RE : Questions regarding temples - Set 1 From: kumar_nttours

[Guest guest]

OM NAMO NARAYANANAYA

 

Dear Bhaagavathaas and Sriman Kumar Ramabhadran,

 

Your questions regarding PROSTRATING in temples gave me an opportunity to search on the subject. There is no straight YES / NO answer as it is in every case of spiritual matter. However I am blessed to find links of RANMANUJA / Acharya groups, that give useful information on this subject.

 

Links on Prostrating (saastangam) : PLEASE GO THE LINKS THROUGH FULLY (Copy paste the link in explorer URL)

(1) http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar2001/0004.html (2) http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/dec99/0015.html (3) http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/thirumalai/tmalai37.html

 

SOME EXCERPTS --

 

(1) http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar2001/0004.html

 

"But, it should be noted that the prostration itself, whether it is done directly to the Feet of the Lord, or performed out of respect for His devotees, should not be construed as an act of surrender or prapatti itself, but only an expression of it. Prapatti in its true sense can only be realized through the

Lord's Compassion as revealed to us through the kind intercession and guidance of our AchAryan."

 

"One can easily see the spiritual benefit of putting aside our ego and self interest, if only for a moment, to humble ourselves before a fellow Devotee. It is a solemn gesture that allows us to symbolically experience for just a moment what the AzhwArs have extolled as one of the greatest of treasures, having the dust of Sriman Narayana's devotees adorning our forehead. Such an experience can only naturally lead to a significant change in one's character, encouraging a person to advance from an ego-centric life to a God centered one."

 

(2) http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/dec99/0015.html

 

"Sri.Rmanuja's Sri Vaikuda Gadyam, ends like "Swamin..... Phuna Phuna Pranamya:" He says to the Lord that he prostrates HIM repeatedly.Taking cue from Emperumanar, they have adopted multiple prostrations. "

 

 

"it is said that vibheeshana just once prostrated, Sri.Rama took him in his fort. the elephent called only once 'Adimoolamae'....there you see perumal giving

protection. not to negate prahalada's wish, he appeared at ONCE. hence by just making single saranagathi, he gives kadakshama at once. such is His love for us. hence to remind him more and more by prostrating more and more, we have not understood HIS mercy properly and hece multiple prosrtations are not correct.. "

 

"Single Prostration

 

> "May the right hand of Lord Ranganatha, which, held in the abhaya-mudra pose, promises freedom of fear to all,

> protect me, as it asks those who have surrendered to Him to not do it again and again." -- Nyasa Tilaka, sloka 2

> This is a reference to the pose of Lord Ranganatha in utsava form as Namperumaal. His hand is held up, in abhaya-mudra,

> and Desika imagines this as saying "Stop! A single prapatti is enough! Don't repeat it!" If we take namaskAram as being

> equivalent to prapatti, one could take this bhAvam to mean that a single namaskAram is enough. "

 

" MadhurAntakam Swami quotes the following verse from ParamESwara Samhita, KriyA khANda, mAnasa yAgam adhyAyam :

" dvidhA pradakshiNam kuryAt praNAmam ca tathAvidham | na yEka tri panca saptAdi gaNanA vishamam hi yat || "

dvidhA = "even" ie. 2,4,6 etc; tathAvidham = same way ; vishama = Odd; gaNanA = counting; yEka, tri .. : 1,3 ..>

This sloka instructs that, praNAmam (prostration) has to be done, in the same counting as how pradakshiNam is done in even numbers and not in odd numbers like one, three, five, seven etc. "

 

(3) http://www.acharya.org/vyakyanam/thirumalai/tmalai37.html

 

"Thirumaalai - Part 37 based on the vyakhyanam of Sri Periyavaccan Pillai by Smt Sumithra Varadarajan

 

Paasuram-21 "panivinAl manamathondri pavalavAi aranganArkku thunivinAl vAzhamAtta thollainenjE! Nee sollAi aniyinAr semponnAya aruvarianaya kOil maniyinAr kidandha vAttrai manaththinAl ninaikkalAmE?"

 

panivinAl manamathondri pavalavAi aranganArkku: We all prostrate when we see bhagavan in the temple or in front of elders. Some of us know the importance of prostrating but many may prostrate just for the sake of doing it or because it is customary to do the same. But alwar in this paasuram says it is atmost important to know the importance of doing so and do it whole heartedly. When we fall into perumal's or acharyas feet we should have the panivu. We should leave all the ahankAram and mamkAram and whole heartedly surrender under their feet. We Srivaishnavas prostrate with saying "adiyen Ramanuja Dasan/dasyai" to bring that panivu to our minds. Prahladan says vandanam to be one of the nava vidha bhakthi. " ----

 

" Some may prostrate just mechanically but not with the devotion in mind. Again it has no use. That is why alwar says, with the surrendering attitude in mind, concentrate on him and then fall in his feet. After this one question may arise. Can I fall into anyone's feet. Alwar clarifies this doubt. Never. We srivaishnavas are destined to fall only into the feet of the bhagavan, pavalavAi aranganAr. Prostrate to the bhagavan, geethacharyan who said "mam Ekam sharanam vraja". Thirumazhisai alwar gives a new name to Srivaishnavas "marandhum puram thozhA mAndar" we Srivaishnavas should never fall in the feet of anya devatas even by mistake. Srivaishnavas are always different. When other people do their kalashepam(kAla-time; shepam-spend) by sleeping and eating Srivaishnava kalashepam is always listening to bhagavat gunam, talking about the same and doing kainkaryam in his feet. Rishis refute other kalashepams saying, "kalashepO na karthavyam". Even if we prostrate once our mother and father(lOka pita and mAtha, Sri ranganatha and ranganAyaki) feel bad that we are taking so much strains when they are waiting to help us just by their nirheduka krupai. But it is our duty and our pleasure to fall in their feet and wait for them to lift us up. "

 

-----------

 

IN summary - (1) Prostration is a symbolic act representing SARANAAGATHI. This is to be done to Lord Only. At time this is done to ACHARYA also as if it is representation of same SARANAGATHI to Lord. Everything else is dilution and convenience. (2) Now whether we have to do saastangam before DHWAJA STAMBHAM or anywhere else? To my thinking is - DHWAJA STAMBHAM is represented by GARUDA, who is ever eager to serve Lord at His just intent. Your physical body prostrating in between GARUDA and Lord RANGANATHA, will show feet to GARUDA and therefore not desirable. But where physical conditions do not permit before DHWAJA STAMBHAM on may do as convenient (3) Males and females doing in different postures? For Lord RANGANATHA all jeevas, chethana, achethana are all same. It is only SAAREERAKA DHARMA ANUSAARAM, as his or her body permits. BUT ALWAYS THE ACT OF PROSTRATION is representing SARANAAGATHI and this bhaavam alone should be in mind.

 

I hope I have understood properly and request all elderly people to forgive any misunderstanding.

 

EVER HUMBLE TO ALL DEVOTEES - Peesapati V V Seetharama CHARI

Web site: http://etemples.net

 

 

MAAMEKAM SARANAM VRAJA

 

P V V S Chari