named grahas that bring disease): may Bāla-Vishṇu, protector of children, and the glance of Narasiṃha destroy them all. The grahas that trouble children and the grahas that trouble the young: the fearsome gaze of the roaring Narasiṃha burns up every graha completely.”

Calling the Four Vyūhas

The healing rite includes a call to the four Vyūhas (divine forms that come forth) of Bhagavān Vishṇu:

“Without beginning and without end, the ancient ones (purāṇa), of vast form (bṛhad-rūpa), the rulers: Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Saṅkarshaṇa and Vāsudeva. May they cut off all your fevers (jvara, meaning all suffering).”

Kuśa Grass as a Holy Tool

The rite closes with these words: “These kuśas (darbha grasses) were born from Vishṇu’s body. I come here myself as Janārdana. This person’s harm (dushṭa) is completely destroyed. By Hari’s word, this person shall be well (svastha).”

Because kuśa grass is held to come from Vishṇu’s body, the mārjana has the power to guard against harm. In performing the rite, the healer becomes an instrument of Janārdana (Vishṇu) and declares the harm destroyed by Hari’s own word.

Sources

  • Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 196