What is ācamana, and why do we wash hands before pūjā and meals?

washing hands, feet and mouth keeps us clean; ācamana — sipping water three times with God’s names — purifies us inwardly before a rite.

Cleanliness (śauca) is one of the basic virtues in Hindu ethics. Before pūjā and meals, the traditional habit is to wash hands, feet and mouth; after meals, to wash the hands and rinse the mouth again. Eating with the right hand and keeping the left for washing is part of the same idea.

Ācamana is a short ritual purification found at the start of almost every pūjā. A little water is poured into the right palm and sipped three times, usually with the names “Keśavāya namaḥ, Nārāyaṇāya namaḥ, Mādhavāya namaḥ”, and the hand is then washed while saying “Govindāya namaḥ”. Different sampradāyas use different names, and Śaivas may use Śiva’s names.

It takes a few seconds but marks a clear transition: from ordinary activity to sacred attention. Children enjoy learning it, and it is a lovely first step into pūjā.

Keśava · Nārāyaṇa · Mādhava — then Govinda · Source: standard pūjā-vidhi; Gṛhya tradition

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