Archanai

[DURGADASAN]

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When washing the lamp, thursdays are considered to be auspicious. Thursday evening is the time to receive mahalakshmi into our house. So wahing the lamps in thursday afternoon, lighting the same in evening of thrusday and friday will brings prosperity to the house. I saw in many houses, due to heavy job or some other things, they will lit lamps only on tuesdays and fridays. This should be avoided. As we are cooking daily and eating daily, atleast the divine lamp alone should be lighted daily. If not both mornings and evenings, atleast for a single time.

Pranams

 

[bhavana]

I agree with Swaminathasharma Sir.It is a fine explanation for archana.
bhavana

 

[andyaiyer]

Learn to do Archanai.

I am looking to learn how to do archanai. We have a temple in Illinois where temporarily the Vadyar has returned to India. While we have already identified and are in the process of finding a replacement, there is one person who is performing poojas for the diety. The main diety is Maha Laxmi. I would like to learn atleast how to do archanai for devotees who come to the temple on Saturdays. Any guidance is appreciated.

Certainly nothing like that mam. I conisder your name as amala. I call you "mam" thinking your gender and also considering the respect. Your parents can call you amala. Your sons and daughters will call you "mom". Your husband may call you with some special names. In angry, all these persons can call you with someother names. In happy moods, these same persons will call you with other set of different names. Your friends will call you with pet names. Like this, just a human being, we are having these much names, though we are identifed by a single name.


Archana is like this only. We are calling him with his so many names. Some archanas have their sound vibration (For example, lalitha trisadhi has namas starting with panchadasakshari), they have healing values. Doing archana can be done in both ways. Many persons can join and perform a deepa pooja and do archana for that orelse you can simply sit in your pooja room and do asthothara archana for your favourite god. Considering this as a private prayer or public prayer depends on your mentality and also the situation.

Our human mind is like a monkey, which always wanders here and there. Concentrating on a single thing (that too eternal thoughts) is a tough task. To concentrate our mind while performing pooja, the concept of archanai has been came. The archana will also describe us some of the valor of the particular god, his description, his compassion, etc. so that it will be very easy for the devotee to focus on the god.

The Archanai is chanting the names and glory of God with devotion. When the Archanai contains 108 respected names of God, it is called the ASHTOTHRA SATHAM. When it contains 1008 names, the Archanai is called the SAHASRANANAM and 300 is Thrisadhi. As our resources (time and material) permit, when we do Archanai with love, devotion and concentration, we can fulfill our wishes and obtain the God's grace and bliss.

PRANAMS

 

[sangom]

I am looking to learn how to do archanai. We have a temple in Illinois where temporarily the Vadyar has returned to India. While we have already identified and are in the process of finding a replacement, there is one person who is performing poojas for the diety. The main diety is Maha Laxmi. I would like to learn atleast how to do archanai for devotees who come to the temple on Saturdays. Any guidance is appreciated.

Shri Andy Iyer,

I think the following may be useful.

I think the following samkalpa should be sufficient.

...nakshatre ...rASau jAta:/jAtAyAH (females) ....SarmaNaH (males) / nAmneem (females) sakuTumbAnAm kshEma sthairya veerya vijaya AyurArOgya aiSvaryANAm abhivr^dhyartham samasta mangaLani avAptyartham Sree mahAlaksmi ashTottara SatanAma arcanam karishye |

...நக்ஷத்ரெ ...ராசௌ ஜாத: (for males)/ஜாதாயா: (for females) ... சர்மண: (males)/ ...நாம்னீம் ஸகுடும்பானாம் க்ஷேமஸ்தைர்ய வீர்ய விஜய ஆயுராரோக்ய ஐஸ்வர்யாணாம் அபிவ்ருத்த்யர்த்தம் ஸமஸ்த மங்களானி அவாப்த்யர்த்தம் ஸ்ரீ மஹாலக்ஷ்மி அஷ்டோத்தர சதநாம அர்ச்சனம் கரிஷ்யெ |

Then recite the Mahalakshmi ashTOttara SatanAmAvali one by one, offer flowers at the feet of the idol (deity), do dhoopam, deepam, naivedyam and neerAjanam (camphor, Arti). If the practice in that temple is to perform கர்ப்பூர ஆரதி only, you may follow that practice. Usually poojAris recite some mangaLa vAzhttu while giving prasad to the devotees but since this is only a make-shift arrangement- which the devotees also will know, and (from your name I surmise) as you must be a senior citizen, simple தீர்க்காயுஷ்மான் பவ or தீர்க்க சுமங்கலீ பவ should suffice.

You will get the Mahalakshmi Ashtottara slokam from the internet and it may be possible to list out the individual names from that and after adding Om as prefix and namaH as suffix with proper declension of each naama, you can do the arcanai.

In case you have difficulty, pl. let me know, I will have to type out the 108 names.

