The tenth
day, Dashami used to bring tears to my eyes. For in the Eastern myths, this was
the day Mother left Earth and returned to Mount Kailash. For me, Her coming to
Earth and leaving was real. I used to be sad and lost on this day, refusing to
look at the images of Mother being immersed. In the last few years, this
sadness became intensified post-Diwali/Kali Puja. After
This sense
of powerlessness was because I had externalized Mother and cast Her in a story
where the Divine with all Her formidable qualities came and left Earth. I was
and remained a vulnerable not-good-enough human stuck to Earth.
The myth is
a story that makes for a great anthropological study of folklore and cultural
customs. It ain’t a story for the spirit.
Mother is
going nowhere. Your body is the Mount Kailash where She resides. She returns to
you as You.
This is a
good time to reinforce what a Puja is. Below is the barebones process I use. In
the original way, there are specific hymns for each action and gestures.
1. Clean the space and arrange your
altar. Arrange all that you need on different plates – milk/curd/honey/ghee/rose
water for bathing, fresh clothes/jewelry for deity (not compulsory, you can visualize),
flowers, dhoop, lamp with wick and oil, arati lamp, food offering,
cymbals/musical instruments, small container of water, large container of
water, towel, turmeric/kumkum/chandan, coconut. Set your seat and ensure all
items are within your easy reach.
2. Take a bath and wear fresh clothes.
3. Commit to do the puja and sit down.
Once you have sat down, you can’t leave the seat until you have completed the
process.
4. The many rivers of this country are
invoked in the small container of water and you use it to sanctify all items in
the area. You add tulsi to it.
5. Light the lamp.
6. Create an image of deity. You can
create it in turmeric or kumkum or use a coconut to designate. You can also
create a clay one. I recommend you fashion the image yourself instead of buying
one.
7. Chant your favourite mantras and
invoke life in the image. You can do it by touching a flower bud to your heart
and then placing it over the image. Or visualize it. From this moment onwards,
Mother resides before you.
8. Wash Her feet and offer Her water to
drink.
9. Then lead Mother to an elaborate
bathing ritual. The ritual isn’t as important as your attitude. Dry Her up and
dress her. Offer Her flowers to wear. Ask Her to be seated in a specific area.
10. Offer fragrant agarbathi. Offer
water.
11. Sing/dance. Evoke the devoted state.
Describe Her tales, praise Her, admire Her. Do this in ways that make sense to
you. Make this elaborate the first few times you do it or when you feel the
puja is not intense enough.
12. Offer Her food. Fan Her.
13. Light the arati lamp and wave it, reveling
in the grandeur and power of Her presence.
14. Sit in meditation for sometime. Your
mind will be quiet. Sit as long as you want.
15. It is time to merge Her back. Thank
Her for being present outside and welcome Her back. You can do this by taking a
flower bud on Her image and touching it back to your heart. Then wear the
flower in your hair or tuck it behind the ear. Or you can visualize the
process. Sense the return fully. Sense Her spreading and aligning with your
body. There will come a moment when your “I” consciousness and “She” consciousness
become one. Sa Ham. The altar area will become an anchor for you for this
higher state. Next time you do it, you will attain the state easily.
16. You can stay in Sa Ham briefly and
then move on. Or if there is an issue that is bothering, this is a good time to
bring it in mind and observe it. You will have an answer for it. I have had
powerful breakthroughs in this position. The more you use it, the more easily
the response comes.
17. Finally sprinkle water over
yourself, circumambulate yourself three times, partake of the food offering.
18. Offer thanks to all elements of the
Universe for supporting you through this process. I combine the Native American
ritual here by thanking the spirits in different directions and seek
forgiveness for any lack of focus or sincerity. Forgiveness is an important
step. When we start doing the rituals, some of us may flounder with the steps
or in focus. By seeking forgiveness, we give ourselves permission to move on
from guilt and negative self-talk we can engage in.
19. Rise from your seat. The Puja is
over.
Can you create your own ritual? Can you adapt it? Yes, you can do
anything that works. However, the weight of tradition and the beautiful way in
which this ritual pans out stimulating all our senses – the visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, gustatory, olfactory and auditory digital – makes it powerful.
Mother ain’t getting immersed today. Her image is. The materials we
fashioned Her material presence from returns to Nature. She returns to us.
Today is a wonderful day.
[Post-script: This series is for those who identify with and worship the
Goddess. If you are not religious/spiritual, it is fine. If the articles offer
you any insight that is useful take it. Else ignore the series. There is no one
way to do anything. However, if you find you are often in a
powerless/helpless/lost/confused/frustrated/defeated state, please figure out a
way to re-imagine your universe.]
Complete Links to the 2017 Series:
(1) Akaalbodhan
(2) Dashabhuja
(3) The Battle
(5) Identification
(6) she is She
(12) No Visarjan/Sa Ham
Thank you Bhavana for the entire series. And starting the whole process off over an August weekend.
ReplyDelete:-) Thank you for your openness and willingness to walk in this journey.
DeleteThank you for the series. This time, when I was taking my kids to class, I was able to clearly talk about Sa Ham and the puja ritual, thanks to you! I was able to clearly enunciate while I love my religion and how my kids can embrace it any level which they choose! Thank you!
ReplyDelete