Shashti Poorthi – What it is ? | Shashti Poorthi meaning
In the Hindu faith there Shashti Poorthi which is the ceremonial rite that marks a man completing the age of sixty. Shashti Abdha Poorthi Ceremony is also referred to as Shastiyapputhoori or Shashti Abda Poorthy. The term is etymologically derived from Sanskrit where Shashti stands for sixty, Abda means year, and Poorthi signifies perfection or completeness. With regards to life, this event is viewed as very significant where a person has lived for one half of his life which can be roughly expected to be one hundred and twenty years according to almost all Hindus.
Shashti Poorthi’s ceremonies are considered to be very similar to the tying of the nuptial knot and hence portrays the essence of new beginnings. It helps to not only gaze one’s past but also pray to attain the divine goal in the coming years. Life’s sixty years is considered pious and all activities done during this time are thought to improve the efforts made on the spiritual path permanent.
What is the Procedure for Shashti Poorthi?
The Shashti Poorthi commemorations are reported to span between two days and there are several other customary practices that press for the consideration of the appropriate times based on the Hindu calendar. The key steps of the Shashti Poorthi procedure are:
- Yamuna Puja: A ritual performed by devotees in regards to the river goddess yamuna.
- Ganga Puja: A ceremonial worship and honoring offered to goddess Ganga.
- Ishta Devata Vandana: Prayers offered to one’s favourite God.
- Sabha Vandana: Seeking happiness for everyone in the assembly.
- Punyaha with Panchagavya Sevana: Cleansing action involving sacred materials.
- Nandi Puja: Worshipping of Nandi, the vehicle of lord Shiva.
- Ritvikvarana: Requesting the priests to perform the rituals.
- Kalasha Sthapana: Placement of a pot filled with wealth offering abundance and prosperity.
The different rituals are together with homas (fire offerings), japas (recitations) and pujas (offerings), which are directed at asking for different Gods’ intervention and health and long life to the person of this occasion.
Importance or Significance of Shashti Poorthi
Shashti Poorthi is well celebrated in the Hindu society and culture for a number of reasons:
- Completion of Life Cycle: It signifies completing the cycle along with 60 years. At this time, all the stars have returned to their original positions, which corresponds to the one at the time of birth. The reason behind great reverence for the sixtieth year is due to all the stars returning back to their original places.
- Spiritual Reflection: The message which the ceremony or the event imparts, is such that prayer to God must be made for giving thanks and appreciation for the life that has been lived. The prayer is intended to help people reflect upon themselves and their past in a thankful manner. It helps to emphasize aspects of one’s spirituality that need to be addressed later in life
- Family Bonding: This celebration usually witnesses several family members performing some type of rituals aimed at beefing the family ties. It is children who still maintain the tradition of arranging them for their parents as a way of appreciating and remembering their kindness in bringing them up.
- Cultural Continuity: Shashti Poorthi is an embodiment of a family culture that promotes the bond within families and between communities. A time when the younger members of the family are taught or shown the practices of the old and customs are observed ensuring succession of heritage culture.
In closing, Shashti Poorthi becomes a celebration extending beyond the sixty birthday; importantly, Shashti Poorthi becomes central practice within Hindu society and encompasses spiritual rejuvenation, kin connection and regard for cultural practices.
Significance of Ugra Ratha in the Shashti Poorthi
It is notable that Shri Ugra Ratha which is also known as Shri Ugra Ratha Shanti is more than important in Shashti Poorthi where a person celebrates the sixty years of his existence. Such customs and aspects can be traced in the Hindu and many other religions and carry a lot of divine and sociocultural passion.
Overview of Ugra Ratha
Ugra Ratha can literally be translated as: the harsh chariot, in itself which denotes the ceaseless tide of life and the associated pains too. The Ugra Ratha Homam on the other hand, denotes the fire offerings beginning the sixtieth year, marking one’s entry to the seventh decade in life and seeking blessings of health, longevity, and spiritual achievement. This type of homa is performed just before the age of 60, generally meaning a significant milestone for any individual.
Spiritual Importance
- Shift towards Spirituality: The Ugra Ratha ceremony brings the bearing ideal of establishing a focus in life to be primarily about growth energies. It is known that once a spinster crosses sixty, due encouragements are provided to her to delve into spiritual practices whilst active in social service.
- Purification and Blessing: When one speaks of the process of Ugra Ratha Homam, one must mention that ceremonies like Ganapathi Homam and Ayush Homam are performed. These rituals are meant to cleanse the person and eradicate any bad karmas earned over the years so that the person is ready to enter into an enriching facet of his or her life.
