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Shiva panchayatana puja. Questions ?

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Namaste,

 

I am trying to put together a Shiva panchayatana puja procedure for

my friend and ran in to a question. I looked at the Puja books (R.K

Mutt, LIFCO etc) that have a laghu panchayatana puja text. The

procedure there is to do dhyana aavaahana etc first to Ganapati and

then Surya and so on. I also came across another panchayatana puja

book published by Kanchi mutt that quotes,

 

ravir vinaayakashchaNDhii iisho viShNustu panchamaH .

anukrameNa puujyante vukrametu mahadbhayam .. (padma purANa)

 

The author quotes this and assigns the krama as surya, ganapati,

ambaa, shiva and viShNu. He also points that you could put ganapati

first if there are pramaNas for such a procedure.

 

Could any of the members who perform panchayatana puja and aware of

the tradition please through some light?.

 

Where can I find more pramaaNa-s for panchayatana puja ?.

 

Could any one who have come across an authoritative book on

Panchayatana puja, please share some information about the

publisher/author ?

 

Thanks

Aravind

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,

>

> --- seeksha <seeksha@h...> wrote:

> >

> > Namaste,

> >

> > I am trying to put together a Shiva panchayatana

> > puja procedure for

> > my friend and ran in to a question. I looked at the

> > Puja books (R.K

> > Mutt, LIFCO etc) that have a laghu panchayatana puja

> > text. The

> > procedure there is to do dhyana aavaahana etc first

> > to Ganapati and

> > then Surya and so on. I also came across another

> > panchayatana puja

> > book published by Kanchi mutt that quotes,

> >

> > ravir vinaayakashchaNDhii iisho viShNustu panchamaH

> > .

> > anukrameNa puujyante vukrametu mahadbhayam .. (padma

> > purANa)

> >

> > The author quotes this and assigns the krama as

> > surya, ganapati,

> > ambaa, shiva and viShNu. He also points that you

> > could put ganapati

> > first if there are pramaNas for such a procedure.

> >

> > Could any of the members who perform panchayatana

> > puja and aware of

> > the tradition please through some light?.

 

Namaste

 

My father taught me (in the fifties) in the following way and I am

following the same procedure even now. And I kn ow that many who I

know, do the Panchayatana puja do it this way.

 

The arrangement is;

 

I face East when I do the Puja, with the abhisheka samakriya in

front of me. In the pedestal where I have to do the abhisheka, the

devatas are arranged in this order.

South-East (Agni dik): Surya

South-West (Nirruti dik): Ganapati

North-west (Vayu-dik): ambikA

North-East (Ishana-dik): Vishnu

Centre: Banalingam

 

I have not checked any book or pramana for this, because I had no

necessity to. Now and then a learned scholar and shastra-jna would

visit me and be present at my puja and nobody pointed out anything

wrong in the method.

 

I have also a Raja-rajeshwari vigraha which I worship (along with

abhisheka) and that vigraha takes also the centre-place along with

the Bana-lingam (in addition to the presence of the Svarnamukhi ston

e representing ambika sitting in the Vayu dik.

 

PraNAms to all devotees of Mother Goddess

profvk

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Hari Om!

 

I am writing from what I have observed and heard over the years:

 

Panchayatana poojas can have any of the five deities as the central

devata for the pooja krama - according to one's own mantropadesam and

family traditions.

 

In all the panchayatana poojas I have seen so far I have come across

Ganapati as the first to be worshipped, except in the case when the

pradhaana pooja (central object of the panchayatana worship) is to

Ganesa - in such cases Surya precedes the worship of Ganesa, as the

Sun God is meditated upon as representing all consciousness and so is

invoked to illumine the worshipper's own consciousness before praying

to Ganesa as the central God in the Ganesa Panchayatana worship (in

this paddhati all the other four devatas are surrounding Ganesa who

is worhsipped in the middle).

 

References: I am not able to provide any at this time, though will

share what I come across in future.

 

Hari Om.

 

, "seeksha" <seeksha@h...> wrote:

>

> Namaste,

>

> procedure there is to do dhyana aavaahana etc first to Ganapati and

> then Surya and so on. I also came across another panchayatana puja

> book published by Kanchi mutt that quotes,

>

> ravir vinaayakashchaNDhii iisho viShNustu panchamaH .

