Day 13: Shiva puja class

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Day 13 Shiva puja class -saamaanyaarghya

 

Jai Ganesha!

After praying to Lord Krishna and Lord Ganesha it's

time to get back to Lord Shiva. Thanks for all of your

patience and sadhana. Hope everyone has had a chance to practice what we have

been learning in the Shiva puja class.

 

Quick Review:

1. recite Shiva gayatri (pg.6 Beg.)

2. recite Shiva dhyaanam (pg.11-13 Adv.)

3. offer the light, incense (pg. 13-14 Adv.)

4. Offer camphor (aaraatrikam pg. 15 Adv.) (be

careful!)

5. Recite mantras from page (15 -31 Adv.)

6. Recite rest of beginner shiva puja ( start pg. 13

- end of book)

 

Today we will focus on the purification of the

water. Pg. 13 in the beginner Shiva puja and pg.90 in

the Adv. Shiva puja.

 

We will follow the Adv. Puja starting on page 90-94.

 

Notice the viddhi begins with the Sanskrit word

Saamaanaarghya

 

Saamaanya means the ordinary. This is the

purification of the ordinary water that you would use

for washing the hands, purifying the mouth and

sprinkling over your other offerings.

 

You can draw this yantra either with water or

sandlepaste.

 

 

1. First draw the bindu which is one point of God. The

mantra says: om we bow to the Primal Energy.

 

2. Next draw the the triangle, the trikona, outside

the bindu. The mantra says: Om we bow to the support

of the earth. That is the tortoise who is holding up

all of material existence.

The triangle means the 3 gunas or the perfect

equilibrium of all the threes. In sanskrit we call if

Kamakala. A U M or om, Mahaa kali, Maha Lakshmi, Maha

Saraswati. Brahma,Vishnu, Shiva. Sattwa, rajas, tamas.

All of the threes are in perfect balance in union with

God.

 

3. Draw the circle. The circle means creation. The

mantra says: Om we bow to Infinity. Infinity is the

part that we can’t see but the tortoise is holding it

up anyways

 

4. Draw the square around the circle. The mantra says:

Om we bow to the earth. The earth is where we are

sitting.

 

The square means chatur varga, the four objectives of

existence. Dharma-to manifest the ideal of perfection.

Artha to procure the amount of material that is

necessary to manifest the ideal. Kama is to become

free from all desire. At the end of which is moksha,

or self realization.

Once we reach the ideal of perfection we have just the

perfect amount of things of the world, not too much

and not too little and we have no outstanding desires.

 

First we make the bindu, the one point of God, then

comes the unity of the threes, then comes creation,

then comes the four objectives of being in this body.

Upon that yantra we put a few grains of rice or flower

petals, but most often we use rice.

 

5. We say: Om..... adhara saktaye namah- put rice on

the yantra

6. Om kurmaya namah-put rice on the yantra

7. om anantaaya namah-put rice on the yantra

8. om pritivyai namah -put rice on the yantra

 

After putting the grains of rice on the yantra:

 

9. Take your water pot and put it on top of the rice

which is sitting on top of the yantra.

Recite: sthaam sthiim sthiro bhava phat and place water pot on

top of the rice when you say PHAT.

The mantra says: Be still in the gross, subtle and

causal body....

The purpose of the purification of this water is so we

can become still.

 

10. Then pour water into the pot and recite: om gange....

 

 

11. Put some tulsi leaves into the pot and recite Tulsi mantra and one flower or

petal into the water for each of the following

mantras:

 

Note: We use fresh basil leaf, or dried basil leaf for the Tulsi offering which

can be found in most grocery stores.

 

12.ete gandhapuspe om am arkamandalaaya

dvaadasakalaatmane namah-(offer petal or flower)

 

13. ete gandhapuspe om um somamadalaaya

sodasakalaatmane namah-(offer petal or flower)

 

14. ete gandhapuspe om mam vahnimandalaaya

dasakalaatmane namah-(offer petal or flower)

 

15. We wave our hands in the matsya mudra(Visnu as a

fish pg. 93, 1st picture), dhenu mudra and ankusa

mudras over the water while reciting : om gange ca jamune........

 

Note: The dhenu mudra which is also referred to as the

amrriiti karan mudra (see page 93 middle picture) Put

your fingers together and form a little bridge. Amrit

means nectar and with this mudra we are dropping the

nectar of pure devotion on our offerings.

 

See ankush mudra (pg. 93, 3rd picture)

 

 

16. Then we will say shiva’s mantra 10 times.

 

17. Now we will sprinkle that water over the

worshipper, the flowers, the offerings and all around

the room as far as we can go without leaving our asan

and say:

amritam kuru swaahaa.

 

Note: In Chapter 89(v33) of the Chandi, Brahmaani was

sprinkling the water and whatever and whoever that

water touched they were immediately deprived of all of

their asuric tendencies, all of their asuric energies

were dissolved. They automatically became pure. She is

making this immortal nectar here and so are we.

 

 

Note: The mantra says : Om the ganges...... We have

just brought from India all the sacred waters and put

them in our pot and we are ready to purify any

impurity.

 

It say : the ganges is idaa(left), the jamunaa is pingalaa(right) the other 5

rivers are the 5 senses and the idaa and pingalaa go right through the sushumna.

They are the

avenue for interaction between the outer and inner

world. The 5 senses and the idaa and pingalaa are the

pathway from the outer world to the inner world. All

of these rivers are the rivers for which flow all the

information that we need in order to act and interact

with the material world. The rivers are the means of

navigating between the gross and subtle body. The

purifiction of the waters is a purification of all the

ways we take in information.

 

When we put tulsi into our water pot- the mantra

refers to vrndaavana. Vrinda is delight and van is

forest . Vrindavan is the forest of delight. It is not

just a physical location but she who resides in the

forest of delight as well as wisdom, maya, and increase.

 

When we offer the flowers into the water we refer to

the sun, the moon and fire. (A, U, M)

 

First we offer a flower or petal for the 12 aspects of

the realm of the sun, surya mandalaya. The realm of

the light of wisdom contains various aspects of the

sun, containing heat, emanating heat, etc......

 

Surya wakes up creation and illuminates the darkness.

Once we are awake and illuminated, we perceive that

which supports and forgives.

 

Next we offer a flower or petal to the 16 realms of the moon.. Soma mandalaya.

Ex: nectar, sustains life.......

These are the 16 aspects of the realm of the moon.

 

 

The third flower offering we put into the water is vahni

mandalaaya or the 10 aspects of the realm of fire.

Smokey red, flaming....

Fire is the messenger for the Gods. Fire consumes the

offerings. Agni has 7 tongues. (Please see page 107 in

the Cosmic puja for a description).

 

 

Homework: read the Sanskrit and or transliteration as

well as the english for the purification of the water

in the Adv. Shiva Puja book pgs. 90-94

 

Try to purify your water next time you do puja from

the Adv. book and then see if you have any questions

afterwards.

 

Om namah Shivaaya!

Phat! Phat! Phat!

Purify! Purify! Purify!