Why do we use flowers, lamps, chandana, dhoopa, and water while doing puja?

We all know this – the material world consists of five elements – called the panchabhutas:

Prithvi or earth or solid substance.
Jala or water or liquid substance.
Vayu or air or gaseous substance.
Agni or fire or energy.
Akasha or ether or space.
Space is like a container which can be filled with all the others. So the material world can be divided into space, energy, and matter. Space is akasha, energy is agni, and matter in solid, liquid, and gaseous forms are prithvi, jalam, and vayu. This is all that we have. Everything in the universe is a combination of these.

Now, how do you offer respect to someone or maintain a relationship with someone? Or establish a relationship with someone. This is what we all do. A new family is in the neighborhood – call them for dinner, give them something. There is a new colleague in the office, call him or her for coffee. There is someone in the hospital, take fruits or flowers. This giving is primary to the nature of man. Whether it is establishing a new relationship, maintaining an existing relationship, or showing respect.

When you go to your guru, you don’t go empty-handed. This giving is built into us. Now, what can be given to someone as significant as God? It cannot be incomplete; it has to be everything, full. So our sages thought, if you give all the five elements, you are giving everything symbolically. It is like giving whatever is there in your possession.

Now, how do you symbolically offer all the five elements? They looked for things that had a close resemblance to the five elements, the pancha bhutas.

Prithvi (earth): If you see the shastras, you will see that prithvi is closely associated with smell. We won't get into the details for the time being. If you offer something whose smell is prominent, or something known mainly for its smell, then that can represent prithvi or the earth element – chandana (sandalwood) can very well represent the earth element.

Jala (water): Water is available as it is, so you don’t have to look for a representative of water. Water can be offered as it is.

Vayu (air): Air is everywhere, but it is not visible. Smoke is visible, and smoke is also a gas. So in the place of air, the vayu bhuta is represented by the smoke coming from dhoopa or agarbathi.

Agni (fire): This element is represented by the lamp.

Akasha (space): A flower represents akasha. Akasha is the womb in which all the other elements are placed, interact, and new life is born. A flower is like a womb. The pollens come and fertilize it, and new life is born in the form of seeds from the flower.

So when you offer water, chandana, dhoopa, deepa, and flowers to God, you have symbolically offered everything you have.

Naivedya (food): Veda says 'annam brahmeti vyajanat' – annam or food is Brahma itself, Parabrahma. So while offering food, any kind of food, you are also bringing in the avyakta aspect of the universe, which is also within you, the unmanifest form of the universe.

When you offer all these, your puja is complete; nothing is left out. You have offered everything, both manifest and unmanifest, to God. There is no limit to what all you can offer. You can offer songs, dance – these are called upacharas and upaharas.

How do you make your guest happy, keep your guest happy? You can appreciate their skills, their work, what they have done for you; you can appreciate the talent of their children. The stotras, the praises, are these only. You specially cook for them what they like. So if it is Lord Ganesha, you make modaka and laddu. If it is Lord Satyanarayana, you make zeera.

These are all simple ways to establish and maintain a relationship with God.