How the Deities came about: (coming
soon - something is there, but not complete yet)
The installation proper (coming
soon - something is there)
Pictures of the installation (some
pics are there, but more coming soon)
The ritual prayog for the Avahan - installation
Some pre-installation pictures - Their arrival etc
Making Veshes, making Mangal Giris (Thiruman), and Cooking milk sweets for the Lord
By the grace of the Lord someone has donated and sent to me a wonderful set of Deities called Radhika Raman, please see the picture attached. The story goes that I'd had several dreams of Radha Raman in both the Deity form and Salagram form.
So many far out things were happening, I was waking up singing Radhika Raman Radhika Ramaaan Radhika Raman jaya Radhika Raman repeatedly, so I figured something was in the transcendental pipe-line. I contacted a few devotees to share what was happened and they were very supportive and encouraged me to be patient and see what the Lord had/has planned. So I did......
Actually all this started happening after my son Gaura Gopal paid for a trip to India in early 2005 for the Gaura Purnima festival and to visit his birth place of Sri Vrindavan Dham. The first few days especially in Vrindavan we were very eager to visit some of the major temples, a few of my favourites are Radhey Shyamasundar of Shyamananda Pandit and Radha Raman of Gopal Bhatta Goswami. On one particular day we went to Radhey Shyamasundar in the late morning but the curtains remained closed for what seemed like for ever. The devotee maning the book table and donation booth assured us the curtains would open in five minutes, anyway over half an hour later and still not open we decided to rush to Radha Ramanji’s.
We jumped on our faithful rickshaw and headed down the road. The green light was on when we arrived so we rushed in, only stopping to purchase a couple of big fat red rose garlands for Radha Raman on the way in. Needless to say we got caught up with that and with where to put the shoes…….and rushed in for darshan.
Sadly as we entered the doors were just closing, so we just handed the garlands to the pujari up on the altar and paid obeisances. As we got up the doors were wide open and Radha Raman was there visible to us. Then the pujari came over and gave us two even bigger red rose garlands and put them over our heads as we stood in pranams. One old man next to us said “You have just received the special favour of Radha Raman” which was enough to send the emotions haywire and tears to fill the eyes.
We then received some maha-prasadam barfi in the small clay pots, a treat that I had often remembered in the 12 years absence since my last visit to Vraj. We went back to the MVT and shared the maha-prasadam with a couple of other devotees there.
It seems that from that time on all kinds of wonderfully nice things began happening. A few days later we were off to Govardhan hill as I wanted to receive a few more Govardhan silas, which I did. We were there just a few minutes, and after some preliminary prayers and dandavats, and brief Dhyana I began looking for silas. That wasn’t difficult as They were literally everywhere. The first was an incredible Govardhan sila, we found by the side of Govinda kund with what appears to be a womans' face cameod on it, yellow in colour just as mentioned in Vritti Cintamani of Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur, as being places on Govardhan where Radharani had been. You can see the picture of that Radhika Raman Govardhan sila at the Radhastami 2005 link on my page www.salagram.net/sstp-JTCd.html
Then after returning to New Zealand I had several dreams which were that of bathing that sila and it magically turning like Gopal Bhatta Goswami's Radha Raman into a three fold bending form – this was way before we had named the Sila. A few days later in another dream I was dressing a similar form of Radha Krishna Deities but much bigger and the Deities were moving to assist in the dressing (Radharani lifted Her arm to help me put the choli on Her), and when I looked on the back They had chakras like that of the marks on a Salagram, and I awoke. Then we had this other dream of Bhaktisiddhanta swami walking through the Himalayas and finding this Salagram that had a golden chakra inside and looked like a human shaped body, and His name was, yes you got it Radhika Raman.
I contacted maharaj by e-mail and asked him to which he mentioned that recently he did see a Sila fitting that description but was in a shop in Katmandu. He said he'd go back and see if he could offer a pranami donation to acquire Him. But when he went back there, there was no sign of Him, and the shop keeper said that someone else had taken Him. So accepting that the Lord had His plan and that if something was to happen then it would and if not then so be it. I just carried on with the daily pujas and everything.
Just out of the blue one day one mataji from Perth contacted me and in the course of out discussion, as a fellow Salagram sevak I mentioned some of the events. Suddenly she mentions that she'd seen these old South Indian style that kind of fitted my detailed description of the Deities I was dressing in the dream (except the moving and chakras on Their backs hahaha). She mentioned that when she went back there last time two years ago she noticed that They were still there also, and that soon, in a few weeks she was going back again, and if I liked she'd like to gift Them to me. So, as they say, it came to be, she sent the Deities as you can see herein.
