Message of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in Bhakti TV Program telecast on April 24, 2020 – Mysore
Compiled by: Jaya Akkanapragada
Śrī Mahāgańapatayé namaha
Śrī Sarasvatyé namaha
Śrī pādavallabha nrsimha Sarasvati
Śri Guru Dattātréyāya namaha
In all temples, every day śodaśōpacāra puja is done every day with 16 offerings made to the deity. If this is not possible, then at least pancōpacāra puja with 5 offerings must be performed. The consecrated deity must be taken care of in the same way a mother takes care of a newborn baby. We must believe that all the offerings are being accepted by the deity, and take care of Paramātma like a small baby.
Šrī Vaiśnava granthās say that performing puja to a deity thinking it is only a stone which has been sculpted by a sculptor and is now bound within the temple is a great sin. Paramātma is all pervading. He is not bound inside the temple. We are bound by our karmās. Paramātma is present everywhere in myriad forms.
In puja everything is important, but snāna – bathing is given prime importance. Amongst all the puja rituals, it is snāna which takes the most time.
In Tirumala, abhiśékam is performed for the main deity only once a week. There are 2 types of snāna – śuddhōdhaka and pancāmruta snāna – according to the āgama śāstrās. In some pujas, it is not possible to perform abhiśékam to the deity. In this case either a flower or tulasi is dipped in the pancāmruta or in pure clean water and sprinkled on the deity.
For example, if the mūrti is made of marble, we cannot perform elaborate snāna to that idol. Instead the abhiśeka will be performed for the utsava mūrti – mūrti used for special occasions and festivals representing the main deity.
Similarly, if a mūrti is made from precious stones, pancāmruta snāna cannot be performed because the ingredients would mix with the precious stone and cause a chemical reaction. Since Paramātma is present in such a mūrti, prōkšańa – water is sprinkled on the deity imagining that pancāmruta snāna has been performed. akshatās – rice grains mixed with turmeric are also offered.
If only slokas are chanted, it is known as ārti. For it to be considered a puja, abhiśeka must be performed. Snāna comes from the root word śna which is present in śaucam (clean, pure.)
āpōjitét āntram hudāram vastu pārtivam
āgneyam bhasmanāhassnānam vāyuvyayam gōrajahaspatam
yattusāpatu varśéńa snānam taddivyam ucyaté
vāruńam cāvagāhyānca mānasam viśńu cintanam
māntram, varuńam, āgnéyam, vāyavyayam, divyamu, mānasamu and vāruńam are the 7 different snānās as mentioned in the above sloka.
Māntram – Snāna which starts with the sloka āpōhištā gangā gangéti yō bhrūyāt yōjanānām śatairapi mucyate sarva pāpébhyaha viśńu lōkam sa gacchati
Bhouma – smearing the body with earth or mud
Āgnéyam – is applying bhasma or sacred ash
Vāyavya – bathing with dust arising when a cow walks
Divya – bathing in sun’s rays while it is raining
Vāruńa – bathing in the river
Mānasam – contemplating on God
Depending on one’s capacity, one can do snānam in one of these ways. Of all these, vāruńa – bathing in a river is very beneficial, and mānasam or Bhagavat cintana is the greatest snāna. This is about the various snānās for people which cleanse the body. When we view the snāna performed for Swami, it brings happiness to the eyes and makes the heart pure.
naimalyam vārasśuddhiśca vidāra snānam na jāyatéhé
tasmān manō viśśuddhyartham snānamādhau vidhīyaté
The smruti granthās say that if we have to cleanse our mind, we must bathe. When we take a bath our mind may or may not get completely cleansed. But when we watch abhiśékam being performed to the deity with śraddha and bhakti, the mind will definitely be cleansed. This is why we should witness abhiśéka. Sins will be washed away and the mind will be cleansed.
It would be ideal to perform abhiśeka with river water. If this is not available, we must invoke the water from all the 7 rivers in the water available, and perform abhiśeka. This is why it is always good to keep water from the Ganga river at home so you can use a little bit everynday and mix it with regular water and offer to Swami.
Once Swamiji wished to bathe in all the 7 seas – sapta samudra snāna. Some people made fun, but the arrangements were made. Each sea has certain beneficial aspects, so bathing in the 7 seas is highly recommended. Another time, I went to bathe in all the waterfalls. This is because the water flows through the forests and brings a lot of mūlikās with it. Such water has many health benefits. I also bathed in all the rivers. The waters from all the seas, rivers and waterfalls was collected. I think it is even placed in the museum. We also have a tradition of taking a small amount of this water and offering it to Paramātma.
When we do not have water from any river, we must pray and say “this is Ganga, Yamuna, Krishna, Gōdāvari” and offering a prayer, we must perform abhiśekam to Swami.
The difference between snānam and abhiśekam is snānam is when we bathe. Abhiśekam is when we bathe Paramātma.
By performing abhiśeka, we develop a snéhā bhāvana – feeling that “Swami is my friend.” Swami also develops the same feeling towards us. We develop a certain love towards the mūrti when we offer abhiśekam. When we witness abhiśeka being performed, we feel ānanda – happiness.
After suddhōdhaka abhiśeka, pancāmruta abhiśeka is performed with milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar. These 5 are known as pancāmruta snce each of them is equal to nectar – amrutam.
