SHREE KRISHNAJAYANTI

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Worshiping THE LORD

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Symbolic Meaning of Acts Performed During Hindu Pujas and Prayers

 

 

A simple prayer before the deity with hands folded and placed near the

heart is the most common form of praying in Hindu religion. But there

are also various other acts that Hindus perform while praying like

lighting the lamp, offering flowers and leaves, burning camphor or

offering food etc. In Hinduism, each act performed has a symbolic

meaning.

 

 

 

Sprinkling of Water and Sipping while doing Puja

 

 

 

Sprinkling of water symbolically performs the purification of the

surroundings. Sipping of water is purification of oneself.

 

 

 

Lighting of Lamp

 

 

 

It symbolizes removal of ignorance and ushering in of knowledge. The

wick in the traditional oil lamp symbolizes ego and the oil or ghee used

symbolizes our negative tendencies. When we are lit by self knowledge,

the negative tendencies (oil) melt away and finally the ego (wick)

perishes. (More details in this post

 

 

 

 

Burning of Camphor

 

 

 

Burning of camphor symbolizes the destruction of our egos and arrogance.

When ego melts what is left is the pure Self.

 

 

 

Lighting of Incense and Agarbathis

 

 

 

This is used for fragrance which symbolically suggests the presence of

the deity and the love of deity.

 

 

 

Performing Aarati or waving of lamp around the deity

 

 

 

Waving of lamp and camphor around the deity is symbolically an act of

surrender.

 

 

 

Breaking of Coconut

 

 

 

Symbolically breaking of coconut is act of destruction of one's ego.

Coconut kernel and the water is also considered to be the purest form of

offering that a devotee can make. (more details in this post

 

 

 

Offering of Betel leaves and Betel nuts

 

 

 

Betel leaves and nuts symbolize fertility and is usually offered for the

birth of children at home. It is also part of all important pujas in

South India.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bells Rung during Puja

 

 

 

The bells that are rung during puja are to keep out other noises and it

is also a means of celebrations. Bells rung in the beginning is done to

ward away evil forces.

 

 

 

Offering of Food or nevediya

 

 

 

 

Symbolically, offering of good indicates a thanksgiving to the deity. It

is an act of sharing God's bounty. It is then distributed as

'prasad.' What is offered should be shared with the poor and the needy.

 

 

 

Offering of Flowers

 

 

 

Flowers are offered basically because of their fragrance and due to the

association of a particular flower with a particular deity. For example

Bilva leaf is associated with Lord Shiva and Tulsi with Lord Vishnu.

Puranas have stories which explain why a particular flower is associated

with a particular deity.

 

 

 

On the symbolic level, the flowers and leaves are picked up with five

fingers and is offered with all five fingers. It is usually placed at

the feet of the deity. The five fingers symbolically indicate the five

senses and thereby surrendering of it before the deity.

 

 

 

Flowers are also offered by bringing it close to one's heart. This

symbolically suggests that one is offering the soul or atma to the

deity.

 

 

 

 

 

Walking thrice around the deity or Pradakshina

 

 

 

 

In some places mainly in temples people walk around the Sanctum

Sanctorum three times in clockwise direction. It is symbolically to

cross the nether world, earth and heaven to reach Brahman. (More details

in this post

 

 

 

 

Knocking the two ends of forehead before Pujas in South India

 

 

 

Some devotees knock the two ends of forehead before beginning prayer and

puja in South India. It is believed that the nerves connecting to the

intellect passes through these two ends and the knocking is to invoke

Lord Ganesha, the god of Budhi (intellect).

 

 

 

Arms crossed across the chest and holding ear tips

 

 

 

In South India, Hindus while praying knock both the sides of forehead

and then put arms crossed across the chest and hold ear tips and then

sits and stands before the deity a few times. This is known was

Thoppukaranam in South. It is a sort of self-imposed penance and praying

for forgiveness.

 

 

 

JAI SHREE KRISHNA !