I am happy to share with you.
Earlier in 1975, the Athiraathra homa was followed by scientists who recorded it by Kirlian photography. A detailed coverage was done by The Hindu at that time. One of the amazing findings of the research then was the appearance of a huge image of dancing Shiva in the homa-smoke that covered the air when the final ahuthi (oblations)
was being done to accompaniment of the chorus chanting of Shiva’s name
The Kirlian photography captured this image. It was as though the Lord appeared in person to accept the offerings! The rationale of homas is that the lord who is worshiped by the homa appears at the end (poorna ahuthi) to accept the offerings.
The vedic seers did not worship the images of gods. The vedic period did not recognise images but only homas as means of doing meditation. It was only in the last 2000 years, vigraha vazhipaadu (image- worship) came into vogue, probably with the diminution in adhering to homa worship.
On the day before his proposed coronation, Rama worshiped his kula-daiva, Sriman Narayna, with the help of sage Vasishta. This worship is described in Valmiki Ramayana. It was in the form of a homa followed by meditation.
Image- worship came much later only. The seers who probably had the dhrushti (vision)to see the gods associated with respective homas had formulated codes for making the images and worship. That is how we can explain the formation of Shiva’s imagery in the Kirlian recordings.
one who attended the homa at Sri LakshmiNarayana Panchayatana Yajna, at
With the advent of Kaliyuga, the potency to do the homas deteriorated and
homa was replaced by consecrating images by installing the energy of the deity in the images. The view that the yAgashala of the Vedic period gradually got metamorphosed into temples owing to the cults of devotion is widely accepted by researchers and scholars.
Idol worship/ Murti puja is thought to have been suggested in Dwapara yuga. It is described in Pancharatra texts as a mode of worship in place of yajna. So more than a substitution, it might have been that idol worship started as a different way of worship.
ReplyDeletePancharatra describes five forms of the Supreme Being - Para, Vyūha, Vibhava, Antaryamin, and Archa. Para, as in Parabhrahma is thought to be the 'highest light', or the first manifestation of the Supreme. Vyuha or emanation is when the Supreme Being has guNas. Or in other words, when you see the Supreme Being as Narayana, or Lakshmi, it's a Vyuha form. Avatara/Vibhava is when the Vyuha takes the next step of manifestation. Antaryamin is the mysterious soul inside every living being. The last one, Archa is an inanimate object which acquires power by virtue of God descending into it. Archa is for daily worship.
I guess idol worship comes from the Archa form described in Pancharatra texts
This gives more insight on this subject. Good that I am getting more response.
ReplyDeleteI would like to share my observations on the subject through multiple entries. As someone who believes in hOmAs, I have several views on the subject; as with many precepts and concepts in our sanAtana dharmA, these views work on different levels and do not contradict one another.
ReplyDelete1. The symbolism of hOmam:
Reading the above entries on hOmAs and idol worship reminded me of an excerpt I had read a long while back by the famous writer Eknath Easwaran (who is well known in the Bay Area in California) . Easwaran wrote lucid commentaries on our Upanishads and other religious works. In his translation and commentary of the VishNu sahasranAmam entitled "Thousand Names of Vishnu", Easwaran says the following while explaining the Lord's name: "sapt-aidhas":
SAPT-AIDHAS: 'To Whom Are Offered Seven Kinds of Fuel'
This is a reference to a very ancient ritual, in which offerings are poured into a sacrificial fire (hOmA). The symbolism is that the Lord asks us to bring him our selfish desires and throw them into the all-consuming flames of love for him. Passions, sense cravings , and addictions, all our fear, anger, lust, greed, and self-will, can be fuel for this fire. Whenever we go against these compulsions, we're making a precious offering. The Lord does not benefit from these offerings, but we do. Every offering releases energy and feeds the fire of selfless love. That is the symbolism of the sacrificial fire. When that fire has consumed every selfish preoccupation in the heart, consciousness is unified in love. The mystics of all the world's great religions, who have risen above private, possessive attachments, teach us how to feed the fire of love until it flames so high that we do not merely love; we become love itself.
Easwaran offers that the capacity [to love and to become love itself] is latent in us all. The resources [to slay our powerful compulsions] are ours; to get access to them, we have only to take orders from the Lord within instead of following the demands of our own ego. "Make me your commander, " the Lord tells us, "and I will give you all the weapons you need."
Elsewhere in the book, Easwaran expounds on another one of Lord VishNu's thousand names - Yajna (or Yagjna) - in this way:
This name expresses a central principle of life. For orthodox Hindus, the word yajna connotes the many rituals that have been part of their religion for thousands of years. These rituals, however, are only external symbols. Their real meaning is the spirit of self-sacrifice. From the earliest times, side by side with these rituals, there has run a mystical stream best summarized in the Upanishads, which urges us to go beyond ritual and realize God in our own heart through the practice of meditation. Selfless, harmonious effort, the Bhagavad Gita says, contains within itself the seed and secret of success. "Give your best selfless effort in a selfless cause," Sri Krishna says; "then leave the rest to me."
2. My second entry on the subject are personal observations:
ReplyDeletepUjya paramAchAryA (the Sage of Kanchi) Himself instructs in 'deivatthin kural' or 'Voice of God' that we continually engage in daily ritual (karmAnushTAnam) with no ego, daily oblations to the Supreme Spirit or pUjA, vaishvadeyam (offering food to all beings) and taking care of athithi or guests - the AchAryA states that this saadanaa or work serves to cultivate a pure mind.
ParamAchAryA says: If a copper vessel remains immersed in a well for ten years, how much it has to be cleaned! It will become only as bright as we clean it. If we cleaned up the copper vessel today and made it bright, will that do? What will happen if it is not cleaned tomorrow, the day after, etc.? It will become dirty again. In the same way we should, without a break continue cleaning our mind by observing the daily religious rituals. After that, [at a certain point], a certain state will be reached where the mind itself will disappear. It is only then, when the mind itself is not there, and the awareness of the AtmA or soul alone remains, that there will be no need for doing anything to cleanse it. Till then it is necessary to do all acts which cleanse the mind and develop good qualities.
Elsewhere he explains: The Mind is like a mirror. The mirror has to be clean. It is only when the mirror is clean and steady that the true image will be reflected. The Lord is the only True Image or Truth. When the mirror is steady, the ParamAtman will reflect Himself in it.
[Every oblation we offer; every ritual that is performed without ego; every saadhana performed with shraddhA and bhakti, will take us closer to the experience of seeing the Supreme Spirit reflected in the mirror of our minds.]
Aparna, wonderful detail about idol worship or vigraha vazhipAdu. You mentioned dwApara yuga. I'm reminded of the sthala purANam for guruvAyUr: Lord Krishna Himself was supposed to have handed the guruvAyUrappan idol to Udhdhava at the time of His SvargaArohaNA - after the praLaya deluge engulfed DwArakA, devaguru is said to have found the idol; with Guru, Vayu and ParashurAma installing the idol in guruvAyUr, one can only imagine the capacitance/divine charge in the idol!!
ReplyDeleteI will make one more entry later tonight - Happy pUrNimA everyone!!