HINDUISM 101

The Sixteen Religious Disciplines

Brought to you by
 Vrata (Vow) 1
Why?
Types Duration
Form of
self
discipline Prayashchitta
Puja Vrata Vrata Short Term
Helps
inner
growth
Pratijna Yatra
Vrata
Develops Japa
strong Vrata Long Term
character Upavasa
Help Vrata
Mouna
gain
Vrata
desired
end
 Bhagavad Gita (9.25)
yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam

Those who worship the devas will take birth among the
devas; those who worship the ancestors go to the
ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take
birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will
live with Me.
 Puja (Worship) 2
Why? Types
Space
Establish
Aditya
relationship
with God
Earth Air
Shiva Ambika
Bring out Pancopacara
Puja
the Pancavatana
Puja
devotee
in you
Water Fire
Ganesha Vishnu
For
spiritual
growth

Temple
Worship
 Pancayatana Puja
Ambika Vishnu
Adityam ambikam visnum
Gananatham mahesvaram Siva

Pancayajna paro nityam Ganesha Aditya

Grhasthah panca pujayet

A householder who is commited to the performance

of the panca-yajnas (five daily sacrifices), may do the
pancayatana puja daily to five deities: Sun, Ambika,
Vishnu, Ganesha and Shiva.
Why? Upavasa (Fasting) 3
To gain Types
mature mind
that can
Fasting
appreciate
Certain during day
the Lord
days of the (sunrise to
week sunset)
Learn to deal
with
discomforts in
Ekadasi
life
Fasting at
As part
night
of puja
(sunset to
Health
sunrise)
benefits Eclipse
 Japa (Chanting) 4
Why? Types
Become
more
aware of Audible Softly (not
self and chanting audible)
thoughts

As a form
of prayer Mental Use of Japa
chanting mala
 Bhagavad Gita (10.25)
maharsinam bhrgur aham
giram asmy ekam aksaram
yajnanam japa-yajno 'smi
Sthavaranam himalayah

Of the great sages I am Bhrigu; of vibrations I am the

transcendental om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of
the holy names [japa], and of immovable things I am
the Himalayas.
Why? Mouna (Silence) 5
Refrain from Types
talking

Mastery Silence
over during meals
thought Mouna vrata
and speech on specific
days

Time is spent in
prayer and
contemplation
 Pratijna (Resolve) 6
Why?
Types
“Pledge” to
the Lord
For a special
occasion
Lord as
giver of
results
Lifetime

Self For a period

discipline of time
 Prayashchitta Vrata
(Expiatory Religious Vows)
7
Why? Types
Atonement
for wrong Candrayanam
actions

Lord as
giver of
results Begins on
prathama

Self Begins on
discipline purnima
 Yatra (Pilgrimage) 8
Types
Why? Tristhali

Visiting place
of Lord with
Subramanya Sabarimalai
bhavana of
devotion
Yatra

Amarnath Chardham
 Panca Yajna 9
Why? (Five daily sacrifices)
Types
World is not
Brahma
created for Yajna
my
consumption

World was
Athithi Yajna Pitr Yajna
handed down
to me; does Panca
not belong to
me Yajna
Connection
to all
Express
creatures
gratitude Bhuta Yajna Deva Yajna
and
appreciation
 Manu Smrti (3.70)
Adhyapanam brahmayajnah
Pitryajnastu tarpanam
Homo daivo balirbhauto
Nryajno’tithi pujanam

The ritual to the Vedas is in the form of teaching the

Vedas; the ritual to ancestors is tarpana; the ritual to gods
is the fire ritual; the ritual to living creatures is giving food;
and the ritual to human beings is service to guests.
 Surya Namaskar 10
(Salutation to the Sun)
Types
Why?
Sun –
sustaining Mantra
force of the prayer to Surya
planet Sun deity Namaskar

Learn Yoga - Surya Namaskar.mp4

 Prayer to Sun deity
japakusuma samkasam
kashya-peyam mahaa-dyutim
tamo’rim sarva-papaghnam
pranato’smi divakaram

I salute the sun deity, who is resplendent like the japa

flower, who is the son of Sage Kasyapa, who is brilliant,
who is the enemy of darkness, and who is the destroyer
of the results of wrong actions.
 Mantra for Surya Namaskar
1. Om mitraaya namaha
2. Om ravaye namaha
3. Om sooryaaya namaha
4. Om bhaanave namaha
5. Om khagaaya namaha
6. Om pooshne namaha
7. Om hiranyagarbhaaya namaha
8. Om mareechaye namaha
9. Om aadityaaya namaha
10. Om savitre namaha
11. Om arkaaya namaha
12. Om bhaaskaraaya namaha
 Sandhyavandanam
(Prayer at dawn, noon and dusk)
11
Meditation

Why? on Ganesha

Offer water
to Surya

Procedure
Gratitude to Offer
sun deity oblations to
planets/
deities

Gayathri
Japa

Offer
oblations to
planets/
deities
 Gayathri Mantra - Rig Veda (10:16:3)

Om bhoor bhuva suvah

tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dheemahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat

Om, is the basis of everything. That Lord is the one who

is the most worshipful. We meditate on that all-knowing
Lord. May he set our intellects in the right direction.
 Karma (Action) 12
Poortha
Ishta Karma
Karma

For own For

benefit benefit of
society
Truthfulness
Feeding the
needy

Recitation of
Service to vedas Digging wells
guest Building
temples
 Vaak Tapas
Why? (Discipline in Speech)
13
Types
Proper use
of one’s
speech Speech is
subject to
will
Speech Jalpa – impose
an opinion,
cannot be Vitandaa –
refusing to see
retrieved Speech should argumentative,
other viewpoints
disagree with
be finished others
product of
one’s thinking;
not raw Vaada – take a
position but
Develop material ultimate aim is to
clarity of understand the
thought truth
What? Dhaana (Charity) 14
Types
Learnt Kanyaa-
behaviour Must feel dhaana Grha-
content and dhaana
satified with Bhoo-
Anna-
what dhaana
dhaana
Don’t have remains
Vidya-
sense of loss
dhaana
or Abhaya-
deprivation dhaana
Should not Go-
result in dhaana Svarna-
unnecessary dhaana
Do it with pride Jala-
an dhaana
Vastra-
attitude of Dhaanya-
dhaana
humility dhaana
 Shaucham (Religious Purity) 15
What?
Aacamana
Codes of
conduct

Take extra
care on
Darbha
Procedure
external and
inner purity
Madi
Maintain
sanctity of
our traditions
Snaana
Ashtaangga Yoga (8-limbed yoga)16
1. Yama
(Restraint)
8. Samaadhi
(devoid of thought
except object of 2. Niyama
meditation) (Observances)

7. Dhyaana (Flow
of thoughts on 3. Aasana
dhaarana) (Posture)

6. Dhaarana 4.
(Fixing mind on Praanaayaama
point) (Breath control)
5. Pratyaahaara
(Restraint of sense
organs)
Thank You