Strangely time went by and this was when I had the thing of waking up singing Radhika Raman Radhika Ramaaan Radhika Raman jaya Radhika Raman ….. repeatedly, with hairs stood on end in horipulations..
The next thing that happened was that Bhaktisiddhanta Swami contacts me from Kathmandu where he had been for a couple of days and had located the Radhika Raman Salagram with the golden charkas inside, and so sent me photos of Him.
I told maharaj that recently I’d been sent a couple of nice pictures of South Indian Deities dressed with a vesh and sitting in Rajasana with Their legs dangling over the altar, and that I’d love to offer that to the New One when He comes, with a Empuruman style helmet on His head and so on.
As a meditation I printed out the pictures that maharaj sent me and placed them on the pith with the other Shaligrams claiming His space and aiding my visualization of His coming.
The day He arrived I immediately began making the vesh for Him to sit on. As His body was separated by the two internal charkas He had to sit on something, so that’s why the vesh. Here’s a few pics of my putting the vesh together over a few days, it was really exciting. Anyway, back to the Radhika Raman archa-murthys
As I mentioned this to other friends different things began to manifest. One nice South Indian brahmin devotee who is studying dentistry at Harvard asked how big the Deities of Radhika Raman are. So I told him about eight inches, and he blew me away by saying that when his grandmother went to India last year the devotee who sold her sets of clothes for their Radha Madanagopal Deities mixed in with the ten inch sets which he’d ordered. So he’d send the smaller sets to us, which he kindly did.
A couple of devotees came forward and offered a nice donation so that we could do the installation nicely, which was totally amazing. Even during that, as we prepared for the event, we ordered flowers from Auckland, the same place the temple gets all their Roses for garlands. Then one devotee Madhumangala rang and asked if we’d like a big bag of carnations for the Lord as he was working and wouldn’t be able to come to the installation. We thanked him and thought wow so many flowers….. Then as the time drew closer and the flowers we checked and the devotee who we’d asked to get the Roses had forgotten to send them, but just see how Krishna had prompted Madhu’ to bring a big bag of flowers.
So many little things happened too, like when my wife was making Tamarind chutney for the bhoga offering for the installation feast she was looking for a recipe. She looked in Kurma’s cook book as we normally do first, but she couldn’t find one, and so then she picked up Yamuna’s cookbook, she simply opened the book and there is was Tamarind, Coconut and fresh dhanya chutney, it just opened on that page…..
Just a few days before the installation was Diwali so when we went to get all the different items for the installation the shops (Moshims and Bollywood) were fully stocked with all that we needed including kusha grass, mango leaves, jaggery, mangos, all sorts of nice things we could offer to the Lord.
Anyway so that, in brief is what transpired over six months or so, and how the changes to the pith’s seating arrangements have been made. I hope it inspired you in this cyber-darshan as it has me in being part of it. The whole experience has given a lot of faith that the Lord interacts with us and fulfils our desires, if and when they are to serve Him.
Shanti daanam - Harih om
saha na vavatu / saha nau bhunaktu /
saha viryankaravavahai / tejasvi navadhitamastu /
mavidvi sa vahai /
May He, Lord Sri Krishna protect us all together; may He nourish us all together; may we work conjointly with great energy, and enthusiasm together; may our realizations be vigorous and effective; may there not be any dispute between any of us (nor may we not hate anyone inside or outside of this assembly). Let there be peace, and peace, and peace in all assembled here, in our temple environment and in the forces that act upon us. (Maha-Narayanopanisad & Swetasvara Upanishad invocation verse)
om dhyauh shanti
urvantariksham shanti
prithivis shanti
apaha shanti
vayuh shanti
tejah shanti
oshadhayah shanti
loka shanti
brahmana shanti
vaishnava shanti
shanti astu dhrtir astu, om shanti shanti shantih
harih om
om jaya sri krsna caitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri advaita gadadhara
srivasadi gaura-bhakta vrnda
hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
Om yasya dvirata vaktradya
parisadya parasatam
vighnan nighnanti satatam
vishvakshenam samashraye
"Before beginning this work, I take refuge of the plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishvaksena, the elephant faced one, the leader of the assembly. It is He who constantly destroys all obstacles."
