Puja Process With Katha of Shri Chitragupt Ji

Chitragupta Jayanti Puja Chitraguptaji was born on Yamadwitiya and his birthday is celebrated as Chitraguptajayanti. Puja including yajna is done on this day. The greatness of this yajna is that whoever performs it, is spared the punishments of hell, whatever his records of deeds be! The process of Puja (worship rituals) starts in a similar fashion as other worships of Hindu gods and goddess. 

The various steps and observations are detailed below.
Chitragupta Puja: Process Saamgri
1. Vastra (new cloth)
2. Kalash (A pitcher/pot)
3. Sakkar (Sugar)
4. Deep (Light)
5. Ghee
6. Cotton
7. Dhoop (Scent stick)
8. Phool mala (Flowers and garlands)
9. Chandan
10. Haldi (Turmeric powder)
11. Akshat (Raw rice, a scared article in Hindu Worship)
12. Agarbatti (Scent stick)
13. Ganga Jal (Water from the Holy Ganga)
14. Raksha (A pious red colored thread tied on wrist after worship)
15. Kumkum (A color used for [tilak])
16. Shankh
17. Mango Foliage
18. Camphor
19. Sweets
20. Fruits
21. Kasora (earthen bowl; could also use metal)
22. Pan (Betel leaf) – it should be with the petiole
23. Supari (Betel nut), whole
24. Pen and Inkpots
Preparations1. Wash the place for God and spread a cloth (desk or any other place)
2. Wash and clean the God’s idol or any other representation such as portrait
3. Respectively put Lord Chitragupta’s idol and other Gods as per devotion after washing
4. Place kalash and kasora with sugar, put mango foliage between kasora and kalash
5. Put Pan & Supari
6. Wrap rakhsha on all the pen & ink pot (ancient and new ones) ahead of placing before God
7. Put [swastika] on papers
Conducting the Pooja
1.Bath the Gods and decorate with tilak of Chandan, Haldi and Roli followed by Akshat
2.Offer flowers, deep, dhoop and praise Lord Chitragupt with agarbatti
3.Offer fruits and sweets
4.Start with Lord Chitragupta’s Katha (the mythological story)
a. After completing the decorations, hold your hands and do a Naman before the God.
b. Take the katha book and a flower in your hand and give a flower each to all listeners
c. After completing the Katha, ask listeners to offer their flowers in the service of God

