Hurrying Vedic Chants

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sir,

 

There is another angle. A priest may have gotten used to the fast style because of others and not due to lack of devotion. Fast reading of mantras does not prove a lack of devotion (though it sometimes indicates that). A priest may pronounce mantras incorrectly or very fast, but may have the highest level of devotion in his heart. If such a priest calls gods, they WILL come. Gods do not do nitpicking about your pronunciation or procedure or speed, when your devotion and effort makes them happy. Shiva was pleased with the meat offering Kannappa who did not know how to worship!

 

When scriptures refer to Sabda Brahman, the "sabda" (vibration) referred to there is not just the physical audible sound. When we say a mantra, the thoughts, the images and the movement of praana in the mind also accompany the sound as subtler levels of sabda. Out of the 4 levels of sabda (vaikhari, madhyama, pasyanti and para), the audible sound that results in vibration of the gross matter around us is only the grossest level (vaikhari). The other levels cause vibration in the subtle matter around us. An advanced yogi may be able to hear (not with ears) those vibrations too. Those vibrations are a more important part of the sabda.

 

Even a person who reads a mantra perfectly may produce wrong sabda if his thoughts are wandering. One who pronounces incorrectly but has his mind firmly focussed on the Lord produces an almost perfect sabda and reaches Him.

 

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Though I urge people to make an effort - as stated in the previous mail - to pronounce mantras slower and better, I urge them NOT to judge others around them. It is dangerous. Judge yourself and not others.

 

If you can do a pooja yourself, it is always a good idea to do that.

 

But, when you call a priest to your house to perform a pooja, don't judge him and just think of him as Shiva. Think that Shiva Himself came to your house and doing that pooja. Believe that in all sincerity and surrender. Then, you will get the perfect fruits of the pooja, no matter how the priest reads the mantras, no matter how much he hurries and no matter how much his devotion is! All that is HIS karma. If you truly accept him as Shiva and take his deeds as Shiva's deeds, your karma is pure.

 

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> Unfortunately, we are not living in the best of times and

> possibility times are going to get even worse.

There is a silver lining to every cloud.

 

Compared to Krita/Sathya yuga, the overall dharma in this Kali yuga is 1/4th. However, the dharma followed by an average person today is probably 1/100th or 1/1000th of the dharma followed by an average person in Krita yuga. How is it then that the average dharma is 1/4th?

 

Obviously, there are some souls somewhere, who are engaged in great tapascharya and pulling up the average dharma for the benefit of the world. Thus, even though we "are not living in the best of times", there are places and people where "the best of times" is maintained. If it gets "even worse", the sections that are maintaining dharma will get even better. SHE ensures that. One can volunteer for that work and seek Her blessings.

 

Each fall is a new opportunity to rise. Each falling soul is a new opportunity for you to serve.

 

Best regards,Narasimha-------------------------------Homam manual and audio: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamFree Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org-------------------------------

> Sir,> > You have noted well. Such problem does not exists with a small group of brahmins but actually with a majority of them these days. I live in Canada and at times, I hasve inquired with priest for different pujas that I want to do at home....each time the pundit says it is going to take 1 1/2 hours....no matter what type of puja it is , it is going to take 1 1/2 hours. Hence I have decided, I am not going to call any brahmin at home to do puja.....just do whatever I can to the best of my ability.> > Unfortunately, we are not living in the best of times and possibility times are going to get even worse.> > Regards,> Bhupendra.> > "Narasimha P.V.R. Rao" <pvr wrote:> Namaste revered friends and elders,> > I was at a Srisukta homam at a local temple a few weeks back. The priests recited Sri Suktam 16 times. But, unfortunately, they read it too fast. After finishing 15 times very fast, they read the last time slowly. It is as if they are thinking "thank God it is over, now I don't need to hurry anymore. Let me do it slowly, now that only one count is left". This is unfortunate.> > If you have decided to express your love to your parents, will you say it with a hurried tone and a business attitude? Or, will you say it slowly and clearly with love, care and expression? Worshipping a deity is also like expressing your love to your father/mother!> > Especially, Vedic chants have a special power. When chanted with the correct pronunciation and intonation, they have the power to transform. But one cannot hurry them. If one hurries a Vedic chant, certain sounds will not be clearly audible. The intonation - ups and downs - on various aksharas get mixed up. It is not possible to put the correct intonation on each akshara (and for the entire duration of the akshara) if one hurries. Some intonation levels sometimes get carried over wrongly from one akshara to another. That is not good. There is no comparison between the energy and bliss produced by a perfect Vedic chanting and an erroneous one under haste. Vedic chants are not meant to be read too fast. Those who cling on to fixed counts and sacrifice the quality of chanting are missing the main point and losing the actual benefit.> > If one has limited time to perform a ritual, it is better to reduce the counts instead of keeping long counts and hurrying the chanting. It is better to read 11 times slowly and clearly, rather than reading 16 times hastily. I wonder if it is better to just decide a time period and chant for the duration with a normal speed (without bothering about counts), rather than having a target count. The latter has the potential to create hurry.> > I am not finding fault with any specific person or group here, but just airing a general complaint I have with a small section of the priest community. If a single person's thinking is affected by this mail, my purpose is served!> > I am sorry if I offended anybody.> > Best regards,> Narasimha> -------------------------------> Homam manual and audio: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam> Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net> Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org> Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org> -------------------------------