The Science of Worship (Puja)

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THE SCIENCE OF WORSHIP

by
Swami Prameyananda
 
(Source: Introduction to “Worship of Sri Ramakrishna” by Swami Hitananda. Pub: Ramakrishna Math, Chennai)
[The book contains all details, the mantras, their meanings and the procedures.
The PDF format of this article can be downloaded below.]
 
The term 'Science' is used only to emphasize that worship (Puja) is a spiritual discipline which follows a highly scientific procedure. If we make a rational study of the theory on which it is based, we will observe that it is logical at every stage, with a well-planned sequence of its various steps. A spiri­tual aspirant can attain his cherished objective in life and supreme spiritual fulfilment through worship duly performed according to the prescribed scriptural injunctions.
 
The basic philosophy of the science of worship has been delineated beautifully and clearly in a few expressive words by Swami Saradananda in his monumental work Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master. Although his delineation is aphoristic, it is so transparent that it does not stand in need of any further explanation. Swami Saradananda writes:
 
When you sit to worship a particular Deity, you have to think at the very outset that the coiled-up power Kundalini is raised up to the thousand-petalled lotus, Sahasrara, in the head and that you have become identified with the Paramatman in non-dual con­sciousness. Then you should think that you become separated from Him and assume the nature of a Jiva again, and that the supreme light of Paramatman becomes condensed, and manifests itself in the form of the Deity to be worshipped; and that, you have projected the Deity out from within you and then sat down for worship."
 
Puja is defined in the Kularnava Tantra as that act which quells the waves of Karmic flow resulting from past births, puts an end to the cycle of births and deaths, and offers complete fulfilment.' The 'complete fulfilment' is in the sense of achievement of the desired object-namely, total self-surrender of the devotee to the Deity, of the worshipper to the Worshipped. The complete or cherished fruit of worship, its very culmination, consists in the loss of the worshipper's self-identity in the Worshipped. In this context we are reminded of the incident of Shodasi Puja in the concluding stage of Sri Ramakrishna's momentous spiritual practices. Every reader of his life knows that Sri Ramakrishna concluded his wonderful and varied spiritual prac­tices, spread over twelve long years, with the worship of the Primordial Power (Adya-sakti) as Shodasi, invoking Her in the body of Sri Sarada Devi. While describing the culmination of that wonderful worship, Swami Saradananda writes: 'The worshipper lost in Samadhi (Transcendental Consciousness), became completely merged and identified with the Goddess, who too was lost in Samadhi." Here indeed is the fulfilment of the science of worship. This Sadhana of Sri Ramakrishna re-authenticates the science of worship and augurs well for its glorious future in the lives of men.
 
The aim of worship is clearly brought out in another definition of Puja: 'Puja is the oneness of the worshipper and Isvara." The supreme result of this feeling of oneness of the worshipper and the Worshipped is verily the realization of the true nature of the Self (Atmopalabdhih.) or the attainment of Brahman (brahmopalabdhih.). And Puja is one of the most useful steps in the achievement of this ideal. The supreme objective of all actions like Puja etc. is the realization of the Self or the attainment of Brahman. This is clearly indicated in the Gita as well: 'Knowledge-sacrifice (jnana-yajna) is superior to the sacrifice performed with external articles, because all actions like sacrifice, worship etc., finally culminate in Knowledge (jnana).'
 
Needless to say, there is no difference between complete knowledge (purnajnanam) and the attain­ment of Brahman. The Devi Bhagavata says that worship is of two kinds: external and internal. The external worship is itself divided into two streams, Vedic and Tantrik. In the comprehensive and inte­gral framework of the Indian spiritual thought­ structure, both these streams-Vedic and Tantrik ­are closely intermingled from very ancient times. As a matter of fact, 'Yajna' of the Vedas and 'Puja' of the Tantras have equivalent connotation, and the primary aim of both is the same. 'From very ancient times, the Vedic philosophic truths and the Tantrik rites like worship etc. have been conjoined and have thus been fulfilling each other-each compensating for the other's limitations ... On certain auspicious occasions, the performance of both the Vedic) Yajna as well as (Tantrik) Puja becomes essential. Yajna is a special contribution of the Vedas; Puja, of the Tantras. Vedas and Tantras are complementary to each other.' The Vedic tradition is founded on the Vedas and the Upanishads, while the innumerable Tantrik scriptures form the basis of the Tantrik tradition. Needless to say, there is no real difference between Brahman, the supreme principle of Vedas, and Sakti which is the supreme principle the Tantras. The Puja performed in accordance with the Tantrik injunctions is called Tantrik Puja while that done according to the Vedic rules is known as Vedic Puja.
 
Apart from this general distinction, there are several other types of divisions among the Pujas - Sadhara (with a basis), Niradhara (without a basis) Nitya (performed daily), Naimittika (performed on special occasions), Kamya (performed with desires Sattvika (unostentatious, i.e. without much external paraphernalia), Rajasika (sophisticated and pompous), Svabhavika (natural) etc. However, the subject of our present discussion is the two aspects of worship - external and internal.
 
External worship is referred to in the Mahanirvana Tantra as lower than the lowest (adhamadhama): 'The highest spiritual discipline is the practice of Brahman-consciousness. The next is meditation. Chanting of hymns and Japa are lower disciplines and lower than the lowest is external worship with the help of an image.' The term 'lower than the lowest' is not used here in a derogatory sense. On the other hand, it is a tacit acknowledgement that the external worship is a clear and specific step for attaining the goal of spiritual striving, based on the qualifications of the aspirant. There is a possibility of misconception in regard to the meaning of the above ­quoted statement if the true import of this scriptural declaration is not correctly understood. 'There are two aspects of worship-external and internal. Each is of equal value. Some people imagine that mental worship is superior to external worship, and only the less qualified spiritual aspirants perform the external worship. This is not true ... In fact, total worship is a combination of both internal and external ones."
 
