PUJAN VIDHI - LAXMI PUJA - SHODASHOPCHAR PUJA

 The Shodashopchar Puja is a traditional Hindu ritual that involves the offering of 16 services (upacharas) to the deity. Here is a step-by-step guide for performing the Shodashopchar Puja for Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. This puja is typically performed on festivals like Diwali to invoke their blessings for wealth, prosperity, and happiness.

Items Required:

Idol or image of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi

Kumkum, turmeric, sandalwood paste, and rice

Flowers (lotus, marigold)

Incense sticks, camphor, and diya (oil lamp)

Sweets, fruits, and dry fruits (prasad)

Panchamrit (mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar)

Kalash (water vessel) with coconut

Betel leaves, betel nuts, and coins

Cloth (for offering as vastra)

Preparation:

1. Clean the Puja area: Clean the house and the place of worship.

2. Set up the altar: Place the idols or images of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on a clean cloth on a raised platform. Keep the kalash filled with water and a coconut on top, decorated with mango leaves.

3. Light a lamp: Light a diya (lamp) and incense sticks to purify the environment.

Shodashopchar Puja Vidhi:

1. Dhyana (Meditation)

Sit in front of the deities and calm your mind. Meditate on Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, visualizing them with love and devotion.

Chant simple mantras like:

For Ganesha: "Om Gan Ganapataye Namah"

For Lakshmi: "Om Shreem Hreem Shreem Mahalakshmiyai Namah"

2. Aavahan (Invoking the Deities)

Invite Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi to reside in the idols by offering flowers and saying:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Aavahayami"

3. Asana (Offering a seat)

Offer them a seat by placing a flower or some rice in front of the idol and saying:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Asanam Samarpayami"

4. Paadya (Washing the feet)

Offer water at the feet of the deities by pouring it over a small plate and saying:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Paadyam Samarpayami"

5. Arghya (Offering holy water)

Offer water (from a small vessel or spoon) to the deities, signifying respect and honor:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Arghyam Samarpayami"

6. Achamana (Offering water for sipping)

Offer water for sipping (achamana) by symbolically placing water near the mouth of the idol and saying:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Achamanam Samarpayami"

7. Snana (Bathing the idols)

Bathe the deities with Panchamrit (a mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee, and sugar). Afterward, bathe them with clean water.

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Panchamrita Snanam Samarpayami"

8. Vastra (Offering clothes)

Offer new clothes to the deities. You can drape a small cloth around the idols if possible or symbolically offer it by placing it near the idol:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Vastra Samarpayami"

9. Yajnopavita (Offering sacred thread)

Offer a sacred thread (yajnopavita) by placing it on or near the deities:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Yajnopavitam Samarpayami"

10. Gandha (Offering sandalwood paste)

Apply sandalwood paste (chandan) to the idols' forehead and body:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Gandham Samarpayami"

11. Pushpa (Offering flowers)

Offer fresh flowers (preferably lotus or marigold) to both deities while chanting mantras:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Pushpam Samarpayami"

12. Dhoop (Offering incense)

Light incense sticks and offer them to the deities by waving the sticks in a clockwise motion:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Dhoopam Samarpayami"

13. Deepa (Offering a lamp)

Light a ghee lamp and offer it to the deities by waving it in a clockwise motion:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Deepam Samarpayami"

14. Naivedya (Offering food)

Offer sweets, fruits, and other food items (prasad) to the deities. You can also place betel leaves, nuts, and coins:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Naivedyam Samarpayami"

15. Tambula (Offering betel leaves and nuts)

Offer betel leaves, betel nuts, and a coin to the deities as part of the ritual:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Tambulam Samarpayami"

16. Aarti (Worship with a lamp)

Perform aarti by lighting camphor and singing the Laxmi and Ganesha Aarti, waving the light in front of the idols:

"Om Shri Lakshmi Ganeshay Namah, Aartikyay Samarpayami"

Conclusion:

After the puja, sprinkle some water around the idols as a gesture of purification.

Bow down before the deities and offer your prayers, seeking their blessings for wealth, prosperity, and peace.

Distribute the prasad (sweets and fruits) among family members and guests.

This Shodashopchar Puja brings devotion and completeness in worship by offering all 16 traditional services to the deities. It is a powerful way to invoke the divine grace of  both Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi.

EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA VISIT FOLLOWED BY MAURITUIS TRIP

 I visited South Africa 19 June 2024 for the first time to share Beautiful Knowledge Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar ji has imparted us . I knew something good will happen with this visit but still some flashes of self doubts kept coming . Ever since i have lived self doubts have kept coming . BUT something new was going to happen ...i started with teaching Free AOL program called the Breath-Water-Sound workshop in a church aided Drugs Rehabilitation center. This gave me an Idea everywhere people are same ,they also had their positive qualities  & negative qualities like fear, self doubts ..they also go through same emotions and as our programs do wonders and bring transformation same i experienced there as well. Just in 4 days people became more calm & peaceful & felt the energy which our breathing techniques & meditation gave has substituted the need for any other substance use. 

i taught many programs after that and ever program i taught i met new people and experience people are so lovable & genuine . Especially our AOL teachers , my Coordinator (NTC of SA) Neeraj really helped me fix up all programs.   

Program which really gave me a boost & filled my confidence has DSN in cape town organized by Mukesh & Gerlinda . Before the start i was filled with self Doubts ...so many ... I had to take full program in English for the first time, i am not good enough to teach DSN & Blah Blah ......

BUT as soon as i remembered a line from VTPs which i have taught many in India " DO EVERYTHING KNOWING YOU ARE NOT THE DOER" my self doubts started vanishing. EVERY TIME I USE TO SIT ON THE 'VYAS PEETH'(SOFA ON THE STAGE) I  USE TO SAY THIS THIS LINE SLOWLY IN MY MIND. 

Second day of the program i literally saw GURUDEV beside my bed in the early morning hours. THE PRESENSE WAS SO STRONG AND AS IF HE HAS COME TO SAY "I AM THERE" .

Result of DSN was phenomenal for me ...all self doubts were gone , i was a new Abhishek ... Confident ...a feeling which has never left me till now... all people were so happy ....no one left the program in between which often happen as people can't take it due to some very challenging mind bending processes.

Now i have this thing in me I CAN DO.

During my stay whenever i was having a situation where organizer was telling that we can't do a program or my days were about to go blank without any program.....i would gave them an alternative program and they use to agree and in no time it use to get organize with fairly good strength.   On my last destination Durban when organizers told my they can't do VTP , i just requested NTC & organizers for a zoom meeting with all the teachers of Durban and in that one meeting 8 programs got finalized in just 2 weeks . 4 Yoga events 3 days each , 2 Intuition Processes 2 days , 1 HP  & 1 Online Sahaj . Those 14 days i taught morning & evening all days and also got time for 4 Satsangs , 1 Intro talk , 1 university visit for YES+ Proposal to the dean, 1 YES+ training for local Teachers, 3 Radio Interviews & 1 follow up.

In all during my SA visit i taught 21 AOL programs in 10 weeks plus 23 non Course activities.

In between i was motivating people to visit Mauritius but i had no self plans to visit as my return tickets were booked. And you know sometimes we block ourself when we are so much planned . 

In DSN 3 people got ready for Mauritius ...2 of them also booked for the corporate event & when when similar thing happened in Durban and when one of the candidate in HP got ready for Mauritius immediately when i personally told him to go .... My mind also took a different approach .. " May be i can also go "

AND here i spoke to both my NTCs SA & INDIA ...both said you can go ...only challenge was since my return tickets can't be changed i have to go on my personal expenses & they can help with stay & other things. 

NOW the easy way for me was to go to INDIA on planned dates and no hassles of how i will go where i will get stay ,will i get seva , tickets for events , expenses etc. 

BUT I CHOOSED THE CHALLENGING WAY - to GO TO MAURITIUS & BE WITH GURUDEV's PRESENSE. 

I so many years of being with Gurudev & especially the SA experience had left me with no choice but to take the plunge .

Now i had handed over all the gift money in Rands(people were giving me envelopes and literally i was keeping envelops packed in my laptop bag thinking i will count afterwards) to our accountants & teachers Pat & Kassie in Durban. 

when i asked Pat how much my tickets to Mauritius & then to India costed to my surprise he said no need to add any extra money in the gifted money as it is exactly equal to the ticket cost!!

Can You believe this !! yes but i can .... when i stared my journey from India i had this intuition some Guru story  is going to happen but wait this is not only the Guru story ..there is one more ....

:) :)

So i reached Mauritius & NTC Connected me to AOL trustee Dr Vinod in  Mauritius ... there are 100+ teachers & thousands of devotees in Mauritius but Dr Vinod called only one teacher Cevina and asked that a teacher from SA is coming and you please make him stay at your home. Now Cevina is little Skeptical for a male teacher staying at their home where only 2 females she & her mom are staying(this is what she told me later) and thinks i don't know him and her mom who is also AOL teacher, already  doing seva to cook for swamiji how can she take this new responsibility . BUT then she finds me on facebook/whatsapp group and immediately recognizes my "this is Abhishek Bhaiya"   . I had assisted the very first International TTC she has done  in 2014 in Bangalore ashram for 15 days. Though we had never spoken after that and i do not remembered her doing that TTC .

