Object of Puja Ritual

Puja ritual or worship of idols or images of God has become in recent times a great
and potent tenet of faith and belief in out Hindu Religion or Sanatana Dharma.
Puja is not only performed in temples but also in most of our homes. So too, we
worship God in our Satsangh meetings before we start our days' programme of kirtans
and /or study of scriptures.
The object of the puja ritual is to create and setup thoughts of spiritual forces in and
around us. This is best achieved by singing or chanting of some mantra, performing
certain actions and making offerings in three defined stages. Each mantra is a
magazine of vast spiritual forces.

First Stage
The first stage of worship consists of purification by driving out the devils or bad
tendencies and invoking devas or good tendencies. This is done by ringing a bell and
chanting "HariH OM" and 'aagamanaartham ...". All must join in the singing of this
mantra.
After this is over, the leader says "Om bhur bhuvah svah". This is called "digbandhana"
and consists of chanting the sacred OM and the above three words called "vyaahrites".
By chanting this, we make a protective shell around us. All the portals of the heart
are closed against the ingress of the raakshasaas or evil tendencies. At the end of the
puja we break the shell by chanting the three vyahrities first and OM last.
iti digbandhaH
thus the shell is formed.

Second Stage
Now commences the 2nd stage of puja ritual.
Our attempts here would be to tune our minds to meditate upon God with a form by
chanting prayers and then contemplate upon the eternal purusha by chanting the
purusha suukta. The Lord of the universe is very magnifiecently described and praised
in this vedic hymn.
These prayers are called the dhyaanam or "mantras of invocation".

Third Stage

Then we come to the third stage of our puujaa ritual. The maNDala brahmana
upanishhad explains the spiritual significance of the sixteen phased offerings to the
God invoked and installed in the idol or image or photo during the puujaa.
The sixteen offerings are made in five steps.
First Step
the 1st 3 phases are called the dhyaana seat. "tasya niShTha dhyaanaH". When we are
merged in it without any other thought or feeling it is called meditation or dhyaana.
We chant
1. dhyaayaami
God or Goddess to reside in the idol or image or photo for the time being, so that
the spiritual forrce may flow thru the medium of the idol etc. towards all the
people assembled.
2. aavaahayaami
3. aasanam samarpayaami
2nd step
Then follow the three phases of "water ceremony". They are the offering of paadyam,
arghyam and snaanam. Water is offered for washing the feet, the hands and for
oblation. These phases are possible only in case of idols in temples or houses. As our
idol or image or photo would be decorated before or at the commencement of the
satsangh, the water is sprinkled by maens of the middle finger of the right hand first
at the feet fro paadyam, then at the hands for arghyam and lastly at the chest and
then from head to feet doen fro snaanam (bath or oblation).
4. paadyam samarpayaami
5. aachamaniiyam samarpayaami
6. arghyam samarpayaami
7 snaanam samarpayaami
3rd step
Then we have the 3 phased offering of gandha or sandal paste, raw rice mixed with
kumkum called axata and flowers.
8. gandham samarpayaami
9. axataan samarpayaami
10. puShpaaNi puujayaami
4th step
After these, we have the waving of lights and offering of naivedya viz. food, fruits,
etc. dhuupa is burning of incense and waving it before God or Goddess and diipa is the

waving of a light. All waving of light and incense is done in circular motion from the
right side.
11. dhuupam aaghyaapayaami
12. diipam sa.ndarshayaami
Next the naivedyam is offered by pouring a few drops of water in our right palm and
by uttering the names of praaNa and brahma. After naivedya, taambula or betel leaf
is offered.
13. naivedyam nivedayaami
At that time a little water is poured into the right palm and offered as the naivedya,
chanting thus:
OM PraaNaaya svaaha
apaanaaya svaahaa