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Thread: Dhupa Arati

  1. #1
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    Dhupa Arati

    I know that in the Gaudiya Vaishnava/ISKCON tradition, there is a ritual where incense and flowers are offered to the deities/vigrahas and a camara whisk and a peacock fan are waved for them. I don't have all the equipment needed for a full Puja, as I need to go into Kuala Lumpur to get all that, and university starts tomorrow, so I thought of doing dhupa arati. Unfortunately, we don't have a camara or peacock fan either, so I substituted an oil lamp and a camphor lamp for the two fans. Is that all right, or should I try to find a camara and peacock fan?

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    Re: Dhupa Arati

    Namaste,

    In my opinion, a pure heart is the only required ingredient for puja.
    Last edited by satay; 05 January 2008 at 07:19 PM. Reason: spelling
    satay

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    Re: Dhupa Arati

    Scott: I concur with Satay. If you want to get into the 'rights' and 'wrongs' of pujas, you don't even have to look beyond the temples, let alone shrine rooms. Here at the temple I attend, the priest sometimes gets criticized for 'doing it wrong'. Of course all the Hindus here come from their own ethnocentricity/ language/culture home based (My way is right) subconscious minds. I've even observed some South Indians declaring that 'this is not a real temple' in the North Indian temples, and some North Indians declaring the same thing (What? they don't do the arathi song?) in the South Indian style temple. Personally, I find it all rather amusing, and an observation of anava in action. Of course I'm just as guilty, I just never vocalize it. (Well, actually I do think I have a slightly better understanding that its all all right.) There is a priest in Winnipeg here who seems to have it right. He has learned several different styles, and does the pujas sort of according to the audience. For example, he doesn't normally do archanas but he did one for me when requested. So just do what feels right to you. I liken it to the sadhu who builds a lingam of sand, worships it for awhile, and then lets the waves wash it all away, symbolizing our own merge into Godhead. Any worship is good worship. Aum Namasivaya.

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    Re: Dhupa Arati

    Quote Originally Posted by satay View Post
    Namaste,

    In my opinion, a pure heart is the only required ingredient for puja.
    So what do I do if I don't have all the required equipment but have a pure heart? Just imagine I'm offering the ones that I don't have?

  5. #5

    Smile Re: Dhupa Arati

    Namaste Scott,

    I have read your posts with great interest and your questions are very good and sincere. I am not as much an expert as some at HDFpuri, I come here a lot for advice, information and guidance. There is good scriptural evidence that a deity can be worshipped mentally, for example the "Shiva Manas Puja" so, imho, imagining the ingredients and saying the corresponding mantras would be a good substitute.

    I know that many have said that all you need is a pure heart and devotion. I agree with that. But we are living in a physical world, and many of us like to express our worship and devotion in a more physical and ritualistic way, and we like to get it right.

    As has been said, there are many ways of doing puja. I liken it to curry. It can be recognised as curry, by the smell, taste, and appearance, but in every household it is made slightly differently. They may use more or less of an ingredient, leave out one or two and add others, but it is still curry.

    The same with puja. If you try to follow the traditions that you see around you, and improvise, as you have said, by imagining those ingredients which you cannot easily acquire, or substituting them. You should be alright.

    In the Guyanese tradition, we place the various ingredients on a paan leaf in front of the picture or murti.
    Instead of paan leaves, here in Canada, my husband and I sometimes substitute maple leaves.

    Pranam,

    Devi

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    Re: Dhupa Arati

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~

    Namaste,


    Deepajyotih param brahma deepajyotih janaardhanah
    Deepo harathu me paapam sandhyaa deepo namo(a)stutae


    pranams
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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