- Connection with Deities: While performing the Ugra Ratha ceremony, the participants offer prayers to other gods including Lord Ganapati and Navagraha, the nine planetary gods believed to bless and protect people in their new phase of life.
Cultural Significance
- Family Reunion: The family gatherings are elegant and there is much indulgence as family members are always in attendance for the grand celebration as it portrays the strength of the family unit. More often than not, children will be the ones to hold the ceremony on behalf of their parents as a show of appreciation for how they have raised them.
- Social Obligations: In Hindu culture, this practice is significant in that it further instills the idea of social obligations. The performance of Ugra Ratha glorifies not only a person but also the family as well as the community which they represent as they grow older.
- Rituals of Renewal: The ugra ratha ceremony is similar to how couples renew their vows, with couples committing themselves to one another as they go into this new stage in life. This part emphasizes continuity in the relations and companionship of partners in the quest for the Spiritual.
Fundamentally, Ugra Ratha is a crucial part of the celebrations of Shashti Poorthi. It signifies a certain point in ones life but it also symbolizes a process of change which motivates an individual in terms of spirituality, strengthens the family base and enhances social accountability. This ceremony offers hope to the worshippers in the form of guidance in evoking them for the holy voyage which they are undertaking when they are stepping into the sixties with their ideas and efforts oriented toward the well being of self and society.
Must Read,
✔️ What is Rajju Porutham and Why it is Important?
✔️ Which is the Best Temple for Mangal Dosha Pooja?
Primary Rites Accomplished During the Shashti Poorthi
Shashti Poorthi has a number of indicative rituals that are of ethnological and religious significance which are performed when celebrating a 60th birthday. These ceremonies are made to request benediction’s, ensure the individual is safe, and acknowledge this great achievement in life. The following are the significant rituals carried out during Shashti Poorthi:
1. Yamuna and Ganga Pooja
- Yamuna Pooja: In this ritual the people tend to worship Yamuna which actually means the river goddess in charge of cleaning and purifying people.
- Ganga Pooja: Same like in Yamuna Pooja, the ritual involves the worship of goddess Ganga and the reason why this pooja is practiced is to obtain good health and prosperous life.
2. Kalasha Sthapana
- The first and foremost important thing is the creation of Sacred pot which is also referred to as Kalasa. Kalasa is prepared by filling water and putting a coconut alongside mango leaves to make it attractive. This pot is important since it is used to worship god throughout the ceremony.
3. Nandi Pooja
- This prayer is directed towards Nandi, which is the sacred bull that serves Lord Shiva, in exchange for power and protection.
4. Shodasa Upachara Pooja
- This one consists of sixteen elaborate offerings in the wave of invoking different deities. It is offered after the Kalasha Sthapana so as to safeguard that every deity is respected.
5. Homam (Fire Rituals)
- There are several homas carried out such as,
- Maha Mritunjaya Homam: This fire ceremony is accompanied by the chanting of Lord Shiva Mantras for health and longevity.
- Navagraha Homam: This is a homa prāya for the witnessing and worship of the nine planetary deities who help remove bad karmas.
- Dhanvantri Homam: This is a homa prāya for invoking Dhanvantri Kinesiology Medical God, to gain well-being.
6. Recitation of Vedic Mantras
- Many Vedic mantras were recited during this ceremony, such as,
- Maha Mritunjaya Mantra
- Navagraha Mantra
- Dhanvantari Mantra
As mentioned in the previous chapter these Vedic mantras are really helpful for invocations and boosts spiritual supremacy and counteracts several negative energies with divine energy.
7. Abyuthaya Sradham and Nandee Sradham
- These are performed for ancestral prayers aimed at ancestor worship and to seek pardon and blessings from them for sins committed during life.
8. Repetition of Wedding Vows (Mangala Dharana)
- Married couples are sometimes remarried during the ceremony, where they stress the spiritual aspects such as exchanging garlands etc. and repeating the wedding vows.
9. Punyaha with Panchagavya Sevana
- “Panchagavya Shuddhi,” a rite that includes a series of actions involving five cow products, is performed to bless the room and the worshippers thereby signifying the liberation from both physical and spiritual bondage.
10. Prayers to Ishta Devata
- Invoking the personal chosen gods or Ishta Devata for individual benediction is performed by the sponsors at the different times during the ceremony.
Rituals accompanying Shashti Poorthi are highly significant as they not only focus on the life cycle of the individual but also strengthen the family and other societies and ethnic groups. Each ritual has its own function whether it is to pay homage to the gods or ancestors or to cleanse the person and be blessed for the endeavors that are to follow. Thus, they enhance the overall significance of this milestone and make sure that all the significant aspects of this special event are made honorably.
