puja puja1Puja is a type of ritual worships that is performed to bring us into harmony with celestial forces. This brings spiritual clarity and depth of consciousness and removes suffering from our everyday lives. The spiritual vibrations from the puja surround us and eliminate the negative influences and energy in our energy field and life. This brings many wonderful, positive effects including harmonious relationships, health and material prosperity. By removing these sorrows, we are able to connect to our true nature. puja2Pujas need to be performed by priests who are correctly trained in all aspects of the pujas. For example, there are specific mantras to say and specific times to perform the pujas. There is a specific sequence of Sanskrit prayers, mudras and actions that make up the puja. Which puja is right for you depends on your past actions as shown in your vedic astrological chart, as well as what your intentions are. The actions you performed in this and previous lives come to fruition at certain times which can be determined by how the planets are positioned when you are born. Many of these influences and events can be predicted through Vedic astrology, or Jyotish. Pujas are one of the remedies given in the Vedic scriptures and they can help to reduce the effects of your previous actions.


Q: What is a puja? A: Puja is a ritual that has 16 different steps. Depending on what type of effect you are looking for, different parts go into those different steps.  This creates a very powerful specific energy on a subtle realm which goes to the benefactor of a puja and surrounds the benefactor.  It surrounds the person with spiritual light, it clears away negativity; it actually goes into the person’s subtle body and causes clearing.  It is the power of the person doing the puja, but it is not their energy that is sending it. The power comes from the person’s connection to their guru and to their lineage. That energy comes through and activates the puja and that energy goes to the recipient.

Q: What is the benefit of having puja performed on my behalf? A: A Puja is a form of ceremonial worship.  All spiritual disciplines are a way to change your life. These ceremonies are extremely powerful.  Picture your subtle body as a pot of water with your Karma inside it as dirt. The karmic junk is clogging it preventing you from your fullest potential.  The mantra gently stirs the pot and this sub-conscious debris comes to the surface to be cleaned away.  In some respects the pujas work like mantras, although they have a much more profound effect.   You might take much, much longer with the mantra without the puja, and you may have to do many mantras.  People who perform puja are usually celibate, spend years at a time doing spiritual austerities, and have a strong connection to a pure lineage in the form of a guru.  This all gives great power, and through the puja this power is transferred to you. DSCF0468 DSCF0712Pujas cost money for several reasons.  First, the shorter ones take about two hours to do.  Second, there are many supplies such as ghee, sesame oil, wicks, incense, sandalwood paste, etc. that are required to perform the Puja.  Third, the Dakshina (or donation) is key part of the karma burning.  These pujas save you tons of sadhana (spiritual practices) time.  The money is for your karma burning.  How much money do you spend on worldly comforts?  If there is a karmic block to something creating problems in life you will spend much more money on the surface trying to resolve this. Instead if you paid for a puja to help remove the root of the problem it would actually save you time and money in comparison. My recommendation for Pujas come from what is seen in your chart and is a help guide to healing life’s Karma.

Q: Can I have pujas done for other people? A: Yes.  This is often the case.  This is something we can always do to authentically help other people.  Often Mothers will have pujas done for their children, or wives for their spouses.

Q: What are some good times to do pujas? A: When you are in a difficult astrological period pujas can help ease suffering.  Marriages, births, deaths, new homes, jobs and any major life event is a good time to have pujas done. The Puja is done for these events to purify the atmosphere and make a blessing of protection and grace. For removal deeply rooted karma Pujas can be done several times.

Q: If I am in a difficult time in my life will puja help me? A: Yes.  This is one of the best things to do.  Mantras are powerful, but pujas are even stronger and they can give us a much needed boost.

Q: How do meditation and puja relate? A: Meditation draws energy into the chakras and the core of the being.  Namadeva, or Thomas Ashley Farrand explains, “Pujas use a sacred, scientific structure to invoke divine energy and create a sacred space.  They are all complimentary but opposite practices.  For example, meditation withdraws prana from the organs and limbs, resulting in ever-deeper concentration of energy in the spine and higher centers.  Puja produces a highly charged spiritual energy that is sent out to the limbs and organs.  Whereas meditation withdraws energy form the sense, puja sanctifies the operation of energy within the senses”. Puja is scientific, but the power of it comes also from the devotion of the pujari (person performing the puja) and their connection to a Guru and/or lineage.