Category:Shodashopachara Puja in Sanskrit

Shodashopachara-pooja means the Upachar/service Shodasa/sixteen-steps in the performance of PUJA, on special occasions.

Gange cha Yamune chaiva Godavari Saraswati, Narmade Sindhu Kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru;

Begin with: Dhyanam

Shukla-Ambara-Dharam Vissnnum Shashi-Varnnam Catur-Bhujam |

Prasanna-Vadanam Dhyaayet Sarva-Vighno [a-U] pashaantaye ||

OM Ekadantaya Vidmahe Vakkratundaya Dheemahi, Tanno Danti Prachodayat

The sixteen steps in servicing are listed below:

1. Avahanam- extend invitation,

2. Asanam- offer seat and ensure God is seated,

3. Paadyam- washing God’s feet,

4. Argyam- offering water,

5. Achamanam- self purification to attend God

6. Snanan- offering bath to God,

7. Yagnopavitham- offering the sacred thread,

8. Vastram- offering clothing,

9. Gandham- offering sandalwood paste,

10. Pushpam- offering flowers,

11. Dhoopam- offering insence as agar-bathis/doopam

12. Deepam- traditional oil lamp: bearing: ⊙-1-5-3 symbols,

13. Naivedyam- offering food,

14. Tamboolam- offering pan, supari with edible-camphor,

15. Neeranjanam- Mangala-harati, in clock-wise move and Namaskaram, ‘

16. Visarjanam- Respectfully bidding farewell by immersion in water bodies;

Respectful discarding as seen in Ganapathi and Durga festivals. This means the idol served a limited purpose to begin with. Later on for various temples came up. Idols incorporated with principles of Iconography: ⊙-1-5-3 God have come to be preserved. All these 16 steps are symbolic forms of expressing formal reverence to the highest universal embodimrnt of power

In addition to Shodashopachara “Rajopachara” includes holding Umbrella for the Lord, waving hand fan to provide Lord a gentle breeze, singing a song to please him, dancing before him to give him entertainment, showing mirror to him, providing horse and elephant ride etc;.

*for Kasi-Visvanatha: akshata, Akshatal’ grains of rice, Vibhooti, darba, Bel-patra, datura;

Vishnu/avataras: flowers, tulasi leaves; Grains of unbroken raw rice mixed with ghee and turmerick powder;

As if to overcome any short coming or wrong understanding Hindus have devised the offering of five elements to God in the Panchopachara-Puja-mantra: (Vam refers to water offered for cleansing and the food offered as naivedyam). Offerings to God and distribution of Prasada symbolizes part-taking the ritual food with God. Seed letters represent/symbolize the elements implied along with numerical symbolism: O-1-5-3 as follows:

1. Lam Prithivi tatvatmikayai urdvapundram dharayami

2. Vam amrita tatvatmikayai argyam agrarpayami/naivedyam samrpayami

3. Ram agni tatvatmika yai deepam darsayami

4. Yam Vayu tatvtamika yai dhupam agrapayami

5. Ham akasa tatvatmikayai pushpam dharayami Antahkarana-chatushya, soft-ware, Aham/self, chitta/conscience, buddhi/intelligence, manas/mind;

Biologically, one apparent seed contains within both the male and female aspects in zygote:

They are not lost, but their identity is merged to emerge as Bija-a third force. This is the case with Bija-akshara mantra (Vam, Ham, Ram, Yam, Aum-Om etc). There is a saying that where science ends Philosophy begins and where Philosophy ends, Religion begins and Religion is based on faith.