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Re: [sv-rituals] re-request on pradakshinams

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mohan Sagar • April 29, 2002 


Dear Sri Naresh,

>From what I know, there is little if any mention of a formal or "scientific"
reason for why one does pradakshinam around a deity before coming before
Him/Her.  There are, however, many popularly accepted vews on the reason for
this. Here is one of the most logical ones that i have haeard:

In SriVaishnavam, the Grace of Sriman Narayana is only received through the
Compasionate intercession of  Mahalakshmi, so it would naturally follow that we
must first see Her before proceding to see Her Eternal Consort directly.

Since the Goddess is traditionally on the right of the Lord, to go directly
towards the Lord after worshipping Lakshmi would now require us to go
counter-clockwise, which for a variety of reasons is regarded to be an
inauspicious act.  So rather than doing this, we proceed on in a clock-wise
direction, perhaps visiting the shrines of the AchAryas and nitya sUris who
surround the main temple, making a full circle around the Lord before coming to
see Him.

In SriVaishnavam, such a pradakshinam is done only once in recognition of the
discomfort of the Lord, who is always anxious to see His devotees.  However,
many people, out of regard for  the sacredness of certain numbers in our Vedic
faith, such as 3, 7, 9, 11, etc. make multiple pradakshinams in an effort to
make their act more auspicious.  Also, popular belief in each temple holds that
by going around the temple a defined number of times, one can receive certain
boons.

I hope this helps.

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mohan

[ In one of his works, Sri Vedanta Desika quotes a pAncarAtra Agama text that
  prescribes pradakshiNa and praNAma (prostration) in pairs -- "pradakshINa-
  praNAmAn yugmam kuryAt".  For this reason many Sri Vaishnavas circumambulate
  the sannidhi of Bhagavaan at least twice.  Sri Vaishnavas of both kalais
  freely circumambulate Bhagavaan multiple times out of devotion, in my
  experience. -- Moderator. ]



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