Now, the various steps involved in an actual “puja” or worship may be described.
Since external cleanliness and neatness are conducive to internal purity, the first thing to be done before starting “puja” is to clean the “puja-room” and the surrounding are thoroughly. Of course, it goes without saying, tha the worshipper should take the bath and wear washed and clean clothes for the “puja”. It may be a good custom even to keep two sets of clothes to be worn (by turns) only at the time of ritualistic worship.
After arranging all the vessels and materials needed for the “puja” properly, the worshipper should sit on the “puja-seat” (which shouled be used onlyfor the purposes of “puja”) in such a way that he is facing the deity or keeping the deity to his left.
Generally, facing east or north is preferred and facing south is forbidden.
The whole rite of “puja” – for that matter, any religious or ritualistic act – should begin with “achamana” or ceremonial sipping of water with certain mantras.
This should be followed by “sankalpa” or religious resolve. Apart from the details of that particular day according to the Hindu Calendar (followed in the tradition of the worshipper’s family), the “sankalpa-mantra” also contains some other statements such as the destruction of one’s sins, acquisition of religious merit and some other particulars connected with the mode of worship.
Then come some purificatory processes like “asanashuddhi” (ritual sanctification of the seat), “bhutapasarana” (driving away the evil spirits), “pushpashuddhi” (ritual cleansing of flowers, “bilva” and “tulasi” leaves) and “agniprakaracinta” (erecting a wall of fire through imagination) and so on.
The next steps ae pranayama (breath control in aid of peace and concentration as also “bhutashuddhi” or creating a spiritual body in place of the physical one.
“Pranapratishtha” (filling the spiritual body with the presence of the deity), “nyasas” (ritual purification of limbs) and “mudras” (postures of fingers and hands) follow next.
Now, are taken up the most important parts of the worship or puja – “dhyana” (meditation on the deity in one’s heart and transferring the same into the image or symbol) and “upacharas” (modes of direct service).
These “upcharas” can be 5 or 10 or 16. Sometimes they are raised to 64 or even 108! But, normally the first two are common for daily worship and 16 “upcharas” for special worship. The other two are done in temples on very special occasions.
These “upcharas” are ceremonially offered with appropriate mantras to the deity invoked into the image or symbol.
The ten “upcharas” are “padya” (water for washing the feet), “arghya (water for washing the hands), “achmaniya” (water for rinsing the mouth), “snaniya” (giving a bath by pouring water over the image or the symbol with Vedic mantras), “gandha” (applying fresh sandal paste), “pushpa” (offering of flowers), “dhupa” (waving with lighted incense sticks), “dipa” (waving of a lighted lamp), “naivedya” (giving food-offering as also drinking water) and “punarachmaniya” (giving water for rinsing the mouth at the end).
At the end of the worship, “pushpanjali” (offering a handful of flowers) is laid at the feet of the deity, indicating the conclusion of the whole ritual.
Where the “puja” is done to the deity in a temporarily invoked image (as in the worship) of clay icons of Lord Ganesha or Goddess Durga), “udvasana” or “visarjana” also has to be done. It is the ceremonial withdrawal of the deity from the image, back into one’s own heart, after which th image or the symbol (like a flower) can be disposed off.
The mode of worship described so far, is according to the “tantric” tradition. The Vedic Tradition of worship is slightly different from this. A brief account of the same is as follows:
“Dipajvalana” (lighting the lamp and praying to it as the symbol of the deity and requesting it to burn steadily till the “puja” is over), “achmana”, “guruvandana” (obeisance to one’s own “guru” or spiritual teacher), prayer to “Vighnesvara” or Lord Ganesha (for the removal of obstacles to the “puja”), “ghantanada” (ringing the bell with appropriate mantras to drive away the demons and welcome the Gods) (Ringing the bell is necessary at other times also as during ceremonial bath the deity and offering incense etc.), recitation of two Vedic mantras to steady the mind, “mantapadhyana” (meditation on the miniature shine structure, generally made of wood), “asanamantra” (for purification and steadiness of the seat), “pranayama” “sankalpa”, ceremonial purification of the water in the “kalasha” (water vessel) to make it fit for using in “puja”, filling up the “shankha” (conch) with that water and inviting its presiding deities (like Surya, Varuna, Chandra and others) to reside in it in a subtle form, sprinkling that water over all the articles of “puja” to consecrate them, “nyasa” with the “Purushasukta”, invoking the presence of the deity into the image and offering the “upcharas”.
The sixteen “upacharas” offered are: “avahana”, “asana”, “padya”, “arghya”, “achmaniya”, “snaniya”, “vastra’ (cloth) as also “upavita” (sacred thread, called “yajnopavita”), “gandha”, “pushpa”, “dhupa”, “dipa”, “naivedya”, “tambula” (betel leaf and nut), recetation of the “Mantrapushpa”, “pradaskshina” (circumambulation) and “namaskara” (obeisance).
Some more, traditional and interesting, aspects of this worship may now be stated.
In the “panchayatanapuja” (“puja” of five standard deities viz., Shiva, Devi, Vishnu, Ganesha and Surya”, one’s own family deity should be kept in the center and the other four around it in the prescribed order.
“Abhisheka” (pouring water for giving bath to the image) is to be done with “gosrnga” (horn of the cow) to the “sivalinga” and with “shakha” to “Vishnu” or “saligrama”.
While offering cloth in “puja”, different types of clothes are offered to different deities, which can be known from the concerned scriptural injunctions. In the routine daily “puja” even flowers can be offered in place of cloth, as a substitute.
“Dhupa” is offered to the feat and “dipa” before the face of the deity. In general “arati” (waving of lights), the “dipa” has to waved all over the deity’s image.
“Pradakshina” is to be done three times in the clockwise direction, slowly, with folded hands. Then comes “sashtangapranama”, done by lying down on the chest, on the floor.
At the end, “tirtha” (the consecrated water of the “puja”) and “prasada” (consecrated food offerings) should be received by all who have taken part in the “puja” or witnessed it.
Whrt has been described till now, just gives an idea of the philosophy and the spirit behind the Hindu ritualistic worship.
The Hindu scriptures themselves consider these rituals as the kindergarten of religion. When understood properly and performed meticulously, they lead to inner purity and concentration. When this concentration becomes deep, the external rituals drop off by themselves. Till then, they must be performed.
