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| Idol of Ashwattha Maruti Carved by Bapu |
"O Subhata (Shreehanumanta - the supreme, the ultimate bhakta) lead me on the path of bhakti, show me the way to the bhagavanta. It is from You, that I want to learn bhakti" says Sant Tukaram in one of his compositions. Bapu too has said time and again that it is guided by Hanumanta that every bhakta takes his first step or in other words begins his journey on the path of bhakti. And so Bapu initiated for all His shraddhavaan friends, the 'Shree Ashwatthamaruti poojan' – the celebration of bhakti. In 1996 Bapu initiated the Ramnavmi festival which was the very first followed by the Shree Ashwatthamaruti poojan festival in 1997.
About the Upasana:
* This festival is marked by the installation of the idol of the Hanumanta that Bapu Himself has created. Bapu actually sculpted this idol using the hammer and the chisel. Bapu is an excellent sculptor. "Sculpting -carving out and lending the desired shape, is Bapu's inherent nature". It comes so easily to Him!" The highlight of the festival is that all shraddhavaan bhaktas can take the darshan of this idol of the Hanumanta and feel blessed. Also, this idol is endowed with all the aspects and features possessed by Shree Hanumanta as described in the Panchamukhahanuman stotra.
* A small idol of Shree Hanumanta is kept in a platter placed before the main idol of the Hanumanta sculpted by Bapu.
* A small sapling of the Peepal, a symbolic representation of the Ashwattha tree, is placed behind the idol of the Hanumanta.
* Sugarcane stalks are arranged around the idol as part of the decoration.
* The 'Dhuni Mata' is installed before the idol of Hanumanta. On this day the poojan is also offered to the 'Dhuni' i.e. Anjani Mata, the 'Mata' - the Mother of Bhagvan Hanumanta. A group of Prapathak do a continuous and uninterrupted recitation of the Shree Hanumanchalisa.
* Following the 'shodashopchar poojan' of Shree Hanumanta (shodash=16. the term 'shodash+upchar' indicates the 16 manners of offering the poojan), five unmarried men apply the 'shendur' to the idol coating it completely. All the shraddhavaan bhaktas too can then apply a little 'shendur' to the idol and take the darshan.
* After the poojan in the morning, a cyclical recitation of the Shreepanchamukha Hanumatkavacha then the Shree Sankatmochan Hanuman Stotra and lastly the chanting of the jap "Om Shreeramdootaaya hanumantaaya Mahaapraanaaya Mahaabalaaya namo namah" 54 times, continues throughout this day.
* The poornahuti (a rite that marks the conclusion and the fulfillment of the poojan offered) is done late in the evening at 9.00
* Every shraddhavaan bhakta can perform the 'abhishek' on the idol of the Panchamukhi Hanumanta.
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| Abhisheka being Performed on Lord Hanumant's Idol |
1) the Panchamukhi Hanumanta occupies the central, the pivotal position in the 'Shreemadpurushartha Yantra (the Kshama Yantra) at the Shree Aniruddha Gurukshetram
2) Once in the year, a week-long (saptah=a week i.e. seven days) recitation of the Shree Hanumanchalisa takes place at the Shree Aniruddha Gurukshetram. A minimum of 108 shraddhavaan bhaktas do a minimum of 108 recitations of the Shreehanumanchalisa on each of these seven days.
3) The festival of the Ashwattha Maruti poojan takes place at Shreegurukul in the month of Shravan.
4) For every function and on every Thursday at Shreeharigurugram the picture of "Bapu's Rakshakguru" Hanumanta is installed on the main stage behind Bapu.
5) The sacred place of pilgrimage at Ratnagiri established by Bapu's grace is called 'Atulitabaldhaam' and houses the idol of the Panchamukhi Hanumanta that originally belonged to Bapu's own home. The 'Hanuman Pournima' is celebrated here every year.
6) Bapu recites the Sunderkand every day
7) At least once a year, Bapu, Nandai and Suchitdada make it a point to recite the Hanumanchalisa 108 times in a day. Moreover, their daily upasana includes the Bheemarupi Maharudra stotra and the Panchamukhi Hanumatkavach apart from of course the Hanumanchalisa. Bapu wishes that just like Him, His shraddhavaan friends too include these in their daily upasana regime.
8) Bapu has given the name 'Shreegurucharan maas' to the period spanning from the Vat pournima (the full moon day of the month of Jyeshtha) to the Guru pournima (the full moon day of the month of Ashadh) and He recommends that all His shraddhavaan friends do the recitation of the Hanumanchalisa 108 times on any one day during this month.
9) As part of the regular upasana at Shreeharigurugram, initially Bapu Himself and then Suchitdada used to recite the Shree Panchamukhahanumatkavach. Now the jap 'Om Shreeramdootaaya Hanumantaaya Mahaapraanaaya Mahaabalaaya namo namah' is recited in its place.
10) It was until a few years ago that the group of Prapathak recited the "Bheemaroopi Maharudra Stotra" every Thursday as part of the upasana at Shreeharigurugram.
11) During the period when at Shreeharigurugram, the upasana on Thursdays was based on the 'Aradhanajyoti', Bapu got the shraddhavaan bhaktas to recite many an upasana addressed to Shree Hanumanta.
12) Bapu's office on the 2nd floor of Happy Home too has a picture each of the Panchamukhi Hanumanta and Daas Hanumanta (the server and the most intimate mate of Shreeram).
13) On every Thursday, at Shreeharigurugram, following Bapu's discourse and the Satsang, gajars are sung during the time the bhaktas take darshan but these too are sung only after the recitation of the Shreehanumanchalisa.