(Note: The incarnation in this period of Manu is Vishvaksena, who is a friend of Shambhu and who is born from the womb of Vishüci in the house of a brähmana named Vishvasrashthä.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 8:13th chapter summary 8:13:23., 8:21:16-17. as powerful associate of Vishnu., 11:27:29 With offerings such as prokshana one should worship Durgä, Vinäyaka, Vyäsa, Vishvaksena, the spiritual masters and the various demigods. All these personalities should be in their proper places facing the Deity of the Lord., 12:11:20 Vishvaksena, the chief among His personal associates, is known to be the personification of the Pancharätra and other tantras. CC Madhya 20:327. In the Brahma-sävarëya-manvantara, the avatära is named Vishvaksena,)
Sankalpa: (Declaration of intent)
Sri govinda sri govinda sri govinda
om vishnu om tat sat
adya brahmano dvitiya parardhe
sveta varaha kalpe, vaivasvatakhya manvantare
asta-vimsati kali yugasya prathama sandhyayam
brahma vimsatau vartamanayam
......do hasar panch (2005)....…. samvatsare (year) (519 Gaurabda)
......uttara ..........................…. ayane (course of the sun)
......grishna...........................…rtau (season)
......Damodar - Karttik.. mase (month)
......Shukla…..........................pakse (fortnight)
......Vrischika (Scorpio lagna). rasi sthite bhaskare (sun sign)
......dwitiya…......................... tithau (lunar day)
......shukravar…(Friday).........varanvitayam (day of the week)
......Anuradha...(excellent in nature, looking forward and appropriate)...
nakshatra samyutayam (constellation)
......Shobhana (gives Splendor) soli-luna yoga
jambudvipe bharata khande
medhi bhutasya sumeroh daksine
lavan arna vasyottare kone
gangayah paschime bhage
sri saligrama sila go brahmana vaishnava vahni sannidhau
acyuta gotrah....................Jaya Tirtha charan..........................dasa
sri krsna prityarthah............pran pratishtha..................karmaham
karisye
Throwing some of the water to the N.E. direction, turned vessel up
side down, placed gandah and puspah on it.
and after chanting the sankalpa sutra
Yaj Jagrato Duram Udaiti
Daivam Tad U Suptasya Tathai Vaithi
Durangamam Jyotisam Jyotirekam
Tan Me Manah Siva Sankalpam Astu
Swastikarpanam, offering respects to the dik palikas, who look after the directions.
om etan mahaprasada naivedyadi
East...........purvasyam sri naradaya svaha
S.E............agneyam sri kapiladevaya svaha
S...............yamye sri yamabhagavataya svaha
S.W..........nairrtyam sri bhismadevaya svaha
W.............praticyam sri sukadevaya svaha
N.W.........vayavyam sri janakarajaya svaha
N..............udicyam sri sadasivaya svaha
N.E...........aisanyam sri prahladaya svaha
Up.............urdhvam sri brahmane svaha
Down.........adhah sri bali-daitya-rajaya svaha
om apagacchantu te bhuta
ye bhuta bhuvisamsthitah
ye bhuta vijna kartaya
tve gacchan tvagyaya hare
"May all inauspicious subtle beings that may obstruct our service be gone by the order of the Lord."
PUNYAVACANA / SWASTI VACHANA (invoking auspiciousness)
As the Priest I said:
om asya karmanah punyaham bhavanto bruvantu
Let there be good fortune in this ceremony we are about to perform.
Three (or the rest) brahmanas should throw akshata or flower petals from their right hands saying:
om punyaham om punyaham om punyaham
Priest says:
om asya karmanah svasti bhavanto bruvantu ayusmate svasti
Let there be all prosperity in this ceremony we are about to perform.
Three (or the rest) brahmanas should throw akshata or flower petals from their right hands saying:
om svasti om svasti om svasti
Priest says:
om asya karmano rddhim bhavanto bruvantu
Let there be great praise in this ceremony we are about to perform.
