How to do Janmashtami Puja Vidhi at Home?

Janmashtami Fast Rules and Process

Shri Krishna Janmashtami is considered as an important festival in Sanatan Dharma, especially those who belong to the Vaishno sect celebrate it with great fanfare.

Lord Krishna is worshiped in almost every home. But on the day of Janmashtami, something is done according to the intensity. On this occasion, how to worship Lord Krishna and what is its worship method, we will tell you here in details, by what mantras and methods you can worship Lord Krishna, we will also tell you here in details according to the scriptural Shri Krishna Puja Mantra.

While worshiping Lord Krishna, first sanctify everything and yourself, including the seat, by taking water in your hand in front of his picture or photo. First of all, you should decide whether you want to worship Janmashtami. And you have to fast? Do you have devotion to Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna? Then this is for you.

The area where the Janmashtami altar is to be set up should be cleaned and purified with Ganges water. On the day of Janmashtami, after bathing and getting ready in the morning, first put on clean clothes, then recite the purification mantra to purify yourself.

The purification mantra is as follows:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

ओम अपवित्रः पवित्रोवा सर्वावस्थां गतोअपि वा। यः स्मरेत पुण्डरीकाक्षं स बाह्याभ्यन्तरः शुचिः॥

Purify the water by sprinkling it on yourself and the worship materials. Then, begin the worship ceremony according to the prescribed rituals.

After purifying yourself, set up a puja platform. Spread a red or yellow cloth on the platform and place a picture or idol of Lord Vasudev on it. Also, place an idol or picture of Lord Ganesha, because no puja is considered successful without worshipping Lord Ganesha first, regardless of which deity or goddess is being worshipped.

Then, perform Kalash Sthapana (installation of the sacred pot). We have explained how to perform Kalash Sthapana in the Navratri Puja Vidhi and Diwali Puja Vidhi; you can get the information from there.

First, bathe Lord Ganesha, then Lord Krishna, and then dress them. After that, take some Akshat (rice grains) in your hand and invoke Lord Ganesha. After invoking him, offer the Akshat to the idol or picture of Lord Ganesha.

Then, worship Lord Ganesha with incense, ghee lamp, flowers, sandalwood paste, turmeric, offerings of food, and seasonal fruits. Then, take some Akshat and flowers in your hand and invoke Varuna Deva. After invoking him, offer the Akshat on top of the Kalash. It is important to worship the Kalash in the same way you worshipped Lord Ganesha.

After that, remember and pay respects to the local deities, family deities, Vastu deities, Lord Shiva, Indra, and the deities of the ten directions. Say, "I do not know your specific puja rituals. I offer you my heartfelt प्रणाम (pranam - respectful salutations)" and then pay your respects. Then move on to the next step. After that, meditate on Lord Krishna.

Shri Krishna Meditation Mantra

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

वसुदेव सुतं देव कंस चाणूर मर्दनम्। देवकी परमानंदं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥

Oh! son of Vasudeva, Lord Sri Krishna, you are the one who vanquished Chanura, Kamsa, and even the mightiest of demons. You bring joy to Devaki, and you are revered throughout the world. Salutations to you, Lord Krishna.

Then, meditate on Lord Krishna and offer flowers at his feet. And then, take the vow for the Janmashtami puja.

Janmashtami Puja Vow Mantra:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

यथोपलब्धपूजनसामग्रीभिः कार्य सिद्धयर्थं कलशाधिष्ठित देवता सहित, श्रीजन्माष्टमी पूजनं महं करिष्ये॥

Holding a betel leaf, at least a one-rupee coin, water, rice grains, flowers, and fruits in your hand, recite this resolution mantra, and then offer the items held in your hand at the feet of Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna Invocation Mantra

Please note, worship of God is not complete without invocation. Invocation means you are inviting God to participate in your worship. And if you don't invite God, how will He accept your worship? That is why invocation is performed.

The method and mantra for invocation: Holding sesame seeds and barley in your hand, invoke the deity in the idol using the following invocation mantra with the following.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

अनादिमाद्यं पुरुषोत्तमोत्तमं श्रीकृष्णचन्द्रं निजभक्तवत्सलम्। स्वयं त्वसंख्याण्डपतिं परात्परं राधापतिं त्वां शरणं व्रजाम्यहम्॥

place the sesame seeds and barley grains in your hand onto the idol of God.

