Satyanarayan Puja
Encyclopedia
The Satyanarayana Puja is a Hindu
religious observance. It is a ritual performed by Hindus before/on any major occasion like marriage, house warming ceremony etc. It can also be performed on any day for any reason. It is believed the ceremony originated in Bengal as Satya Pir
ritual performed by all communities (Hindu, Muslim and buddhists) and later in 19th century morphed into Satyanarayan puja.
The Satyanarayana Puja is usually done on the Purnima
day of every month (the day of the full moon) or a Sankranti
. It is also done on special occasions and during times of achievements as an offering of gratitude to the Lord. These occasions include marriage, graduation, new job, and the purchase of a new home to name a few. In addition, it is said that a devotional performance of this puja will bear children to couples trying to start a family.
,near WALTAIR IN ANDHRA PRADESH INDIA. This vratam is performed daily there. Daily, large numbers of devotees , many with families, visit the temple, offer prayers, perform this Vratam there , right in the temple. This place is one of the very important pilgrimages.
The puja starts by a prayer to Lord Ganesha, to remove all obstacles that may occur as a result of incorrectly performing the puja. This is done by chanting all the names of Lord Ganesha and offering prasad
(a food offering, usually consisting of one of Lord Ganesha's favorite foods - modak
, a sugar and coconut mixture, or laddu
) and the showering of flower petals.
Another part of the prayer involves a prayer to the Navagraha
's - the nine important celestial beings in the universe. They consist of Surya
(the Sun), Chandra
(the moon), Angaaraka/Chevaai (Mars), Budha
(Mercury), Guru aka Bruhaspati (Jupiter), Shukra
(Venus), Sani
(Saturn), Rahu
(the head of the Demon snake), and Ketu
(the tail of the Demon snake).
The rest of the puja consists of worship to Satyanarayana
, an extremely benevolent form of Lord Vishnu. First "panchamritam" is used to clean the place where the deity is placed. After placing the deity in the correct position, Satyanaraya swami
is worshipped. Names of Satyanarayana are chanted along with offering of a variety of prasad
(including a mixture of milk, honey, ghee
/butter, yogurt, sugar) and flower petals.
Another requirement of the puja is that the story of the puja be heard among all those observing and partaking in the puja. The story involves the origin of the puja, the benefits of it, and the potential mishaps that may occur with the careless performance of the puja.
The prayer concludes with an Aarti
, which consists of revolving a small fire-lit-lamp in the vicinity of an image of the Lord. After the puja is over, participants and observers of the puja are required to ingest in the prasad
that was offered and blessed by the Lord......
form of Lord Vishnu
. The Lord in this form is considered an embodiment of truth
.
Performing this puja in the evening is considered more appropriate. However one can do it in the morning as well. On the day of the puja, the devotee has to fast
. After bathing the person can begin the puja.
's Reva khanda. Suta Puranik
narrated these stories, in Neimishaaranya to the Rishis who were performing a 1,000 year yajna for the benefit of mankind led by Shounakji.
For those who observe the fast religiously and regularly, there are some great lessons to be learned from the 'katha' (narration)
This is shown by characters who ignored their promise to perform the puja after their wish had been fulfilled. They suffered as a result. Therefore one is to deduce that one must stick to the promise given to the Lord in exchange of the desire fulfilled by His Grace. One is not to ignore or/and forget the Lord's Grace. Prasad is symbolic of God's Grace which Kalavati ignored as she learned of her husband's safe return.
One can understand her eagerness in wanting to be re-united with her beloved, but one must understand that if one forgets to be thankful for gifts received from the Lord, one would have to go through another test until one remembers to remember.
When the rich merchant is asked what the boat contains, he untruthfully replies 'Only dry leaves' and the Mendicant says 'So be it' The above incident tells us that the spoken word has power. What you speak, manifests. Hence one must not speak an untruth. Especially an inauspicious untruth.
In the last story one learns that no one is higher or lower in status in the eyes of the Lord.
Hence one must accord respect to whoever it may be, who is taking the name of God.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious observance. It is a ritual performed by Hindus before/on any major occasion like marriage, house warming ceremony etc. It can also be performed on any day for any reason. It is believed the ceremony originated in Bengal as Satya Pir
Satya Pir
Satya Pir is a belief system found in Bengal created by the fusion of Islam and local religions. Experts maintain that the Muslim Satya Pir and the Hindu Satyanarayan Puja essentially represent the same beliefs and rituals....
ritual performed by all communities (Hindu, Muslim and buddhists) and later in 19th century morphed into Satyanarayan puja.
The Satyanarayana Puja is usually done on the Purnima
Full Moon
Full moon is a lunar phase.Full Moon may also refer to:- Literature :* Full Moon , a novel by P. G. Wodehouse* Full Moon o Sagashite or Full Moon, a manga* Full Moon Press, an American small-press publisher...
day of every month (the day of the full moon) or a Sankranti
Sankranti
Sankranthi means transmigration of Sun from one Rāshi to the other. Hence there are 12 such Sankrantis in all.* Makara Sankaranti: or Sankranti or Sankranthi marks the transition of...
