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Question for Vaishnavas - How to offer Naivedyam in the right way?

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JR

Hare Krishna
Namaste,

I have a question on offering naivedyam to deities in the puja everyday.

In my shrine at home, I offer the same naivedyam to several deities, by saying 'Naivedyam samarpayaami' to each of them individually. Can the same naivedyam be offered to multiple deities like this?

Secondly, how do you offer naivedyam during special occasions? For example, today is NI Hanuman Jayanthi. I prepared milagu vadai - since I only pray once a day, after routine puja of all devatas in my shrine, I offered the vada saying 'naivedyam samarpayami' to all devatas, including Hanuman ji. I wonder what others do... do you offer same naivedya even on special occasions to all devatas or do you prepare 2 separate naivedya, one for say, Hanuman ji on his Jayanthi and another naivedyam for other devatas?

Thanks.
 
For Vaishnavas the God is Srimannarayana.

All naivedhyams may be offered to Narayana first-whatever aspect of Him may be worshipped by you in your shrine. May be Sri Rama, Sri Krishna or Sri Nrsimha. Then the same item may be offered to other deities/devathas too.

The idea is to pray to God to convert the naivedhyam into amudham by His kadAksham. amudhu cheyyappannuthal (அமுது செய்யப்பண்ணுதல்) is the word used by vaishnavas. kandarulappannuthal(கண்டருளப்பண்ணுதல்) is also used.

Out of our absolute love for God we think we are feeding Him.

It is not necessary that only Sanskrit should be used for offering naivedhyam. You can offer it in the language which is natural to you. For instance you can pray and say, intha pongalai suvaiththu amudhu seithu arulavenum (இந்தப் பொங்கலை சுவைத்து அமுது செய்து அருளவேணும்). That would be enough. The bhakti/love is most important.

The context is convenient to explain this too:

When we go to divya desam temples, the temple archaka may offer the parivatta maryathai along with garlands. It is not like the "Muthal Mariyathai" thalaippa kattuthal. It has its roots in the Tamil pasuram of Periyazhwar who said:

உடுத்து களைந்த நின் பீதகவாடை உடுத்து, கலத்தது உண்டு,
தொடுத்த துழாய் மலர் சூடிக்களைந்தன சூடும் இத்தொண்டர்களோம்...... (திருப்பல்லாண்டு)

The meaning is - we take pride and pleasure in wearing the பீதக ஆடை that you have worn and discarded. We enjoy eating what you leave after tasting/your kadAksham, we are happy wearing the garland that you wear and discard...........

When this maryaathai is received in the temple we should completely leave the ego behind and accept the honour with humility. That is what is supposed to be the real spirit behind these. Vaishnavas remember that.

These are expressions that come out of an absolute and deep love for God.
 
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Excellent, Vaagmi ji! I feel obliged. Thank you for clarifying my doubt.
 
Can you offer the same naivedhyams to multiple vigrahams?
In the Temples and homes it is done that way. If we accept that (vigraham) God is accepting our offerings, should we not prepare separate naivedhyams for each vigraham.
 
Can you offer the same naivedhyams to multiple vigrahams?
In the Temples and homes it is done that way. If we accept that (vigraham) God is accepting our offerings, should we not prepare separate naivedhyams for each vigraham.

Dear Prasad ji,

It is the similar doubt that made me ask this question - Can same prasadam be offered to different devatas.

In my understanding from Vaagmi ji's reply, since in Vaishnavism, Sriman Narayana is considered the supreme, anything that has been offered to him can be offered to other devatas. I think the principle might be similar to Shudda Shaivism too. For example, at another forum, a member writes -

"Prasad from Mahakaaleshwar was sweet chirongi. Apparently, prasad offered there is allowed to be offered again, at home or other Lingam.".

Anyway, I leave it to learned members to address this question. :)

Best regards.
 
JRJI,
I have seen different naivedhyam being offered to different deities, in the same Temple. I think the practices differ from place to place. For Vaishnavas there is no other God than Narayan. My understanding (may need modification), In their temple and Homes they do not have other deities, the other vigrahas are not Gods.
So I am not sure how representative is that view, of Hinduism in general.
 
Dear Prasad ji,

It is the similar doubt that made me ask this question - Can same prasadam be offered to different devatas.

My perspective is the following, it may not be matching with Sri Vaishnava perspective.

We offer "naivedyam" to the deities or Gods. It becomes a "prasadam" only on completion of the naivedyam. Naivedyam is offered simultaneously to all the vigrahas. It is as if all the Gods are symbolically partaking the naivedyam at the same time, just as all the family members have lunch or dinner together.

We do the same while offering pAdhyam, argyam, Achamanam, madhu-parkam,etc. and offer one or three uDdharni of water to all of them together, so the same principle should hold for naivedyam etc.

Some people have many Salagrama Shllas in their pooja though the same Vishnu is symbolically present in each of the Salagramas. Just as offering naivedyam to the various Salagramams wont amount to offering naivedyams to different Vishnus,offering the same naivedyam to different murthis which are in the pooja wont amount to offering prasadam of one God to another.
 
Just as offering naivedyam to the various Salagramams wont amount to offering naivedyams to different Vishnus,offering the same naivedyam to different murthis which are in the pooja wont amount to offering prasadam of one God to another.

But I also offer naivedyam to Shri Hanuman, Chakkaratthazhwar, and so forth... But I presume offering Sriman Narayana's prasadam as 'naivedyam' to these other devatas are permissible...
 
kaun kehta hai bhagvan khaate nahi
who says god does not eat?

ber shabri ke jaise khilate nahi
you don't feed him like how shabari fed him
 
kaun kehta hai bhagvan khaate nahi
who says god does not eat?

ber shabri ke jaise khilate nahi
you don't feed him like how shabari fed him

We do not feed god like Shabari or Kannappan because we are all corrupt with knowledge. They were clean slates which we are not.
 
When we go to a temple and do archana to various deities, we offer to one deity the neivedyams, the priest offers it to that deity and distributes it back to us as prasad.
We take a fresh neivedyam to the next deity and and process continues. Once a neivedyam is offered to a deity(God) it becomes prasad, and you do not offer prasad to a deity.

But I have also seen what JRji and Zebraji is saying being practiced.
 
kaun kehta hai bhagvan khaate nahi
who says god does not eat?

ber shabri ke jaise khilate nahi
you don't feed him like how shabari fed him

:) The question of 'how to offer naivedyam the right way' is not based on pessimism (of whether god is not eating), but rather in optimism (I know god eats my food...). But then, why the question? It is to make the CHIEF GUEST feel like one (a chief guest)! And why is this necessary? FOR OUR OWN SATISFACTION!
 
This is how i offer Naivedyam.I offer to the Shalagrama first. Using Thulasi with Theertham we have to purify the Naivadyam with the recital 'Srimathe Narayanaya Namah'.Then we have to say, Pranaya swaha,Abhanay,,,,Brahmane swaha simulteneously showing the Naivadyam with our Hand to the Shalagrama.Then Sri Andal's verse 'Naaru Narum pozhil Nambikku ,,,,, is recited.Then I show to all other Deities .Alwan
 
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