Vedic Religion

[Anand V. Hudli]

On Wed, 28 Jul 1999 07:51:00 -0700, Ravi <miinalochanii at YAHOO.COM> wrote:



>1) Verse of puruSha suuktam is often used in the shoDasha upachara
>puuja, like they say a verse and then offer upavitam samarpyaami namaH,
>and so on. Sometimes I find the verses not always relevant to what is
>being offered (I am wrong here). And why is puruSha suuktam always
>used? These suuktams are also chanted when abhishekams are performed.
>Even while performing abhishekam for ambaaL, I have heard puruSha
>suuktam chanted.

    As per tradition, the purushha sUkta is used. But not exclusively
    always. For rudra-abhishheka, the rudra-chamaka is also used, and
    for gaNapati-pUjA, the atharva-shIrshha is also used. For the
    abhishheka of devI, I use the devI-sUkta of the R^ig veda, although
    I think the yajurvedins may use the durgA sUkta of the mahAnArAyaNa
   upanishhad. There are several abhishheka mantras or hymns. The
   purushha sUkta and the rudra-chamaka are, of course, highly recommended
   by commentators such as sAyaNa.

>
>2) When is guru puurNima? Today or puurNima of the next month, I think
>there are two different traditions.

  This was today or yesterday depending on how you calculated it.
   The full moon of next month is going to be the upAkarma ceremony when
  the sacred thread (yajnopavIta) is changed.

 Anand