Pooja is not done actually to any living beings

There was a discussion with a friend a few years ago.

He asked

Pooja can be done to which live humans? (Dampathi pooja? Swamijis? Parents? Children? Sister? Brother? Brahmins for Shraadham? )

My answer was..

Pooja is not done actually to any living beings.

In each of the cases mentioned above, some presiding deity like Lakshmi and Narayana, Uma and Maheswara, Ganapathy, Skanda, Saasta, Durga or the Pithrus in Vasu Rudra Aditya forms, the Vishve devas, Brahma, Brihaspati, Vyasa etc are invoked...

It is just like a turmeric bimbam, a granite or metal statue etc. which are used as idols..

The mediums have no significance at all...

Even living parents are not offered pooja, the only exception is when some Vedic or spiritual upadesham is to be received like in Brahmopadesham, Samavartanam etc. where the parent may be treated as the guru and respects are offered..

Even in Padapoojas of Yatis, the Aadigurus or the deities worshiped by the respective preceptors are offered pooja and not the physical persons..

Even if the idols of such gurus are to be worshiped, they are worshiped as Shankara or Narayana etc..

No human worship is ever intended in Hinduism..

If contrary happens, it is distortion.

(offering Arghyam Padyam and offering Abivaadhanam to elders are not in the category of poojas .. they are only expression of respect and gratitude in the Society..)