जप एवं समाख्यातः प्रदक्षिणम् अथोच्यते ।
नानाविधं तद् आख्यातं अन्तर्बाह्य विभेदतः ।
लिङ्गप्रासादयोर् मध्ये श्रेष्ठाश्रेष्ठं प्रकीर्तितम् ॥
अन्तर्मण्डलशालादाव् अन्तः श्रेष्ठं प्रकीर्तितम् ।
गर्भे प्रदक्षिणं कर्तुं न शक्यं बहुदोषकृत् ॥
गर्भगेहे भवेल्लिङ्गच्छाया निर्माल्यसङ्करः ।
सोमसूत्रस्य मूलं च देवसामीप्यम् एव च
japa evaṃ samākhyātaḥ pradakṣiṇam athocyate ।
nānāvidhaṃ tad ākhyātaṃ antarbāhya vibhedataḥ ।
liṅgaprāsādayor madhye śreṣṭhāśreṣṭhaṃ prakīrtitam ॥
antarmaṇḍalaśālādāv antaḥ śreṣṭhaṃ prakīrtitam ।
garbhe pradakṣiṇaṃ kartuṃ na śakyaṃ bahudoṣakṛt ॥
garbhagehe bhavelliṅgacchāyā nirmālyasaṅkaraḥ ।
somasūtrasya mūlaṃ ca devasāmīpyam eva ca
Meaning:
apa evaṁ samākhyātaḥ pradakṣiṇam athocyate
japaḥ – japa, recitation
evam – thus, in this manner
samākhyātaḥ – has been described / declared
pradakṣiṇam – circumambulation
atha – now / next
ucyate – is spoken of / is explained
nānāvidhaṁ tad ākhyātaṁ antarbāhya vibhedataḥ
nānā-vidham – of many kinds / various types
tat – that (pradakṣiṇā)
ākhyātam – is told / taught / described
antar-bāhya – inner and outer
vibhedataḥ – by distinction, in terms of the difference
liṅga-prāsādayor madhye śreṣṭha-aśreṣṭhaṁ prakīrtitam
liṅga-prāsādayoḥ – between the liṅga and the temple-building
madhye – moderate
śreṣṭha-aśreṣṭham – the best-of-the-best; the highest form
prakīrtitam – is proclaimed / declared
antarmaṇḍala-śālādau antaḥ śreṣṭhaṁ prakīrtitam
antar-maṇḍala – inner enclosure / inner maṇḍala
śālādau – and in the hall(s) / pavilion(s)
antaḥ – inside / inner part
śreṣṭham – best / superior
prakīrtitam – is declared / proclaimed
garbhe pradakṣiṇaṁ kartuṁ na śakyaṁ bahu-doṣa-kṛt
garbhe – in the garbhagṛha (sanctum)
pradakṣiṇam – circumambulation
kartum – to do / to perform
na śakyam – not possible / not proper
bahu-doṣa-kṛt – producing many defects / causing many improprieties
garbha-gehe bhavet liṅga-cchāyā nirmālya-saṅkaraḥ
garbha-gehe – in the sanctum (garbhagṛha)
bhavet – would be / would occur
liṅga-cchāyā – the shadow of the liṅga (falling on the devotee)
nirmālya-saṅkaraḥ – mixing with nirmālya (the sacred offerings removed from the liṅga)
soma-sūtrasya mūlaṁ ca deva-sāṁīpyam eva ca
soma-sūtrasya – of the soma-sūtra (the sacred channel/duct from the liṅga)
mūlam – the source / origin / root
ca – and
deva-sāṁīpyam – excessive nearness to the deity
eva – indeed / certainly
ca – and
Commentary:
The process of incantation has now been explained. Next, the method of circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) is described. The Āgama-s lay down various forms of circumambulation. Broadly, pradakṣiṇā is of two types: inner and outer.
