How to Offer Pradakshina & Namaskara

Pradhakshine:

• We should do Pradkshina in slow-pace(Without any hurry), fixing the mind on Lord.
• Absent minded and fast paced Pradakshinas doesnt yield any punya pala
• We become free from the troubles of our own past sins by doing pradakshina to Lord as often as possilbe.

No. of times (Pradakshina)	Purpose
5	Victory/Success
7	To Get rid of enemies
9	For blessing with kids(Putra prapthi)
11	For extending one’s life(Ayushya)
13	For any prayers to come true
15	For getting good wealth
17	For expanding the wealth
19	To get rid of diseases

Period/Time of Pradakshina	Benefits
Morning	Getting rid of diseases
Afternoon	For any wishes to come true(IShtartha)
Evening	To get rid of sins
Night	For attaining Salvation(Moksha)

Sloka to chant while performing Pradakshina:

ಯಾನಿ ಕಾನಿಚ ಪಾಪಾನಿ ಜನ್ಮಾಂತರ ಕೃತಾನಿಚ
ತಾನಿ ತಾನಿ ವಿನಶ್ಯಂತಿ ಪ್ರದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಪದೇ ಪದೇ

yaanikaanicha paapaani janmaanthara kruthanicha
thaavithaani pranashyanthi pradakshina pade pade

Meaning:

This Sloka says that Pradakshina will destroy all sins. Pradakshinam is a way to bow down to the Aathma residing inside your physical body. By doing so all your sins are cleansed. It also helps you to be feel the presence of divine energy with in you.

How many pradakshinas we should do?

ಏಕಾಂ ವಿನಾಯಕೇ ಕುರ್ಯಾತ್ ದ್ವೇ ಸೂರ್ಯೇ ತಿಸ್ರ ಈಶ್ವರೇ |
ಚತಸ್ರಃ ಕೇಶವೇ ಪಂಚ ದುರ್ಗಾಯಾಂ ಷಟ್ ಕುಮಾರಕೇ ||

EkAM vinAyakE kuryAt dvE sUryE tisra ISvarE
catasraH kESavE panca durgAyAM ShaT kumArakE

Vinayaka – 1 pradakshine
Surya        – 2 pradakshine
Eshwara/Shiva – 3 pradakshine
Vishnu – 4 pradakshine
Durga – 5 pradakshine
Skanda/Subramanya – 6 pradakshine
Ashwattha – 7 pradakshine

How should we do pradakshine:

ಪದೇ ಪದಾಂತರಂ ಕೃತ್ವಾ ಕರೌ ಚಲನವರ್ಜಿತೌ |
ಸ್ತುತಿರ್ವಾಚಾ ಹೃದಿ ಧ್ಯಾನಂ ಚತುರಂಗಂ ಪ್ರದಕ್ಷಿಣೇ ||

padE padAMtaraM kRutvA karau calanavarjitau
stutirvAcA hRudi dhyAnaM caturaMgaM pradakShiNE

Leg(should touch each other), Hands, tongue, heart(Dhyana) should be in control and should be in complete dedication

Namaskara:

• Dont do Namaskara directly in front of Sannidhana nor at the back side; nor on the left side of Lord, also very near to the deity and never inside the Garbha-Griha.
• Do Namaskara, Japa and Homa on the right side of the Sannidhana and outside the Garbha Griha.
• The number of Namaskaras should be in multiples of four; i.e., 40, 36, 24, 16, 12 or at least a number exceeding 5 Namaskaras
• The correct performance of prostration of Lord is eight-fold. The chest, the head, the eyes, the feet, the hands and the knees should touch the ground. The mind must think of the attributes of the Lord and we must do prayers by speech

Phala of putting a Pradakshina to Vishnu

“vishnorvimanam yah kuryat sakrudbaktya pradakshinam |
Asvamedhasahasrasya palamapnoti manavah ||”

Meaning: “One who puts a single pradakshina to a vishnu temple with bhakthi gets the punya of performing 1000 Ashwamedha yagnyas”

How to do Namaskara:

Purusharige Ashtanga namaskara:

ಉರಸಾ ಶಿರಸಾ ದೃಷ್ಟ್ಯಾ ಮನಸಾ ವಚಸಾ ತಥಾ |
ಪದ್ಭ್ಯಾಂ ಕರಾಭ್ಯಾಂ ಜಾನುಭ್ಯಾಂ ಪ್ರಣಾಮೋSಷ್ಟಾಂಗ ಉಚ್ಯತೇ ||

urasA SirasA dRuShTyA manasA vacasA tathA |
padByAM karAByAM jAnuByAM praNAmOSShTAMga ucyatE ||

The eight parts of the body are in contact with the ground.

The eight parts are: forehead, two shoulders, two hands, torso, two legs with thoughts and heart at almighty

Sthriyarige Ashtanga namaskara:
ಬಾಹುಭ್ಯಾಮಥ ಜಾನುಭ್ಯಾಂ ಶಿರಸಾ ಮನಸಾ ಧಿಯಾ |
ಪಂಚಾಂಗಕಃ ಪ್ರಣಾಮಃ ಸ್ಯಾತ್ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಣಾಂ ನಮನಲಕ್ಷಣಮ್ ||

bAhuByAmatha jAnuByAM SirasA manasA dhiyA
pancAMgakaH praNAmaH syAt strINAM namanalakShaNam ||

Leaving out the two shoulders and the torso, only five angas are in contact with the ground in their namaskara. So it is called Panchanga Namaskara.