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Vedas, Sastras, Poojas and Homams

1. What is the basic authority (pramana) for Hindu religion andphilosophy?

The Vedas are the basic, fundamental authority.

2. What is the meaning of the w ord Veda?

Veda, in Sanskrit means that which gives know ledge.

3.Is there any other name for Veda?

Veda is also called Sruti.

4. What is the meaning of the word Sruti?

Sruti means that w hich is heard (through you ears). The Vedas were

originally taught by Lord Narayana to Brahma orally. From thereon the

Vedas came dow n from the Guru to the students orally only. The Guru

teaches the Vedas to the students. Thus the student hears the Veda from

the teacher.

5.Are Vedas known by any other names, apart from Sruti?

They are also called Nigama and Amnaya.

6.What is the meaning of the w ords - Nigama and Amnaya?

Nigama means a settled text or work, which i s handed down from the Guru

to the student from time immemorial.

Amnaya means w hat is learnt by the student, by frequent repetition of the

text; and also by frequently thinking over the same

7.Who composed the Vedas?

The Vedas have not been composed by anybody, not even by God Himself.

The Vedas are eternally existent. Even God did not create or make the

Vedas. Narayana has only taught the Vedas to Brahma and then dow n the

line. Hence Vedas are called Apaurusheya - not authored or made by

anyone, includ ing God.

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8. How many Vedas are there?

There are four Vedas. They are called: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda

and Atharva Veda

9. How do you explain that the Vedas have not been authored by anybody;including God?

They are actually the breath of God. That is, after each deluge (pralaya) ,

when the w orld is created, God Narayana remembers the Vedas and

teaches then to Brahma and then it comes dow n the line. That is why, we

say they are not made by anybody including God, but are self-existent.

10. Who divided the Vedas into four, as stated above?

Vyasa edited the Vedas and divided them.

11. On w hat basis did Vyasa divide the Vedas into four?

The Vedas w ere divided into four, to suit the Vedic rituals or karmas. There

are four persons (Ritviks) who are prominent in the performance of

rituals.

12. What are the names of these four persons (Ritviks)? How are they

connected w ith the four Vedas?

1.The person, whose function is to recite praises of God and prayer to Him,

sitting in one place, is called Hota. The Hota's function and Mantras are

given in Rig Veda. 2.The person, who is engaged in the actual performance

of the ritual, from the beginning to the end, is called Adhvaryu. The

necessary mantras and the functions of the Adhvaryu are given in Yajur

Veda. 3.The person w ho sings Samans (musical notes), sitting in another

place, is called Udgata. The Udgata's functions and the Sama Ganas are

given in Sama Veda. 4.The general supervisor of the rituals is called

Brahman. The Bhrama's functions and the Mantras are given in Atharva

Veda. The vedas are also broadly divided as Mantras and Brahmanas.

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13. What do the Mantras talk about?

The Mantras are in praise of God and prayers to God. The Yajur Mantras

give detailed formulas for the rituals. The sama Mantras are only R ik

Mantras, set to music.

14. Are these mantras in prose form or poetry form?

The Rik Mantras are in poetry form. Yajur Mantras are in prose form. Sama

Mantras are Riks, set to musical tones. The Atharva Veda contains both

verses (poetry) and prose. This much idea is enough for the present

regarding Mantras.

15. Please explain the other part, namely Brahmana.

The Brahmanas are in prose form. Their main aim is to prescribe the rituals

in details and also praise the glory o f the Devas

16.How are the Brahmanas divided?

Brahmanas are again divided into two parts: Vidhi and A rthavada.

17.What do these talk about?

Vidhi portions give command to do a thing, to perform rituals. Arthavadagenerally praises the rituals, the glory of Devas and also points out their

weaknesses. They also contain stories to illustrate the points.

18.What is the relative importance of these different portions?

Portions connected w ith rituals are called Karmakanda. Generally, they

teach how rituals like various yagas are to be done. They are also called

Purvakanda. Portions dealing w ith philosophy and know ledge of Brahman

are called Jnanakandra or Brahma kanda. So, Mantras and Brahmanas

come under Karmakanda. Upanishads are called Jnanakanda. But,

know ledge of Brahman and Philosophy are also discussed in Mantras and

Brahmanas.

19.What is the meaning of the w ord Sastra?

Sastra in Sanskrit means that w hich gives teaching, instruction or

command.

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20.What are the Sastras?

The Vedas are the most important sastras. There is no sastra higher thanthe Veda. Then we have Smiriti, Itihasa, Purana and Agama, about w hich

we will discuss later.

