Re: Hindu SamskAra Regulations
Performing puja pompously wearning ornaments
When performing puja, some people (specially women) adorn themselves with a set of jewelry and conduct the puja with pompously. Is this right?
This is right. Because it is only right to do puja to the deities--only by whose grace we have come to possess the ornaments--,wearing those ornaments and doing puja with hands that wear ornaments. Maharshi ParashurAma, who explains the devi pUja krama (method of conducting Devi Puja) in his work parashurAma kalpa sUtram says:
याग मन्त्रं क्लुप्ता आकल्पः सङ्कल्पा आकल्पो वा
yAga mantraM kL^iptA AkalpaH saN^kalpA Akalpo vA (ITRANS)
yAga mantraM kluptA AkalpaH sa~gkalpA Akalpo vA (Baraha)
Akalpa means ornaments such as the ring, necklace, chain, earrings, ear studs and so on. By the phrase kL^ipTAkalpaH ParashurAma says that the person doing the puja should wear those ornaments and do the puja in the pujaroom.
Therefore, for all sorts of Amman Pujas such as AmbaaL worship, LalitAdevi worship, etc.--why even when homas (fire oblations) are conducted--it is only right to wear clean clothes and a set of ornaments (thereby decorating oneself) and then perform the puja.
What about people who cannot afford it? It is for them that ParashurAma says "saN^kalpA Akalpo vA": that is when the poor do the puja to God, they should mentally imagine wearing the ornaments. Thus it is only right to perform puja in pomp, and with personal decoration.
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Doing abhiShekam to deiva vigrahas with warm water
As the saying goes, "abhiShekapriyaH shivaH", Shiva would be happy with abhiShekas done to him. The abhiShekam is done to Shiva on ordinary days using eleven kinds of articles such as fragrant oil, and with different other articles on the festive days such as the MahashivarAtri. In the same way, in the PerumAL temples, abhiShekam is done to Vishnu with articles such as milk, curd, fruits, and so on.
In order to remove the oil grime and stains that accrete on the images due to abhiShekam will articles such as oil, fruit juice and milk, the deities are first given a bath using cold water, then warm water with bearable warmth and then with cold water again.
भक्त्या चोष्णोदकैः शीतोदकैः संस्नापयेच्छिवम् ।
श्री विष्णुं क्षीर दच्योद्यैः...
bhaktyA choShNodakaiH shItodakaiH saMsnApayechChivam |
shrI viShNuM kShIra dachyodyaiH...
--Dharma Sindhu, 274
This shloka says that we should with devotion do abhiShekam to Shiva with warm and cold water and to Vishnu with articles like milk and curd. Warm water is, however, not an abhiSheka dravya (substance for ablution), only used to remove the stain and grime on the images. This is the method used in the temples even today.
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Using earthen plates and vessels for nivedanam
The articles such as coconut, betel leaves, fruits and annam (cooked rice) and the utensils they are contained, for doing nivedanam to deities should be clean.
hairaNyaM rAjataM kAMsyaM tAmraM mRunmayeva cha |
pAlAshaM padmapatraM vA patraM viShNoratipriyam ||
Doing nivedanam in utensils made of gold, silver, bronze and clay, and the leaves of pAlAsha/purasa (Indian fig) tree and lotus plant would make Sri Mahavishnu happy says Sri ParashurAma KalpasUtram.
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रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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