Guest guest Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Dear All, We have just finished dancing and singing in front of our beloved Shiva. Our puja is over –not just yet. We always end a puja or recitation or homa with a Pranam. This means we are bowing down with devotion. “So what we were doing all along”, I can hear you asking. Well, the difference here is that we intend to put our case before Shiva and let him know that we did what we have known to be correct. But in the case of any errors committed knowingly or unknowingly to please forgive us. And so we end the puja with a bowing down to our beloved. In the case of the Beginner Shiva Puja, we say “ Om Mahadeva … tvam gati parameshwara” and end with “Om Namah Shivaya” One of the lines in the pranam is especially beautiful – it says, “I offer to you the fullness of my soul” That is what Shiva wants – the last drop of devotion that we keep pressing out from within us. And more precious than the offerings that we made, we are now offering the fullness of our souls. To me this statement stands above all others. Well this concludes the Puja! You could sit in silence for sometime before getting up and going about your worldly businesses. “Waitaminute Nanda”, you say, “What about the Chalisa?” Ah, I am glad you asked. The Chalisa is forty couplets written in the praise of any deity. It means the “Adventures of” that deity. The Chalisa can be recited separately (as we did during Shivaratri where Swamiji sang for us) or after the puja. Most Chalisas can be sung to the same tune. So if you know how the Hanuman Chalisa goes because you have a cassette of that tune, you could reuse that same tune to fit in the Shiva or the Durga Chalisas. To me this is what the Chalisa (or any further singing after the puja completes) signifies – eventhough we have completed the puja, we are loath to get up and get going on other work, so in order to transition from a deep state of prayer to the ornery world, we listen to a (what seems to me) a light-hearted tale of Shiva. So we are still one foot in prayer and the other into the “real” world but we are getting there gradually. Atleast that is my interpretation of why we have a Chalisa after the puja completes. Oh, one nice thing to know – the Shiva Chalisa is especially beneficial if sung during the 13th day of the lunar fortnight – also called Trayodashi. Now that you are all familiar with the panchang, I am sure you can figure out when Trayodashi occurs. OK – we are done with our puja, but not yet on the posts in this series. We have atleast three topics – one on “how to clean up in the evening and get ready for puja for the next day” , second “Final exams” and third “what next?” I look forward to hearing from you with any questions that you may have. Jai Shiva Omkara Nanda Messenger Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Dear Nanda, I have been following this course with two feet as it were ...one with Durga and the other Shiva. The differences are minimal as you have said but when strapped for time Shiva is much quicker for me to do so that is what happens. Now during the Durga, I usually add the 108 names from the Chandi cause I like chanting it. But what is of real interest is that at the end of the Durga are all these beautiful closing prayers. A snipet from here and a snipet from there as it were. And I love chanting it...but there is nothing at the end of the Shiva puja ...WHY? Grace On 04/04/2005, at 4:46 PM, Nanda wrote: > Dear All, > > > > We have just finished dancing and singing in front of our beloved > Shiva. Our puja is over –not just yet. > > We always end a puja or recitation or homa with a Pranam. This means > we are bowing down with devotion. > > “So what we were doing all along”, I can hear you asking. > > > > Well, the difference here is that we intend to put our case before > Shiva and let him know that we did what we have known to be correct. > But in the case of any errors committed knowingly or unknowingly to > please forgive us.<63.gif> > > > > And so we end the puja with a bowing down to our beloved. > > In the case of the Beginner Shiva Puja, we say > “ Om Mahadeva … tvam gati parameshwara” and end with > > “Om Namah Shivaya” > > > > One of the lines in the pranam is especially beautiful – it says, “I > offer to you the fullness of my soul” > > > > That is what Shiva wants – the last drop of devotion that we keep > pressing out from within us. And more precious than the offerings that > we made, we are now offering the fullness of our souls. To me this > statement stands above all others. > > > > Well this concludes the Puja! You could sit in silence for sometime > before getting up and going about your worldly businesses. > > > > “Waitaminute Nanda”, you say, “What about the Chalisa?” > > > > Ah, I am glad you asked. The Chalisa is forty couplets written in the > praise of any deity. It means the “Adventures of” that deity. The > Chalisa can be recited separately (as we did during Shivaratri where > Swamiji sang for us) or after the puja. > > > > Most Chalisas can be sung to the same tune. So if you know how the > Hanuman Chalisa goes because you have a cassette of that tune, you > could reuse that same tune to fit in the Shiva or the Durga Chalisas. > > > > To me this is what the Chalisa (or any further singing after the puja > completes) signifies – eventhough we have completed the puja, we are > loath to get up and get going on other work, so in order to transition > from a deep state of prayer to the ornery world, we listen to a (what > seems to me) a light-hearted tale of Shiva. So we are still one foot > in prayer and the other into the “real” world but we are getting there > gradually. > > > > Atleast that is my interpretation of why we have a Chalisa after the > puja completes. > > Oh, one nice thing to know – the Shiva Chalisa is especially > beneficial if sung during the 13th day of the lunar fortnight – also > called Trayodashi. Now that you are all familiar with the panchang, I > am sure you can figure out when Trayodashi occurs. > > > > OK – we are done with our puja, but not yet on the posts in this > series. We have atleast three topics – one on “how to clean up in the > evening and get ready for puja for the next day” <58.gif>, second > “Final exams”<71.gif> and third “what next?” > > > > I look forward to hearing from you with any questions that you may > have. > > > > Jai Shiva Omkara > > Nanda > > Messenger > Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. > > > Sponsor > > > > Children International > > Would you give Hope to a Child in need? > > > <332170_011805_newchildforemail.jpg> > > · > Click Here to meet a Girl > And Give Her Hope > > · > Click Here to meet a Boy > And Change His Life > > Learn More > > <l.gif> > > Links > > • > / > > • > > > • Terms of > Service. > > Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2005 Report Share Posted April 4, 2005 Dear Nanda, > One of the lines in the pranam is especially beautiful – it says, "I offer to you the fullness of my soul" beautiful indeed! Thank you for explaining about the calisa and I will make sure to chant it on April the 6th. No further questions, but I have some unfinished business: when performing the puja just now, there were a few practical matters that came up and I guess now is as good a time as any to ask you about them: -since I have only one little piece of camphor, I used tea-lights both at the beginning (om agnir jyoti) and at the end (arati). At the end of the puja, they are still burning. Can I extinguish the lights after having finished arati (I don't like to leave them unattended)? -after having recited the sankalpa, do you offer the flower you have held in your hand? Where? -after having sprinkled the items for offering with the flower from the pot, do you put the flower back in the water or do you offer it? I cannot tell you what a thrill it is to be able to actually perform Shiva puja, albeit imperfectly, so, lieve Nanda, I thank you again for all your work, with love, Henny > > Messenger > Show us what our next emoticon should look like. Join the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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