[Advaita-l] Rgveda nitya devatArchana vidhi - Question for Rg-vedins

[Anand Hudli]

Balasubramanian Ramakrishnan wrote:

> Can someone post what important suktas are taught separately for prayoga such
>as pUjAs? Please also give the exact reference if possible, i.e, which
>maNDala it belongs to, etc.

I have presented below the Rg vedic mantras that are commonly utilized
in what is called nitya pUjA, the daily pUjA.. On special occasions
and festivals, the pUjA may follow a somewhat different method, for
example,
the "kalpokta pUjA", involving different dravyas (materials) as the
occasion may require. As another example, in the case of vrata related
pUjAs, there is a lot of emphasis on using a wide variety of leaves
and flowers.

Also, special occasions call for special mantras. The PradoSha pUjA
will require even a Rg vedin to employ the Rudra Prashna and Chamaka
from the Yajurveda for abhiSheka purposes. However, there is also a
Pancha Rudra Sukta (5 sUktas dedicated to Rudra, see below) in the
Rgveda that can also be used. The Ganesha Chaturthi pUjA will require
that he chant the gaNapati atharva shIrSha during abhiSheka. I have
even seen instances where different mantras
from the atharva shIrSha were used for ShoDashopachAra, just as the
puruSha sUkta mantras are during the nitya pUjA. Recently, Shri
Bhaskar mentioned that namaka mantras are used for the same purpose,
of course,
during shiva pUjA. In addition, the usage of tilAkShata (black sesame
mixed with white rice) is also a special feature of shiva pUjA, as is
the usage of bilva leaves. The emphasis of the pUjA also differs from
deity to deity.
Shiva is fond of abhiSheka, so this aspect of the shiva pUjA tends to
be elaborate. ViShNu is alaMkAra priya, devI is fond of stuti,
gaNapati is fond of naivedya, and sUrya likes namaskAras. Thus we have
the namaskAras
associated with the tRcha, three Riks from the Rgveda (1.50.11-13),
extolling sUrya. Special mention should be made of the Rik "jAtavedase
sunavAma" (1.99.1) which is used in durgA worship, especially during
navarAtrI.
It is used for nyAsa and AvAhana as well. I have participated in a
durgA homa where offerings were made with just this one mantra. There
are also the devI sUkta (10.125), the rAtrI sUkta (10.127), the
sarasvatI sUkta (6.61 and other
sUktas), and the shrI sUkta, which are commonly used in devI pUjA.

The RgvedIya brahmakarmasamuccaya is an excellent source for prayoga,
as far as Rgvedins are concerned. Another excellent source is the
"Rgveda Prayoga deepikA" by Veda Brahma Shri Dhali Lakshmi Narasimha
Bhat.
As far as I know, this book is available only in Kannada script.

Rgveda mantras below are to be recited only after stating the Rishi,
devatA, Chandas, and Viniyoga. The numbers in the parentheses indicate
maNDala, sUkta, and mantra. For example, (10.90.1) stands for the
first mantra in the ninetieth sUkta of the tenth maNDala.

svasharIra malodvAsana-

yebhyo mAtA (10.63.3)

evA pitre (4.50.6). Also occurs in the atharva veda (20.88.6) and
taittirIya saMhitA (1.8.22.2).

Rgvedic gAyatrI (3.62.10) as part of prANAyAma.

KalashArchanam - gaN^gAdyAvAhana-

imaM me gaN^ge (10.75.5). Also occurs in Taittirya AraNyaka (10.1.13)

svAN^ganyAsa using puruSha sUkta mantras (10.90)

Aditya AvAhana -

A kRShNena rajasA (1.35..2)

AMbikA AvAhana-

gaurIrmimaya salilAni (1.164.41) . Also occurs in the atharva veda
(9.10.21, 13.1.42), taittirIya brAhmaNa (2.4.6.11) and AraNyaka
(1.9.4)

viShNvAvAhana -

idaM viShNur vichakrame (1.22.17). Also occurs in the atharva veda
(7.26.4) and taittirIya saMhitA (1.2.13.1).

gaNapatyAvAhana -
gaNAnAM tva (2.23.1). Also occurs in the taittirIya saMhitA (2.3.14.3).

IshAnAvAhana -

tamIshAnam (1.89.5).

Purusha sUkta (10.90) mantras are used for ShoLashopachAra pUjA, such
as Asana, pAdya, Arghya, and AchamanIya.

malApakarShaNa snAna -

Apo hi ShThA (10.9.1-3, 3 mantras). This can be also be done with the
"hiraNyavarNAH shuchayaH" mantras.

panchAmRta snAna -

kShIrAbhiSheka-

A pyAyasva (1.91.16)

kShIrAbhiShekAnantaraM shuddhodakasnAna-

sadyojAtam prapadyAmi  mantra.

dadhyAbhiSheka -

dadhikrAvNo akAriShaM (4.39.6)

dadhyAbhiShekAnantaraM shuddhodakasnAna-

vAmadevAya namo mantra.

ghRtAbhiSheka -

ghRtaM mimikShe (2.3.11)

ghRtAbhiShekAnantaraM shuddhodakasnAna-

aghorebhyo .atha mantra.

madhvabhiSheka -

madhu vAtA (1.90.6-8). Three Riks.

madhvabhiShekAnantaraM shuddhodakasnAna-

tatpuruShAya vidmahe

sharkarAbhiSheka -

svAduH pavasva (9.85.6)

sharkarAbhiShekAnantaraM shuddhodakasnAna-

IshAnaH sarvavidyAnAm mantra.

phalodaka snAna -

yA phalinIH (10.97.15)

panchAmRtasnAnanantaram shuddhodaka snAna -

Apo hi ShThA (10.9.1-3)

mahAbhiSheka -

pursuSha sUkta (10.90)

ato devA ( VishNu sUkta 1.22.16-21).

sadyojAtAdi mantras.

shrI sUkta (Rgveda Khila).

Other sUktas, such as Rgvedic Pancha Rudra sUkta (1.43, 1.114, 2.33,
6.74, and 7.46), devI sUkta (10.125), ganesha sUkta (8.81,
10.112.9-10, 2.23.1), and saura sUkta (1.50 and other sUktas) may also
be chanted.

The Pancha Rudra consists of the following:

kadrudrAya prachetase (1.43).

imA rudrAya (1.114).

A te pitar marutAM (2.33).

somArudrA dhArayethAM (6.74).

imA rudrAya sthiradhanvane (7.46)

and other mantras such as the mRtyuvimochanI Rk, tryaMbakaM yajAmahe (7.59.12).

For more details on Rgvedic hymns used in gaNesha worship, see my
article on gaNesha:
http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/1996-September/005289.html

The sarasvatI sUkta, used in devI pUjA, consists of the following:

pAvakA na (1.3.10-12, 3 mantras).

rAkAmaham (2.32.4-8, 5 mantras).

ambItame nadItame (2.41.16-18, 3 mantras).

A no divo (5.43.11).

iyamAdadAd (6.61).

pra kShodasA (7.95).

bRhadu gAyiShe (7.96).

sarasvatIM devayanto (10.17.7-9, 3 mantras).

vastra samarpaNam -

yuvaM vastrANi (1.152.1)

yajnopavIta samarpaNam -

yajnopavItaM paramaM pavitraM... mantra.

gandha vilepanam -

gandhadvArAm durAdharShAM... mantra.

AbharaNa samarpaNam -

hiraNyarUpasya hiraNyasaMdRgapAM (2.35.10).

kuMkumAlaMkaraNam -

yA gungUryA sInivAlI (2.32.8).

OR saktumiva tita unA (10.71.2).

sarvAlaMkAra samarpaNam -

ahiriva bhogaiH (6.75.14).

sa chitra chitram (6.6.7).

akShata samarpaNam -

upAsmai gAyatA (9.11.1).

puShpasamarpaNam -

Ayane te parAyaNe (10.142.8).

dhUpam -

yatpuruSham vyadadhuH (puruSha sUkta mantra 10.90.11).

dIpam -

brAhmaNo .asya mukhamAsIt (10.90.12)

naivedyam -

chandramA manaso (10.90.13).

tAMbUlam -

nAbhyA AsIdantarikSham (10.90.14).

dakShiNAsamarpaNam -

dakShiNAshvaM dakShiNA (10.107.7)

nIrAjanam -

hiraNyapAtraM madho ...

tadit samAnamAshAte ... sukratuH (1.25.6-10, 5 Riks).

saMsRShTaM dhanamubhayam (10.84.7).

Rcho akShare (1.164.39).

archata prArchata (8.69.8).

shriye jAtaH (9.94.4).

shriya evainam ... mantra.

mantrapuShpam -

saptAsyAsan paridhayastriH (10.90.15) or yajnena yajnamayajanta (10.90.16).

tadviShNoH paramaM padam (1.22.20).

tadviprAso vipanyavo (1.22.21).

rAjAdhirAjAya prasahya sAhine ... mantra.

pradakShiNanamaskAra -

yajnena yajnamayajanta (10.90.16).

prasAdasvIkaraNam -

ayam me hasto (10.60.12).

tIrtha saN^grahaNam -

shrAvayedasya karNA (4.29.3).

acChA yo gantA (4.29.4).

Anand