By Swami Harshananda
Pañcopacāras literally means ‘the five upacāras or modes of service’.
Pañcopacāras Definition[edit]
In pujā or ritualistic worship of a deity, the upacāras or direct modes of offering are important. They may generally be five or ten or sixteen. When they are five, they are called ‘pañcopacāras’.[1]
Five Pujās in Pañcopacāras[edit]
The five pujās involved in it are:
- Gandha - sandal-paste
- Puṣpa - flowers along with bilva and tulasī leaves and also durva or grass
- Dhupa - incense
- Dipa - lighted lamp for waving before the deity
- Naivedya - food-offering
References[edit]
- ↑ Pañca means five.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore