Re: Puja Format Dear Suma, I love the way, you think of me & enquire!! Life foes on good, by God's grace. Love, Chithra.
Re: easy to understand now........... Dear Thanam, Welcome to IL. I am happy to receive your first post. Enjoy your stay in IL - it is a home away from home!! Love, Chithra.
Re: Puja Format Hi Aunty i questions are pending still I know ur quite busy but please aunty please make atleast 10 min for all those please. Thanks for all the things u do Take care Aunty bye
Re: Puja Format Dear Suma, I have no time to search the post. Please repeat the queries. Also remember my limitations. I know not many things because I am just a housewife, nothing more. I will answer whatever I know. Love, Chithra.
Re: Puja Format Hi Aunty I'm pasting the same queries as posted before: First Post: Dear Aunty, I went through almost all pooja & sloka indexes and came to know that there is a separate Gayathri mantra for women. Its mentioned that in olden days, it was said women are not supposed to even chant vedic manrtas. I would like to know the reason behind; why they are not supposed to chant and also why women should not chant the regular gayathri mantra? what's the harm? Few other queries I have are: 1) The coconut & rice/wheat we keep for any kalasa pooja, should we prepare only sweet dishes out of it or can we cook something else too? Please let me know. 2) Mantra pushpam is usually said at the end of every puja.What's the significance of it? And can you provide me the meaning of the same. 3) Why people lit kamakshi deepa daily? Can kamakshi deepa be used for doing ekarathi? 4) I went thru the Shiva-parvathi pooja format. Can I use the same for Shivaratri puja? Or is there separate format for shivarathri pooja? 5) After every step in pooja we do achamaneeyam. why? 6) Is there any sloka/manthra while doing puja with Dhoopam/agarbathi? 7) What can be done with all the dakshina (money) we keep for god at home ? which is better: Putting in hundi in any temple or Purchasing something for puja (Say ornaments for idols/puja items) or Can we do dhaana for poors/orphans like food, clothes etc? <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" oreferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><vath o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></vath><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 style="WIDTH: 11.25pt; HEIGHT: 11.25pt" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="http://www.IndusLadies.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\SANDEE~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape>Why people chant Soundrya lahari? What is its significance? 9) Is Sri Lalitha sahasranama chanted for Lakshmi devi? when it's to be chanted? 10) In Nava Rathri, Nava means 9. What are the 9 deities? Or should one worship only Durga, lakshmi & saraswati all 9 days? 11) When do we do pooja for Subramanya swamy? Is there a specific occasion or day to worship him? 12) When is Vaibhava lakshmi pooja performed? How is Vaibhava lakshmi different from Varalakshmi? Why do people vaibava lakshmi puja? 13) Why there is no pooja performed for Brahma? Is it because he got married to Saraswathi (his own creation-hence becomes father)? or is there some other reason for it? 14) In Dashavathram, Matsya, Korma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parushurama, Rama, krishna, Is the next one to follow Budha or Shirdi Sai? & Kalki (yet to come) If its Budhha- Why only Boudha dharma people do puja for him? why don't we worship if he is a vishnu avatharam like rama/krishna? 15) Why there is no puja/festival performed for other avatharams like Matsya, koorma, Varaha, Vamana, or Parashurama? Or do still people follow doing puja for these avatharams? I dont need answers for all of these questions at once. You can answer them when ever you find time. Thanks for all the help you are extending and hope my questions make sense to you
Re: Puja Format Second Post: Hello Aunty, I hope you're busy... i made little effort of finding the answers on my own...but i got for only 2 or 3...Please go thru this and let me now whether its correct. Reg: Q :2)- Manthra Pushpam It is actually a recitation about the origin and evolution of the natural forces like water, air, fire, earth, Sun and the stars and not just praising God. This is to show that the Vedas are really texts of scientific knowledge and the recitation is one way to keep it in memory to pass it on to our progeny. The meaning of the verse is as follows: The world is all made of water and is the basic of everything and is worthy of our prayers. As water is cool so also the moon is cool like a flower of the water. He who understands this gets all prosperity [with progeny and cattle]. Fire is also a producer of this water and the air is a producer of the fire. As the sea water raises as vapor to the clouds and falls as rain to give us the warmth and prosperity, the Sun is related to the water. As we see the star [through astrological position] which