Priests:
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah. Om Shambhave Namah. Om Shiveti Chandrachudeti Shankareti Hareti Cha. Ganpati Pran-natheti Gada-jihveti Nirantaram. Om Devitam Vishnum, Om Devitam Prachitam Chittam...
Gurudev:
Offer the Padyam (water for washing feet). Om Hring... offer it to the lotus feet of the Satguru. Now the Arghyam (offerings of flowers and grain). Om Hring... I offer this Arghyam. Now the Achamaniyam (water for purification)... Om Hring, I offer this to the divine feet.
Gurudev:
Now the Naivedya (food offering). Om Hring, this sweet Sandesh and Payesh is offered to Lord Vishnu, the master of all. Om Namo Bhagavat Vasudevaya. May this offering be accepted.
Host:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Blessings to you.
Host:
I would like to inform our viewers that today is Sunday, the auspicious festival of Ratha Yatra. The festival of Lord Jagannath was celebrated here at the temple today. We witnessed the Yajna (fire sacrifice) and the Homa, all of which we will show in our video. We also performed the Guru Puja and the worship of the Guru's feet. Along with that, a special Abhishek (ceremonial bath) of Lord Narasimha was performed. You will see all of this in the video.
Host:
Usually, we go live every Sunday, but today we couldn't because Gurudev has been performing these rituals since early morning. He is feeling quite exhausted and is not feeling very well right now, so he will be leaving soon. However, on this holy day, we would like to hear a few words from Gurudev.
Host:
Gurudev, today is the second day (Dwitiya) of the month of Ashadh, the day of Ratha Yatra. What is special about today?
Gurudev:
Today is the Dwitiya of the month of Ashadh. It is a very special day because it coincides with the Pushya Nakshatra (Pushya constellation). This is a very powerful and auspicious constellation. No matter how difficult a task is, it can be accomplished successfully if started under this constellation. Whether it is Pushya, Rohini, or Revati, these are times we cherish. Today, with the Pushya Nakshatra, we performed the Homa, the worship of Lord Jagannath, the Narasimha Abhishek, and the Guru Puja. Everything was completed beautifully.
Host:
Gurudev, could you explain the significance of the Abhishek performed today?
Gurudev:
Think of it like a coronation. When a king is installed, an Abhishek is performed. Similarly, before the Lord sits upon His throne or chariot, this ceremony is performed to invoke His divine power. Without this, one cannot officially "sit on the throne." That is the significance of the Abhishek.
Host:
I noticed that two of your disciples performed Homa in the same sacrificial pit but in different ways—one followed the Dasha Mahavidya (Tantric) tradition and the other followed the Narayan (Vedic) tradition. What is the context of performing these two together?
Gurudev:
Yes, one disciple, Sujoy, came from quite far away—from Midnapore. I requested him to come and perform the bath and dress Lord Jagannath in new clothes. Then there was Sreejit Babu, who performed the Homa. One was based on the Dasha Mahavidya and the other on Narayan.
Gurudev:
In reality, they are one and the same. However, we generally try to follow the Vedic method. The Vedic Homa is considered the most authentic and beneficial. While the other is a Tantric method, the Vedic foundation is what we prioritize and practice here. We keep the Vedas as our guide in everything we do.
Host:
Thank you, Gurudev. We won't trouble you further as you have been busy since morning and need rest.
Host:
Viewers, you have heard the significance of today's rituals. We will provide the full video of the ceremonies shortly. We hope you all enjoy the Ratha Yatra festival. Stay healthy and stay well. Pranam, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Blessings to all.