Shreehanumanta is the only deity who is the god of the shraddhavaan and the bhakta of Shreeram as well. So that we understand this fact, as part of His discourses based on the ShreeRamraksha, Bapu spoke at length about how and why we ought to do the bhakti of Shreehanumanta.
Bapu says, no work and infact nothing at all in this world is more beautiful than Hanumanta and 'Sunderkand' which illustrates His supreme valour.
अतुलितबलधामं हेमशैलाभदेहं
दनुजवनकॄशानुं ज्ञानिनामग्रगण्यम् l
सकलगुणनिधानं वानराणामधीशं
Beautiful write up. I too would like to recite Sundarkhand in a simple way and it is my dream. Vinay's CD is fantastic and it is poetic with raag and tal etc. Hope PP Bapu will also teach us to recite sundarkhand in a simple way. He has taught so many other stotras from the Upasana book and the Panchamukhi Hanumantkavach stotra and all these I never knew earlier. We are ever grateful to him.
ReplyDeleteहरी ओम दादा,
ReplyDeleteबापूंकडे आल्यापासून अश्वथ मारुती पूजानांसाठी दरवर्षी नियमितपणे जात आलो आहे. पण आज हि माहिती वाचून हे सुद्धा समजले की
हनुमंत जे बापूंचे रक्षक गुरु आहेत, त्यांचे स्थान आपल्याही आयुष्यात तितकेच बळकट असायला हवे,
श्री हरीगुरुग्राम येथे उपासनेला हनुमंताच जप; बापूंच्या मागे हनुमंताचा फोटो; गुरुक्षेत्राम मध्ये महिनाभर चालू असलेला हनुमान चालीसा पठण;
गोविद्यापीथम येथे उभारलेला स्तंभ आणि त्यावर कोण - तर हनुमंतच!!!
ह्या माहिती मधली सर्वात आवडती ओळ
म्हणजे "हा हनुमंत हे एकमेव असे दैवत आहे जो आम्हा सर्व श्रध्दावानांचा देवही आहे आणि श्रीरामाचा भक्तही आहे;' आणि ह्याच हनुमंताला, महाप्रणाला आपल्या जीवनात आण्याची सुवर्ण
संधी म्हणजेच 'अश्वथ मारुती पूजन'.
Hari.om
ReplyDeleteRamdutay hanumanatay mahapranay mahabalay naonamaha. hari..om
हरी ओम
ReplyDeleteआज पर्यंत रामायणातील एक अदभूत व्यक्तीमत्व म्हणून मला हनुमंताची ओळख मनात रुजली होती पण जेव्हा सदगुरू बापूंकडे आलो आणि सुंदरकांड व रामरसायन सारखे अनमोल ग्रंथ वाचनात आले तेव्हा ह्या हनुमंताची खरी ओळख झाली. आणि त्याचे अस्तित्व म्हणजे आपली सुषुम्ना नाडी ह्या ज्ञानाबरोबरच महाप्राणाचे महत्व कळले. अशा दैवताचे जागृत अस्तित्व असलेली ही मारुती रायाची शिळा पाहण्याचे भाग्य आम्हाला ह्या श्रावण महिन्यात लाभते त्याचा दर्शनाचा व पूजनाचा लाभ माझ्या आयुष्यात खूप चांगले बदल घडवून आणतो. सदगुरू बापूकृपेनेच हे आम्हास शक्य झाले म्हणून मी त्यांचा खूप खूप ऋणी आहे. श्री राम.
Hari Om Dada. Sometimes it so happens that many important things told by Parampujya Bapu since past are eventually forgotten by us knowingly or unknowingly. Shri Ashwatha Maruti Pujan is one such Utsav which is being performed in our Sanstha right since 1997. But Bapu's basic motive behind starting it and apart from it, Shri Hanumanta's importance in the path of Bhakti as revealed by Bapu oftenly in his Pravachans and Pratyaksha Editorials; these two points are very nicely highlighted in your note. Your very simple and striking example that Shri Hanumanta's photo is erected behind Bapu on the main stage during every Thursday discourse as well as during every Utsav, explains it all. If Bapu says that Shri Hanumant is His "Rakshak Guru" then we all Shraddhavans who are followers of Bapu must know and register the importance of Shri Hanumant in our lives. Shreeram Dada for sharing this information!
ReplyDeleteGreat info. Samirdada. Hanumantha has been my fav. since my childhood days. Hanumantachi vaat pusta pusta milala mala BapuRam. That too on that golden day of Ashwatha Maruti poojan in Sep'97 when I got the first glimpse of Bapu.
ReplyDeleteHari om Dada
ReplyDeleteShreeram Dada, Param Pujya Bapu's teachings on the importance of Lord Hanumanta's bhakti in each shraddhavan's life has been beautifully brought forth in your post on "Shree Ashwatt Maruti Poojan" We have already read about Bapu's versatility in the Pratyaksha's New year issue (2012) . Bapu as a sculptor shows one more facet of his great personality. Indeed, he carves out and lends the desired shape to all those who wish to abide by his principles.
ReplyDeleteHariom Samirdada,
ReplyDeleteThe write up on each and every information about our beloved Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Bapu is very informative and inspiring. The write up on Ashwattha Maruti Poojan is so divine and clear that every shraddhavan can understand the true meaning behind doing this poojan make it available by Bapu. Really it gives an immense pleasure to be a part of this wonderful blog which is an ocean of our Bapu's leela and his devotional work to the mankind..
We will appreciate your efforts to guide us o. thd path of true Bhakti, Seva, Prem and Anand.
Shree ram for all these amazing information which we all were unaware of..
Hariom..