here are few things which we do and why we do

8/12/2019 Here Are Few Things Which We Do and Why We Do

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Here are few things which we do and why we do

* Why do we light a lamp?

* Why do we have a prayer room?

* Why do we do namaste?

* Why do we prostrate before parents & elders?

* Why do we wear marks on the forehead?

* Why do we not touch papers, books and people with the feet?

* Why do we apply holy ash?

* Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

* Why do we do pradakshina?

Why do we light a lamp?

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar

of theLord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day at dawn

and dusk- and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). Allauspicious functions and moments like daily worship, rituals and

festivals and even many social occasions like inaugurations commence with the

lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.

Light symbolies knowledge, and darkness ignorance. !he Lord is the

"#nowledge $rinciple" (%haitanya) who is the source, the enlivener

and the illuminator of all knowledge. &ence light is worshiped as the Lord

&imself.

#nowledge removes ignorance 'ust as light removes darkness. Also

knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievements can be

accomplished. &ence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the

greatest of all forms of wealth. #nowledge backs all our actions

whether good or bad. e therefore keep a lamp lit during all auspicious

occasion as a witness to our thoughts and actions.

hy not light a bulb or tube light then!hat too would remove darkness.

*ut thetraditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. !he oil or

ghee in the lamp symbolies our "vaasnas" or negative tendencies and the

wick,the ego. hen lit by spiritual knowledge, the "vaasnas" get slowly

e+haustedand the ego too finally perishes. !he flame of a lamp always burnsupwards.imilarly, we should acuire such knowledge as to take us towards

higher ideals.

A single lamp can light hundreds more 'ust as a man of knowledge can

give it to many more. !he brilliance of the light does not diminish despite

its repeated use to light many more lamps. o too knowledge does not

lessen when shared with or imparted to others. n the contrary it increases in


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clarity and conviction on giving. It benefits both the receiver and the

giver.

Why do we have a prayer room?

/ost &indu homes have a prayer room or altar. A lamp is lit

and the Lord worshipped each day. ther spiritual practices like "'apa"

(repetition of the Lord0s name), meditation, "paaraayana" (reading of

the scriptures), prayers, devotional singing etc. is also done here.

pecial worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays, anniversaries,

festivals and the like. 1ach member of the family - young or old -

communes with and worships the 2ivine here.

!he Lord is the owner of the entire creation. &e is therefore the

true owner of the house we live in too. !he prayer room is the master room of the

house. !his notion rids us of false pride and possessiveness.

!he ideal attitude to take is to regard the Lord as the true owner of

our homes and ourselves as the caretakers of &is home. *ut if this rather

difficult, we could at least think of &im as a very welcome guest.

3ust as we would house an important guest in the best comfort, so, too we

felicitate the Lord0s presence in our homes by having a prayer room or altar,

which is, at all times, kept clean and well decorated.

Also the Lord is all pervading. !o remind us that &e resides in our home

with us, we have prayer rooms. ithout the grace of the Lord, no taskcan be successfully or easily accomplished. e invoke &is grace by communing

with &im in the prayer room each day and on special occasions.

1ach room in a house is dedicated to a specific function like bedroom

for resting and sleeping, the drawing room to receive guests, the kitchen

for cooking etc. the furniture, d4cor and the atmosphere of each room are

made conductive to the purpose it serves. o too for the purpose of

meditation, worship and prayer, we should have a conductive atmosphere - hence

the need for a prayer room.

acred thoughts and sound vibrations pervade the place and influence

the minds of those who spend time there. piritual thoughts and vibrations

accumulated through regular meditation, worship and chanting done

there pervade the prayer room. 1ven when we are tired or agitated, by 'ust

sitting in the prayer room for a while, we feel calm, re'uvenated and

spiritually uplifted.


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Why do we do namaste?

&indus greet each other with "namaste". !he two palms are

placed together in front of the chest and the head bows while saying the word

"namaste". !his greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our

own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers.

5amaste could be 'ust a casual or formal greeting, a cultural

convention or an act of worship. &owever there is much more to it than meets the

eye.

In anskrit namah 6 te 7 namaste. It means - I bow to you - my greetings,

salutations or prostration to you.

5amaha can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It

has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one0s ego in the

presence of another.

!he real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. hen

we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, "may our minds meet"

indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. !he bowing down of the

head is a gracious form of e+tending friendship in love and humility.

!he spiritual meaning is even deeper. !he life force, the divinity, the elf

or the Lord in me is the same in all. 8ecogniing this oneness with

the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the 2ivinity in the

person we meet. !hat is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we namaste to a

revered person or the Lord as it to look within. !he gesture is often

accompanied by words like "8am 8am", "3ai hri #rishna", "3ai iya 8am", "m hanti"

etc. - indicating the recognition of this divinity.

hen we know this significance, our greeting does not remain 'ust a

superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion

with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

Why do we prostrate before parents & elders?

