|| To Do or Not to ||

Do the Puja anyway you can,
with devotion and love for Lord in your heart.

God out of His mercy will overlook all the shortcomings of men if they pursue the path of devotion with fervour. At the end of worship, daily or occasional, a prayer is offered to God not to mind the defects while chanting the mantras or adopting the procedures or for forgetting to do some duties out of ignorance. The Almighty is compassionate enough to ignore such errors. Thus, mercy being His chief trait, a devotee need not be concerned with minor defects if his endeavour is absolutely sincere but the enjoined duties should not be abandoned.

yasya smR^ityaa cha naamnoktyaa tapaH puujaa kriyaadishu |
nyuunaM sampuurNataaM yaati sadyo vandey tam.h achyutam.h ||

This shloka will take care of any shortcomings in the puja procedure.


All pujaas are like our birthday parties :-

• dhaayna: we first comtemplate whom to invite
• aahvaahana: we telephone and invite
• aasana: when they arrive give them place to sit down
• arghyaM: offer water to wash hands
• paadyam: offer water to wash feet
• aachamanam: offer some water(or paanakam) to drink
• gudopahaara: some thing to eat - light snacks
• snaanam: take him to bath (you chant shlokas telling the     mahimaa of the god/goddess - suuktaas
• panchamrita: 5 nectars are selected to give bath; as well as    waters of various tiirthas and fruit water (phalodaka), water of    gold or jewels (hiraNyodaka, ratnodaka)
• gandha: sandle paste for the body
• vastrayugmam: two pieces of clothe to wear
• yajnopaveeta: sacred thread
• akshata: unbroken decorated rice offered.
• parimala dravya: scents
• aabharaNa: ornaments
• pushpani: flowers
• maala: garland
• pratiShThaapana: make him/her sit on the aasana;