Three (or the rest) brahmanas should throw akshata or flower petals from their right hands saying:
om rdhyatam om rdhyatam om rdhyatam
om svasti no govindah
svasti no acyutanantau
svasti no vasudevo visnur dadhatu
svasti no narayana naro vai
svasti na padmanabha purusottama dadhatu
svasti no visvakseno visvaresvarah
svasti no hrsikeso harir dadhatu
svasti no vainateyo harih
svasti no anjana suto hanur bhagavato dadhatu
svasti svasti sumangalaih keso mahan
sri krsna sac-cid ananda ganah sarvesvaresvaro dadhatu
jaya sri krsna caitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri advaita gadadhara
srivasadi gaura-bhakta vrnda
hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
Sudarshan Avahan – invoking Sudarshan into the Kalasha waters
With thread joining the container where the waters are in, with Kurcha
of kusha grass inside those waters to infuse it with charge linked to the
Yajna kund and Sudarshan chakra to be installed.
Sankalpa - Declaration of what the purpose is i.e. Avahan, installation of Sudarshan into the waters.
Harih om tat sat
Sri Govinda Sri Govinda Sri Govinda
Shubhe Shobane muhurte bhagavat ajnaya bhagavat kainkarye
baddha nivrrti purvakam
sarva arishta shanti arthagm
bhagavad bhakti abhi vrdhi artham
adya sudarshan avahan puja tathaa homagm aham karishyami
Anga Nyasam
Purificatory preparation of priest for calling Lord Sudarshan, by Bhuta
Suddhi, pranayama, and nyasa.
The invocation is done by first performing nyasa on my own body and then holding flower while doing visualisation of chakra-deity - reciting dhyana slokam is helpfull to get the visualisation going. Then the Lord is transferred from your mind into the water displaying the mudras and reciting mula-mantra and dropping the flower into the waters.
Dhyanam
Remembering the personal attributes of Lord Sudarshan.
Has 1000's of arms each having divine weapons, firey like the sun,
protector of the devotees etc.
shankham chakram cha chapam parashum asi mishum shula paasham kushams
ca
bibhraanam vajra ketagm hala musula gadaa kuntagm atyugram dagmshthram
jvaalaa keshagm trinetragm jvaladanala nibhagm haara keyura bhusham
dhyaayet shatkona sagmsthagm sakal ripu kula prana samhara chakram
om sahasraara hum phat sudarshanam dhyaayaami
“I visualize Sudarshana the eliminator of all hostile forces, located within the six-cornered star, bearing the conch, discus, bow, axe, sword, trident, noose, goad, the diamond-shield, plough, kudgel, mace, spear, with aweful sharp fangs, with blazing halo, three eyes, the intensity of a raging inferno, adorned with garlands and anklets.”
Karake Sudarshan aavaahanam
Invoke Lord Sudarshan into the waters using the kusha grass Kurcha
- wand.
om namo bhagavate sudarshanaya aagaccha aagaccha (times three).
MURTHI SUDDHI - PANCAMRTA ABHISEKA KRAMAH
Pancagavya. gomutra, om visnave namah
gomaye, om brahmane namah
ksire,
om acyutaya namah
dadhni, om sukraya namah
ghrte, om krsnaya
namah
kusodake, om savitre namah
Invoke the following Deities into each of the pots touching each with the kusha grass kurcha.
Prepare Pancamrta:
Curd. om namo
bhagavate visnave agacchagaccha
Milk om
namo bhagavate madhusudanaya agacchagaccha
Honey. om namo bhagavate trivikramaya
agacchagaccha
Sugar. om namo bhagavate
vamanaya agacchagaccha
Ghee. om namo bhagavate
vasudevaya agacchagaccha
SHOW PANCH MUDRAS:
Touch the Deities with the Kurcha and invoke the life airs to be present.
Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam namah avahami, sthapahami, pujahami.
om Sri Govindaya nama ihagaccha
param shaktiman vighrahaya tvam Sri Krishnaya namasi
om Srimati Radhikaya nama ihagaccha
subha shakti vighrahaya tvam Radhikaya namasi
DAS-VAYUNAM AHUTIS:
om pranaya svaha om pranaya nama Heart (breath out - digest)
om apanaya svaha om apanaya nama Posterior ( breath in - removal
of waste)
om samanaya svaha om samanaya nama Navel (distributes fluid to
body parts)
om udanaya svaha om udanaya nama Throat (separates water from
solids)
om vyanaya svaha om vyanaya nama All limbs (stretching moving)
om nagaya svaha om nagaya nama Heart ( burping)
om kurmaya svaha om kurmaya nama ( blinking )
om krkalaya svaha om krkalaya nama ( sneezing )
om kesaraya svaha om kesaraya nama ( relaxing, yawning )
om dhananjayaya om dhananjayaya nama ( keeps healthy )
ANGA NYASA
klim hrdaye namah to the heart
krsnaya sirase swaha to the head
govindaya sikahe swaha to the sikha
gopijana kavachaham accross chest
vallabhaya netraya vausat to eyes
ham astraya phat around His body
Srim hrdaye namah to the heart
Radhikaya sirase swah to the head
Moha mohini sikahe swaha to region of top knot
Rasabihari kavachaham across chest
Guna yava dhamini netraya vausat to eyes
ham astraya phat around Her body
OFFER ASAN :
Idam Asanam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Asanam Samarpayami, Warn
And Place On Bathing Asana.
