Now-a-days, society is so busy, people are not finding time even to think about God. If they can allot a few minutes every day for strengthening their relationship with God, they can achieve prosperity in all walks of life. Puja(worship) helps for this purpose. We are presenting here 12-steps of vedic Puja, which is a condensed version that every one can perform by spending 30 to 45 minutes of time, every day. The following are the steps:
1. Prepartion for Worship - 1 min
2. Offering of lights - 1 min
3. Prayers to Divine guide(Guru) - 1 min
4. Water sipping(Aachamana) - 2 min
5. Prayers to god Ganesh - 2 min
6. Declaration of Intent(Sankalpa) - 1 min
7. Gayatri Mantra - 15 min
8. Worshipping the deity - 15 min
9. Sipping the holy water - 2 min
10. Offering food(Naivedyam) - 1 min
11. Lighting camphor(Haarathi) - 1 min
12. Circumambulation(Pradakshinaas) - 2 min
The best time to start Puja is at morning 6.00 o' clock. If this is not possible, then we can do it at evening 6.00 o' clock. Puja should be performed with a quiet and peaceful mind, after taking bath.
Articles needed:
Photo or idol of deity, a tumbler of water and two plates, two oil lamps, flowers / akshitaas(uncooked rice mixed with wet turmeric), fruit / sweet / jaggery / sugar / milk and camphor, Kumkum(vermilion) / Vibhooti (white powder made from cow dung).
Prepartion for Worship:
Sit on a wooden plank facing East or North. Take another wooden plank and spread a silk cloth on it. Now place the deity's photo or idol on the silk cloth, opposite to you. Wear kumkum or Vibhooti between your eye brows.
Offering of lights:
Lit up two oil lamps before the deity. Use gingelly oil or ghee as the fuel in the lamps.
Prayers to Divine Guide(Guru):
If you have a Guru, you are fortunate. Otherwise, consider your favourite deity as your Guru. Get your Guru into your mind, fold your hands at chest, and recite this:
Om Gururbrahmaa Gururvishnuhu Gururdevo maheswaraha
Gurussaakshaat Parabrahmaa Tasmai Sree gurave namaha
Now, imagine lord Vishnu(See him at right) in to your mind, and offer your prayers to him to remove any obstacles:
Om Suklaambaradharam vishnum sasivarnam chaturbhujam
Prasanna vadanam dhayayet sarva vighnopasaantaye
Water sipping(Aachamana):
The following 24 names of god Vishnu should be uttered for receiving protective energies:
Om Kesavaaya swaaha
- Recite this once, pour water into your right hand and sip it.
Om Naaraayanaaya swaaha
- Recite this, sip water as above.
Om Maadhavaaya swaaha
- Recite this, sip water as above.
Then pour some more water and drop it on the floor at your left side. Now fold hands in reverence, and recite the following names:
Om Govindaaya namaha
Om Vishnave namaha
Om Madhusoodanaaya namaha
Om Trivikramaaya namaha
Om Vaamanaaya namaha
Om Sreedharaaya namaha
Om Hrusheekesaaya namaha
Om Padmanaabhaaya namaha
Om Daamodaraaya namaha
Om Samkarshanaaya namaha
Om Vaasudevaaya namaha
Om Pradyumnaaya namaha
Om Anirudhaaya namaha
Om Purushottamaaya namaha
Om Adhokshajaaya namaha
Om Naarasimhaaya namaha
Om Atchyutaaya namaha
Om Janaardhanaaya namaha
Om Vupendraaya namaha
Om Haraye namaha
Om Sree krishaaya namaha
Prayers to God Ganesh:
Since Ganesh is the dispeller of obstacles, he should be worshipped first before starting any thing. Imagine Ganesh's form in your mind(see him at right), and recite the following 17 holy names of Ganesh by folding your hands at chest:
Om Sumukhaaya namaha
Om Yekadanthaaya namaha
Om Kapilaaya namaha
Om Gajakarnikaaya namaha
Om Lambodaraaya namaha
Om Vikataaya namaha
Om Vighnaraajaaya namaha
Om Ganaadhipaaya namaha
Om Dhoomakethave namaha
Om Ganaadhyakshaaya namaha
Om Phaalachandraaya namaha
Om Gajaananaaya namaha
Om Vakratundaaya namaha
Om Soorpakarnaaya namaha
Om Herambaaya namaha
Om Skandhapoorvajaaya namaha
Om Sree Maha Ganaadhipataye namaha
Declaration of Intent(Sankalpa):
While performing this puja, mention your wish to be fulfilled. This is called sankalpa. Recite like this: I,___________ (tell your name), offering my prayers to god / goddess ___________(tell your deity's name) on this day for achieving all the four: dharma(righteousness), artha(money), kaama(ambition), moksha(liberty) and for alleviating all problems from my life. I wish the complete grace and protection of god / goddess _____________(tell your deity's name) to fall on me and my family members always.
Gayatri Mantra:
If you have taken already Gayatri mantra from a Guru, you should recite that mantra in multiples of 108. People, who did not know this mantra should skip this section.
AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHIDHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT
Worshipping the deity:
Look at the photo / idol of your deity and get that picture imprinted in your mind. Close your eyes for 2 to 3 minutes and visualize the form of your god. Imagine your deity has come and sat before you. This is called 'dhyaanam(meditation)'.
Now recite the 108 or 1008 holy names of your deity. People who got mantra of the deity from a Guru should recite it in multiples of 108. While reciting the names or mantra, throw flowers on your deity. If flowers are not available, then throw akshitaas on your god.
If you are using an idol for worship, you can pour milk, fruit juices, honey, ghee, co-conut water etc., on the idol and finally clean the idol with water. This should be done simultaneously with mantra recitation. Then adorn the idol with flowers.
Sipping the holy water:
At the end of reciting holy names or mantra, take water in to your right hand and leave it into a plate saying:
Yetatphalam Sree______ (tell your deity's name) devataarpanamastu
The water thus obtained is energized with divine vibrations. You should take this water from the plate into your right hand and tell this:
Om akaala mrutyu haranam sarva vyaadhi nivaaranam
Mahaa paapa kshayakaram Sree ____ (tell your deity's name)
devata paadodakam paavanam subham
Saying this, sip the water slowly.
Offering food(Naivedyam):
Any fruit / sweet / jaggery / sugar / milk can be offered as food for your deity. Put them in a plate before the photo or idol and split some water droplets on it, saying:
Om Sree ___________(tell your deity's name) devataaya namaha
Naivedyam samarpayaami
Note:
Later, this offering should be consumed by you and your family members and it can also be distributed to others.
Lighting Camphor(Haarathi):
Now lit up the camphor in a small plate, and move the plate around the photo / idol in a verticle circular form. Do this three times from left to right.
Circumambulation(Pradakshinaas):
Stand up and rotate your body from left to right. While doing this, fold your hands at chest and close your eyes. Do three complete rotations. Then kneel down before god and fold your hands, close your eyes and ask your deity to fulfill your wishes.
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