Name of the Festival : Hartalika
Time to perform : Bhadrapad Shu. Trutiya
कला काष्ठा मुहुर्तापि द्वितीया यदि दृश्यते |
सा तृतीया न कर्तव्या कर्तव्या परसंयुता |
केवलक्षय वशादभावे द्वितीया युक्ता ग्राह्या ||
Puja Setup
- The Shivaling is made by the sand and put it on the table covered by the new,clean cloth to perform puja.
- Then perform the process of “प्राणप्रतिष्ठा” i.e. establishing our pure emotions and sacred beliefs in the Shivaling.
अस्यैः प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठन्तु अस्यैः प्राणाः क्षरन्तु च |अस्यै देवत्वमर्चायै मा महेतिच कच्चन ||
Puja Procedure
The traditional worshiping method of this festival can be explained as follows,
- Vandan : Respect to all the seniors of the house and parents before starting the puja and go ahead with their permission.
- Achaman / Pranayam : Do Achaman (process of self purification) and Pranayam (process of body purification).
- Devata Smaran : Remember all the deities and idols who made you able to reach this sacred moment of doing this Vrat.
कुलदेवताभ्यो नमः| ग्रामदेवताभ्यो नमः| एतत् कर्म प्रधान देवताभ्यो नमः| सर्वेभ्यो देवेभ्यो नमो नमः|
- Sankalp : Taking Oath which describes your motive behind performing this Vrat and Main Deity of this Vrata. (It is taken by holding water in your hand and then releasing it in any pot before you.)
मम इह जन्मनि जन्मान्तरे च अखण्डित सौभाग्य पुत्रपौत्रादि वृद्धि दीर्घायुष्य प्राप्ति
प्रतिवार्षिक हरतालिका व्रतांगत्वेन श्रीउमामहेश्वर देवता प्रीत्यर्थं यथाज्ञानेन षोडशोपचार पूजनं अहं करिष्ये |
- Dhyanam : Take akshat (rice grain), flowers and Belpatra in your hand and utter the following Shlokas Praising the main deity of this Vrat. Then put it on the Shivalinga.
पीतकौषेय वसनांहेमाभां कमलासनां | भक्तानां वरदां नित्यं पार्वती चिन्तयाम्यहम् ||
विधायवालुकालिङ्गं अर्चयन्तीं महेश्वरं | पुर्णेन्दु वदनौ ध्यायेत् हरितालीं वरप्रदाम् ||
- Other Formal Rituals : Then perform आवाहन (Invitation to God), आसन (Giving Seat), पाद्य (Washing Gods legs), अर्घ्य (Washing Hands), आचमन (Water to drink), पंचामृतस्नान, गंधोदक स्नान, मांगलिक स्नान, शुद्धोदक स्नान (All these are various baths followed by pure water every time) by uttering “श्री उमामहेमहेश्वराभ्यां नमः |” at every time.
- Pre-Pujan : Then worship the God with dhup, deep and Naivedyam of ‘panchamruta’ and start the Abhisheka by offering some flowers.
- Abhisheka : (It is performed by sprinkling water on the image of the God by flower.) Various Hymns and Stotras of Lord Shiva are chanted at this occasion.
- Post-pujan : Again यज्ञोपवीत (offering sacred thread), कापसाचे वस्त्र (clothes), गंध (Tilak), अक्षत (Rice), फुले (Flowers), हळद-कुंकू , अलंकार (Garlands and scents) are offered to the lord Shiva by chanting “श्री उमामहेमहेश्वराभ्यां नमः|”
- Anga-Pujan : Take akshat (Rice) in your hand and put it on the fourteen ogans of the God from legs to head. (“श्री उमामहेमहेश्वराभ्यां नमः|”)
- Patra-Pujan : This worship is performed by offering available leaves of various trees such as, अशोक, आवली, दुर्वा, कण्हेर, कदंब, ब्राह्मी, धोतरा, आघाडा etc.
- Pushp-Pujan : This includes worshiping of Lord Shiva by Various flowers such as, चाफा, केवडा, कण्हेर, बकुळ, धोतरा, सुर्यकमळ, कमळ, जास्वंद, मोगरा etc. It is followed by Dhup, Dip, Naivedyam, Dakshina, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Pradakshina and Namaskaram.
- Arghya-pradanam : Now its time to offer Arghya (Taking गंध, अक्षत, पुष्प, सुपारी, नाणे in hand and releasing water on it .) This action should be performed for three times by uttering the each Shloka mentioned here.
शिवरूपे शिवे देवी शङ्कर प्राणवल्लभे | उमे सर्वार्थदे देवी गृहाणार्घ्यं नमोsस्तुते || १ ||
नमोस्तुते मृडानीश अपर्णा प्राणवल्लभा | भक्त्यानीतं मयाह्रीदं गृहाणार्घ्यं नमोsस्तुते || २ ||
व्रत संपूर्ति सिध्यर्थं यथाशक्ति मयाहतम् | आलिभिः सहिते देवी गृहाणार्घ्यं नमोsस्तुते || ३ ||
- Prayer to God :
हरतालिके नमस्तेस्तु सशिवे भक्तवत्सले | संसारभय भीताहं त्वमेव शरणं मम ||
- Completion of Puja : Water is released from the hand by saying “अनेन यथाज्ञानेन कृत पूजनेन तेन श्रीउमामहेश्वरौ देवताः प्रीयेताम् |”
- At some regions ‘Vayan-Dan’ (special offering of some objects) is given to the Pandits and by offering the Naivedyam of “Dahi-Rice” the Puja Vidhi is completed on the next day.
References & Significance
- This Vrat is mentioned in some Puranas and it is mentioned that Mata parvati performed this to have ‘Shiva’ as Husband.
- Bhagavan Shankar has called it ‘Sayas Vrat’ and adviced to perform it also after marriage in His Preach.
- Hence it is observed that girls and ladies (before and after marriage), both perform it.
- Also it is observed that Haratalika puja is performed in the groups or the festival is celebrated by gathering our friends and relatives.