&indus prostrate to their parents, elders, teachers and

noble souls by touching their feet. !he elders in turn bless by placing his9her

hand on or over our heads. $rostration is done daily, when we meet elders and

particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task,


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birthdays, festivals etc. In certain traditional circles, prostration

is accompanied by "abhivaadana" which serves to introduce oneself,

announce one0s family and social stature.

/an stands on his feet. !ouching the feet in prostration is a sign of

respect for the age, maturity, nobility and divinity that our elderspersonify. It symbolies our recognition of their selfless love for

us and the sacrifices that they have made for our welfare. It is a way of

humbly acknowledging the greatness of another. !his tradition reflects the

strong family ties which has been of India0s enduring strengths.

!he good wishes (sankalpa) and the blessings (aashirvaada) of elders

are highly valued in India. e prostrate to seek them. :ood thoughts

create positive vibrations. :ood wishes springing from a heart full of love,

divinity and nobility have a tremendous strength. hen we prostrate

with humility and respect, we invoke good wishes and blessings of elders

which flow in the form of positive energy to envelop us. !his is why the

posture assumed whether it is in the standing or prone position, enables the

entire body to receive the energy.

!he different forms of showing respect are ;

< $ratuthana - rising to welcome a person.

< 5amaskaara - paying homage in the form of namaste.

< =pasangrahan - touching the feet of elders or teachers.

< haashtaanga - prostrating fully with the full body

touching the

ground in front of the elder.

< $ratyabivaadana - returning a greeting.

8ules are prescribed in our scripture as to who should prostrate to

whom.

ealth, family name, age, moral strength and spiritual knowledge in

ascending order of importance ualified men to receive respect. !his

is why

a king though a ruler of the land would prostrate before a spiritual

master.

1pics like 8amayana and /ahabharata have many stories highlighting

this

aspect.


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!he entire body emanates energy in the form of electro-magnetic

waves - the forehead and the subtle spot between the eye brows especially so.

!hat is why worry generates heat and causes a headache. !he tilak or pottu

cools the forehead, protects us and prevents energy loss. ometimes, the entire

forehead is covered with chandan or bhasma. =sing plasticreusable 0stick bindis0 is not very beneficial, even though it serves the purpose of

decoration.

!his uniue to Indians and helps to easily identify us anywhere.

Why do we not touch papers, books and people with the feet?

In Indian homes, we are taught from a very young age, never to touch

papers, books and people with our feet. f the feet accidentally touch papers,

books, musical instruments or any other educational euipment,

children are told to reverentially touch what was stamped with their hands and

then touch their eyes as a mark of apology.

!o Indians, knowledge is sacred and divine. o it must be given

respect at all times. 5owadays we separate sub'ects as sacred and secular. *ut in

ancient India every sub'ect - academic or spiritual was considered

divine and taught by the guru in the gurukul.

!he custom of not stepping on educational tools is a freuent

reminder of the high position accorded to knowledge in the Indian culture. ?roman early age this wisdom fosters in us a deep reverence for books and

education. !his is also the reason why we worship books, vehicles and instruments

once a year on araswathi $oo'a or Ayudha $oo'a day, dedicated to the

:oddess of Learning.

%hildren are also strongly discouraged from touching people with

their feet. 1ven if this happens accidentally, we touch the person and bring the

fingers to our eyes as a mark of apology. 1ven when elders touch a younger

person inadvertently with their feet, they immediately apologie.

!o touch another person with feet is considered an act of misdemeanor

because; man is regarded as the most beautiful, living, breathing

temple of the lord@ !herefore touching another person with feet is akin to

disrespecting the divinity within him or her. !his calls for an

immediate apology, which is offered with reverence and humility

!hus, many of our customs are designed to be simple but powerful

reminders or pointers of profound philosophical truths. !his is one of the


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factors that have kept Indian culture alive across centuries.

Why do we apply holy ash?

!he ash of any burnt ob'ect is not regarded as holy ash. *hasma (the

holy ash) is the ash from the homa (sacrificial fire) where special woodalong with ghee and other herbs is offered by pouring ash as abhisheka and

is then distributed as *hasma

*hasma is generally applied on the forehead. ome apply it on certain

parts of the body, like the upper arms, chest etc. ome ascetics rub it all

over the body. /any consume a pinch of it each time they receive it.

!he word *hasma means "that by which our sins are destroyed and the

Lord is remembered". *ha implies bhartsanam ("to destroy") and sma implies

smaranam("to remember"). !he application of *hasma therefore signifies

destruction of the evil and remembrance of the divine. *hasma is called vibhuti

(which means "glory") as it gives glory to one who applies and raksha (which

means a source of protection) as it protects the wearer from ill health and

evil,by purifying him or her.

