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Home > Temples of Kerala > Temple rites Praana-prathishthaWith the approval of all those associated with the rite the Aachaarya with the help of his assistants ,takes the bimba, by holding it by its feet (or at the hexagonal position in case of Siva-linga), thrice around the peetha in pradakshirta (clock-wise circumambulation) and places it on the peetha touching the napumsaka sila. At this sacred moment the dhyaana is such that the bimba represents aakaasa and Purusha and peetha the earth, with prayers that these forces unite and prevail there for the benefit of devotees and people. It is ensured that the bimba is in up-right position without any tilt. The prathishta-manthras (different for each deity) are recited followed by vyaapaka, pushpaanjali and Rk-manthra for uniting the sakthis of Prakrthi and Purusha. In case of Siva-linga the manthras are elaborate. Then the joints, between peetha and the bimba are filled up with nava-rathnas, gold and river-sand. The bimba is then fixed with the peetha by applying ashtabandha142 at the crevices. When ashtabandha is applied sakthi-manthra for peetha, moola-manthra for bimba, and navasakthi-manthra.for ashtabandha are recited followed by aavaahana by nyaasa and neeraajana. Then gold is kept over the head of the bimba and abhisheka done with kumbhesa kalasam and again by neerajana. Then abhisheka of nidrakalasa is done by manthras of pancha-thathwas and moolaakshara and completed with maanasa-pooja and offering of flowers. For bimbas of Ganapathi and Subramanya milk and honey taken in separate pots are poured gently over the head of the idols thrice. Then by reciting pancha-thathwa manthras etc dravyas are sprinkled at the concerned points, before proceeding to jeeva-aavaahana. In respect of Subramattya and Saastha abhisheka of kumbhesa-kalasa water has to be done before jeeva-aavaahana. Jeeva-aavaahana or invoking the power of jeeva to the bimba is an important rite. For each deity the mode and manthras are different and the characters and the sankalpa of each deity also different. But the general procedure is summarized as follows. The Aachaarya takes a sankh (conch) full of water and purifies it by asthra-manthra followed by reciting manthras of all thathwas Ueevaadi-thathwas for Siva, sakthiaadi-thathwas for Bhadrakaali, pancha-thathwas and srishti-samhaara thathwas for Vishnu, pancha-thathwas for Durga, Ganapathi and Saastha, Kshetranja-thathwa for Subramanya etc) along with the concemed moola-manthra. Then the sankh with purified water is taken with great concentration from (moolaadhaara) to the anaahatha (heart) positions of the Aachaarya. The concept here is that the jeeva-chaithanya is kindled at the moolaadhara and slowly taken up to the position of the heart by chanting hrdaya-manthras, and then slowly moved up to the .position of bhroo-madhya by reciting siva-thathwa manthras, and by dhyaana the chaithanya is further elevated through sushumaa-naadi and then passed through Ida-naadi and taken out by aavahana-manthra to the water in the sankh through the left nostril. Then the conch filled with water is taken to the position of heart chanting jeeva- manthras and visualising the figure of deity in mind .as per the sankalpa. The sankh- jala (water in the conch) is then poured over the head of the bimba with the sankalpa that the jeeva or power unites with the bimba through the bimba's sushumna-naadi This is followed by pranava-vyaapaka. The nyaasa is then done by fingers in five ways viz. upwards from feet to nose for praana, downwards from back of the head to the back of feet for apaana, all parts for vyaana, from stomach to eyes for udaan.a, from navel to heart for samaana. The other upa-praana nyaasas are done by fingers for different purposes and ways viz, Naaga with words, Koorma at eyes, Krikalan at nostrils, Devadathan at outersides, and Dhanjaya at innersides. All these rwaasas are done by specified manthras. Then waasa with padma-mudra is done conceiving eight-petalled lotus at the bimba-hrdaya (position of the heart of the bimba), each petal representing praana, buddhi, ahankara, and panch (five) sabda-thanmaathras. At the centre of padma, jeeva-thathwa is conceived. For Siva and Vishnu the manthras vary. The jeeva-aavaahana is completed with pooja (arghya-pushpaanjali). In this context there is yet another elaborate process known as Valia-jeeva-aavaahana and it is done for invoking greater chaithanya to the bimba. The Aachaarya (Thanthri) has then to recite the moola-manthra by placing his hands over the bimba apart from uniting the chaithanya of the bimba with the peetha, ie, the pervading force of the universe is limited to the praakaras and upto the point of sthupika. The Thanthri also conceiyes that the prasarana-sakthi (extent of the power) of the deity extends upto the Sreekovil or akatthe-balivattam or antha-haara or baahya-haara (outer pradakshinavazhi) or maryaada (outer-wall) or graamam or desom. (The limits of prasarana-sakthi thus determined at the time of prathishta influence the dhyaana- sankocha (rite of converging the deva-chaithanya to the hrdaya-kamala (anaahatha-chakra) of the vigraha) done at the time of naveekarana-kalasa after conducting anujna-kalasa. It is stipulated that Thanthri alone should be present during dhyaana-sankocha as other-wise the chaithanya of all those within the praakaaras will be converged to the idol. Improper conduct of dhyaana-sankocha even cause the life of the Thanthri. Further the expiatory rite (pariticularly on suddhi and asuddhi) is related to the limits of the prasarana-sakthi (praakaaras or graamam or desom). Therefore only learned Thanthris should conduct praana-prathishta or dhyaana-sankocha). This completes the jeeva-aavaahana rites and. the bimba (image) beomes a vigraha or idol with immense power for the benefit of the people. Only the main points are covered here, the intention being to give a broad out-line of the procedure. Needless to mention the power so invoked or quickened to the vigraha depends on the capability or sakthi of the Aachaarya (Thanthri), which he has to acquire by way of knowledge from thaanthric texts, dedicated practice of rituals from his childhood, concentration, pious life and above all his ardent faith in the supernatural power of the deity. The praana-prathishta time is the most auspicious time for darsan. When the prathishta rites are over, pooja is done to the vigraha with nivedya. It is to be noted that nivedya now offered is in effect a feast consisting of rice and chathur-vidha-vibhava. Then the Yajamaana gives prathishta-dakshina to the Aachaarya. Thanthra Samucchaya (Patala 6, sloka 86) stipulates that the remaining self-accrued wealth of the Yajamaana after building the temple and consecration rites has to be equally divided into three and set apart one part for nithya-nidaana of the temple, second part to the Thanthri (besides the articles given to Thanthri during rites) and the third part for the Yajamaaa's own future use.
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