21.What are Samhita and Aranyaka?

Modern thinkers divide Vedas into four portions, as follows: Samhita

Brahmana Aranyaka, and Upanishads. Samhita denotes co llection of

Mantras. Brahmanas have already been described earllier. Aranyakas are

texts, which w ere recited in hermitages in forests. Upanishads contain

philosophical thoughts, in the form of discussions and explanations.

22.Why are Upanishads called Jnana Kanda or Brahma Kanda?

They talk about realisation of God, how to attain salvation . Since they

speak about realising Brahman or the u ltimate reality the Upanishads are

called Brahma Kanda. Since they give us Know ledge about attaining

salvation, they are also called Jnana Kanda. The Upanishads are also called

Veda Siras, i.e., the head of the Veda. When w e say the head, we mean the

most important part of the Veda.

23.What is the difference between Brahma and Brahman? A re both the

same?

No. Brahma is the four-faced one, who came from the lotus, out of the

navel of Lord Narayana. Brahman means one w ho is great and hence

denotes the Supreme Being or the Ultimate Reality.

24.Talking about Upanishads, how many Upanishads are there?

People say that there are more than a hundred Upanishads, but only some

of the Upanishads are accepted authoritatively by all sections of the

Hindus. The important ones are cal led Dasopanishad, i.e., the ten

Upanishads. These ten Upanishads are accepted as authority and quoted

by ancient philosophers like Sankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva.

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25.What are the ten Upanishads?

The ten Upanishads are: Isavaya Upanishad, Kena Upan ishad, Kata

Upanishad, Prasna Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad,

Taittiriya Upanishad, Aitareya Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad,

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

26.Are there any o ther important and accepted Upanishads?

We have Svetasvatara Upanishad, Kaush itaki Upanishad, Subala

Upanishad, and Maha Narayana Upanishad forms part of Taittiriya

Upanishad, Aitareya Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad, Brihadaranyaka

Upanishad.

27.From w hich of the Vedas do these Upanishads come?

Aitareya Upanishad is in Rig Veda Isavasya Upanishads, Kata Upanishads,

Taittiriya Upanishad Bridhadaranyaka Upanishad are in Yajur Veda. Kena

Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad are from Sama Veda. Prasna

Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad and Mandukya Upanishad are all in

Atharva Veda.

28.What are the Angas or subsidiaries of the Vedas?

There are six such Angas (part or limbs) of Vedas. These are 1)Siksha 2)

Vyakarana 3) Chandas 4) Jyotisha 5) Nirukta and 6) Kalpa.

29.Can you tell me what the six Veda Angas talk about?

1)Siksha explains the proper pronunciations of the Vedas. 2)Vyakarana

explains the grammar of the Vedic words. 3)Chandas explains the metres

of the various Riks. 4)Jyotisha helps in deciding the proper time for the

performance of the various rituals. 5)Nirukta gives the meanings of

difficult words in the Vedas. 6)Kalpa describes the proper method of

performing the various ritual mentioned in the Vedas. These six angas of

the Vedas help in a proper understanding of the Vedas. They also help in

the performance of the various rituals or the yagas (yagnas), prescribed

by the Vedas.

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30.How are these six Vedangas divided?

They can be divided into two groups: 1) Those w hich are connected w ith

the text of the Vedas Siksha, Vyakarana, Chandas. 2)Those wh ich are

connected with the meaning of Vedas Jyotisha, Nirukta, Kalpa.

31.After the Vedas and Vedangas, what are the important texts or

authorities for us?

Next comes Smriti. Smriti helps us in understanding the various

injunctions and truths propounded in the Vedas.

32.How many Smritis are there?

The Smritis are many in number and even an exact definition of Smriti is

perhaps not available. Many of the Smritis are also not available now and

are lost to humanity. The more important Smritis are : Manu Smriti ,

Parasarra Smriti, Yagnavalkya Smriti, Harita Smriti ans Sandilya Smriti.

Some say there are 20 Smritis and some others say that there are 57

Smritis.

33.What do thse Smritis talk about?

The Smritis describe the codes of conduct for mankind in day-to-day life;

how they should conduct themselves; and for any wrong doings, what are

the punishments o r atonements (prayaschitta) to be undergone. The

Smritis can be considered as elaborating or explaining the Karma Kanda of

the Vedas.

34.What are Itihasas?

Ramayana and Mahabharata are called Itihasas.

35.Are they considered very sacred?

