Lord Shiva WORSHIP (PŪJĀ)

Adapted from traditional sources by Sreedevi K Bringi . www.Shakti-Institute.com Instructions are in blue font.

Chant 3 times with deep breathing: Om Om Om.

1.Self-Purification (ātma-shuddhi ) with water While sipping water from right palm for each mantra:

Om achutāya namaḥ

Om anantāya namaḥ

Om govindāya namaḥ I honor the Immovable Divine, the Infinite Divine and the Lord of the Senses

2. PRĀNĀYĀMA : (Purification of pranic field and breath ) Do 3 or 7 rounds of alternate nostril breathing: (nāḍi-shodhana) Om nāḍi -shodhanam samarpayāmi I complete the offering of breath purification

3. Purification of Energy Field for worship: visualize the area of worship to be filled with blazing white light and invoke healing energies of the universe into the altar.

Optional Vedic mantras “Om āgamārthantu devānām….. and apasarpantu….. “

4. ALTAR PUJA: dab sacred powders at the base of the lamp or tealight holder, offering a flower.

For indoor lamp puja: Om dipāyai namaha

Om dipā -pujām samarapayāmi I complete the sanctifying of the puja lamp.

5. FIVE ELEMENTS AND FIVE ACTS : Optional activity with five color cloth strips honoring the five elements and five acts of Lord Shiva. Yellow for earth, white for water, red for fire, blue for air, and black for space/ether. Wear these cloth strips now as neck scarves or arm bands or headbands. Or place them on your Shiva altar. Visualize yourself engaging with sacred intention with the five acts and connecting to the five elements within your body and in the universe. Prepare to engage in Lord Shiva’s puja in the framework of the five acts and five elements.

6. WORSHIP RESOLVE (sankalpa):

Now, in this auspicious moment, in the time of eternity, in the place of Omnipresence, on this auspicious day, may we please you, O Lord Shiva Mahādeva Rudra Nataraja Virabhadra Bhairava Lingeshwara ! So that we may attain devotion, wisdom and dispassion, we undertake to perform this worship of the Supreme Consciousness.

Om pūjā -sankalpam samarpayāmi I hereby offer my sacred intention to perform a puja-worship to Lord Shiva.

6. PRAYER TO REMOVE ALL OBSTACLES during WORSHIP: Puja to Ganesha (VIGHNESHWARA): Offer flowers, rice grains, yellow turmeric pinches to an icon of Lord Ganesha on the altar.

Om. O Lord Ganesha, dressed in resplendent white, pervading the universe, shining radiantly like the moon, having 4 mighty arms and a happy face, I mediate on you, so that all obstacles may be removed and everything be made peaceful.

Om shuklāmbara-dharam vishṇum shashi-varnam chatur-bhujam prasanna-vadanam dhyāyet sarva-vighnopa shāntaye

Om sri mahā –ganapataye namaḥ

Sri vighneshwara-pujām samarpayāmi I hereby complete the worship of Lord Ganesha, remover of obstacles.

7. Honoring the Self (ātma-pujā ) Apply sacred ash and red powder (kumkum) on your forehead and pray:

Om ātmane namaḥ (touch heart) Salutations to the Divine Self

Om antarātmane namaḥ (touch throat) Salutations to the immanent /manifest Self within me Om jnanātmane namaḥ (touch third eye) Salutations to the Wisdom Self Om paramātmane namaḥ (touch top of head) Salutations to the transcendental Self Place a wet flower on your head: Om ātma-pujām samarpayāmi I complete the worship of the Self

8. Purificatory water sipping (āchamaniyam) Offer a spoonful of water to Lord Shiba, visualizing that he is receiving it in his hand and sipping it: Om Shivāya namaḥ āchamaniyam samarpayāmi Now sip the water

9.Invocation to Lord Shiva with the Shiva-Gayatri mantra: Offer flowers and rice ( for our equilibrium and poise amidst the dynamic pulls and polarities of life)

OM TAT- PURUSHĀYA VIDMAHE

MAHĀ- DEVĀYA DHIMAHI

TANNO RUDRAH PRACHODAYĀT

Let us meditate on the Cosmic Being Purusha who embodies all Reality, and let us contemplate on the Great Shining Deity Mahādeva. May the effulgence of Shiva’s wrathful Cosmic dissolution (visualized as the howling storm deity Rudra) radiate in its brilliance!.

