Abishekam

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

When doing abhishekam for Sri Ambal vigraha at home, must the vigraha be smeared

with vaasanai thailam ( oil ) first? Or can it be excluded? Does the rule apply

to panchaloka vigraha and marble vigraha?

 

Thank you,

Ayyappa

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

In Devi Chatushshashti Upachara Puja (64 upacharas), the 3rd upachara is

" sugandha taila abhyangana " ie., applying scented oil to the sri-vigraha.

 

The 1st upachara is pAdya (washing of feet), the 2nd upachara is

" abharaNAropaNa " ie., removing of ornaments from the sri-vigraha. The 3rd is

" sugandha taila abhyangana " and the 4th is " majjana sAla pravesana " ie.,

bhavana of making the srivigraha enter into the snAna griha (wash room). And so

on till 64 upacharas.

 

Now, the more sensitive one becomes in upasana, the more meticulously one

worships the sriyantra as if one is worshipping the living image before him.

 

Once a devotee asked Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi whether one should worship a

" lifeless " idol with all these upacharas because for the so-called educated

people these upacharas seems to be whimsical. Bhagavan immediately answered

that so long as one worships " this body " (showing His Physical frame) with

morning warm water bath, morning coffee, breakfast with idlis & vada, sumptuous

lunch, evening snacks, night dinner etc. one should worship the idol till one

gets chitta shuddhi.

 

So, it is evident from the above that so long as the upasaka has " deha abhimana "

& " deha dhyAsa " , he should continue with the bhAvana of shodasha upachara or

chatushshashti upacharas etc.

 

After all Mother is " bhAvana gamyA " .

 

Regs,

Sriram

 

 

, " ayyappa_kamala " <ayyappa_kamala wrote:

>

> Dear All,

>

> When doing abhishekam for Sri Ambal vigraha at home, must the vigraha be

smeared with vaasanai thailam ( oil ) first? Or can it be excluded? Does the

rule apply to panchaloka vigraha and marble vigraha?

>

> Thank you,

> Ayyappa

>