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). All auspicious 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 symboli es 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 symboli es 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 burns upwards.,imilarly, we should ac-uire 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

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 task can 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.

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. 8ecogni ing 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,

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 elders personify. It symboli es 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.

Why do we wear marks on the forehead? /ost religious Indians, especially married women wear a tilak or pottu on the forehead. It is applied daily after the bath and on special occasions, before or after ritualistic worship or visit to the temple. In many communities, it is en'oined upon married women to sport a kum kum on their foreheads at all times. !he orthodo+ put it on with due rituals. !he tilak is applied on saints and images of the Lord as a form of worship and in many parts of 5orth India as a respectful form of welcome, to honour guests orwhen bidding farewell to a son or husband about to embark on an 'ourney. !he tilak varies in colour and form. !his custom was not prevalent in the >edic period. it gained popularity in the $auranic period. ,ome believe that it originated in ,outh India. !he tilak or pottu invokes a feeling of sanctity in the wearer and others. It is recognised as a religious mark. It form and colour vary according to one0s caste, religious sect or the form of the Lord worshiped. In earlier times, the four castes (based on verna or color) *raahmana,#shatriya,>aishya and ,udra - applied marks differently. !he brahmin applied a white chandan (sandalwood paste) mark signifying purity as his profession was of a priestly or academic nature. !he #shatriya applied a red kum kum mark signifying valour as he belonged to the warrior races. !he >aishya wore yellow kesar or termeric mark signifying properity as he was a business man or trader devotted to creation of wealth. !he sudra applied a black bhasma, kasturi or charcoal mark signifying service as he support the work of the other three divisions. Also Lord >ishnu worshipers apply a chandan tilak of the shape of "=", Lord ,hiva worshipers applied a tripundra bhasma, 2evi worshippers applied red dot of kum kum. !he chandan, kum kum or bhasma which is offered to the Lord is taken back as prasad and applied on foreheads. !he tilak covers the spot between the eye brows, which the seat of memory and thinking. It is known as the aa'na chakra in the language of yoga. !he tilak is applied with the prayer "/ay i remember the Lord. /ay this pious feeling pervade all my activities. /ay I be righteous in my deeds". 1ven when we temporarily forget this prayerful attitude the mark on another reminds us of our resolve. !he tilak is thus a blessing of the Lord and protection against wrong tendencies and forces.

!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 plastic reusable 0stick bindis0 is not very beneficial, even though it serves the purpose of decoration. !his uni-ue 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 e-uipment, 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 fre-uent reminder of the high position accorded to knowledge in the Indian culture. ?rom an 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 apologi e. !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

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 wood along 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 conse-uent 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 false identification 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 symboli es ,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.

*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 critici e the -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 "reali ed" maintained and handed down to us by them. < .ur fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without

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 lifegiving 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 e-uidistant from the centre. !his means that wherever or whoever we may be, we are e-ually 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 we circumambulate 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.

%ontributed by, #aushik *uddy.