10 Day Lakshmi and Saraswati Yagyas - July 7 - 16
for prosperity and good health

Guru Purnima - July 7
for wisdom and enlightenment

July is the month of Guru Poornima, during which we recognize and honor the importance of the "guru" in the expanded sense of those who pass along knowledge. From a deity perspective we honor Dakshinamurti, the form of Shiva who first gave knowledge. Recognition is also paid to Vyasa, the great rishi who organized the Vedas into 4 books, the author of the Mahabharatha, and the Puranas (stories of the gods). Pujas are also performed for the planet Jupiter (Guru) and one's parents; the first gurus to the child. Of course one's own personal guru is honored as well.

Our July series continues with 10 days of Lakshmi and Saraswati yagyas. Lakshmi is included to attract prosperity and happiness, and this month we add Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge because she makes a nice compliment to the focus on the Guru, the teacher.

All 10 days begin with two hours of vedic chanting from Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas. Then Ganesha puja is performed, followed by Navagraha puja for the 9 planets, the nakshatra of the day, and the deity of the day. The program continues with 5 recitations of Lakshmi Sahasranam (1008 mantras for Lakshmi) plus numerous recitations of Sri Suktam, the lengthy Rig Veda mantra for Lakshmi and Saraswati Suktam, the mantra for Saraswati. These yagyas are performed to attract both abundance and wisdom in all their different forms, both physical and spiritual.

After both of these segments of the yagya are completed, the mantras are again recited but this time accompanied with offerings of ghee into the yagya fire. This portion of the yagya sequence is called havan.

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