grandest jewels in the treasure of India's peerless culture. A very big transformation begins to take place in inner depths of the mind of the receiver; however, the aspirant also has to make earnest and continuous effort of his own. As a pearl-oyster patiently awaits the drops of rain when the star Svati is in ascendancy, receives the drops and processes into a very valuable pearl the Sadhaka eagerly awaits Mantra on an auspicious occasion, cherishes and nurtures it in himself and by his effort transforms it into a tremendous spiritual power which opens the door to the blissful immortal experience. 

Mantra Anushthana 

Mantra Purascharana  
Mantra anushthana is a spiritual discipline undertaken for the sake of fulfillment of a worldly desire or spiritual growth. Anushthana can be practiced for a day, a week, a fortnight, three months, six months or a year. The duration depends upon the time available and the capacity of the sadhaka. The repetition of a mantra, a definite number of times with right observances until a fixed number is reached in order to obtain a substantial benefit is called purascharana. 

Procedure 
Request your Guru to give you a specific mantra. The practice should be started in the early morning at Brahma-muhurta on a auspicious day. The sadhaka should take bath, wear clean clothes, sit facing north or east, have a mala in his hand. Mind should be concentrated on the Deity of the mantra. Strict brahmacharya has to be practiced. Every mantra has a specific numbers of syllables. The mantra has to be chanted as many lakhs (hundred thousand) times as the numbers of syllables. 

Homa  
On the last day a Havan (Vedic Fire Ritual) should be performed with oblations (Ahutis) equal to one-tenth of the total number of japa done. After the Havan feeding of sanyasins, brahmins or poor people should be done according to capacity. 

In case of one is unable to perform homa and observe its restrictions, he can worship the Deity; do in addition to the total japa already done, further japa equal in number to one-tenth thereof and feed sanyasins, brahmins or poor people. 

Diet  
The Sadhak should take a very light diet preferably once a day consisting of milk, fruits curd, barley, vegetables or havisya (Rice cooked in milk and ghee and sugar added). Only milk is by itself a very good diet. 

Place  
Any holy place of pilgrimage, banks of holy rivers, forests, under Asvattha tree, seashore, solitary places or holy ashrams.