pUJA CereMONIeS FOr OUr COMMUNITIeS
The upadhyaya is a Brahmin priest who conducts all the religious rituals for a family, including pujas, marriages, funerals, and housewarming, thread, and annual death ceremonies, as Geetaji wrote in a letter advising of Nataraj Shastri’s visit. Acquainted with Guruji since childhood, Nataraja Shastri was trained by Sri Radha Krishna Shastri, Guruji’s previous upadhyaya. Nataraja Shastri, one of the most highly regarded Vedic scholars in Pune, has been providing Vedic ritual services for 40 years. He is the patron of many temples and has officiated at all the major Vedic rituals conducted at the Iyengar Institute in Pune since 1975. He is perhaps best known to the worldwide Iyengar community for his recording of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, available from RIMYI.
James Murphy
Iyengar Yoga communities in the United States were blessed this summer with puja ceremonies performed by V. S. Nataraja Shastrigal, Upadhyaya to Guruji’s family.
V. S. Nataraja Shastrigal, Upadhyaya to Guruji’s family, conducts the puja July 24 in New York.
Nataraj Shastri also conducted a puja on Guru Purnima day at the home of Patricia Walden in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He chanted the Ganapati Puja, Vishnu Sahasranamam (1008 names of Lord Vishnu), Sri Rudram Chamakam (to Rudra, an aspect of Lord Shiva), Purusasuktam, Sri-suktam, Devi-suktam, and Shanti Panchakam.
The timing of Nataraja Shastri’s visit coincided with the installation of a newly arrived Patanjali statue at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Los Angeles. The auspicious timing of the puja, beginning at 5:30 AM July 12, coincided with a workshop held by Manouso Manos; the prior evening marked the Institute’s annual benefit and summer celebration, which this year honored the memory of Mary Dunn. “Word of the puja ceremony spread,” remembers Garth McLean of the Los Angeles association, “drawing people from far and wide—men, women, and children, including one still in the womb, whose parents came for the special vibrational blessings. Their bouncing baby boy was born the first week of August.” The event, “a harmonic merging of cultures,” says McLean, created “a new beginning, a fresh energy” for the entire local Iyengar Yoga community.
On July 24, Nataraja Shastri performed a puja at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York. Geetaji wrote about this program: “Shastri will start with Punyah Vacanam. He will sanctify the water, and this consecrated water will be sprinkled everywhere. Then he will do Ganapati Puja. After Puja he does samkalpam. Samkalpam means the auspicious decision to be taken with oath.” Samkalpam was given in honor of the memory of Senior Teacher Mary Dunn and on behalf of all the Institute teachers.
“Although the mantras are difficult to understand, if one gives ears to them, listens with attention wholeheartedly, they bring the citta prasadanam.“ Nataraj Shastri performed rites of purification and sanctification, reciting the mantras of Navagraha Shanti, Purusa-suktam, Sri-suktam, Dhanvantari mantram, Sudarshana mantram, and Shanti mantram. For those who gathered to listen, the continuous chanting of these sacred mantras was a rare opportunity to be immersed in the ancient yogic wisdom of the Vedic sages.
Geetaji’s explanation continued: “After Samkalpam he will do Navagraha Shanti and Nakshatra Shanti. The nine planets and 27 stars will be prayed to and pacified so that their blessings will shower on all present there, whose names will be uttered in Samkalpam. The planets and stars are far from us, yet the cosmic energy that has to flow without any obstacle can be obstructed by the planets and stars. Therefore, such pacifying and peace-establishing mantras are uttered
Geetaji, in her letter to the Iyengar Yoga communities where the pujas were held, wrote: “Although the mantras are difficult to understand, if one gives ears to them, listens with attention wholeheartedly, they bring the citta prasadanam.1 They lead one to establish calmness, quietness and peace. It is a kind witnessing of the Vedas and is agama pramana.2 “The jnana comes gradually by listening to them often. As a practitioner or sadhaka of yoga, it is the duty of every student to listen to them patiently, through which manana, chintana, jnana and dhyana become possible… Sravanam (hearing) will lead towards mananam and nidhi dhyasanam.” 3 23
Fall 2009 / Winter 2010
Yoga Samachar