In any practice, secular or spiritual, differences in the competence of the aspirants cannot be denied. This is all the more true in the field of spiritual prac­tice. The scriptural injunctions in regard to practice vary according to the aspirant's taste, capacity for comprehension, and fitness. Sri Ramakrishna says: 'People worship God according to their tastes and temperaments. The mother cooks the same fish differently for her children, that each one may have what suits his stomach.' Although the knowledge of attainment of Brahman is the Supreme goal, wor­ship, Upasana etc. are enjoined in the scriptures as aids to the gradual attainment of this goal according to the differences in the qualification of the aspirants. 'Men at the first stage of spiritual development have to make use of something external, and when the inner self becomes purified they turn to more abstract conceptions.' 'The impurity of the aspirant's mind gets eliminated to the extent he progresses in worship. A kind of ethereal peace and bliss gradually envelops his heart ... Then he gets established in Truth and Power, the mantras he utters become awakened - charged with the power of Conscious­ness-and the penetrating power of his subtle intelligence (dhi or medha.) to grasp finer truths continues to grow as he earnestly persists with the utterance of the awakened mantras. He then attains the real fruit of worshipping the Supreme Lord, namely, the "peace that passeth understanding" and self-fulfilment. At this stage no separate spiritual discipline called 'worship' exists for the Sadhaka. His whole life is then converted into an unceasing Puja: 'Whatever I do, a Lord, is nothing but Your wor­ship.''' This is what is known as spontaneous, natural worship. This spirit of natural worship finds a beauti­ful expression in one of the verses of Saundarya Lahari of Sri Sankaracharya: 'O Mother of the Universe! May my prattle be a Japa of your name, the movements of my hands etc. be the mudras (finger poses) used in your Puja, my wanderings be your circumambulation, my eating be the oblation offered for your sake, my lying down to sleep be prostration at your feet; let my acceptance of all the pleasant things through my senses of sight, taste, smell, touch etc. be with the awareness of surrender unto you who are the embodiment of Consciousness. Let all my doings be thus acts of unceasing worship.''' Ramprasad, a great mystic of Bengal, has composed a song expressive of the same idea: 'Know you are prostrating to the Mother when you lie down to sleep, and that sleep is nothing but meditation on the Mother. When you eat, think you are pouring oblation for the Mother's sake. All the sounds you listen to are but the mantras of the Divine Mother, for Mother Kali, the Embodiment of Sabda Brahman, reveals Herself through every possible utterance of any sound. Ramprasad cries out in sheer joy: Mother verily resides in every particle of the universe; when you roam around the city, think that you are circumambulating Mother Syama.'
 
Worship, then, has two aspects: external and internal. And a complete Puja should comprise both these aspects. This is what the scriptures say: 'Mental worship must accompany every act of exter­nal worship.' A general idea about mental worship can be had from the instructions given in the Mahanirvana Tantra on the internal worship of Adya Kali, the Primordial Power worshipped as the Divine Mother: 'Offer the heart-lotus as the seat for the Divine Mother, the nectar originating from the Sahasrara in the head as the water for washing Her feet; and for Arghya, offer your mind. Offer the same nectar for Her bathing (snaniyam) and for drinking (paniyam). Offer the Akasha-tattva (the principle of ether) as the cloth to the Divine Mother, and the Gandha-tattva (the principles of earth) as the sandal-paste. Imagine the Citta (mind-stuff) to be the flower offered to the Devi, and Prana (the vital energy) as the incense. Think of tejas (the principle of the fire) as the light waved before the Mother, and the ocean of nectar as naivedya (the food-offering). The anahata dhvani (the unstruck mystic sound heard by Yogis in deep meditation) is the bell (rung during worship) and the Vayu-tattva (the principle of air) is the camara used for fanning the Mother. All the actions of the senses and the restlessness of the mind are the dances (performed to please the Deity). A variety of flowers (as mentioned below) should be offered to the Mother for attaining one's cherished object. Offer the following ten flowers, viz., lack of ignorance, lack of pride, detachment, non-bragging, absence of delusion, absence of arrogance, lack of hatred, unagitated composure, lack of envy, absence of greed. Apart from these are, five more flowers: The supreme flower of ahimsa (non-violence) and the flowers of sense-control, compassion, forbearance, and knowledge. These fifteen flowers of divine virtues should be used to worship the Devi.'
 
Worship is bound to yield its desired fruit. 'But if the worshipper suffers from any physical deformity or if the worship is performed without faith and the meticulous observance of all the injunctions, then all the results of the worship cannot be obtained. Some­times even contrary result may occur. Thus the acces­sories needed for a particular worship must be collected with care, though this might involve great effort. One should try to bring together all those causes whose combination produces the particular result.''' It is not the fault of the science of worship if the desired fruit is not attained; rather the fault is with the non-observance of the injunctions of wor­ship. 'Desiring mastery over the science of Chemistry, if somebody bathes three times daily, eats sparingly and performs Japa of the bija-mantra in solitude, is there any hope of his ever attaining his desired objective?  As the proverb goes, "For a marriage ceremony, the specific mantra appropriate to the occasion must be repeated (and not any other)" ... After performing the worship without sraddha, without properly observing the rules, without chant­ing the mantras correctly, and without giving the daksina (fees) to the priest etc., if one complains saying, ''Why did I not get the fruit of the worship?", how meaningless that would be!''' Therefore, it is absolutely essential that whatever formalities are enjoined for a particular Puja are followed meticu­lously and with great faith and care.
 