5.Following the katha, start Chitragupta Chalisa[1]
6. Do the Aarti of Lord Chitragupta
7. Write names of Gods (5 or 7 or 11) on the papers with Swastik (Two thoughts per kalam shayan has resulted in ambiguity in the order of this assignment. While the western hypothesis silence the pens after Diwali pooja, easterners do it after Yum-Dvitiya pooja. Written assignment should find an order w.r.t. kalam shayan)
8.When the writing assignment is over, put all the papers in the offering to God. It is followed by kalam-shayanIndia. (which literally means “Resting of the Pens”). This ritual is not homogeneous as different rituals are observed in east and west part of north
a. In the western hypothesis, pens are put to rest post worshiping the goddess Lakshmi on Diwali
b. In the eastern part of India (further east of Varanasi), pens are continued with writing; however, they are put on reast following the Chiragupta pooja.
9.Do the Hawan (the holy fire). Organize and structure woods/stick in a hawan-kund or organize on open earth
a. Lit a Camphor in a spoon, drop it in the hawan kund chanting Gayatri Mantram
b. Put three/five Aahutis of cotton plugs in the hawan chanting Gayatri Mantram
c. Next, offer hawan-Saamagris in the Hawan kund chanting names of all Gods and Goddess starting with Ganesh followed by Chitragupt, Home God and village God
d. Chant “Om shri Chitraguptay namah Swaha” during rest of the Hawan
10.Do the aarti with camphor chanting the ‘Chitragupt Aarti’
11.The main person performing this worship (usually head of the family in home or the priest in temple) ties rakhsha, put tilak on his forehead and that of other participants, and then take God’s blessings and Prasaadam
Chitragupta Katha
The ancient story related to this, is now told. There was a mighty King, who had subjugated the whole world by his ambition to be the supreme King of kings. The stories of his cruel deeds had spread to all the corners of the world. His name was uttered only with great respect and a greater fear at heart, for everyone knew that his deeds were vile and extreme. His name was Sudass, the King of Saurastra, his capital, from where he ruled his vast empire with an iron fist. He was known to be one of most ‘Adharmi’ (nearest meaning: ‘irreligious and one who crosses the threshold of Dharma’) and perpetrator of ‘Paap’ (nearest meaning: ‘sins’). All thorugh his infinite kingdom, it was known that their King had never ever done a ‘Punya’ in his evil life. This King was fond of hunting and once on a hunting spree, was lost in the jungle. Unable to find his way out, and unknown to the fears of anykind, he decided to see what his jungles were like. He went on exploring the jungles when he heard the sound certain ‘Mantras’ coming from North, he headed for the place where the mantras where being chanted. There he found a few Brahmins performing a yajna and few common people sitting to witness this. The King lost his cool on seeing a puja being performed without his consent. He thus spoke with thunder in his voice: “I am King Sudass, the King of Kings. Salute me you foolish men. Who are you and what are you doing here? I demand an answer.” The group of priests kept on chanting their mantra and paid no heed to the angry king, all the while people sitting at some distance and witnessing the yajna being performed kept mum, being afraid of the King. On being so ignored the king lost his cool and raised his sword to hit the head priest. Seeing this, the youngest of the priests stood up and spoke thus: “Stop! King Sudass, stop! Don’t turn this opportunity into a disaster. You have been sent here not to be condemned but saved.” On hearing these words the King got interested and said, “You, young boy have got great courage and knowledge for your age, will you elaborate on what you have just said.” The young priest said to the King, “O Sudass, you call yourself the King of kings, how mistaken you are! When you die you would be subjugated to such punishments that your pride will vanish in thin air. You want to know who these men are and what are they doing and what is the purport of my speech. Then listen: We are the sons of Lord Chitragupta, whom the great Rigveda call the true King of Kings, and who’s title you are not worth stealing. We are Kayasthas and we are performing yajna to our Lord Yamaraj and our progenitor Maharaj Chitrgupta on this great day of Yamadwitiya. O king Sudass, whoever performs this puja is spared the punishments of hell. You can be free from hell if you will only submit to Yamaraj and Chitraguptaji, who has the record of all the sins that you have done in your vile life! Nothing in this world is hidden from Him and only He could save you. On one hand is salvation and on the other is hell. Come, join us or kill us all.” The king was left dumfounded and followed the young priest as if in a trance. He then performed the puja with full devotion and the exact procedure. Thereafter he took the ‘prasaad’ and went back to his kingdom with the other men. With the passage of time there came the day when the Yamadoots came to take him away with them, to the Yamaloka. The Yamadoots tied the Kings soul in chains and pulled it to the court of Yamaraja. When the bleeding and dilapidated King reached the court of Yamaraj, Lord Chitragupta opened the book of his deeds and thus spoke to Yamaraj. “ O great Yamaraj, I can only see a life full of sins in his case, yet this king did perform our yajna in his life time? He performed the puja on Karthik shukla dwitiya and with full devotion and the right procedure. He performed our and your ‘vrat’ on that day. Thereby, all his ‘paaps’ have been nullified and according to the rules of Dharma, he cannot be sent to hell.” Thus the King was saved from hell and till this day whoever performs the Chitraguptajayannti puja is spared the punishments of hell. Chitragupta puja: This is celebrated on the same day of Bhaiduj that is day after tomorrow of diwali. This is the main puja of KAYASTHA caste of Hindu. This puja is famous for its value to education as it is also called as puja of KALAM-DAWAT(pen-ink). Puja Items Sandalwood Paste, Til, Camphour/Kapoor, Paan, Sugar, Paper, Pen, Ink, Ganga Water, Unbroken Rice, Cotton, Honey, Yellow Mustard, Plate Made Of Leaves, Puja Platform, Dhoop, Youghart, Sweets, Puja Cloths, Milk, Seasonal friuts, Panchpatra, Gulal (Color powder), Brass Katora, Tulsi leaves, Roli, keasar, Betul nut, Match box, Frankincense and Deep. Puja Process First clean the Puja room and then Bath Chitragupt Ji’s idol or photo first with water, then with panchamitra/or rose water, followed by water once more. Now put Deepak (Lamp) of ghee in front of the Chitragupt Ji. Make a Panchamitra with 5 ingredients of milk, curd, ghee (clarified butter), sugar & Honey. Place Few mithais, snacks & fruits as a prashad. Make Guraadi (Gur + Adi = Molasses + Ginger). Make offerings of flowers, Abir (red colour), Sindoor (vermillion) and Haldi (turmeric). Light the Agarbatti (incense sticks) and lamps filled with Ghee. Read the holy book of Chitragupta puja. After the completion of Katha, perform aarti. Now take plain new paper & make swastik with roli-ghee, then write the name of five god & goddess with a new pen. Then write a “MANTRA (Given Below)” & write your Name, Address (permanent & present), Date (Hindi date) your income & expenditure. Then fold the paper & put before Chitragupt Ji. Chitragupt Puja and Dawat Puja Chitragupt Puja is performed by Kayastha Parivar that believes in world peace, justice, knowledge and literacy, the four primary virtues depicted by the form of Shree Chitraguptjee. The puja is also known as Dawat (Inkpot) Puja, in which the books and pen are worshipped, symbolizing the importance of study in the life of a Kayastha. During the Chitragupt Puja, earning members of the also give account of their earning, writing to Chitragupt Maharaj the additional amount of money that is required to run the household, next year.

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