The animals related to the divine forms

The animals related to the divine forms

 

In the mutt we perform prayers for two animals. The prayer for cow and prayer for the elephant. Of these, we call the cow, the cow mother, not including it among animals. If we count like that the only animal being worshipped is the elephant. This prayer is not significant for any other animal. We perform the prayer to the "go pooja", when day begins. At the go pooja the prayer is performed for the cow. When the day ends – at twilight – gaja pooja is performed. At the gaja pooja the elephant is offered with respect fruits and in turn the elephant swings a fan for the lotus feet of the sankaracharya and performs pooja. At that time the daily accounts are presented to the acharya in front of the elephant. When we prostrate to the acharya at the end of this prayer, the elephant also salutes making a jubilant noise with its trunk. This pooja is also called "deeviti salam".

 

In the go pooja it is merely a prayer for the cow. In the gaja pooja there is prayer for the elephant and the elephant also perform prayer.

 

All big temples keep an elephant. In temples in Kerala, especially places like trichur, the elephant is more prominent that the lord of the temple.

 

It is so special an animal with a divine relationship, and an embodiment of divinity. Did it not cry aloud "the primodal principle" and make the lord Vishnu come down from vaikunda to rescue him?

 

In addition to being the largest among animals, because the elephant has all these countless special qualities, the lord vigneswara decided to take the form for his reincarnation to represent all the living beings, he selected the elephant.