Certain guidelines for doing bhagavath AarAdhanam (SAlagrAma mUrti AarAdhanam)

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SrI:

SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:

Dear SrI VaishNavas,

 

Based on SrI sanndhi Aahnika grantam and such Aahnika grantams, I outline

certain guidelines for doing bhagavath AarAdhanam. The following is not a

comprehensive list but a sub-set of certain essentials.

The condition & actions of the qualified person who is doing Bhagavath

AarAdhanam is very important. The saccharitra-sudhA-nidhi enumerates it.

1. While doing AarAdhanam, one must not be with anger (kOpam).

2. AarAdhanam must not be done in a hurriedly-manner.

3. The place where AarAdhanam is performed must not be drenched with water.

That is, the place should be clean but it should not be wet or made wet during

AarAdhanam.

4. The utensils must not be placed/used noisily.

5. Caressing infants etc must not be done during AarAdhanam.

6. Making roaring noise (hUmkAram) and thus frightening someone, crying,

laughing, sleeping, exhibiting gesture of laziness, unnecessarily talking,

criticizing someone/something are prohibited during AarAdhanam.

7. In the similar manner, tummal, koTTavi, apAnam etc., are also prohibited in

bhagavath sannadhi.

8. Offering the upachArams without looking at bhagavath mUrti and without

dedication is prohibited.

9. Touching any part of the body below the nAbi is prohibited during

AarAdhanam. Also, touching mouth, tongue etc are prohibited during AarAdhanam.

 

 

akrudhyan atvaran Aardram akurvan mahItalam

aSabdayan pAtrasangam bAlAn anupalAlayan

hUnkAram rOdanam hAsam nidrAm Alasya bhAshaNe

bhagavat vadanAmbhOjam hitvA-anyatra-avalOkanam

EtAn-ananyAnScha-upachArAn pUjA-kAlE vivarjayEth

 

SrI pAncharAtra raksha has enumerated 32 apachArams that are prohibited during

AarAdhanam.

 

Always, we have to stand on the right side of BhagavAn and do AarAdhanam,

japam, prANAyAmam, recite stOtrams etc.

sEvAm japam praNAmAnSca sutim pUjAm c sarvadA

dEvasya dakshiNE pArSvE karmANyanyAni cha-AcharEth

 

During AarAdhanam, one must not wear the uttarIyam twisted over chest as

yagnyOpavItam or on shoulders. One should wear it on the waist properly.

 

pradhakshiNE praNAmE cha dEvatA guru sannidow

vastra nishpIdanE snAna upastAnE-abhivAdanE

dhAryam kaTyAm uttarIyam pitru kAryE surAlayE

 

The namaskArams, dandavath praNAmams must be done in even numbers - minimum

twice.

pradhakshiNAn praNAmAnSca yugmAnEva samAcarEth na vishamAn

pradakshiNa namaskArAn yugmAnEva samAcharEth

The above mentioned anushTAnams is also told in prapancha-sAram's dIkshA

prakaraNam as

mantraiSca vaishNavais-stOtrai: stutvA dEvam janArdanam

praNamEd dviS-chaturvApi anyatA kilbishi bhavEth.

Further in the same context see pAramESwara samhita

dividA pradakshiNam kuryAt praNAmam cha thAtAvidam

naika-tri-pancha-saptAdi gaNanA vishamam hi yath.

The same anushTAnams is clear in SrI vangipura nambi kArikais.

AzhwAr says " kaigaLArath thozhudu thozhudu... "

 

When we enter bhagavath sannadhi, we must first place our right leg and

enter.

prathamam dakshiNam pAdam vinyasyanta: praviSya cha

praNinimsu: pramAtmAnam bhakti-nighnEna chEtasA

(SrI vangISa-kArikA)

Even in our house, we should do namaskArams to bhagavath dwAra pAlakAs while

entering bhagavath sannadhi.

 

As per jayAkya-samhitA, ghaNTA-nAdam (sounding the bell) is mandatory for

bhagavath AarAdhanam.

The pramANam for that is as follows:

sarva-vAdya-mayI ghanTA sarva-dEva-mayO hari:

ghanTA Sabda-gatham sarvam tasmAthtAm cAlayEth purA

pUjAkAlam vinA_Anyatra hitam nasyA: prachAlanam

nAnayA tu vinA kAryam pUjanE sidhdimichcatA

 

The ghanTA is celebrated to have all divine sounds-instruments and its sound

nAdam has all Sabdam and SAstrams. It should be therefore very reverentially

used in the AarAdhanam of Hari (SrIman nArAyaNan) as he is everything.

