Camphor is burnt to perform Aarti (circular movement or display of the lamp in reverence before the deity or the idol) before the deity. Just as God rotates the sun and the moon around you, you imitate the same and thus offer and move the camphor lamp before God to bring joy to you. This is also to express the prayer that the light of our life should never go astray from God and should always be centered and revolve around God. It is with this deep feeling that you perform aarti. The breathing of Aarti wakes up the Chakras, some say. The smoke from these balls purify the entire atmosphere.
Puja kapoor has a unique place in the Hindu ritual of traditional Pooja or any other festive or customary occasion. It is pure white in colour, and when it is burnt it takes on the hue of agni (fire), and it burns itself out completely, without residue. Lighting camphor before God symbolizes that if we burn our illusion or ego with the fire of true knowledge, we shall merge with the God, leaving no residue.
Significane of the Camphor Flame
Camphor flame inspires the devotee to spread warmth and fragrance through ones life, burning away energetically to eventually allow the focus solely on the almightly without any trace of existence or ego.
At the end of the aarti one places his hands over the flame and touches his eyes and forehead which signifies may the light which illumined the Lord light up my vision and may my thoughts be as pure and beauAful as this camphor flame
Shiva Yajur Mantra (Karpoor Gauram):
Karpoor Gauram Karunnaavataram
Sansaar Saaram Bhujgendra Haaram.
Sadaa Vasantam Hridyaarvrinde
Bhavam Bhavaani Sahitam Namaami.
करपूर गौरम करूणावतारम
संसार सारम भुजगेन्द्र हारम |
सदा वसंतम हृदयारविंदे
भवम भवानी सहितं नमामि ||
Karpur Gauram : The one who is as pure/white as a camphor(karpur)
Karuna avatar : The personification of compassion.
Sansara Saram : The one who is the essence of the world
Bhujagendra haram :The one with the serpent king as his garland
Sada vasantam : Always residing
Hridaya arvinde : In the lotus of the heart
Bhavam Bhavani : Oh Lord and Goddess (Sati: wife of Shiva)
Sahitam Namami : I bow to you both
The Shiva Yajur Mantra says, I bow to that camphor-hued, white complexioned (Lord Shiva), who is Incarnation of compassion, who is the very essence of (consciousness; the knowing principle) of life (of the embodied soul); Who wears snakes as garlands, whose eternal abode is in the heart of the devotee, I bow to Him (Lord Shiva) and His consort Bhavani (Uma or Paarvati). Karpur (camphor-hued); Gauram (white); Karunaa (compassion); Avataaram (incarnation); Sansaar (life of the embodied soul); Saaram (essence, the knowing principle or consciousness); Bhujagendra (wearer of snakes or who wields theSerpent power of Kundalini Shakti); Haaram (garlands); Sadaa (eternal); Vasantam (resides); Hridayaarvinde (in the heart of the devotee);Bhavam (Lord Shiva); Bhavaani (Uma or Paarvati); Sahitam (together); Namaami (I bow).