Day 12: Shiva puja class sankalpa

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Day 12 Sankalpa

 

Dear All,

 

Is is so great to hear that many of you were able to complete

four Mondays of either Shiva puja and/or Rudri. Now that Shravan

month is almost over if you feel inspired you can keep going

with your sankalpa. Mondays are a good day to remember Lord

Shiva.

 

Today we will focus on reciting the Sankalpa.

Before the sankalpa you will notice some mantras in the Adv.

Shiva book 24-25.

 

1.Om gurubhyo namah (lower left side)

2.om paramagurubhyo namah (middle left)

3.om paraaparagurubhyo namah (upper left near left side of

ear)

4.om paramesthigurubhyo namah (above head)

5.om gam ganesaaya namah (upper right side)

6.om anantaaya namah (middle right side)

7. Om aim hriim kliim caamundaayai vicce (lower right side)

 

You can just recite these mantras or there is also a hand

movement that goes with each mantra. I will try to explain.

 

With folded hands in prayer bring both hands to your lower left

side near your hip level and recite #1. Om gurubhyo namah. You

will do this for each of the above mantras as indicated keeping

hands folded together. Please see hand placement in above

mantras.( 1-7)

 

Before the sankalpa we clap our hands three times then snap

our fingers in the ten directions while reciting om namah

shivaaya in each of the 10 directions because there is nowhere

that God is not. Clapping and snapping dispels negative or

enimical energies.

 

The sankalpa starts on page 26-31 in the Adv. book. The

beginner book only contains a portion of the mantras that are in

the Adv. book.

 

Swamiji says that the sankalpa is a definition of our goal, our

objective or proposed performance for the day. In the sankalpa it

says, "May I have the same determination as Lord Shiva has to

fulfill the goal, the sankalpa, which is to bring peace. Rarely does

anyone of us want to bring greater confusion into our lives. We

hope that what we are doing will bring greater peace.

 

Before reciting the sankalpa take a flower in your left hand and

three drops of water and say "Vishnu om tat sat." Then cover your

flower with your right hand. Next recite the country, state, city, etc.

that you are performing your recitation in. If you don't know the

name of your gotra you can use Swamiji's name which is

Satyananda Gotra. This is the sadhu family from which you

learned your puja. Then you offer your flower."

 

Note: You can use sanskrit names for month, day, fortnight if you

are able. Otherwise you can say the English names for the

month, fortnight and day. Nanda has made a great presentation

of how to read a sanskrit calendar.

 

After offering your flower on your altar you will recite the mantras

from page 26-31.

 

Begin: Om yajaagrato duuramudeti daivam tadu.....

End:om shaantih.......

 

Homework:

Please recite pages 24-31 in Sanskrit or transliteration and read

the English. It has a beautiful meaning.

 

Peace to all!

 

Om namah Shivaaya!