> anukrameNa puujyante vukrametu mahadbhayam .. (padma purANa)

>

> The author quotes this and assigns the krama as surya, ganapati,

> ambaa, shiva and viShNu. He also points that you could put ganapati

> first if there are pramaNas for such a procedure.

>

> Could any of the members who perform panchayatana puja and aware of

> the tradition please through some light?.

>

> Thanks

> Aravind

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|| Jai Sadguru Dutta ||

 

In the Vedic tradition, worship of different aspects of the one Supreme Being

-The "Parama Purusha" or the "Parabrahman" is upheld rather than the different

forms themselves. Infact the thinking that the "atman" and the "paramatman" are

different is regarded as ignorance. "Ekam sath vipraah bahuDhaa vadhanthi" - the

wise know that the same truth is manifesting itself in different forms. "aham

bramhaasmi" is a realization; not just a dry philosophy. Such is the influence

of this advaitha philosophy that even the "dwaitha"s add the prefix

"vishwamBhara anthargatha" (the one within VishwamBhara - MahaVishnu) while

worshipping other gods. Just like the white light splits into its 7 constituent

colors when passed through a prism, the single supreme divine force is

manifesting itself in different forms and glory depending upon the purpose. The

world has only one sun. But the heat and light intensity, duration of days and

nights, seasons etc are different in different parts of the globe owing to

their different geographical locations.

 

The above preamble is necessary to understand the (bottomline) essence of

worship. Bharath's culture is purely based on the teachings of the Vedas.

Everyone follows this knowingly or unknowingly:

 

"gaNEsham gaNEshAh shivamithi cha shaivAshca vibuDhAh

ravim saurA viShNum praThama puruSham viShNu BhajakAh |

vadhanthyEkam shAkthAh jagadhudhayamoolAm paraShivAm

na jAnE kim thasmai nama ithi param bramha sakalam ||"

 

--- GanEsha mahimna sthOthram

 

[summary: The same parabramhan is worshipped as "ganEsha" by GaaNapathyas, as

Shiva by "Shaivaites", as "Ravi" by Sauras, as "ViShNu" by VaiShNavaites and as

"Shakthi" by shAkthAs]

 

The "Panchayathana" form of worship has originated as the result of Nature

worship in the Vedas. The number 5 (pancha) here corresponds to the 5 important

elements of nature : "pancha Bhoota"s, ["panchami pancha bhoothEshee | pancha

sanKhyOpachaariNee ||" - Lalithaa sahasranaama] which are responsible for

creation, preservation (sustainence) and destruction: earth, water,fire, air

and space. They are actually called as "pancha bramha"s. Of these, the first is

the earth element - "prthvi tatwa" and the order given above conforms to the

order of evolution of the "pancha Bhoota"s. Shree Adi Shankara also has adhered

to the same principle in his "Saundarya Lahari" ["mahee moolaadhaarE kimapi

maNipoorE huthavaham swaaDhiShTanE...].

 

The aspect of the Parabramhan presiding over the earth element is

called as "ganapathy" [this is why on Ganesh chauthi, we worship

Idols of Ganesh made of clay]:

 

"thwam moolaadhaarE sThithOsi nithyam"

 

--- Ganesha atharva sheersha upanishad.

 

moolaadhaara [moola + ADhAra] chakra is the first of the 6 important chakras and

plays the role of balancing and sustanining the praNa. Kundalini resides there

and the practice of yoga starts from the mooladhar only.

 

In the Lalithaa sahasranaamam we find the verse:

 

"mahaa gaNEsha nirBhinna viGhna yantra praharShithaa"

 

There is an interesting story in the "LalithOpaaKhyaanam" of the "bramhaaDa

purANa" which clarifies the meaning of the above verse: When the Divine Mother

Lalitha Mahaa thripura Sundari waged war against the demon "Bhandaasur", Ambikaa

and dhanDanaatha (vArAhi) killed all the 300 sons of the demon. Then, the

demon's crooked minister Vishukra inscribed the "viGhna yantra" on a boulder and

performed vAmAchAra on the Mother's army. As a result of this, 8 types of

viGhnAs (obstacles) namely: Alasya, kArpaNya, dhainya, nidhra, klaibya,

vismrthi, pramAdha and thandra inhibited the progress of Mother's army. Then the

all powerfull divine Mother looked and smiled at "mahA kAmEshwara" who

understood Her order and assumed the form of "mahA gaNEshwara" with 10 hands,

elephant face and siDdha Lakshmi besides him. He immediately destroyed the

viGhna yantra and cheered up the army. This story clarifies to us that Lord

Ganapathy is the unified form of Shiva and Shivaa.