Story abhi bakki hai ..... :):)

NOW stay is done what next Seva in the event ? 

but some how there is no seva to be done !!

here i must paise the event organizing skills of trustees & teachers of Mauritius.....

Here i got a chance to get a role in dance song which the Mauritius team preparing for Gurudev!!

NOW when Gurudev arrives the organizers make his stay in Presidential Suit in a Good Hotel. 

So on first day one SA Volunteer who is staying in the hotel takes me there and i come on the beach side from inside the hotel. Gurudev Comes on the balcony and asks me & few others where are we staying ..He mentions very politely that since this is a French property theses people will not like people who are not staying to come inside . I got my message so day 2 & 3 i did not visited Gurudev or tried to follow HIM . i was happy but still missing to be proximate with HIM. 

On day 4 after Devi Pooja Gurudev sees me in darshan line & asks " KYA HAAL HAI TUMHARE" ( HOW DO U FEEL?) i only said  .. i am good & my SA trip was very good. He nods and goes away. 

Now before the pooja i had message Swamiji that i want 3 of the DSN people to have close darshans of GURUDEV and Swamiji had replied only me to come in the hotel after Devi Pooja. First i thought how these 3 people will have darshans ..but in line darshan Gurudev went to everyone and gave nice time to each one.  

So now i went to Hotel and there i had most memorable time with Gurudev.........beyond that i can't express , He is embodiment of love & takes care of every single person and i feel when we are out there with Clarity in mind , Purity in Heart and Intensity in Action things just fall into place . He asked about my SA trip and while telling it my mind went blank ..i always wanted to tell him about support i got from all NTCs India & SA but i know he already he knew this ... 

i express my gratitude to Purnima ji , Neelu ji , Neeraj ji and all the teachers of SA & Mauritius because of whom my this trip was possible and also my Mom & my wife Meghana as they also spent almost 3 months without me and managed everything well & especially Meghana supported & encouraged me to go to Mauritius ..which gave me most fulfilling time . Here i remember Dr Anita & Dr Jay Khooshal our AMP teachers who really help me become more caring Human Being there genuine helping nature taught me a lot of things. They also taught me Swimming on the Last day of my stay abroad . when a new swimmer generally learns it in a stable calm water....I can proudly say I LEARNT TO SWIM IN OCEAN.  THIS IS ALL GURUGRACE. I came back on 9th September.

  

MANTRA TO PURIFY

If you feel emotionally & mentally disturbed due to any adultration in food consumed by you...

Aapah punantu pruthiveem pruthivee poota punaatu maam, punantu brahmanspathihi brhama poota punaatu maam, yad-uchishtam-abhojyam yadvaa dushcharitam mama, sarvam punantu maam – appo (a) sataam cha pratigraha-gg-svaaha.

 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAQ1JO7SGS0/?igsh=aHpodDNhbmd3OW5h

How intelligent people spend their time

Here's a Sanskrit shloka that reflects how intelligent people spend their time: "विद्यार्थिन: प्रियं तस्य प्रियतरं ज्ञानचिन्तनं। स्वजनानां च संगतिरतिप्रिया विद्याविनोदिनी॥" Translation: "Vidyarthinah priyam tasya priyataram jnanachintanam Svajananaam cha sangati ratipriya vidyavinodini" Meaning: "For the student, the most beloved is contemplation of knowledge, More beloved than that is association with wise people." ************* Here's a shloka that reflects the idea of intelligent people spending their time in coordination, cooperation, humor, music, and dance: "सहकारं सहयोगं विवेकं हास्यमेव च। संगीतं नृत्यं चेति विदुषां प्रियमेव तत्॥" Translation: "Sahakaram sahayogam vivekam hasyameva cha Sangitam nrityam cheti vidusham priyameva tat" Meaning: "For the wise, cooperation, coordination, discernment, Humor, music, and dance are most beloved." ******** काव्य शास्त्र विनोदेन, कालो गच्छति धीमताम्। व्यसनेन च मूर्खाणां, निद्रयाकलहेन वा। । अर्थात् बुद्‌धिमान लोग अपना समय काव्य-शास्त्र अर्थात् पठन-पाठन में व्यतीत करते हैं वहीं मूर्ख लोगों का समय व्यसन, निद्रा अथवा कलह में बीतता है।

‘किं कुर्वन्ति सर्वग्रह यस्य केंद्रे बृहस्पति’

‘किं कुर्वन्ति सर्वग्रह यस्य केंद्रे बृहस्पति’ सारे ग्रह मिलकर भी उन्हें कोई भी नुकसान नहीं पहुंचा सकते, जिनके दिल मे/केंद्र में गुरु होते हैं

गुरु ग्रह गए पढ़न रघुराई

गुरु ग्रह गए पढ़न रघुराई, अल्प काल विद्या सब आई' इस चौपाई का मतलब है कि जो व्यक्ति सच्चे मन से अपने गुरु (Teacher) की शरण में जाता है, वो अल्प काल में ही सभी तरह की विद्या को प्राप्त करता है. इस चौपाई में गुरु की महिमा का वर्णन किया गया है.

