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STUDENT MANUAL
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INTRODUCTION6
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PŪJĀ RULES AND PREPARATION
PŪJĀ RULES
• Take a shower and brush your teeth before starting the pūjā.
• Wear neat and clean clothes. (Prabhus: proper kurta and dhotī ;
mātājis: sari with shoulders and head covered.)
• Keep the pūjā place/items clean.
• You must be a vegetarian and a non-smoker to offer pūjās.
• Do not consume garlic, onion, or intoxicating substances
between the time you wake up and the time you offer your pūjā.
• Mātājis during menstruation: mātājis can decide for themselves if
they wish to do a personal pūjā or flower offering or yajna during
this time. When in a temple, however, any physical offering is
prohibited.
• Mātājis should always cover their heads during prayer.
• If possible, always perform the pūjā at the same place and the
same time.
• All offerings should always be done with the right hand, and
never point your feet at the deity.
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PŪJĀ PREPĀRATĪON
What you need to have:
Pūjā plate
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SIMPLE PŪJĀ - STEP BY STEP
AJASRA DĪPĀ
oṁ oṁ oṁ
GURU PRATHANA
Offer turmeric rice/flower petals.
gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇuḥ
gurur devo maheśvaraḥ |
gurur sākṣāt paraṁ brahma
tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ ||
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GAṆEŚA-PRĀRTHANĀ
oṁ vakratuṇḍa mahākayā
sūryakoti samaprabhā |
nirvighnam kurume deva
sarva kāryeṣu sarvadā ||
EXTERNAL PURIFICATION
(ANTA-KARAṆA KĪ ŚUDDHI)
Take a spoon of water from the little copper pot, and put it on
your cupped right hand. Then, wash your hands by rubbing them
together, while chanting:
oṁ apa upa-spṛśya
Take a spoon of water from the little copper pot, and pour it into
your cupped right hand. Then, sip this water immediately after
chanting a mantra. Repeat this procedure 3 times for each one of
the following mantras:
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oṁ nārāyaṇāya namaḥ (sip water)
Again, take a spoon of water from the little copper pot, and put it
on your cupped right hand. Then, wash your hands by rubbing
them together, while chanting:
oṁ apa upa-spṛśya
Using your fists, gently tap with the fists the two sides of your head
(temples) 5 times, while chanting:
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SAṄKALPA
SETTING THE INTENTION
Take some grains of turmeric rice and a flower/rose petal, and put
them together in your right hand. Now, make a fist. Put your left
hand on your right knee and put your right fist on your left hand.
Chant the following mantra:
TIME OF DAY
prātha kālārādhanam kariṣye (morning)
mādhyāniha kālārādhanam kariṣye (noon)
sāyan kālārādhanam kariṣye (evening)
Now, place the turmeric rice and the flower/rose petal on the
floor in front of you.
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Please note that these procedures can also be performed
separately, like for example as a purification ritual before
the japa practice, creating a protective shield around the
person.
GĀYATRĪ-MANTRA
DHYĀNA-ŚLOKA
General Note: Āvāhana is only done if the murti has not been
blessed before.
srīṁ oṁ /
āyātu bhagavati devī | śrī suvarṇa varṇa sagaṇa sa sainya /
parama puruṣa sahāyā | saḥ devatābhir-anumanyathām /
yā padmāsanā padma hastā | haṁsa niryākya vāhini /
nityā mṛṣibikṣānu gāminīṁ tāmajām |
puṇḍarīka nayanāṁ bhagavatīm //
Now, every time you chant avāhayāmi offer a flower petal from
your heart to the crown chakra of the deity.
oṁ śrīyām | āvāhayāmi
oṁ tritīm | āvāhayāmi
oṁ pavitrīm | āvāhayāmi
oṁ pramodāyinīm | āvāhayāmi
oṁ mahālakṣmī | āvāhayāmi
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INVOCATION FOR MALE DEITIES
Only for 1st prayer of the day.
