How To Knock the Head During Shuklam Baradharam as Per Scriptures?

Every common Hindu is familiar with the upper limb gesture we colloquially refer to as the Piḷḷaiyār Kuṭṭu (பிள்ளையார் குட்டு). You will find devotees performing this in front of Lord Gaṇapati in temples.

So, what is the significance of this ritual? Foremostly, are we performing the gesture in accuracy as instructed by our scriptures? Let's see.

The Piḷḷaiyār Kuṭṭu (பிள்ளையார் குட்டு) is well described in the Śaiva Āgamas.

Let us look at the śloka of reference from the Śaiva scriptures. We find this śloka appearing in the Upāgamas:

यत्र यत्र क्रियारम्भे मुष्टिभ्यां मूर्ध्नि देशिकः । विनायकं नमस्कृत्य कुट्टनं पञ्चवारकम् ।। अमृतं यत्सुषुम्नायां सरितामिव सागरम् । मूलाधारस्थविघ्नेशं प्राप्य कर्म शुभावहम् ।। हस्तौ तु वामसव्यौ च मुष्टि मुद्रां प्रकल्पयेत् । मध्यमाङगुलिभिश्चैव मस्तके सम्प्रताडयेत् ॥ मस्तकस्थामृतेनैव शरीराङ्गानि सेचयेत् । अमृताप्लावनेनैव विघ्नराजप्रियो भवेत् ।।

yatra yatra kriyārambhe muṣṭibhyāṃ mūrdhni deśikaḥ । vināyakaṃ namaskṛtya kuṭṭanaṃ pañcavārakam ।। amṛtaṃ yatsuṣumnāyāṃ saritāmiva sāgaram । mūlādhārasthavighneśaṃ prāpya karma śubhāvaham ।। hastau tu vāmasavyau ca muṣṭi mudrāṃ prakalpayet । madhyamāṅgulibhiścaiva mastake sampratāḍayet ॥ mastakasthāmṛtenaiva śarīrāṅgāni secayet । amṛtāplāvanenaiva vighnarājapriyo bhavet ।।

Word to word meaning: 

yatra yatra – wherever, wherever

kriyārambhe – at the beginning of an action (ritual, activity)

muṣṭibhyām – with the fists

mūrdhni – on the head

deśikaḥ – the teacher, guru

vināyakaṃ – Lord Vināyaka (Ganesha)

namaskṛtya – having offered namaḥ

kuṭṭanaṃ – striking, tapping

pañcavārakam – five times

amṛtaṃ – nectar, ambrosia

yat – which

suṣumnāyām – in the Suṣumnā (central energy channel)

saritām – of the rivers

iva – like

sāgaram – the ocean

mūlādhārastha – residing in the Mūlādhāra (root chakra)

vighneśaṃ – Lord Vighneśa (Ganesha, remover of obstacles)

prāpya – having attained

karma – action, work

śubhāvaham – auspicious, bringing good fortune

hastau – hands

tu – indeed, but

vāmasavyau – left and right (hands)

ca – and

muṣṭi – fist

mudrām – the gesture, posture (Mudrā)

prakalpayet – should assume, form

madhyamāṅgulibhiḥ – with the middle fingers

caiva – and also

mastake – on the head

sampratāḍayet – should strike, tap

mastakastha – present on the head

amṛtena – with the nectar

eva – indeed

śarīrāṅgāni – body parts, limbs

secayet – should sprinkle, anoint

amṛtāplāvanena – by being flooded with nectar

eva – indeed

vighnarājapriyaḥ – dear to Lord Vighnarāja (Ganesha)

bhavet – becomes

Meaning:

Prior to any kriyā, we demonstrate the Muṣṭi Mudrā. This is a mudrā where we clench the fists, with the proximal interphalangeal joints of the three digits—index finger, middle finger, and ring finger—in flexion. The thumb and little finger are to be placed at a plane lower than the mentioned digits.

In simpler words, we simply clench the fist with the index, middle, and ring fingers in protrusion.

The diagram below will illustrate the pramāṇa: 

The Ācārya (Deśikaḥ) is required to use the three protruding fingers of both hands to knock his head (mūrdhni).

This is done as an act of worship to Lord Vināyaka (Vināyakam namaskṛtya).

How many times do we knock our heads?

kuṭṭanaṃ pañcavārakam

We knock five times. This can represent the five heads and five upper limbs of Lord Gaṇeśa (the trunk is included as a limb).

It can also be associated with the five elements (pañca bhūta).

Why do we do this?

amṛtaṃ yatsuṣumnāyāṃ 

We visualize a pot of amṛta (nectar) in our Dvādaśānta (located 12 aṅgula above the crown center), at the peak of our Suṣumṇā Nāḍī.

As we knock our head in the prescribed manner, we symbolically topple the pot of nectar, so to say.

The amṛta then pours and drenches all the nāḍīs, thus purifying them. This is Nāḍī Śuddhi.

We find the Mūlādhāra Chakra at the base of the Suṣumṇā Nāḍī.

In the Gaṇapati Upaniṣad of the Atharva Veda, we find a verse:

त्वं मूलाधार-स्थितोऽसि नित्यम्

tvaṃ mūlādhāra-sthito'si nityam

Meaning: You eternally reside in the muladhara chakra.

saritāmiva sāgaram

The endpoint of a river is the ocean. Likewise, the amṛta, which flows from the Suṣumṇā, ultimately reaches the Mūlādhāra—the home of Lord Gaṇeśa.

We visualize Lord Gaṇapati being cooled by a bath of overflowing amṛta, Who then blesses us upon being pleased.

mūlādhārasthavighneśaṃ prāpya karma śubhāvaham 

With Lord Gaṇapati's blessings thus, our karma ( action ) at the beginning of a ritual achieves success.

How To Perform Piḷḷaiyār Kuṭṭu?

hastau tu vāmasavyau ca muṣṭi mudrāṃ prakalpayet 

We hold both left and right hands in muṣṭi mudrā

madhyamāṅgulibhiścaiva mastake sampratāḍayet

We should only use the three digits, namely the index, middle and ring finger to knock the head properly, such that the sound produced is audible. We should avoid hitting the forehead. The point of knock should be behind the ears.

Video: Knocking on the head

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।

प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥

śuklāmbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam ।

prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye ॥

....sarva vighna upaśāntaye....

all obstacles shall be removed

In a nutshell, the Piḷḷaiyār Kuṭṭu purifies the nāḍīs, conferring Nāḍī Śuddhi. This purification facilitates the Prāṇāyāma and Nyāsa we perform before a ritual.