U D A K A S H A N T I
Water can be charged with electricity as we all know, which is a form of energy. Vedic mantras are sound energy (in fact, they are Brahman in sound form) and can charge water. This is one of the reasons as to why Temples were constructed on the banks of rivers or big tanks so that devotees can bathe in those waters that have been energized. The human body is made up of 80% water including blood and chanting of mantras helps to charge the body and helps in getting spiritual progress and powers. You would also have noticed that our Rishis used to carry Kamandalams containing water and sprinkle them while giving a "vardan" (boon) or a "shrap" (curse). Thus, the fact that water can be charged with sound energy should not be doubted in the least. No wonder, that water features very prominently in our pujas/homams whether it be intake of water ("prashnam") or sprinkling on devotees ("prokshanam") or abhisekham.
The chanting of Udakashanti Mantras helps to energize water tremendously and is used in all religious ceremonies where water features prominently for grand purificatory or sanctification purposes.
Udakashanti is chanted during most of the religious events, where water in a Kalasha or Kumbha (pots / vessels, usually made of silver or copper or bronze) needs to be energized prior to performing ablution or abhisekham. For eg. it is used during Upanayanam, Seemandam (Pumsavanam) etc. where the energized waters are used to pour on the boy or pregnant lady respectively. Lord Varuna and 
other Gods are invoked in the waters through the chanting of Udakashanti mantras that result in energizing of the waters.
(Sad note: It is very sad that nowadays, during Upanayanam or Seemandam or Sashtiabdhapurthi etc., there is resistance to being bathed in the waters and only mild sprinkling is preferred or resorted to. This is a colossal loss where the insignificant incovenience of getting wet is avoided by the sacrificing of throwing away highly energized waters. Such religous occasions happen once in one's lifetime and a golden opportunity to get the benefit of Vedic mantras is frittered away so casually and carelessly. This is owing to gross ignorance and means utter disrespect for the holy Vedas. The priests are also reluctant to displease the Yajman ! Truly, we live in Kaliyuga!)
Udakashanti is a collection of the most powerful mantras of Yajur Veda. Hence, by learning Udakashanti, one would have learnt excerpts of some very potent sections of the Yajur Veda. It includes some very important suktams including Varuna Suktam, Brahma Suktam, Anna Suktam, Nakshatra Suktam (Ashta Vakyam), Go Suktam, Vag Devi Suktam, Shraddha Suktam, Pavamana Suktam, Ashirvada Mantras, Prokshana Mantras etc. In our religious Hindu tradition, there are 52 samskaras prescribed of which a minimum of 16 very important samskaras need to be performed like Namakaranam, Choodakarma, Vidyarambham, Upanayanam, Vedarambham, Vivaham etc. Udakashanti is chanted during the performance of these religious functions. It is also performed during other functions like Sashtiabdhapurthi, Satabisekham, Bhimarathashanti etc. The waters sanctified by the chanting of Udakashanti can be used for 15 days as it is believed that the energy is retained for those many number of days.
The recitation of Udakashanti helps to bring peace of mind and tranquility and to eliminate bad or negative thoughts. Remember that 80% of the body content is water and that negative energies can pervade our mind? Chanting or listening to Udakashanti helps to infuse positive energy and remove the negativity of thought.
Udaka shanti contains mantras from the Taittariya Samhita as well as from the from the Taittariya Brahmana of Yajurveda. The recitation includes "Anusangam" or the expansion / repetition of select padas, which lends to the beauty of the chanting and is very attractive to listen to.
The chanting of Udakashanti contains the recitation of 131 Panjadis. Since each Panjadi is equal of 11 Vedic sentences or Vakyas, a total of 1441 vedic lines are recited and takes approximately 2 hours to complete the recitation.
There is one mantra that is NOT chanted for auspicious occasions and has been excluded purposefully from the rendition. However, this mantra needs to be chanted during inauspicious occasions where water ablutions need to be performed.
As we all know, Punyahavachanam is performed during pujas and homams/havans,where Pavamana Suktam is chanted. The energized waters are then sprinkled on the devotees and all puja/homa articles to purify them. Once the waters are purified, only then does the invocation of the main Deity of the puja/homam takes place in the purified water. We can look upon Udakashanti as a mega Punyahavachanam, where Pavamana Suktam is also chanted and forms a small but very vital portion.
For the pure pleasure of listening to Vedic Chanting, Udakashanti is very close to the top of the list and in my personal list occupies the 2nd position after Sri Rudram and Chamakam.
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UDAKASHANTI - SANSKRIT TEXT
The source text is from www.sanskritdocuments.org which I have edited (as I thought fit) and modified by adding headings etc. for famous suktams like Varuna Suktam, Pavamana Suktam etc. My heart-felt thanks to www.sanskritdocuments.org who are doing a yeoman's service to Sanskrit. The site is a treasure house of sanskrit texts and has been one of the main sources of my learning.
Click below for a copy of the Sanskrit text of Udakashanti:
Dedication :
I learnt Udaka Shanti by listening to the amazing and most perfect rendition by Shri Ganesh Sharma and Sri Parameshwar Bhat (available commercially, produced by Bhushan Dua) with the utmost sincerity and bhakti and practising hours on end. Their style of chanting is very similar to that of Challakkare Brothers and together, they form my Manasika Gurus.
I dedicate my rendition to Shri Ganesh Sharma and Shri Parameshwar Bhat, whose magnificient chanting resonate in my ears continuously. By listening to them, I also imbibed many nuances which has helped my overall improvement in Vedic chanting and I feel increasingly confident and assured about my renditions.
I apologize unconditionally for any errors in chanting.
(Audio under construction. Please keep visiting regularly as keep updating the website almost on a daily basis)