Bhakti Marga

Simple Puja

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www.bhaktimarga.org
 Bhakti Marga

Simple Puja
If you place a Murti/deity on your altar you have to be aware that this is not
just a statue but something much, much more – especially after it has been
blessed. A Murti is the manifestation of a deity in this world. The deity takes
the form of a statue so that we can comprehend the form of the deity with our
limited mind and thus finding it easier to connect with the divine.

This way to connect and build up a steady relationship to the divine in the
form of the deity is very powerful and important on the spiritual path. By
worshipping the deity in such a form through Puja – worshipping the divine
in the outside through various offerings and the chanting of mantras (Archana
Bhakti) – it becomes much easier for us to concentrate and to go beyond
the limitations of our mind. It also helps to cleanse our negativity so that we
may be able to receive and handle more LOVE which our Gurudev/Ishtadev
is constantly giving us. They are always willing to give even more through the
Grace of the Satguru but we must do our part to prepare ourselves for that.
 Puja Rules
• Take a bath and brush teeth before starting the puja

• Wear neat and clean clothes

(prabhus proper kurta and dhoti; matajis sari - shoulders and head covered)

• Keep the puja place/items clean

• No meat/egg/alcohol should be consumed on the day of the puja

• Matajis who have their monthly period should not perform any offering

• Matajis should always cover their head during prayer

• Offerings should always be done with the right hand

• If possible, always perform the puja at the same place and at the same time

Puja Preperation
Puja place
• Conch for blowing and bell
Puja plate
• plate
• (golden) pot (udgarini) with (golden
spoon) for water offering to the deity
• pot to collect offered water (prasad)
• (cupper) water pot with (cupper)
spoon for hand washing
• pot with tumeric rice
• pot to collect offered tumeric rice (prasad)
• pot for flowers
• small pot with Tulasi leaves
• small pot with chandan paste
• small pot with dry kumkum powder
• small pot with mukhavaasam
(mouth sweetener)
• parfume
• incense sticks
• small Aarti lamp with ghee wick
• lighter
 Blow the Conch three times and ring the bell
OM OM OM

Guru Prathana

Offer flowers to Guruji

gurur brahmā gurur vishnuh
gurur devo maheshvarāh
guru sākshāt param brahma
tasmai sri gurave namaha

Offer flowers to Ganesh

om vakratunda mahākayā
sūryakothi samaprabha
nirvighnam kurume deva
sarva kāryaeshu sarvadā
Meaning: Remover of obstacles

External Purification
Take a small amount of water and wash your hands while chanting
om apa upa sprasya

Tap the sides of your head 5 times

shuklām bharatharam vishnum
shashi varnam chatur bhujam
prasanna vadanam dhyāyet
sarva vigno upashānthaye
Meaning: It’s the first verse of the Vishnu Sahasranāma, purifying the mind
of negative thoughts, cleansing and focusing on the Lord

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 Sankalpa Intention
Put a flower petal and turmeric rice in your right palm, make a fist;
place left hand on right knee; put right fist on left hand
sri bhagavathāgnyeyā
bhagavathu | kainkarya rupam
sriman nārāyana prīthyartham
shuklām bharatharam vishnum
shashi varnam chatur bhujam
prasanna vadanam dhyāyet
sarva vigno upashānthaye

Shloka for Viganasa

sri lakshmi vallabhārambhām

vigano muni madhyamām
asmathu ācharya paryanthām
vande guru baram parām
asmath gurubhyo namaha
asmathu parama gurubhyo namaha
asmathu sri vishwananda gurubhyo namaha

adya pūrvokta | yaevanguna

sakala visheshena | vishishtāyām
asyām varthāmānāyām subhatithow
name of deity | mahā vishnoho | swami sannidhow

Time of Day
prātha kālārādhanam karishye morning
mādhyāniha kālārādhanam karishye noon
sāyan kālārādhanam karishye evening

Put a flower petal and turmeric rice in front of you on the floor

Meaning: Sankalpa is the ‘intention’ of the one performing the Puja -

when, what, where and to whom

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 Gayatri Mantra 3x

om bhur bhuva svaha

tat savitur vare-enyam
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayā-at