Prabhu Krpaya Swagatam Kuru Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Swagatam Samarpayami
Etat Padyam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Padyam Samarpayami
Idam Acamaniyam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Acamaniyam Samarpayami
Esa Madhuparka Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Madhuparka Samarpayami
Idam Acamaniyam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Acamaniyam Samarpayami
Idam Sugandam Tailam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Sugandam Samarpayami
REMOVED THE BLINDFOLDS.
NETRA UNMILANAM.
taking one gold cup with honey in it , and one silver cup with ghee
in it, place a silver skewer (salakaya) in each cup, cover with a new cloth,
sprinkle with punyah water.
sankalpa: om evam purvokta guna visesana visisthayam
asya subha tithau bhagavad ajnaya
bhagavad kainkarya rupena asmin pratisthakarmani
adhyaham netronmilanam karisye
Purified the honey:
madhuvata rtayate madhu ksaranti sindhvah, madhvir nassantvosadhih.
madhunaktam utosasi madhumat parthivagam rajah, madhudyaur astu nah
pita.
madhumanno vanaspatir madhumagam astu suryah, madhvir gavo bhavantu.
madhu madhu madhu.
Right Eye of Krishna, then Radha:
Took the salakaya and diped it in the honey with the mantra:
citram devanam udagadanikam caksur mitrasya varunasyagne
apradyava prithivi antariksagam surya atma jagatasthusas ca
and draw it across the right eye.
Left eye of Krishna then Radha:
Sanctify the ghee and follow the same proceedure with the left eye.
tac caksur devahitam purasta chukram uccarat, pasyema saradah satam.
jivema saradas sata, nandama saradas satam, modama saradas satam,
bhavama saradas satam, srnavama saradas satam, prabravama saradas satam,
ajitah syama saradas satamjyok ca suryam drse
OFFERED GANDAH, PUSPA, DHUPA, DIPA, AND NAIVEDYAM.
Esa Gandah Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Gandah Samarpayami
Idam Sugandam Pushpam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Sugandam Pushpam Samarpayami
Esa Dhupa Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Dhupa Samarpayami
Esa Dipah Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Dipah Samarpayami
Idam Naivedyam Srim Klim Radha Krsnabhyam Namah Naivedyam Samarpayami
ABHISHEKAM
IDAM SNANIYAM SRIM KLIM RADHA KRSNABHYAM NAMAH SNANIYAM SAMARPAYAMI
Sodasa upachar seva pujan – offer aradhanam of 16 items
Asan suddhi – offer seat:
idam Asanam asanam samarpayami
Swagatam Greetings – greeting with anjali mudra:
swagatam tu swagatam te - swagatam kuru samArpayAmi
Padyam – offering to Lord’s feet - footwash:
etat pAdyam - pAdyam samArpayAmi
Sugandham Tailam – anointing with oils:
idam sugandam tailam - sugandam tailam samArpayAmi
Snaniyam - bathing:
idam snaniyam - snaniyam samArpayAmi
phala malyam – fruit garlands (grapes, mandarins, dried fruits)
idam phala-malyam – phal malyam samArpayAmi
….bathed Deities with Pancha-gavyam
cow urine, cow dung and ghee (these in small proportion),
cow milk and yogurt.