 

Hence it would be only wise to say that all pujas should begin only after

worshipping Lord Ganesha first:

 

"aavirBhootham cha srShtyaadau prkrthEh puruShaath param |

Evam Dhyaayathi yOnnithyam sa yOgee yOginaam varah ||"

 

--- Ganesha atharva sheersha upanishad.

 

The verse you have quoted:

 

ravir vinaayakashchaNDhii iisho viShNustu panchamaH .

anukrameNa puujyante vukrametu mahadbhayam .. (padma purANa)

 

is applicable to saura panchayathana wherein the Sun is regarded as the supreme

diety and hence worshipped in the middle. Similarly, there are Devi

Panchayathan, Vishnu panchayathan, shiva panchayathan and ganapathy

panchaayathan also. Even before any of these panchayathana pujas could be

commenced, we are required to worship Lord Ganesha in the name "vinayaka" as the

remover of all obstacles:

 

"vinaayakah karma aviGhna siDdhyarTham viniyOjithah"

 

--- Yaajnavalkya smrthi

 

 

I would like to draw your kind attention to another verse in the same Padma

PurANa from which you have quoted:

 

"naarchithOhi gaNaaDhyakShO yajnaadau yathsurOtthama |

thasmaadhwiGhnam samuthpannam thath krODhajamidham Khalu ||"

 

[if gaNaaDhyakSha - the chief of gaNas is not worshipped first (during yajnas

etc), then his gaNas will be highly annoyed and thus all kinds of obstacles will

surface]

 

The GaNEsha sooktha from the RgvEda states:

 

"na rthE thwath kriyathe kincha naarE mahaa markam"

 

We find many references in our epics and PurANas that uphold the first worship

to Lord Ganapathy. For specific details please read the "vratha kaTha" of Ganesh

chathurthi. The following shloka is also very famous:

 

"... vidhyaaramBhe vivaahE cha pravAse nirgamE thaThaa |

sangraame sarva kaaryEShu viGhnasthasya na jaayathE ||"

 

Leave alone panchaayathan puja, before commencing any work, one has to first

meditate on Lord Ganapathy.

 

The seeker of divinity has to face many obstacles ["shrEyaansi bahu viGhnaani"]

which are due to the sins committed in the past. Note that "viGhna" also means

sin. Hence to insulate us from the malefic effect of such sins and to be

successful in the undertaken endeavour, we must worship Ganapathy first:

 

"sarvEShaam api karmaNaam aadhau nirviGhna parisamaapthayE gaNapathi poojanam

karthavyam"

 

--- Yaajnavalkya smrthi

 

[in "HaTa YOga", "GanEsha kriya" is first performed before proceeding with any

other practice. In this kriya, the saDhak stimulates the rectum (lower part of

anus) by inserting the left hand's middle finger and thus empties the bowel

without leaving any trace. Advanced saDhaks remove the entire intestine out

through the anal opening, wash it thoroughly with water and suck it back

entirely inside the body. This is followed by 600 pranayamas. GanEsh kriya is

said to be (as it is obvious !!!) highly beneficial in purifying the sadhak's

body.]

 

Also, observe the prayer offered at the end of this Ganapathy puja:

 

"viGhnaah vinaasham aayaanthu sarvE cha sura poojithaa |

nirviGhnEna ---- poojam sidDhirBhavanthu vinaayaka ||"

 

As a solid practical example for the first worship to be offered to Ganapathy,

one can witness that the present Jagadguru Shankaraachaarya at ShrngEri

Shaaradhaa peeTam, Shree Bharathee theerTha mahAswamigal first worships "rathna

garBha gaNapathi" and then commences the shiva panchaayathana pooja.

 

This is called "karmaanga ganapathi pooja". Here, Ganapathy is worshipped as a

demi god who is the chief of all kinds of obstacles. Later, during the main

panchayathan puja, the same lord is worshipped as a form of parabramha, capable

of bestowing salvation (moksha):

 

"twam Ananda mayah twam bramha mayah | twam sacchidaanandaa adwitheeyOsi.....|

twam bramhaah twam viShnuh twam rudrah twam indrah twam agnih twam vaayuh twam

sooryah twam chandramaah twam bramha BhoorBhuvassuvarOm ||"

 

- Ganesha atharva sheersha upanishad.

