What is Puja?

Puja is worship. The Sanskrit term puja is utilized in Hinduism to consult with the worship of a deity by observance of rituals including each day prayer offerings after a shower or as diverse as the following:

Sandhyopasana: The meditation on God because the light of knowledge and wisdom at daybreak and dusk

Aarti: Ritual of worship in which light or lamps are offered to the deities amid devotional songs and prayer chants.

Homa: The offering of oblations to the deity in a duly consecrated fire

Jagarana: Keeping vigil at evening amidst a lot devotional singing as a part of spiritual discipline.

Upavasa: Ceremonial fasting.

All these rituals for puja are a way to achieve purity of mind and focusing on the divine, which Hindus imagine, could be a fitting stepping stone to knowing the Supreme Being or Brahman.

Why You Need an Image or Idol for a Puja

For the puja, it is necessary for a devotee to set an idol or icon or an image or even symbolic holy object, such because the shivalingam, salagrama, or yantra earlier than them to help them contemplate and revere god by way of the image. For most, it is tough to concentrate and the mind keeps wavering, so the image can be considered as an actualized form of the perfect and this makes it simple to focus. In line with the concept of ‘Archavatara,’ if the puja is carried out with utmost devotion, throughout puja god descends and it is the image that houses Almighty.

The Steps of Puja in the Vedic Tradition

Dipajvalana: Lighting the lamp and praying to it because the image of the deity and requesting it to burn steadily until the puja is over.

Guruvandana: Obeisance to 1’s own guru or spiritual teacher.

Ganesha Vandana: Prayer to Lord Ganesha or Ganapati for the removal of obstacles to the puja.

Ghantanada: Ringing the bell with appropriate mantras to drive away the evil forces and welcome the gods. Ringing the bell is also vital throughout ceremonial bath of the deity and providing incense etc.

Vedic Recitation: Reciting two Vedic mantras from Rig Veda 10.63.3 and 4.50.6 to steady the mind.

Mantapadhyana: Meditation on the miniature shrine structure, usually made of wood.

Asanamantra: Mantra for purification and steadiness of the seat of the deity.

Pranayama & Sankalpa: A short breathing train to purify your breath, settle and focus your mind.

Purification of Puja Water: Ceremonial purification of the water within the kalasa or water vessel, to make it fit for use in puja.

Purification of Puja Gadgets: Filling up the sankha, conch, with that water and inviting its presiding deities resembling Surya, Varuna, and Chandra, to reside in it in a subtle form after which sprinkling that water over all the articles of puja to consecrate them.

Sanctifying the Body: Nyasa with the Purusasukta (Rigveda 10.7.90) to invoke the presence of the deity into the image or idol and providing the upacharas.

Offering the Upacharas: There are a number of items to be offered and tasks to be carried out earlier than the Lord as an outpouring of affection and devotion for god. These embody a seat for the deity, water, flower, honey, fabric, incense, fruits, betel leaf, camphor, etc.

Note: The above technique is as prescribed by Swami Harshananda of Ramakrishna Mission, Bangalore. He recommends a simplified model, which is mentioned below.

Simple Steps of a Traditional Hindu Worship:

Within the Panchayatana Puja, i.e., puja to the 5 deities – Shiva, Devi, Vishnu, Ganesha, and Surya, one’s own household deity needs to be kept in the heart and the other four round it within the prescribed order.

Bathing: Pouring water for bathing the idol, is to be accomplished with gosrnga or the horn of a cow, for the Shiva lingam; and with sankha or conch, for Vishnu or salagrama shila.

Clothing & Flower Ornament: While offering material in puja, totally different types of cloth are offered to completely different deities as is said in scriptural injunctions. Within the daily puja, flowers could be offered instead of cloth.

Incense & Lamp: Dhupa or incense is offered to the ft and deepa or light is held before the face of the deity. Throughout arati, the deepa is waved in small arcs earlier than the deity’s face after which before the whole image.

Circumbulation: Pradakshina is completed three times, slowly in the clocksmart direction, with hands in namaskara posture.

Prostration: Then is the shastangapranama or prostration. The devotee lies down straight with his face dealing with the floor and fingers stretched in namaskara above his head in the direction of the deity.

Distribution of Prasada: Final step is the Tirtha and Prasada, partaking of the consecrated water and food providing of the puja by all who have been a part of the puja or witnessed it.

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