The Sacred chant is the inevitable suffix in any ritualistic worship all over the country in all the temples. All formal worships are completed with the Sacred Chant, traditionally referred to as the ManthraPushpam in our ancient convention, referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the age-old tradition well contained in our scriptures. While reciting the sacred chants, a flower reverentially held before the process in the hands and offered to the icon, idol of the God, Deity installed in the sanctum on completion of the chant in utmost devotion and reverence by the individual. This marks the grand finale of the ritualistic worship in each case. Flower is symbolic of the tenderness, fragrance, beauty, colour, honey source, equally selfless as all these traits of goodness are offered to others by the flower retaining little for itself in its very short life tenure.
Before dealing with this aspect, let us verify the initial ritual in its intrinsic detail. For instance, if we deal with the most often practiced ritual Abhisheka, involving usually some water offerings, rather ablutions to the installed deity, it has crucial implications for the individual in worship.
This begins with sanctifying the materials of worship, purifying the self, isolating the mind from other confines, concerns and preparing the person for earnest worship. After this initiation, the invocatory and reverential mantras, chants are recited. Soon after the individual submits his woes, odds, hardships for relief and redress from the Deity. Or in some cases simply to propitiate the God to receive the grace for eventual betterment of the person’s lot. And then affordable offerings are made before the icon, idol of the Lord.
Thereafter water in drops or flow is offered (nirmalya / tarpanam) detaching the self from the process. This when viewed in its intrinsic detail, sanctification, prayer, propitiation and beseeching worldly prospects are well contained, included in the ritual. In the end every aspect is surrendered and given up in detachment not getting bogged down in the temporal aspect. If so, consecration, prayer, individual needs, and detachment are very well included, spelling the equation between the individual in worship and the godly entity, the deity installed.
Soon after such ritualistic worship, the sacred chant, Manthra Pushpam is recited, rendered in mellifluous melody, in the chaste Sanskrit diction. Everyone holds a flower in his hands with earnest devotion, in such rendering offering the same before the installed divinity after completion of the recital. The relevant poser is why such sacred chant is included, added, prescribed while all such detailed ritualistic worship that contains the much needed aspects as elaborated afore already covered in the preceding ritual.
In fact, there is a subtle difference between the initial ritual of worship and the sacred chant, Manthra Pushpam that follows the same. The ritual of worship only spells the detail, preparation, needs and living issues, and in a mode, sets the equation, abiding relation between the individual and the divinity, personal God, being worshipped.
When we stretch this equation a little further, the worshipping individual is but a little speck, a tiny particle, parcel of this vast, infinite universe that is boundless, rather infinite. This mere, frail individual in worship must relate to the universal cosmic force, the entire creation in which he is a frail, hapless subject, within which his destiny emanates and ends with little choice, option for this meek, verily frail individual.
Granting this the individual in worship obviously needs to relate his self to the overall creation, the cosmos, all prevailing, conditioning, regulating vital life force (Sat), and dynamic prop (Chit), to attain the everlasting bliss (Ananda). To convey more precisely infinite-consciousness-bliss (Sachidananda).
These higher, supreme, highly potent forces may be referred to as the Brahman, the Paramathman, Virat Purusha, the Mahas, Chaitanyam and so on that abide by and condition the ambience, environs for the living order, to make it harmonious, peacefully conducive, congenial. In the case of truly aware, realized persons, causing bliss (Ananda) in this very life. Such individual being liberated in this very life, virtually while living, deemed the Jeevan Muktha.
Such mega, all prevailing, all pervasive cosmic force, the absolute (sarvam) is not again in isolation, but well seeped in the five elements that emanate in their orderly succession. Those being, the space yielding the sky, the air, the fire, the water, and the earth. These five elements too surround and immerse the living order in its entirety but for which individual life cannot survive, sustain, and thrive.
For continued flourishing life, in peace and harmony the elements too need be prayed, invoked. All these elements are again in the worlds where the living order continues that are again swayed by the stellar position. If so, the ever vigilant sun, and cool moon shedding its light benignly too need be revered and prayed.
Given this orderly arrangement, water is the main element that emanates and sustains all kinds of life which scientific inquiry too confirms and conforms. Radiance, light of the Sun, reflects on the cool moon. Also, sun’s rays are life giving, causing energy, and form the rain clouds that vent water in periodicity to support the living beings and sustain the continuity of life. All these conceptual relations, connections and invisible equations are well presented, clarified in terms like Narayana, Vishnu, Surya, Chandra, Apa (water) as revealed in our Sacred Chant. These relations are well spelt out in the various verses, stanzas of the Sacred Chant, Manthra Pushpam, being recited.
Hence, the living order, much more so, the human being to thrive, survive, in peaceful harmony, the prime force of creation, the elements, the stellar system, as also the Sun and Moon too need be in benign and merciful posture. Some of these elements are visible and seen. Some others causing, conditioning, regulating forces of the given order and life process are not seen. They are well beyond the human sensory organs to be seen and sought. To specify the life force (chaithanya), Brahman, Paramathma and so on.
The invisible, subtle, intangible forces too are to be invoked, prayed properly, and propitiated by mankind for its continuance and sustenance. This entire arrangement is crafted and created by such mega, manifest, invisible, ever-present force, that is unmanifest, subtle, subjective, and transcendental.
Even so, the praying individual, seeking grace shall submit, propitiate, and invoke the same. All these arrangements, interrelations, the tremendous, imponderable celestial unity of such unique, infinite order is vividly narrated in our sacred chant, Manthra Pushpam that forms the suffix and closely follows our daily rituals in the temples regularly.
Evidently, the Sacred Chant (Manthra Pushpam) in the everyday temple rituals is of utmost importance, which if followed keenly knowing the inner essence makes much meaning and adds value to the devotional process laid down, in our ancient scriptures, being followed.
For those who follow our AMMA, this entire cosmic arrangement, the living equations with the divine entity are succinctly captured in the aphorisms “ALL IS THAT” (“Antha Ade”), and “ALL THAT EXISTS IS THAT” (“Unnadnatha Ade”), and conclusively decreed, “THRE IS NOTHING BUT THAT” (“Adi Kanidi Edi Ledu”). To be more precise, “THE ABSOLUTE RESTS. UPON THE ABSOLUTE” (“Sarvaniki Sarvam Adhram”).
In these aphorisms, simple and precise, AMMA summed up succinctly the essence of all the foregoing rituals. Verily integrated the essence contained in our ritualistic worship; equally so, the concluding Sacred Chant, Manthra Pushpam. Such codification and integration to be followed, perceived by the discerning, seeking minds, applying the same to contemporary living in the very simple modes and methods pronounced by AMMA. The Sacred Chant (Manthra Pushpam) is only meant for invoking all the conditionalities of universe and the elements that sustain the given order and this entire existence positively. Verily for living harmony they are to be conducive and propitiated.