A wonderful Puja for development of intelligence

There is a wonderful miraculous puja given in Vishnu Dharmottara Purana

For development of intelligence, first I will quote the verses and then explain the procedure

Vajra uvacha, Bhagavan karmana kena prajna yukto bhavennaraha

Etadeva manushyanam manushyatvamudahritam

Markandeya uvacha, Chaitriyam tu samatitayam yavan masam dine dine purvavat poojayeddevam Nrusimham aparajitam

Homam cha pratyaham kuryat tatha siddharthakairnrupa brahmanan bhojayet chatra tatha trimadhuram sada vaishakhyam kanakam dadyat triratroposhito naraha

Jnanavaptipradam hetadvratam buddhivivardhanam

Krutva vratam masamidam ayoktamasadya nakam suchiram manushyah

Manushyamasadyacha buddhiyukto jnanena yuktashcha tatha bhavettu

This is meant for children who are facing difficulty in studies

Basically, we know studies means you need intelligence

Children lacking in grasping power, memory, reading skills, writing skills, analytical skills, they can all benefit from this puja

Children with learning disabilities, autism, dyslexia, anorexia, they can all benefit from this puja

Not just children with problem, even if your child is doing very well, can there be a limit to blessings? Do this puja

They will do even better

All students can benefit from this puja

Students who are old enough can do the puja on their own

If the child is too small, the parent can do, but make sure that the child is sitting by your side

This puja is done for 1 month, once in a year

This has to be strictly followed

You have to start the puja on the next day of Chitra Pournami and end it on the next Pournami, which is Vaishakha Pournami

Take a photo of Lord Narasimha of Saumya Bhava, gentle Bhava

You can use photo of Lakshmi Narasimha also

Now, what you have to do every day, take bath before the puja, wear proper traditional clothes

Clean the photo, put a garland, apply chandana on the forehead of Bhagwan

Keep a cup of water before Bhagwan, light a lamp, light agarbatti

Now listen to the next 12 mantras and offer flowers at Bhagwan's feet one by one

Om Mahaajwalaaya Namah Om Ugra Kesarine Namah Om Vajradamstraya Namah Om Visharadaaya Namah Om Narasimhaaya Namah Om Kashyapa Mardanaya Namah

Om Yatu Hantre Namah

Om Deva Vallabhaya Namah

Om Prahlada Varadaya Namah

Om Ananta Hastakaya Namah

Om Maharudraya Namah

Om Darunaya Namaha

Once this is done, offer some Naivedya, fruits or dry fruits, or if we can cook something like payasam, that is also fine

If it is cooked Naivedyam, then it has to be cooked at home

Don't get sweets from outside and offer

After this, pray that Lord should bless with Buddhi Shakti and offer Namaskara to him

Do this every day till the next Pournami, including next Pournami

If you are familiar with Shodashobachara Vidhi, you can do that also

One point to be noted here, if girls are doing this or the mother is doing for the child, then if periods come up, then you should stop for 4 days and resume on the 5th day

But someone else should do the puja on your behalf without break

Before Pournami, Before Vaishakha Pournami, you have to observe Upavasa for 3 days continuously

Upavasa last day should be 1 day before Vaishakha Pournami

You can have one Satvik meal in the evening on these 3 days

Nothing during the day except water

Those with health issues can be a little more liberal with this and modify accordingly

But the more intense the Upavasa, the better will be the result

On the last day, that is Vaishakha Pournami day, invite your Purohita home

You have to do Homa with the same mantras with which you have performed Archana everyday

Those same 12 mantras

The Ahuti should be offered

30 times for each mantra

12 into 30, 360 ahutis

Like Om Mahajwalaya Swaha

Om Mahajwalaya Swaha

Like this 30 times

Then the next mantra

Om Ugra Kesarene Swaha

Om Ugra Kesarene Swaha

30 times

Total 360 ahutis

After this you have to offer bhojanam to the purohita

The bhojanam should necessarily contain ghee, sugar, and honey

You can use Ghee and sugar in any of the items and maybe add honey to fruits and make a fruit salad

You have to visualize the Purohita as Pratyaksha Narasimha who has come home and is accepting your offerings

As part of Dakshina, you have to offer a little bit of gold, depending on your financial capacity

Even a few milligrams will do, but it should necessarily be there

Get the blessings of your Purohita also

Do this and see how the Lord's blessings can completely transform your life

• Why is this specific puja performed during the month between Chitra Pournami and Vaishakha Pournami?
  This period is spiritually charged as it marks the transition into the peak of summer, symbolizing the intensification of Tapas or spiritual heat. In the Vedic calendar, Vaishakha is considered the dearmost month to Lord Vishnu. By beginning after Chitra Pournami, the practitioner aligns their personal efforts with the natural lunar cycle of growth, culminating in the full illumination of the mind on Vaishakha Pournami.
• What is the esoteric significance of using 12 specific mantras for the Archana and Homa?
  The number 12 corresponds to the Dwadasha Adityas or the twelve solar aspects that govern time and intelligence. Each of the 12 mantras targeted at Lord Narasimha acts as a key to unlock different chambers of the brain and consciousness. By repeating these 12 names, the practitioner harmonizes the twelve solar nerves in the subtle body, leading to enhanced clarity and the destruction of mental dullness.
• How does the Saumya or gentle form of Lord Narasimha specifically aid in academic and intellectual development?
  While the Ugra or fierce form of Narasimha is for destroying external enemies, the Saumya Bhava, often seen in Lakshmi Narasimha, represents the settling of divine energy after the destruction of ignorance. For a student, a turbulent mind is the greatest obstacle. The Saumya Bhava provides the peace and stability required for the brain to absorb, retain, and analyze complex information without stress.
• What is the hidden purpose behind the three-day Upavasa or fast before the final day?
  Fasting is not merely about physical hunger; it is a process of Bhoota Shuddhi or purification of the elements. By restricting food for three days, the body's Prana or life force is redirected from digestion to the brain. This creates a vacuum of purity that allows the high-frequency vibrations of the final 360 Homa Ahutis to be fully absorbed by the practitioner and the child.
• Why is the number 360 chosen for the total number of Ahutis in the Homa?
  The number 360 represents a full circle and the number of days in a Vedic lunar year. By offering 360 oblations, the practitioner is symbolically offering an entire year of devotion in a single concentrated act. This represents the completion of a cycle of ignorance and the beginning of a new cycle of enlightenment.
• What is the significance of the Trimadhuram (Ghee, Sugar, and Honey) offered to the Purohita?
  In Ayurveda and Tantra, these three substances are considered Satvik fuels for the brain. Ghee enhances memory (Dhi), sugar provides immediate energy for the mind, and honey is a carrier that penetrates deep into the tissues. Feeding the Purohita these items while visualizing him as Lord Narasimha creates a psychic connection where the merit of the food offered returns to the donor as intellectual vigor.
• How does this puja address modern conditions like autism or dyslexia from a spiritual perspective?
  From a Puranic viewpoint, these conditions are often seen as blockages in the flow of Prana to specific centers of the brain. Lord Narasimha is the deity of the Nakha (nails) and Damstra (teeth), representing the piercing power of divine intervention. The vibration of these specific mantras is said to pierce through the karmic veils (Avarana) that restrict the soul's ability to express its intelligence through the physical body.
• Why is it mandatory to include gold in the Dakshina, regardless of the quantity?
  Gold is the earthly representative of the Sun and the metal of the Sahasrara Chakra. In spiritual alchemy, gold attracts and holds the energy of the mantras. By gifting gold, the practitioner performs a sacrifice of their wealth to "buy" the grace of knowledge. It ensures that the fruits of the puja are sealed and remain with the family permanently.
• Can a parent truly transfer the benefits of this puja to a child simply by having them sit nearby?
  Yes, this is based on the principle of Sankalpa and the interconnectedness of the family's Pranic field. Especially for children who cannot focus, the parent acts as a surrogate. The child’s presence allows their aura to be bathed in the sacred smoke of the Homa and the sound vibrations of the mantras, which performs a subconscious cleansing of their mental faculties.
• What is the mystery behind the instruction to resume the puja after a break for biological cycles?
  The instruction to have someone else continue the puja ensures that the Nitya or daily flow of energy is not broken. Spiritual momentum is like a spinning wheel; if it stops, it takes great effort to restart. By maintaining the continuity for 30 days, a powerful field of "Siddha" or perfection is created, which is necessary to achieve the "miraculous" results mentioned in the Vishnu Dharmottara Purana.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi