Be our protection….
June 30, 2008
“He is the great showerer of prosperity side by side functioning with others who also shower wealth. The sovereign lord of earth and heaven, the sender of water and helper in all conflicts. May this resplendent Lord, the source of all, be our protection.”
– Rig Veda
Navagraha Puja
June 30, 2008
What you see in the image above is a puja table for a Navagraha (nine planet) yagya. Each of the planets has a special place in the mandala, as well as a specific grain and shape.
In the center is the Surya, the Sun represented by wheat and to the right of the Sun is Jupiter represented by chick peas. To the left of the Sun is a reddish lentil which represents Mars.
In the front row we have, from left to right, Moon represented by rice, Venus in the center represented by a white bean, and on the right mung beans for Mercury.
The row in the back has, from left to right, black beans for Rahu, very dark lentils for Saturn and a multicolored grain for Ketu.
Of course everything is framed by the beautiful and astonishingly fragrant jasmine malas that are prevalent in south india. And all the way in the back is the kalasha pot which contains the purified water and into which the deities are invoked.
And of course after the yagya, there are flowers everywhere and the priests performs the final offering of light (aarti).
The rising Sun…
June 29, 2008
“May we continue to be in the grace of the leader of all who is the august sovereign of all beings. Since the very inception, He is taking care of the entire universe. The Leader of All accompanies the rising Sun.”
– Rig Veda
Our entire devotion….
June 28, 2008
“May we dedicate our entire devotion to the all knowing Divine One. May he deprive them of wealth who are hostile towards us. May the Lord carry us through all troubles as a boat carries men across the river against even the strongest current.”
– Rig Veda
The fire divine…
June 27, 2008
“O adorable One, the fire divine, we the learneds are your devotees and in fact, have become yours. May your light dispel all our sins.
The ever conquering beams of splendor of the fire-divine, are spreading in all directions. May your light dispel all our sins.
You with your face turned in all directions, are found from all sides. May your light dispel all our sins.
O adorable One, with your face turned in all directions, may you take us across, as on a boat, beyond the reach of our adversaries. May your light dispel all our sins.”
– Rig Veda
We worship you…
June 26, 2008
“We worship you for good fields, for secure paths, and for riches. May your light dispel our sins.”
– Rig Veda
Fed with our fuel…
June 25, 2008
“Fed with our fuel, O purifying fire, blaze for the sake of food. May the loving, venerable, indivisible, all powerful divine, and the natural forces of the oceans, earth, and heavens grant us our prayers.”
– Rig Veda
O divine speech…
June 24, 2008
“O divine speech, you inspire those who delight in truth. You instruct those who are diligent. Please assist us in our efforts to perform our yagyas!”
–Rig Veda
To that devotee…
June 23, 2008
“To the devotee, who presents offerings, these protecting and immortal heros, gratified by dedication give abundant riches. On him, like loving friends, the divine heros bestow happiness.”
-Rig Veda
What is your Gotra?
June 23, 2008
When a person attends a puja or yagya there is a point at which the sponsors of the event are recognized and their names are read. This is called sankalpam, or the statement of purpose. In this, a person is known by their name, their gotra, and their nakshatra (vedic constellation).
For westerners we can state our name and nakshatra but knowing what to say for the gotra has always been a problem. Traditionally every family traces their lineage back to one of the original rishis of the Vedas. But westerners obviously can not do this.
I recently met a North Indian priest and when he ask me my gotra, I I just shrugged and he said that a westerner should always use “Kashyapa” as a gotra. From the perspective of the vedic tradition, Kashyapa was the father of the devas and asuras and and all of humanity. He is married to Aditi with whom he is the father of Agni. He is also the father of Surya, the sun.
So from that perspective, we are all descendants of Kashyapa rishi.