homam questions (contd...)

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Narasimha Garu,

 

I was able to perform the Homam last couple of sundays and plan to practise it

as often as I could. Now some more questions.

 

1. Your document says that the Kalasam should be established to the North East

of the HomaKundam. My fireplace is situated on the eastern side of the house and

I will be facing east as I sit, just like how it is preferred. My homakundam is

small enough that I can establish the Kalasam also within the fire-place to the

North East of the Homa Kundam and The Ganapathi Idol also right in front of the

Kalasam, within the fireplace. Is it okay to do it this way or should the

Kalasam and Ganapathi Idol should be out side of the fire-place? If they should

be outside, then there is no way the Kalasam could be to the North East if the

HomaKundam.

 

2. In the poorvagam (preliminary offering) on page 17, the second mantra, " Om

Indraya Swaha! IndrayEdam Namama " should be done pouring the ghee from the

SouthWest to NorthEast, according to the document. This should be done with the

Shruk (Big Spoon) according to the system that I learnt for our Sharmaji. Other

than this, everywhere else I am just using the small spoon only, even in that

system. I did not know that these (Shruk and Shruvam) are representing the male

and female elements. Can you shed more light on the subject, as to what is the

inner meaning of using these two spoons etc?

 

3. One other small aspect that I noticed is there is a certain kriya where the

water in the Shuddi Patra should be pushed from west to east (three times) with

the pavitram and pavitram is eventually made knot-free and put in the fire after

dipping in the ghee. This is something I did not find in your document. Could

you please explain the meaning of this and why this was skipped in the document.

In fact, your document does not mention the suddhi patra separately other than

the Kalasam. Or is it that the Kalasam and the Shuddhi Patra are same? I am a

bit confused. The Shuddi patra, the Aajya Patra, the Shruk and Shruvam make it

Chatushpatra Prayogam, as I understand. Is there a different name for the

prayogam that you documented? I know you tried to simplify the whole thing, but

anyway, if I understand these finer aspects, I feel better.

 

I hope you will be willing to answer these simple questions and if not, please

let me know why not!

 

With Regards,

 

 

Nagraj

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sri Nagraj garu,

 

1. Either is fine. Though northeast is preferred, it is not mandatory. If your

homa kundam is small and you have a chance to put the kalasam inside the

fireplace, that may be better. But placing it outside in another direction and

closer to you is ok too.

 

2. Some people use both sruk and sruva for ALL ghee offerings. They

systematically pour ghee from sruva (small ladle) into sruk (big ladle) and then

pour from sruk into fire. I skipped that in my document altogether. You were

apparently taught to do that with one specific offering. You may do what you

were taught. Using just one ladle/spoon and making all ghee offerings with it is

also perfectly fine. More on the symbolism at the end.

 

3. There can be a kalasam and a suddhi patra (what I called in the document as a

tumbler with water). I mentioned that one can optionally have a kalasam in the

northeast, invoke Varuna and do shodasopachara pooja to him in a long homam.

But, in a short homam, suddhi paatra (tumbler with purifying water) and kalasam

are integrated.

 

* * *

 

The fire in homa kundam is symbolic of the bhootaagni (existential fire) burning

inside one, which digests various experiences brought by the conditioning of

individualized consciousness. Aajya paatra (ghee container) is symbolic of the

consciousness that is individualized by conditioning. Pouring ghee in fire is

symbolic of offering a past karma that conditions the individualized

consciousness in a particular way, and burning it in the existential fire.

 

Sru means to flow. Sruk and sruva enable ghee to flow through them. The Ida and

Pingala nadis let consciousness flow through them. Sruk or the big ladle

represents Ida (female/Moon). Sruva or the small ladle represents Pingala

(male/Sun). Ida is the channel of surrender, while Pingala is the channel of

discrimination.

 

Offering ghee in fire using sruva is symbolic of burning one's conditioning

using the channel of discrimination. Offering ghee in fire using sruk is

symbolic of burning one's conditioning using the channel of surrender. Using

both sruva and sruk means using the discrimination and then surrendering due to

discrimination. The conditioning passes through the channels of discrimination

and surrender both.

 

* * *

 

Making offerings in fire to a deity on a regular basis while chanting a mantra

and imagining the deity in fire is the key thing and all other factors are

secondary and tertiary. Not every factor is equally crucial. I suggest not

worrying about too many details. One should follow the procedure one has learnt.

 

Apart from the ritual, learn to discriminate and surrender. Discriminate - do

not mix up real things that matter and temporary things that matter not.

Surrender - realize that god is the master and we are temporary caretakers of

everything in our possession, including relatives, properties , name, fame,

image and even body. If various aspects of mental conditioning that give rise to

certain thoughts, experiences, actions etc are flown through the channels of

discrimination and also surrender, and then burnt, one becomes eventually free,

ritual or no ritual. Even a simple ritual of homam can eventually stimulate this

process.

 

Best regards,

Narasimha

-

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" Do It Yourself " ritual manuals for short Homam and Pitri Tarpana:

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Spirituality:

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-

 

, " nagraj " <nagraj_um wrote:

>

> Dear Sri Narasimha Garu,

>

> I was able to perform the Homam last couple of sundays and plan to practise it

as often as I could. Now some more questions.

>

> 1. Your document says that the Kalasam should be established to the North East

of the HomaKundam. My fireplace is situated on the eastern side of the house and

I will be facing east as I sit, just like how it is preferred. My homakundam is

small enough that I can establish the Kalasam also within the fire-place to the

North East of the Homa Kundam and The Ganapathi Idol also right in front of the

Kalasam, within the fireplace. Is it okay to do it this way or should the

Kalasam and Ganapathi Idol should be out side of the fire-place? If they should

be outside, then there is no way the Kalasam could be to the North East if the

HomaKundam.

>

> 2. In the poorvagam (preliminary offering) on page 17, the second mantra, " Om

Indraya Swaha! IndrayEdam Namama " should be done pouring the ghee from the

SouthWest to NorthEast, according to the document. This should be done with the

Shruk (Big Spoon) according to the system that I learnt for our Sharmaji. Other

than this, everywhere else I am just using the small spoon only, even in that

system. I did not know that these (Shruk and Shruvam) are representing the male

and female elements. Can you shed more light on the subject, as to what is the

inner meaning of using these two spoons etc?

>

> 3. One other small aspect that I noticed is there is a certain kriya where the

water in the Shuddi Patra should be pushed from west to east (three times) with

the pavitram and pavitram is eventually made knot-free and put in the fire after

dipping in the ghee. This is something I did not find in your document. Could

you please explain the meaning of this and why this was skipped in the document.

In fact, your document does not mention the suddhi patra separately other than

the Kalasam. Or is it that the Kalasam and the Shuddhi Patra are same? I am a

bit confused. The Shuddi patra, the Aajya Patra, the Shruk and Shruvam make it

Chatushpatra Prayogam, as I understand. Is there a different name for the

prayogam that you documented? I know you tried to simplify the whole thing, but

anyway, if I understand these finer aspects, I feel better.

>

> I hope you will be willing to answer these simple questions and if not, please

let me know why not!

>

> With Regards,

>

>

> Nagraj