Mangalacharana – Shloka 1

|| हरिः ॐ ||

यस्मिन् सर्वाणि कर्माणि सन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा |
निराशीर्निर्ममो याति परं जयति सोsच्युतः || 1 ||

Paramatma Achyuta, whom the sajjanas meditate in their selves and whom they can attain after giving up their egos and sense of possession and offering all their karmas as a form of his worship, is truly the supreme one.

Notes:

Sadachara Smriti is a work by Sri Madhwacharya that describes the rules, regulations and rituals to be followed by a Dwija in his daily life. The purpose of such ‘achara’ is to ensure not just physical cleanliness but the cleansing of one’s manas.

In beginning such a work, Sri Madhwacharya very appropriately chooses to offer a mangalacharana to the ‘Achyuta’ form of Sri Hari. Achyuta means one who is without any blemish or defect. Remembering such a form of the paramatma would be the most appropriate way to commence this work which is intended to aid the reader inculcate sat-achara and cleanse himself.

In this mangalacharana shloka itself, Srimadacharya hints at the major instruments of observing sadachara. The key goal of following achara is to give up one’s ahamkara and sense of doership. Hence he describes that those sajjanas who are ‘niraasheernirmamo’ i.e. those who have given up ego and possessiveness attain him and start reflecting his quality of being blemishless.

Srimadacharya also hints at another important practice that those who observe sadachara develop – sanyasa of सर्वाणि कर्माणि. This means one needs to offer all works, good or bad, at the feet of Sri Achyuta. This is in line with Sri Krishna’s teaching of कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु in the Gita.

All the good work done by an individual are to be offered at Sri Hari’s feet. Even the paapa-karma done is to be similarly offered to him with the belief that the past dushkarma has been manifested by Sri Hari in this manner. Offering it in this manner will ensure that this new paapa does not germinate into future paapa. Thus, Sri Hari rids us of sins when the anusandhana is thus.