Puja Standards
Different styles of puja:
Some video examples of seva puja/ aradhanam
Different amounts of upachara - items offered:
Sahajiya - taking it cheaply:
Puja Standard systems:
Emergency standard for puja:
Spoken by lord Shiva, in the Shrimad BhAgavata, 4:24:45 - 46
snigdha-prAvRd-ghana-shyAmaM
sarva-saundarya-saGgraham
chArv-Ayata-chatur-bAhu
sujAta-ruchirAnanam
padma-kosha-palAshAkSaM
sundara-bhru sunAsikam
sudvijaM sukapolAsyaM
sama-karNa-vibhUSaNam
TRANSLATION
The Lord's beauty resembles a dark cloud during the rainy season. As
the rainfall glistens, His bodily features also glisten. Indeed, He is
the sum total of all beauty. The Lord has four arms and an exquisitely
beautiful face with eyes like lotus petals, a beautiful highly raised nose,
a mind-attracting smile, a beautiful forehead and equally beautiful and
fully decorated ears.
PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
After the scorching heat of the summer season, it is very pleasing
to see dark clouds in the sky. As confirmed in BrahmA-saMhitA: barhAvataMsam
asitambuda-sundaraGgam. The Lord wears a peacock feather in His hair, and
His bodily complexion is just like a blackish cloud. The word sundara,
or snigdha, means very pleasing. Kandarpa-koTi-kamanIya. KRSNa's beauty
is so pleasing that not even millions upon millions of Cupids can compare
to it. The Lords form as ViSNu is decorated in all opulence; therefore
Lord Shiva is trying to see that most opulent form of NArAyaNa, or ViSNu.
Generally the worship of the Lord begins with the worship of NArAyaNa,
or ViSNu, whereas the worship of Lord KRSNa and RAdhA is most confidential.
Lord NArAyaNa is worshipable by the paNcharAtrika-vidhi, or regulative
principles, whereas Lord KRSNa is worshipable by the bhAgavata-vidhi.
No one can worship the Lord in the bhgavata-vidhi without going through
the regulations of the paNcharAtrika-vidhi. Actually, neophyte devotees
worship the Lord according to the paNcharAtrika-vidhi, or the regulative
principles enjoined in the NArada-paNcharAtra. RAdhA-KRSNa cannot be approached
by the neophyte devotees; therefore temple worship according to regulative
principles is offered to LakSmI-NArAyaNa. Although there may be a RAdhA-KRSNa
vigraha, or form, the worship of the neophyte devotees is acceptable as
LakSmI-NArAyaNa worship. Worship according to the paNcharAtrika-vidhi is
called vidhi-mArga, and worship according to the bhAgavata-vidhi principles
is called rAga-mArga. The principles of rAga-mArga are especially meant
for devotees who are elevated to the VRndAvana platform. The inhabitants
of VRndAvana, the gopIs, mother YashodA, Nanda MahArAja, the cowherd boys,
the cows and everyone else are actually on the rAga-mArga or bhAgavata-mArga
platform. They participate in five basic rasas, dAsya, sakhya, vAtsalya,
mAdhurya and shAnta. But although these five rasas are found in the bhAgavata-mArga,
the bhAgavata-mArga is especially meant for vAtsalya and mAdhurya, or paternal
and conjugal relationships. Yet there is the vipralambha-sakhya, the higher
fraternal worship of the Lord especially enjoyed by the cowherd boys. Although
there is friendship between KRSNa and the cowherd boys, this friendship
is different from the aishvarya friendship between KRSNa and Arjuna. When
Arjuna saw the vishva-rUpa, the gigantic universal form of the Lord, he
was afraid for having treated KRSNa as an ordinary friend; therefore he
begged KRSNas pardon. However, the cowherd boys who are friends of KRSNa
in VRndAvana sometimes ride on the shoulders of KRSNa. They treat KRSNa
equally, just as they treat one another, and they are never afraid of Him,
nor do they ever beg His pardon. Thus the rAga-mArga, or bhAgavata-mArga,
friendship exists on a higher platform with KRSNa, namely the platform
of vipralambha friendship. Paternal friendship, paternal service and conjugal
service are visible in the VRndAvana rAga-mArga relationships. Without
serving KRSNa according to the vidhi-mArga regulative principles of the
paNcharAtrika-vidhi, unscrupulous persons want to jump immediately to the
rAga-mArga principles. Such persons are called sahajiyA. There are also
demons who enjoy depicting KRSNa and His pastimes with the gopIs, taking
advantage of KRSNa by their licentious character. These demons who print
books and write lyrics on the rAga-mArga principles are surely on the way
to hell. Unfortunately, they lead others down with them. Devotees in KRSNa
consciousness should be very careful to avoid such demons. One should strictly
follow the vidhi-mrga regulative principles in the worship of LakSmI-NArAyaNa,
although the Lord is present in the temple as RAdhA-KRSNa. RAdhA-KRSNa
includes LakSmI-NArAyaNa; therefore when one worships the Lord according
to the regulative principles, the Lord accepts the service in the role
of LakSmI-NArAyaNa. In The Nectar of Devotion full instructions are given
about the vidhi-mArga worship of RAdhA-KRSNa, or LakSmI-NArAyaNa. Although
there are sixty-four kinds of offenses one can commit in vidhi-mArga worship,
in rAga-mArga worship there is no consideration of such offenses because
the devotees on that platform are very much elevated, and there is no question
of offense. But if we do not follow the regulative principles on the vidhi-mArga
platform and keep our eyes trained to spot offenses, we will not make progress.
