Day 8 Shiva puja class: flowers and string -Parvati

[Guest guest]

OM NAMAH SIVAYA

 

Parvati, i just wanted to drop a note to say thank you that my Siva

puja has been greatly enhanced through your assistance. especially

meaningful to me is the parts about the mala mantras. i recently

got the advanced siva puja and am not so ashamed to say i haven't

quite incorporated it all into my practice yet as it is some 500

pages. but it is nice to know its there to continually add to my

practice. and hopefully as my practice grows so does my devotion.

 

Thanks again for all your seva and sharing.

 

JAI MAA

 

, "parv108" <parv108> wrote:

> Day 8

>

> Dear Satsangha!

>

> Hope everyone was able to complete their sankalpa and has

> read through the new mantras at least once.

>

> After purification of the maala we will offer the flowers (pgs. 8-

10

> Beginner Shiva Puja.)

>

> Remember you can use whole flowers, petals, drops of water, or

> pull the flowers from your heart or offer mentally.

>

> If you have a picture of Ganesh or a murti of Ganesh you can give

> the flower offering that says : "ete gandhapuspe om gam

> ganapataye namah" to Ganesh.

>

> The rest of the offerings you can give to your shiva lingam or in

> front of your picture(s) on your altar or anywhere else on the

> altar. You will create your own puja.

>

> In the Advanced book these flower offerings are on page 19-21.

> In both books the mantras are the same. You can use either

> book.

>

> Start with: ete gandhapuspe om gam ganapataye namah.......

> and end with ete gandhapuspe om braahmanebhyo namah.

>

> After the last flower offering there is one mantra in the Advanced

> Shiva puja book on page 21.

>

> The directions say: Tie a piece of string around right middle

> finger or wrist.

>

> The mantra starts: om kusaasane ......

>

> Note: Here at the Mandir when we do our personal pujas

> Swamiji says we do not have to tie the string. But you can if you

> want. We just recite the mantra.

>

> When Swamiji performs puja for another person he ties a string

> aroung their wrist. It is a red thread that is tradtionally used

in

> India and when people go to the temples and do puja the priests

> often wrap this thread around a person's wrist. It is binding us

to

> God and reminding us of God and also acts as protection.

> Traditionally the string is tied on the left wrist of the woman

and

> the right wrist of the man.

>

> Swamiji explains that the word kush in kusha grass has different

> meanings. One meaning is great joy or happiness. Another

> meaning is the purified grass that we sit on. One other meaning

> is the shining light.

>

>

> Homework:

> Please read through the flower offerings in the Advanced Shiva

> puja book pgs.19-21 and add the string mantra on page 21.

> Read the English as well.

>

> Looking forward to hearing how your enhanced Shiva puja is

> going.

>

>

>

> FYI: Here at the Mandir two songs Shree Maa has asked us to

> sing for the month of Shravan are Bhava Saagara

> (page 465-468 Advanced Shiva puja) and Sivaastakam (page 204-207

Advanced ). Both songs have a beautiful meaning and

> if you have time you may want to read them English.

>

> Om namah shivaaya!

>

> Jai Guru!

> Jai Shiva!