Shiva Puja Beginners [Paperback]

Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Shiva is the Consciousness of Infinite Goodness. In your meditations reach for the very highest Goodness, and when you think that it is the best that it can possibly be, then make it better. That is where the worship of Shiva begins.

This book contains all the elements for a proper puja, the worship of Lord Shiva according to the prescribed method. It also contains His meditation, the mantras for the articles of worship, the one hundred and eight names of Shiva, the Arati and the Shiva Chalisa.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Swami Satyananda Saraswati performed the disciplines of a wandering ascetic for more than twenty years in India, chanting naked in the snow, meditating in hot springs, sitting for days at a time beside a sacred fire, walking the length and breadth of India, encountering snakes, miracle sadhus, rainmakers, healers, terrorists, palm readers, great saints and ultimately the Divine Mother.

Product Details

• Paperback: 58 pages
• Publisher: Devi Mandir (April 1, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 1887472886
• ISBN-13: 978-1887472883
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,764,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you are really serious about wanting to learn puja, April 10, 2005

By 

Henny_v_i "Henny" (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shiva Puja Beginners (Paperback)

Even though this book contains a Shiva puja for beginners, it may seem a bit daunting at first. The book contains the Sanskrit text plus transliteration plus English text of a basic puja (ritual worship) of Shiva or, as Swami Satyananda aptly translates this name, the Consciousness of Infinite Goodness, and if you are a newcomer to this type of ritual, you will have a lot of questions about the how's and what's and where's of the process. Don't let this scare you off if you are serious about learning puja, however!!Fortunately, one of Shree Maa's and Swami Satyananda's devotees has compiled a file with questions and answers concerning this Shiva beginner's puja (see www.shreemaa.org newsgroup). With this additional information, you will find in this book all you need to know and more. Apart from the mantras with which you make the traditional offerings, there are the 108 names of Shiva, a song for arati and, as an additional bonus, the Shiva calisa, a song which is a goldmine for those who want to learn more about Shiva's activities and characteristics. Swami Satyananda's translation is very special, because it takes you beyond the conventional way of looking at ritual texts of great antiquity. Divinities are not 'out there', but aspects of your own consciousness and puja becomes an inner experience as well as an outer ritual. It does take some work, but the book will teach you how to do puja. Don't miss it if that is what you really want, because it will take you in and beyond!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shiva Puja-Beginners, April 10, 2005

By 

Melinda Sadhvi Sokoloff "practitioner" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shiva Puja Beginners (Paperback)

All of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's puja books are excellent. The "beginner" puja books (Durga, Shiva, etc.) are so clearly written, with instructions for each part of the puja, that one can immediately begin to do puja in the traditional way. After practicing for a while at the beginner level, one can then begin to explore the more complex rituals of Cosmic Puja or the Advanced Pujas translated by this same Swami. The fact that his main practice, both as a student in India and then as a swami both in India and the US, has been puja is part of what makes the puja books published by Devi Mandir so valuable. The material is accurately translated, not "watered-down" or "Westernized" and very accessible.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to begin a puja practice, April 11, 2005

By 

Nanda - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shiva Puja Beginners (Paperback)

Puja means those actions that generate merit for the doer. And a formal puja or worship is a time-honored Hindu way of propitiating the deities and accumulating good merits.

Usually puja traditions are passed down orally or recorded randomly. Swami Satyananda Saraswati has collected from various resources and compiled them into one neat offering. In fact this is one of the few books available in the West that explain and demystify puja practices for the beginner. As an added bonus to the Sanskrit-shy folks, a companion CD is also available. There are newsgroups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/devi_mandir ) that further help to explain finer nuances of the steps in the puja.

A great way to begin to explore your relationship with Shiva.