The Puja of Brahman (As described in the Mahanirvana Tantra)

Introduction

Described below is the worship of Brahman (not to be confused with God Brahma) as discussed in the Mahanirvana Tantra.

Brahman or para-brahma is the supreme all-pervading unmanifest Divine essence of the Universe. Being one with Brahman is the ultimate aim of all philosophical schools like Yoga or Advaita Vedanta or Kashmiri Trika.

People generally worship a concrete Godly manifestation of Brahman like Vishnu, Shiva or Devi, as it is exteremly difficult to visualize or conceptualize something that is abstract and beyond senses (nirguNa brahmaNa).

Puja Rules

There are no rules except that the devotees be of pure disposition of mind and heart. Additionally this is a pa~NchaopachAra pUjA. A pa~NchaopachAra pUjA is one with five offerings (physical or mental) – gandha or scent, puShpa or flower, dhUpa or incense stick, dIpa or lamp, naivaidya and food offered to God).

1.It may be done always and in all places.

2.It is of no account whether the worshipper has or has not bathed, or whether he be fasting or have taken food.

3.There are no caste restrictions – everybody is welcome to perform the Puja.

4.Food offered to God can be eaten by anybody of any caste and at any time.

Puja Steps

Kara Nyasa
Touch two thumbs with index fingers: ॐ अङ्गुष्ठाभ्यां नमः ।
Touch index fingers with the thumbs: सत् तर्जनीभ्यां स्वाहा ।
Touch middle fingers with thumbs:  चित् मध्यमाभ्यां वषट् ।
Ring fingers with thumbs: एकं अनामिकाभ्यां हुम्।
Little fingers with thumbs:  ब्रह्म कनिष्ठिकाभ्यां वौषट् ।
Touch two hands together both front & back: ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म करतलकरपृष्ठाभ्यां फट् ।

Anga Nyasa
Touch heart with right hand and say: ॐ हृदयाय नमः ।
Touch head with right hand and say:  सत् शिरसे स्वाहा ।
Touch tuft with right hand and say:  चित् शिखाये वषट् ।
Place left hand on right shoulder and vice versa:  एकं कवचाये हुम्।
Right eye with index & left with middle finger of right hand:  ब्रह्म नेत्रत्राय वौषट् ।
Strike left palm with index & middle finger; slight sound: ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म अस्त्राय फट् ।

Pranayama
Close the left nostril with the middle of the fourth finger, and then inhale through the right nostril, meanwhile making japa of the Mula-mantra ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म eight times.

Then, closing the right nostril with the thumb and shutting also the mouth, make japa of the Mantra ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म thirty-two times.

After that gently exhale the breath through the right nostril, doing japa of the Mantra ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म the while sixteen times.

Close the right nostril with the middle of the fourth finger, and then inhale through the left nostril, meanwhile making japa of the Mula-mantra ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म eight times.

Then, closing the left nostril with the thumb and shutting also the mouth, make japa of the Mantra ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म thirty-two times.

After that gently exhale the breath through the left nostril, doing japa of the Mantra ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म the while sixteen times.

Brahma Dhyana
Directions: Form a mental picture of Para Brahman as described below. If there is flower, it should be held in hand in Kurma Mudra. Else take water in palm in place of flower and hold it in Kurma Mudra.

हृदयकमलमध्ये निर्विशेषं निरीहम्
हरि हर विधि वेद्यं योगिभिर् ध्यानगम्यम् ।
जनन मरण भीति भ्रंसि सच्चित् स्वरूपम्
सकल भुवन बीजं ब्रह्म चैतन्यमीडे ||

In the lotus of my heart I contemplate the Divine Intelligence, the Brahman without distinctions and difference, Knowable by Hari, Hara, and Vidhi, whom Yogis approach in meditation; He Who destroys the fear of birth and death, Who is Existence, Intelligence, the Root of all the three worlds.

Directions: Then put flower on head, identifying oneself with Brahman.

Upachara Offering
Now make symbolic offerings with eyes closed. Or alternately physical offering of water to a spot on the  ground.

Offer essence of earth as scent: एष गन्ध ॐ  नमः
Offer universal ether as flower: एतत् पुष्पं सत् वौषट्
Offer essence of air as incense stick: एतेत् धूपं चित् वौषट्
Offer the luster of the universe as lamp: एष दीपं एकं वौषट्
Offer waters of the world as naivedya: एतन्नैवैद्यं ब्रह्म निवेदयामि

Japa
The worshipper should with reverence offer to the Supreme whatever be at hand, such as perfumes, flowers, clothes, jewels, food, and drink and purify them with the following mantra:

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥

The vessel in which these offerings are placed is Brahman, and so, too, is the gheeoffered therein. Brahman is both the sacrificial Fire and he who makes the sacrifice, and to Brahman he will attain whose mind is fixed on the Brahman by the performance of the rites which lead to Brahman.

