Objective: To praise, honour, and worship Lord Vishnu during the Vishnupati window.
Prerequisites/Requirements: Fresh clothes, purified prayer space, mandala/bedi, Ata (flour), images of Lord Ganesh and Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi Lamp, Puja materials (water, rice, flower petals, betel leaves, betel nuts, incense, lamp, fruits, Shiro, milk).
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- After bathing and dressing in fresh clothes, purify the prayer space with water and create a bedi using Ata (flour).
- Arrange the pictures/murtis of Ganesh and Vishnu with the Lakshmi lamp to the right.
- Sit facing East or North.
- Perform Achaman: Sip water from your right palm three times while chanting “OM VISHNU”.
- State your Sankalpa (intention) in English: “O Lord Vishnu on this day… [state name and date]… I am performing this Vishnu Puja… Please accept my prayer”.
- Worship Lord Ganesh: Chant “Om ganapataye aavaahayaamee sthapayamee”, offering rice, petals, incense, lamp, flowers, cut fruit, and betel leaf with nut. Pray for the removal of obstacles.
- Invoke Lord Vishnu: Chant “Om shree vishnu bhagavan aavaahayaamee sthapayamee” and “Om swagatam su swagatam – Om shree vishnu bhagavan namah”.
- Place offerings before Vishnu’s picture: Four drops of water and three drops of Panchamrit on a betel leaf.
- Offer Pushpam (flowers/petals) while chanting “Om idam pushpam – Om shree Vishnu bhagavan namah”.
- Offer Dhoopam (incense) while chanting “Om tato dhoopam aghraa-payaami – Om shree Vishnu bhagavan namah”, circling seven times.
- Offer Deepam (camphor lamp) while chanting “Om prat-yaksha deepam darshayaami – Om shree Vishnu bhagavan namah”, circling seven times.
- Offer Naivedyam (Shiro/food) while chanting “Om naivedyam samar-payaami – Om shree Vishnu bhagavan namah”. Place a small lota of milk beside the image.
- Offer prayers for forgiveness and state your personal requests.
