'Puja' Flowers and other things used in 'puja' (Hindu Worship).: January 2016

Saturday, January 16, 2016

चन्दन - The Sandalwood !

"Chandan" (Sandalwood) used
to make a paste for Worship

The Sandalwood ("Chandan" in Hindi) is used in worships and religious occasions from ancient times. Most commonly it is used as a paste. The paste is obtained by rubbing a piece of sandalwood on a round granite slab and slowly adding water to it. This special purpose slab is called "Chanouta" in Hindi. The paste thus obtained is used by devotees themselves and offered to Gods during worship. Devotees apply it on the forehead and the earlobes (in shape according to their sects). For example "Vaishnavas" (Devotees of Vishnu) make a trident-like shape on the forehead while "Shaivas" (Devotees of Shiva) make three parallel lines. Same is with Gods Vishnu and Shiva. Almost all gods like Sandalwood due to its aroma which is considered divine. It is said to be helpful during the meditation and enhance concentration. Thus brings closer to divinity. 
"Chanowta"-the round flat stone slab on which
sandalwood is rubbed with water
to make a paste

                 There is a story related to God Krishna and his likeness for "Chandan" in the holy Hindu book "Srimadbhagawat Purana" written by Maharishi Ved Vyas. Krishna is invited to Mathura by his wicked uncle King "Kansa". Krishna and his elder brother Balarama were walking on the street of Mathura when they saw a woman with a hump on her back coming with a "Thal"(plate) of sandalwood paste. She could not walk erect and people called her "Kubdi". But Krishna addressed her as "Sundari" (Beautiful woman) and asked her where was she going. She answered that the "Chandan" was for King "Kansa" and she was going to his palace as a daily routine. But she was so impressed by the two brothers that she expressed her wish to apply sandalwood paste to foreheads of them. They happily agreed. She fulfilled her wish and asked Krishna why had he called her "Sundari" (Beautiful woman) while she was bent and could not walk erect. Everybody called her "Kubdi". Krishna laughed and said that she was really beautiful - thus saying he pressed her feet with his feet and holding her shoulder with one hand gave her chin an upward jolt with his other hand. And a miracle happened! Her hump was gone and she was erect. She was overwhelmed with joy and thanked Krishna. 

Chandan, Raktachandan and Chanowta

                 Sandalwood paste ("Chandanam") is also liked by Shiva. It is one of the things Shiva likes most. In the famous "Shiva Manas Stotram" written by Adishankaracharya there is an offering of "Chandanam" to Shiva. It is thus said in Sanskrit:- 

Ratnaih kalpitam aasanam himjalaih snanam ch divyambaram

Nana ratna vibhooshitam    mrigmadamodankitam chandanam

jatichampakvilvapatra  rachitam  pushpam  ch  dhoopam tatha

Deepam dev  dayanidhe  pashupate   hritkalpitam  grihyataam.

         (O God! O Kind one! O Master of animals! Please accept these-the throne made of jewels, cold water bath, the divine cloth studded with different jewels, the sandalwood paste mixed with musk scent, the handful of jasmine-Champa flowers with bael leaves, incense and lamp- I have imagined them in my heart.)

Sandalwood paste ("Chandanam") is applied to Shivalinga during his "Snanam"(bathing). It is then applied to him as "Tripunda" during his "Shringar" (decoration of diety). The name of "Chandana" also comes in "Lingashtakam" (the eight shloka prayer of 'Linga') as below:-     

Kumkuma  Chandana Lepit Lingam

Pankaja  Haara    Sushobhit Lingam

Sanchita Paapa Vinaashaka Lingam

Tat Pranamami Sadaa Shiva Lingam

(Means, I say my Namaskar to that 'Linga' which is applied with "Kumkuma &Chandana", that looks beautiful with a garland of lotus and destroys all accumulated "Papum").        

             The mantra to offer "chandanam" is as below:-

श्रीखण्डं चन्दनं दिव्यं गन्धाढयं सुमनोहरम्।

विलेपनं  च  देवेश    चन्दनं  प्रतिगृह्यताम्।।

                Sandalwood has many other uses. Due to its fine-grained wood, it is carved to make idols of gods or things of art. Sandalwood oil is also obtained from sandalwood. It has some medicinal properties. It is used in the making of incense sticks. A huge demand in India is from "Gutkha" industry. Due to the heavy demand and high market rate it has been exploited on a large scale legally and illegally. Jungles of South India has seen many smugglers of Sandalwood one of whom was legendary "Veerappan". 

                 One of its qualities is the scent in the wood remains intact till decades to come. Nowadays Chandana face packs are also used which contains Chandana powder. 

             Though this tree can grow even in North India it hardly can be saved from criminals. It is like having a tree of gold in one's backyard. Another problem is that this tree is hemiparasitic. Means it can grow to some height initially by itself but when grown up it needs a type of host plant nearby from which roots it gets mineral and water to sustain, grow and compete.     

Rakta-Chandan (Red sandalwood)              

Rakta-Chandan (Red-sandalwood)

Rakta-Chandan (Red sandalwood) is in fact not sandalwood. Both trees are totally different. While sandalwood is mostly found in western ghats, red-sandalwood is found in eastern ghat. Since both types of woods have the similar use in worship so both are called sandalwood. The paste of Rakta-Chandan is mostly used in the worship of goddesses like Durga, Kali, Tara and Gouri. In Shakti - Sadhana its importance is well known. It is also offered during "Ganesh-Ambika Pujan" whom it is offered with the following mantra, 

रक्तचन्दन संमिश्रं पारिजात समुद्भवम्। 

मयादत्तं  गृहाणाशु   चन्दनं  गंध  संयुतम्।।

Chandana woods for Puja are available at local shops and shops near some pilgrimage. Online it is available on Amazon. Links for some of the items are given below:-

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Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Shivalinga Flower - नाग-केसर पुष्प !

Shivalinga / Nagkeshar flower

                This flower is not so common and many devotees may not know about it. I too came to know about it a few years ago when I visited Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar, Orissa. They call it "Shivaling" flower. The flower seller inside the temple asked me if I wanted this special flower which was selling at Rs 5/- a piece. "What was special about it" I asked. They told me that it resembles a "Shiva-linga" with a hooded snake over it. It was enough to make me curious. They showed me the flower and its parts then only could I believe it. Due to this shape it is considered a holy flower and loved by Shiva. It is offered to God Shiva only.  

             Shivalinga flower is known by different names in different regions of India. In Bengali it is known by "Nagkeshar", in Kannada by "Nagalinga", in Telugu "Nagamalli" and in Tamil by "Lingam". Its tree grows up to a height of about 30 m and bears big ball like fruits that are edible to animals. Commonly it is known as 'Cannonball Tree' in English. It flowers abundantly and looks beautiful when whole tree is covered in flowers that are scented. And due to this fact it is grown as ornamental tree in western countries where it has no religious importance.  "Couroupita Guianensis" is its botanical name. 

              It is believed that origin of this tree is in Latin America. From Guyana it was brought to Sri Lanka where Buddhists revere it believing it related to Buddha. 

               Its fruit and parts of the tree have some medicinal properties useful to treat high BP, pain, common cold, malaria and skin conditions. This tree is grown near Shiva temples in India.