Puja (Hinduism)
Traditional Puja (Sanskrit: पूजा, romanized: pūjā) is a worship ritual performed by Hindus to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities, to host and honour a guest, or to spiritually celebrate an event.
[3] Puja (পুজো / পুজা in bangla), the loving offering of light, flowers, and water or food to the divine, is the essential ritual of Hinduism.
[7][8] All significant Indian holidays, including Rakhi, Diwali, Holi, Karva Chauth, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami, and Navaratri, have rituals known as puja.
For example, a chirathu (also known as a diya), clarified butter wicks, bells, flowers, incense sticks, cones, roli or kumkum (a red powder with turmeric mixed in applied to the forehead), rice, tilakam, chandanam (sandal sticks), idols, and samagri havanam are some common items utilized in puja.
The Rigveda in hymn 8.17 uses the word "Sachipujanayam" (शाचिपूजनायं) in the twelfth verse, where it is an epithet for god Indra in a context of vocative singular "praise".
The ancient scholar and Vedic text commentator Sāyana explains the term as a form of "praise, worship, invocation".
Its root are probably Dravidian in origin, but the evidence for this alternative hypothesis is also largely missing possibly because devotional worship is not as ancient as Hinduism.
These sutras, dated to be about 500 BC, use the term puja to describe the hospitality to honour priests who were invited to one's home to lead rituals for departed ancestors.
[18] The Puranic corpus of literature, dating from about 6th century CE, contain extensive outline on how to perform deity puja (deva pūjā).
Copper-plate charters recording grants of lands to temples show that this religious practice was actively encouraged from the mid-4th century.
An example petition prayer made during a Vedic puja, according to Wade Wheelock,[23] is: Indra-Agni, slayers of Vrtra with the beautiful thunderbolt, prosper us with new gifts; O Indra, bring treasures with your right hand; O Agni grant the enjoyments of a good household; Give [us] vigour, wealth in cattle, and possession of good horses.
Nevertheless, even with this evolved theoretical spiritual significance, many people use puja as vehicle to petition desires and appeals, such as for good health of one's child, speedy recovery from illness, success in venture envisioned or such.
Puja in Hinduism, writes Zimmer, is a path and process of transformation of consciousness, where the devotee and the spiritual significance of the deity are brought together.
This ritual puja process, in different parts of India, is considered to be liberating, releasing, purifying and a form of Yoga of spirit and emotions.
For some the divine is everywhere, without limit to its form, and a puja to these manifestations signifies the same spiritual meaning to those who choose to offer a prayer to persons, places, rivers, concrete objects or anything else.
During this time, elaborate rituals are performed both in homes and public spaces, including the construction of temporary structures called pandals.
It culminates with the immersion of clay sculptures of the goddess into rivers or water bodies, symbolizing her return to the divine cosmos.
During this festival, devotees honor Govardhan Hill and express gratitude to Lord Krishna by preparing and offering a diverse array of vegetarian foods.
To mark this occasion, devotees present a symbolic "mountain of food" representing Govardhan Hill as an offering to God, reaffirming their faith and devotion.
The following is an example puja; these steps may vary according to region, tradition, setting, or time particularly in ways the deity is hosted.
The devotee proceeds to connect with the spiritual manifestation by meditating (a form of darshan), or chanting hymns and mantras, then personal prayers follow.
In his chapter entitled Devatādikaraṇa (9: 1: 5: 6–9), Śabara examined the popular understanding of the gods and attempted to refute the belief that they have material bodies, are able to eat the offerings made to them, and are capable of being pleased and so able to reward worshippers.
[46] Basing himself on the Vedas (he refused to accept the Mahābhārata, Purāṇa texts or even the Smṛti literatures as valid sources of authority), Śabara concluded that the gods are neither corporeal nor sentient and thus unable to enjoy offerings or own property.
This incidental remark provided sound historical proof that pūjā was built on analogy with atithi, the ancient Vedic tradition of welcoming guests.
[48] While the Mīmāṃsakas continued to maintain this interpretation for centuries, their defeat in debate at the hands of Śaṅkarācārya led to theirs being a minority view.
