HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - WHY DO WE FOLLOW THOSE?

**Lambretta** · 13th March 2006, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by bingleguy

Well, i strongly support the very habit of prostrating before all good people ! But i too also strongly believe that the takers shld be really worthy enough to take the prostration ! Just age does not decide ! But the amount of Punniyam they do, the amount of pujas and good deeds they do ! The amount of annadhaanam they do ....all these matters !

Hmm....well I wudn't nec. think pujas wud, bingle.......I've lately lost faith tat they determine the spirituality/holiness of a person, young or old!

I wud take Swami Vivekananda's saying tat to judge the character of a gr8 person look at ther most ordinary/routine actions/behaviour rather than the greater performances.

As per certain rules, we are not supposed to touch their feet when u do namaskaram,

Ohh....I didnt know tat u wernt supposed to so both at the smae time!

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**Arthi** · 13th March 2006, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by bingleguy

As per certain rules, we are not supposed to touch their feet when u do namaskaram, except the feet of ur parents or grand parents ... for all others we shld not touch their feet !

Why it is so? Is there any reason behind this?
Why am asking this is, whenver I obeisance my GURUJI I touch his feet! ( Kannula Othippen)

**viggop** · 14th March 2006, 10:33 AM

I have seen people offering food to God(Naivedhyam).In some people houses, they offer food for crows.Why is this ritual done?

**bingleguy** · 14th March 2006, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Lambretta

Hmm....well I wudn't nec. think pujas wud, bingle.......I've lately lost faith tat they determine the spirituality/holiness of a person, young or old!

I wud take Swami Vivekananda's saying tat to judge the character of a gr8 person look at ther most ordinary/routine actions/behaviour

Well, pujas ! Guess u think that as a simple to do ritual ! but pujas are not as what u explained here as ! U take ur mind n body n soul together as in one place n on one mind(today we call this state as meditation) and recite the holy manthrams(coz the manthrams create the vibrations! Some ppl meditate and bring this state, n some ppl choose one single objective in mind(ONE GOD) and do the puja .... So here view that as MEDITATION ! Puja is one state of meditation !

meditation does not mean just closing ur eyes n sitting in one place !It means a lot more !

Ya, i do abide with Swamis sayings ! This puja punniyam cannot be viewed outside .... when he is able to bring his mind into a single state then his character is visible outside ..... as his real character !

That s why i quoted pujas too ! Hope this clarifies

**Arthi** · 14th March 2006, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by viggop

I have seen people offering food to God(Naivedhyam).In some people houses, they offer food for crows.Why is this ritual done?

Indians make an offering of food to the Lord and later partake of it as prasaada - a holy gift from the Lord. In our daily ritualistic worship (pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food) to the Lord.

The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by His strength and knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really His alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to Him. This is exemplified by the Hindi words "tera tujko arpan"– I offer what is Yours to You. Thereafter it is akin to His gift to us, graced by His divine touch.

Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes. The food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticise the quality of the food we get. We eat it with cheerful acceptance (prasaada buddhi).

Before we partake of our daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as an act of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the plate acknowledging the debt owed by us to the Divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection, our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and a family culture, the sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been "realised", aintained and handed down to us by them, our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the support of which we could not live as we do and other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

Thereafter the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five life-giving physiological functions, is offered the food. This is done with the chant

praanaaya swaahaa,
apaanaaya swaahaa,
vyaanaaya swaahaa,
udaanaaya swaahaa,
samaanaaya swaahaa,
brahmane swaahaa

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

**Arthi** · 14th March 2006, 10:55 AM

Why do we do Abishekam?
In 1 view its all wasting food...
I want to know the actuall meaning behind this

**bingleguy** · 14th March 2006, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Arthi

Originally Posted by bingleguy

As per certain rules, we are not supposed to touch their feet when u do namaskaram, except the feet of ur parents or grand parents ... for all others we shld not touch their feet !

Why it is so? Is there any reason behind this?
Why am asking this is, whenver I obeisance my GURUJI I touch his feet! ( Kannula Othippen)

It depends Aarthi ! As a guru you are prostrating ! U must have heard the saying Maatha, Pitha, Guru, Deivam ! So he is at par with all !
He my guess is, you must be quoting ur Master as ur GURU, right ?

But spiritual gurus mostly will not allow ppl to touch their feet !

One reason is called MADI(this is generally prevailent in brahmin houses) a state where after bath, someone else is not allowed to touch you !

Another is ...... there is a kind of state where ur paavam is transferred to the person who is taking ur prostration ... ie when u touch their feet ! The person to whom u r prostrating shld have that energy to digest ur paavams (our parents n grand parents have that ... coz we are their blood) .....The other person who has that energy is GOD !

**bingleguy** · 14th March 2006, 11:06 AM

[quote="Arthi"][tscii]

Originally Posted by viggop

I have seen people offering food to God(Naivedhyam).In some people houses, they offer food for crows.Why is this ritual done?

Ys Viggop ... Aarthi's quote was true for Neivedhyam ! The reason u offer to crows are - they are considered to be the messengers of ur dead ancestors .... Even during Shraardham (a ritual performed for dead ancestor) this practice is followed

Aarthi.... the practice which u said is practiced till date ! That is called parseshanam ! Also after parseshanam we keep some food (preferrably the main food, for us rice) outside the plate n beyond the water that u have sprinkled ... this was basically tht due to the water we indirectly prevent ants n other insects to come near our plate ... which shld not be added to ur paavams ... so u keep some food outside tht water for them to eat !

**Arthi** · 14th March 2006, 11:08 AM

hi bingleguy
I was referring to my Spiritual GURUJi only

Do our parents/grandparents have energy to digest our pavams... though we are their blood.

**Arthi** · 14th March 2006, 11:11 AM

[quote="bingleguy"]

Originally Posted by Arthi

[tscii]

Originally Posted by viggop

I have seen people offering food to God(Naivedhyam).In some people houses, they offer food for crows.Why is this ritual done?

Ys Viggop ... Aarthi's quote was true for Neivedhyam ! The reason u offer to crows are - they are considered to be the messengers of ur dead ancestors .... Even during Shraardham (a ritual performed for dead ancestor) this practice is followed

Aarthi.... the practice which u said is practiced till date ! That is called parseshanam ! Also after parseshanam we keep some food (preferrably the main food, for us rice) outside the plate n beyond the water that u have sprinkled ... this was basically tht due to the water we indirectly prevent ants n other insects to come near our plate ... which shld not be added to ur paavams ... so u keep some food outside tht water for them to eat !

Great, How meaniful our ritual is!!!...