If one carefully studies the scriptural injunctions in regard to these formalities, one would observe that each of them has a special significance. And if one performs the worship with sufficient knowledge of their significance, then the charm of the worship is also enhanced. It is said in the scriptures: 'The knowledge of the significance of an act is a part of its performance. Without this knowledge, true or real performance (of worship etc.) is not possible! Thus when an action is performed after knowing its significance, then the worshipper's devotion to and faith in it become naturally strong. Then the action does not appear to be merely a mechanical, dry ritual. On the other hand, one gets the firm conviction that it is the support for one's success in spiritual life. If the worshipper can feel and realize the real spirit and the inner significance of the ritual, he can then understand its need and relevance. Then the real significance of the mantras, of the offerings like naivedya, etc. and of the various parts of the Puja like nyasa, pranayama, bhutasuddhi, dhyana etc., becomes clearly revealed to him and he can feel in his heart of hearts that it is God-realization that is the supreme objective towards which all these are oriented.
 
Needless to say, a knowledge of the meaning of the mantras is also as important as that of the ritual, if one wishes to achieve his desired objective. He who recites the mantras with full knowledge of their meaning, obtains all the fruits of worship. It is only logical that if the worshipper understands the mean­ing of the mantras, he knows what he is seeking from the Deity. He realizes intensely how profound, extensive and charming the meaning of the mantra is. It is thus beyond doubt that in a meaningful worship it is absolutely necessary that the worship­per is aware of the meaning of both, the mantras as well as the rituals.
 
For the attainment of success in worship, the manifestation of the experiences corresponding to the various parts of the rituals is also a singular neces­sity. From the very outset the worshipper should become imbued with the spirit of the inner objective of the worship. The dictum of the scriptures too points to this: deva bhutva devam yajet, 'Worship the Deity, thinking yourself to be the very embodi­ment of the Deity Itself.' 'As is one's thinking, so will be one's success', yadrsi bhavana yasya, siddhir bhavati tadrsi. The aspirant attains to Godhood by constantly thinking of God.
 
Everything in its real nature (svarupa) is Brahman. But its real nature, being hidden due to different coverings, remains unmanifest. Meditation on the real nature of things can pierce through the outer coverings and fix the aspirant's mind on their real essence. That is why during the Puja the worshipper is asked to concentrate his mind on his own real nature as divine consciousness. The scriptures enjoin the worshipper to think of not only himself as divine, but also of all the parapherna­lia of worship as such. If all the accessories used during the Puja are looked upon as divine they become purified, and their innate divinity gets unfolded'·
 
From a superficial point of view the various rites connected with worship and its various limbs often appear irrelevant and meaningless. But discrimina­tive thought would reveal that all of them are indeed pregnant with meaning-right from the injunction on the worshipper to enter the worship-room with pure thoughts upto the final prostration, through the different stages of sitting on the worshipper's seat with a settled will, acamana (washing of the mouth), the various purificatory rites, nyasa (placing the various Sanskrit alphabets on different parts of the body), offering of various articles to the Deity etc. None of these is irrelevant or meaningless. All the rituals are so carefully thought out and scientifically arranged that they gradually lead the worshipper to the Supreme goal of worship, viz., the identity of the worshipper with the Worshipped.
 
Although the general philosophical principle behind worship is our present theme, and in this connection it is only the scriptural background of Puja that has been somewhat elaborately discussed thus far, one should nevertheless clearly bear in mind that worship is primarily a spiritual discipline (sadhana), and for success in this sadhana, just as every part of it should be perfect, even so all the rites ought to be tinged with devotion, faith and loving attachment to the Deity. In fact, it is this last men­tioned attitude or feeling that is the chief require­ment in Puja. It is said in the Gita: 'Whosoever with devotion offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, that I accept-the devout gift of the pure­ minded.'
 
The same idea is beautifully expressed in a song by a certain Vaishnava aspirant: 'Whoever offers to the Lord the tulasi-leaf of the mind besmeared with the sandal-paste of Bhakti, does not need to rub the sandal-wood against the stone. Never is worship possible with merely basketful of flowers; everyone performs worship with flowers, but it is the bee that enjoys the honey.' To offer the tulasi-leaf of the mind and the sandal-paste of Bhakti at the feet of the Chosen Deity - in this alone lies the fulfilment of worship.
 
Knowing the meaning of a ritual is a part of its performance, and no ritualistic action is possible without knowing its meaning.''' An attempt is made here to determine the significance of some of the ritualistic practices that normally occur during a Puja, in the context of the scriptural state­ment mentioned above. The meaning and purport of some of the common practices are briefly discussed below.
 
The term artha-jnana, 'knowledge of the mean­ing', refers to both the meaning of the rituals as well as the meaning of the mantras. The inner meaning of every ritual and the meaning corresponding to each of the mantras must be known to the worshipper. Before entering into the subject, let us make a few general remarks at the outset. If we look at any specific practice associated with puja in isolation, it becomes impossible to comprehend its real import. Such a piecemeal study can only produce a distorted understanding. It should be remembered that the real purpose of each act of ritual is to be found only in the context of the whole. All the ritualistic acts in puja, from beginning to end, are an integral part of a well thought-out, planned activity. It is not always possible for everyone to determine exactly the why a1nd wherefore of all the ritualistic injunctions in Puja. This however doesn't in any way hamper the inner import of those rituals. In such cases the scrip­tural injunctions are to be accepted as the supreme a1uthority. The Gita says: 'He who abandons the com­mandments of the scriptures and lives as his desires prompt him, attains neither spiritual perfection, nor worldly happiness, nor liberation.'''
 