….bathed Deities with Panchamrita
milk – yogurt – ghee – honey - sugar
….bathe Deities with Juices
(was orange, apple, dark grape, cranberry, and kiwi fruit juice
on day)
….bathed Deities with Seeds of herbs – Sarvaushadhi-snana (sahasra
dhar)
fennel, anise, caraway, cardamom, cloves
…..bathed Deities with MANgala-snana (sahasra dhar)
bathe the Lord in water mixed with auspicious things,
such as jasmine flowers, durva grass, and darbha grass
….bathed the Deities with Astaka-bija-snana (sahasra dhar)
bathe the Lord in water containing eight types of seeds: barley, wheat,
wild rice, sesame, millet, rice paddy, panic seed, and rice which grows
in sixty days
….bathed the Deities with Gandhodaka-snana
bathe the Lord in water mixed with scents such as musk and aguru
….bathed the Deities with - Urshodaka-snana
bathe the Lord with warm water
….bathed Deities with protective waters from Sudarshan homa
three Kumbha/kalasha each Deity
….bathed Deities with Sahasra-dhara seva – with water using sahasra-dhara
Returned the Deities to the Altar on a towel, cleansed Them of any residue of the bathing dravyas, and dried Them nicely
Sotariya Vaastram – offering cloth – change out of wet set: (screen)
idam sotAriya vaastram - sotAriya vaastram samArpayAmi
Tilakam – marking the Deity with auspicious signs and symbols:
idam tilakam - tilakam samArpayAmi
Upavatam – sacred thread:
idam upAvatam - upAvatam samArpayAmi
Abharanam – Alankaram:
idam abhAranam - abhAranam samArpayAmi
Malyam - garlands:
idam malyam - malyam samArpayAmi
Gandam – sandalwood paste:
esha gandhah - gandhah samArpayAmi
Sugandham Pushpam – flower petals dipped in sandalwod paste:
idam sugandham pushpam – sugandham pushpam samArpayAmi
Tulasi Patram – Tulasi leaves:
etAt TulAsi pAtram - TulAsi pAtram samArpayAmi
Dhupa - incense:
esha dhupah - dhupah samArpayAmi
Deepa - lamps:
esha deepah - deepah samArpayAmi
Here we did a Full arati for the pleasure of the Lord and the devotees
Naivedyam - Paniyam:
idam naivedyAm – naivedyam subham astu samArpayAmi
idam pAniyam - pAniyam samArpayAmi
om pranaya svaha (prana mudra) om apanaya svaha
(apana mudra)
om vyanaya svaha (vyana mudra)
om udanaya svaha (udana mudra)
om samanaya svaha (samana mudra)
om brahmaye svaha
om Amrito pAstrAnamAsi - Amrito pAstrAnamAsi samArpayAmi
we chanted mantras to guru:
nama om vishnu padaya……..
namo mahavadanaya……
namo brahmanya devaya……
jaya sri krishna chaitanya……
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare,
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
First line of the Gayatri mantra:
Om bhur bhuvah swah tat savitur………
om Amrito peedAnamAsi - Amrito peedAnamAsi samArpayAmi
Tambulam – betal, cloves, cardamom, rock candy, churnas, suparis:
idam tambulam - tambulam samArpayAmi
Sarvam – conclusion – whilst ringing the bell
(4 everything & everything lacking:
idam sarvAm - sarvAm samArpayAmi
Darpanam - show mirror
Namam – offering with Harer Nama:
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare
Sthapanam – final placement of Deities in Griha garbha
Radha-Krishna Gayatri (Times 10)
Srim Klim Radha Krishna Govindaya Gopijanaballabaya Namah
Om Narayanaya Vidmahi Vasudevaya Dimahi
Tanno Visnuh Pracodayat (X 3 Times)
Om Mahalaxmis Ca Vidmahe Visnupatnis Ca Dhimahi
Tanno Laxmi Pracodayate (X 3 Times)
Om Tat Sat
Om Adya Krte 'smin Deva avahan Karmani
Yat Kincit Vaigunyam Jatam
Tad Dosa Prasamanaya
Sri Visnu Smaranam Aham Karomi
"To alleviate any fault which may have been committed in the ceremony
of installing the Deity, I now perform Visnu smaranam."
THEN DID IT - REMEMBER LORD VISHNU, NARAYANA, & KRISHNA
Dandavat pranams
The whole time there was wonderful chanting by the devotees who had come for the program - it was really nice, very small, very personal, and VERY NICE.
Aparadha kshama:
ACCHIDRA DHARANA, VAIGUNYA PRASAMANAM
(allaying faults):
All the rules of puja are formed to prevent one from committing offense to the Lord. If one breaks a rule and commits offense the first remedial measure is to beg forgiveness for the offense with a sincere heart.
As a safeguard, one should in conclusion beg pardon for any unintentional offense (intentional offense is out of the question for one who is initiated) as the final means of accruing success from the puja.
To free oneself from offense one can also bath in the yamuna at mathura and serve the Lord there; study a chapter of Bhagavad Gita every day; worship salagrama sila with tulasi leaves, read verses glorifying tulasi on dvadasi while staying awake all night; and mark oneself with the weapons of visnu and then worship the Lord.
