Significance of Aarti

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Significance of Aarti

 

Aarti is a form of congregational worship, in which the devotees

stand facing the image of a deity or a defied saint or, the personage

(`living idol') of an exalted saint singing devotional songs in

unison. Normally, the singing is accompanied by musical instruments

such as bells, gongs and crymbals. The object of worship is devoutly

decorated with posy garlands and, aromatic incence and musk are kept

smouldering. While the devotees sing psalms, either an official or a

devotee revolves clockwise, (usually) a fivefold oil lamp –

consisting of five oil – traylets - round the object of adoration.

Such a performance of aarti with a fivefold oil-lamp is called

panchaarati.

 

A lamp with wicks burning clarified butter (ghee) is most preferred.

After the devotional singing, the flame of the aarti-lamp is offered

to the devotees, who pass their hands by turns over the sacred flame

and quickly draw them to their faces and heads as a gesture of

drawing onto themselves the auspicious energy emanating from `the

receptable grace' i.e the flame.

 

The essential constituent, of the ritual of aarti is a kind of simple

fire ritual. That is why it is frequently translated as a ritual as

of `waving lamps'.

 

It was the masters of the school of Bhakti (devotion) who transformed

the simple-fire ritual into an exalted spiritual method. Worship in a

congregational setting is helpful in more than one way.

 

In a communal prayer devotees can pray in a space charged with the

homogeneous devotional fervour of a group can cut across the

insulation of the ego and merge easily into a group rhythm.

 

It induces a sense of expanded consciousness in which one tends to

lose the individual `voice' subtly, an awareness of being a part of

a `Whole' sense of separate identity melts into the mainstream 0f

collective consciousness.

 

A hymn or a psalm is an expression of ardent devotion which in turn

is capable of evoking kindred emotions in the hearts of those who

recite it This is a language to commune with the Divine.

By waving the lights in circular motion, we, in fact, symbolically

perform `Pradakshina' around our Deity.

 

When the five-wick lamp is lit, the devotee waves it symbolically,

offering his five pranas (The entire being of five pranas, which are

praan, apaan, samaan, udaan and vyan. Praan has it's seat in the

lungs and is breath, Apaan goes downwards and out at the anus. Samaan

has its seat in the cavity of the navel and is essential to

digestion. Udaan rises up in the throat and enters the head. Vyan is

diffused through the whole body), to the Lord, totally surrendering

himself and gaining, seeking the union of the devotee's soul with the

Supreme Self.

 

Aarti is a form of congregational worship, in which the devotees

stand facing the image of a deity or a defied saint or, the personage

(`living idol') of an exalted saint singing devotional songs in

unison. Normally, the singing is accompanied by musical instruments

such as bells, gongs and crymbals. The object of worship is devoutly

decorated with posy garlands and, aromatic incence and musk are kept

smouldering. While the devotees sing psalms, either an official or a

devotee revolves clockwise, (usually) a fivefold oil lamp –

consisting of five oil – traylets - round the object of adoration.

Such a performance of aarti with a fivefold oil-lamp is called

panchaarati.

 

A lamp with wicks burning clarified butter (ghee) is most preferred.

After the devotional singing, the flame of the aarti-lamp is offered

to the devotees, who pass their hands by turns over the sacred flame

and quickly draw them to their faces and heads as a gesture of

drawing onto themselves the auspicious energy emanating from `the

receptable grace' i.e the flame.

 

The essential constituent, of the ritual of aarti is a kind of simple

fire ritual. That is why it is frequently translated as a ritual as

of `waving lamps'.

 

It was the masters of the school of Bhakti (devotion) who transformed

the simple-fire ritual into an exalted spiritual method. Worship in a

congregational setting is helpful in more than one way.

 

In a communal prayer devotees can pray in a space charged with the

homogeneous devotional fervour of a group can cut across the

insulation of the ego and merge easily into a group rhythm.

 

It induces a sense of expanded consciousness in which one tends to

lose the individual `voice' subtly, an awareness of being a part of

a `Whole' sense of separate identity melts into the mainstream 0f

collective consciousness.

 

A hymn or a psalm is an expression of ardent devotion which in turn

is capable of evoking kindred emotions in the hearts of those who

recite it This is a language to commune with the Divine.

By waving the lights in circular motion, we, in fact, symbolically

perform `Pradakshina' around our Deity.

 

When the five-wick lamp is lit, the devotee waves it symbolically,

offering his five pranas (The entire being of five pranas, which are

praan, apaan, samaan, udaan and vyan. Praan has it's seat in the

lungs and is breath, Apaan goes downwards and out at the anus. Samaan

has its seat in the cavity of the navel and is essential to

digestion. Udaan rises up in the throat and enters the head. Vyan is

diffused through the whole body), to the Lord, totally surrendering

himself and gaining, seeking the union of the devotee's soul with the

Supreme Self.