Question: We prostrate to our parents, Guru and God. Everyone does it in a different way...?

February 7, 2009

Radhe Krishna To all,

We prostrate to our parents, Guru and God. Everyone does it in a different way.

One lays down his whole body flat. Women bend up to their knees. Vaishnavites do

it 3 times in one stroke. Some people while prostrating flat cross their legs.

What does each one mean? What is the right way to prostrate? What should one

think while prostrating?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

When someone visits us, we get up and invite them with a smile. To show respect

to elders or God, we tie our ¡uttariiyam¢ on our hips. Similarly, prostration is

a way to show our respect to the Lord or the Guru.

Head is considered a vital part of one¢s body. Hence having one¢s head touch the

feet of the one to whom one prostrates is considered total surrender. Moreover,

divine forces radiate from the hands and feet of the Guru and prostration

transfers some of these divine forces from the Guru to the disciple.

The Shastras prescribe that a few parts of the woman¢s body not touch the ground

and hence women prostrate differently. The other ways of prostrations depends

purely on the Sampradaya of their elders / Acharyas and don¢t have any other

inner implication. When prostrating, one should humbly submit to the Lord with

the thought that he is totally surrendering to the Lord and henceforth is His

property and that the Lord take care of him.

Regards & Chant the

mahamantra

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

and be happy

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