Nirguna Manasa Puja - Shankaracharya - 18/33

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

rajaHsattvatamovR^ittityaagaruupaistilaakshataiH .

aatmaliN^gaM yajennityaM jIvanmuktiprasiddhaye .. 18..

 

For the accomplishment of spiritual freedom in (this very) life, one

should

constantly make an offering to the symbol of the Self, of sesame seeds

and

consecrated rice-grains, in the form of the abandonment of the three-fold

modifications of the mind - of activity, tranquillity, and inertia.

 

rajaH = (mode of) activity/passion

sattva = " tranquillity/purity

tamaH = " inertia/ignorance

vR^itti = mental modification

tyaaga = abandonment

ruupaiH = in the nature of

tila = sesame seeds

akshataiH = (consecrated, whole) rice grains

aatmaliN^gaM = symbol of the Self

yajet = offer

nityaM = always

jIvanmukti = life of spiritual freedom

prasiddhaye = (for) accomplishment

[Guest guest]

Thank you Sunder-ji for posting these verses from Shankaracharya's

Nirguna Manasa PUJA ... it is like a warm sunshine on a cool

autumnal evening!!

 

i have always wondered about the 'symbolism' behind each offering in

a 16 step Hindu puja.

 

offering of Rice - "akshsatam samarpayami" - the family priest used

to say.

 

well, what does 'Rice' represent?

 

Rice is a kind of grain which is nonfertile. One cannot grow rice

plants by seeding rice. Symbolically, it means that rice is the

last birth. By doing this puja one should thrive to put all the

efforts in life in such a way that this life becomes one's last

life, and after the end of this life one will not be reborn again

according to one source.

 

so, offering 'rice' we are asking for jivan-mukthi ! as sunder-ji has

stated

 

(jIvanmuktiprasiddhaye)

 

Aum tat sat!