SrI:
Dear All : A friend of mine asked me to send him a quick write up in English on
PavithrOthsavam since his temple wishes to conduct PavithrOthsavam at their
Community Temple.
I thought of sharing this quickly prepared essy with you all to encourage you
to attend the PavithrOthsavam at the dhivya dEsams . This is the season !
NamO NaarAyaNAya ,
V.Sadagopan
THE PAVITHROTHSAVAM
BY
V.SADAGOPAN
This is an annual festival (uthsavam) at the Hindu Temples and is conducted
over 3, 5 ,7 or 9 days during the lunar calendar months of SraavaNam ,
Aasvayugam and Bhadrapatham ( July , August and September). This is an
uthsavam conducted
according to the codes of worship prescribed by Vaikaanasa or Paancharaathra
Aagamaas for temple worship. The main purpose of this uthsavam is to restore
the sanctity and the power of the Moorthys worshipped at the temple .
Pavithram means a sacred , holy and sanctified object like the consecrated
images of the Moorthys worshipped at the Temple
according to prescribed Vedic and Aagamic procedures . Once the vital power of
the Lord is invoked in these consecrated
images of the Lord and His consorts through prathishtai , it would be a great
sin to view these images as being made up of
stone , wood or metal . By infusion of the sanctity and power of the Lord ,
these images become Pavithram . We perform
daily worship to such consecrated images to bless us and grow our spiritual
progress day by day.
Why do we perform Pavthrothsavam annually ?
**************************************************************
During every day of the year, there are lapses and mistakes made in the worship
of the divine couple . These lapses creep in and
accumulate over time in a conscious or unknowing manner. Some of these lapses
and errors arise (1) due to missiing or
mispronouncing Veda mantrams or (2) due to the archakaas ( officiating priests)
rushing through the prescribed steps of
daily worships ( 16 upachaarams and six Aasanams) or (3) due to the suboptimal
body cleanliness of the priests or
the (visiting) devotees resulting in a polluted environment . Thus, any number
of trespasses (apachaarams) and omisisons or shortcuts might have resulted
during the course of an year's worship. The integrated effect of these lapses
result in the gradual dimunition of the sanctity and power of the Moorthys that
are being worshipped. The affected Moorthys become inappropriate for the
conductance of our daily worship as a result of these lapses and carelessness
on our part .
How do we restore the Sanctity and Saannidhyam ( presence of the Divine Power)
?
***********************************************************************************************************
The annual performance of the Pavithrothsavam as per the steps prescribed by
one or the other VaishNavite Aagamas restores the power and saannidhyam in
the Moorthys for whom we perform daily Aaraadhanam .Our Lord responds to our
contrition/
repentance (nirvedham) over our lapses and responds by becoming present (100
percent ) in His consecrated images that are being worshipped at that temple .
Pavithrothsavam takes place in a specially designed area of the temple known as
Yaaga Saalaa , where homams (offerings in
fire to the accompaniment of Veda Mantrams) take place over 3 0r 5 or 7 or 9
days both in the Mornings and Evenings . The
processional deity ( uthsava Moorthy) visits the Yaaga Saalaa during these
homams . His servants like Vishvaksenar , Garudan
and a host of others protect the directions and help in the successful
completion of the Homams . There are special fire pits
( Agni kuntams) , where the special offerings ( havis) are presented . The
whole uthsavam consists of myriad details including the
placement of vessels of silver or brass (Kumbhams )containing water to be
consecrated over the duration of the Pavithrothsavam . Paalikais ( eartheren
vessels containing seeds for germination ) are watered daily and preserved
throughout
the uthsavam . The havis placed in the sacred fire to the accompaniment of
various Veda Mantrams are a special kind of grain
known as Yavam , Paddy , bamboo rice , Flowers , fragrant incense , ghee, twigs
form special trees , fruits , Paayasam , Pongal
and plain cooked rice (suddha annam).The mantrams associated with individual
offerings are recited 108 times. Ghee is the most
important ingredient , when other material for homam are not available. Saanthi
homam is done at the end of each day's sessions
at the Yaaga Saalaa. On the final day, a grand offering consisting of many
ingredients is made in the sacrificial fire . This grand
offering is known as Poornaahuthi .
