Guest guest Posted January 10, 2003 Report Share Posted January 10, 2003 Namskaram, I asked this question earlier in the group, but did not get a answer. I was told to do puja to with 'lemon deepam' between 10:30 am -12:pm on Fridays to parashakthi, I would like to know if anybody know the significance of the time and how many weeks the puja needs to be done. Is the Daneshwari Puja that is being discussed in the group the same. I see that there are lot of learned people in this group, I would appreciate if you could answer this question for me. Thanks. Radhika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 dear ganesh prasad, you write " I have come across a minor work in tantra shastra called "Gowri Rahasya", which speaks of lemon representing Gowri. The practices of adorning deities with lemons in Tamilnadu might be attributed to this fact. However I am yet to see any logic in doing so." well, dear heart, i am a tamilian and i have seen in amman temples , durga mata being adorned with 'garland of lemons' and i always wondered about that... so, onee day i took courage and asked the priest and he told me 'durga mata is ugra devi' and Since lemon has a cooling effect we adoen durgai amman with a garland of 'lemons' to appease her. well, i accepted that explanation and never questioned the priest.. on another note, in my temple i have also seen lord hanuman's idol smeared with 'butter' all over! so the point is, in devotional worship , there is no such thing as 'logic' - all forms of worship are acceptab;e ! devotion is more a matter of heart than of mind! this is my humble opinion... om sree durgayaii namaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 <adi_shakthi16> wrote > you write > > " I have come across a minor work in tantra shastra > called "Gowri Rahasya", which speaks of lemon > representing Gowri. The practices of adorning deities > with lemons in Tamilnadu might be attributed to this > fact. However I am yet to see any logic in doing so." > > well, dear heart, i am a tamilian and i have seen in amman temples , > durga mata being adorned with 'garland of lemons' and i always > wondered about that... so, onee day i took courage and asked the > priest and he told me 'durga mata is ugra devi' and Since lemon has a > cooling effect we adoen durgai amman with a garland of 'lemons' to > appease her. so the point is, in devotional worship , there is no such thing > as 'logic' - all forms of worship are acceptab;e ! devotion is more a > matter of heart than of mind! If people want they can offer water melons or Brinjals(Eggplant) or anything which they are fond of. No problem with that. Problem is with the blind belief that doing so will get rid of such and such doshas or holding a belief that, it will cool Her down or something like that without any proof. As for Durga being ugra, saptasati says "...shAnti rUpeNa sa.nsthitA". If she is ugra She is also shanta murti and so doesnt require any lemons. Regarding logic: There are certain methods of worship as given in Shastras and there is no need to alter them, or make interpolations into them by innovations(like lemon mala). I feel that it is better to spend time chanting Lalita Ashtottara or Bala Tripura Sundari Ashtottara rather than spending time on pujas which have no shastric base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 Namaste, > Hi all: > I do not think this lemon thing or dhaneshwari pooja to be newfangled. > There are umpteen grandhas giving various rituals. Some one may >prescribe one of these not so common practice to an individual who >will get resuly and tjhat person will propagate it as a panaesia >for everything, and in the present when where every one is beset >with problems it spreads like wildfire in the age of TV internet >and phone. That sounds like mass hysteria which I think should not be the basis for any worship. > I have read in some text long ago of making use of inside outside >turned alves of lemon and using it as a lamp. > In our belief system not only shaastra aadhara counts but also >upadesha. As for books to be referred:The standard texts will be Shruti, Smriti, Purana, Tantra and allied manuals and sub manuals Anything outside these have no basis in Hinduism. Not everyone can give upadesha. It requires special qualifications as enumerated in the shastras. regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 dear satishregala, a member commented on why ambal is adorned with lemon garkands and i have seen the durga amman in sri siva vishnu temple in lanham, md, being adorened with lemon garlands! so are we going to question the priest why he is resorting to such a practice? after all , the priests are supposed to know what they are doing! are they not? i am not the one who is advocating we should do lemon deepa puja ; a member asked that question, if we can provide the answer , it is fine... if not we can say, we do not know if there is a scriptural recommendation of such a practice! ' i am familiar with durga saptashati and Devi is full of all gunad - tamo, rajas and sattwa - in fact, she is beyond gunas! GUNATITA! she is sowmya rupa as well as ugra rupa! BUT my point is there are all kinds of rituals, practices, methods of worship but in the ultimate analysis it is 'bhavana ' that counts !- exactly! without " bhavana" (emotion ) how can one approach the divine? and is that not why our divine mother is called Bhavani? (one whio is full of bhavana) sree lalita sahasaranama describes "'bhavani" as BavaanaI Baavanaagamyaa BavaarNyakuzairka | Bad`iP`ayaa Bad`maUit- Ba@t... || Bai@t...