Let us have a quick look at some of the experi­ences Sri Ramakrishna had when he performed worship at Dakshineswar. Although these experi­ences came to him at different periods of his life, we mention them here all together:
 
'The Master used to say that at the time of performing Anganyasa, Karanyasa, etc. he actually saw the letters of the mantras in bright colours set in the body. He actually saw the Coiled Power (Kundalini) going up in the form of a snake through the Susumna to the Sahasrara. He felt that the parts of his body left behind by that power, at once became still and insensitive and dead to all appearance. Again, when accord­ing to the prescribed method of worship he uttered the mantra ram, sprinkled water all round himself and imagined a wall of fire exist­ing around the place of worship, he actually saw an impassable wall of fire with a hundred tongues spread out, protecting the place of wor­ship from all obstacles.'''
 
'At the time of performing sandhya and worship [said the Master] I used to think, according to scriptural prescription, that the Papapurusha within had been burnt up. Who knew then that there was actually Papapurusha within the body and that it could be actually burnt and destroyed? A burning sensation came on the body from the beginning of the Sadhana. I thought, 'What is this disease?' It increased by degrees and became unbearable. Various kinds of oils prescribed by physicians were used; but it could by no means be alleviated. One day, while I was sitting under the Panchavati, I saw that a jet-black person with red eyes and a hideous appearance came reeling, as if drunk, out of this (showing his own body), and walked before me. I saw again another person of placid mien, in ochre-coloured dress, with a trident in his hand come out similarly from the body, vehemently attack the other and kill him. The burning sensation in the body decreased for a short time after I had that vision. I suffered from that burning sensation continually for six months before the Papapurusha was burnt up.'
 
Formerly when he offered cooked food etc. to the Mother, he used to see an extraordinary ray of light coming out beaming from Her eyes, touching all the offered articles, taking their essential parts and withdrawing itself again into Her eyes.'
 
Several such instances could be cited. Now to return to our main topic. The first instruction with regard to worship is that the worshipper, after finishing his ablutions and daily routine of prayers etc., should enter the worship-room, bow before the deity in prostration, and sit facing the north or the east.
 
This instruction, namely, of facing the north or the east, is significant. These directions have been indicated only in a symbolic sense. The sun is a symbol of knowledge and it rises in the east. The thought of the east therefore quite naturally stimu­lates the mind with the feeling of the rising of the sun of knowledge. Just as the compass-needle always points northward, our mind too must always point towards God. When the northern direction is mentioned, the thought of Godward-orientation of the mind arises quite naturally. These, therefore, appear to be the reasons why one is advised to face the north or the east during worship, meditation or similar other spiritual practices.
 
1.     Rinsing the Mouth (Acamana)
Only when one is pure in body and mind does he become eligible for any spiritual practice. One should therefore begin Sadhana only after purifying himself. The main purpose of acamana is this purification. The best way of doing it is by remembering Vishnu (the All-pervading Reality). The spiritual aspirant gets thoroughly purified both externally and inter­nally by the remembrance of Vishnu, the Lotus-eyed One." The Tantras too say that through acamana, one's threefold body-gross, subtle and causal- gets purified." Acamana is an indirect reminder to the worshipper to proceed towards the all-pervading Reality- the Paramatman- who is the goal of wor­ship. The-meaning of the mantra, which is chanted as a prayer during acamana, is as follows: 'Just as the eye perceives the universe by the light of the sun in the vast expanse of the sky, the illumined souls too have a clear perception of that supreme state of Vishnu, the All-pervading Reality.'" The Sadhaka prays at the beginning of Puja that he too may be able to perceive and realize Vishnu, the Supreme Reality, through the eye of wisdom (jnana-netra). In other words, he prays that he may become fit to achieve the goal of the activity he is about to begin.
 
2.     Pronouncing Words of Auspiciousness (Svasti-vacana)
This is a prayer for the success of the work undertaken as well as for the welfare of all beings. Jivas are mutually interrelated. The welfare of the individual depends on the welfare of the collective, and vice versa. This idea is predominant in the mantra used for svasti-vacana. 'Let all people equally enjoy the fruits of my Sadhana, let there be welfare all around'-this feeling for universal good and welfare, generated by svasti-vacana, is very touch­ing.
 
3.     Resolve (Sankalpa)
This is intended to impress deeply the real purpose of the worship on the mind of the Sadhaka. What is the real purpose of worship? It is to please God, to earn His loving grace. By His grace, the Sadhaka is left with no further wants. It is mentioned in the Sankalpa mantra too: ... devata pritikamah, ' ... desiring the loving benediction of the Deity...' The mention of the month, phase of the moon tithi etc., remind the worshipper of his eternal relationship with the Cosmic Prakriti. The knowledge of being related to the macrocosm helps the worshipper tune his mind to the ideas of infinity and universality .
 
4.     Installing the Pitcher (Ghata-sthapanam)
This is a special part of worship. In almost all the Pujas done in an image, a pitcher (ghata) is installed and worshipped after invoking in it the Deity. The pitcher represents the Deity. When there is no image, the pitcher alone is the primary symbol of the Deity.
 