In his description of KRSNa's beauty, Lord Shiva uses the words chArvAyata-chatur-bAhu
sujAta-ruchirAnanam, indicating the beautiful four-armed form of NArAyaNa,
or ViSNu. Those who worship Lord KRSNa describe Him as sujAta-ruchirAnanam.
In the viSNu-tattva there are hundreds and thousands and millions of forms
of the Supreme Lord, but of all these forms, the form of KRSNa is the most
beautiful. Thus for those who worship KRSNa, the word sujAta-ruchirAnanam
is used. The four arms of Lord ViSNu have different purposes. The hands
holding a lotus flower and conchshell are meant for the devotees, whereas
the other two hands, holding a disc and mace, or club, are meant for the
demons. Actually all of the Lords arms are auspicious, whether they are
holding conchshells and flowers or clubs and discs. The demons killed by
Lord ViSNu's chakra disc and club are elevated to the spiritual world,
just like the devotees who are protected by the hands holding the lotus
flower and conchshell. However, the demons who are elevated to the spiritual
world are situated in the impersonal Brahman effulgence, whereas the devotees
are allowed to enter into the VaikuNTha planets. Those who are devotees
of Lord KRSNa are immediately elevated to the Goloka VRndAvana planet.
The Lord's beauty is compared to rainfall because when the rain falls in
the rainy season, it becomes more and more pleasing to the people. After
the scorching heat of the summer season, the people enjoy the rainy season
very much. Indeed, they even come out of their doors in the villages and
enjoy the rainfall directly. Thus the Lord's bodily features are
compared to the clouds of the rainy season. The devotees enjoy the Lord's
beauty because it is a collection of all kinds of beauties. Therefore the
word sarva-saundarya-saGgraham is used. No one can say that the body of
the Lord is wanting in beautiful parts. It is completely pUrNam. Everything
is complete: God's creation, God's beauty and God's bodily features. All
these are so complete that all one's desires can become fully satisfied
when one sees the beauty of the Lord. The word sarva-saundarya indicates
that there are different types of beauties in the material and spiritual
worlds and that the Lord contains all of them. Both materialists and spiritualists
can enjoy the beauty of the Lord. Because the Supreme Lord attracts everyone,
including demons and devotees, materialists and spiritualists, He is called
KRSNa. Similarly, His devotees also attract everyone. As mentioned in the
Sad-gosvAmI-stotra:
dhIrAdhIra-jana-priyau the Gosvamis are equally dear to the dhIra (devotees)
and adhIra (demons). Lord KRSNa was not very pleasing to the demons when
He was present in VRndAvana, but the six GosvAmIs were pleasing to the
demons when they were present in VRndAvana. That is the beauty of the Lord's
dealings with His devotees; sometimes the Lord gives more credit to His
devotees than He takes for Himself. For instance, on the Battlefield of
KurukSetra, Lord KRSNa fought simply by giving directions. Yet it was Arjuna
who took the credit for fighting. Nimitta-mAtra bhava savyasAchin:
You, O SavyasAchI [Arjuna], can be but an instrument in the fight. (Bg.
