Beginner Puja –Day 4- Let’s start at the very beginning

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Today is the real deal!

 

No weary theory! No angst giving lists of items to buy! No philosophy to ponder over!

 

We are diving right into the Beginner Shiva Puja book by Swami

Satyananda Saraswati. Praise be to him for giving us this tool for

reaching the Divine.

 

So go to your altars, sit on your asan and look into the eyes of your beloved deity and let go!!!!

 

The first verse of the puja starts of with

“Om Sada Shivaya ….” , and ends in “pracodayaat”

 

As Grace can tell you, that verse is a Gayatri . Specifically it is Shiva’s Gayatri.

Now when most folks say “Gayatri” they refer to the most famous of

them all – the Savitri Gayatri which starts of with “Om bhuh bhuvah

Svah”. That’s why we need to make the distinction here . The first

verse in the Beginner Shiva Book is the Shiva Gayatri.

 

And the Gayatri is an invocation to the deity – in this case Lord Shiva.

 

Notice dear readers, we have satisfied one of the five requirements of

a puja . Can anyone say what it is? (Twenty bonus points if you can.

It will add to the test at the end of this series. Oyez there is a

test!!! Let it not be said that Nanda loved her students too well but

not wisely enough. )

 

So we recite the Gayatri and what happens? Shiva appears!!!

 

That is the second verse “Om Agni Jyoti ….. Esha Dipah Om Namah Shivaya”

 

We welcome him with the waving of lights in vertical circles – in some

parts of India, when someone very honored is visiting; they wave a

light in clockwise direction around the face of the person. It is

supposed to be auspicious and ward off inimical spirits.

 

So in the same way, when Shiva comes in, we want to make sure we are

fully present for him and we ward off all negativities.

 

We wave the light – it could be tea light placed on a plate - we wave

it in a clock-wise direction. (NEVER EVER anti-clockwise!! I believe

once Brian had asked Swamiji this question. I must gently remind him

to answer, as I too would like to know why clockwise?”

 

The third verse “Om Vanaspatir …Esha Dhupah Om Namah Shivaya”

Here we wave incense in vertical circles – again in a clockwise

direction. Why incense? Well, again this is a way of restraining one

of your senses. So that you are not disturbed from the tantalizing

smells wafting from the kitchen.

 

The idea is to bring all our senses within so that our only focus is

on Shiva and we take the help of all the puja objects (the list we

made) to make this focus happen.

 

Also, if you are like me, certain smells remind me of certain moods

and times. Lighting the incense automatically puts me in a prayerful

mood. So this is another way of making the external influences and

our senses work for us instead of against us.

OK, before I proceed further, I would like to emphasize two points

 

1) Your asan. The way we sit on the floor. We try to sit on the

mat/asan crosslegged, our spine erect, but preferably in Swastikasana

or Padmasana. These asanas have been discussed many times on our group

and also suggestions from people as to how to work up to these

positions. Please let me know if any one needs any extra input – ask

specific questions – and I will be sure to answer in my next post.

2) Pronunciation – A common problem with all of us - I don’t know how

to pronounce properly. What do I do? Worse, will I offend the deity?

Well, you heard Swamiji say to Grace in my previous post “The Gods

are interested in our devotion and sincerity. If there are technical

imperfections they will forgive us.”

So DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PRONUNCIATION and let your devotion guide you.

But what you CAN do are two things

Get the companion CD that goes with the Beginner Shiva Puja book so

that you have the master – Swamiji himself teaching you how to chant.

Understand the key to the pronunciation – the key for the

transliteration is available in the Chandi Path book. (Not sure where

else it is available, but for sure in this book)

 

Your assignments for today:

a) Try to chant the Sanskrit and read the English of the first three

verses that we discussed today.

b) Sit on the floor and try out Swastikasana or Padmasana. The

description of these poses are given as under

 

Padmasana aka Lotus Posture

Placing the feet with the soles showing, on the opposite thighs,

(crossing the legs with the right foot on the left thigh and the left

foot on the right thigh) and catching by the right hand brought around

the back, the toes of the right foot, and catching by the left hand

brought around the back, the toes of the left foot; then sitting

straight with ease. This is called Padmasana and is beloved by Yogis.

Note: According to others, it is not necessary for the hands to be

carried around the back to grab their respective toes. Both of the

hands may be crossed and placed on the lap.

Svastikasana aka Excellent Attainment Posture

Place the feet on the inner side of the knees with the soles facing

upwards. For the attainment of Truth by certain Yogis, this is known

as Svastikasana.

 

I look forward to hearing how your assignments went!

JAI SHIVA

[Guest guest]

Dear Nanda,

As Grace can tell you it is the invitation for the lord to come to our

place for tea( english way of saying dinner)

Jai Ma and Jai Swamiji

Grace

On 22/03/2005, at 3:52 PM, Nanda wrote:

> Dear All,

>

> Today is the real deal!

>

>  

>

> No weary theory! No angst giving lists of items to buy! No philosophy

> to ponder over!

>

>  

>

> We are diving right into the Beginner Shiva Puja book by Swami

> Satyananda Saraswati. Praise be to him for giving us this tool for

> reaching the Divine.

>

>  

>

> So go to your altars, sit on your asan and look into the eyes of your

> beloved deity and let go!!!!

>

>  

>

> The first verse of the puja starts of with

>

> “Om Sada Shivaya ….” , and ends in “pracodayaat”

>

>  

>

> As Grace can tell you, that verse is a Gayatri . Specifically it is

> Shiva’s Gayatri.

>

> Now when most folks say “Gayatri” they refer to the most famous of

> them all – the Savitri Gayatri which starts of with “Om bhuh bhuvah

> Svah”. That’s why we need to make the distinction here . The first

> verse in the Beginner Shiva Book is the Shiva Gayatri.

>

>  

>

> And the Gayatri is an invocation to the deity – in this case Lord

> Shiva.

>

>  

>

> Notice dear readers, we have satisfied one of the five requirements of

> a puja . Can anyone say what it is? (Twenty bonus points if you can.

> It will add to the test at the end of this series. Oyez there is a

> test!!! Let it not be said that Nanda loved her students too well but

> not wisely enough. )

>

>  

>

> So we recite the Gayatri and what happens? Shiva appears!!!

>

>  

>

> That is the second verse

> “Om Agni Jyoti ….. Esha Dipah Om Namah Shivaya”

>

>  

>

> We welcome him with the waving of lights in vertical circles – in some

> parts of India, when someone very honored is visiting; they wave a

> light in clockwise direction around the face of the person. It is

> supposed to be auspicious and ward off inimical spirits.

>

>  

>

> So in the same way, when Shiva comes in, we want to make sure we are

> fully present for him and we ward off all negativities.

>

>  

>

> We wave the light – it could be tea light placed on a plate - we wave

> it in a clock-wise direction. (NEVER EVER anti-clockwise!! I believe

> once Brian had asked Swamiji this question. I must gently remind him

> to answer, as I too would like to know why clockwise?”

>

>  

>

> The third verse

> “Om Vanaspatir …Esha Dhupah Om Namah Shivaya”

>

>  Here we wave incense in vertical circles – again in a clockwise

> direction.  Why incense? Well, again this is a way of restraining one

> of your senses. So that you are not disturbed from the tantalizing

> smells wafting from the kitchen.

>

>  

>

> The idea is to bring all our senses within so that our only focus is

> on Shiva and we take the help of all the puja objects (the list we

> made) to make this focus happen.

>

>  

>

> Also, if you are like me, certain smells remind me of certain moods

> and times. Lighting the incense automatically puts me in a prayerful

> mood. So this is another way of making the external influences and our

> senses work for us instead of against us.

>

> OK, before I proceed further, I would like to emphasize two points

>

>  

>

> 1) Your asan. The way we sit on the floor. We try to sit on the

> mat/asan crosslegged, our spine erect, but preferably in Swastikasana

> or Padmasana. These asanas have been discussed many times on our group

> and also suggestions from people as to how to work up to these

> positions. Please let me know if any one needs any extra input – ask

> specific questions – and I will be sure to answer in my next post.

>

> 2) Pronunciation – A common problem with all of us  - I don’t know how

> to pronounce properly. What do I do? Worse, will I offend the deity?

> Well, you heard Swamiji say to Grace in my previous post “The Gods are

> interested in our devotion and sincerity. If there are technical

> imperfections they will forgive us.”

>

> So DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PRONUNCIATION and let your devotion guide you.

>  

>

> But what you CAN do are two things

>

> Get the companion CD that goes with the Beginner Shiva Puja book so

> that you have the master – Swamiji himself teaching you how to chant.

>

> Understand the key to the pronunciation – the key for the

> transliteration is available in the Chandi Path book. (Not sure where

> else it is available, but for sure in this book)

>

>  

>

> Your assignments for today:

>

> a) Try to chant the Sanskrit and read the English of the first three

> verses that we discussed today.

>

> b) Sit on the floor and try out Swastikasana or Padmasana. The

> description of these poses are given as under

>

>  

>

> Padmasana  aka Lotus Posture

>

> Placing the feet with the soles showing, on the opposite thighs,

> (crossing the legs with the right foot on the left thigh and the left

> foot on the right thigh) and catching by the right hand brought around

> the back, the toes of the right foot, and catching by the left hand

> brought around the back, the toes of the left foot; then sitting

> straight with ease. This is called Padmasana and is beloved by Yogis.

> Note: According to others, it is not necessary for the hands to be

> carried around the back to grab their respective toes. Both of the

> hands may be crossed and placed on the lap. 

>

> Svastikasana aka Excellent Attainment Posture

>

> Place the feet on the inner side of the knees with the soles facing

> upwards. For the attainment of Truth by certain Yogis, this is known

> as Svastikasana. 

>

>  

>

> I look forward to hearing how your assignments went!

>

> JAI SHIVA

>

>

>

> Sponsor

>

>

> <22305_0205_016_b_300250_a.gif>

> <l.gif>

>

> Links

>

> •

> /

>  

> •

>

>  

> • Terms of

> Service.

>

>

Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored]