Mantra Pushpanjali: The Vedic Floral Offering That Concludes Every Puja
Mantra Pushpanjali - Sanskrit Text
ॐ यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् ।
ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः ॥
द्वितीयः
ॐ राजाधिराजाय प्रसह्यसाहिने ।
नमो वयं वैश्रवणाय कुर्महे ।
स मे कामान् कामकामाय मह्यम् ।
कामेश्वरो वैश्रवणो ददातु ।
कुबेराय वैश्रवणाय । महाराजाय नमः ॥
तृतीयः
ॐ स्वस्ति, साम्राज्यं भौज्यं स्वाराज्यं
वैराज्यं पारमेष्ठ्यं राज्यं महाराज्यमाधिपत्यमयम् ।
समन्तपर्यायी स्यात् सार्वभौमः सार्वायुष आन्तादापरार्धात् ।
पृथिव्यै समुद्रपर्यन्ताया एकराळ इति ॥
चतुर्थः
ॐ तदप्येष श्लोकोऽभिगीतो ।
मरुतः परिवेष्टारो मरुतस्यावसन् गृहे ।
आविक्षितस्य कामप्रेर्विश्वेदेवाः सभासद इति ॥
॥ मन्त्रपुष्पाञ्जलिं समर्पयामि ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
oṃ yajñena yajñam ayajanta devās tāni dharmāṇi prathamāny āsan ।
te ha nākaṃ mahimānaḥ sacanta yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ ॥
oṃ rājādhirājāya prasahya-sāhine ।
namo vayaṃ vaiśravaṇāya kurmahe ।
sa me kāmān kāma-kāmāya mahyam ।
kāmeśvaro vaiśravaṇo dadātu ।
kuberāya vaiśravaṇāya mahārājāya namaḥ ॥
oṃ svasti, sāmrājyaṃ bhaujyaṃ svārājyaṃ ... pṛthivyai samudra-paryantāyā ekarāḷ iti ॥
Meaning
First verse: By sacrifice the gods worshipped the Sacrifice itself; these were the first ordinances (dharmas). Those great ones attained heaven (naka), where the ancient gods, the Sadhyas, dwell. (This famous Rig Vedic verse declares that selfless sacrifice is the primordial law by which the divine order is upheld.)
Second verse: We offer our salutations to the King of kings, the all-conquering Vaishravana (Kubera). May that Kubera, lord of all desires (Kameshvara), grant me my heart's wishes. Salutations to Kubera, the great king and lord of wealth.
Third verse: May there be well-being (svasti). May sovereignty, kingship, self-rule and supreme dominion extending to the very edges of the earth and ocean, lasting a full life-span, be attained - a prayer for prosperity, stability and auspicious rule.
Fourth verse: Thus is this verse sung in praise - of the one in whose house the Maruts dwelt as attendants, and where the Vishvedevas sat in assembly. The prayer closes: "I offer this handful of flowers with mantras" (mantra-pushpanjalim samarpayami).
About this Mantra
Mantra Pushpanjali literally means "a handful (anjali) of flowers (pushpa) offered with sacred mantras." It is the traditional concluding offering of a Hindu puja: devotees stand, hold flowers in their cupped palms, chant these Vedic verses, and then offer the flowers at the deity's feet. Drawn from the Vedas, the verses weave together the ideals of selfless sacrifice, the blessings of Kubera (lord of wealth), and prayers for prosperity and sovereignty. It is especially famous as the grand collective chant at the end of Ganeshotsav aartis in Maharashtra, where whole communities recite it together.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
As the final act of worship, Mantra Pushpanjali expresses gratitude and surrender - the devotee offers not only flowers but the fruits of the entire puja back to the Divine. The verses sanctify the offering with the highest Vedic ideals: the first praises selfless sacrifice as the foundation of dharma; the others invoke wealth, well-being and righteous prosperity. Chanting it is believed to complete and perfect the worship, bless the household with abundance and harmony, and invoke the grace of the gods, especially Kubera for prosperity.
Astrological Relevance
The heart of Mantra Pushpanjali is the invocation of Kubera (Vaishravana), the divine treasurer and lord of wealth. In Vedic astrology, wealth and gains are governed by the 2nd house (accumulated wealth), the 11th house (income and gains), and the benefic wealth-givers Guru (Jupiter) and Shukra (Venus). Kubera is associated with the north direction and with stored, stable wealth, and his invocation here makes the prayer a natural support for prosperity and financial security. Chanting Mantra Pushpanjali - and Kubera worship generally - is a traditional measure to strengthen the houses and grahas of wealth, attract abundance, and remove obstacles to prosperity, especially when the 2nd or 11th houses or their lords are weak.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
At the conclusion of a puja or aarti, stand facing the deity. Take a few fresh flowers (and a little akshata/rice if available) in your cupped palms. Chant the Mantra Pushpanjali clearly and devotionally, and at the closing line "mantra-pushpanjalim samarpayami" offer the flowers at the feet of the deity. It is ideally chanted standing and, where possible, collectively, as part of completing the worship.
Best Day & Time
Mantra Pushpanjali is chanted at the end of any puja, on any day, as the natural conclusion of worship. It is especially associated with Ganesh Chaturthi / Ganeshotsav and with festival aartis. For prosperity-focused worship, Fridays (Venus) and the Dhanteras/Diwali period, when Kubera and Lakshmi are honoured, are particularly auspicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Mantra Pushpanjali mean?
It means "an offering of a handful of flowers accompanied by sacred mantras." Devotees hold flowers and chant these Vedic verses, then offer the flowers to the deity as the concluding act of puja.
When is Mantra Pushpanjali chanted?
It is chanted at the very end of a puja or aarti, completing the worship. It is most famous as the collective closing chant of Ganeshotsav aartis, but is used at the conclusion of worship for many deities.
Why is Kubera invoked in Mantra Pushpanjali?
Kubera (Vaishravana) is the divine treasurer and lord of wealth. His invocation seeks prosperity, abundance and well-being, blessing the devotee and household with material security alongside the spiritual merit of the worship.
Why Mantra Pushpanjali is the golden seal of every puja
Mantra Pushpanjali, literally the "offering of flowers accompanied by sacred words," functions as the reverential full stop at the end of Hindu worship. While the puja unfolds through a sequence of ritual acts - invocation, bathing, clothing, feeding, waving of lamps - Mantra Pushpanjali gathers the entire intention of the worship into a single standing offering. The devotee rises, cups flowers and akshat in joined palms, and releases the cumulative devotion of the ritual in these Vedic verses. The hymn's sweep is remarkable: it honours the primordial cosmic sacrifice, acknowledges Kubera as the lord who oversees material abundance, and concludes with a prayer for universal sovereignty and welfare, grounding personal worship in a vision of shared flourishing.
The Mantra Pushpanjali is especially prominent during Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Diwali puja, and virtually every family or temple rite across Maharashtra and beyond. Because it calls upon Kubera, it holds a natural resonance with the planet Jupiter in the Jyotish tradition, Jupiter being the cosmic significator of abundance, grace, and auspicious completion. Devotees believe that concluding puja with this offering ensures the deity receives the full merit of the worship and that the practitioner's prayers carry forward with divine endorsement. The warmth of the tradition lies in its universality: regardless of the presiding deity, these verses close the sacred circle with the same generous, cosmically oriented words.