Trotakacharya Ashthakam

 तोटकाचार्य  द्वारा

*त्रोटकाष्टक*

अनुवादित रमेश कृष्णमूर्ति द्वारा

तोटकाचार्य (तोतकाचार्य) आदि शंकराचार्य के चार निकटतम शिष्यों में से एक थे , और पारंपरिक रूप से उन्हें आदि शंकराचार्य द्वारा स्थापित उत्तरी आम्नाय पीठ (आधुनिक उत्तराखंड राज्य में ज्योतिर्मठ) का पहला प्रमुख माना जाता है ।

ऐसा कहा जाता है कि उन्होंने इस अष्टक की रचना अपने गुरु की प्रशंसा में की थी ।

विदितखिलशास्त्रसुधाजलाधे महितोपनिषत् कथितार्थनिधे 

 हृदये कलये विमलं चरण अ म् भव   शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [1]

सभी शास्त्रों के अमृत-सागर के ज्ञाता , उपनिषद खजाने के शिक्षक, मैं आपके कमल चरणों में अपने दिल में ध्यान करता हूं; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें

करुणावरुणालय पलाय माम् भवसागरदुःखविडुनहृदं 

 रचयखिलदर्शनतत्त्वविदं भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [2] 

हे सामुद्रिक करुणा के धाम, मेरा हृदय भवसागर (जन्मों के सागर, यानी संसार) की पीड़ा से पीड़ित है , मुझे सभी दर्शनों की सच्चाई का ज्ञाता बनाओ ; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें

भवता जानता सुहिता भविता निजबोधिचरण चारुमते

 कलयेश्वरजीवविवेकविदं भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [3]

लोगों को आपके माध्यम से खुशी मिलती है, जिनके पास स्वयं की प्रकृति की जांच करने के लिए उत्कृष्ट बुद्धि है, मुझे ईश्वर और जीव का ज्ञान सिखाएं; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें

भव एव भवनीति मे निताराम समाजायता चेतसि कौतुकिता

 मम वारय मोहमहाजलाधिम भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [4]

आप स्वयं शिव हैं , यह जानकर मैं आनंद से भर गया हूँ। मोह-माया के विशाल सागर से मेरी रक्षा करो; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें

सुकृते 'धिकृते बहुधा भवतो भविता समदर्शनलालसता'

 अतिदीनिमम परिपालय मम भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम [5]

जब पुण्य कर्म प्रचुर मात्रा में किए जाते हैं, तभी समदर्शन (समानता का दर्शन, यानी अद्वैत का ज्ञान) की इच्छा पैदा होती है। मुझ अत्यंत असहाय की रक्षा करो; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें।

जगतिमवितुम कलितकृतयो विकारन्ति महामहशश्चलतः

 अहिमांशुरिवात्र विभासि गुरो भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [6]

संसार की रक्षा के लिए महापुरुष अनेक वेश धारण करके घूमते रहते हैं। उनमें तू सूर्य के समान चमकता है; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें।

गुरुपुंगव पुंगवकेतन ते समतामयतां नहिं को 'पि सुधीः'

 शरणगतवत्सल तत्त्वनिधे भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [7]

हे गुरुओं में श्रेष्ठ, बैल को अपने प्रतीक के रूप में धारण करने वाले भगवान, जो शरण चाहने वालों को प्रेम से स्वीकार करते हैं, जो सत्य के सागर हैं; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें।

विदिता न माया विषादैकला न च किंचन कांचनमस्ति गुरो

 द्रुतमेव विदेहि कृपाम् सहजम् भव शंकर देशिका मे शरणम् [8]

मैं ज्ञान की किसी भी शाखा को स्पष्ट रूप से नहीं समझता, न ही मेरे पास कोई संपत्ति है। मुझे वह अनुग्रह प्रदान करें जो आपके लिए स्वाभाविक है; हे गुरु शंकर, आप मेरी शरण बनें।

इस लेख में योगदानकर्ता

रमेश कृष्णमूर्ति