Then offer a seat to God. The mantra for offering a seat to Lord Krishna. Take water as arghya (offering vessel) and recite:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

रम्यं सुशोभनं दिव्यं सर्वासौख्यकरं शुभम्। आसनं च मया दत्तं गृहाण परमेश्वर॥

Leave water on the ground. Then offer Arghya (water offering) to Lord Shri Krishna. Recite the mantra while holding water in the Arghya vessel.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

अर्घ्यं गृहाण देवेश गन्धपुष्पाक्षतैः सह। करुणां करु मे देव! गृहाणार्घ्यं नमोस्तु ते॥

After that, place the fragrant flowers and rice grains that you are holding in your hand at the feet of the Lord, and then offer water. Mantra for offering water to Lord Krishna: Mix water and fragrance in the offering vessel and recite the following mantra.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

सर्वतीर्थसमायुक्तं सुगन्धं निर्मलं जलम्। आचम्यतां मया दत्तं गृहत्वा परमेश्वर॥

Pour water, then bathe with clean water also add Tulsi, Ganga Jal leave into the water. The mantra for bathing Lord Krishna is:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति। नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् संनिधिं कुरु॥

Then, take some water and recite this mantra. Sprinkle a little of the water on the idol, picture, or image.

Panchamrita Snana of Lord Krishna

After that, perform the Panchamrita bath of Lord Krishna

Mix Jaggery, milk, curd, ghee, and honey in a vessel and bathe Lord Krishna with this mixture while chanting the following mantra:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

पंचामृतं मयाआनीतं पयोदधि घृतं मधु। शर्करा च समायुक्तं स्नानार्थं प्रतिगृह्यताम्॥

Bathe the deity. Take water in the Argha (ritual vessel) and perform a purification bath for Lord Krishna once again. The mantra for offering clothes to Lord Krishna: Hold the yellow garment in your hands and recite this mantra.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

शीतवातोष्णसन्त्राणं लज्जाया रक्षणं परम्। देहालअंगकरणं वस्त्रमतः शान्तिं प्रयच्छ मे॥

If you are already wearing clothes, take a little rice grains and offer them at the feet of the idol. If available, offer yellow clothes to the deity.

Offering the Sacred Thread (Yajnopavita)

Recite this mantra and offer the sacred thread (Yajnopavita) to Lord Krishna.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

यज्ञोपवीतं परमं पवित्रं प्रजापतेर्यत्सहजं पुरस्तात्। आयुष्मयग्यं प्रतिमुन्ज शुभ्रं यज्ञोपवीतं बलमस्तु तेजः॥

Offering Sandalwood and Turmeric Pastes

The mantra for applying sandalwood and turmeric pastes to Lord Krishna: Apply sandalwood paste to a flower and then recite the mantra.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

श्रीखंड चंदनं दिव्यं गन्धाढ्यं सुमनोहरम्। विलेपनं सुरश्रेष्ठ चंदनं च हरिद्रा प्रतिगृह्यताम्॥

Recite the mantra and apply sandalwood paste to Lord Krishna.

Mantra for Offering Flowers to Lord Krishna

After this, adorn Lord Krishna with a peacock feather crown and offer him the feathers. Also, present a flute to Lord Krishna. Mantra for offering flowers to Lord Krishna with the following.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

माल्यादीनि सुगन्धीनि मालत्यादीनि वै प्रभो। मयाआहृतानि पुष्पाणि पूजार्थं प्रतिगृह्यताम्॥

After offering flowers to God, place the garland around the idol. Then offer incense and a lamp to Lord Krishna.

Offer satvik food or naivedya to the God like any sweets, ladu, berfi, kheer, desi butter, srikhand etc. Recite this mantra to offer the food to God.

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

इदं नाना विधि नैवेद्यानि ओम नमो भगवते वासुदेवं, देवकीसुतं समर्पयामि ॥

Offer the food offering to Lord Krishna with this mantra.

Offer water to the deity for Achamanam. Take water in a vessel and recite the mantra:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

Idam Achamanam Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevam, Achamaniyam Samarpayami. (इदं आचमनम् ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवम्, आचमण्यम समर्पयामि।)

Pour the water in front of the idol of Lord Krishna. Mantra for Offering Kshama Yachanam to Lord Krishna After this, offer betel leaf and betel nut which is called Tambulam to the deity, perform circumambulation, and recite this mantra:

॥ अथः मंत्र ॥

यानि कानि च पापानि जन्मान्तरकृतानि च। तानि सर्वाणि नश्यन्तु प्रदक्षिण पदे-पदे॥

Then you can read the scriptures related to Janmashtami. Finally, after reading, perform the aarti of Lord Krishna. Then offer a prayer for forgiveness, asking that if any mistakes were made knowingly or unknowingly during the puja, you be forgiven.

In this way, after worshipping Lord Krishna, be sure to distribute the prasad (offering) to everyone.