Ritualistic Deity-worship at home .

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna ! Dear Bhaktas , Many Hindus are confused about the ritualistic Deity worship at home . They install many Moorties at home and perform rituals like *Abhishekam* , Pooja etc according to their own ideas . Often such rituals are not in accordance with the *Agamas* specifications and it's mandatory purity . *Shanmata* system in Brahmin families Brahmin families have *Thevara Moorthies* , for deity worship at home . Traditionally , Brahmin families are well trained on the Shanmata system which was established by Adi SankarachAraya . In this six major Deities are worshipped. Smarta Brahmins accept and worship the six manifestations of God, (Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti Vishnu, Surya and Skanda) . One Deity is worshipped as *Ishta-deva* and the others as Upa-devas . The choice of the *Ishta-deva* is according to the family tradition . The family tradition specify the exact rituals to be performed as well as the rules applicable to it . Need for Caution Very often , unskilled Hindus too follow the above Brahminical example without knowing the fact that many rules of temples need to be followed for such domestic rituals . Mistakes in the ritualistic worship , do have negative impacts . A Deity is the replica of a God that breathes life . An Easy processA Devotee can keep a picture of his/her *Ishta-deva* in the designated Pooja-room , and decorate it with flowers and garlands . Lit lamp in the front using wicks and oil . And Agarbatis and Camphor can be lit and water can be offered . Additionally , sattvic food items like sugar candy, sweet rice, ghee, saskuli [rice-flour cakes], apupa [various sweet cakes], modaka [steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and sugar], samyava [wheat cakes made with ghee and milk and covered with sugar and spices], yogurt, and vegetable soups could be offered to Bhagavan . Then offer *Nama-japam* to the Ishta-deva . Reciting of vedic scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam , Ramayanam , Narayaneeyam , is excellent . What is important to Bhagavan is your *SaranAgati* and *Bhakti* . Om Namo Narayanaya !!!

[Guest guest]

I remember inmy family we had my grandmother worshipping Shaligram. It

was taken away by some relative or neighbour after she passed away,and

remembering this, I got a Shaligram (in fact three of them). I really

do not know how to worship them, so I just placed them beside Radha

Krishna, and annoint them with tilak. Unless we learn from a

specialist, it is better not to attempt wrongly the worship of

deities. Chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra is sufficient for daily life

to evolve.Regular Japa practice alone leads us to higher attainments.

 

Hare Krishna

 

, " krishnadaya "

<krishnadaya wrote:

>

> Hare Krishna ! Dear Bhaktas , Many Hindus are confused about the

> ritualistic Deity worship at home . They install many Moorties at

home

> and perform rituals like *Abhishekam* , Pooja etc according to

their

> own ideas . Often such rituals are not in accordance with the

*Agamas*

> specifications and it's mandatory purity . *Shanmata* system in

> Brahmin families Brahmin families have *Thevara Moorthies* , for

deity

> worship at home . Traditionally , Brahmin families are well trained

on

> the Shanmata system which was established by Adi SankarachAraya . In

> this six major Deities are worshipped. Smarta Brahmins accept and

> worship the six manifestations of God, (Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti

Vishnu,

> Surya and Skanda) . One Deity is worshipped as *Ishta-deva* and the

> others as Upa-devas . The choice of the *Ishta-deva* is according

to

> the family tradition . The family tradition specify the exact

rituals to

> be performed as well as the rules applicable to it . Need for

Caution

> Very often , non-Hindus too follow the above Brahminical example

without

> knowing the fact that many rules of temples need to be followed for

> such domestic rituals . Mistakes in the ritualistic worship , do

have

> negative impacts . A Deity is the replica of a God that breathes

life .

> An Easy process

> A Devotee can keep a picture of his/her *Ishta-deva* in the

designated

> Pooja-room , and decorate it with flowers and garlands . Lit lamp

in

> the front using wicks and oil . And Agarbatis and Camphor can be

lit

> and water can be offered . Additionally , sattvic food items like

sugar

> candy, sweet rice, ghee, saskuli [rice-flour cakes], apupa [various

> sweet cakes], modaka [steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet

> coconut and sugar], samyava [wheat cakes made with ghee and milk and

> covered with sugar and spices], yogurt, and vegetable soups could be

> offered to Bhagavan .

> Then offer *Nama-japam* to the Ishta-deva . Reciting of vedic

scriptures

> like Srimad Bhagavatam , Ramayanam , Narayaneeyam , is excellent .

What

> is important to Bhagavan is your *SaranAgati* and *Bhakti* .

> Om Namo Narayanaya !!!

