Shri Satyanarayan Puja Vidhi
Shri Satyanarayan श्री सत्यनारायण
Bhagwan Vishnu worshipped as the lord of truth - with the famous five-chapter katha.
Main mantra
ॐ श्री सत्यनारायणाय नमः
Om Shri Satyanarayanaya Namah
Samagri you will need
Along with the common puja essentials (diya, ghee, dhoop, akshat, roli, kalash, flowers, fruits), these items are special for Shri Satyanarayan:
- Banana plant / leaves (for mandap) केले के पत्ते / स्तंभ (मंडप)
- Banana केला
- Tulsi leaves तुलसी दल
- Satyanarayan katha book सत्यनारायण कथा पुस्तक
- Yellow flowers पीले पुष्प
- Janeu (yagyopavit) जनेऊ
- Wheat flour / semolina (sooji) आटा / सूजी
- Sugar शक्कर
Step-by-step puja vidhi
Shuddhi - purify yourself and the place
Bathe and wear clean (preferably fresh) clothes. Clean the puja place, lay the chowki with a clean cloth, and sprinkle Gangajal around the area. Sit facing east or north on an asana.
Sankalpa - state your intention
Take water, akshat and a flower in the right palm. Speak your name, gotra (if known), the date and place, and the purpose of the puja, then release the water before the deity.
Deep prajwalan & Ganesha smarana
Light the ghee diya and incense. First remember Shri Ganesha ("Om Gam Ganapataye Namah") so the puja is free of obstacles, then turn the mind to Shri Satyanarayan.
Avahana - invoke Shri Satyanarayan
Invoke the deity into the murti, photo or kalash with folded hands, chanting "Om Shri Satyanarayanaya Namah". Offer a seat (asana) of flowers or akshat.
Padya, Arghya & Achamana
Offer water for washing the feet (padya), the hands (arghya), and for sipping (achamana) - a spoonful of water each, poured into a plate before the deity.
Snana / Abhishek
Bathe the murti / Shaligram with panchamrit and then clean water. Decorate the chowki with banana stems as a canopy and set the kalash.
Vastra & adornment
Offer yellow vastra and chandan; keep tulsi at hand for every offering.
Pushpa & patra - flowers and leaves
Offer tulsi dal and yellow flowers.
Dhoop & deep
Show the incense (dhoop) and then the lamp (deep) to the deity with a gentle clockwise motion, ringing the bell with the left hand.
Naivedya - offer the bhog
Offer the bhog: Sava measure wheat-flour panjiri / sheera, panchamrit, banana. Place it before the deity with a few drops of water around the plate.
Mantra japa
Chant "Om Shri Satyanarayanaya Namah" 108 times (one mala), or at least 11 times, with a steady, unhurried mind.
Satyanarayan Katha
Read or hear all five chapters of the Shri Satyanarayan katha with family, before the aarti.
Aarti
Perform the aarti - "Jai Lakshmi Ramana (Satyanarayan aarti)" - with a ghee lamp or camphor, rotating it clockwise before the deity while singing, then pass the flame to all present.
Pradakshina & pushpanjali
Circumambulate the deity (or turn in place) an odd number of times, offer a final handful of flowers (pushpanjali), and bow fully.
Kshama prarthana & prasad
Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the worship ("kshama prarthana"), thank the deity, and distribute the prasad to everyone present.
Special rules for Shri Satyanarayan
- The five-chapter Satyanarayan katha is the heart of the puja - all present should hear it fully.
- Best done on Purnima or Thursday, with a clear sankalpa stating the wish or thanksgiving.
- The katha prasad (panjiri) is distributed to all and traditionally never refused.
This is a simple, complete home-puja vidhi in the Shodashopachara spirit. Regional and family traditions (parampara) vary - where your family does something differently, follow your parampara. Devotion (bhava) matters more than perfection of procedure.
Choose another Dev / Devi
What is a Puja Vidhi?
A puja vidhi is the step-by-step worship of a Dev or Devi: shuddhi, sankalpa, avahana, snana and alankara, flowers, dhoop-deep, naivedya, japa, aarti and prasad. This page follows a simple Shodashopachara (sixteen-offering) pattern for home worship.
Each deity has a favoured day, flowers, leaves and bhog, plus special rules (tulsi is never offered to Ganesha or on the Shivling; Vishnu and Krishna naivedya is incomplete without it). Family parampara comes first when it differs. Pick a deity for the vidhi, mantra and aarti.
This is not a fast. Fasting procedure is Vrat Vidhi. The item list is Puja Samagri. The story told on a vrat day is Vrat Katha.