 

This concept of "bramha" is highly confusing for ameteurs. When everything is

bramha itself ("sarvam Khalvidam bramhaasi"), then where is the question of whom

to be worshipped first ?.

 

One might wonder as to how the all pervading, all powerful, omnipresent and

omniscient Parabramha can be reduced to the status of a demi god, as I said

above. The answer is in the analogy that even though there is a big vessel full

of milk, we make use of a small tumbler to serve it to a person. The milk as

such has no definite shape. It only takes the shape of it's container.

 

Giving a form to the formless and associating benevolent virtues to the

virtueless is highly beneficial in the initial stages of worship. It is a highly

commendalbe point that while in the "karmaanga ganapathy pooja", the lord is

worshipped in a definite form, in the panchaayathan puja, he is worshipped as

having no form at all [i.e., the "shONi Bhadra" stone represents Ganapathy].

 

Jagadguru Shree Adi Shankara, who popularised the panchayathana form of worship

has addressed Ganapathy as verily the Parabramhan:

 

"jagath kaaraNam kaaraNa jnAna roopam

surAdhim suKhAdim gaNEsham guNeSham |

jagadhwyaapinam vishwa vandhyam surEsham

parabramha roopam gaNEsham BhajEm ||"

 

"chanchalam hi manah krShaNah" - Since in this Kaliyuga, our minds and thoughts

are contaminated due to which "nirguNa" (formless) worship is not possible, we

should first worship Ganapathy as having form and then proceed towards formless

worship:

 

"upaasanaarTham Bhakthaanaam bramhaNo roopa kalpanaa"

 

Even in the Geetha, the Lord has preached thus:

 

"sarva BhoothEShu yEnaikam BhAvam avyayamIkShathE |

aviBhaktham viBhakthEShu thadh jnAnam sAthwikam matham ||"

 

Also recall the famous composition of Shree ANNammAchArya: "entha maathramu

evvaru kalachina antha mAthrame neevu"

 

I wish to conclude my lengthy reply with the famous "Uga-BhOga" composed by the

great saint-poet-musician Shree Purandhara dhaasa in Kannada language, which

beautifully explains the multi-faceted functioning by the same Parama Purusha:

 

"sathatha gaNanATha sidDhiya neeva kaaryadhali

mathi prEsisuvaLu pArvathi dhEviyu

mukuthi paThake manaveeva mahArudhra dhEva

Bhakuthi dhAyaki siri BhArathi dhEvi

yukuthi shAstragaLalli vanaja sanBhavanarasi

sathkarmagaLa naDesi sujnAna mathi itthu

gathiya pAlisuva namma pavamAnanu

chitthadali Ananda suKhavaneevaLu ramA

Bhakutha janaroDeya namma purandhara viTalanu

sathatha ivaroLuninthI krthiya naDesuvanu"

 

A million salutations to you all.

 

 

, "seeksha" <seeksha@h...> wrote:

> I am trying to put together a Shiva panchayatana puja procedure for

> my friend and ran in to a question. I looked at the Puja books (R.K

> Mutt, LIFCO etc) that have a laghu panchayatana puja text. The

> procedure there is to do dhyana aavaahana etc first to Ganapati and

> then Surya and so on. I also came across another panchayatana puja

> book published by Kanchi mutt that quotes,

>

> ravir vinaayakashchaNDhii iisho viShNustu panchamaH .

> anukrameNa puujyante vukrametu mahadbhayam .. (padma purANa)

>

> The author quotes this and assigns the krama as surya, ganapati,

> ambaa, shiva and viShNu. He also points that you could put ganapati

> first if there are pramaNas for such a procedure.

>

> Could any of the members who perform panchayatana puja and aware of

> the tradition please through some light?.

>

> Where can I find more pramaaNa-s for panchayatana puja ?.

>

> Could any one who have come across an authoritative book on

> Panchayatana puja, please share some information about the

> publisher/author ?

>

> Thanks

> Aravind

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Sri gurubhyom namaha!!

 

sir, can any body please provide the panchayatana puja murthi images...

 

already i have Siva idle(Bana linga) vishnu idle(saligrama pratima) and surya idle(spatika ).

 

 

and where we purchase ganesh idle (Red sonebhadra)?? and ambika idle(swarnamukhi)...

please provide me the information...

thanks in advance

 

sarvejanaa.. sukhino bhavanthu!!

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