Ghata-sthapanam has another significance. The pitcher is a symbol of the 'cave of the heart' (hrdaya­guha). The heart is the abode of the Atman. Atmasya jantoh, nihitam guhayam, 'The Atman is present in the heart of each Jiva'. The pitcher symbolizes the heart. The water contained in the pitcher represents bhava (spiritual feeling), the fruit represents the buddhih, the panca-pallava (five varieties of leaves) represent the five karmendriyas (organs of action), the panca-ratna (five kinds of jewels) represent the five jnanendriyas (organs of knowledge), and the panca-sasya (five varieties of corn) represent the five tanmatras. The figure drawn on the pitcher with vermillion represents the subtle body. 'If the mantras for the ghata-sthapanam are chanted with the knowl­edge of their meaning and corresponding attunement to their meaning and import, then the worshipper sees that the pitcher before him is nothing but a representation of his own heart and realizes that it is only from there that all divine power emerges.'
 
5.     Infusing Prana (Prana Pratistha)
This is an essential ritual to be performed in any image worship. Fundamentally, it is superimposition of the Sadhaka's own divine Self on to the image before him. This idea is expressed in the mantras used for prana-pratistha. The worshipper imagines himself as the Deity and contemplates on the Divine within. Then, absorbed in that consciousness, he installs in the image the all-pervading Divinity by breathing out on a flower taken with a prescribed mudra (finger-pose). In this way his own divine consciousness is awakened.
 
Every object is a form of Mahasakti, (the Supreme Power) who is of the nature of conscious­ness (Caitanyamaya) and life-energy (Pranamaya). One of the supreme objectives of Sadhana is to attain this knowledge through actual realization. Therefore, the purpose of prana-pratistha is to install in the image in accordance with scriptural procedure the Deity who is of the nature of conscious­ness.
 
6.     Worship of the Guardian Deities (Dvara-devata-puja)
The worship of the group of guardian-deities is meant to please them and to gain their blessings, so that the worship may be completed without any hindrance. The worshipper enters the worship-room after obtaining the permission of the deities guarding its doors. When the guardian-deities are pleased, they do not allow undesirable elements like evil spirits etc. to enter the place. That is why the worship of the guardian-deities is enjoined even before one enters the worship room.
 
7.     The Five-fold Purification (Panca-suddhi)
Purification (suddhi or sodhanam) is an indispensable part of worship. Purification is simply the restoring of a thing to its own real nature. By nature everything is Brahman. The form in which it appears to us is really a superimposed form. Purification removes this superimposition and reinstates the thing to its own nature which is Brahman.
 
A five-fold purification is enjoined in worship at the very outset. Panca suddhi is the purification of the following five components: the worshipper, the place, the mantra, the ingredients of worship, and the Deity. No worship becomes fruitful without this five-fold purification." Worship is a divine act and, therefore, importance is given to the divine aspects of everything. It is the divine aspect of a thing that is always considered. Purification is meant to make even an ordinary object useful for spiritual practice by the power of the mantra. It is only the divine aspect of a purified object that assumes importance in the mind of Sadhaka. Thus the scriptures ordain that all these - the worshipper, the worshipped, the articles used for worship, the place of worship, and the mantra - be looked upon as divine.
 
Atma-suddhi (purification of the worshipper) includes the ceremonial bath, bhuta-suddhi, prana­yama, and nyasa etc. Cleaning the place of worship, decorating it with flowers, burning incense, and light­ing the lamp etc. comprise sthana-suddhi (purifica­tion of the worship-room). Chanting the mulamantra (the basic mantra pertaining to a particular Deity) as prescribed constitutes mantra-suddhi (purification of the mantra). Sprinkling water on the articles of wor­ship with the chanting of the appropriate mantra and showing the mudra are parts of dravya-suddhi (puri­fication of the articles of worship). Sprinkling water on the Deity with the chanting of the prescribed mantra is a part of devata-suddhi (purification of the worshipped). By this five-fold purification, the worshipper, the worshipped, the articles of worship, the mantra and the place of worship, become divine which really is their true nature.
 
8.     Removal of Evil Spirits or Obstacles (Bhutapasararana or Vighnapasarana)
In order that the worship and the various obser­vances connected with it may be performed smoothly and without any obstacles, and in order that the external world made of panca-bhutas, the five elements, may not present any hindrances, one prays at the very outset that all the evil spirits be either dismissed or destroyed by the command of Lord Siva, who is also known as Bhutanatha, the Lord of bhutas. Invoking His grace is also one of the purposes of this ritual. This is clear from the Mantras used for bhutapasdrana.
 
9.     Purification of the Seat (Asana-suddhi)
We have already seen that the purpose of purifi­cation is to divinize and it is only the divine aspect of the thing purified that is prominent in the mind of the worshipper. The Mantra used for asana-suddhi is a prayer to the Earth-goddess: 'O Goddess of the Earth, all the worlds are supported by You; and you in turn are supported by Vishnu, the All-pervading Reality. Please be gracious enough to support me always. May I never move away from Your lap. Please purify my seat and make it steady and firm. Please also purify the seat of my heart.'''
 
There is another interesting point to be consid­ered in this connection. According to some, a kind of electric current is usually generated in the body at the time of Sadhana. One is enjoined to use for worship a seat made out of Kusa grass, with a deer skin and a cloth on top of it. If one sits on such a seat with one's spine erect, the flow of electricity in the body becomes easy and the earthing effect through contact with the ground is avoided, for these materi­als, having a high 'dielectric constant', are bad conductors of electricity.
 
10. Purification of Hands (Kara-suddhi)
This is actually a part of atma-suddhi, self-puri­fication. In Puja, among all the limbs of the body the use of hands is the greatest. This is probably the reason why there is a separate rite for the purifica­tion of hands. It consists in gently crushing a flower, which had been besmeared with sandal-paste, be­tween the palms and throwing it in the north-eastern direction in a prescribed manner. The purpose of this purification is to render the hands fit for Sadhana.
 