. It is also done on special occasions and during times of achievements as an offering of gratitude to the Lord. These occasions include marriage, graduation, new job, and the purchase of a new home to name a few. In addition, it is said that a devotional performance of this puja will bear children to couples trying to start a family.
History
Sri Satyanarayana Vratam , Puja are very popular in ANDHRA PRADESH INDIA. Almost all Hindus, throughout Andhra Pradesh , have strong faith, belief , and devotion towards this great God, an incarnation of Lord Sriman NARAYANA. There is a very ancient, famous temple for Sri Satyanarayana Swamy at ANNAVARAMAnnavaram
Annavaram village is situated on the banks of the Pampa River in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh in India.-Etymology:Anna means whatever you say or you desire and varam means boon, hence whatever you desire will be given as boon by the deity.-Temple:The most distinctive feature of...
,near WALTAIR IN ANDHRA PRADESH INDIA. This vratam is performed daily there. Daily, large numbers of devotees , many with families, visit the temple, offer prayers, perform this Vratam there , right in the temple. This place is one of the very important pilgrimages.
Procedure
Prasad
Prasād is a mental condition of generosity, as well as a material substance that is first offered to a deity and then consumed...
(a food offering, usually consisting of one of Lord Ganesha's favorite foods - modak
Modak
A modak is a sweet dumpling popular in Western and South India. It is called "modak" in Marathi and Konkani, "modhaka" or "kadubu" in Kannada, "modhaka" or "kozhakkattai" in Tamil, and "kudumu" in Telugu. The sweet filling is made of fresh coconut and jaggery while the shell is of rice flour....
, a sugar and coconut mixture, or laddu
Laddu
Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...
) and the showering of flower petals.
Another part of the prayer involves a prayer to the Navagraha
Navagraha
Graha is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi . In Hindu astrology, the Navagraha are some of these major influencers.All the navagraha have relative movement with respect to the background of fixed stars in the zodiac...
's - the nine important celestial beings in the universe. They consist of Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
(the Sun), Chandra
Chandra
In Hinduism, Chandra is a lunar deity and a Graha. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma . The Soma name refers particularly to the juice of sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and...
(the moon), Angaaraka/Chevaai (Mars), Budha
Budha
In Hindu mythology, Budha is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra with Tara or Rohini. He is also the god of merchandise and protector of Merchants....
(Mercury), Guru aka Bruhaspati (Jupiter), Shukra
Shukra
Shukra , the Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness", is the name of the son of Bhrigu, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas...
(Venus), Sani
Sani
Sani may refer to:*Sani Resort, a resort in the peninsula of Halkidiki, Greece*Sani, Greece, a beach community south of Thessalonike*Sani, Mauritania*Sani Pass, pass in the Drakensberg linking Lesotho to South Africa*Shani, in Hindu astrology, Saturn...
(Saturn), Rahu
Rahu
In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a cut-off head of an asura, that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagrahas in Vedic astrology...
(the head of the Demon snake), and Ketu
Ketu
*In Vedic astrology, Ketu is the Moon's South node. Ketu is generally referred to as a "shadow" planet.*Ketu is a historical location in present day Benin.*Ketu is another name for the mountain K2....
(the tail of the Demon snake).
The rest of the puja consists of worship to Satyanarayana
Satyanarayana
"Satyanarayana" may refer to God Vishnu and also many South Indian celbrities with the same name:* Satyanarayana Puja, Hindu God, an incarnation of Vishnu* Viswanatha Satyanarayana, a Telugu poet* Kaikala Satyanarayana, a Telugu actor* E. V. V...
, an extremely benevolent form of Lord Vishnu. First "panchamritam" is used to clean the place where the deity is placed. After placing the deity in the correct position, Satyanaraya swami
Swami
A swami sometimes abbreviated "Sw." is an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by Adi Sankara, or to a religious teacher.The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as...
is worshipped. Names of Satyanarayana are chanted along with offering of a variety of prasad
Prasad
Prasād is a mental condition of generosity, as well as a material substance that is first offered to a deity and then consumed...
(including a mixture of milk, honey, ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
/butter, yogurt, sugar) and flower petals.
Another requirement of the puja is that the story of the puja be heard among all those observing and partaking in the puja. The story involves the origin of the puja, the benefits of it, and the potential mishaps that may occur with the careless performance of the puja.
The prayer concludes with an Aarti
Aarti
Aarti , also spelled arathi, aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor is offered to one or more deities...
, which consists of revolving a small fire-lit-lamp in the vicinity of an image of the Lord. After the puja is over, participants and observers of the puja are required to ingest in the prasad
Prasad
Prasād is a mental condition of generosity, as well as a material substance that is first offered to a deity and then consumed...
that was offered and blessed by the Lord......