They are considered as sacred as the Vedas themselves. The Mahabharata

is called the Fifth Veda.

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36.How many Puranas are there?

There are 18 P uranas. These are sub-divided into three sets or groups. The

first set of six Puranas are authori tative, sacred. These are called Sattvika

Puranas. The second set of six Puranas are of medium quality, i.e. thewhole thing cannot be accepted as true. These are called Rajasa Puranas.

The third set of six puranas cannot be taken as perfectly valid. Only some

portions of them, which are not opposed to Vedas, can be taken as

authoritative. These are called Tamasa Puranas.

37.Please tell me the P uranas that fall in these three groups.

1. The first set of six P uranas w hich are most sacred (Sattvika Puranas)

are as follows: Vishnu Purana Bhagavatam Narada Purana Padma Purana

Varaha Purana Garuda Purana 2. The second set of six Puranas, which are

not w holly authoritative, (Rajasa Puranas) are: Vamana Purana Brahma

Purana Markandeya Purana Bhaavishya Purana Brahmanda Purana

Brahma Vaivarta Purana 3. The last set of six Puranas, which are not very

authoritative (Tamasa Puranas) are: Matsya Purana Kurma Purana Agni

Purana Linga Purana Siva Purana Skanda Purana.

38.How do you accept these as authorities or Pramana?

The basic rule is that the Vedas are the Ultimate authority or P ramana. So,

in the Puranas, whichever does not conflict or contradict the Veda, can be

taken as authority.

39.What are Agamas?

The Agamas accept the authority of Vedas. The Agamas prescribe idol

worship in the place of rituals like Yagas, mentioned in the Vedas. They

prescribed the methods of idol worship.

40.How are the Agamas divided?

The Agamas are predominantly divided into Saiva, Sakta and Vaishnava

Agamas. Agamas mainly talk about construction of temples; the rules for

installation and consecration of the deities in the temples; and the

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methods of performing pujas in the temples. The Vaishnava Agamas

identify Brahman as Vasudeva. We w ill discuss this further later.

41.What are the Vaishnava Agamas?

The Vaishnava Agamas are : Pancharatra Agama and Vaikhanasa Agama.

42.Which Agamas do our Vaishnavite temples follow ?

Some temples follow P ancharatra Agama and some temples follow

Vaikhanasa Agama. This is only by tradition and cus tom.

43.Why is Vaikhanasa Agama so called?

It is so called, because it was first taught by Vikhanas rishi to a group of

disciples. Sage Vikhanas is stated to have been created by Lord Narayana

Himself. It is also stated that he w as created by Brahma.

44.Why is Pancharatra Agama so called?

Lord Narayana taught this Agama for five nights to five rishis. Hence, it is

called Pancharatra Agama (Pancharatra means five nights)

45.How are these Pancharatra Agamas divided?

These are divided into Samhitas.

46.What are these Samhitas?

There are more than 100 Samhitas. Sattvata Samhita, Paushkara Samhita,

Jayakhya Samhita. These three are considered more important and are

called three gems (Ratna traya). We have also Ahirbudhnya Samhita,

Padma Samhita, Parameswara Samhita and Lakshmitantra.

47.What is Mimamsa?

The Mimamsa consists of tw o parts. The first part is called Purva Mimamsa

or Karma Mimamsa. The second part is called Uttara Mimamsa or Brahma

Mimamsa.

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48.What is Karma Mimamsa?

Karma Mimamsa is dealt with by Jaimini in 16 chapters or Adhyayas. They

contain short statements o r aphorisms. They clarify doubts regarding

rituals mentioned in the Vedas and also clarify doubts about the generalconduct. They interpret the Vedic texts in Karma Kanda.

49.What is Brahma Mimamsa?

Brahma Mimamsa is dealt w ith in Brahma Sutras. This is propounded bySage Badarayana or Vyasa. This contains short statements or aphorisms,

clarifying doubts in the Vedic text. Brahma Mimamsa interperts the Vedic

text of Jnana Kanda or Brahma Kanda.

50.What is the importance of Brahma Sutra?

Brahma Sutra is considered very sacred and important. It helps in

clarifying and explaining difficult passages in the Upanishads.

51.Who have written commentaries on Brahma Sutra?

This being one of the most important texts, many philosophers have

written detailed commentaries. We have the commentaries by Sankara,

Ramanuja, Madhva, besides many others like Nimbarka and Vallabha.

52.How many chapters are there in the Brahma Sutra?

