Online Archanai and Dynamism of Hinduism

 Online E-Archanai and Dynamism of Hinduism

Online E-Archanai?

Online archanai here refers to a new way of doing temple archanai from a distance, by not going to temples. You just need to bank in the archanai datchina (fee) with your details about name, birth star (natchatra) and zodiac (rasi) in case. The priest will do the prayer in temples and is supposed to send you back with the  ‘kalanji’ / blessed items from the priest such as vibhuti, kumkum, bananas/ coconut, etc.

A temple in Penang offers online Archana.

A social media’s commented negatively.

Online Archanai in temples became a popular phenomenon for Hindus due to the Covid pandemic. Actually, it is in use for a long time without any publicity. Recently a temple in Penang, Malaysia offered online archana for Thaipusam devotees due to the Covid pandemic lockdown. Some doubts arise among Hindus whether this is within the agamaic rules or not? Some of them make it as a laughing stock in social media. One needs to know the truth before commenting especially if it involves someone’s belief system. So, to find out the truth, we need to see from all angles. There is nothing wrong, but rich temples not necessarily charge such an amount. And small temples need assistance, may do it.

Archanai (Pooja)

Archanai is a personal mode of offering your prayers to God or Goddess performed by temple priests by chanting specific slokas and mantras for the deity, to seek answers for your prayers. As per the agama, the name and birth star are recited while chanting the Vedic mantras which carries your prayers to the deity, most of the time in temples in the presence of devotees. The devotees not only do archana for himself/themselves, but they also do archana for their beloved ones who were not present in the temple during the archana in progress (isn’t this a distant archana?). The priest also recites some prayer/prarthanai for the wellbeing of the named person who was not there.

Reciting the mantra, natchatra, and rasi to communicate with prabancham (universal mind), will benefit the person named. So, even at distance, the archanai should work. No doubt. The only doubt is whether the archanai is carried out accordingly or not? Anyway, the real complete Sankalpa will never take place because the person is not in the temple. So, when doing archanai online, the effect should work similarly but not in total.  A priest/brahmana is a person who follows the agamic rule.

Temple is a mechanism built with the base of Yantra, Tantra, and Mantra. So, the cosmic energy / chaitanya is well preserved for the benefits of devotees praying in temples many-fold higher than a normal prarthana at home. 

Comparisons with Prarthana, Yagna, and Tarpana.

We can compare online archana with prarthanai (prayer), yagna (sacrificial fire), and tarpana (helping ancestors for a safe journey in the next life). During prarthanai, we pray for someone either near or far away, the prayer is conducted whole-heartedly and believes it works astrally, if this is believed true, then archanai for a distant person should be accepted. Besides that yagna/Velvi. We have been doing yagna for thousands of years for Devas and Devatas in the belief that it reaches them in the Devaloka/astral world. In a way, yagna is a telepod to send things to the Devas. And tarpanam, all the rituals for the departed ancestors for example shraddha pinda/food are given away as we believe it reaches our ancestors. Same as Chinese burn ‘hell bank’ notes, which they believe reaches their ancestors. All benefited without fail.

Hindu Dynamism and Problem Solving.

The only problem of archana online is, we can’t get/receive the ‘kalanji’ / blessed items from the priest such as vibhuti, kumkum, bananas/ coconut, etc. Probably they should arrange some runners to send it. I personally used to receive vibhuti and kumkum by post from temples. Or find a  way to send astrally, as how yagna/tarpana works. This could be part of the dynamism of Hinduism. As we know temples were built later for the benefit of the devotees, so this covid pandemic has brought a new norm, we should adapt to it. The apta gurus/acharyas should look into it because we don’t know when this pandemic will be over or any other pandemic on the list. Temples and their prayer should be sustained and continued. Many small temples need funds to run the temples, so who is responsible for sustainment our temples in the near surrounding? This online archana could be a way out for temples with less fund.

Four Reference Methods in Hinduism.

If we look for references through scriptures, I don’t think we are able to find any regarding pandemic in specific. And don’t forget, we got four referential ways to decide our sadhana/prayer method. First, we can refer to Srutis/Vedas if any, if not we should refer to Smriti/ Shastras or Agamas. If there is no guidance in Smritis, we should follow any apta gurus/ learned persons way/advice. The last choice is to follow one's self-consciousness/manas if there is no reference in the first three. Listen to your heart and do what is right, but it cannot go against dharma and you are responsible for the karma you reap.  Anyway, in Parasara Smriti, the Dharma Shastra for Kaliyuga was mentioned about changing norms in times of difficulty. And now, I believe this pandemic can be accepted as a difficult time.

Your Choice.

For those who have faith and bhakti, you may continue with the archana online without a doubt because this is another way to donate/help the temple and Sanatana Dharma to sustain their pujas. For those who think, temples are doing this for money, you should stay away. But remember, no one can steal from another especially the temple as they say, ’Sivan sotthu kulam nasam’ (Stealing from God, your entire family clan is affected). 

Conclusion.

It is never against agamic rules. It is nothing wrong doing archana with the help of online, modern mechanisms and those bhaktas/interested should go ahead and those who cannot justify it, just leave it. And those who are not Hindus should stay away from commenting on Hindu matters. Make sure it is a real temple which you know and not some religious business centres, further beware of bogus online archana. Anyway, this online archana should be a temporary measurement during the pandemic/difficult time only not to be permanent. Hindus should go to temples to do archana in person once the pandemic is over. Rich temples don't require our help, but small temples need this kind of service/fund from donations because devotees are not able to go temple. Finally, take it as DONATION.

Om Namasivaya.

Sivasiddhi.

Sivasiddhi Spiritual Foundation

27 January 2021