Dhyāna Sloka
Meditate on the deity in your heart
om sri … namaha dhyāyāmi

Puja
Devi Āvāhana Invocation
Invocation for female deities – only for 1st prayer of the day
sreem om | āyāthu bhagavathi devi | sri suvarna varna
sagana sasainya | parama purusha sahāyā
saha devathābhi ranumanyathām
yā padmāsanā | padma hastā
hamsa niryākya vāhini
nitya mrushibikshānu gāminīm | thāmajām
pundarīka nayanām bhagavathīm

On each Āvāhayāmi offer a flower petal on crown chakra of deity

om sriyam | āvāhayāmi 
om trithīm | āvāhayāmi 
om pavithrīm | āvāhayāmi
om pramodāyinīm | āvāhayāmi 
om mahashakti | āvāhayāmi
Meaning: Inviting the deity to descend into the murti

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 Deva Āvāhana Invocation
Invocation for male deities – only for 1st prayer of the day
lam om | āyāthu bhagavān | purushas sagana sasainya
sasri sahāya | saha devathābhi ranumanyathām
yasthu garudaratho | nitya mrshi bikshānu gāminam
thamajam | pundarīkāksham bhagavantham

On each Āvāhayāmi offer a flower petal on crown chakra of deity

om vishnum | āvāhayāmi
om purusham | āvāhayāmi
om satyam | āvāhayāmi
om achyutham | āvāhayāmi
om aniruddham | āvāhayāmi
Meaning: Inviting the deity to descend into the murti

Asana Seat
Offer turmeric rice/ flower petal to feet for asanam
om sri … namaha asanam samarpayāmi

Asking permission to do Puja

Hands in prayer asking for permission
Om sri … namaha asmin arādhana karmani anumanyathām

Pādyam Feet washing

Offer water symbolically to rinse the feet

om sri … namaha pādyam samarpayāmi

Āchamanam Mouth rinsing

Offer water symbolically to hand, then to the mouth to rinse his mouth
om sri … namaha āchamanam samarpayāmi

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 Panīyam Drink
Symbolically offer water to the mouth for drinking
om sri … namaha panīyam samarpayāmi

Snanam Water
Offer water symbolically to wash the deity
om sri … namaha snapayāmi

Plodham Drying
Offer turmeric rice/ flower petal symbolically to dry the deity
om sri … namaha plodham samarpayāmi

Yagnopavītam Janeu

Offer Brahmin string (only male deities) - over left shoulder to the right side
om sri … namaha upavītham samarpayāmi

Vastram Clothes

Offer turmeric rice/ flower petal symbolically to dress the deity

om sri … namaha vastram samarpayāmi

Upavastram Upper Clothes

Offer turmeric rice/ flower petal symbolically to put upper clothes on the
deity
om sri … namaha utharīyam samarpayāmi

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 Ābaranam Jewelry
Offer turmeric rice/ flower petal symbolically to put jewelery on the deity
om sri … namaha ābaranam samarpayāmi

Pushpam Flower
Offer flowers /garland to the deity
om sri … namaha sugandha pushpam samarpayāmi
Element: Water
Meaning: Offering the beauty which is deep inside our hearts; it represents
all the good in us

Chandan
Offer chandan paste
om sri … namaha chandanam samarpayāmi
Element: Earth
Meaning: It represents the male qualities or Narayan; it also stands for
strength as well as desires

Kumkum
Offer dry Kumkum powder
om sri … namaha kumkumam samarpayāmi
Element: Fire
Meaning: It represents the female qualities or Shakti; It also stands for our
emotions as well as inner wisdom

Tulsipatram
Offer a Tulsi leaf to the feet – only for Narayana
om sri … namaha tulsipatram samarpayāmi
Meaning: Tulasi Devi is the embodiment of Bhakti - devotion; she multiplies
our devotion to the Lord

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 Dravyam Perfume
Offer perfume
om sri … namaha dravyam samarpayāmi

Dhupam Incense
Offer odd number (3) of incense sticks to male deities or even number (2)
for female deities – ring the bell
om sri … namaha dhupam dhupayāmi
Element: Air
Meaning: It stands for our ignorant and clouded mind which we mean to
transcend by offering it to the divine

Dīpam Oil lamp

Offer oil lamp to the deity
om sri … namaha dīpam darshayāmi
Element: Ether
Meaning: the flame stands for our Atma - Soul; we offer the light within us
as an acknowledgement of our surrender and devotion