But during odd times, we should not sound the ghaNTA.

 

Also points to be noted regarding ghaNTA and its nAdam.

Now-a-days, many people buy the ghaNTA from shop and just use it in

AarAdhanam. This is prohibited. The pratishTA (consecration) must be done to

ghaNTA as per SAstra and only then it must be used in AarAdhanam. The samhitA

gives the pramANam.

asamskrutAyAScalanE grAmAdESchalanam bhavEth

anyathA nishpalA pUjA parasya paramAtmana:

If ghaNTA without being subjected to pratishTA is used in AarAdhanam, it

causes evil to the place and surroundings and leads to invalidation of good

results of the AarAdhanam.

 

If the ghaNTA subjected to proper pratishTA is used in AarAdhanam (which is

told to be mandatory), then mumukshu darpaNa vyAkyAnams says

ghaNTAm ninAdya dEvAnAm AagamArtham cha raksharAm

utsAraNArtham bhakthtAnAm sAninidhyAya viSEshata:

Also, AavAhanArtham dEvAnAm, trAsanArtham suradvishAm, ghaNTAm ninAdayEth

Only when the ghaNTA subjected to proper pratishTA is used, it invokes

dEva-sAnidhyam and drives away the evils and confers prosperity.

 

In vAsudEva samhiTa, the following pramANams are found:

ghaNTAyAs tAdanam kuryAd hare: pUjAdi karmasu

udhdatanE kavAtasya prastutE pUjanE thathA

AavAhanE-arghyam snapanE vivAhE dhUpa-dIpakE

bali-karmaNi home cha Eka-pArSvEna tAdayEth

nIrAnjanE yavanikA samuddhArE nivEdanE

pArSvAbhyAm tAdanam kuryAd upachArAntarEshu tu

 

During bhagavath AarAdhanam, when we open the door of bhagavath sannadhi

(tirukkOvilAzhwAr), AavAhanam (in bhagavath vigraham), offering arghyam,

tiru-manjanam, dUpam, dIpam, bali-karmam, hOmam etc., the ghaNTA should be

carefully sounded such that its tongue hits only one side of the bell's

circumference.

 

During hArati (karpUra hArati etc), removing the screen before the Lord after

alankAram etc., offering bhOjyAsanam-taLigai-nivEdanam etc., the ghaNTA

should be carefully sounded such that its tongue hits both the sides of the

bell's circumference.

 

Also, when we lift the bell, we have to use our right hand. Similarly for

placing the bell in a proper place, we have use only our right hand. The

ghaNTA should not be placed on bare ground. When right hand is busy/engaged in

offering other upachArams (eg., dIpam, dUpam), then we can sound the bell

using left hand. The SrI kara samhitA has pramANam - dUpam dadyAth swayam

kinjith ghaNTAm vAmEna nAdayan. But in such cases, we should have previously

lifted the bell using our right hand and passed it on to the left hand for

sounding it. Similarly after dUpam, dIpam offering is completed and the

utensils are placed properly., we must pass the bell from left hand to right

hand and then place it using our right hand.

 

There is no need for ShOshaNam, dAhanam and plAvanam for consecrated ghaNTA.

 

When we clap our hands three times at the start of AarAdhanam just before

suprabhAtam to bhagavAn. There is an order in this also as mentioned by our

Aahnika grantam.

vAmam dakshiNa hastEna, vAma hastEna dakshiNam

punar vAma tale hanyAth anguLIbhistu tAdanam

1. Keeping the left hand palm stationary and raised horizontally - facing up,

use right hand palm and clap on it.

2. Keeping the right hand palm stationary and raised horizontally - facing up,

use left hand palm and clap on it.

3. Using the right hand fingers, clap on the left hand palm.

 

If ubhaya-vEdAnta vidwAns find any error in my words, I request them to kindly

correct me. I will write more on guidelines for doing bhagavath AarAdhanam and

related aspects whenever time permits.

 

Thanks & Regards

naidhruva mAdabhUshi S. HARI rAmAnuja dAsan (mshari)