The Merutantra mentions another significance of Kara-suddhi. It says that a flower smeared with sandal-paste should be gently crushed between the palms, then smelt and thereafter thrown in the north-eastern direction, with the mantra which conveys the idea that the flower thus thrown may fall on the heads of the enemies who create obstacles in the path of Sadhana, and that they may meet with destruction." The inner meaning of this prayer is that the internal enemies that lurk within the worshipper and obstruct his Sadhana may also get destroyed.
 
11. Removal of Celestial Obstacles and Fencing the Quarters (Divya-vighna-nivaranam and Dik-bandhanam)
Care is being taken that no obstacles of any kind-adhibhautika, adhyatmika and adhidaivika, those relating to the elements, to one's own body­-mind and to unforseen natural causes--create any hindrance to worship. By sprinkling water all around the worship-room, one erects as it were a fort encir­cling the worshipper. No obstacle or disturbance of any kind can enter this impenetrable fort. The worshipper is now free to perform the worship in complete peace. This is the idea.
 
12. Imagining a Wall of Fire (Vahni-prakara-cinta)
'It is mentioned in Tiksna-Kalpa and Tararnava that the worshipper should imagine in the space above his head an envelope of the sun of dawn embellished by the bija hum, which has arisen out of ram, the red-hued bija of fire. Then he should imag­ine that this envelope with bija hum, is transformed into an impenetrable wall, as strong as the thunder­bolt, enveloping every direction. All the three worlds are, as it were, filled by the luminosity or radiation emanating from this wall. In this way the worshipper should imagine a room flooded with light, strong as the thunderbolt and powerful enough to destroy all obstacles, and within that room he should think of himself as divine and pure with a spotless mind.'''
 
In simple words, the Sadhaka should think of himself as pure, blemishless and divine. He should think that, being well-protected within the wall of fire, no evil influence is capable of penetrating it and creating obstacles in the worship.
 
13. Control of Prana (Pranayama)
Pranayama means simply control of Prana. Prana is Vayu (whose obvious manifestation in the body is the breath) and ayama is control." 'Prana is the infinite, all-pervading creative Power that is the cause of the universe. The manifestation of all power is only from the vibration of prana. The power of prana (prana-sakti), residing in the universe, moves the universe, and residing in the body acti­vates the body, stimulates thought in the mind, kindles reason in the buddhi. The sun, the moon, the planets, the stars and all the objects in the universe are merely different vibrations of this prana-sakti. It is the control of this all-powerful prana that is known as pranayama. The Upanishad also says that the Imperishable Brahman alone is prana. He alone is, again, the speech and the mind. "The all-powerful prana can be regulated and brought under control by pranayama. This removes mental restlessness and makes the mind steady."
 
14. Purification of the Elements (Bhuta-suddhi)
This is purification of the body; composed of the five elements, viz., earth, water, fire, air and ether. By this purification the five elements get united with the Imperishable Brahman. The underlying idea is to see the five elements not as inert substances but as Brahman. The Upanishad says: 'All this is verily Brahman.' Bhuta-suddhi destroys all evil or sinful tendencies and produces a new divine body called Sadhana-deha, the body fit for spiritual practice.
 
15. Nyasa
This is an essential part of Puja. The signifi­cance of Nyasa is to throwaway or discard the ego­istic feeling of agentship (kartritva-abhimanah) with regard to the body and to establish in its stead a feeling of Divinity or Divine Presence.' The scrip­tures say: Nyasa is the establishing of one's Chosen Deity (Istadevata) in the various limbs of one's own body." As this feeling of Divine Presence pervading the body becomes stronger and stronger, the false sense of identification with the body becomes weaker and weaker.
 
Matrka-nyasa
By Matrka are meant the alphabets (of the San­skrit language) and the deities represented by them. The word Nyasa here means "to preserve.” The power enshrined in the alphabets is enormous. It is known as Matrka because all other powers are generated from its womb. Our body is nothing but the universe on a microcosmic scale. The microcosm and the macrocosm are regulated by the same laws and by the will of the same Divine Principle. The differ­ence is only of degree, not of kind: one is small, the other big. Matrka-nyasa is the preservation of the Deities in our individual gross body. The object is to generate in the mind of the worshipper a feeling of identity with the Cosmic Body (Virat and the Cosmic Mind (Hiranyagarbha).'''
 
Mantra is that which saves the person who chants it. In other words the mantra frees one from all limitations. If one meditates with one-pointed attention, the limitations of the gross and subtle bodies are overcome.
 
Kara-nyasa, Anga-nyasa, Rsyadi-nyasa, Vyapaka-nyasa
There is a presiding deity for every sense-organ. The purpose of nyasa is to invoke deities and install them in their appropriate places. By this, the worshipper overcomes his false identification with the body. Through Vyapaka-nyasa he realizes the omnipresent Divine Principle, immanent in all beings. Nyasas are followed by meditation.
 
16. Meditation (Dhyana)
Meditation is a special part of worship. Dhyana in general means reflection or contemplation. It is said in the Kularnava Tantra: 'Meditation is contem­plation on the Chosen Deity (lsta-devata) within one's mind after controlling the agitations of the senses.’
 
Meditation is of two types; gross and subtle. Gross meditation is on God with form, while subtle meditation is on the formless aspect of God. In external worship, one is expected to meditate only on the gross form of the Deity. When such meditation gradually deepens, it reveals to the worshipper the subtle form, the subtle aspect, and the divine principle behind the Deity he is worshipping. Meditation has to be combined with mental worship.
 
