Namaskara ( bowing down )

                                  Namaskara ( the act of bowing down )


        Namaskara is a gesture of respect and an express of humility. It is a powerful link in bringing a close contact between two people. This is seen almost in all parts of the world in different forms.

While leaving the temple, it is customary for the devotee to show his respects and humility by bowing down to the deity.

As commonly see , people put their closed palms together near the chest, close their eyes and pray. Some touch the feet of the idol with their forehead and do the bowing.

In Indian tradition, males do sashtanga namaskaram. Ashta means eight and anga means parts of the body. Sashtanga namaskara means bowing down before the deity with the eight parts of the body touching the earth ( floor ). It is a respectful obeisance made by the prostration of the eight limbs of the body on the ground. The eight limbs are knees, feet, hands, chest, mind, head, speech and eyes.
At the time of prostration, hands, legs, chest, knees, eyes, hands all should touch the ground and mouth should chant prayer or namah with full concentration of mind. It is also a prostration on the ground like a log ( dandavat ) .

For ladies, Panchanga namaskara is prescribed in the scriptures. While bowing down in a bending manner, the five parts of the body namely two knees, two hands and head should touch the ground and the mouth uttering a prayer with full concentration of mind. Her de.icate parts of the body should not touch the ground.

This Panchanga namaskara confers dheerga sowmangalya ( long married life ) and all good benefits to ladies. Thus namanskara creates a sense of equality among all. It is a sort of exercise to body, mind and intellect and purifies them .

Pradakshina ( Circumambulation )

       


                       Pradakshina ( Circumambulation )



 Circumambulation is an act of respect to a higher authority.  In a temple, it is customary to circumambulate the deity. This practice is not based upon blind faith but has a scientific basis. Whetever in the temple the deity is consecrsted in accordance with the rules of scriptures, the image gets infused with divinity. It is Believed that this divinity radiates in the form of magnetic waves from the central point of the base of the idol. This spreads around in a circle . The vibrations are the strongest near the deity and gradually become less, as the circle becomes larger. The positive vibrations influence a person walking around the deity.

The divine halo always moves clockwise. So walking around the deity in clockwise direction is good and beneficial. This power of vibration serves as a blessing in increasing our strength and protecting us from obstacles and calamities . If some one does circumambulation in the anti-clockwise direction, there occurs a clash between the motion of divine energy and the divine atoms present in our body. With the result our strength and power get destroyed . Sometimes negative effects arising from that can cause difficulties in life. So it is prohibited and considered a sin .

It is a tradition that after abhisheka ( anointing the deity ) and prayers and offerings, circumambulation is done around the deity . In general it is customary to walk three to eleven times, odd in number around a deity.

According to scriptures, the ideal number of doing circumambulation is one in the case of Lord Ganesha, two for Sun, three for Shiva, four for Vishnu, five for goddess, six for Lord Subramanya and seven for the Pipal tree  .

Religious texts direct that when going around the image of Shiva one should not cross the line where the offering of milk and water flows.
It is said that when deities and asuras were churning the milky ocean with the help of a mountain and a big snake, first to come out was the poison. On seeing the poison, devas and asuras ran in fear.
While Lord Shiva consumed that poison in order to protect the world, the running away by the devas in fear is known as Somasutra-Pradakshinam.

In a temple, the place where the abhishekam water comes out from the deity is known as Somasutra m. Since this pradakshinam is performed without going beyond this place, it also gets the name Somasutrapradakshinam according to Shiva agama Shastra.

According to scriptures, while circumambulating Shiva, one should not go beyond this line where the offering of milk and water flows. For this reason, one takes only half a round around Shiva. The other half is done in the reverse manner . It is also believed that the divine vibrations radiate around the image of Lord Shiva both ways  clockwise and anti- clockwise.

This is symbolic of the fact that there is no need to continue one's journey  , once one has reached his aim, one may return. The Ardhapradakshinam in Shiva temple is considered equivalent to the controlled breathing ( Pranayama) performed by a yogi.

Thus an important practice associated with temple worship is circumambulation . We should not wear footwears on our feet, carry umbrella or any external thing.. This will not give us the benefit of circumambulation . The ideal manner of circumambulation is to walk slowly without the movement of arms, chanting the names of god, and with the mind focussing on the vision of the Almighty. Walking done at rapid pace does not result in Pradakshinam as it is supposed to be an upward journey.

Offering and Prasada

 


                                   Offering and Prasada




      It is said in the scriptures that one should not go to see a deity. preceptor and a king empty-handed . So it is customary for the devotees to take some flowers or fruits, dry fruits or sweets as a token to temple.

