Practical Pooja in 20 Minutes

By- Sujan AminGarima Verma Sukanya Jaiswal

Pooja for the Busy Person

Objectives• To give a spiritual basis for daily pooja.• To provide scientific evidence that daily

practice of pooja is effective.• To give a demonstration of the process.

Why Bother?• Directs the mind.• Enhances concentration.• Refines mind and soul. • Disciplines the mind and the

body.• Focuses upon self and your

impact in society.• Critique yourself.

Is There Any Evidence To Support These Assertions?

Saam Veda mantra 163 says: "Yoge yoge Indram uteye hawamahe“

Yoge - the matter of practicing Ashtang Yoga. When we learn and do yoga practice of aasan , pranayam

Indram - Almighty God

Uteye - protection from evils such as, anger, ego and jealousy, control the five senses and the false materialistic affairs

• In Bhagwad Gita, Krishna provides guidance on:– Bhakti Yoga: Devotion– Karma Yoga: Selfless Action– Jnana Yoga: Self Transcending

Knowledge

• The Gita’s 18 chapters are divided into 3 section each with 6 chapters – Karma Yoga: means to the final goal– Jnana Yoga: final goal ( knowledge) – Bhakti Yoga: dissolve ego and self

surrender to God

Is There Any Evidence to Support These Assertions?

What About Scientific Evidence?• At Dev Sanskriti University,

Haridwar India research projects have been investigated whether there are any benefits in various aspects of the pooja process.

• Meditation, pranayama and mantra jap have all been found to have very beneficial effects on the body and mind.

Study #1: Benefit of Mahamritunjaya Mantra• Objective: to assess the impact of the

mantra on depression levels and feelings of self-inferiority.

• Study group: 40 subjects (18-40 year age range).

• Method: 3 Maharitunjaya mantra malas per day for 40 days.

• Result: Both depression levels and self-inferiority levels reduced to statistically significant levels.

Study #2: Comparison Of Self-Concept Of The People Living In Spiritual And Normal Environment

• Aim: To study the comparison of self-concept of the people living in spiritual and normal environment.

• Study group: 40 males and 40 females fromShantikunj, Haridwar for spiritual environment and from Ranipokhari, Rishikesh for normal environment.

• Result: People living in a spiritual environment show higher self awareness compared to people living in a normal environment.

Further Research Material

• http://www.dsvv.org/?Research/Publications/ResearchPublicationsofTeachers/

• http://www.dsvv.org/?Research/Publications/PhDResearchAbstracts/

• http://www.medscape.com

Anyone Sceptical?• Pooja is a subjective thing.

• There is no materialistic measurement.

• Your aura becomes positively charged.

• Through biochemical interactions, your body and mind become more energised.

• Hopefully, through both evidence from Scriptures and scientific evidence, concerns regarding the benefit of pooja are somewhat dispelled.

Gayatri Mantra||Om bhurbhuvah swah tatsaviturvarenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo

nah prachodayat ||

Meaning:

May almighty illuminate our intellect and inspire us towards the righteous path

A Universal concept• Upasana - becoming one with the divine through pooja

practice.

• Sadhana - adopting good habits.

• Aradhana - service for others.

• Samaydaan - donation of a proportion of your time for good causes.

• Anshdaan - donation of small portion of earnings.

Tools Needed• You (i.e. your

concentrated mind).

• Appropriate place for pooja.

• Mat.

• Pooja items (incense, deepak, aarthi, water in a kalash (or dish), flowers, prasaad, etc).

• Rosary.

• Altar.

Overview of the Process

Upasana

Purification 5 mins

Invocation 3 mins

Rosary and Meditation 10

mins

Offerings to Lord Surya2 mins

Create the Right Ambience• Light the deepak using

an incense stick.

• Circumnavigate the incense stick at the altar.

• Keep some water in a covered container

Purification • The physical and

spiritual bodies are cleansed with the aid of mantras.

• This prepares the body and mind for the Dev Pujan, later in the process.

PurificationPavitrikaranam

Aachman

Sikha VandanaPranayama

Nyas

Pavitrikaranam• Put some water in your left

palm and cover with the right hand.

• Chant the mantra and sprinkle the water over your head and body with the feeling that spiritual cleansing of your mind and body is occurring.

• Your physical and spiritual bodies are being cleansed.

Pavitrikaranam Mantra

Om apavitrah pavitro vah sarvavstha gathopi va,Yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyantarah sucihi.

Sprinkle water over head and body and chant:

Om punatu pundarikaksah, punatu pundarikaksah, punatu.

Aachman

• Put some water in your right palm and after reciting the mantra, each time upon the word “Swaha”, drink the water.

• Your body, mind and spiritual body are being supercharged (Hrim, Srim, Klim).

• Wash your hands.

Aachman Mantra

Om amrato pastaranmasi swaha

Om amrata pidhanamasi swaha

Om satyam yasha sirmayi shri srayatam swaha

Sikha Vandana• A sikha is a tuft of hair with is

tied with a knot.