After the absorption with the Deity in medita­tion, the Deity is brought out and installed in front for external worship. Mental worship is similar to external worship but is on the mental plane.
 
17. Offerings (Upacara)
Devoted offering of various items to the Deity follows meditation and mental worship. The number of items offered may vary according to the means. It could be a five-fold or a ten-fold or a sixteen-fold offer­ing. Depending on the nature of worship and the results thereof, seven-fold, twelve-fold or eighteen­fold offering is also enjoined. The attitude behind offering in the worship of the Deity is similar to our attitude when we offer things to a beloved, respected guest, worthy of great reverence, who visits our home. This idea is very clear from the sequence of articles offered and from the corresponding mantra for each article. But then these are all external offer­ings. The Sanskrit word for the offerings is upacara, which essentially means 'that which takes one near'. 'If these offerings are made to the Deity with love and devotion, they take the spiritual aspirant near the Deity's Presence and hence the name upacara.'
'Just as there are differences like gross and subtle in creation, offerings too can be divided as gross and subtle. In the order of creation, the grossest manifestation of Brahman is the panca-mahabhutas, the five gross elements. The five-fold-upacara used in external worship symbolizes these elements. Sandal­paste is symbolic of the earth, flowers of ether, incense of air, light of fire, and naivedya of water .. .In the opinion of those who know the inner significance of Sadhana, all the objects associated with the body are gross offerings. These are enjoined for the medio­cre aspirants. All the mental waves or modifications of the mind are subtle offerings. These are meant for aspirants capable of grasping subtle things. The aspirant of the highest order offers to the Deity his Atman, the Self.'''
 
One more idea in this context is that of arcana or the preliminary worship of the upacara itself. 'After the initial purification, upacara ought to be worshipped and thus divinized. In fact, even the flow­ers used for such worship should first be worshipped. Worshipping them with the mantra: "Salutations to the All-pervading Supreme Spirit (Vishnu), the Lord," the worshipper should imagine that the flowers are of the nature of Vishnu who is their Lord.’ The mind of the worshipper should thus be filled with the idea of Divine Presence in everything.
 
18. Aratrika
Vesper service in the Hindu tradition is called Aratrika. Another name for it is Nirajana. Popularly known as Arati, it is a ritual meant to please and honour the deity by waving light, a conch filled with water, a piece of cloth, a flower, and a fan before an image of the Deity. The glory of Aratrika is sung by the scriptures in the following words:
 
The worship of God - even if it is defective due to incorrect procedure or faulty utterances of mantras - becomes fruitful when Arati is performed before the Deity."
 
Whoever worships the Lord through the Arati-ritual is blessed with a long life both here and hereafter.
 
Even to see the Aratrika is highly beneficial, says the scripture: “Whoever witnesses with devotion the Aratrika performed before the Supreme Lord is reborn seven times under favourable circum­stances and then attains to the highest Goal.” 
 
Aratrika is not an indispensable part of any worship, unlike pranayama, nyasa, acamana, and other purificatory rites. In fact; it is more reasonable to say that Aratrika is in itself a complete, symbolic worship of God. If we observe the procedure adopted in the Hindu form of worship, we find that after com­pleting the preliminaries, the Deity is invoked and invited to sit before the worshipper and then wor­shipped and served with flowers, sandal-paste, incense, lights, and food-offering. It is clear that the Deity is served and honoured as if He or She were a human being. We see the same idea - superimposi­tion of the human on the divine - in the Aratrika­ ritual too. 'The process called Aratrika,' says Swami Nirvedananda, 'appears to emphasize the glory of the Lord after He has been entertained in a human way. Aratrika seems to be a kind of symbolic worship.”
 
It is said in the Kalottara Tantra that the following items are to be waved before the Deity in the given order: first light (cotton wicks soaked in ghee) , then water (in a conch), then a clean cloth, then the leaves of the mango or the asvattha etc, ending with a full prostration (sastanga-pranama). But it is permitted by scriptures to substitute a bilwa-leaf, a flower, camphor-light, incense and camara for mango leaves or asvattha leaves.
 
The procedure is to light the cotton wicks of the lamp and place it in front on a triangle drawn on the floor, and then offer it to the Deity by sprinkling on it the consecrated water. The wicks must be of odd­number (one, three, or five etc). After the lamp is consecrated and offered, the worshipper stands up and waves and lamp before the Deity with the right hand, while ringing the bell with the left hand. The worshipper does japa or chants the hymn of the Deity mentally during Aratrika. The scripture also instructs how the waving of lights is to be done: begin with the Deity's feet (4 times), and then move up­wards to the navel (2 times), the face (once), and finally the whole body (7 times). The general prac­tice, however, is to wave the light around the face of the Deity not once but three times.
 
The goal of Aratrika is the same as the goal of any worship: obtaining the grace of God by pleasing Him, and the merging of the worshipper and the Wor­shipped into the one Supreme Self. What do the five items-- light, water, cloth, flower, and fan - normally used for Aratrika, stand for?
 
These appear to stand for the five elements (bhutas), namely, fire, water, ether, earth, and air. The cloth having numerous pores symbolizes ether; and smell being the special property of earth, the latter is best represented by a flower. The whole universe represented by its elementary constituents is thus offered symboli­cally to the Lord by way of His worship. What a majestic form of worship of the All-pervading One is prescribed for lifting up the devotee's mind from the humanized view of the Lord to the supercosmic view!
 
The five elements (pancabhutas) are the basic constituents of the universe, these bhutas are earth, water, fire, air and ether. They are the symbols of the Karya-brahman or the Manifested Reality in the form of the universe. To reach Para-Brahman or the Supreme Reality it is necessary to transcend the limitations of this Karya-brahman in the form of the universe. By offering the pancabhutas at the feet of the Deity through the Aratrika-ritual, the worshipper merges himself into the cosmic, all-pervading aspect of the Deity. That is the fulfilment to which Aratrika is supposed to bring the worshipper.
 