It is said ' Food is Brahman.' It is the food that contributes to our health and vitality. Whatever we eat or drink has been made available to us by the grace of god. We express our gratitude to him by offering a token of this to him in worship.

In the Bhagavadgita also, Lord Krishna says that whatever a devotee does or eat, that should be first offered to him. So all the offerings are dedicated to god.

During worship flowers, dry fruits, fruits, sweets are offered to the Lord. After offering them to the deity, the priest distributes this as ' Prasada  (imbued with the blessings of the god ) ' to all people there. Apart from this water ( charanamrita ), Tulasi leaves, Vibhuti ( sacred ash ), Sindoor ( vermillion ) are also given in Prasada to the devotees.

It is believed that the flower remains the same though the bee sucks honey from that. Similarly, the quantity of offerings does not decrease, only the subtle portion of them is taken by the deity. It is a faith. It is believed that the offerings are charged with mysterious powers by the chanting of the mantras and hymns during the worship. When the devotee places his offerings at the feet of the deity, the same offerings become Prasada after the worship. Prasada is that which gives peace and happiness. The grace of the deity descends on the offerings. Each deity is offered different kind of offerings with special significance attached to each. The benefits of Prasada and water ( charanamrita ) are beyond description . They have the power to cure diseases in many cases. Prasad is an antidote for misery, pain and anxiety. The faith and hope are the key factors. It is spiritual elixir. It is divinity in manifestation. Offering and partaking of offering is significant in another way also. It reiterates the truth that all things which man gets are from Nature ( Lord ). And through offering them to God first and then sharing among the people, man expresses his gratitude to the Lord. This also points out that Nature's bounty not for amassing and enjoying alone but for sharing it with all. Nothing he owns. Man cannot have anything without His grace. This feeling of gratitude erases the ego and brings humility in devotees.

Nirajana ( Aarti, waving of light )

                                      Nirajana ( Aarti, Waving of  light )



        Worship of  Lord is done with sixteen upacaras. Aart is one among these. This is called Mangalajyoti, Mangalanirajanam.

We at home and the priest in the temple keeo the ignited lamp in the right hand and rotate it from left to right before the image of the god. In that light, the entire image is clearly seen. While showing the aarti we pray mentally. In temple, the devotees gathered sing songs specially meant for aarti. The entire atmosphere gets charged with divine presence with the ringing of bells and chorus singing of aarti songs by the devotees. We see the image in the light and get absorbed into it by standing and watching there. During that time our prayer becomes deeper.

Aarti is performed after the Abhisheka ( anointing the idol with perfumes and water ). The priest decorates the idol and offer fruits and sweets to it. That time uttering prayers, ringing bell, we express our happiness and experience a unique joy in looking at the Lord . When the aarti is taken we close our eyes and try to visualize the Lord in our mind. This is symbolic of the fact that we are all temples where god resides.
We extend our hands in the aarti and apply its warmth on our eyes closed. We do it so that the divinity in the aarti may be transferred to our heart.

Light is the image of god. The priest shows the god in light, the preceptor ( Guru ) also through the light of knowledge shows the god in us. The presiding deity of the intellect is sun, mind is moon and fire is speech. All these are lighted by the god, the consciousness. We worship that light, the teal form of the Lord. He is the giver of light to all. hence the Light of all lights.

Camphor aarti has also significance. The camphor burns fully. There is no sign or residue left. The camphor represents our vasanas ( dormant desires ), ego which distances us from god. When we realize our true nature through knowledge in the mind, the mind gets illumined. Our vasanas are burnt and our ego melta away.
The camphor cannot burn itself. It needs fire. Similarly the individual soul ( Jiva ) cannot identify itself with the Lord. It needs fire of knowledge.

Participating in aarti is an exhilirating experience. It is rightly said that three things revive a person's soul ; pleasant sights, pleasant sounds and pleasant smells.

Bell

                                             Bell


   The bell ( ghanta ) is mentioned in the Puranas ( scriptures ) as an important appliance at worship, and also as a protector from evils. The bell is said to be an embodiment of all gods and that of all musical instruments, hence it should be sounded.

Tying of the bell in the Shiva- temple is said to confer on the person fame in the three worlds. The shape and structure of the bell is also specifically described. At the head of the bell, there should be Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu or Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva.

The temple where ringing of the bell is regularly heard, is known as waking temple. Big and small bells are hung at the entrance of the temple, so devotees ring them and announce their presence for the worship of god. At the time of aarti also, the bell is rung and others in the neighbourhood get information that that is the time for aarti. It is rung with a special rhythm . The sounding of the ghata ( bell ) is mentioned at typical and specific periods - at the time of worship, at the sleep of god, at waving the lamp around the god's image, at the time of the bath of the idol of the god, and at anointing it.

The chiming of bells in ancient and modern day Zen Buddhist monasteries and ashram as is a regular ritual that serves to subtly transform one through sound. Considered to be a spiritual act, bell ringing is intended to awaken the spiritual energies within us - within our surroundings. In Indian temples now a days also, the spiritual act of performing aarti, a form of worship that waves a lamp flame infront of a deity is accompanied by the ringing of a bell or many bells simultaneously to awaken the energy of divine grace.

A bell provides an audible reminder of our Bliss Principle within.

Scientific studies have reinforced the motion that resonance is basic to healing with sound and music. As good rhythmic sound waves enter the body, sympathetic vibrations occur in living cells, which help to restore and reinforce healthy organization. The human being therefore is likened to a very complex, unique and finely tuned musical instrument. The high water content of the body's tissues helps to conduct a soothing massage at the atomic and molecular level.

Kalasha ( Water pot )

                                        Kalasha ( Water pot )


       Kalasha is one of the eight auspicious things in worship. Kalasha denotes auspiciousness.

   It is derived from ka means water and lasa means adorned. That which is adorned with water is called Kalasha.

Story behind the origin -
It is associated with the churning of milky ocean. It is said that Vishvakarma, the divine architect made a pot with the different powers of the deities to carry the nectar that came out from the churning of the ocean. So it is a symbol of properity. The divine doctor Dhanvantari carried this pot of nectar.

It is said that Brahma resides at the top of the pot, Lord Shiva in its neck and at the bottom resides Vishnu and Matruganah ( group of dieties ) reside in the middle portion of the Kalasha and in the stomach water of all the seven oceans, Vedas with their angad are present in the Kalasha.

Man needs water for living. To invoke god in that water, we worship Kalasha. Through Kalasha we create god. In a pot we tie the small white thread around the body in a net like pattern and put cardamom, clove, camphor in the water and on the top of the pot we keep mango leaves with coconut.

Generally brass or copper pot is used because they are considered good conductors of energy. It is believed that when mantra ( sacred hymns ) are recited outside they are absorbed inside the pot . Kalasha represents body and the threads around it are nadis and nerves. Fragrant powders are the supporting strength - chromosomes, genes, DNA, RNA etc.

A bunch of mango leaves and over it is kept a coconut with its head on it. All the leaves wither away but mango leaves do not . Mango tree symbolises dispelling of ignorance and giving knowledge and mango is fruit of knowledge. That is why mango leaves are used to give a prop to coconut.

Coconut is unique of all vegetables. It gives nourishment. It has three eyes . While worshipping the god we utter ' Soma Suryagni lochsnayai namah ' obeisance to the moon, sun, fire eyed one!. Here the right eye is the sun, left moon and third is fire. Third eye represents knowledge and can be opened by the god . God Shiva has three eyes . So the coconut represents the god. The head portion is considered as god and kept it on the pot. Fiber part is hair. So after breaking the coconut, only that hair is thrown out. Even when brass or copper pot is not available, mere coconut is used and the god is invoked because coconut contains natural water, the nourishing strength. No other vegetable has this property. So coconut is used as crown . Coconut is therefore considered auspicious and is designated as ' Shriphala.'

In worship of goddesses also, mother goddess's  face engraved on a metal is fixed to the rim of a pot. Filled with water, topped with coconut, and ringed with a coronet of mango leaves, a pot transforms into Purnakalasha, or brimming pot that ushers in fertility and fortune. The Purnakalasha is a permanent feature of all Hindu festivities related to marriage and child-birth. The pot represents fertility, the earth and the womb. The mango leaves ( mango flowers are considered as one of the five bows of the god of love ) associated with Kama, the god of love represents the pleasure principle that is an essential ingedient in fertility. The coconut, a cash crop in the tropical countries, symbolizes prosperity. It also represents the ego which makes one to relish power. The water in the pot is the nourishing element without which there can be no life on the earth. Pot serves as surrogate womb in many stories. Sage Agasthya was born from a pot . The womb, the giver of life is worthy of worship. It is the pot of immortality that keeps a family tree alive and flourish.

In nutshell, Kalasha is symbolic of human body and water in it is divine consciousness in the body.