Panchayatana puja
Encyclopedia
Panchayatana puja is the system of worship ('puja') in the Smarta sampradaya
of Hinduism
. It is said to have been introduced by Adi Shankara
, the 8th century CE
Hindu philosopher
. It consists of the worship of five deities: Shiva
, Vishnu
, Devi
, Surya
and Ganesha
. Depending on the tradition followed by Smarta households, one of these deities is kept in the center and the other four surround it. Worship is offered to all the deities. The five are represented by small murtis, or by five kinds of stones, or by five marks drawn on the floor.
One is placed in the center as the devotee's preferred God, Ishta Devata, and the other four in a square around it.
, (i.e., a personal God with form) rather than as distinct beings. This arrangement is also represented in Smarta temples, with one in a central sanctum, and the others installed in smaller shrines.
sect follows the Panchayatana traditions. These followers, like mainstream Sikhs, believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Sacred Text of the Sikhs) which the Udasis interpret according to Vedanta philosophy and therefore take part in both Nirgun Pooja (of reading Gurbani from Sikh texts and fixing the mind on the omnipresent, indescribable and infinite God, the cause of all forms) but also respect Sarguna Saroop (the physical and metaphysical forms of God) by Pooja and Aarti
traditions of Sanatan Dharma.
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. It is said to have been introduced by Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
, the 8th century CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
Hindu philosopher
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
. It consists of the worship of five deities: Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
, Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
and Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
. Depending on the tradition followed by Smarta households, one of these deities is kept in the center and the other four surround it. Worship is offered to all the deities. The five are represented by small murtis, or by five kinds of stones, or by five marks drawn on the floor.
One is placed in the center as the devotee's preferred God, Ishta Devata, and the other four in a square around it.
Smartas
Philosophically, all are seen by Smartas as equal reflections of the one Saguna BrahmanSaguna brahman
Saguna Brahman came from the Sanskrit "with qualities" and Brahman "The Absolute".-Advaita:...
, (i.e., a personal God with form) rather than as distinct beings. This arrangement is also represented in Smarta temples, with one in a central sanctum, and the others installed in smaller shrines.
Udasi
The UdasiUdasi
Udasi is a religious, ascetic sadhu sect of Sikhism focused on the teachings of its founder, Sri Chand , son of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder and the first Guru of Sikhism....
sect follows the Panchayatana traditions. These followers, like mainstream Sikhs, believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
(Sacred Text of the Sikhs) which the Udasis interpret according to Vedanta philosophy and therefore take part in both Nirgun Pooja (of reading Gurbani from Sikh texts and fixing the mind on the omnipresent, indescribable and infinite God, the cause of all forms) but also respect Sarguna Saroop (the physical and metaphysical forms of God) by Pooja and Aarti
Aarti
Aarti , also spelled arathi, aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor is offered to one or more deities...
traditions of Sanatan Dharma.