Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna [Paperback]

Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

By worshiping Shiva, we cultivate the qualities of infinite consciousness, freedom from attachment, and freedom from bondage to this world of objects and relationships. We cultivate the attitude of perceiving the intrinsic reality, not the extrinsic appearance. We identify with that which does not change, and become the witness of the changes of nature. From this perception, we act and interact with the world remembering the eternal reality. We free ourselves from pain and fear, and see them as passing states of mind, accepting the will of God.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When Swami Satyananda's guru invited him to trek into the Himalayas, he asked what he should bring along. "Nothing," came the reply. Fifteen years later, Swamiji knew the mountain pathways as well as the Hindu systems of worship. His numerous books and translations of ancient Sanskrit texts are available all over India, as well as in the United States, and he is widely regarded as a Master of the ancient Vedic fire ceremony and other systems of worship. Now Swamiji invites us to trek into the Himalayas and listen and learn from the sadhus of the mountains.

Product Details

• Paperback: 485 pages
• Publisher: Sunstar Pub Ltd (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887472622
• ISBN-13: 978-1887472623
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Sanskrit renditions available anywhere, November 7, 2005

By 

Dharmananda (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna (Paperback)

Though I am posting this review under the title "Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna," it really applies to all of the wonderful books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa, California (as distinguished from the identically named Swami who wrote many books on yoga -- which are also great books, by the way). These books will probably appeal most to those who perform traditional Hindu ceremonial worship, called puja. However, this review is to call attention to another aspect of these books which is worth noting, and is indeed highly praiseworthy. Personally, I do not perform formal pujas, but I love Sanskrit and all the wonderful traditional mantras and hymns of that sacred language. I repeat mantras and recite hymns in my own informal way. As a source for Sanskrit mantras and hymns, there is nothing better than the books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. I have taught myself to read Devanagari script, so I greatly appreciate its inclusion in these books. Above all, the script is large, clear, and easy to read. These books are typeset to allow easy reading of either the Devanagari script, or the transliterated text, while performing puja. A great deal of attention has obviously been paid to making the script easily readable, even while holding the book at arm's length. This is a huge advantage. I'm not so great at reading Devanagari that I enjoy working my way through the tiny, blurred script found in so many other books, especially Indian publications. These books, by contrast, are a pleasure to read.

The transliterations of the Sanskrit mantras and hymns follow the precision international system which uses diacritical marks. This system, originally developed by European scholars in the nineteenth century, has long been the "gold standard" for transliteration of Sanskrit texts due to the direct one-to-one correspondence with the Sanskrit alphabet. (I have been glad to see that this system has become more and more universally used for transliteration of Sanskrit.) It is here employed with great accuracy, and in a typeface of unsurpassed readability. I have many versions of some of the Sanskrit hymns and mantras in this book, and in the many other books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, but I always choose to read the versions in Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books because I can always count on them to be the most accurate and readable versions available.

Besides the Sanskrit texts in both Devanagari script and in Romanized transliteration using the international system, one is also treated to Swami Satyananda Saraswati's highly accurate, but also energetic and enthusiastic English translations. Without deviating from the precise meanings of the texts, the Swami manages to include and convey his own love and enthusiasm for this ancient and sacred literature. I rarely look elsewhere for definitive translations.

Also, when perusing the catalog of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books, don't be misled by the titles into thinking that they convey the full range of the contents. The books are always crammed with "extras," often mantras only peripherally related to the main topic, but in this way one gets a spectacular collection of the greatest Sanskrit mantras in existence.

For those dedicated to the performance of puja, these books are indispensible. For those who just love Sanskrit and all the wonderful hymns and mantras, these books are a treasure trove. I don't recite every mantra in ever book -- not by any means -- but there are some in every book that I love to sing and recite. And I buy all the books also just as a way of saying "thank you" to Swami Satyananda Saraswati for rendering this wonderful service to all Sanskrit lovers, and doing so in such a conscious and conscientious way. Thank you, Swamiji! We've never met, but I'm one of your silent (until now!) fans and admirers.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Details of worshipping the great God Mahadeva, June 15, 2000

By 

Jumpha - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna (Paperback)

The Fire Ceremony (Yajna) is an integral part of Hinduism. Yajna, which means the union of the two fires, one of internal spiritual enlightenment mirroring the ceremonial fire altar, is a core part of Siva Puja. This union is the sacrifice of an individual's egotism, duality, selfishness and other asuras. Puja means "the actions which give birth to the highest merit." By doing Puja, we practice what it would be like for God to visit our homes. The Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna book goes into the intricate details of worshipping the great deity, Mahadeva. Siva allegorizes Infinite Goodness and Continual Transformation; the literal translation of Siva is "the welfare of all objects of perception." He is inconceivably limitless and by worshipping him, we can cultivate and imbibe some of His great qualities, such as Detachment, and Infinite Consciousness. We learn to recognize that the intrinsic reality is not the external appearance and this wisdom frees us from pain and fear. Swamiji is most encouraging in his guidance and continuously helps us along in our quest for divine grace. He says, "Worship does not mean the memorization of mantras, or even the proper placement of the flowers and other objects. Worship is an attitude of respect, of dedication, of devotion to the exclusion of selfishness...." In this manner, we can all become a part of Lord Siva.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shiva Mantrams, July 1, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna (Paperback)

This book is excellent, but of course only then, if one really wants to get a lot of Shiva mantrams. It's stuffed from beginning to end with one mantram after the other, each in Sanskrit, first in the Devanagari script, then in Sanskrit but transliterated and then in English. Among the mantrams one finds for instance the thousand names of shiva, the arati etc. There are few small photographs, which show mudras needed during the pujas. But if one does not know pujas from personal attendance, it's difficult to use, understand and apply those mudras. There are also a few Yantras.

So the book is to recommend to everyone, who practices any form of Shaiva sadhana, independent of the philosophy. Pujas are not explained in this book, rather one gets the mantras for it. But one can use the mantras without pujas, as well.