Re: Hindu SamskAra Regulations
More on doing namaskAram
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.1)
• NamaskAram should not be done to people who are lying down, doing 'japam' or wearing a wet cloth.
• 'abhivAdanam' should not be recited when doing 'namaskAram' to women, except one's mother.
• Similarly, for the 'sannyAsis' and in an assembly of people, only 'namaskAram' with no 'abhivAdanam' should be done.
• NamaskAram should not be done to people in temples.
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Wearing vibhUti
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.4)
• Generally, the 'vibhUti' should be worn, making it into a paste with water. After wearing it this way, the palms should not be washed; instead the vibhUti remaining in them should be smeared onto the hands and legs.
• When 'vibhUti' is given as 'prasAdam' it should be worn dry. The 'prasAdam vibhUti' should not be mixed with the normal 'vibhUti' we keep at home.
• mantra to remember when wearing 'vibhUti':
(from the Tamil book 'mantras and their mahima', source of this mantra?)
bhAsanAt bhasitam proktam bhasma kalmaSha bakShaNAt |
bhUtiH bhUtikarIpuMsAM rakShA rakShAkarI shubhA ||
From the book 'Hindu Rituals and Routines Why do we follow them?'--Swami Chinmayananda:
• The word bhasma means, "that by which our sins are destroyed and the Lord is remembered." 'Bha' implied 'bhartsanam' ("to destroy") and 'sma' implies 'smaranam' ("to remember"). The application of bhasma therefore signifies destruction of the evil and remembrance of the divine. Bhasma is called 'vibhUti' (which means "glory") as it gives glory to one who applies it and raksha (which means a source of protection) as it protects the wearer from ill health and evil, by purifying him or her.
• Bhasma is specially associated with Lord Shiva who applies it all over His body. Shiva devotes apply bhasma as a tripundra. When applied with a red spot at the center, the mark symbolizes Shiva-Shakti (the unity of energy and matter that creates the entire seen and unseen universe).
Tryambakam yajaamahe
Sugandhim pushtivardhanam
Urvaa rukamiva bhandhanaan
Mrytyor muksheeyamaa amrutaat
"We worship the three-eyed Lord Shiva who nourishes and spread fragrance in our lives. May He free us from the shackles of sorrow, change and death – effortlessly, like the fall of a rip brinjal from its stem."
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Wet-grinding the sandal paste
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.7)
• After the sandal paste is ground, it should be removed from the grinding stone without using the thumb.
• After grinding, the stone and the sandal stub should be kept away separately, not as the stub on the stone.
• During puja, women should not wet-grind the sandal paste.
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रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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