35. Seek again (Kshama prarthana )
Repeat the hymn of forgiveness as in step number 30 for there might have been mistakes in your actions from step 31–34.
36. Offer water to the sun (Surya arghya )
Step outside and offer the water to the sun. You should do this by facing the sun. If due to weather conditions or the time of the day you can’t see the sun, simply face the direction the sun rises in. Chanting the mantra of your deity, simply raise the vessel of water above your head and pour it in on the ground.
The Arrangement of Pots (Patrasadana )
‘Patra’ means a vessel or a receptacle and ‘asadana’ means to lay out something. Patrasadana is the precise process of laying out various pots or vessels used in your puja. Together, they are called pancha-patra – five vessels used for various things and sixth is a saucer-like small plate you use to put aside your offerings. These are usually small pots, each one containing no more than 100 ml of water. In addition to this, a spoon (achamani ) is used to take water from these pots and to put them in the saucer or your hand depending on the ritual you are performing.
The five pots (patras ) are:
1. Water for purification (Achamana )
This vessel contains the water you use for your consumption throughout the puja. When performing achamana , take a bit of water in your right palm using the spoon. Generally, achamana is done for purification and can be different for different sadhanas. For the four sadhanas listed in this book, I’ve clearly written wherever you need to perform achamana . Other than drinking, at the beginning of any puja, a bit of water is taken from this pot and sprinkled in the air to purify the environment and energies around you.
2. Plain water for offering (Arghya )
From this vessel, you offer water to the deity of the mantra and His/Her companion energies. When offering arghya , you take a bit of water from the arghya pot and put it in the small saucer/plate to collect this water. You can use the same spoon to offer water that you used to offer achamana or you can keep a separate spoon for this.
3. Fragrant water for offering (Sugandhita arghya )
As part of the 5, 10 or 16 offerings, fragrant water may be offered to the deity. If any particular sadhana requires a special kind of fragrance, I’ve listed it there. If nothing is specified, you can make the water fragrant by keeping a few petals of a rose in it. Or by mixing it with sandalwood paste. You can also put a drop of any all-natural extract of any fragrant substance like flowers, etc.
4. Water for libations (Tarpana )
Water from this pot is used for offering libations to the deity, other energies and ancestors. There are many ways to do libations depending on the nature of the libation and your sadhana, but the simplest way is to chant the mantra for libation, take a bit of water using the spoon (you can use the same spoon as achamana ) and put it back in the libation pot.
5. Water for washing (Padyam )
Every time an aspirant does achamana (drink water for purification), he’s supposed to wash his hands. This is done using water from this pot, usually using a different spoon and not the same one as for achamana . A bit of water is taken in your right hand and the spoon is put back in the pot. Both hands are then rubbed on your left side using this little water for purification. Water from this pot is also used to offer padyam to the deity while making 10 or 16 offerings. Take a bit of water from this pot using a spoon and put it in the plate next to you.
The sixth is a saucer. It’s a little plate used to collect water. Please see the diagram below to understand the scriptural injunctions on how to lay out these pots in front of you.
Altar/Picture or idol of the deity/Yantra /Lamp
How to Make Fire Offerings (Yajna )
भूर्भुवःस्वस्तरुस्ता रः सविता प्रपितामहः ।
यज्ञो यज्ञपतिर्यज्वा यज्ञाङ्गो यज्ञवाहनः ॥
यज्ञभृद् यज्ञकृद् यज्ञी यज्ञभुगुग् यज्ञसाधनः ।
यज्ञान्तकृद् यज्ञगुहयमन्नमन्ना द एव च ॥
Bhūrbhuvaḥsvastarustāraḥ savitā prapitāmahaḥ ।
Yajño yajñapatiryajvā yajñāṅgo yajñavāhanaḥ ॥
Yajñabhṛd yajñakṛd yajñī yajñabhug yajñasādhanaḥ ।
Yajñāntakṛd yajñaguhyamannamannāda eva ca ॥
The one who is the essence of the three lokas and three states of mind, nature and existence, that one who lights up our path and is the eternal father, his very nature is yajna. He alone is the enjoyer of all yajnas. He, the lord of yajnas, represents the Vedic injunctions of fire offerings and all limbs of yajnas, he bestows the rewards of such yajna.
He, the ruler of yajnas, is the one performing fire offerings (through me for, he’s one without a second, he alone exists). That sole enjoyer and the only recipient of all offerings made in that firepit. He, the final offering, fulfills all yajnas and remains the greatest mystical realization of a yajna. He’s all sustenance (food) and the enjoyer of such sustenance.
(Vishnu Sahasranamam, 104, 105. My own translation.)
If there’s one thing without which no religious rite is ever performed in Sanatana Dharma (commonly known as the Hindu religion), that will be the use of fire. Whether that fire is in the form of a lamp or offerings in a firepit or even libations (arghyam ) to the greatest fireball, the sun, often the presence of fire marks the beginning and end of life. The fire of passion is the seed of our body, the fire in a mother’s womb sustains us, the fire of our desires propels us, the fire in our bellies digests our food, the fire in our bodies ages us and ultimately, it is to fire that we are given at the time of cremation.
Therefore, a yajna not only represents fire offerings made in a firepit, but an expression of gratitude towards all things that govern our lives. In Sanatana Dharma, there are five types of yajna :
Offerings to all living beings (bhuta-yajna ): This involves feeding birds and animals, planting trees, watering plants and mindful usage of natural resources.
Charity and mutual respect (manushya-yajna ): To respectfully receive a guest, to respect other people’s space, existence and freedom, to help others to the best of one’s abilities is manushya-yajna .