Puja (Prayer) Vidhi (performing method)
The Satyanarayan Puja is performed in reverence to the NarayanNarayan
Narayan may refer to:*Narayana, an Indian name, an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu*Narayanan, an Indian name*Narain, an Indian name- People :*Aditya Narayan, Indian television show host*Anand Narayan, Indian television personality...
form of Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. The Lord in this form is considered an embodiment of truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
.
Performing this puja in the evening is considered more appropriate. However one can do it in the morning as well. On the day of the puja, the devotee has to fast
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
. After bathing the person can begin the puja.
Materials needed for the puja
- 'Sinni': A special type of food offering, which is prepared by mixing unboiled milk, flour, sugar, smashed bananas, and other flavours like cinnamon etc., or optional garnishing like groundnuts, cashews, cherries, crushed coconuts/fruits etc.
- KumkumKumkumKumkum , is a powder used for social and religious markings in Hinduism. It is either made from turmeric or saffron...
powder, turmericTurmericTurmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
powder, rangoliRangoliRangoli is a traditional decorative folk art from India. These are decorative designs made on floors of living rooms and courtyards during Hindu festivals and are meant as sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities. The ancient symbols have been passed on through the ages, from each generation to... - Incense sticks, camphor.
- Thirty betelBetelThe Betel is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepper and Kava. It is valued both as a mild stimulant and for its medicinal properties...
leaves, thirty betel nuts, two coconuts. - Five almonds,
- Flowers to offer
- One thousand tulsiTulsiOcimum tenuiflorum Ocimum tenuiflorum Ocimum tenuiflorum (also tulsi, tulasī, or Holy Basil is an aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae which is native throughout the Old World tropics and widespread as a cultivated plant and an escaped weed. It is an erect, much branched subshrub 30–60 cm...
leaves; banana tree as a canopy http://hariharji.com/ - One square shaped wooden platform
- Two copper jars, two plates.
- One shawl
- A mixture of milk, curd, honey, sugar, ghee to make the panchamritaPanchamritaPanchamrita is a mixture of five foods used in Hindu worship and puja, usually honey, sugar, milk, yoghurt, and ghee.-Etymology:Pañcāmṛta is a Sanskrit compound of two words:, 'five'....
, Sandal paste. - Akshat (rice grains) with kumkum powder.
- AttarAttarAbū Hamīd bin Abū Bakr Ibrāhīm , better known by his pen-names Farīd ud-Dīn and ‘Attār , was a Persian Muslim poet, theoretician of Sufism, and hagiographer from Nīshāpūr who had an abiding influence on Persian poetry and Sufism.-Biography:Information about Attar's life is rare...
, Indian perfume. - Two flower garlands, conch shell, bell, a cloth, a ghee lamp and an oil lamp.
- 1 kg of raw rice
- 1 kg of sajjige as prasadam
- 6 numbers of coconuts after completing each katha.
Shri Satyanarayan Katha
Shri Satyanarayan katha (narrative) comes from the Skanda PuranaSkanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
's Reva khanda. Suta Puranik
Suta
Sūta refers both to the bards of Puranic stories and to a mixed caste. According to Manu Smriti the sūta caste are children of a Kshatriya father and Brahmin mother. The narrator of the several of the Puranas, Ugrasrava Sauti, son of Lomaharshana, was also called Sūta. Authorities are divided on...
narrated these stories, in Neimishaaranya to the Rishis who were performing a 1,000 year yajna for the benefit of mankind led by Shounakji.
For those who observe the fast religiously and regularly, there are some great lessons to be learned from the 'katha' (narration)
This is shown by characters who ignored their promise to perform the puja after their wish had been fulfilled. They suffered as a result. Therefore one is to deduce that one must stick to the promise given to the Lord in exchange of the desire fulfilled by His Grace. One is not to ignore or/and forget the Lord's Grace. Prasad is symbolic of God's Grace which Kalavati ignored as she learned of her husband's safe return.
One can understand her eagerness in wanting to be re-united with her beloved, but one must understand that if one forgets to be thankful for gifts received from the Lord, one would have to go through another test until one remembers to remember.
When the rich merchant is asked what the boat contains, he untruthfully replies 'Only dry leaves' and the Mendicant says 'So be it' The above incident tells us that the spoken word has power. What you speak, manifests. Hence one must not speak an untruth. Especially an inauspicious untruth.
In the last story one learns that no one is higher or lower in status in the eyes of the Lord.
Hence one must accord respect to whoever it may be, who is taking the name of God.
Further reading
- Thousand Names of Vishnu and Satyanarayan Vrat (ISBN 1-877795-51-8) by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir.
External links
- Sri Satya Narayan Katha & Vidhi Sri Satyanarayan Puja Vidhi and Katha.(Hindi)
- www.odia.org The Oriya book of Shree Satyanarayana Pala is available here.