laṁ oṁ /
āyātu bhagavān puruṣaḥ | sagaṇa sa sainya /
sasri sahāya saḥ devatābhir anumanyathām /
yas tu garuḍarato | nityā mṛṣibikṣānu gāminaṁ | tāmajām |
puṇḍarīka kṣaṁ bhagavantam //
oṁ viṣṇum | āvāhayāmi
oṁ puruṣam | āvāhayāmi
oṁ satyam | āvāhayāmi
oṁ acyutam | āvāhayāmi
oṁ aniruddham | āvāhayāmi
ĀSANA
(SEAT; R.V. 1.154-2)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
āsanaṁ (akṣataṁ) samarpayāmi ||
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REQUESTING PERMISSION
Join both hands in prayer and ask the deity for permission to do
the pūjā, while chanting:
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
asmin ārādhana karmaṇi anumānyatām ||
PĀDYAM
(FEET RINSING; R.V. 1.22-18 , V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
pādyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
ARGHYAM
(HAND WASHING; R.V. 7.100-3; V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
arghyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
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ĀCMANĪYAM
(MOUTH RINSING; R.V. 10.9-4)
Offer a spoon of water to the deity’s hand and then to the mouth,
symbolising the rinsing of the deity´s mouth, while chanting:
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
ācmanīyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
PĀNĪYAM
(DRINK; R.V. 1.22.17 V.S.)
Offer a spoon of water from the golden water pot to the deity´s
mouth, symbolising the offering of a drink, while chanting and
ringing the bell:
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
pānīyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
SNĀPAYĀTI SNĀNAM
(WATER WASH; R.V. 10.9 1-3)
Offer a spoon of water from the golden water pot to the deity,
symbolising the washing of the body, while chanting the mantra
below.
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
snānaṁ samarpayāmi ||
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PLODHAM
(DRYING)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
plodhaṁ (akṣataṁ) samarpayāmi ||
DRAVYAM
(PERFUME)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
dravyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
Notes:
1. The word dravya means ointment, or ‘related to/derived from a
tree, like resin’.
2. The perfume represents our desires. We offer them to the deity to
be purified; on the spiritual path God should be our only desire.
YAJÑOPAVĪTAM
(JANEŪ - BRĀHMAṆA THREAD; S.V.[KS] 1.1.1-01,03)
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oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
yajñopavītaṁ (akṣataṁ) samarpayāmi ||
VASTRAM
(CLOTHES;TAITIRIYA SAMHITA 1.7.10 PARTS)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
vastraṁ (akṣataṁ) samarpayāmi ||
UPAVASTRAM
(UPPER CLOTHES)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
uttarīyaṁ (akṣataṁ) samarpayāmi ||
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ĀBHARAṆAM
(JEWELLERY)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
ābharaṇaṁ (akṣataṁ) samarpayāmi ||
CANDANAM
(CANDANA - ELEMENT: EARTH)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
candanaṁ samarpayāmi ||
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KUṀKUMA
(KUṀKUMA - ELEMENT: FIRE)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
kuṁkumaṁ samarpayāmi ||
TULASĪPATTRAM
(HOLY BASIL)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
tulasīpattraṁ samarpayāmi ||
Notes:
1. Tulsī-devī is the embodiment of bhakti (devotion); She
multiplies our devotion to the Lord.
2. Tulsī is offered ONLY to forms of Nārāyaṇa not to Śiva or Devī.
During Nārāyaṇa-pūjā the offering of a Tulsī leaf is the most
important offering, and without a Tulsī leaf the pūjā will not be
accepted.
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PUṢPAM
(FLOWER- ELEMENT WATER; R.V. 1.22-20, V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
sugandhaṁ puṣpaṁ samarpayāmi ||
Note: The flowers represent the beauty deep inside our hearts, all
the good in us, which we offer to the guru to be multiplied.
DHŪPAM
(INCENSE - ELEMENT: AIR; R.V. 7.99-1, V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
dhūpaṁ dhūpayāmi ||
Notes:
1. Make sure you do not go above the deity while offering the
incense so that you do not drop (hot) ash on them.
2. The incense symbolises our ignorant and clouded mind
(smoke), which binds us to this material world. We offer it to
the Divine to be transcended.
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DĪPAM
(OIL LAMP – ELEMENT: ETHER; R.V. 1.22-19, V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
dīpam darśayāmi ||
Note: The flame symbolises our soul, the ātma; we offer the
Light within us as an acknowledgement of our surrender
and devotion.