Ārgyam Hand washing

Offer water symbolically to rinse the deity´s hands

om sri … namaha arghyam samarpayāmi

Sprinkle water around the prasadam

om bhōrbhuvasuvaha

Sprinkle water on prasadam for purification

tat savitur varaenyam
bhargo daevasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yonaha prachodayāt

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 Nivedhanam Food

Offer prasadam with a tulasi leaf on top to the deity

om sri … namaha (naivedyam*) nivedhayāmi

With a petal make a circle around the prasad plate and go with the petal
straight to the mouth of the deity after each swahā
om pranāya | swahā-a
om apānāya | swahā-a
om vyānāya | swahā-a
om udhānāya | swahā-a
om samānāya | swahā-a
om brahmane | swahā-a

om sri … namaha (naivedyam*) nivedhayāmi

* fruit – nānāvidha palam; sweet rice – gulānnam;

sweets – nānāvidha gulapakshanam

Element: Earth
Meaning: It stands for offering our gross body/qualities as well as all our
material attachments to the divine in order to transform them into a bestower of
knowledge (prasadam)

Pānīyam Drink

Offer water to mouth of deity for drinking

om sri … namaha pānīyam samarpayāmi

Āchamanam Mouth rinsing

Offer water symbolically to hand, then to the mouth for rinsing

om sri … namaha āchamanam samarpayāmi

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 Ārgyam Hand washing
Offer water to symbolically rinse the deities hands
om sri ... namaha ārgyam samarpayāmi

Mukhavāsam Mouth sweetener

Offer mouth sweetener to mouth of deity

om sri … namaha mukhavāsam samarpayāmi

108 names optional

Read out 108 names of deity and offer flower petals or turmeric rice

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 Vaishnava Mantra
Hold your hands in prayer position; put the middle finger of both hands
inside; keep flowers betweetn both hands - ask for forgiveness for
everything you have done wrong/ forgotten during the Puja

ato devā avantu no yato vishnur vichakrame

Pŗithivyā sabta dhāmabhih

idam vishnor vicakrame tredhā nidadhe padam

Samūdam asya pāgum sure

trīni padā vicakrame vishnur gopā ada-abhyaha

Tato dharmāni dhārayene

vishnoh karmāni pashyata yato-o vratāni paspashe

Indrasya yujyassakhā-a

tad vishno-o paramam padagum sadā pashyanti sūryaha

Divīva chakshur ātatam

tad viprāso vipanyavo jāgŗīvāgum sas samindhate

vishnor yat paramam padam

Offer the flowers to the deity

Offer flowers and turmeric rice to the deity

om sri ... namaha asanādhi samastha upachārān samarpayāmi
Meaning: This Mantra is to ask the deity for forgiveness for everything one
forgot or didn´t do

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 Ārati
Offer Ārati to the deity with Ārati lamp (ghee wick);
Do Gayatri mantra 3 times

Then show Ārti light to the people for blessing

twameva mātā cha pitā twamevā
twāmeva bandhush cha sakhā twamevā
twameva vidhyā dravinam twamevā
twāmeva sarvam mama dēvadēva (2)

ssato mā sat gamayā

tamaso mā jyotir gamayā
mrityor mā amritām gamayā

om shānti shānti shāntihi

lokāh samastāh sukhinō bhavantū (3)

om shānti shānti shāntīh

shri gurubhyo namaha harī om

Glorifications

prem se bolo lakshmi nārayana bhagavān ki...Jai

prem se bolo shri radha krishna kanhēyalāla ki...Jai
prem se bolo sri ramanuja acharya ki... Jai
prem se bolo mahavatar kriya bābāji ki... Jai
prem se bolo satgurudeva sri swami vishwananda mahaprabhu ki... Jai

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om klīm krishnaya govindaya gopijanavallabhaya
pāraya paramapurushaya
parakarma mantra yantra tantra aushadhari
shashtrani samharaya samharaya mrityor morchaya morchaya
om namo bhagavate maha sudarshanaya
dipti jwāla pritaya sarvadiye shobhna hum phat
parashmaye parabramhane paramjorshey - swaha

om purnamadah purnamidam purnāt

purnamudachyate
purnasya purnamādāya purnameva vashishyate

om shānti shānti shāntihi

shri gurubhyo namaha harī om

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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For any information please write to:
puja@bhaktimarga.org

www.bhaktimarga.org