THE MANTRAS FOR OBTAINING FORGIVENESS FOR ONE'S OFFENCES
The priest turns to the fire or the Deity and says:
om ajnatam tad anajnatam
yajnasya kriyate mithu
visno tad asya kalpaya
tvam hi vettha yatha tatham svaha
"Oh Vishnu, rectify whatever was performed wrongly, consciously or unconsciously, in this sacrifice. Understand our sincere intention and take care of that."
The priest then recited aloud :
om prajapate visno na tvat etani anyo
visva jatani parita babhuva
yat kamah te jahumah tat no 'stu
vayam svamah patayo rayinam svaha
"Oh Vishnu, master of all creatures, there is no one besides You. The Lord has encompassed everything. With desires we have sacrificed unto You. May those desires be fulfilled. May we become the masters of spiritual wealth."
mantra-hinam kriya-hinam
bhakti-hinam janardana
yat pujitam maya deva
paripurnam tad astu me
"O my Lord, O Janardana, whatever little puja or worship that has been performed by me, although it is without devotion, without proper mantras and without the proper performance, please let that become complete."
yad-dattam bhakti-matrena
patram puspam phalam jalam
aveditam nivedyan tu
tan grhananukampaya
"What has been offered with devotion, the leaf, the flower, the water, the fruit, the foodstuff, which has been offered, please, out of Your causeless mercy, accept it."
vidhi-hinam mantra-hinam
yat kincid upapaditam
kriya-mantra-vihinam va
tat sarvam ksantum arhasi
"Whatever has happened without the proper chanting of the mantra, or without following the proper procedure, kindly forgive all that."
ajnanad athava jnanad
asubham yan maya krtam
ksantum arhasi tat sarvam
dasyenaiva grhana mam
sthitih seva gatir yatra
smrtis cinta stutir vacah
bhuyat sarvatmana visno
madiyam tvayi cestitam
"Whatever inauspicious things I have done out of ignorance or unknowingly, please forgive that and accept me as Your insig-nificant servant. Let my normal condition be service; let my movement be holy pilgrimage; let my thought be remembrance of You; let my words be glorification of You. O Visnu, let my activities, with my whole mind and body and soul, be engaged in You."
DISTRIBUTION OF PRASADAMS.
Explaining to the assembled devotees what we were about to do.
Reciting the sankalpa declaration of intent for Their Lordships and reciting other mantras like Swasti Vachan etc
some of the upacharas all lined up ready to go
the different bathing ingredients and naivedyas, the flowers and so on......
The Archa-vigraha waiting on the Altar Their eyes still blindfolded prior to installation.
placing on the san vedi and performing the pran-pratishtha touching with the kusha grass kurcha and invoking with dasavaryuh pran-ahutis
just prior to the Netra unmilinam - opening of the eyes.
opening the eyes using honey in gold recepticles and silver recepticles and using a silver salakaya dipped in honey......
offering of panch upachar seva - ganda, sugandam pushpam, dhupa, dipa, naivedyam
offering phala malam - dried and fresh fruit garlands
bathing with milk
rinsing off with conches of fragrant waters
bathing with yogurt
rinsing with conches of water between the panchamritam
after the ghee had been poured over Them
bathing in Honey
bathing in jaggery water
bathing in fruit juices - apple
bathing in fruit juices - orange
bathing with cranberry juice
bathing with Kiwi fruit juice
bathing with the protective Sudarshan tatah waters
after massaging soft sweet banana onto Their bodies
seated on the front of the Altar ready for wiping down and redressing etc
Take a closeup look at the beauty of Sri Sri Radhika Raman
after the dressing my son led kirtan of Damodarastakam, and everyone offered candle dipas
a VERY pregnant mother Indira looks across for the words to the song
my wife Vedavati devi dasi offering the Naivedya food offering
A total of 54 different food items were offered
all dressed ready to receive pushya abhishek from all the devotees
November 2005
December 2005
February 2006
Sri Sri Radhika Raman - Chard Rd 2008
Radhastami 2008 (Lund Road) on Their swing
Radhika Raman murthys Karttik 2008
Radhika Raman murthys May 2009
Sri Sri Radhika Raman murthy ji ki jaya
There are many more pictures to come, so please come back, they fill in all the gaps of what we did to try to please the Lord.