We have four chapters or Adhyayas in the Brahma Sutra. Each of the four

chapters consists of four parts or padas. There are 545 Sutras or

aphorisms.

53.Please tell me, broadly, the contents of the four chapters of the Brahma

Sutra.

The first chapter shows that Brahman is the so le cause of 1) creation of

this world. 2) sustenance of this w orld and also 3) destruction of this

world. The second chapter discusses some of the objections in this regard

put forth by other schools and proves that Brahman is both the material

cause and the instrumental cause of this world. (We w ill discuss this in

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detail later) The third chapter talks o f salvation: what is meant by

salvation and the glory o f salvation.

54.What are the most important texts or books which explain the vedanta

philosophy?

There are three texts or books which explain the Vedanta philosophy and

so they are called P rasthana Traya. They are: 1.Upanishads. 2.Brahma

Sutra 3.Bhagavad Gita These are the most sacred texts . All philosophers

have written commentaries on these, trying to prove that these three

books support their therory.

55.Which is the most important potion in the Vedas?

The Purusha Sukta is the most important.

56.Which is the most important Smriti?

Manu Smriti is considered the most important.

57.What about the Puranas? Which is considered the most important?

The Vishnu Purana is considered most sacred and important of the

Puranas. It is called Puranaratna.

58.Which is the most important portion in the Mahabharata?

Bhagavad Gita is the most important.

59.What are the various systems of philosophy?

The systems of philosophy in India can be broadly divided into Nastika

Schools and Astika Schools.

60.What is the Nasthika School?

The Nastika School does not accept the authority of Vedas. They only

adopt logic and reasoning.

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61.What is the Astika School?

The Astika school accepts the authority of Vedas primarily and also uses

reasoning and logic.

62.What are the various systems of philosophy coming under the NastikaSchool?

These are Charvaka system, Buddhism and Jainism.

63.What are the systems coming under Astika School?

We have Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisesh ika, Mimamsa, besides the

Vedanta system.

64.What is the Vedantic system of philosophy?

There is no specific single system of philosophy called the Vedantic

system. Dvaita are the most well- known of the Vedantic systems.

65.What are the other systems of philosophy?

These are: 1. Charvaka system 2. Jainism 3. Buddhism 4. Sankhya system

5. Yoga system 6. Nyaya system 7. Vaisesh ika system 8. Mimamsa system

66.Who propounded these systems of philosophy?

Buddhism w as propounded by Gautama Buddha and Jainism by Mahavir

Jain. The Vaiseshika system was propounded by Kanada and the Yoga

system by Brahma. How ever, modern belief is that the yoga system w as

founded by Patanjali . The Sankhya System was propounded by Kapila: the

Nyaya system by Gautama or Akshapada. The Mimamsa system w as

advocated by Jaimini.

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POOJAS

Puja is a w ord in Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, words are formed w ith meaning in

mind. For instance in the word puja,'p' stands for 'paapa' meaning sins.'j' stands for

'janma' means birth. With 'p' it removes all accumulated sins, and with 'j' it makes your

life's (birth) purpose fulfilled. The Lord being not accessible to our eyes, ears, nose,

touch and beyond the ken of ordinary (un-refined) intellect, the ancients devised a

method of bringing Lord within the realm of the senses. This method is to worship Him

(Her or I t) in an object (photo, water, fire, precious jewel, idol etc) w hich you can

touch, feel, smell, see, feel the taste of. Thus all w andering senses are brought to a

focus, by belief (faith) and by daily practice.

Unshakable faith and long practice, evokes and unfolds hitherto unknow n dimensionsin awareness, which are generally not communicable in the normal w ay. Remember the

British king w ho sent his friend Becket to sabotage the Church. Once Becket started

working for the church, he got convinced and got converted to their line of thinking and

found that the king's views were neither noble nor fair.

Brenen w riting in 'Pow er Play' says that the easterners are centuries ahead in the

control of mind and related topics. By puja you w ill be in a position to inject the noblest

thoughts in the subconscious. Above all, one w ill succeed in solving the mystery of 'Life

.

Poo ja is a unique way in w hich a Hindu communicates w ith his god. This may involve a

silent meditation or a loud chanting of mantras with or w ithout offerings to the god.

Common offerings to the god during a pooja include flow ers, incense, light (Deepa),

food items (Naivedya), and sandalwood paste. These offerings are said to represent the

five elements of space, air, fire, water, and earth.

In a perfectly conducted pooja the body, mind and the soul of the devotee are socompletely integrated that he feels one w ith his god. Doing poojas on a regular basis

brings equanimity and peace to one's mind.

