Thus Spake the Divine - Performing Pooja

Thus Spake the Divine

Performing Pooja

In this chapter, Poojyasri Maha Periyava explains how Pooja should be performed in general and Panchayatana Pooja in particular.

Every family should perform regular pooja to God. People who have adequate resources can perform an elaborate pooja; otherwise, a simple and short pooja spending just 10 minutes will suffice. Even people who go to office must perform the short pooja. There should be the sound of bell, which signifies pooja in every house.

There are certain sets of rules to perform pooja. For Ishvara, Ambal, Vishnu, Ganesha and Surya, pooja should be performed in front of the respective idols. This is known as Panchayatana Pooja, which can also be performed without idols by representing the respective God with substances available in nature.

Where do we get the idols for Panchayatana Pooja? Bana Lingam that signifies Ishvara is available in the Omkara Kundam of river Narmada. The smoothened stone of Ambal can be taken from Swarnamukhi River in Andhra Pradesh. Vishnu’s Salagramam is in Kandaki River, Nepal. Sphatikam (Semi-precious stone) for Surya is available in Vallam, near Tanjore, and Sonabadra Stone for Ganesha can be obtained from Sona River, which merges with River Ganga. If we obtain all the five and keep them in one place, they are equivalent to integrating Gods of the entire country in one place.

All these five substances do not accumulate impurities or dirt on them as their formation is such that there is no gap or space in between. And all these are tiny stones to which Abhishekam (water shower) can be done and wiped off easily. They don’t require a large space; they can be kept in a small box. Just four spoons of water, some flower and a small offering of naivedyam will complete the pooja!

Even if one travels, he can carry this box along with him and do the pooja for just 10 minutes. He need not worry about the availability of flower for the pooja. He can take dried Vilva and Tulsi leaves to do the pooja. For offering naivedyam, he can take raisins with him! All these can also be kept in the same box. One need not make any extraordinary efforts for the pooja. If there is a will, there is a way, and one can perform pooja wherever he is. But if pooja is being performed at home, there should definitely be a Maha Naivedyam in which cooked rice should be offered to God.

Ishvara has created the entire Universe for our use. He has given us sensory organs to enjoy his creations. Therefore, whatever we use, whatever we enjoy, we should first offer the same to Him and then take for ourselves. Are we really offering the rice to him? No! We just show it to him; He does not eat the rice, only we eat it!

Some people ridicule our practice of offering prasadam and naivedyam to God. When God is offered naivedyam, it does not mean that we want God to eat the same. The concept of performing pooja is only to purify our thoughts and mind. God is not benefited in any way by our pooja. When we offer naivedyam to God, we say the mantra “Nivedhayami”, which means “I inform you” and not “I feed you”. We only inform him that it is the rice He has given to us and we eat the same with a feeling of gratitude to Him. How could rice ever grow without his benevolence?

Can any scientist create one grain of rice? He may do elaborate research and thesis on different types of rice! He can even produce synthetic rice, but, where will the chemical for producing synthetic rice come from? It must be in existence within the creation of God, isn’t it? Though it may appear that man has invented or created something, it is actually the creation of God alone! Therefore, if we make use or enjoy any substance created by God without offering it to him, we become thieves!

This is the reason why every family invites God home by performing pooja. God is informed during the pooja that we are using what has been created and given to us by Him. That is indicative of our maturity that we will not use anything that is not worth offering to God! We thus turn virtuous!

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.