JYESHTHA-GAURI PUJAN

Festival Name : Jyeshtha-Gauri Pujan

Festival Tithi : Anuradha, Jyeshtha, Mool Nakshatra of Shravan Month

मैत्रेणावाहये देवीं ज्येष्ठायां तु प्रपूजयेत् | मूले विसर्जये देवीं त्रिदिनं व्रतमुत्तमम् ||
यदाज्येष्ठा द्वितीयदिने मध्यान्हात्पूर्वम् समाप्यते | तदा पूर्वदिनमेव पूजनम् |
परदिने अपराण्हे स्पृशति तदा परैव ||

Puja Vidhan

This festival is celebrated for Three days with respect to three Nakshatras as Anuradha, Jyeshtha and Mool nakshatra

First Day

• On this day during Anuradha Nakshatra muhurta ‘Mahalakshmi Devata’ (Main deity of this festival) is invited. Ladies of the family stand on the entrance of the house with the idols of Mahalakshmi Devi.
• Then with the signs of ‘Mahalakshmi Feet’ (महालक्ष्मी पदचिन्ह) and sacred songs and music they are welcome in the house.
• The Mahalakshmi devi idols are kept on the decorated tables.
• Generally the stands on which the idols are supported are poured with grains.
• Many times Naivedyam of ‘Bhaji-Bhakari’ is also offered after their establishment.

Second day

On this day at Jyeshtha Nakshatra ‘Gauri pujan Utsav’ is celebrated. Its procedure can be described as follows

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 Gods  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 Puja and Main Deity of this Puja. (It is taken by holding water in your hand and then releasing it in any pot before you.)

मम सकुटुंबस्य सपरिवारस्य अलक्ष्मी निरसनपूर्वक धनधान्य पुत्रपौत्र सौभाग्यादि अभिवृद्धिद्वारा श्रीज्येष्ठादेवी प्रीत्यर्थं भाद्रपद शुक्लपक्षे ज्येष्ठा नक्षत्रे यथाज्ञानेन यथाशक्ति यथामिलित उपचार द्रव्यैः षोडशोपचार ज्येष्ठादेवी पूजनं अहं करिष्ये |

यानंतर श्रीगणेश पूजन, कलश, पृथ्वी, कलश, शंख, घंटा व दीप पूजन करावे. तत्रादौ निर्विघ्नता सिध्यर्थं महागणपति स्मरणं शरीर शुध्यर्थं षडङ्गन्यासं पृथ्वी, कलश, शङ्ख, घण्टा पूजनं च करिष्ये |

• Shree Ganesh Smaranam :

वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सुर्यकोटि समप्रभ |निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा || श्रीगणेशाय नमः ||

• Pruthvi (Earth) Pujanam :

पृथ्वी त्वया धृता लोका देवि त्वं विष्णुना धृता | त्वं च धारय मां देवी पवित्रं कुरु चासनम् || भूम्यै नमः ||

• Nyas Vidhi :Purification of mind and body are attained by uttering “विष्णवे नमः |”,12 times.

• Kalash Pujanam :

कलशस्य मुखे विष्णुः कण्ठे रुद्रः समाश्रितः | मूले तत्रस्थितो ब्रह्मा मध्ये मातृगणाः स्मृताः || कलशाय नमः ||

• Shankh Pujanam :

त्वं पुरा सागरोत्पन्नो विष्णुना विधृतः करे | नमितः सर्व देवैश्च पाञ्चजन्य नमोस्तुते || शङ्खाय नमः ||

• Ghanta Pujanam :

आगमार्थं तु देवानां गमनार्थं तु राक्षसाम् | कुर्वे घण्टारवं तत्र देवताव्हान लक्षणम् || घण्टायै नमः ||

• Deep Pujanam :

भो दीप ब्रह्म रूपस्त्वं ज्योतिषां प्रभुरव्ययः | आरोग्यं देहि पुत्रांश्च सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छ मे || दीपदेवताभ्यो नमः ||

• Atma Shuddhi :Water from the Shankha is sprinkled over puja material and self.

शङ्खोदकेन पूजाद्रव्याणि संप्रोक्ष्य आत्मानं च प्रोक्षेत् |

Pran-Pratishtha Vidhi

Then the process of “प्राणप्रतिष्ठा” i.e. establishing our pure emotions and sacred beliefs in  Devi idols is performed. The following Shlokas are chanted

अस्यैः प्राणाः प्रतिष्ठन्तु अस्यैः प्राणाः क्षरन्तु च | अस्यै देवत्वमर्चायै मा महेतिच कच्चन ||
अस्यां मूर्तौ मम प्राण इह प्राणाः | अस्यां मूर्तौ मम जीव इह स्थितः ||

• देवाला आरसा दाखवावा आणि गंध, फुलं, बालभोग (तूप-गुळ) अर्पण करावे.
• पळीभर पाणी सोडावे, “अनया पूजया अपत्यप्राण सहित श्रीज्येष्ठाकनिष्ठिका: प्रीयताम् |”
• अधिक विस्तृत विधीकरिता पुरोहिताचे मार्गदर्शन घ्यावे

• Dhyanam : Take akshat (rice grain), flowers  in your hand and utter the following Shlokas Praising the main deity of this puja. Then put it on Goddess

त्रिलोचनां शुक्लदन्तीं बिभ्रतीं काञ्चनीं तनुम् |विरक्ता रत्कनयनां ज्येष्ठां ध्यायामि सुन्दरीम् ||
अपत्यप्राण सहित श्रीज्येष्ठाकनिष्ठिकाभ्यां नमः || ध्यानं समर्पयामि ||

• Other Formal Rituals  

Then the rituals of  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 sacred baths followed by pure water every time) by uttering “अपत्यप्राण सहित श्रीज्येष्ठाकनिष्ठिकाभ्यां नमः ||” or verses of Shreesukta  atevery time are performed.