Other knowledgeable members will be able to give more accurate and appropriate guidance; you can then follow what they say.

Hope this helps you.

 

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To All: The Archani is just benifited to the Archker no way going to give any benifit to the offeredperson since this 108 or 1008 will chant by the archagar so he will get benifit. Origionly this chanting of Manthras only by the person who offer to the God, best way sit in silence and chant the Holy Names and get all benifites. s.r.k. Sri Durgaji and Vikramaji Your reply is wonderful, but my opinion is different. s.r.k.

 

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To All: Just i have viewed the postings from Mythili and wanted to say some thing, just offering archani to the name of god or any particular person nothing is going to wash their Karmas, only self satisfaction,for personal benifit one should chant the Holy names by themself only. s.r.k.

 

[saarangam]

IMO the archakar is performing the archana on behalf of the person (yajamanan)who can't do it by himself.In the sankalpam, the archakar prays to God to bestow his/her blessings on the yajamanan and his family. So if the archana is performed sincererly it will have a good effect on the yajamanan. But how sincere the present day archakars are ,we all know.

 

[sangom]

To All: Just i have viewed the postings from Mythili and wanted to say some thing, just offering archani to the name of god or any particular person nothing is going to wash their Karmas, only self satisfaction,for personal benifit one should chant the Holy names by themself only. s.r.k.

arcana, whether it should be done by oneself or can be done on one's behalf by another, whether reciting mentally is the correct thing, etc., are all matters of religious belief. Each person can adopt what he or she feels suitable. But when it comes to religion itself, which again is based on belief purely, will anyone accept the view that one's Karma cannot be washed away by any religious rite or prayer, but has to be endured and only by not accumulating fresh karmas, good and bad, liberation can be obtained?

 

[Nara]

I am really sorry to say the following -- I know this will sound quite offensive to many people, but I no longer can control myself, so please bear with me.

To me, logically speaking, Archanai is the most insulting thing one can do to do to God, especially if one believes in the God of Shankara or Ramanuja, particularly in the case of the followers of Ramanuja. At least in the case of Shankara, one could argue it is all illusion anyway. But, in the case of followers of Ramanuja, both the Vadakalai and Thenkalai, the individual jeeva is completely dependent upon the grace of Lord Sriman Narayana, and He is an ocean of compassion. Then, to even contemplate archanai for the sake of long life and riches is to think of God as a powerful megalomaniac who enjoys adulation. It is understandable if the archanai is done as swayam pryojanam, even if it is delusional.

Just think about it a little .....

 

[sangom]

I am really sorry to say the following -- I know this will sound quite offensive to many people, but I no longer can control myself, so please bear with me.

To me, logically speaking, Archanai is the most insulting thing one can do to do to God, especially if one believes in the God of Shankara or Ramanuja, particularly in the case of the followers of Ramanuja. At least in the case of Shankara, one could argue it is all illusion anyway. But, in the case of followers of Ramanuja, both the Vadakalai and Thenkalai, the individual jeeva is completely dependent upon the grace of Lord Sriman Narayana, and He is an ocean of compassion. Then, to even contemplate archanai for the sake of long life and riches is to think of God as a powerful megalomaniac who enjoys adulation. It is understandable if the archanai is done as swayam pryojanam, even if it is delusional.

Just think about it a little .....

Shri Nara,

I am not familiar with the SV terms; what does "swayam prayojanam" signify? Just for my knowledge pl.

 

[Nara]

....I am not familiar with the SV terms; what does "swayam prayojanam" signify? Just for my knowledge pl.

Shri sangom, this means the act itself is the goal, in other words, you do the archanai because you like it, not for any other objective.

SVs also start and end all karmas like sandyavandhanam, etc., with satveeka tyagam, which is a reminder that the karma is in fact done by the indwelling Lord himself.

regards ...

 

[DURGADASAN]

Prof. Nara ji

Am just like a drp of water when compared with you like an ocean. Anyhow I just want to get some clarifications, if the archana is swayamprayojana, what you SVs think about shri vishnusahasranamam, what you people think about azhwar pasurams. You can chant all, spread all the waves of bhakthi through them and especially and certainly not by archanai???

If Ramanuja hates such system of doing archana, then how he includes that in nithyapoojas of all Vishnu temples??? I think even in shrirangam archanai for both perumal and thayar is done everyday and especially on fridays. In Mylapore madhavaperumal temple, Vilwarchanai to "Mayuravalli thayar" is very famous and also special prarthana.

If doing archana is considered as a symbol of insult, what about then chanting the songs in praise of him? Ofcourse even the nama ends up just with one single name, the verses of songs goes like the tail of hanuman na...

Am asking these for clarifications only Nara ji as am not a SV.

Pranams

 

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To Durga Ji, In Perumal Temples no Archani because the Perumal is always sleeping, ( No COCONUT Offering at SRIRANGAM) and other SV temples. S.R.K.