determines the rain and prosperity, we see the relation of stars for all this prosperity through water. Each year, as we get the rainy season to get our rains, the year around seasons get importance. On this water the world revolves around like a boat sailing in the ocean and he who understands this gets all the prosperity Reg: Q:10- Navarathri: Usually there are different customs followed by different groups of people. Some start Navrathri with Sharadha/Saraswathi Puja.Some people do Saraswathi puja on the last day i.e on maha navami along with Ayudha Puja. During Navrathri Ma Saraswathi, Lakshmi Devi, Durga matha is worshiped for all 9 days. We can divide as first 3 days for saraswathi, next 3 days for lakshmi and remaining 3 for Durga (Since the 8th day is very special day for Ma Durga - Durgaashatami) or else keep 3 idols along with a kalasa on the very first day & worship all thru' out 9 days. Each day a freshly prepared nevaidhya is kept for each, preferrably puja is done in the morning times. Some prople keep fast for all 9 days. Eat only fruits,Prasads, eat juices & milk. Some just avoid eating eggs, onions, garlic for 9 days. and Reg: Q:5- Aachamaneeyam: I was able to find only a partial answer I do understand the achamaneeyam done the start of the puja reciting which us in performing the ritual with utmost Shradha. Take water into palm with the feeling(PariPu:rna Bha:vana) that it came on to us from the lotus feet of Lord Sri Mann Narayana and chant 1) Aum keshavaya swaha and drink it. Then, we should repeat the same for 2) Aum Narayanaya swaha 3) Aum Madhavayaya swaha What does it do? These mantra:s make the water in our palm a "MantraJalam". That goes inside of our body and suppressses our thoughts revolving around these worldly matters and enable us to concentrate on divine qualities of Lord and perform the ritual properly But my doubt is we do after every step of puja why it is? We do give achamaneeyam samarpayami (offering water to drink to the lord) after paadyam & Arghyam samarpayami before snanam. It makes me sense when we do aachamaneeyam after nevaidhyam since we are giving water to wash lord’s hands and mouth. But after dhoopa, deepa …other steps?
Re: Puja Format Third post: Hi Aunty... Hope <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">ur</st1lace></st1:City> busy making preparations for Deepavali I found answer for few again ... About Soundarya Lahari: Soundarya Lahari meaning waves of beauty consists of two parts viz. Ananda Lahari meaning waves of happiness (first 41 stanzas) and Soundarya Lahari describing the beauty of the Goddess <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" oreferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><vath o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></vath><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 style="WIDTH: 16.5pt; HEIGHT: 16.5pt" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="http://kona.kontera.com/javascript/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\SANDEE~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape> (the next 59 stanzas). It is believed that Lord Ganesha himself has etched the Ananda Lahari on <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceType w:st="on">Mount</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Meru</st1laceName></st1lace> (Some people believe that Sage Pushpa Dhantha did the etching). It was read from there by Sage Goudapada who taught it to Adi Sankara. Adi Sankara himself added the rest of the 59 stanzas and completed it. I believe since this is respect to MA PArvathi , it can be chanted on fridays/Tuesdays or during Navarathri or even on Mangal Gowri/Swarna Gowri pujas/festivals Please correct me if am wrong. And Lalitha sahasranam is recited for Lalitha devi - Parvathi again. People do puja for Rajarajeshwari Devi at home. I believe Rajarajeshwari is also known as Thripura sundari and Lalitha !! I came to know about the Laitha name for sri Rajarajeshwari now !! So Lalitha sahasranama can also be chanted as above tuesday/fridays and also on Navarathri. Thats all i was able to find. Then how r u aunty...howz life? take care bye aunty hope to see u soon!!
Re: Puja Format There are many of your questions for which I do not know the answer. I think you should consult a learned Pandit & not a housewife like me. 1 - Yes 3 - Kamakshi is a recent lamp & many like it, thats all. No special significance. It wasnot there when I was young! 4 - Yes, use it. There is no separate format for Shivarathri. 6 - See 16 Step Puja Format 7 - 1 & 3 are preferable 11 - tuesday is special- some think it is monday 12 - there is a separate thread on Vaibhavalaxmi puja - please refer. I do not know the answrs for the other queries, Suma. Sorry. Love, Chithra.
Re: Puja Format Hello Aunty, I think u were not happy either not in good mood while answering my queries i feel. (I thought so ) Thanks Aunty.... for sharing the info with me. Take care...See u soon. Bye for now.