• 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 Goddess by flower.) Various Hymns and Stotras of Goddess  are chanted on  this occasion.

• Anga Pujanam: Offer Akshata (rice grain) by uttering  every name to Mahalakshmi Devi.

लक्ष्म्यै नमः – पादौ पूजयामि ||, पद्मायै नमः – गुल्फौ पूजयामि ||
कमलायै नमः – जानुनी पूज. ||, क्षिराब्धितनयाय नमः –उरुं पूज.||
इन्दिरायै नमः – कटिं पूज. ||, मन्गलायै नमः – नाभिं पूज. ||
मन्मथवासिन्यै नमः – स्तनौ पूज.||, क्षमायै नमः – हृदयं पूज.||
हरिप्रियाय नमः – कण्ठे पूज. ||, उमायै नमः – नेत्रे पूज. ||
रमायै नमः – शिरं पूज. ||, श्रीमहालक्ष्म्यै नमः – सर्वाङ्गं पूज.||

• नामपत्री पूजा : Offer described leaves by uttering every name to Mahalaksmi Devi.

श्रीयै नमः – अगस्तीपत्रं समर्पयामि || (अगस्ती वृक्षपान)
श्रीलक्ष्म्यै नमः – केतकीपत्रं समर्प. || (केवड्याचे पान)
श्रीवनमालिकाये नमः – धत्तुरापत्रं समर्प.|| (धोत्र्याचे पान)
बिभिषणायै नमः – तुलसीपत्रं समर्प.|| (तुळशीचे पान)
शाकय नमः – अशोकपत्रं समर्प. || (अशोकाचे पान)
वसुमालिकायै नमः – भृन्गराजपत्रं समर्प. || (माक्याचे पान)
सूर्यायै नमः – किन्वपत्रं समर्प. || (केन्याचे पान)
पन्कजधारिण्यै नमः – पङ्कजपत्रं समर्प. || (कमळाचे पान)
मुक्ता हारसमप्रभायै नमः – दुर्वां समर्प. || (दुर्वा)
पुष्कारिण्यै नमः – जपापत्रं समर्प. || (जास्वंदाचे पान)
पिन्गलिन्यै नमः – बिल्वपत्रं समर्प. || (बेलाचे पान)
हेममालिन्यै नमः – चंपकपत्रं समर्प. || (चाफ्याचे पान)
इन्दिरायै नमः – अपामार्गपत्रं समर्प. || (आघाड्याचे पान)
जमदग्निप्रियाय नमः – ताडपत्रं समर्प. || (ताडाचे पान)
श्रीजगदात्र्यै नमः – नानाविधपत्राणि समर्प. || (इतर सर्व पाने)

Post-pujan

• Again कापसाचे वस्त्र (clothes), गंध (Tilak), अक्षत (Rice), फुले (Flowers), Haldi – Kumkum, अलंकार (Garlands and Ornaments) are offered to the Godess by chanting “अपत्यप्राण सहित श्रीज्येष्ठाकनिष्ठिकाभ्यां नमः ||” every time.

• Arghya-pradanam: Now its time to offer Arghya (Taking गंध, अक्षत, पुष्प, सुपारी, नाणे in hand and releasing water on it .)

ज्येष्ठे श्रेष्ठे तपोनिष्ठे ब्रह्ममिष्ठे सत्यवादिनी |इह्येहित्वं महाभागे अर्घ्यं गृह्य सरस्वती ||श्रीज्येष्ठागौर्यै नमः | इदं अर्घ्यं समर्पयामि ||

• Arati and Mantrapushpam : After this Dhup, Dip, Naivedyam, Dakshina, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Pradakshina and Namaskaram is done.

महालक्ष्मी च विद्महे विष्णुपत्नी च धीमहि | तन्नो लक्ष्मीः प्रचोदयात् ||”मन्त्रपुष्पाञ्जलिं समर्पयामि ||

• Prayer to God: After this Dhup, Dip, Naivedyam, Dakshina, Arati, Mantrapushpam, Pradakshina and Namaskaram is done.

त्वं लक्ष्मीस्त्वं महादेवी त्वं ज्येष्ठे सर्वदामरैः |पूजितोsसि मया देवी वरदाभव मे सदा ||

• Completion of Puja: Water is released from the hand by saying

अनेन यथाज्ञानेन कृत पूजनेन तेन अपत्यप्राण सहित श्रीज्येष्ठाकनिष्ठिकादेवताः प्रीयताम् ||

At some regions ‘Vayan-Dan’ and ‘Oti’ is also  given.

Third Day – Visarjan

By uttering the following verse rice grains are offered toGoddess. It indicates the completion of this festival and return of invited Deity of the festival.

ज्येष्ठे देवी समुत्तिष्ठ स्वस्थानं गच्छ पूजिता |ममाभीष्ट पदानार्थं पुनरागमहेतवे ||

Importance :

• The references of this festival are found in Agnipuran and Devi Bhagavat (9.38/39).
• According to some scholars two Goddesses  are worshipped in this festival, Jyeshtha Gauri (Alakshmi) and Kanishtha (Lakshmi). From which Jyeshtha Devi is worshipped before Kanishtha Devi.
•  ‘Gauri Devi’, the main deity of the festival is from Lord Shivas Family. Her sacred place is found T ‘Kanoj’ in India.
• According to mythology the Goddess of the festival once protected women from Asuras and from that time ‘Mahalakshmi Gauri Pujan’ festival started.
• The Goddess of the festival is also worshipped in Marathi month Chaitra.(Pratipada to Akshay Trutiya).