Puja or Poojah from Sanskrit means ‘honor’. In Tamil it is Pusai; ‘Pu’ meaning ‘flower’ and ‘sai’ meaning ‘act’, ‘perform’ or ‘do’. ‘Ja’ is derived from jaya in Sanskrit which means ‘victory’. So, the word ‘puja’ or poojah means honouring someone who is victorious with flowers. The essence of puja is to recognize or honour the supreme position of a controller with flowers and other ritualistic paraphernalia.
The essence of a Hindu (Vedic) puja includes praying to the deities as described in the Vedas. These methods when followed properly invoke the deity whose presence sanctifies the place. The Vedic injunctions regarding the execution of rituals are made in such a way that the performer experiences self-satisfaction (blessings of the deities) and has the purpose of puja fulfilled.
As said earlier, the success of a Vedic ritual purely hinges on certain processes or steps. At every step, an act is prescribed, for instance, offering water with the mantra svahaa. Following are the general elements of Vedic pujas as described in the various sections of the Vedas.
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Avahana (“invocation”):
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The Deity is invoked and invited into the house.
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Asana:
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A seat or throne is offered to the Deity.
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Padya:
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Waching the holy feet of the Deity
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Arghya:
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Holy water is given so that the Deity may wash his/her mouth.
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Abhisekha:
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Bathing the entire deity with holy waters.
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Vastra:
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A pure and sanctified piece of clothes are put on the deity.
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Upaveeda or Mangalsutra:
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The sacred thread to be put around its neck.
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Anulepana or gandha:
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Sacred scents such as ittars, floral waters are applied to the Deity along with sandalwood paste or kumkum.
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Pushpa:
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Offering fresh flowers to the Deity as loose as well as garlands.
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Dhupa:
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Lighting up the incense sticks.
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Dipa or Aarti:
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After the sticks, diyas (oil/ghee lamps) are burned and waved in front of the Deity.
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Naivedya:
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This step involves the exchange of food items such as cooked rice, fruits, clarified butter, sugar, betel leaf and the like.
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Namaskara or pranama:
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Bowing down to offer homage, chanting the mantras dedicated to the Deity.
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Vedic rituals involve asking the gods for their favour for material gains and fulfilments and success in one’s personal as well as professional life. There are rituals for realizing one’s eternal unions (oneness) with the Supreme. The overall Vedic philosophy behind a ritual is to attain Dharma (religion), Kama (sensual pleasures), Artha (Economic prosperity) and Moksha (liberation). In the epics such as Mahabharata, the rituals were always performed as mentioned in the Vedas. They were performed by the Brahmins who displayed excellent knowledge about the Vedas, Upanishads and other literatures. They knew the secret of rituals, Mantra chanting, Homas, Yajnas and other spiritual activities.
Puja services by Chakra Yog include deity puja, navagraha pujas, kathas, pathas, siddhi mantra japas, festival pujas and Maha Pujas. The performance of these pujas includes Sthapana (installing the Deities), Navagraha Mantra Japa, Kalash Puja, Invocation of all Gods and Goddesses, Deity Puja, Recitation of Deity Stotra, Deity mantra Japa and Path and Narvana mantra japas, Pushpanjali, Homa, Yajna and Aarti.
All the pujas are performed by the qualified Brahmins in accordance with the Vedas that mention that one should perform pujas for peace, good health, material prosperities and spiritual strength. Kindly get in touch with us if you have any queries regarding Vedic pujas.