>

[Guest guest]

Gentlemen,

 

I cannot understand the meaning of 'unskilled hindus.....Now if the one who do the worship of any deity is the 'skilled hindu,then frankly speaking,howmany skilled hindus are there now a days.......almost 90% do the worship just for a sake or to show others or forced to do because of other reasons.It is the other 10% who really worships the god,and the real BRAHMIN,real brahmin because they knows where god exists,they also knows it is not just 'manthrochaarana' it is mainly the bakthi which takes us to god and gives the desired result.The mantra,abhishekam etc are the equipments if did in a properway gives immense satisfaction to the person who practises it.

 

We all know,that in the story of guruvayoor temple what happened to the devotee who prayed 'MARAPRABHO'instead of 'AMARAPRABHO".Hence I think it is the pure bakthi which gives the result,not mantras.Without bakthi even if you tell any mantra anytimes, nothing is going to happen.But with BAKTHI even if you pronounce any mantra wrong UNKNOWINGLY,the result will be definitely unbelievable.............

 

A Silent member

 

 

krishnadaya <krishnadayaguruvayur Sent: Monday, 2 March, 2009 6:58:17 PM[Guruvayur] Ritualistic Deity-worship at Home .

 

 

Hare Krishna ! Dear Bhaktas ,

Many Hindus are confused about the ritualistic Deity worship at home . They install many Moorties at home and perform rituals like *Abhishekam* , Pooja etc according to their own ideas . Often such rituals are not in accordance with the *Agamas* specifications and it's mandatory purity .

*Shanmata* system in Brahmin families

Brahmin families have *Thevara Moorthies* , for deity worship at home . Traditionally , Brahmin families are well trained on the Shanmata system which was established by Adi SankarachAraya . In this six major Deities are worshipped.

Smarta Brahmins accept and worship the six manifestations of God, (Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti Vishnu, Surya and Skanda) . One Deity is worshipped as *Ishta-deva* and the others as Upa-devas . The choice of the *Ishta-deva* is according to the family tradition .

The family tradition specify the exact rituals to be performed as well as the rules applicable to it .

Need for Caution

Very often , unskilled Hindus too follow the above Brahminical example without knowing the fact that many rules of temples need to be followed for such domestic rituals . Mistakes in the ritualistic worship , do have negative impacts . A Deity is the replica of a God that breathes life .

An Easy process

A Devotee can keep a picture of his/her *Ishta-deva* in the designated Pooja-room , and decorate it with flowers and garlands . Lit lamp in the front using wicks and oil . And Agarbatis and Camphor can be lit and water can be offered . Additionally , sattvic food items like sugar candy, sweet rice, ghee, saskuli [rice-flour cakes], apupa [various sweet cakes], modaka [steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and sugar], samyava [wheat cakes made with ghee and milk and covered with sugar and spices], yogurt, and vegetable soups could be offered to Bhagavan .

Then offer *Nama-japam* to the Ishta-deva . Reciting of vedic scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam , Ramayanam , Narayaneeyam , is excellent . What is important to Bhagavan is your *SaranAgati* and *Bhakti* .

Om Namo Narayanaya !!!

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[Guest guest]

Krishna Guruvayoorappa ! Dear Bhaktas ,

Thanks to Sri Nairji for gifting the wise advice of MahAtma Aanjam Madhavan Namboodiri :

" If every individual in every home chants the Bhagavan's, holy name, NARAYANA daily, that household will feel HIS presence and always be protected by Him. Only a learned person , well-versed in the vedas and trained in that field should attempt to do pooja rituals. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It might back-fire."

It is never my intention to hurt anyone and therefore my apologies to all hurt by my quote "Unskilled Hindus" . Having learned in Malayalam-medium , my English is not eloquent . The term "Unskilled" was borrowed from Construction Industry wherein this categorization is popular :

· Skilled ( Well trained Technicians) .

· Semi-skilled ( Partially trained Personnel )

· Unskilled ( Untrained Manpower who work only under Supervision)

I have not learned Vedam and never been trained in the vedic field by any Acharyan . Thus , I always consider self as an *unskilled-Hindu* ; and this reflects in my quotes . My credentials are just *Nama-japam* , daily reciting of *Narayaneeyam* and Temple-worship . Bhagavan has mercifully bestowed three qualified Namboodiris around my work table . All of them are competent in both Vedam and Jyothisham ; and experts in temple rituals . One had assisted Brahmasri Malliyoor Sankaran Namboodiri for quite long . I owe the Vedic feedbacks to them .

Om Namo Narayanaya !!!

