Guest guest Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 Hai I need a little bit clarification for points 4 to 6 of panchopachara pooja It is not mentioned whether we should rub the tip of thumb with (4) index finger (5) middle finger (6) ring finger Would appreciate reply for this doubt loha samasta sukhino bhavandhu om shanti shanti shantihi venkat - Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta <> Tuesday, January 11, 2005 8:44 PM PANCHOPACHARA: A Simple Pooja to Try! Hello to All! Last week, there was a bit of discussion in the Group on the topic of "How Do I Begin?" a personal practice in Shakti Sadhana. I mentioned that some people find advice like "Pray to the Mother" to be too simple; and advice like "Download the Khadgamala" to be too complex. At this point, the plan is to put together a FAQ to help orient members new and old on what exactly Shakti Sadhana is, what it involves as a spiritual discipline, and how you can safely begin a practice that fits your needs. BUT IN THE MEANTIME ... just yesterday I remembered (or rather, the diligent SE101 reminded me of) a wonderful conversation I enjoyed last month (December 2004) with a Guru and a truly great teacher of Srividya -- and it struck me that this may be exactly what some of you are looking for. As always, Q is lil' ol' me. A has asked to remain anonymous for privacy purposes due to the large number of persons accessing this discussion board: Q: What is Panchopachara? A: It is the simplest pooja; a pooja requiring nothing - it's all mudras only. The other poojas are but elaboration of this. Q: How is it performed? A: There are two versions of this pooja. I will teach you the one called jalaadi jalaantam - "starting and ending with water." Though the materials are five, the steps are six (in the other version, it is five materials and just five steps). The principle in this version is that everything arises from water and ends in water; which is in consonance with the Vaidik concept of deluge - that everything starts after a deluge and ends in a deluge. Q: And these are mental offerings accompanied by mudras - are they the same offerings symbolized by various materials in gross pooja? A: Yes, exactly. In gross puja, jalam is water; gandham is sandal paste; pushpam is flowers; dhoopam is scented smoke; deepam is the lamp. Okay? Q: Good, then we will proceed. 1. So the first step is saying vaM apaathmanaa jalam kalpayaami - saying this, one shall rub the ring finger with the thumb from the base to the tip, both hands. My aunt's father-in-law used to say, "When you rub the ring finger with the thumb as part of pooja and say `vam' then water should flow from the tip of your ring finger." I said, "It is not possible." He said, "It is!" and he showed me. That shows the concentration needed. As you rub, imagine all the waters of the world as being offered to the deity. 2. The next step is rubbing the little finger with thumb base to tip, reciting laM prithivyaathmanaa gandham kalpayaami. Here we offer the deity all that is sweet-smelling in the gross world. When you do that you must feel the sweetest otherworldly smell. 3. Next you rub the thumb from the base up with the index finger, reciting haM aakaashaathmanaa pushpam kalpayami. Thus we offer to the diety the best most beautiful and sweet smelling flowers. You must visualize all of these flowers - innumerable in number - manifesting out of the tip of the thumb at the feet of the deity. 4. Next is the index finger, and you say yaM vaaywaathmanaa dhoopam kalpayaami, "all the best incenses are offered here in form of sweet- smelling smoke." 5. Then the then middle finger: raM vahnyaathmanaa deepam kalpayami. The primordial light that first came is offered to Her and you visualize the darkness of ignorance being removed by this Divine Light. 6. Then, again, the ring finger, but this time with vaM amritaatmanaa naivedyam kalpayaami. With that you offer all that is exquisitely edible and nutritious to Devi; and with that, everything goes back to its primordial state. Finis. Is your question answered now? Q: Yes, thank you! A: Happy New Year! [Enjoy! -- DB] Links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 the index finger is used to rub the thumb and all other fingers are rubbed with thum. R D J Venkat <rdjvenkat wrote: Hai I need a little bit clarification for points 4 to 6 of panchopachara pooja It is not mentioned whether we should rub the tip of thumb with (4) index finger (5) middle finger (6) ring finger Would appreciate reply for this doubt loha samasta sukhino bhavandhu om shanti shanti shantihi venkat - Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta <> Tuesday, January 11, 2005 8:44 PM PANCHOPACHARA: A Simple Pooja to Try! Hello to All! Last week, there was a bit of discussion in the Group on the topic of "How Do I Begin?" a personal practice in Shakti Sadhana. I mentioned that some people find advice like "Pray to the Mother" to be too simple; and advice like "Download the Khadgamala" to be too complex. At this point, the plan is to put together a FAQ to help orient members new and old on what exactly Shakti Sadhana is, what it involves as a spiritual discipline, and how you can safely begin a practice that fits your needs. BUT IN THE MEANTIME ... just yesterday I remembered (or rather, the diligent SE101 reminded me of) a wonderful conversation I enjoyed last month (December 2004) with a Guru and a truly great teacher of Srividya -- and it struck me that this may be exactly what some of you are looking for. As always, Q is lil' ol' me. A has asked to remain anonymous for privacy purposes due to the large number of persons accessing this discussion board: Q: What is Panchopachara? A: It is the simplest pooja; a pooja requiring nothing - it's all mudras only. The other poojas are but elaboration of this. Q: How is it performed? A: There are two versions of this pooja. I will teach you the one called jalaadi jalaantam - "starting and ending with water." Though the materials are five, the steps are six (in the other version, it is five materials and just five steps). The principle in this version is that everything arises from water and ends in water; which is in consonance with the Vaidik concept of deluge - that everything starts after a deluge and ends in a deluge. Q: And these are mental offerings accompanied by mudras - are they the same offerings symbolized by various materials in gross pooja? A: Yes, exactly. In gross puja, jalam is water; gandham is sandal paste; pushpam is flowers; dhoopam is scented smoke; deepam is the lamp. Okay? Q: Good, then we will proceed. 1. So the first step is saying vaM apaathmanaa jalam kalpayaami - saying this, one shall rub the ring finger with the thumb from the base to the tip, both hands. My aunt's father-in-law used to say, "When you rub the ring finger with the thumb as part of pooja and say `vam' then water should flow from the tip of your ring finger." I said, "It is not possible." He said, "It is!" and he showed me. That shows the concentration needed. As you rub, imagine all the waters of the world as being offered to the deity. 2. The next step is rubbing the little finger with thumb base to tip, reciting laM prithivyaathmanaa gandham kalpayaami. Here we offer the deity all that is sweet-smelling in the gross world. When you do that you must feel the sweetest otherworldly smell. 3. Next you rub the thumb from the base up with the index finger, reciting haM aakaashaathmanaa pushpam kalpayami. Thus we offer to the diety the best most beautiful and sweet smelling flowers. You must visualize all of these flowers - innumerable in number - manifesting out of the tip of the thumb at the feet of the deity. 4. Next is the index finger, and you say yaM vaaywaathmanaa dhoopam kalpayaami, "all the best incenses are offered here in form of sweet- smelling smoke." 5. Then the then middle finger: raM vahnyaathmanaa deepam kalpayami. The primordial light that first came is offered to Her and you visualize the darkness of ignorance being removed by this Divine Light. 6. Then, again, the ring finger, but this time with vaM amritaatmanaa naivedyam kalpayaami. With that you offer all that is exquisitely edible and nutritious to Devi; and with that, everything goes back to its primordial state. Finis. Is your question answered now? Q: Yes, thank you! A: Happy New Year! [Enjoy! -- DB] / Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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