11.33) Everything was arranged by the Lord, but the credit of victory was
given to Arjuna. Similarly, in the KRSNa consciousness movement, everything
is happening according to the predictions of Lord Chaitanya, but the credit
goes to Lord Chaitanya's sincere servants. Thus the Lord is described herein
as sarva-saundarya-saGgraham.
His saanidhyam in SaaLagrama Silais and worship of Him in that form is an ancient tradition for us.
There are many ways in which He is present in the SaaLigrama form. The Moorthy LakshaNams and the identification of such LakshaNams to determine the particular saannidhyam of the Lord has been covered in various PurANams and SrI tatthva Nidhi. Experts at SrI matam ( AhObila Matam ) and dhivya dEsams (archakAs) can help with the identification of the individual Moorthis. For instance, there are 16 variations of SrI KrishNa SaaLigrAmam, 13 of SrI Narasimhan ( Baala Narasimhan, Suddha VarAha Narasimhan, VidhAraNa Narasimhan, RaakshasAnthaka Narasimhan, VivruthAsya Narasimhan, LakshmI Narasimhan, Haara Narasimhan, VibhIshaNa Narasimhan, AdhO Mukha Narasimhan, Kapila Narasimhan et al ). There is a dozen types of Raama SaaLigrAmams.
SrIman M.S.KrishNamachariar has cataloged the various forms of SaalagrAmams and their LakshaNams in his 1981 monograph entitled "SaaLagrAma SilOthpatthi Vimarsanam". Here, he talks about the location in NepAl, where GaNdaki River, a tributary of Gangai flows.
There are number of ways to perform AarAdhanam for SaaLagrAmams at one's home :
1) Taantric way with ShOdasOpachArams.
2) Standard Bhagavath AarAdhanam followed by VaishNava Dinacharya established by AchArya RaamAnujA ( please refer to AchArya RaamAnujA interactive multimedia CD ROM for details or ask for help from the family elders or AchAryAs).
3) Chathurvimsathi Murthi sthOthra KaTana PoojA. This is simpler and any one can do it by reciting this sthOthram in front of SaaLagrAmam(s) and offer Pushpam, Milk and NaivEdhyam. Thirumanjanam can be done with few spons of milk as well.
4) Those who are in a hurry can take few minutes to recite the two dhyAna slOkams, perform japam of AshtAksharam, offer milk, TaambhOlam, Karpoora haratthi. The SaaLagrama Moorthys at home should not be neglected and starved since inauspiciousness will result otherwise to the home.
The two dhyAna slOkams are:
dhyAyAmi Devam LakshmIsam Sankha-chakra-gadhAdharam
PeethAmBara paridhAnam Padhmasannibha lOchanam
Mandasmitha mhukhAmbhOjam madhanAyutha Sundaram
MaayAnirmitha lOkaougam mEgasyAmaLa vigraham
SrI LakshmI NaarAyaNam dhyAyAmi
NamO NamasthE KaruNAlaya NamO NamasthE KamalAdhavAya
NamO NamasthE JagathAm cha srashtrE namO namasthE nathsOka harthrE
ThrAhi maam KaruNAsindhO ! Paahi maam KamalApathE!
Thvayi bhakthi: sadhaivAsthu mama sarvArTadhAyini
(PraNavam ) NamO NaarAyaNa ..Subhamasthu.
Even on days in which one is unable to perform AarAdhanam for SaaLagrAma Moorthys , The ladies of the house or children can recite the above slOkAs in front of the Moorthys, offer the food cooked for the day as naivEdhyam and complete the aarAdhanam this way.
SaaLagrAma dhAnam is one of the most auspicious dhAnam .
At Sudarsana Sannidhi at Kaanchi, One can see a large number of Sudarsana SaaLagrAmams .
When one is unable to perform SaaLagrama PoojA, which is the easiest daily ritual to perform, one should give them away to temples or to those, who can accept that daily duty.
The dhivya dEsam of SaaLaigrAmam is a svyam vyaktha sthalam (where the Lord is self-manifest).It is 60 miles away from Kaatmandu in NepAl on the banks of GaNdaki river.
When there are dozen or more SaaLagrAmams at any home, then that home is considered as a dhivya dEsam.
Two AzhwArs have performed MangaLAsAsanam for the dhivya dEsam of SaaLagramam:
PeriyAzhwAr: His Thirumozhi:2.9.5 , 4.7.9 Kaliyan: 10 Paasurams in 1.5 Periya Thirumozhi.
adiyEn will summarize the meanings of these paasurams on a future occasion.
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan
