Q&A with Swamiji .....23 ...Karatala Kara ...

[Guest guest]

Question from Jose :

 

In page 20 of the Shiva Puja for Beginners there is the follwing:

Roll hand over hand forwards while reciting karatala kara, and

backwards while chanting prishthabyam, then clap hands when

chanting astraya phat.

 

om namah shivaya karatala kara prishthabyam astraya phat

 

What is the purpose of the above procedure?

 

Swamiji's response :

 

With the mantra we purify our hands, both front and back. That means

that every action we perform is done with pure intention, pure

objectives, pure instruments, and pure results.

 

--------------------------

 

Question from Jose :

 

What is the definition of Karatala, kara, prishthabyam, and

astraya?

 

Swamiji's response :

 

Karatala clapping

Kara - hands

prishthabyam - back sides (2)

Astraya - weapon of

Phat purity

 

-----------------------------

 

Question from Jose :

 

How are the hands to be rolled? Are there any picture that can

help in seeing this?

 

Swamiji's response : Latha's description of it below is correct . We

will try to put together a small video sometime in the near future.

 

Latha's response :

 

1) Fold your arms in front of your chest - left hand closer to your

body.

2) Keep a space between your hands and your chest for movement of

the hands.

3) When you say "karatala kara" - roll your hands clockwise around

each other

4) When you say prshtabhyam, - roll your hands anticlockwise around

each other

5) And then astraya - roll your hands clockwise once more

6) With phat - clap your hands.

 

---------------------------