Customer Reviews

Shiva Puja Beginners

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.