Sanaathana Saaradaa — 7 : Vinaayaka Chaturthi Parvam – ABHISHEKAM & Its Significance  

Sri Saaradaa Dayaa Chandrikaa:
25-08-2017, Friday.SANAATANA SAARADAA~7.

Vinaayaka Chaturthi Parvam.

ABHISHEKAM & Its Significance

The word “Abhishekam” is etymologically derived from a Sanskrit root “Sich” –Sechane,  meaning to sprinkle, to wet, to pour water and so on, while prefixing it with an ideclinable, “Abhi“. Again, Abhi means “Veepsaa“,  or Vyaaptum Icchaa. It means “an urge to  permeate through every thing,  everlastingly”.

In the human world, the phenomenon of “all-permeation” or “everlastingness” are imaginary and intellectual concepts. But they can be symbolically represented through Dhaara Paatra on Sivalinga or Akhanda Jyoti at temples or domestic altars. In our Aagama Saastras,  Abhishekam has a variety of meanings ranging from personal head-bath to Vedic consecrational rituals such as Rudraabhishekam, Maha Kumbhaabhishekam, Raaja Abhishekam, Vaidika karmaanta abhishekam,  Deva Pratishthaa abhishekam &  so on.

For various Abhishekams, different substances & liquids & waters are prescribed in the Aagamaas & Puraanaas. Of all these Sivaabhishekam is most popular & frequently observed worship-ritual either

domestically or in a temple/Kshetra. In any temple of Lord Siva, upon the Sivalinga, a Dhaara Paatra is arranged to signify the continuous dropping of Amrita from the Crescent- Moon who adorns Lord Siva

in Linga-form & in that Sivalinga our entire universe resides for ever. We know that any closed system generates heat within itself. For example take the planet earth. At the centre of this globe there is enormous heat, a part of which flows out as lava from the volcanos some  times. From the Divine point of view, even our universe is a closed system with some thermodynamic properties that

rests in Lord Siva in Linga-form. That is why He constantly receives Purna Abhishekam in the form of cold Amrita dhaara, from His ornamental Moon-God. In Sivalinga-temples, the dhaaraa paatraa is the symbolical representation of the Crescent-Moon, while continuous dropping -flow of  water represents Amrita dhaara.

For all other Idols, either in home or in temples, Abhishekam stands for Snaanam, which is one of the 16 upachaarams or ritualistic services offered by the devotee to the Deity. The performance of  this particular  upachaaram helps the devotee remove all impurities & inadequacies in him or her both mentally & intellectually by doing this with full of love and total involvement.

Now, one has to understand that when one performs puja in one’s home, one can do it following the 16 upachaara vidhi which can be learnt from the puja books available with Sri Ramakrishna Math. If puja is done in temples or in home on special occasions, then it can be done through the temple-priest or family-priest as the case may be, through a ritualistic procedure which is called “Ritvik Varanam“. It can be likened to giving Vakaalat to an Advocate to represent the case of a person in a court of justice.

Swasti||