Krishnadaya

-----------------------------guruvayur , "chirattapuram" <anair1101 wrote:>> Hari-Om> -------> Sreenivasji,> > You are not alone. No one for that matter knows what is meant by " unskilled hindus " It may be a connotation thought up by some so- called all knowing pooja "consultant" or an imposter who knows only Hinglish or Manglish. > Deity worship is absolutely unnecessary and meaningless. We have temples dotted all around the country and now, because of the Hindu emigration, we have them in every country except may be Muslim states. That being so why another mini mandir at home ? A status symbol ?> If due to some reason it is not practicable to visit temples, the alterntive is to have a picture or idol of one's ishta-moorthy in a pooja room and light a lamp and incence stick etc and chant Narayana , narayana ,narayana. The traditional lighting of deepam aand namajapam everyday serves the purpose as well.> > In Geeta Verse : 9/26 > Bhagavan Sree Krishna says:> > > "A leaf or flower or fruit or water> that he offers with devotion ,> I take from the man of self restraint> in response to his devotion."> > Geeta - 9/26> > As Aanjam Madhavan Namboothiri says:> > " If every individual in every home chants the Bhagavan's, holy name, NARAYANA , daily, that household will feel HIS presence and always be protected by Him." > Only a learned person , well-versed in the vedas and trained in that field should attempt to do pooja rituals. > A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It might back-fire. > > jai shree krishna !> > guruvayur , raj sreenivas sssreenivas@ wrote:> >> > Gentlemen,> > > > I cannot understand the meaning of 'unskilled hindus.....Now if the one who do the worship of any deity is the 'skilled hindu,then frankly speaking,howmany skilled hindus are there now a days.......almost 90% do the worship just for a sake or to show others or forced to do because of other reasons.It is the other 10% who really worships the god,and the real BRAHMIN,real brahmin because they knows where god exists,they also knows it is not just 'manthrochaarana' it is mainly the bakthi which takes us to god and gives the desired result.The mantra,abhishekam etc are the equipments if did in a properway gives immense satisfaction to the person who practises it.> > > > We all know,that in the story of guruvayoor temple what happened to the devotee who prayed 'MARAPRABHO'instead of 'AMARAPRABHO".Hence I think it is the pure bakthi which gives the result,not mantras.Without bakthi even if you tell any mantra anytimes, nothing is going to happen.But with BAKTHI even if you pronounce any mantra wrong UNKNOWINGLY,the result will be definitely unbelievable.............> > > > A Silent member> > > > > > ________________________________> > krishnadaya krishnadaya@> > guruvayur > > Monday, 2 March, 2009 6:58:17 PM> > [Guruvayur] Ritualistic Deity-worship at Home .> > > > > > Hare Krishna ! Dear Bhaktas , > > Many Hindus are confused about the ritualistic Deity worship at home. They install many Moorties at home and perform rituals like *Abhishekam* , Pooja etc according to their own ideas. Often such rituals are not in accordance with the *Agamas* specifications and it's mandatory purity . > > *Shanmata* system in Brahmin families > > Brahmin families have *Thevara Moorthies* , for deity worship at home . Traditionally , Brahmin families are well trained on the Shanmata system which was established by Adi SankarachAraya . In this six major Deities are worshipped. > > Smarta Brahmins accept and worship the six manifestations of God, (Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti Vishnu, Surya and Skanda) . One Deity is worshipped as *Ishta-deva* and the others as Upa-devas. The choice of the *Ishta-deva* is according to the family tradition . > > The family tradition specify the exact rituals to be performed as well as the rules applicable to it. > > Need for Caution > > Very often , unskilled Hindus too follow the above Brahminical example without knowing the fact that many rules of temples need to be followed for such domestic rituals . Mistakes in the ritualistic worship , do have negative impacts. A Deity is the replica of a God that breathes life. > > An Easy process> > A Devotee can keep a picture of his/her *Ishta-deva* in the designated Pooja-room , and decorate it with flowers and garlands . Lit lamp in the front using wicks and oil . And Agarbatis and Camphor can be lit and water can be offered. Additionally , sattvic food items like sugar candy, sweet rice, ghee, saskuli [rice-flour cakes], apupa [various sweet cakes], modaka [steamed rice-flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and sugar], samyava [wheat cakes made with ghee and milk and covered with sugar and spices], yogurt, and vegetable soups could be offered to Bhagavan . > > Then offer *Nama-japam* to the Ishta-deva .Reciting of vedic scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam , Ramayanam , Narayaneeyam , is excellent . What is important to Bhagavan is your *SaranAgati* and *Bhakti* . > > OmNamo Narayanaya !!!> > > > > > > > Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger./invite/> >>