Reasons for doing pooja may range from seeking a general o r particular blessing from

the god, or just as a mode of expression of one's gratitude to the god. While most

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poojas can be done on any day, some of the poojas are reserved for special occasions in

one's life Subhakariam.com helps you to select a pooja for any particular occasion in

your life, or for any special benefit you seek or for any festival of your choice and also

arranges to perform them on your behalf.

Maha Ganapathy

Ganapathi POOJA Dedicated to Lord Ganesh, Lord

Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati and is known as

the god of w isdom and the remover of all obstacles

.Parvati created Ganesha from the scurf of her body so

that she could have a son who w ould be loyal only to

her. One day he was acting as her guard while she w as

bathing and he refused to let Shiva enter. In anger

Shiva cut off his head. As Parvati was distressed about

this Shiva offered to replace it with the head of the first

living being that came along, which happened to be an

elephant with a broken tusk. Shiva then w ent on and

rewarded Ganesha by proclaiming that before any

pooja, Ganesha wou ld be w orshipped. Hence Ganesha

pooja is done before any pooja or ritual to improve

family bondage, to w in over enemies, to overcome

disease and to achieve a planned objective w ithout any

hindrance. For success w ithout any problems for allworks/ projects, also for education, marriage, health

and wealth

Navagraha Puja

Astrology, for centuries regarded as identical w ith

astronomy, has a legendary origin in India w here its

main purpose w as for ascertaining the correct dates

times for performing poo jas, sacrifices etc.By the 6th

century Astrology was regarded as a separate science.At this time in addition to the 2 existing Grahas of

Surya(Sun) and Chandra(Moon also called Soma),

Indian astrologers added 7 more. They were: Mercury

(Buddha), Venus (Shukra), Mars (Mangal),Jupiter

(Brihaspati) & Saturn (Shani), Rahu (the ascending

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mode), & Ketu (the descending mode), which were

regarded as planets bringing the total tonine.Many a

times we hear people say our time is running bad.

These bad times are attributed to the different Grahas

(P lanets), and their position in the current time. These

Grahas can be appeased by performing the Grah shanti

pooja.There are 2 w ays to perform this pooja. If you

know which Graha is affecting you unfavorably, then

tell us the name and w e can perform the pooja for you.

The other way is for us to find out from your Janam

Patri and then perform the P ooja for the particular

Graha.Graha shanti pooja can also be performed for

children born under inauspicious stars.

Maha Lakshmy

Puuja

Every human being in this world desires for wealth and

prosperity. The Narada purana states that w ealth can

bestow longevity, resplendent body, good health and

strength, fame, and the pow er to conquer ones

enemies. The Acharya states that only by the blessings

of Goddess Lakshmi one can attain eternal wealth.

Those who w orship Her by performing the Sri

Mahalakshmy pooja shall be very prosperous. The Suktahas 15 hymns, which are said to bestow different

benefits to the performer of this homa. Even the mere

recitation of these,bestows prosperity. They are:

Prosperity Domestic animals ,Food grains Ownership of

Land Good servants Fame Royal influence ,Mental

strength ,Attainment of horses ,Attainment of

elephants,Clothes,Progeny,Vehicles ,Mystical powers

,Any other w ish of the performer

Sathya Narayana

Puja

This pooja is for vishnu who is also

called Satyanarayana. He is the preserver of mankind

and holds a club, a conch shell, a discuss, and a lotus in

his four hands. He covers the universe in three strides;

the earth as fire, the atmosphere as lightn ing, and the

sky as he sun. He is extremely gentle of nature and

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personality thus symbolizing tolerance and patience.

His vehicle is Garuda and his consort is Lakshmi, the

goddess of w ealth and beauty. Lakshmi symbolizes

good fortune and w ealth and is the favorite of

merchants and traders. Together Vishnu and Lakshmi

are a popular duo, worshipped by families seeking

material welfare Pooja can be performed on POORNI MA

.Any other day for any occasion / reason

Maha Saraswathy

Puja

Saraswati is the goddess of know ledge and the

mistress of the arts. Worldly possessions do not

interest her. She rules the intellectual and creative

realm. Libraries and schools are her temples. She does

not adorn herself w ith gems and jewels. Draped in a

white sari, she rides a swan holding a book in one hand

and a Veena in another At the daw n of Life, Brahma

was so struck by the beauty of his first creation

Shatarupa, goddess of material existence that he

sprouted five heads to look upon her at all times. He

chased her wherever she went, but no matter how hard

he tried he could not possess her. To restrain Brahmas

lust Shiva, the supreme ascetic, wrenched off one ofBrahmas heads. Sobered by the experience, Brahma

turned to Saraswati. Saraswatis children the Vedas,

show ed Brahma the way out of the labyrinth of

sensuality. From that day, the four heads of Brahma

began chanting the four Vedas.