• Put some water in your left hand and dip your fingers and thumb of your right hand into this.

• Then place fingers and thumb on the sikha (or at the point where a sikha is positioned if you do not have one).

Sikha Vandana Mantra

Om chidrupini mahamayeDivya tejah samanvite

Tistha devi sikha madyeTejo vridhim kurushwa me

Pranayama• Deep breathing exercise.

• With constant practice, it will increase your lung capacity.

• Helps clear the mind and increase focus and concentration.

• Perform at least three rounds.

Pranayama MantraOm bhur,

Om bhuwaha,

Om swaha

Om maha,

Om janaha,

Om tapaha,

Om Satyam

Om tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dheemahi, dhiyo yo naha prachodayat

Om apo jyotir rasoamatam brahm bhur bhuwah swaha Omm

Nyasa• Worshipping your senses.

• Put some water in your left hand and dip the fingers and thumb of your right hand into this and touch the various parts of your body as directed. Work from left to right.

• Each time dip your fingers and thumb into the water.

Nyasa MantraOm vangme asyestum

(both sides of mouth)Om nasorme pranorastu

(both nostrils)Om aksnorme chaksurastu

(both eyes)Om karnoyorm srotramastu

(both ears)Om bahworme balamastu

(both shoulders)Om urvorm ojoastu

(both thighs)Om arsitan menagni tanustanwa me sahasantu

(sprinkle water on the head and body)

Dev Poojan

Prithwi Poojan

Invocation of Vedmata Gayatri

Invocation of Guru

Forget not yourself in times of anger

Prithwi Poojan• Paying salutations to Mother Earth.

• Mother Earth gives us a place to stay.

• She gives us everything for sustaining ourselves.

• Place a spoonful of water and a flower on the ground/floor and worship it.

Ask God to be made grateful for all the good things that you have been taking for granted

Prithwi Poojan Mantra

Om prithwi twaya dihritha loka

Devi twam Vishnua nadhri wam

Twam cha dhareya mam devi

Pavitram kuru chashanam

Invocation of Vedmata Gayatri

• Mother of the Vedas

• Provided knowledge to Lord Brahma in order that he create the world.

• Mother of righteous knowledge.

Invocation of Vedmata Gayatri Mantra

Om ayatu varde devi, tryakashare Brahmavadini

Gayatri Chandasam Mata, Brahmyone namostute

Om Sri Gayatri namaha, avhahyami stapayami,

pujayami, dhyayami

Thatho namaskaram koro me

(Bow down to welcome Vedmata Gayatri)

Invocation of Guru• Spiritual guide.

• Dispels darkness and replaces with illumination.

• One who has engaged in a tremendous amount of penance.

Invocation of Guru MantraOm Gururbrahma, Gururvishnu, Gurureva Maheshwara

Gurureva Sakshat Parabrahma, Tasmai Sri Guruve namaha.

Akhanda manda lakaram, vyaptum yena characharumTatpadam darsitam yena, tasmai Sri Guruve namaha.

Om Sri Guruve namah, avhahyami stapayami, pujayami, dhyayamiThatho namaskaram koro me

(Bow down to welcome your Guru)

Jap and Dhyan• One rosary of Gayatri Mantra

(three if you have the time).

• Concentrate on the deepak in front of you then close your eyes.

• Position the flame in your mind’s eye in between your eye brows.

• If the flame disappears from your mind, open your eyes and refocus on the flame and then close your eyes.

Jap and Dhyan

Five Mahamritunjaya Mantrafor the needy in the world.

Om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pusjtivardhanam urvarukam iva bandhanan mrytor mukshiya mamrtat

Aarthi

• Light the arthi.

• Rotate clockwise around the altar.

Shanti Paath

• Prayer for peace throughout the world and the galaxy.

• Peace for all beings.

Suryadhyana• The water in the kalash or dish

should be slowly poured on to the stem of a basil plant.

• If you don’t have one, pour on to another plant or on the soil.

• Pour the water whilst you are facing east, reciting the mantra.

• This is symbolising that you are giving something back to the world.

Suryadhyana MantraOm Suryadevo sahastrano tejorase jagatpate

Anukampaya mam bhaktyagrahan ardhyam divakara

Om Suryaya namahaAdityaya namahaBhaskaraya namaha.

Further Information• www.awgp.org• www.dsvv.org• www.akhandjyoti.org• www.diya.net.in• Akhand Jyoti magazine

(Hindi, Gujarati, English).• Books by Vedmurthi Taponistha Pdt. Sri Ram

Sharma Archaryaji

• Thanks to – Chancellor of Dev Sanskrit University, Shradheya

Dr Pranav Pandya, for providing the scientific data and spiritual content of this presentation

• For further information, please contact– Neeraj Ram: u2jam@hotmail.com– Anand Jaiswal: jaiswala@iprimus.com.au

Any Questions?