SIMPLE SHALAGRAM PUJA

Sri Shalagram Shila Darshan Murti

Vande-gurun-isha-bhaktan!!!

Simple Sri Shalagram Shila Puja
by
Richard Shaw Brown
©2005 All Rights Reserved

Articles required: Picture or Murti of Lord Ganesh Sri Shalagram Shila (Gandaki Vajra-kita) Tulasi leaves (patra) ready washed Scented flowers (pushpa) Water (toya) in a pot (lota) Fruit (phala) cut-ready to offer Throne (singhasan) & stand/table Mat (asan) Incense (dhup) & Holder Hand Fan (panka) Sandal Wood Oil (chandan) Ganges Water (ganga pani) Lighter (fire) Small Plate & Glass with fruit & water (stainless steel) White Turbinella bathing conch & stand Small cup for bathing Shalagram Pancha Patra cup & spoon Small hand bell (ganti) Thali (big tray)

1. Prepare all articles on large thali (tray). Place Thali in front between you and altar. Place articles on thali before you in this order: Center is bathing dish, lower left is hand bell, upper left is scented sandal wood oil, upper right is bathing conch on stand bottom-up, lower right is pancha-patra and spoon. Left side of thali is lota (pot) with clean water and bowl of flower petals; and on right side of the thali is a stand with a cloth towel, incense (3 sticks), a hand fan, and a lighter.

2. After bowing, take Asan, say "Idam asanam" and place the asan on the floor before the puja table saying mantra "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya".

3. Be seated (face East – sunrise)

4. Fold hands, close eyes and recite: "Om apavitra-pavitro-va sarva-vastam gato api va yah smaret pundarikaksham sah bhayabhyantara suchih."

5. Pancha Patra water from previous day should be washed off and ready with new Ganga jala inside, by putting one drop of Ganga jala into the empty pancha patra cup and pouring to full with normal clean drinking water from the pot (lota). This makes all water in the cup as Ganga-jala.

6. Achmaniyam: Take a spoon of water with the left hand and forming the turned up right hand into mudra with thumb touching middle joint of middle finger, pour water into right palm… holding water say, "Om Vishnuh" 3 times, then sip the water from the base of the palm of the hand. Taking another spoon of water with the left hand rinse off the "juta" right hand (toss old water on the floor next to you). Repeat two more times.

7. Fold hands and say, "Om tad vishnoh paramam padam sada paishyanti surayah daviva-chaksur-atatam"

8. Take a flower (petal), offer to picture of Lord Ganesh, and say, "Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah" 3 times.

9. Fold hands, pray to Lord Ganesha, "Om vakra-tunda maha-kaya-suryakotir sama-prabha nir-vignan kuru may deva sarva karyeshu sarvada;" continue with the following prayer to Goddess Lakshmi: Namaste’astu maha-maye sripate sura-pujite shanka-chakra-gada haste Maha Lakshmi namo’ astu’te!!!

10. Pray to Lord Shalagram (Who is still sitting from previous days puja) with folded hands say, "Smrite shakala kalyana bhajanam yatra jayate purusham antam ajam nityam brajami sharanam harim!!!"

11. Take flower and use petals to make sitting place for Shalagram in bathing cup.

12. Put flower petal and a Tulasi leaf in Conch shell and pour in pancha-patra water to fill the conch (sitting in it’s stand).

13. Invoke the Lord. With folded hands call Lord Narayana by saying, "Om apani-pado javano-grahita paishyati-achakshu sah srinoty akarna sah veti vedyam naa cha tasyasti veta tamahur-agram purusham mahantam."

14. Using right hand, take the Shila Murti off the throne and place on top of flower petal in bathing cup.

15. Then clear off old flower from throne. Rinse hand again. Replace new flower petals on throne for sitting. Rinse right hand with Panca patra as described before using left hand to control the spoon, wash off right hand after each offering.

16. Bath: Using right hand, take a spoon of water and pour a little onto the conch. Replace spoon in pancha patra cup. Say "IDAM SNANIYAM" and take the conch shell with right hand and pour the water slowly on the Shila, while saying, "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" 3 times, replace shell on stand. Rinse hand again.

17. Take Sandal Wood oil, open bottle, pour tiny amount on right hand finger tips. Carefully pick up Shalagram and using the fingers of only your right hand carefully roll the shila around and massage the scented oil onto the Shila. (During oil massaging hold the shila over your dhoti in case He slips).

18. Touch the Shila to your forehead and place Him back on throne on fresh flower petals while chanting Maha-mantra.

19. Wipe oil off your right hand onto your head, rinse and wipe your hand dry on your dhoti.

20. Take moist Tulasi leaf and offering top down stick the leaf onto the oily Shila Murti, saying, "IDAM TULASI PATRAM" and "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" (one time)

21. Rinse off right hand again.

22. Take flower (petals) and offer to Lord Hari by saying, "IDAM PUSHPAM" and "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" while waving the flowers in a clock-wise circle before the Shila Murti three times. Place flowers in front off Shila.

23. Rinse off right hand again.

24. Light incense. Say "ESHA DHUPAH" and "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" while waving the lit incense in a clock-wise circle before the Shila Murti three times. Place incense in holder in front off Shila.

25. Rinse off right hand again.

26. Take fan, say, "IDAM PANKAM" and "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" three times while fanning the Shila Murti. Place fan back in its place.

27. Rinse off right hand again.

28. Using right hand take a spoon of water and pour a little onto the table and say "IDAM ASANAM" "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" to create a sitting place for Lord Hari to eat.

29. Place fruit plate and water glass on the table. Using right hand, take a spoon of water and pour a little onto the fruit and water glass, and say, "IDAM PANIYAM IDAM NIVEDYAM" "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya".

30. Sit quietly with eyes closed and chant Gayatri Mantras and or Maha Mantra while thinking the Lord is taking the fruit and water.

31. Using right hand, take a spoon of water and pour into the bathing cup saying, "IDAM ACHAMANIYAM" "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya". So the Lord can rinse His Mouth.

32. Bow down and say prayers. In the case of a Gaudiya Vaishnava, such prayers as, "Vande gurun isha bhaktan isham isha-avatarakan tat prakashams-cha tat shakti krishna chaitanya sangakam", - chant Pancha-tattva and Maha Mantra.

33. During prayers one should think and speak to Krishna, and tell Him how you feel unworthy to perform His puja, and still He has blessed you, and even you are sorry for having so many personal motives still you know that if one has NO motives (desires) or has ALL desires, or even if one has desire for liberation, in all cases one should worship Lord Hari for that attainment. So you are not wrong in asking the Lord for anything, because if you will ask or not, still, He is the One to ask. For this meditation you can chant: "Om akama-sarva-kamo-va moksha-kama-udaradi tivrena bhakti-yogena yajesha purusham param."

34. Next recite: "Om brahma-murari-tripurantakari bhanu, shasi, boomi-suto buddhas-ca gurus-ca-shukra, shani-rahu-ketavah sarve graha shanti kara bhavantu!"

35. Prayers, Kirtana and OR read minimum ONE Sloka from Shastra.

36. Place all used items on big puja thali and go rinse off the items in kitchen. Pour charanamrita (bath water) in a special cup to keep out side the temple room.

37. Wipe throne area with water drops from Pancha Patra and towel, and return items.

38. Drink Charanamritam.

39. OM TAT SAT!!!

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