Lalitha Devi Puja

This pooja is generally done when ones business or

work is not proceeding well. The goddess associated

w ith this pooja is Lakshmi (Lalithadevi)This pooja is

performed For the upliftment of business For peace and

prosperity This Pooja for lalitha devi.by lalitha

saharranama maha mantram It takes 45 days and is

performed by 1 Brahmin. The Yantra is generally made

on a Silver or Gold plate.lalitha pooja dedicated for

Labor Management, Co-operation, Life partner co-

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operation, Son-father understanding & salvation for all

purpose.

Shodashoopachaar

a Puja

Traditional ritual consists of sixteen elements and is

called Shodasha upachara pooja. This type of w orship is

also offered in Brahmin households and households

where Brahmin priests perform pooja. Each household

worships a deity termed Kula Daivata (Family god). In

addition there Ishta Daivata (Personal god)Shodasha

upachara Dhyana(prayer) Avahana invocation Aaasana

(offering seating) Paadya (washing of feet) Arghya

(w ashing of hands) Aachamana (offering of drinking

water) Snana (bathing ritual) Vastra (new dress)

Yajnopavita (sacred thread)Gandha (sandal paste)

Abharana (jewelry) Akshata (colored rice, Turmeric

powder, Vermillion powder) Pushpa (flowers) Dhoopa

(incense) Deepa (lighted, oil soaked cotton w icks). p)

Naivedya (offering of specially prepared food).Water in

a pot, (Kalasha) sanctified by invoking the names of

seven sacred rivers of India namely Ganga, Yamuna,

Godavari, Sarasw athi, Narmada,Sindhu, Kaveri, is used

for w orship.After the above offerings, Arathi (camphorlight) and recitation of Vedic hymns called Mantra

Pushpa concludes the Pooja (w orship)

Hanumath

(Aanjaneya) Puja

Hanuman is popularly known as a Brahmachari and a

faithful follower of Rama. He has a body of steel and

the mind of a yogi. His physical and mental abilities,

discipline and spiritual purity are comparable to noneAs

a child, he mistook the rising sun for a fruit and tried to

eat it and in the process disrupted the movements of

the nine Grahas. Lord Indra, king of the Devtas and

Lord of the skies hurled his thunderbolt to stop

Hanuman. Vayu Hanumans father w as so angry that he

sucked away the air from the three worlds causing all

creatures to choke. Vayu was only pacified when the

gods granted Hanuman eternal life and absolute

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w isdomThis event also gave Hanuman the power to

overcome the influence of all celestial bodies. Because

of this, humans who seek to avert the malevolent

influence of Mars and Saturn worship

Hanuman.Hanuman pooja can be done on SATERDAY

and any other day

Sri Rudra ( Shiva )

Puja

The lingum of Shiva represents male energy which

when combined w ith the female principle leads to the

creation of mankind Shiva is the god o f destruction. He

represents the darker side of nature and therefore

dwells in the mountains and forests. He wears skulls

and snakes around his neck and smears himself with

ashes. He is the god of gods, pow erful, generous, and

auspicious Shiva is a yogi rapt in meditation, free from

all desires, the emblem of purity and the conqueror of

lust, the selfless one w ho drinks poison for the good of

the w orld. He is easily appeased by prayers His consort

is Uma, better know n as P arvati, the daughter of the

mountains also known as Hemavati. She is the creative

pow er, the female principle, and the great mother. She

is the goddess of Shakti or power. She is the pow er thatmakes us live or die, happy or miserable. She is

everywhere and in everythng. The mantra ya devi sarv

bhuteshu shakti rupen sansthita means she who exists

as power in all beings

Homams are poojas performed for a particular deity by invoking

Agni , the God of fire

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Homam (also called havan) is a religious ritual performed by Hindus to invoke

the blessings of specific Gods and Godesses. It begins w ith the Karta (devotee)

invoking Agni (God of fire) and inviting him to carry the dravya (offerings into

the fire) to the concerned deity. The Gods, pleased w ith the offerings grant the

w ishes of the devotees in the form of benefits likelongevity,success in business,

good health, prosperity, progeny etc.,

Subhakariam.com o ffers several different homams appropriate to obtain the

desired benefits. Select the homam you prefer, and subakariam.com w ill

arrange for it to be conducted according to prescribed formats on the date you

specify.

