Page 14 - The Planets & Forecast
P. 14

Planets & Forecast                                                        Mar.-18


     Spiritual
     Spiritual
     Spiritual
     Spiritual
     Spiritual
                         WORSHIP OR POOJA






     G      ruhastas mostly adopt worship   sadhaka is following the Vedas.
                                                All other rituals in the worship like
            of a deity or deities of their
    choice or faith. They may worship Lord  spreading the flowers, akshitas (Rice
    Venkateswara, Lord Shiva, Sri Durga,    mixed with turmeric), Kunkum are all
    Sri Hanuman, Sri Sai Baba, Sri          just mechanical acts.  Yet they are
    Raghavendra or any one of their choice  essential part of worship to tune the
    who wants prosperity to his family,     mind for the ultimate act, like turning
    happiness, wealth, comfort, success     the ignition key and pressing the clutch
    etc. In the process of worship, the     to initiate driving. In fact the mental
    worshipper chants the names of his      worship, unconsciously, starts from the
    deity with reverence. The names         time the preparations like collecting
    chanted repeatedly could be 108, 1008   flowers, coconuts, plantain fruits,
    times and so on. The others who         incense sticks, cleaning the room,
    attend the pooja (worship) as guests    decorating the place at the diety are
    and onlookers sit near by While uttering  initiated. All that conditions the mind to
    each name of the God like 'Om           culminate in achieving ecstasy or
    Kesavaya Namaha. Om Mahadevaya          tanmayatwa at the time of worship.
    Namaha' etc. the same sound enters      The sadhaka after completing the
    the mind of every one present through   preliminaries will be expectantly looking
    the sense of hearing, causing           forward for the actual pooja, just like a
    vibrations in the mind. The vibrations  new wed virgin wife on the nuptial
    in the mind transmit them to the self   night. Of the thousand and eight
    which also vibrates at one stage or     names uttered in the worship, only a
    other to achieve tanmayatva or          few names of the Lord with his
    ecstasy. That means the self begs       pravruthi-nature sinks into the mind of
    refuge for becoming one with itself.    the person who is uttering and those
        The all important part of the       of the spectators. That depends on the
    names uttered is the prefix 'Om' and    individual nature and aspiration. For
    the suffix 'namaha' i.e., salutation. The  Example-'Om Ugraya namah' touches
    real potent force is 'om' and the       the heart of a person who is a tamasik.
    following word like 'kesava' 'sambho'     'Om Maha balayya nama' rouses the
    'sai' etc. are only preferential and the  thoughts and vibrations of strength in
    suffix 'Namaha' is the supplication.    a weak person.
        Tasmad aum ity udaahriya yajna        'Om Saveswaraya namah' transports
    daana tapah kriyaah                     the mind to the feet of the Lord in a
        pravartante vidhaanoktaah attatam   satvika and devotee.
    brahmavaadinaam. (B.G XVII 24)            'Om Lakshmi Patiya namah' inspires
        Lord Krishna  said  that with the   the seeker of wealth.
    utterance of 'Om' the performance of      'Om sarva dhukka harayana' assures
    sacrifice, austerity, gift etc. as      happiness to those who are in distress.
    prescribed by the scriptures, the          While uttering or hearing the names

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