Aratrika can also be performed with only the lighted lamp, without using the other items. This too has a meaning. The Padmapurana says that the Supreme Self is self-effulgent like light: “Thou art the Light. Thou art the sun, the moon, the lightning and the golden stars. Thou art the Light of all lights. It is Thou who existest in the form of the light of the lamp.”
 
In Haribhakti-vilasa (8.137) it is said that when beautifully arranged lights are waved before the Lord, all the effects of tamas (such as lust and anger) and all the effects of ignorance (such as egoism etc) are overcome and, when these are fully destroyed, how can there be rebirth (and consequent suffer­ing)? The light of knowledge which destroys the darkness of ignorance, inspires in a natural way the mind of the worshipper to attain the knowledge of the Supreme Self. It is, of course, well known that with the attainment of this knowledge the complete destruction of all suffering takes place. The seeker gets permanently liberated from the bondage of relative existence.
 
The Vaisnava tradition gives another beautiful interpretation of the Aratrika ritual. We are pre­sented with a charming picture of the Lord sporting on this earth as the child Krishna. He has been out since the morning, grazing the cows in fields. Now it is almost twilight, the 'cow-dust' hour. An anxious Yashoda is waiting at the doorstep, straining her eyes to see whether her beloved child is on his way back. Just at the twilight hour, the Divine Child returns.
 
Darkness has begun to set in and it is difficult to see Krishna's face clearly. So the first thing Yashoda does is to light the lamp and look at the enchanting face of her darling child to her heart's content. She waves the lamp around him to check if his tender body has been hurt or has been smeared with the dust and dirt of the woods. Then she gives him a good wash with cool scented water. Next she wipes him dry and clean with a piece of soft cloth. She then decorates her Gopala with fragrant flowers and garlands. Decoration over, she gazes at him lovingly, with one-pointed attention. Simultaneously, Yashoda fans her Child with a camara to remove his fatigue. Then, all on a sudden, she perceives in the Divine Child the presence of the Supreme Lord, the Primal cause of all creation, and, overwhelmed with devotion, respect and awe, she falls at His lotus feet and salutes Him.
 
The important point to note here is that, no matter with what attitude the Aratrika is performed or with what items, self-surrender at the feet of the Deity is the true end of Aratrika.
 
19. Fire-worship (Homa)
This is an essential and ancient ritual in Tantrik Puja as well as Vedic yajna. It is a very ancient belief and practice that any offering like ghee to a Deity should be offered to fire. Even the Vedas testify to this ancient belief. 'Fire is the mouth of the Deities', 'Fire is the stomach of the Deities. ' There are several such utterances. It is noteworthy that although the procedures of Vedic Homa and Tantrik Homa vary, there is no fundamental difference between them.
 
Homa is ordinarily threefold: gross, subtle and transcendental. Each of these is subdivided into two classes: external and internal. Whatever be the nature of the Homa, its purpose is to obliterate all differences. Articles like fire, wood, flowers, fruits, etc. when offered into the fire, get transformed, as it were, into fire by getting burnt in it. Homa thus reduces everything to one indistinguishable entity. Philosophically speaking, 'It must be constantly remembered that whatever is consumed by the sense­organs is simply an oblation in the fire of the Inner Self and is not meant for sensate enjoyment.' This idea becomes strong when the Homa is performed according to the scriptural injunctions. The aspirant then feels the Divine Presence everywhere when he pours oblations into fire, the mouth of the Deity. 'The ladle, the oblation, the fire, the act of sacrificer and the sacrificer himself - all this appears to him as verily Brahman.'
 
20. Withdrawing the Deity into oneself (Visarjana)
The Ista-devata, who was objectified for purposes of worship, is now withdrawn and reinstalled into one's heart· This is done by smelling a flower held in samhara-mudra.
 
Visarjana has also a deeper meaning. It signi­fies the withdrawal of the aspirant's mind from the thought of an awakened Divine Presence outside of him. This is achieved by immersing the Divinity outside in the Ganga of divine knowledge within, merging in it one's own identity as well. The external visarjana is only a symbol of the internal visarjana. The manifestation of the Deity outside and its withdrawal inside are only the mental projections of the aspirant. Really speaking, visarjana finds expres­sion only in the mind of the aspirant.
 
21. Finger-poses (Mudra)
These are essential in Tantrik Puja. Mudra is defined as that which pleases the Deities and which destroys the accumulated evil tendencies. Appropri­ate mudras have to be shown, according to scriptural directives, at the time of worship, food-offering to a Deity etc. By this, the Deity becomes pleased. As already stated, one of the primary objectives of worship is to please the Deity.
 
22. Surrendering the fruits of Japa, and Prostration (Japa-samarpana and Pranama)
These are the final acts of worship. After repeat­ing the mula-mantra as much as possible, the aspirant is enjoined to offer the fruits of Japa to the Deity with the following prayer: 'O Lord! Be gracious enough to accept my offering of Japa; may I attain success (in my spiritual endeavour) by your grace.' After this prayer, the aspirant does not possess anything he can call his own. He attains supreme satisfaction after having surrendered his body, mind and soul to the Deity. Then he prostrates before the Deity. 'The wise men, the knowers of Truth, say that pranama signifies complete self-effacement before the Deity. It is the offering of the self at the feet of the Deity after renouncing one's own will, desires, and egoistic tendencies.’
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