Homam (also called havan) is a religious ritual performed by Hindus to invoke

the blessings of specific Gods and Godesses. It begins w ith the Karta (devotee)

invoking Agni (God of fire) and inviting him to carry the dravya (offerings into

the fire) to the concerned deity. The Gods, pleased w ith the offerings grant the

w ishes of the devotees in the form of benefits likelongevity, success in business,

good heal th, prosperi ty, progeny etc.,Homams are poojas performed for a

particular deity by invoking Agni , the God of fire, Please select any option from

the list ,to see details of each Homam'

Sri Maha

Ganapathy

Homam

Ganapathi Homam Dedicated to Lord Ganesh, to improve family

bondage, to w in over enemies, to overcome disease and to

achieve a planned objective without any hindrance. For success

w ithout any problems for all works/ projects, also for education,

marriage, health and w ealth.* On all occasions * For prosperity

in all walks of life w ithout any hindrance.Ganapathi Homa is

generally performed before commencing any important

endeavor like Starting a new business to remove all obstacles.

It is also done at the beginning of other homas.

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Navagraha

Homam

Navagraha Homam Many a times w e hear people say our time

is running bad. These bad times are attributed to the different

Grahas (Planets), and their position in the current time. These

Grahas can be appeased by performing the Grah shanti

pooja.There are 2 w ays to perform this pooja. If you know

which Graha is affecting you unfavorably, then tell us the name

and we can perform the pooja for you. The other w ay is for us

to find out from your Janma Patri and then perform the Pooja

for the particular Graha. specifically 7 1/ 2 years Saturn period.

Generally all purpose Navagraha homam For all Doshas from

Horoscope,specifically 7 1/ 2 years Saturn period. Generally all

purpose. (For particular Jathaham, particular Gnahas more

japas) * I s done to obtain navagrahas anugraha, even if theywere placed in disadvantageous * By doing this homa,

navagraha doshas are removed and good results will accrue'

Maha

sudarsana

homam

'Maha sudarsana homam for Removal of all enemies. avoiding

accidents, The desires of human beings are innumerable and

they vary in nature. As a result, the sufferings they might

undergo also are many. Sometimes it may result in incurable

diseases. It cannot be said that all sufferings and ailments

afflicting mankind have human solutions. There are manythings, which are beyond the w ork of human domain. These

were the areas where divine intervention was sought by the

ancient seers. This is w here the mantras play a vital role. The

mantras were the tools, which w ere used by the sages to free

the world from sufferings. "mantaram trayate iti mantra"

mantras are mystic syllables that free the chanter from

inflictions. In the Vaishnava agamas the Sudharsana mantra is

a very prominent one. The Sudharsana Chakra or the divine disc

of Maha Vishnu is one of the Lords prominent w eapons in

annihilating evil forces. The Sudharsana yantra is also as

important as the Sudharsana mantra. Usually Lord Sudharsana

is seen installed with eight or sixteen hands in Vishnu temples

It is stated in the Ahirbhudn iya Samhita that when the devotees

are suffering from the afflictions caused by incurable diseases,

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sorcery, or enemies, Lord Sudharsana dispe ls his fierce form

and comes to their protection. When the last rites of the dead

are not performed properly it might sometimes result in the

sufferings of the progeny belonging to later generations.

Scriptures state that performing the Sudharsana homa could

alleviate the sufferings of this nature. Performance of this homa

also stops the danger or perils which may possibly occur in

future& nbsp;

Maha

Lakshmi

Homam

MAHA Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu.She has four arms

when w orshipped on her own but is usually shown w ith two

hands when w ith Vishnu.She is the goddess of wealth and one

of the most popular Hindu female deities Mahalakshmi homam

For improvement in Financials and also for recovery of

dues,which are said to bestow different benefits to the

performer of this homa. Even the mere recitation of these,

bestow s prosperity. They are :Prosperity,Domestic animals ,

Food grains , Ownersh ip of Land, Good servants , Fame, Royal

influence, Mental strength, Attainment of horses, Attainment of

elephants,Clothes,Progeny,Vehicles.Mystical powers, Any other

w ish of the performer'

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Maha

Mruthyunjaya

Homam

Maha Mruthyunjaya Homam Dedicated to Lord Shiva to avoid

untimely death The Mrityunjaya Homa is performed to achieve

Jaya or Victory over Mritya or death. The object of worship of

this homa is Lord Shiva. One of the synonyms of Lord Shiva is

Mrityu Mrityu which means death of the death or the destroyer

of death. During this homa one chants 21 mantras. The

prominent offerings in this homa are durva grass and an herb

called amrita. The former is famous fo r purifying blood and the

latter is a medicine for incurable diseases like arbuda or cancer.