Perform Japa.
ॐ सच्चिदेकं ब्रह्म । (3/10/108 times)

Brahman Prayer – The Pancha Ratna Stotram of Brahman

Then recite the following Stotra,

नमस्ते सते सर्वलोकाश्रयाय नमस्ते चिते विश्वरूपात्मकाय ।
नमोऽद्वैततत्त्वाय मुक्तिप्रदाय नमो ब्रह्मणे व्यापिने निर्गुणाय ॥ ५९ ॥
त्वमेकं शरण्यं त्वमेकं वरेण्यं त्वमेकं जगत्कारणं विश्वरूपम् ।
त्वमेकं जगत् कर्तृ पातृ प्रहर्तृ त्वमेकं परं निश्चलं निर्विकल्पम् ॥ ६० ॥
भयानां भयं भीषणं भीषणानां गतिः प्राणिनां पावनं पावनानाम् ।
महोच्चैःपदानां नियन्तृ त्वमेकं परेषां परं रक्षकं रक्षकाणाम् ॥ ६१ ॥
परेश प्रभो सर्वरूपाप्रकाशिन् अनिर्द्देश्य सर्वेन्द्रियागम्य सत्य ।
अचिन्त्याक्षर व्यापकाव्यक्त तत्त्व जगद्भासकाधीश पायादपायात् ॥ ६२ ॥
तदेकं स्मरामस्तदेकं जपामः तदेकं जगत्साक्षिरूपं नमामः ।
सदेकं निधानं निरालम्बमीशं भवाम्भोधिपोतं शरण्यं व्रजामः ॥ ६३ ॥

पञ्चरत्नमिदं स्तोत्रं ब्रह्मणः परमात्मनः ।

I bow to Thee, the eternal Refuge of all: I bow to Thee, the pure Intelligence manifested in the universe. I bow to Thee Who in His essence is One and Who grants liberation. I bow to Thee, the great, all-pervading attributeless One (59). Thou art the only Refuge and Object of adoration. The whole universe is the appearance of Thee Who art its Cause. Thou alone art Creator, Preserver, Destroyer of the world. Thou art the sole immutable Supreme, Who art neither this nor that (6o); Dread of the dreadful, Terror of the terrible. Refuge of all beings, Purificator of all purificators. Thou alone rulest the high-placed ones, Supreme over the supreme, Protector of the Protectors (61). O Supreme Lord in Whom all things are, yet Unmanifest in all, Imperceptible by the senses, yet the very truth. Incomprehensible, Imperishable, All-pervading hidden Essence. Lord and Light of the Universe! save us from harm (62). On that One alone we meditate, that One alone we in mind worship, To that One alone the Witness of the Universe we bow. Refuge we seek with the One Who is our sole Eternal Support, The Self-existent Lord, the Vessel of safety in the ocean of being (63).

This is the five-jewelled hymn to the Supreme Soul.

Brahman Kavacha

Recite the following Kavacham.

श्री जगन् मङ्गलस्यास्य कवचस्य सदाशिवः ।
ऋषिश् छन्दः अनुष्टुविति परमब्रह्म देवता । चतुर् वर्ग फलावाप्त्यै विनियोगः प्रकीर्तितः ॥
परमात्मा शिरः पातु हृदयं परमेश्वरः । कण्ठं पातु जगत्पाता वदनं सर्वदृग्विभुः ॥
करौ मे पातु विश्वात्मा पादौ रक्षतु चिन्मयः । सर्वाङ्गं सर्वदा पातु परं ब्रह्म सनातनम् ॥

The Rishi of this world-beneficent amulet is Sada-shiva; the verse is anushtup, its presiding Devata is the Supreme Brahman, and the object of its use is the attainment of Dharmma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha

May the Supreme Soul protect the head, May the Supreme Lord protect the heart, May the Protector of the world protect the throat, May the All-pervading, All-seeing Lord protect the face (67), May the Soul of the Universe protect my hands, May He Who is Intelligence itself protect the feet, May the Eternal and Supreme Brahman protect my body in all its parts always (68).

Salutation to the Supreme Brahman

नमस्ते परमं ब्रह्म नमस्ते परमात्मने ।
निर्गुणाय नमस्तुभ्यं सद्रूपाय नमो नमः ॥

I bow to the Supreme Brahman. I bow to the Supreme Soul. I bow to Him Who is above all qualities. I bow to the Ever-existent again and again (74).