Milk is white and signifies gñāna or knowledge. The first element which arose from Paramātma is ākāśa. Therefore milk is indicative of ākāśa element.
Like ākāśa (space), vāyu (air) also cannot be seen by the eye. Without milk there is no curd, and curd can be made only from milk. Curd like milk is white but it does not change its form. Therefore curd is indicative of vāyu element.
From vāyu, agni arises just the way we need curd to make ghee. A fire cannot burn without air, and since ghee is needed to keep the fire burning, ghee is indicative of the agni element.
When water from many rivers is mixed, you cannot differentiate which drop came from which river. The water from all rivers flow into the sea and the taste of sea water is uniformly salty. We cannot determine which river the water came from. In the same way, bees collect nectar from many different flowers to make honey. We cannot determine which flower a drop of honey came from. While collecting honey, we must never hurt or kill bees. Only after they consume as much honey as they want and leave the beehive should we collect the remaining honey. Nowadays many people are cultivating bee farms. They leave some honey for the bees and take the rest. This is also a good practice. Because of these similarities, honey here is indicative of jala (water) element.
Sugar is representative of the various beings belonging to various species present on earth (bhūmi.) One crystal of sugar cannot change the taste or make any difference. It is only when many crystals of sugar present in a spoonful come together does it make a difference. In the same way, when all the people in the world come together and collectively work together while also protecting the other beings will that society flourish. Just the way sugar is made up of millions of atoms – ańu, the earth is also made up of millions of different beings. Therefore sugar here is indicative of bhūmi element.
In this way we think of these 5 ingredients – panca dravyās as indicative of the pancatattvās, and offer the pancabhūtās to Swami. He will be pleased and protect us.
There are slokas to be chanted while performing abhiśeka with each of these dravyās. If we understand the meaning of each sloka, we will understand the pancatattva. Listen to the mantras being chanted when pancāmruta abhiśeka is performed and try to understand the meanings. When we witness pancāmruta abhiśeka, our body becomes strong and healthy.
Some people think that by performing pancāmruta abhiśeka, all these ingredients are being wasted. It is very wrong to think like this. In temples, the ingredients used for abhiśeka are carefully collected and prasāda is prepared from them and sitributed to devotees and poor people. Otherwise they ensure these ingredients go back into the earth.
The ingredients from abhiśeka do not end up in drain canals where dirty water flows. It is a great sin to let what has been offered to Swami to mix with dirty water and be wasted. It is only when the offering is put to good use that the abhiśeka will bear any results. Gõmāta (cow) struggled so much to give us this milk. By putting these ingredients to good use, we honor and respect Gōmāta. We must never waste the milk otherwise we will be cursed by her. Remember this very well. Honeybees also work so hard to make honey. The honey from abhiśeka should be carefully collected and used as this honey has the power to cure many diseases and bestows good health.
Just because we have money, we should not buy litres and litres of milk and honey and offer. This is just as wrong as pouring it all in the drain.
the quantity of ingredients to be used in the abhiśeka should be decided based on the size of the mūrti, to ensure the mūrti is bathed, and also to ensure enough prasādam can be prepared for all the people present there that day.
Śivōttamāngé Guru téja vidvān
pancāmruta snānam atīva bhaktyā
Śivapramāpnōti sadātma niśtaha
tat śabda vācyō muni bhikša sévyaté
The learned one (vidvān) who performs pancāmruta abhiśeka to the top of Śiva’s head will develop concentration and focus (ātma ništha) on what he needs to get done and what he is doing. He will achieve oneness (aikyam) with Paramātma and the sages (munīs) will worship him.
ayutam yō gavām dadhyāt
dōgdhrinām véda pāraké
vastra hemādi yuktānām
kšīrassnānasya tat phalam
By performing abhiśeka to Śiva or Viśnu with curd, one will be blessed with a place in Brahmalōka – the abode of Brahma, and blessed with longevity.
daghnātu snapayé lingam
sakrud bhaktyāhi yō naraha
pāpa kancuka mussrujyā
brahma lōké mahīyaté
kalpakōti sahasrāna
yat pāpam sampārjitam
yatassnānāntu tat sarvam
dahatyagra nivéndanam
By performing snāna with ghee, even the sins committed in thousands of crores of kalpās (a measure of time) are burnt away just as the way fire burns and reduces everything to ash. One is also blessed with progeny.
madhunāssnapayitvātu
sahrudbhaktyā bhavén naraha
sarva pāpa viśuddhātma
viśńulōké mahīyaté
With bhakti, if abhiśeka is performed even once with honey, all the sins of that person will be washed away, and that person will gain Viśnulōka – the abode of Viśńu.
abhiśekam śakkarādihi
yō lingé sakrudācarét
labhét vaidyādharam lékam
sarva kāma prapūrakam
By performing abhiśeka with sugar or sugarcane juice, the wish fulfilling vidyādhara lōka will be gained.
payōdadhi hrutōpétam
śakkarāmatu samyutam
pancāmruta snānam idam
grahāńa kamalālayé
There is also a tradition of performing abhiśeka to Mother Goddess during Varalakshmī vrata.
May everyone know these tattvās and never be conned by the words of agnostics. May you all perform puja as prescribed in the āgama scriptures and be ever content. May you experience ātma ānanda. May the Grace of Paraméśvara who is the embodiment of the pancabhūta always be upon you.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta