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Thread: Namaskaram in Mandirs

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    Namaskaram in Mandirs

    Hari Om!

    Despite the conditions of some of the carpets of marble floors of the mandirs here and the ones that I've visited in Canada, many devotees do a full body namaskar to the the deities - whole body of the floor for males. Of course some don't, but then again some do. How is this done in, say, India? I really haven't observed anyone do the full out namaskar and it's certainly understandable to a degree, but a level of devotion could also indicate that it would be appropriate. Others I observe simply bow with folded hands, sometimes raised above the head. Yes, I can see the impracticality of getting clothes dirty etc, especially in places that I frequent in India with rare exception but again it feels especially awkward not to offer my full respects. How do you feel about this? How do you prostrate in your temple, India , US, or elsewhere? What are the conditions under which you do so? Needless to say I'm not going to do a full prostration on a shrine on the street though I may bow reverently, even touching my forehead to the step or whatever. Help me out here please. My next trip is coming up in a few weeks.

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    Re: Namaskaram in Mandirs

    Quote Originally Posted by c.smith View Post
    Hari Om!

    Despite the conditions of some of the carpets of marble floors of the mandirs here and the ones that I've visited in Canada, many devotees do a full body namaskar to the the deities - whole body of the floor for males. Of course some don't, but then again some do. How is this done in, say, India? I really haven't observed anyone do the full out namaskar and it's certainly understandable to a degree, but a level of devotion could also indicate that it would be appropriate. Others I observe simply bow with folded hands, sometimes raised above the head. Yes, I can see the impracticality of getting clothes dirty etc, especially in places that I frequent in India with rare exception but again it feels especially awkward not to offer my full respects. How do you feel about this? How do you prostrate in your temple, India , US, or elsewhere? What are the conditions under which you do so? Needless to say I'm not going to do a full prostration on a shrine on the street though I may bow reverently, even touching my forehead to the step or whatever. Help me out here please. My next trip is coming up in a few weeks.
    Vannakkam: At North Indian temples here when I do go, its the kneeling one. When in Rome... In India at larger South India temples I do a full one at the kodimaram upon entering, and again upon leaving. I don't care about the dirt. Here at my regular temple, probably 20 times during the course of a puja. But if you watch it here or anywhere, it varies a lot, so I assume you do what you want to do, within certian conditions like place and direction your feet are pointing. its your attitude, more that waht's done with the physical body.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Namaskaram in Mandirs

    Namaste,

    many devotees do a full body namaskar to the the deities - whole body of the floor for males. Of course some don't, but then again some do. How is this done in, say, India?
    To the best of my knowledge you are talking about Sastang Danvat Pranam. To prostrate.

    Here is photo for that from Swaminarayan swami.
    http://www.swaminarayangadi.com/news...es/image10.php

    We are leaving behind our culture our rites and rituals. and trying to be more sophisticated. Now a day people feel shy to do this in public and they are worried about dirt on the floor. But if true devotees still do this Pranam. If you visit any famous pilgrimage, though the floor is dirty - sticky but devotees do prostrate.
    Namaskar,

    AmIHindu ?

    यज्ञानां जपयज्ञोऽस्मि ।

    नाम्नोऽस्ति यावती शक्तिः पापनिर्हरणे हरेः । श्र्वपचोऽपि नरः कतुँ क्षमस्तावन्नकिल्विषम् ।।

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    Re: Namaskaram in Mandirs

    hari o
    ~~~~~~

    namasté


    Prostration is praṇipāta प्रणिपात- prostration , humble submission, salutation , falling at a person's feet.
    This comes under the notion of prapatti प्रपत्ति- pra is forward or in front + patti or going , moving; some call this 'throwing oneself down'. Prapatti then is defined as pious resignation or devotion.
    A more familiar term is praṇāma प्रणामbending , bowing , a bow , respectful salutation , prostration , obeisance.

    For men it is called aśtāṅga praṇāma, and for woman it's pañcānga praṇāma.
    • Aśtāṅga praṇāma means eight parts or 'limbs' are in prostration i.e. 2 hands + 2 knees + 2 feet + 1 chest + 1 forehead = 8.
    • Pañcānga praṇāma means 5 parts or 'limbs' are in prostration i.e. 2 hands + 2 legs ( with ankles crossed right over left) + 1 forehead = 5.
    Many times you will see prostrations occur ~across~ vs. straight ahead.
    Here is my conjecture on why praṇāma occurs across vs. straight ahead.

    As mentioned in the Aitareya upaniṣad¹, that the devatā-s are fond of the 'indirect' way, not straight on i.e. staying to left-or-right is the application of this. Hence when Aśtāṅga or Pañcānga praṇāma occurs, we're respecting this approach and doing the wishes of the devatā.

    praṇām

    refererence: Aitareya Upaniṣad 3.14
    यतसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤‚ शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṠśivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  5. #5

    Re: Namaskaram in Mandirs

    Namaste,

    Sometimes I see this at the Krishna temple here in the US but I have not seen it in India. Although I have not been to South India. Plus there are also gender differences. I've seen men do the full pranam while us ladies don't. It's kind of impractical given the saree I suppose but It would be nice if ladies had the option too.

    As for the dirt issue think of it this way. You get covered in dirt just walking around outside. When you step into a mandir the material world is dramatically altered. You are in the presence of God. What a wonderful thing to offer your full body to your beloved. the dust from His/ Her feet becomes like prasadam.

  6. #6

    Re: Namaskaram in Mandirs

    Hari Om

    I was thinking on similar lines - prapatti , resignation but rather , sharaNAgati - surrender.

    In Temples, those who do the panchang/ashtang praNAm do it from their heart. In India you will find this in ISKCON temples, on the Govardhan parikrama marg and VaishNo-devi mandir up north, to name a few.

    To me, whether others are doing the panchang/ashtang matters little. Doing a full praNAm can never be offensive. Also, inside the closed mandir no dirt matters. It is the dust of Lotus feet of devotees and can only bless, and the hand sanitizer can bless later.

    Whoever has seen the Govardhan parikrama marg - dusty unpaved road, sometimes dirty - will also have seen devotees doing parikrama with a dandavat as a step rather than a walking footstep. Same with some devotees at VaishNo devi mandir in the hills up north. That is some surrender i would say - although of course this is one extreme case.

    So,

    1. Just surrender. Go all the way out whenever possible.
    2. Leave it to paramAtmA - He knows the situation as well as the exact extent of our surrender better than us when it comes to the extent of dirt, say, at a street-mandir, and gives us common sense.

    A song:
    Follow your heart,
    Let paramAtmA rule ~
    Easier said that done ~
    It's just a thought ~


    3. Invest some shraddha and nishThA in your hand sanitizer (if you are traveling and have no way to wash hands)

    This is assuming the pilgrim does not have to watch, carry or feed children along the way.

    If we are with several people - family, friends, or relatives, and not all are on the pilgrimage for the same reason (some are actually only sightseeing) they may try to ridicule, express disgust, and talk you out of it - how much we stay firm depends on our own bhAvanA - how far we have gone - is it to the point of no return ?

    I noticed this last kArtik (Nov) - in Vrundavan Gokul Mathura. At BramhAnd ghAt, Gokul, i only knelt down to scoop the sacred waters of Yamuna Maharani in cupped palms - to splash on myself and on the head several times - it was transcendentally refreshing, i did not want to leave so soon - ~ it was the YamunA ~. You should have seen the reaction i received - "how could you splash that dirty water". It was amusing. Well, at least i was not thoughtless enough to actually step into the Yamuna and sit in the car with wet clothes.
    This is the place where my Kanhu ate mitti (mud) and showed Yashoda Maiya the BramnAnd - universe, in His mouth. And imagine, i had just come there from the chaurAsi khamba mandir that has a life size baby KRshNa whom you can hold, touch, pet - the ONLY archa vigraha with whom this is allowed - you are in seventh heaven and how can anyone even try to reason with you ?

    Puri, Dwarka... One day in the future - when i have the freedom to go on pilgrimage all by myself, i would like to do all these things. The crazier the better...Badrinath.... IF and whenever You are willing to take me there, MadhusUdan. KrushNa took me up the Himalayas in a dream and mentioned "Badrinath." Now i want to go there in the waking state - will He ? I think Ganeshprasadji has been there if i remember...

    praNAm (with body mind heart and soul)
    Last edited by smaranam; 03 July 2011 at 05:43 PM. Reason: chaurAsi khamba
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: Namaskaram in Mandirs

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté smaranam


    Quote Originally Posted by smaranam View Post
    Hari Om

    I was thinking on similar lines - prapatti , resignation but rather , sharaNAgati - surrender.
    Yes, I see what you say... if we look at śaraṇāgati it is to 'approach for protection'. The 'approach' is offered by the word saraṇā - to move toward, run toward.
    Now gati is a very robust word and we can also use it to mean 'motion' or moving to. It also suggests happiness. Yet to get to 'surrender' gati also means 'refuge'. So one is ' moving swiftly to one's refuge, to approach for protection'. Surrender can be assumed.

    praṇām

    यतसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤‚ शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṠśivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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