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Thread: How to worship the right way?

  1. #1
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    Post How to worship the right way?

    Namaste,

    I have a couple of questions and I welcome learned members' input on these.

    1. When you belong to a certain sampradaya, and are in the habit of doing daily aradhana to an Ishta-devata, and there comes festivals/ceremonies attached to other devatas (within and outside of your sampradaya), how do you celebrate the occasion? Do you do your daily aradhana as usual and then also do the other devata worship?

    For example, 2 occasions I encounter the above situation: While celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi and while celebrating Navaratri. Since these festivals involve considerable amount of effort, by the time I am done with worshiping these devatas, I have no energy or mood left to continue my daily aradhana. In that case, should I discontinue my daily aradhana for that day (or 9 days in case of Navaratri) and do the other devata worship? Is this acceptable?

    2. I have, in my puja, predominantly Vaishnava deities. I offer naivedya (offering of food) to them in a specific order, which, as much as I know is correct. Nevertheless, I also have Sri Hanuman ji, Sri Chakrathazhwar, and Sri Ramanujar pictures. When do I offer them naivedya? Before the gods or after the gods? (Somewhere I read a guruji as Sri Ramanujar is to be considered first for offering naivedya, but I am not sure about this...).

    I hope someone enlightens me.

    Thanks,

    Viraja
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Vannakkam Viraja: I think you'll get several viewpoints. Personally, during festivals, I continue my daily worship, although we do have shorter versions of the prescribed puja that we can do.

    I offer naivedyam, after the Gods. The only non-deity we have is our Guru(s) so I don't know really.

    I think it depends on your heart, and what you feel is right, without going way off the precription.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Namaste,

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    by the time I am done with worshiping these devatas, I have no energy or mood left to continue my daily aradhana.
    Without the proper mood or energy to do what is needed, the daily aradhana would be less than what the deities deserve. So, why push yourself?

    Pranam.

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    @EM: Thanks for the reply.

    @Believer: It is not about pushing oneself. it is about skipping either this or that.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Namaste Viraja,

    One must never differentiate between Guru, deity and mantra. They are one.

    I suggest, either include the other deities in your daily aradhana during the special festivals or include your ishta in the special pooja. Whatever you are offering, offer it to all of them barring the situations where specific things are not offered to specific deity.
    A few personal experiences: chronicles-of-a-sadhak.blogspot.com

  6. #6

    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Dear Viraja ji

    Jai Shri KRshNa , Jai shri RAm. Wish you a wonderful JanmAshTami and GokuLAshTami

    Puja does not necessarily have to be very elaborate nor do all of them have to be external anga of worship, but whatever you do, offer that worship to your IshTa, (Shri RAm?) as He is verily that Deva / Devi whose festival is there. It is your meditative bhAva, consciousness, that matters.

    In these cases, I have always turned to my Beloved Govinda asking Him what I should do in the situation. His LeelA is amazing, aparampAr (unlimited) ! Always ready with surprising answers, He has shown astonishing LeelA - particularly in case of one NavarAtri many years ago and one GaNesh Chaturthi a few years ago.

    All I can say is these are not compartmentalized seperate devas and devis. They are different rUpas of the same One. VishNu / Ram-KRshNa / other VishNu rUpa / Shiva This does not mean the tattva (principle) and the Personality of one's IshTa does not matter to the devotee. It does. [ Observation shows thatAs the Lord's rUpa changes, so does mine- but this is another conversation/subject ]

    We see our IshTa in that Deva. The first time I met my Lord in yugal-rUpa of Shri RAm and Shri KRshNa DwArakAdheesh.
    They are different rUpa of the same and the mutual understanding they have is such that they do not have to communicate with each other. They simple ARE. Sat.
    Last edited by smaranam; 05 September 2015 at 11:14 AM.
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Dear Smaranam ji,

    Thanks for the reply. Taking your advice, I am going to stick to my daily practice of offering naivedya first to Shri Ram and then to other devatas (even if it is Navaratri). And do the daily slokas and aradhana to my ishta Sri Rama as usual and then to make it very simple for other devatas depending on the occasion.

    That is what I did last year during navaratri and I did not feel I was missing anything although it felt weird initially that I am not worshiping the deity celebrating festival on that occasion.

    I had been always curious to know the answers for the questions posited in the OP, and actually some more similar questions as this: What is the right procedure for going around and visiting devas in the temple, etc. And what is the right order for naivedya.

    Yours and EM ji's reply confirms that taking to what one's instincts say and respecting our ishta as always will not prove wrong.

    Many thanks. Wish you a very wonderful Gokulashtami.

    (PS: I also sent my Janmashtami wishes to several other HDF folks, haven't heard from them at all, I use this opportunity to wish them all a happy occasion full of festivities!).
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  8. #8

    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    I had been always curious to know the answers for the questions posited in the OP, and actually some more similar questions as this: What is the right procedure for going around and visiting devas in the temple, etc. And what is the right order for naivedya.
    The priest in a Temple said regarding Darshan : "GaNesh, Shiva, Devi, VyakaTesh" In place of VyankaTeshwar Balaji rUpa we can assume / Lakshmi-NarAyaN / Radha/KRshNa / Ram Parivar. I have to mention at this point that the presiding Deity of that Temple is PArvatI , Meenakshi. So the sequence is not based on who the main Deity is. They are a family. To simplify things one can only offer One naivedya, right? The reason naivedya is first offered to the Lord and then to the Guru is because the Guru is also a devotee and receives prasAd of what was offered to the Lord, so of course the Guru eats after BhagvAn does.

    Many thanks. Wish you a very wonderful Gokulashtami.

    (PS: I also sent my Janmashtami wishes to several other HDF folks, haven't heard from them at all, I use this opportunity to wish them all a happy occasion full of festivities!).
    ​Oh but I did I am sure you received my reply wishes ?
    Last edited by smaranam; 05 September 2015 at 12:18 PM. Reason: quote marker
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Namaste,

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    @Believer: It is not about pushing oneself. it is about skipping either this or that.
    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    ......I am going to stick to my daily practice of offering naivedya first to Shri Ram and then to other devatas (even if it is Navaratri). And do the daily slokas and aradhana to my ishta Sri Rama as usual and then to make it very simple for other devatas depending on the occasion.
    Hmmmmm....... skipping one or the other?

    Pranam.

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    Re: How to worship the right way?

    Quote Originally Posted by smarana[FONT=arial
    [/FONT]m;126374]
    They are a family. To simplify things one can only offer One naivedya, right? The reason naivedya is first offered to the Lord and then to the Guru is because the Guru is also a devotee and receives prasAd of what was offered to the Lord, so of course the Guru eats after BhagvAn does.


    Thanks for this info.


    Oh but I did I am sure you received my reply wishes ?
    Yes I did, and thank you very much for that!
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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