`ayaa Bai@t... Bai@t... Bayaapha | SaaMBavaI SaardaraQyaa Savaa-NaI Sava-daiyanaI || The purpose of Bhavani (divine mother worship) is to take you to the ULTIMATE REALITY and when you achieve Brahman, bhaya (fear) goes away. Till then you have to take refuge in Bhavani - that which has to be touched by Bhavana. (bhakti) All upasana is based on bhavana only; but unfortunately most Sadhakas are only bothered by details. If we don't have bhava then an idol will be just an idol. If we have bhava, shakti will manifest there. So bhava has to be invoked. MY 2 CENTS om sree matrayaii namaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 The tradition of lighting lamps with container made of fruit (pazha viLakku) and flour (maa viLakku) has been going on for many generations in Tamil Nadu. I specifically know of this practice in Vaidheeshvaran Kovil (Thanjavur), which is our family temple. This my grand mother taught to my mother and in turn my mother shower it to my wife. Typically, before undertaking any new venture or at some specific events, they visit the temple and do this. This, to my knowledgde, has been going on for many generations. I would not say this as littering, even if it is, it is biodegradable earth friendly stuff. Nothing toxic. We should be concerned far more about dumping carbon monoxide into the air we breath and other non-degradeable plastics. In matters such as these, it is better to ask the elders in the family and do what is in vogue. Other option is to contact their kula guru or great accharya-s and do what they suggest. Whenever I wrote to kAnchi maTha asking for clarification on certain things, I always got a quick and prompt answer. Ravi , Ganesh Prasad <bjganeshprasad> wrote: > > Hariom, > > I have till now not come upon any shastra aadhara or > pramana for such puja. Infact I have noticed this > thing to be a growing phenomenon wherein many devotees > mainly women, light these lemon lamps in temples > spoiling the flooring and littering the premises > therein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 , "satisharigela <satisharigela>" <satisharigela> wrote: > > I feel that it is better to spend time chanting Lalita Ashtottara > or Bala Tripura Sundari Ashtottara rather than spending time on > pujas which have no shastric base. Even this not required or must, as if one does not understand Sanskrit, he or she will not understand what these names mean; and teachings that underly behind these names. I agree with you that starting or undertaking any new puuja (without a shaastri basis) is of not much use. I would say that even with any kaamya karma approved by shaastra-s. The key is sharaNagati to God and guru. One has to just understand and realize one's utter dependence on God. Right from the air we breath, water we drink, food we eat, or anything for that matter, we are utterly utterly dependent on HER power. I typically try to remember this whenever I eat something. Now I trying to remember this even while drinking a cup of water. Finally, it should become practice when one takes every gasp of air. Understanding this will also lead to (atleast at intelectual level to start with) understanding of "yastu sarvaaNi bhuutani aatmanii eva anupashyate ..." and lead to samatva bhava. SHE is indweller of all and each jiiva goes through this topsy turvy curve of life according to praarabdha. So there is nothing great about some one or lowly about another (Words of sangam poet kaniyan puunkuNranaar - periyorai viyaththalum ilame chiriyorai igazthalum ilame; and thiithum nanRum piRar thara vaaraa, sumaarizes the above well). One has to do what is obligatoy and otherwise contemplate on God, one;s dependence on God and the act/consequences of sharaNagati to God. Personally, I see no better path to God than sharaNagati. In fact, it is same as nidhidhyAsana of vedAnta maarga. My 2c. Ravi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 namaskaram ravi, i really liked your responses... You are absolutely right, in Mariamman kovils , i have seen the practice of 'maa vilakku' puja . in fact, in the olden days when there was an epidemic of small pox it was quite customary to perform such 'MAA VILAKKU' PUJA - to thank Devi after one has recovered from that affliction... i have also seen , the images of people who walk on coals, and carry pots of milk atop their heads that are associated with mariamman worship. i have seen myu grandmother performing maa vilakku to other devis also... there is a sloka which says devi is 'nimbhu priya' - one who is fond of lemons! but, really , worship is a personal thing... i personally like antharamukhi sadhana ! but it is total 'surrender' or 'sharangati' that matters! i like this post on sharanagati very much! om ksipra-prasasinyai namaha! SALUTATIONS TO HER WHO IS EASILY PLEASED! it is so easy to please devi! all she needs is ananya-bhakti! om sree matrayaii namaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 dear devotees, this is what i found while surfing on the net... Vishesham. Offerings of 'lemon garlands' and 'lemon lamps' are considered very auspicious for Sri Vaishnavi Durga. Click here to see the location of the sanctum. ... http://www.thiruman.com/durga.htm search within this site ---- please let me know what do you think? om sree matrayaii namaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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