What is the difference between Snan (sacred bath) and an ordinary bath?

Ordinary bathing is for bodily hygiene; Snan (from Sanskrit “snana”) is a scripturally-prescribed ritual bath that combines physical cleansing with spiritual purification. A proper Snan follows specific procedures: facing the sunrise direction, reciting the Gayatri mantra, pouring water over specific parts of the body in a sequence, applying sandalwood or kumkum after, and offering Arghya (water with flowers) to the Sun. The Rig Veda describes Snan as the bridge between the physical and divine realms, and the Taittiriya Aranyaka dedicates entire chapters to Snan types and mantras. True Snan with proper mantras is believed to remove not just physical dirt but also accumulated karmic impurities from past actions.