31/08/2024
Happy merdeka
31st August 2024 Vinayagar Chathurthi
All was so beautiful and peaceful.
Today’s lesson:
Abhishekam
Abhishekam is the ritualistic washing of the idols of the Gods with substances considered to be sacred. Abhishekam can be quite simple when its done with water or quite elaborate as in the case of Panchamrit Abhishekam.
The process of Abhishekam can be seen as sacrifice or penance to the Gods, by the offering of items like milk, ghee, honey etc. This is done to appease the Gods so we can gain their blessings in our lives.
The pouring of items on God’s idols signifies the devoted affection a bhakt has for his God. The souls of the devotees or priests who participate in this ritual with a pure heart and a clear conscience can get great improvement in their lives, by the grace of God.
Drinking the water or milk of Abhishekam after it has washed the lotus feet of God is considered extremely holy in Hinduism. Devotees line up for a few drops of this heavenly nectar after pooja ceremonies, at temples or at their homes.
What is the scientific reason for this?
The idols are used to store the cosmic energy and dissipate them. We know that energy transfer occurs only when there is a potential difference exist. Here in this case the idols are the high potential dissipaters and we(humans) are the low potential absorbers. The amount of energy an idol can store in them varies with respect to the size of the deity.
The deity of the God for which we perform abhishekam are made up of various materials. Some of them are made up of granite (through a special process), some made of gems such as Emerald etc., some are made up of a mixture of materials which are capable of curing various diseases. So when we perform abhishekam on these idols, the water/milk/etc. used extracts a bit of the constituents/essence of the idol's materials which eventually get distributed as prasad. Since the temples are the place where people from all socio-economic classes visit, it becomes the perfect place to distribute along with a spiritual feeling.