ARGHYAM
(HAND WASHING; R.V. 7.100-3; V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
arghyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
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NIVEDANAM PURIFICATION
(R.V. 3.62-10 , Y.S 36.3)
NIVEDANAM
(FOOD – ELEMENT: EARTH; R.V. 1.154-5 , V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
(naivedyam*) nivedayāmi ||
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Now, with a petal in your hand make a circle clockwise around the
prasāda plate, while chanting each one of the following mantras;
each time you chant svāhā, offer the petal straight to the deity’s
mouth.
oṁ praṇāya svāhā̎ |
oṁ apānāya svāhā̎ |
oṁ vyanāya svāhā̎ |
oṁ udānāya svāhā̎ |
oṁ samānāya svāhā̎ |
oṁ brahmaṇe svāhā̎ |
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
(naivedyam*) nivedayāmi ||
* depending on the kind of food you offer you can replace the
word ‘naivedyam’ as follows:
• fruit – nānāvidha phalam
• sweet rice – gulānnam
• sweets – nānāvidha gula-pakṣanam
Notes:
1. The food symbolises our gross body/qualities as well as all
our material attachments. In this step we offer our body/mind
consciousness to the deity, so that they can be transformed
into the bestower of knowledge (prasāda). Prasāda represents
the principle of immortality: amṛta.
2. The fruits (phalam) represent the fruits of our actions and
offering them to the deity is symbolic of our detachment, self-
sacrifice and surrender.
3. The coconut (traditionally offered as prasāda) symbolises the
offering of oneself in an act of self-surrender (prapatti).
4. By sharing prasāda, we symbolically share all the knowledge,
Light and Love we have received throughout the pūjā’s
performance.
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PĀNĪYAM
(DRINK; R.V. 1.22.17, V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
pānīyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
ĀCMANĪYAM
(MOUTH RINSING; R.V. 10.9-4)
Offer a spoon of water to the deity’s hand and then to the mouth,
symbolising the rinsing of the deity´s mouth, while chanting:
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
ācmanīyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
ARGHYAM
(HAND WASHING; R.V. 7.100-3; V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
arghyaṁ samarpayāmi ||
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MUKHAVĀSAM
(MOUTH SWEETENER; R.V. 7.100-4; G.S. 4.12-65, V.S.)
oṁ śrī … namaḥ |
mukhavāsaṁ samarpayāmi ||
AṢṬHOTTARA-ŚATA NĀMAVALI
(108 NAMES OF THE DEITY)
Chant the 108 Names of the deity. After chanting each Name,
offer flower petals or turmeric rice. Optional.
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VAIṢṆAVA MANTRA
(R.V. 1.22.16-21, T.S. 1.2-15)
Hold your hands in prayer position, and fold the middle finger of
both hands inside the hands. Keep flower(s) between both hands,
and ask for forgiveness for everything you may have done wrong/
forgotten during the pūjā performance. Chant the following mantra:
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Now, offer flowers and turmeric rice to the Feet of the deity, while
chanting:
oṁ śrī … namaḥ ǀ
āsanādi samasta upacārān samarpayāmi ||
Note: This mantra is chanted to ask the deity for forgiveness for
everything one had forgotten or didn´t do properly during the
pūjā performance.
ĀRATĪ
FINAL PRAYERS
Meaning: Lead me from the unreal to the true reality; lead me from darkness
to Light; lead me from mortality to immortality.
Meaning: oṁ, peace, peace, peace. May all beings in all the worlds be
happy and free.
Glorifications
Chant the following glorifications:
MAHĀ-SUDARŚANA MŪLA-MANTRA
Meaning:
1. That is the whole, this is the whole. From the whole, the whole arises.
Taking away the whole from the whole, the whole remains.
2. The Supreme Lord is perfect and complete, and because He is
completely perfect, whatever is produced of the complete Whole is
also Whole in itself. As He is the complete Whole, even though so many
complete units emanate from Him, He remains in complete balance.
Now after you have finished, bow down to the deity to receive Their
blessing. If you can, please sit for a few moments in silence meditating on
the guru and/or the deity. See Them in all Their beauty and splendour, ever
radiating Their infinite Love and compassion. Know that They will always be
by your side protecting and guiding you every step of your life.
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