The kinds and lengths of the Pavithra maalais ( necklaces /garlands) used
during the Pavitrothsavam
***********************************************************************************************************************************
These Maalais are the unique objects associated with this uthsavam . They are
of different lengths for adorning the different limbs
of the Moorthys and are made up of cotton threads linked by knots. The number
of these cotton threads to be used for
different Moorthys are prescribed by the Aagamaas and these threads forming the
Maalais are soaked in turmeric water to give
their distinct yellow color . Besides the number of cotton threads specified ,
there are specifications in the number of knots that
a particular maalai can have . Some of the maalais have 27 or 50 or 75 or 100
or 200 threads and based on the particular limb of
the Lord , these maalais can have 27, 32 ,41 or 108 knots . For instance , the
dhruva bhEram ( Moola Moorthy ) , the procesisonal deity , the divine consorts
of the Lord ( Sri Devi and Bhu Devi) adorn specifically constrcuted pavithra
maalais .
Post-Poornaahuthi steps
********************************
Once the Poornahuthi ceremony is completed , the main (Soma) Kumbham containing
the consecrated water is carried on the head of the officiating priest and
carried ceremoniously into the sanctum . The sacred water inside the Kumbham is
now sprinkled on the different limbs of the Lord and Pavithra Maalais are
placed on those limbs of the Lord and around the neck of the Lord . After few
minutes of adornment by the Lord , the Maalais are removed with the recitation
of appropriate Veda Mantrams . This way the reduced power in the Moorthys are
restored for another year's devout worship. In the evening , the processional
deities are taken around for all to enjoy .Special prasaadhams are prepared
for the Lord during the day and distributed to the assembled devotees.
The need for Competent Priests to conduct the Multi-faceted PavithrOthsavam
****************************************************************************************************
There are many steps in PavithrOthsavam such as anuj~nai ( seeking permission
to perform the uthsavam from the Lord ) ,
ankurArpaNam ( planting of special seeds in earthern containers with soil for
germination of seeds ) , Mrudh SangrahaNam
( collection of soil for planting the seeds and seeking the permission of BhUmi
Devi ) , VaasudEva Punyaahavachanam
( as the first step to cleanse the Uhtsavam site) , invocation of different
devathais to protect the directions of the Yaaga Saalaa ,
creation of the special fire pits to hold the consecrated fire used in the
different homams during the mornings and the evenings
of the uthsavam days (ChakrAbhja Mandalam and other two or three of special
geometric shapes) , Kumbha sTaapanam ( consecration and the placement of the
vessels to hold the water to be used at the end ot the Uthsavam ) ,
Saannidhya Yaachanam in the Mahaa kumbham , Agni Prathishtai , the Placement
of the basket containing the specially ( laboriously) prepared Pavitra Maalais
of specific dimensions , Agni Prathishtai , the Performance of the various
homams at the main and the auxilary Homa Kuntams ( Fire pits) and many other
activities . The above listing of activities is not in a sequential order and
is for illustartion purposes only .
Form the myriad of these highly skilled activities by well trained priests , it
is clear that successful PavithrOthsavam can be conducted only by competent
Aagamic experts. It is a rigorous uthsavam to offset the major deficencies
accrued over a period of
one year in Bhagavath AarAdhanam and to ask the Lord's forgivance for the
apachArams as well as to restore His sanctity
in the archaa Moorthys of the Temple. It is a fulfilling experience to sponsor
, participate and experience such an important uthsavam that kindles the
flame of divinity at the Temple and showers auspiciouness on the community of
the Lord's devotees .
Subhamasthu !
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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