Sampradaya

Significance of Aarti, Teertha, Prasad, Mirror & Keeretam

Source: Rishimukh

Aarti

Aarti to somebody is a reminder to the self that I am the light. Light is the symbol of knowledge here, and let there be the same light all around you. Let not even a princh of darkness come near you. God is doing aarti to us with the sun and the moon for thousands of centuries.

Aarti signifies that like the light of the lamp’s flame, let my life always be around the Divine. Let it not be away from the Divine. And then you put your hand to your eyes signifying your acceptance of the light, of the wisdom into your life. Move around like a fire. Even if you dip it down, it stays right up. And that’s why the flame in an aarti is so important. Let your life become like this flame of knowledge.

When lord is in His bhagwatta swarup(in Divine form and in full glory), he is not aware of our sukh-dhukh. So we say aarti utaro utaro means to bring down so that he can relate to our problems.

Holywater

Holy, sanctified water is given to all during pujas in temples or in homes. This holy water is called teertha. It gives peace, calmness and love to our mind.

Prasad

Prasad gives prasannata blissful happiness.

Mirror

Whenever someone comes to you, you show a mirror. When you see yourself in a mirror, do you frown? If you show a mirror to an angry person, the anger goes away immediately, because when we have to see our own face, we only like to see a happy face! That’s why we show the mirror to all visitors it is belived that by this all our distortions go away anger, greed and jealousy. And then the kalasha follows, signifying the fullness in you. The mirror removes your distortions, and then your fullness is revealed!

Meaning be happy, come what may!

Japa

When you are in love, you like taking the name of the one you love. You take joy in saying, writing, associating yourself with that name often. This happens in japa as well. When you adore and love somebody so much, you repeat his name again and again. Even in japa the same thing happens. You immerse yourself with the name.

Kreedam

When the kreedam or silver crown is placed on the devotee’s head in Hindu temples, it means ‘surrender everything to the lord and be crowned!’