॥ क्षमाप्रार्थना ॥ kṣamāprārthanā ॥
The next is kṣamāprārthanā, prayer for pardoning any non-integrity in thoughts, words and action during the puja, done knowingly or unknowingly. We pray to restore integrity and establish ourselves in the space of Sadashivoham.
Whatever actions that have been done by me always, O Lord of Devas, be it the actions done from the space of completion - sukrta, or actions from the space of incompletions - dushkrta, please consume them, burn them and forgive me, O Shankara.
Shiva is the Giver, Shiva is the Enjoyer and Beneficiary, Shiva verily is this whole Universe. Shiva Himself is the Worshipper pervading everywhere in all spaces and time, who performs the puja – that SHIVA indeed is me - SOHAM.
Kriya: Now take an uddharani of water, hold the water in your left hand, and open your right hand palm. At the end of the mantra offer the water onto the open palm allowing it to flow down in front of the Linga.
यत्किञ्चित्कर्म देवेश सदा सुकृतदष्ु कृतम् । तन्मे शिवपदस्तस्य भुङ्क्ष्व क्षपय शङ्कर ॥ शिवो दाता शिवो भोक्ता शिवस्सर्वंमिदं जगत् । शिवो यजति सर्वत्र यश्शिवस्सोऽहमेव तु ॥
yatkiñcitkarma deveśa sadā sukṛtaduṣkṛtam । tanme śivapadasthasya bhuṅkṣva kṣapaya śaṅkara ॥ śivo dātā śivo bhoktā śivassarvaṃmidaṃ jagat । śivo yajati sarvatra yaśśivasso'hameva tu ॥
॥ तत्त्वाचमनम् ॥ tattvāchamanam ॥
Achamana is the ritualistic cleansing of the mouth.
Here ācamana is called tattvāchamanam because the mantras used for the ācamana are the three tattvas (principles) - ātmatattva (the principle of the soul - the individual Consciousness), vidyātattva (the principle of the science of transcending from identifying ourselves as Jiva to Shiva), shivatattva (the principle of Shiva - the Cosmic Consciousness).
Kriya: Keep your right hand like a cow's ear (Gokarna). Please take the uddharani of water in your right hand and drink the water after each of the three mantras given below .
आत्मतत्त्वं शोधयामि स्वधा । विद्यातत्त्वं शोधयामि स्वधा । शिवतत्त्वं शोधयामि स्वधा ।
ātmatattvaṃ śodhayāmi svadhā । vidyātattvaṃ śodhayāmi svadhā । śivatattvaṃ śodhayāmi svadhā ।
॥ पूर्णमन्त्र: ॥ pūrṇamantra ॥
Now, from this space of Completion, please prostrate down, offering your Complete self at the lotus feet of your Sadguru Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam and at the Atma Linga, the embodiment of Sri Nithyanandeshwari-Adishakti and Sri Nithyanandeshwara-Sadashiva.
Aum. This is Completion (Purna), that is Completion (Purna). If This is removed from That, both remain, continue as Completion. When the Completion merges into Completion, Completion alone remains. If the Completion is removed or perceived to be removed from Completion, again Completion alone remains as Completion. Let there be peace in my inner space, peace in the outer space, peace in the Cosmos.
ॐ पूर्णमद: पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ हरि ॐ तत् सत् ॥
auṁ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate । pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ॥ auṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥ hariḥ auṁ tat sat ॥ सर्वंसद्गु रु पादकु ार्पणं अस्तु॥ sarvaṁ sadguru pādukārpaṇaṁ astu ॥
॥ ॐ नित्यानन्दम् ॥ auṁ nityānandaṃ ॥
Let everything be offered onto the Pādukā, the sacred sandals of the Sadguru.
Sri Guru Puja and Sri Shiva Puja
Shiva Deeksha is the sacred initiation into the state of Shiva - Sadashivoham, which is manifesting and radiating all the powers of Sadashiva. Deeksha is the process of initiation.
Mūlāgama, the source Agama reveals: dīyate jñānasadbhāvaḥ kṣīyante paśuvāsanāḥ। dānakṣapaṇasaṃyuktā dīkṣā teneha kīrtitā॥
"That action which bestows Enlightenment, destroys the three impurities, bondages of the self – anavamala, karmamala and mayikamala (feeling bellittled, karmic baggage and the forgetfulness of one's original state) is called Deeksha which bestows liberation. It is called so because it gives Enlightenment and also takes away the bondages."
In the Agamas, Sadāshiva ordains various types and levels of Deekshas. The preliminary level deeksha is called Samaya Deeksha.
Maya means - the individual identity – 'I' and 'mine' Sa + maya means - transforming this identity - 'I' and 'mine' into the Divine - SHIVA.
Samaya Deeksha is the first level the Shiva's initiation. Through this deeksha the bondages that bind the individual self from experiencing its SADASHIVATVA (the space of Sadashiva) is destroyed by the loving grace of Guru, who is Sadashiva; thereby awakening the space of SADASHIVOHAM – Oneness with Sadashiva – in the disciple. Through this Samaya Deeksha one becomes formally eligible to live and practice the Vedic lifestyle as ordained by Sadashiva in the Agamas.
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To deepen the experience of Sadashivoham in the disciple, Sadashiva blesses the disciple with the next level Deeksha called Vishesha Deeksha. Through this deeksha the disciple is given access and right to connect with Sadashiva through Shiva Puja. In the Vishesha Deeksha the disciple is given a Shiva linga for his personal Puja (Atmartha Puja) by the Guru. Sadashiva says in the Srimat Kamika Agama, Purva Pada, Archana Vidhi
"The worship being done for the Linga graciously given to the disciple by the Guru at the completion of the qualifying diksha-ritual, or for the Linga made of earth and other substances is said to be personal (atmartha). Since it grants the fruits to the disciple as desired by him, it is called Svartha (atmartha) puja."
Hence the Spatika linga giving in Deeksha by Swamiji is called the Ātma Linga. In Kamika Agama Purvapada, Sadashiva continues to share the significance of worshiping the Shiva linga.
agnihotrāśca vedāśca yajnasca bahudakshinah । sivalingārcanasyaite kotyamsenāpi no samāḥ ॥
Maintaining the sacrificial fire in one's own house, systematic study of the Vedas, performing sacrifices, which involves many kinds of fees in great measure - all these activities cannot be equal to even one part of million parts of the greatness of the worship of Shiva Linga.
Through this deeksha the experience of 'Sadashivoham' is deepened in the disciple. The scripture, Navaratneshvara says: sarvasāmapi dīkṣāṇam mukti phalam akhanḍitam । āvirodhāt bhavantyeva prāsangyastu bhuktaya ॥
Indeed, the main benefit of all deekshas, the sacred initiations is the fruit of mukti - Enlightenment. As a side-effect all the worldly pleasures and enjoyments also happen.
Sadashiva, in the Agama called Kularnava Tantra says:
upapātaka lakśāṇi mahāpataka kotayaḥ । kśanāt dahati deveśi dīkśā hi vidhinā kritā ॥
The Deeksha done as per the scriptural injunctions of Agamas, removes in just one moment - lakhs of minor incompletions and crores of major incompletions.
Sadashiva reveals in Rudrayamala Tantra:
devi dīkṣa-vihinasya na siddhir na ca sadgatihi। tasmāt sarvaprayatnena gurunā dīkṣito bhavet॥
Oh Devi. The one who has not received Deeksha does not attain perfection, completion or liberation nor a good future path. So by all intense efforts one should become a Deekshita, the initiated one by the Guru.