Among these, the types circumambulations performed at different areas, between the Liṅga and outer enclosure of the temple is said to be the best and also moderate. The Āgamas further describe that from the pradakṣiṇā performed in the first enclosure / inner wall (antar-maṇḍala) up to that performed in the fifth enclosure, each succeeding one is considered superior to the previous. Thus, the pradakṣiṇā done in the fifth enclosure or inner wall is regarded as the most supreme.
However, it is not permissible to perform circumambulation inside the garbha-gṛha (inner sanctum). Doing so produces several ritual defects. Within the sanctum, the shadow of the Liṅga is always present in the sanctum ( which must not be crossed), which is improper. Moreover, the flowers and garlands removed from the Liṅga (nirmālya) lie within the sanctum. You may step them during circumambulation.
Additionally, the sanctum is the place where the soma-sūtra (the sacred channel meant for draining abhiṣeka water) begins, and it is also the zone of extremely close proximity to Śiva, which should not be intruded upon.
Therefore, circumambulation inside the sanctum must be avoided.
परिहृत्य कृतं सर्वं यदि सर्व-फलावहम् ।
अन्तर्मण्डलदेशो’पि सोमसूत्रं च विद्यते ॥
प्रासादार्धप्रमाणं वा प्रासाद-सममेव वा ।
निर्माल्य-सङ्करो’पि स्याद् धाम्चाया च विद्यते ॥
परिहृत्य तु तत् सर्वं प्रदक्षिणम् अथाचरेत् ॥
parihṛtya kṛtaṃ sarvaṃ yadi sarva-phalāvaham ।
antarmaṇḍaladeśo’pi somasūtraṃ ca vidyate ॥
prāsādārdhapramāṇaṃ vā prāsāda-samameva vā ।
nirmālya-saṅkaro’pi syād dhāmcāyā ca vidyate ॥
parihṛtya tu tat sarvaṃ pradakṣiṇam athācaret ॥
Meaning:
parihṛtya kṛtaṃ sarvaṃ yadi sarva-phalāvaham
parihṛtya – having avoided / setting aside
kṛtam – what is done / practiced
sarvam – all / everything
yadi – if
sarva-phala-āvaham – yielding all benefits / bringing every fruit
antarmaṇḍala-deśaḥ api somasūtram ca vidyate
antar-maṇḍala-deśaḥ – the region/area inside the inner enclosure
api – even / also
somasūtram – the soma-sūtra (the sacred drainage channel of the liṅga)
ca – and
vidyate – is present / exists
prāsāda-ardha-pramāṇam vā prāsāda-samam eva vā
prāsāda-ardha-pramāṇam – half the size/measure of the temple
vā – or
prāsāda-samam – equal to the size of the temple
eva – indeed / exactly
vā – or
nirmālya-saṅkaraḥ api syāt dhāma-ācayā ca vidyate
nirmālya-saṅkaraḥ – mixing with nirmālya (removed flower-offerings)
api – even / also
syāt – may occur / may happen
dhāma-ācayā – the shadow of the deity (dhāman = radiance/Deity; ācayā = shadow)
ca – and
vidyate – is found / exists
parihṛtya tu tat sarvaṃ pradakṣiṇam atha ācaret
parihṛtya – having avoided / keeping away from
tu – but / however
tat – that
sarvam – all of that
pradakṣiṇam – circumambulation
atha – then / thereafter
ācaret – one should perform / one should do
Commentary:
Besides the main shrine, circumambulation done in all other places gives the desired benefits. Even when doing circumambulation in the first enclosure ( inner wall ), the somasūtram is still visible. The heaps of garland, the shadow of the temple structures extend upto half of the temple premise or even to the full extent. When you do circumabulation, you should avoid all these mentioned areas, in clockwise direction.