Since these are used as offerings in this homa, there is no

doubt that it bestows longevity on the performer .The

Mrityunyaja homa is said to remove the fear of death. The

hymns are devoted to Mrityu, the God of death, praying for longlife. These hymns are used in the purnahuti or the final offering

in the famous Soma sacrifice. This homa also alleviates Mrit yu

dosha or untimely death.'

SANTHANA

GOPALA

HOMAM

SANTHANA GOPALA HOMAM or PURUSHA SUKTHA HOMAM

Dedicated to Lord Maha vishnu.None other than Lord Maha

Vishnu himself bestowed know ledge of this homa on

Sanatkumara, who in turn instructed this to sage Bodhayana. It

is stated in the Suta Samhita. Putrapradam AputraanaamJayadam Jayakaaminaam Bhuktidam Bhuktikaamaanaam

Mokshadam Moksha Kaaminaam meaning those who wish

progeny, success in endeavors, worldly enjoyment and the final

emancipation shall attain it by performing this.It is said that

one attains this human birth by performing meritorious deeds

in the past lives. In order to continue the lineage of ours it is

necessary that we be blessed w ith healthy progeny. The

Purusha sukta homa is said to be equal to the Putra kameshti

yagna narrated in the Ramayana in providing healthy progeny

to the performer. The hymn glorifies Lord Vishnu as the

Purusha or the primordial being with innumerable heads, eyes

and feet. The lord is depicted as the cause of all living beings. It

further describes the manner in which different species occur

from his various limbs. The hymns are si xteen in number.

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BHOO

VARAHA

HOMAM

BHOO VARAHA HOMAM Dedicated to Lord Mahavishnu .This

homa is done to remove ill effects of not constructing a house

according to the tenets of the Vaastu Sastra, which prescribes

various principles and techniques for constructing houses and

temples. Houses, which are not built according to this science,

are said to invite various problems like diseases, marital

disharmony, problems in the family, loss in business etc. These

problems could be overcome by performing the Bhoo varaha

Homam, more simply called the Bhoo varaha Homa. This homa

is performed as a part of Grihapravesa (house warming)

ceremonies for the overall happiness for those who live in the

house '

Aayushya

Homam

Ayushya Homam Dedicated to the L ife God to enhance longevity

Ayushya homa is explained by the sage Bodhayana in the

Bodhayana sutras. According to him, if a child is constantly ill,

this homa could be performed on a monthly basis till the child

attains good health. But in general practice, this is performed

once a year on the day of the star in which the child is born.

This homa is performed on the day the child completes one year

of age. In case one is unable to perform it on this day, it should

be done on the consecutive month. It may be done even on amonthly basis.By performing the Ayusha homa the evil effects

caused by tithi [day of the fortnightly], vara [day of the w eek],

nakshatra [star] are eradicated. It bestows longevity, and good

health. It is experienced that even ailments, which cannot be

diagnosed through mainstream medicines, are cured by the

performance of this homa'

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Sri Chandee

Homam

'Chandi or DURGA has been bestow ed w ith defferent sakthis

power from all devatas.thesefore is also knownas

mahasakthy.shewas born w ith the energy coming out of all the

devatas bodies and combining to become one.so shecould

defeat the Rakshasas.devil.mahishasura.who had become a

threat to the devatas.durgadevi is worshipped in monyforms

w ith eachhaving its ownsignificance.thus there are

differentpoojas associated w ith her.We offer Navchandi is a

Durga pooja normally done to make small w ishes cometrue and

can also be performed for any other reason / occasion on any

day according to the muhurtam.The Chandi homa is a very

unique sacrificial rite involving pow erful Saptasati mantras.

These mantras are 700 in number, spreading across 13

chapters of the Markandeya Purana. These chapters are divided

into three parts. The 1st chapter is devoted to Goddess Durga,

2nd, 3rd and 4th chapters extol the greatness of Goddess

Mahalakshmi. The remaining chapters are devoted to

Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning.By performing the Chandi

homa, the sufferings that are caused by hostile elements, are

eradicated. The sufferings resulting from poison, sorc