Temple worship - Nitya Puja -

[Guest guest]

I thank respected tatwamasi for starting the

discussion on Puja - as it is the great Festive Season for

Pujas for upliftment of the self and for numerous

reasons.<br><br>Nitya Puja is kind of daily worship but there are many

types of Pujas - <br><br>Puja with Pancho

Upachara<br>Puja with Shodosho Upachara<br>Puja for Kamanas (for

asking for something)<br>Puja for relief from

Illness<br><br>Manas Puja<br><br>Pujas restricted to Dhyana and

Chanting.<br><br>Puja for initiation of a disciple <br><br>and all are

different in nature and Mood.<br><br>Puja with Yagyas Homa

for Peace<br><br>Rajashik Puja<br><br>Sattwik

Puja<br><br>Tamashika Puja<br><br>each and every Devi and Devota can be

worshipped in the three different forms.<br><br>And there

are thousaand of variations of Mantras<br> And it is

only the Guruji who can guide what Puja should be done

for what purpose and with what Mantra<br><br><br>and

of many other types.<br><br>I shall be obliged to

hear the views of the sadhakas on these.<br><br>With

regards<br><br>Kosongo

[Guest guest]

Dear Kosongo,<br><br>Thank you very much for your

valuable post and giving details of various pujas.

<br><br>We are pasting an extracts from a Sanatan's book

about Hindu Puja and science behind it.<br><br>Puja

(Ritualistic worship of God)<br><br>Ritualistic worship should

be performed according to one’s religion and with

devotion. It is the faith that counts, not the mechanical

performance of the ritual. Details of the Hindu Puja are

given below:<br><br>1. Temple-room at home: <br>Of one

does not have a temple-room or if there are no

photographs or idols of the family deity and Lord Ganesh at

home, they should be brought and duly installed in the

temple-room. The deities should be arranged in the following

manner: <br><br>Ganapati in the center, with the male

family deity and other male deities (Hanuman, Balkrushna

etc.) to His right and the female family deity and

other female deities (Annapurna, etc.) to His left. If

a person having a Guru resides alone, he should

keep only his Guru’s photograph. If there are other

family members, the Guru’s and the male family deity’s

photograph should be placed to the right of Ganapati in that

order. The photographs or idols of the female family

deity or other female deities should be placed to the

left of Ganapati. <br><br>[science behind keeping Lord

Ganesha in the center: Hence Lord Ganesh knows the

Nadbhasha (Sound languauge what humans used) and

Prakashbhsaha (Light languages what Deities used), He makes a

translation of the languages and conveys seeker’s message to

Deities.] <br><br>2. The method of correctly performing

puja is given below. Each of the following indicates

successive stages in performing puja. <br><br>a. Everyday

the idols and the temple-room should be cleaned with

a cloth and two incense sticks each should be lit

in the morning and evening. <br><br>Science: Seeker

should consider God as a one of the living member in the

house and hence should be cleaned everyday is akin to

giving bath to our child everyday. Two incense sticks

indicates God and seekers, there should not be anybody in

the seekers mind while performing puja except his

soul and God.]<br><br>b. After removing the previous

day’s withered flowers and leaves (Nirmalya), the idols

should be cleaned with a cloth. An offering of flowers

should be made; incense sticks should be lit and waved

in a clockwise motion. Then, two wicks should be

rolled into one and placed in lamp containing ghee. The

lit lamp should then be moved in a circular clockwise

motion. This is called Arati. <br><br>Science: For puja

mostly Ghee lamp is recommended as it increases

sattvikta of the place. Usually it should be moved 5 times

in circular motion, which indicates puja is done

with panchapranas. (five vital energies) <br><br>c.

The idols should be bathed and the photographs should

be cleaned first with wet and then dry cloth.

Sandalwood paste (Gandha) should be applied to the deities

and unbroken consecrated rice (Akshata), flowers,

turmeric and vermilion (Kumkum) should be offered. This

should be followed by moving a lit incense stick and a

lamp in a circular clockwise motion. Finally, an

offering of food (Naivedya or Prasad) should be made and

one should pray for success in one’s practice of

spirituality. <br><br>Science: Particular substances like

flowers, kumkum, sandalwood paste or consecrated rice has

power to attract particular God principle. For e.g. For

Lord Ganesha always red flower and Durva (grass

blades) are offered and for Lord Shiva white flowers and

bel (leaves) are offered, because these flowers have

maximum capacity to attract Ganesh and Shiva principle

respectively. <br> <br>[Excerpts taken from Vol 21 –

‘Introduction to Science of Spirituality and Individual

Spiritual Practice’ – published by Sanatan Society for

Scientific Spirituality – complied by H.H. Dr. Jayant Balaji

Athavale]<br><br>Love<br>Sanatan <br>Glenn-Sampada