10. INVOKING THE FIVE SUBTLE BREATHS with A SANCTIFIED FOOD OFFERING (naivedyam): While sprinkling water around a prepared sweet/food offering or crispy rice/rice flakes/nuts, chant the mantras honoring the 5 subtle breaths that are manifested from food:

Om prāṇāya svāhā …. Offering the inhaling breath

Om apānāya svāhā ….offering the exhaling breath

Om vyānāya svāhā ……offering the diffuse breath

Om udānāya svāhā …..offering the upward breath

Om samanaya svāhā …offering the digestive/harmonizing breath

Om brahmaṇe svāhā … offering (all) to the Divine.

Om naivedyam samarpayāmi I hereby offer the sanctified food.

11. MANTRAS to FORMS OF SHIVA (Sampling from 108 names of Lord Shiva) pray for strength, courage, power to act; pray for abundance; pray for wisdom and discernment; pray to release ignorance and resistance.

Offer flower petals/ turmeric-rice while reciting mantras below to various deities:

Om Natarājāya namaḥ (lord of the dance of bliss,; invoking the great five acts)

Om Mahā-devāya namaḥ .(Great Deity Shiva; meditator, yogi)

Om Shivāya namaḥ (serenity/ peace/auspicious/Subject aspect)

Om Rudrāya namaḥ (Vedic deity’howler/red’ aspect of Shiva; wrathful and stormy, dissolution aspect)

Om Ardha-nārishvarāya namaḥ (balance between sacred masculine and feminine principles; of subject-object duality and ; -shakti unity)

Om Vira-bhadrāya namaḥ (fierce spiritual warrior aspect; invoking courage for taking swift and strong action )

Om Bhairavāya namaḥ (wrathful form which activates fearlessness and stops the mind)

Om Sadā -shivāya namaḥ (eternally present as transcendent- immanent equilibrium)

Om Lingeshvarāya namaḥ (sacred embodiment of male-female union as the of all Life)

Om Pancha-vaktrāya namaḥ (Shiva as the embodiment of the Five Great Acts)

Om namah shivaya .. 5 X for the five acts of creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment and grace/revelation. Touch your five cloth strips with the tattva mudra reverentially as you gaze at Lord Shiva as Nataraja dancing in the flames of the five great acts.

Om nam namo namah………creation…… ……….earth Om mah namo namah… ….preservation. ……..water Om shim namo namah…...dissolution…………….fire Om vam namo namah……concealment……...... air Om yam namo namah……revelation/grace……space

12. BHAJANS TO LORD SHIVA : by Sheela Bringi and Brent Kuecker

14. ĀRATI to Lord Shiva (CAMPHOR FLAME OFFERING): Stand up and wave camphor flame or lighted ghee wick. Distribute red turmeric (kumkum) and vibhuti (sacred ash) on a plate with the camphor flame.

Om jai Shiva Omkāra….Swāmi Hara Shiva Omkāra (Bhole)

Brahma Vishṇu Sadāshiva ….Brahma Vishṇu Sadāshiva

Om Jai Shiva Omkāra ……Swami Hara Shiva Omkara (Bhole)

14. CLOSING PRAYERS.

Om lokāḥ samastāh sukhino bhavantu (3 times) (May all beings in all realms be happy!)

Om asato mā sad-gamaya (Lead me from untruth to truth) tamaso mā jyotir-gamaya (lead me from darkness to light) mrityormā amritan-gamaya (lead me from death to immortality)

Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ (Om peace peace peace peace)

Om śri gurubhyo namaḥ (salutations to all teachers)..

Hariḥ om