.
In our culture, from an early age, we are taught not to touch, books or any paper with our feet. It is considered a violation of doing things the right way. Any book is a symbol of knowledge and therefore sacred. We immediately touch the trampled book or any educational object with our hands and keep them in our eyes as a mark of our apology. Why do we do this?
.
We consider knowledge, very sacred and divine. For Hindus, Goddess Saraswathi is the Goddess of learning and we pray to her for academic as well as spiritual knowledge. We also believe that she bestows on us clarity of thought and nobility of ideas. We pray to her to gain knowledge, dispassion, devotion, and prosperity. When we keep knowledge on a pedestal, how can we trample on paper which stands for Saraswathi? On Saraswathi puja day, we keep all books in the prayer room, evoke Knowledge in the form of Saraswathi and do puja. The following prayer is chanted to her before starting our studies:
.
Saraswathi namasthubhyam varadae kaamaroopinee
Vidhyaarambham karishyaami siddhir bhavathumae sadaa
.
I prostrate to you, Goddess Saraswathi. You give boons and fulfill our wishes. I pray to you to grant my wishes when I start my studies.
.
Goddess Saraswathi presides over and protects every form of art. So, on this day, consecrated to Saraswathi, the musical instruments in the house are cleansed, placed on an altar and devotedly worshipped, these being the abode of this Goddess.
.
Besides, on that day Ayudha Puja is also celebrated. This is, worshipping whatever implements, one uses in livelihood. If one can make a conscious effort to see the divine in the tools and objects, one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. It will also help one to maintain constant remembrance of the divine. This is an expression of gratitude to God for helping one to fulfill one's duties.
.
Yet another prayer to Saraswathi, to be blessed with brilliance, knowledge, and talent is:
.
Yaa daevee sthooyathae nithyam vibhudhair vaeda paaragaih
Saa mae vasathu jihvaagrae brahmaroopaa saraswathi
.
May Saraswathi, the Goddess of knowledge, who is ever praised by the wise, who have mastered the scriptures, who is the embodiment of the Vedas ( or the consort of Lord Brahma ), live on the tip of my tongue. What better prayer can there be, to ask for, to the giver of all knowledge and wisdom
.
Ayudha Puja is a part of the Navratri festival (festival of triumph), a Hindu festival which is traditionally celebrated in India. It is also called "Astra Puja", the synonym for Ayudha Puja. In simple terms, it means “Worship of Instruments”. On the ninth day of the Dasara festival, weapons and tools are worshipped. In Karnataka, the celebration is for the killing of the demon king Mahishasura by the goddess Durga. After the slaying the demon king, the weapons were kept out for worship. While the Navaratri festival is observed all over the country but in South Indian states, where it is widely celebrated as Ayudha Puja, there are slight variations of worship procedure.
.
Two historical legends relate to this festival. The popular legend which was also practiced symbolically by the Maharajas of Mysore alludes to a historical legend. It is said that on Vijayadashami day Arjuna, third of the five Pandava brothers, retrieved his weapons of war from the hole in the Shami tree where he had hidden it before proceeding on the forced exile. After completing his vanvas (exile period) of 13 years including one year of Agyatavas (living incognito) before embarking on the warpath against the Kauravas he retrieved his weapons. In the Kurukshetra war that ensued, Arjuna was victorious. Pandavas returned on Vijayadashami day and since then it is believed that this day is auspicious to begin any new venture. But in Karnataka, Ayudh Puja is celebrated by the general public one day before of original festival day Vijayadashami (the Ayudh Puja Day)
.
I prostrate to you, Goddess Saraswathi. You give boons and fulfill our wishes. I pray to you to grant my wishes when I start my studies.
.
Goddess Saraswathi presides over and protects every form of art. So, on this day, consecrated to Saraswathi, the musical instruments in the house are cleansed, placed on an altar and devotedly worshipped, these being the abode of this Goddess.
.
Besides, on that day Ayudha Puja is also celebrated. This is, worshipping whatever implements, one uses in livelihood. If one can make a conscious effort to see the divine in the tools and objects, one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. It will also help one to maintain constant remembrance of the divine. This is an expression of gratitude to God for helping one to fulfill one's duties.
.
Yet another prayer to Saraswathi, to be blessed with brilliance, knowledge, and talent is:
.
Yaa daevee sthooyathae nithyam vibhudhair vaeda paaragaih
Saa mae vasathu jihvaagrae brahmaroopaa saraswathi
.
May Saraswathi, the Goddess of knowledge, who is ever praised by the wise, who have mastered the scriptures, who is the embodiment of the Vedas ( or the consort of Lord Brahma ), live on the tip of my tongue. What better prayer can there be, to ask for, to the giver of all knowledge and wisdom
.
Ayudha Puja is a part of the Navratri festival (festival of triumph), a Hindu festival which is traditionally celebrated in India. It is also called "Astra Puja", the synonym for Ayudha Puja. In simple terms, it means “Worship of Instruments”. On the ninth day of the Dasara festival, weapons and tools are worshipped. In Karnataka, the celebration is for the killing of the demon king Mahishasura by the goddess Durga. After the slaying the demon king, the weapons were kept out for worship. While the Navaratri festival is observed all over the country but in South Indian states, where it is widely celebrated as Ayudha Puja, there are slight variations of worship procedure.
.
Two historical legends relate to this festival. The popular legend which was also practiced symbolically by the Maharajas of Mysore alludes to a historical legend. It is said that on Vijayadashami day Arjuna, third of the five Pandava brothers, retrieved his weapons of war from the hole in the Shami tree where he had hidden it before proceeding on the forced exile. After completing his vanvas (exile period) of 13 years including one year of Agyatavas (living incognito) before embarking on the warpath against the Kauravas he retrieved his weapons. In the Kurukshetra war that ensued, Arjuna was victorious. Pandavas returned on Vijayadashami day and since then it is believed that this day is auspicious to begin any new venture. But in Karnataka, Ayudh Puja is celebrated by the general public one day before of original festival day Vijayadashami (the Ayudh Puja Day)
