Pt Sri Pranesh Achar (Ananda Rangan)
Pooja
The 16 Upacharas are:
Arghya, Padya, Achamaniya, Madhuparka, Punar-Achamaniya, Snana, Vastra, Bhushana, Yajnopaveetha, Aasana, Gandha, Pushpa, Dhoopa, Deepa, Naivedya, and Namaskara.
According to our Shastras, these sixteen forms of worship should be offered daily to the Lord. Not only this, our Srimad Acharyas also worshipped the Lord in the same manner.
This is stated by Narayana Panditacharya in the 36th shloka of the 14th Sarga of Sumadhva Vijaya:
Sada dadadadhika bodha shodha shastropachaaran,
Virahaya adagunan dwatrimshadagaf purogan,
Agnita guna muchai toshayan sharangapanim,
Shadapi parama bhaktya anupacharantidesha.
From this, we understand that the Acharyas performed Shodashopachara Puja (worship with sixteen offerings) to Lord Hari with great devotion. Therefore, following their example and the guidance of the Shastras, we too should perform these 16 Upacharas in our daily worship.
