Beginner Puja –Day 4- Feedback and Q&A

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

Here is the Q&A for yesterday’s post.

 

Kudos to Grace and Henny – both get 20 bonus points for coming up with

the right answer. The Gayatri in Shiva Puja corresponds to the

“Invitation” part of the puja.

 

Henny’s first question (and may there be MANY MANY more)

“Here's my first question: the puja starts straight away with the

gayatri-invitation. What about the preparation and purification? I

thought this should come first and the invitation would be

theculmination of this first part of the puja?”

 

Good question, and one that I asked Swamiji myself, many moons ago

 

Swamiji said, and I paraphrase, that the five modules of ae puja do

not signify the order in which they appear. For example in Advanced

pujas, we do a lot of elaborate preliminary mantras before invoking

the deity, but in beginner puja we cut across the chase.

 

In this case, our preparation phase was for getting our puja and altars ready before we begin.

 

Purification happens both before and during a puja. Purification

before the puja – example - cleaning the place of worship and having

a bath etc

 

Purification during the puja – example - purifying water and flowers

and bhutashuddhi (this is in intermediate and advanced pujas) etc.

 

So did that clear up your doubt Henny ? Short answer – the 5 modules

do not determine the order of a puja, just that we will definitely

encounter them during our puja.

 

Thank you for your questions and feedback all. We’ll talk on flowers

and the next few verses this evening.

 

Jai Maa

Nanda

 

PS- Grace – I am coming to your place for tea today.

[Guest guest]

Why do we not offer the light and incense to Sri Ganesh first?

ArjunaNanda <chandimaakijai > wrote:

Dear All,

 

Here is the Q&A for yesterday’s post.

 

Kudos to Grace and Henny – both get 20 bonus points for coming up with

the right answer. The Gayatri in Shiva Puja corresponds to the

“Invitation” part of the puja.

 

Henny’s first question (and may there be MANY MANY more)

“Here's my first question: the puja starts straight away with the

gayatri-invitation. What about the preparation and purification? I

thought this should come first and the invitation would be

theculmination of this first part of the puja?”

 

Good question, and one that I asked Swamiji myself, many moons ago

 

Swamiji said, and I paraphrase, that the five modules of ae puja do

not signify the order in which they appear. For example in Advanced

pujas, we do a lot of elaborate preliminary mantras before invoking

the deity, but in beginner puja we cut across the chase.

 

In this case, our preparation phase was for getting our puja and altars ready before we begin.

 

Purification happens both before and during a puja. Purification

before the puja – example - cleaning the place of worship and having

a bath etc

 

Purification during the puja – example - purifying water and flowers

and bhutashuddhi (this is in intermediate and advanced pujas) etc.

 

So did that clear up your doubt Henny ? Short answer – the 5 modules

do not determine the order of a puja, just that we will definitely

encounter them during our puja.

 

Thank you for your questions and feedback all. We’ll talk on flowers

and the next few verses this evening.

 

Jai Maa

Nanda

 

PS- Grace – I am coming to your place for tea today.

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