Sankalpam is the firm resolve you make before God before starting any puja, vratham, japa or danam. In it you state, in order, the place, the time (year, month, tithi, weekday), who you are by gotram and name, the purpose, and the ritual you are about to do. Even without a purohit, you can fill in a template using the day's panchangam, or say it in simple Telugu.
What is sankalpam and why is it said?
Sankalpam means firm intention or resolve. The scriptures say every ritual should begin with a clear purpose. Saying the sankalpam turns a puja from a habit into a practice tied to a specific time and goal. Elders also say that recalling where we stand in the vast scheme of time and space brings humility.
It is usually said after Ganapati prayer, achamanam and pranayamam, just before the main puja. Hold akshatalu and a little water in the right hand while saying it, and release the water into a plate at the end.
What are the parts of a sankalpam?
A traditional sankalpam can be understood in five parts:
- Kaala (time): from Brahma's time scale down to the present year, ayana, ritu, month, paksha, tithi, weekday and nakshatra.
- Desha (place): Jambudvipa, Bharata Varsha, Bharata Khanda, then your region.
- Karta (performer): gotram and name; for the family, the phrase saha kutumbanam is added.
- Phala (purpose): wellbeing, health, prosperity, a specific wish, or simply the pleasure of the deity.
- Karma (ritual): which deity and which puja, such as shodashopachara puja, panchopachara puja or japa.
Panchangam details you need
Check the day's Telugu panchangam for the samvatsara name, ayana, ritu, month, paksha, tithi and nakshatra. The two ayanas are Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. The six ritus are Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemanta and Shishira. Weekdays use these Sanskrit names:
| Weekday | Name used in sankalpam |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Bhanu vasare |
| Monday | Indu vasare |
| Tuesday | Bhauma vasare |
| Wednesday | Saumya vasare |
| Thursday | Guru vasare |
| Friday | Bhrigu vasare |
| Saturday | Sthira vasare |
Traditional sankalpam: fill-in-the-blanks template
This is a simplified form of the sequence most Telugu families use. Fill each blank from the panchangam and your own details. Wording differs a little by region and family.
Mamopatta samasta duritakshaya dvara Sri Parameshwara preetyartham, shubhe shobhane muhurte, Sri Mahavishnor ajnaya pravartamanasya adya Brahmanah dvitiya parardhe, Shvetavaraha kalpe, Vaivasvata manvantare, Kaliyuge prathama pade, Jambudvipe, Bharatavarshe, Bharatakhande, ...... pradeshe, asmin vartamana vyavaharika chandramanena ...... nama samvatsare, ...... ayane, ...... ritau, ...... mase, ...... pakshe, ...... tithau, ...... vasare, ...... nakshatre, shubha yoge shubha karane, evam guna visheshana vishishtayam shubha tithau, ...... gotrah ...... namadheyah, dharmapatni sametah, asmakam saha kutumbanam kshema sthairya ayurarogya aishwarya abhivruddhyartham, Sri ...... devata preetyartham, yavacchakti ...... pujam karishye.
For the region, many families name a nearby holy place or the land between rivers; ask your family purohit what suits your area. When a woman says it herself, feminine forms such as gotravati and namadheya are used.
A simple Telugu sankalpam for beginners
If Sanskrit is hard to pronounce, you can say it in plain Telugu with the same meaning. Elders say devotion matters more to God than language. In English, the sense is:
O Lord, today, in the ...... year, ...... month, ...... paksha, ...... tithi, on ...... day, I, ...... of the ...... gotram, perform this puja to the best of my ability for the wellbeing, health and peace of my family and for the pleasure of Sri ....... Kindly accept it and bless us.
Things to remember
- Sit facing east or north.
- Hold akshatalu and water in the right hand; release them into a plate at the end.
- If you do not know your gotram, many say Shiva gotram or Kashyapa gotram; ask elders if possible.
- State any special wish clearly and humbly in the phala part.
- For daily puja, a short sankalpam is enough.
How the sankalpam changes by occasion
The time, place and performer parts stay almost the same; only the purpose and ritual change. On Vinayaka Chavithi one says Sri Siddhi Vinayaka preetyartham, in Varalakshmi Vratham Sri Varalakshmi preetyartham, and in Satyanarayana Vratham Sri Satyanarayana Swamy preetyartham. For japa, the number of repetitions is also stated, and for danam, the item and the recipient.
Key points
- Sankalpam is the resolve made before God at the start of a puja.
- It has five parts: time, place, performer, purpose and ritual.
- Take year, month, tithi and nakshatra from the day's panchangam.
- A plain Telugu sankalpam is perfectly acceptable.
- Wording varies by region; ask your purohit when unsure.