&oma (offering of oblations into the fire with sacred mantras)

signifies the offering or surrender of the ego and egocentric desires into the

flame of knowledge or a noble and selfless cause. !he conseuent ash signifies

the purity of the mind which results from such actions. Also the fire of

knowledge burns the oblation and wood signifying ignorance and inertia

respectively. !he ash we apply indicates that we should burn falseidentification with body and become free of the limitations of birth

and death.

!he application of ash also reminds us that body is perishable and

shall one day be reduced to ashes. e should therefore not get too attached to

it. 2eath can come at any moment and this awareness must increase our

drive to make the best use of time. !his is not to be misconstructed as a

morose reminder of death but as a powerful pointer towards the fact that

time and tide wait for none.

*hasma is specially associated with Lord hiva who applies it all

over his body. lord hiva devotees apply bhasma as a tripiundra. hen applied

with a red spot in the centre, the mark symbolies hiva-hakti (the unity of

energy and matter that creates the entire seen and un-seen universe)

Ash is what remains when all the wood is burnt away and it does not

decay. imilarly, the Lord is the imperishable !ruth that remains when the

entire creation if innumerable names and forms is dissolved.


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*hasma has medicinal value and is used in many ayurvedic medicines. It

absorbs e+cess moisture from the body and prevents colds and

headaches. !he =panishads say that the famous /rityun'aya mantra should be chanted

while applying ash on the forehead.

Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

In western tradition food is partaken after a thanks giving prayer -

grace. Indians make an offering of it to the Lord and later partake of it as

prasad- a holy gift from the Lord. in temples and in many homes, the cooked

food is first offered to the Lord each day. !he offered food is mi+ed with

the rest of the food and then served as prasad. In our daily ritualistic

worship (poo'a) too we offer naivedyam (food to the Lord)

!his is done because; !he Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. /an is a

part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by his strength and

knowledge alone. &ence what we receive in life as a result of our

actions is really his alone. e acknowledge this thru the act of offering food

to him.

!his is e+emplified by the &indi words "!era tu'ko arpan from the

aarti "3ai 3agdesh &are" - I offer what is yours to you. !hereafter it is akin

to his gift to us, graced by his divine touch.

#nowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating

changes. !he food offered will naturally be pure and the best. e share what we

get with others before consuming it. e do not demand, complain or criticiethe uality of the food we get. e do not waste or re'ect it. e eat it

with cheerful acceptance (prasad buddhi). hen we become established in

this attitude, this goes beyond the pre-view of food and pervades our

entire life. e are then able to cheerfully accept all we get in life as his

prasad.

*efore we partake daily meals we first sprinkle water around the

plate as an act of purification. ?ive morsels of food are placed on the side of

the table acknowledging the debt owed by us to the;

< 2ivine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and

protection.

< ur ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and

the family culture.

< !he sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been

"realied" maintained and handed down to us by them.

< ur fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society

without


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the support of which we could not live as we do and

< ther living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

!here after the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the

five life- giving physiological functions, is offered the food. !he five life-

giving functions are praanaaya (respiratory), apaanaaya (e+tretory),vyaanaaya(circulatory), udaanaaya (reversal) and samaanaaya (digestive). After

offering the food thus, it is eaten as prasad - blessed food.

Why do we do pradakshina ?

hen we visit a temple. after offering prayers, we circumambulate the

santum sanctorum. !his is called pradakshina

e cannot draw a circle without a centre point. !he Lord is the centre, source

and essence of our lives. 8ecognising &im as the focal point in out lives, we go

about doing our daily chores. !his is the significance of pradakshina

Also every point on the circumference of a circle is euidistant from

the centre. !his means that wherever or whoever we may be, we are eually

close to the Lord. &is grace flows towards us without partiality.

!he pradakshina is always down only in clockwise manner because, as

we do pradakshina the Lord is always on our right. In &induism, the right

side symbolises auspiciousness. It is a telling fact that even in the

1nglish language it is called the "right" side and not the wrong one@ o as wecircumambulate the sanctum sanctorum we remind ourselves to lead an

auspicious life of righteousness, with the Lord to lead an auspicious

life of righteousness, with the Lord who is the indispensable source of

help and strength, as our guide - the "right hand" - the dharma aspect of our

lives.e thereby overcome our wrong tendencies and avoid repeating the sins

of the past.

Indian scriptures en'oin - matrudevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava,

acharyadevo bhava. /eaning ; /ay you consider your parents and teachers as you

would the Lord. ith this in mind we also do pradakshina around our parents and

divine personages. !he story of Lord :anesh circumambulating his parents is

a well known one.

After the completion of traditional worship (poo'a), we customarily do

pradakshina around ourselves. In this way we recognise and remember

the supreme divinity within us, which alone is idolised in the form of

the Lord that we worship outside.


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%ontributed by,

#aushik *uddy.

here are few things which we do and why we do

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