|
Home > Temples of Kerala > Temple rites Temple ritesThe priests in Kerala include different categories like Thanthri and Saanthikkars and they have to traditionally follow certain well-laid down rules and procedures. Of these the most important is his initiation (manthropadesa) to the pooja system by a qualified Guru.or Aachaarya at the appropriate age (details .of which are already discussed in paragraph 2.3). The Guru. of the priest must be a saadhaka having both mental and physical capabilities and should have thorough knowledge on scriptures, mode of worship and also intricacies of thaanthric worship. In Saarada-thilaka thanthra it is stated that Guru. is not to be looked upon as a mortal. He who does so can never attain siddhi by the repetition of manthras and worship of Devathas. The reason for this is that the human Guru. is but the channel through ,whom Grace descends, and is the material emodiment of Siva or Brahman, who is the Supreme Guru.. Once the priest obtains manthropadesa he has to regularly practice them and inculcate them in his daily routine by different modes like upa-chaara, yajna, vratha, mandala-manthra-japa, nyaasa, bhootha-suddhi, mudra, dhyaa samkara,etc. Before commencement of any kind of pooja the priest has necessarily to have deha-suddhi ie. Bath and wearing of fresh or new clothes according to thaanthric tradition. This is part of external purification. Internal purification is more important and this cannot be achieved in a day or two. Constant practice of various prescribed samskaaraas and total surrender to . God are essential pre-requisites for achieving this. As a prelude to any rite, pooja is done with the following rituals. The priest commences the pooja by sitting over an aavana-palaka either in padmaasana or svasthikaasana and commences the various arigas (parts) of the pooja viz thaala-thraya, agni-praakara-thraya, dasa-dig-bandha, pranayaama, naada-sodhana, shadanga-nyaasa, deha-suddhi, sankha-poorana, aathmaaraadhana etc by chanting manthras as well as showing mudras. As manthras are innumerable and beyond the scope of this volume they are not reproduced. However the sankalpas or purposes of each of the above steps along with concerned mudras are of greater interest to the common reader, particularly considering their significance, they are briefly discussed as follows. Vyaapaka: Here it is conceived that hands are consumed by fire and new hands emerged in their places for performing sacred rites. It is followed by nyaasa by using fingers based on three gunas (srishti, sthhithi and samhaara) by chanting manthras. Kara-nyaasa comprises the touching of each finger by the thumb ie, from the fore-finger to little finger of the right hand followed by touching the little finger to the fore-finger of the left hand by reciting concerned manthras. This is considered as srishti. The reverse order is samhaara. The same order (ie from fore-finger to little finger) for both hands represent sthhithi. Once again nyaasas are done for srishti and sthhithi poses. Thus there are five types of nyaasa. By chanting manthra of the concerned deity parts of the body are then wiped by both palms, ie the left hand and left elbow by the right palm, right hand and right elbow by left palm, front of the body by both palms, right leg by right palm and left leg by left palm. The Sankalpa here is to extend Deva-chaithanya in the outer areas of the body of the priest. Thaala-thraya: This is done by clapping the palms at three points ie.heart, over the head and above the head, the principle being that man exists in bhoolaka (earth), aakaasa-loka (air) and other lokas above it. In thaanthric concept they represent Agni-khanda, Soura-khanda and Soma-khanda while in Vedic terminology they are bhoo-loka, bhuvar-loka and svar-loka (bhur-bhuvasva-loka). The manthra used is asthra-manthra. The sankalpa here is to condense all powers of the Universe within the aathma of the priest. Dasa-dig-bandha: The principle of dasa-dig-bandha is to create a fort around the priest by manthra-chaithanya so that he is protected- from all baahya vrtthis (external activities) and safe guarded from all bad influences. This is done by chanting asthra-manthra and showing asthra-mudra towards all the eight directions commencing from his front and in a circular way, besides up and down, thus making ten. Shadanga-nyaasa: Shadanga-nyaasa (literally means touching six parts) of the body ie, heart, head, hair, chest (including hands), eyes, and palms with the Deha-suddhi: The important concepts associated with it are soshana, dahana and plavana thereby it is assumed that the body of the priest is re-born and has all the qualities of the deity (manthra-moortthi).
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
