Friday, December 9, 2011

Tulasi Puja – Utthana Dwadashi



What is the spiritual significance of Tulasi Puja done on Utthana Dwadashi day ?
Tulasi puja is celebrated by performing marriage of Saligrama representing Vishnu and Tulasi representing the Prakriti – Nature. Tulasi Puja symbolizes the union of Universal consciousness and Nature Prakriti.
Saligrama stone is available in river Gandaki of Nepal is considered as sacred stone. Saligrama stones most ancient stone formations of the universe and is used as representation of Vishnu. Vishwam ( Vishnu Sahasranama) is the form of the Lord Vishnu and Saligrama represents symbolically the same.
Out of Vishnu Maya, the universe is projected. Tulasi represents the prakriti – maya aspect. Tulasi being a medicinal plant also represents the healing aspect of nature.
What is the spiritual significance of Uthana Dwadashi ?
Utthana represents waking up. It is the day Lord Vishnu who was sleeping in yoga nidra woke up on that day. Lord Vishnu uses the Maya for the creation of the Universe. He is not affected by the maya. But individual soul – jivatma is trapped in maya. This maya which traps individual soul is called avidya maya. Individual soul is nothing but the reflected consciousness of the Lord Vishnu – Vasudeva as sakshi inside us. Shri Vishnu is the Bimba – original and the sakshi in the individual soul is the pratibimba. Uthana dwadashi at the individual level is waking up from ignorance of maya. The individual soul finding the Vasudeva in him. Realizing the Sakshi.
What is the spiritual meaning of Dwadashi ?
Dwadashi means twelve. Sanskrit is a beautiful language . It communicates dual meanings in single word. Dwa – dashi also means two ways. We have two paths – outward and inward. We have two purposes – outer and inner. Dwadashi is the day we chose one of these. We see the world outside and seek happiness. This becomes our outer purpose. The inner purpose of life is to seek the Lord within. Lord Vasudeva – Sakshi inside us. Excessive focus on getting happiness from the outer world makes us demonic (asuric) in nature and focusing on the inner Self makes us divine (devas). These qualities are described in chapter 16 of Bhagavadgita.
What is the spiritual meaning of killing shanka chuda sura by Shri Vishnu ?
Again Sanskrit wordings communicate dual meaning. Shanka stands for conch and also shanka stands for – doubt. At the individual level shanka sura is the demonic nature in jiva creating doubts. Shankasura or doubts get killed when we read Shastras – scriptures which tell our essential nature as divine. Shastras are nothing but words of Lord Vishnu – Vishnu himself. Killing of Shankasura represents the destruction of ignorance by reading scriptures and removal of ignorance by Sadguru who is one with the Lord Vishnu.
At the cosmic level – shanka represents the conch. Conch is symbolic of the Omkar – primodial sound. Killing the primodial sound is bringing into manifestation of the universe. Conch is used as sacred object in Tulasi puja.
What is the significance of Tulasi ?
Tulasi is the medicinal plant which cures many diseases. All the plants take carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Tulasi plant does it more efficiently. Hence having Tulasi in house is considered as auspicious. Tulasi puja also represents our respect for nature which is nothing but manifestation of maya of Lord Vishnu.
Tulasi represents the healing aspect of nature. While nature binds jiva with avidya maya, nature also provides individual soul chance for liberation in the form of Vidya maya. Mind which is purified and is full of satva.