सव्यापसव्य मार्गेण कर्तव्यं वा प्रदक्षिणम्
सव्यम् चण्डप्रदेशः स्यादपरम् सोमसूत्रतः
सव्यापसव्य मार्गेण मृद्गत्या समाचरेत्
सव्यापसव्यं एवं स्यादन्तर्नित्योत्सवेऽपि च
छाया लङ्गनं धाम्नो देवदेवोत्सवेऽपि च
तत्कालकृत सेवस्य नैव दोषप्रदं भवेत्
तद्बाह्ये नैव दोषस्य प्रवेशोऽस्ति मनागपि
savyāpasavya mārgeṇa kartavyaṃ vā pradakṣiṇam
savyam caṇḍapradeśaḥ syādaparam somasūtrataḥ
savyāpasavya mārgeṇa mṛdgatyā samācaret
savyāpasavyaṃ evaṃ syādantarnityotsave'pi ca
chāyā laṅganaṃ dhāmno devadevotsave'pi ca
tatkālakṛta sevasya naiva doṣapradaṃ bhavet
tadbāhye naiva doṣasya praveśo'sti manāgapi
Meaning:
savyāpasavya mārgeṇa kartavyaṃ vā pradakṣiṇam
savya-apasavya-mārgeṇa — by the path of left-to-right and right-to-left / both directions
(savya = left side; apasavya = right side)
kartavyam — should be done / ought to be performed
vā — or
pradakṣiṇam — circumambulation
savyam caṇḍa-pradeśaḥ syāt aparam somasūtrataḥ
savyam — left side
caṇḍa-pradeśaḥ — Where Lord caṇḍeśa is
syāt — is / becomes
aparam — the other (side) / opposite
somasūtrataḥ — from the soma-sūtra (drainage channel of the liṅga)
savyāpasavya mārgeṇa mṛdgatyā samācaret
savya-apasavya-mārgeṇa — through both pathways, left and right
mṛd-gatyā — with gentle steps / soft movement
samācaret — one should perform / should act
savyāpasavyaṃ evaṃ syāt antarnitya-utsave’pi ca
savya-apasavyam — left-right movement / reverse-normal movement
evam — thus / in this manner
syāt — should be / is
antar-nitya-utsave’pi — even during the daily worship inside (antar = inner; nitya = daily; utsava = worship/festival)
ca — and
chāyā-laṅganaṃ dhāmno deva-deva-utsave’pi ca
chāyā-laṅganam — crossing over the shadow
dhāmnaḥ — of the deity / divine radiance
deva-deva-utsave’pi — even during special festivals of the great God
ca — and
tat-kāla-kṛta-sevasya naiva doṣa-pradaṃ bhavet
tat-kāla-kṛta-sevasya — for the service performed at that particular time
na eva — indeed not / absolutely not
doṣa-pradam — giving fault / causing defect
bhavet — becomes / is
tad-bāhye naiva doṣasya praveśaḥ asti manāk api
tat-bāhye — outside that (area)
naiva — by no means / absolutely not
doṣasya — of fault / impurity
praveśaḥ — entry / presence
asti — is
manāk api — even a little / in the slightest
Commentary: The circumambulation can be done from left to right or right to left. The left to right is done when you approach the shrine of Caṇḍeśa. The right to left is done from the shrine of Caṇḍeśa to the somasūtram. We cannot cross the somasūtra. So, just before the somasūtra, we circumambulate back to Caṇḍeśa. Then, we repeat the cycle of going from Caṇḍeśa to the somasūtra. This is referred to as somasūtra pradakṣiṇam. In this way, we do circumambulation without going against the mentioned rules.
प्रयत्नोऽपि महान् बाह्ये बहूनिष्युः पदानि च
पदे पदेऽश्वमेधस्य फलं दशगुणं भवेत्
अङ्गप्रदक्षिणं चान्यद् उदयास्तमनान्तकम्
अनयोः पुण्य माहात्म्यं न शक्तुं वक्तुमग्रजाः
prayatno'pi mahān bāhye bahūniṣyuḥ padāni ca
pade pade'śvamedhasya phalaṃ daśaguṇaṃ bhavet
aṅgapradakṣiṇaṃ cānyad udayāstamanāntakam
anayoḥ puṇya māhātmyaṃ na śaktuṃ vaktumagrajāḥ
Meaning:
prayatnaḥ api – even with effort / even if done with effort
mahān – great / significant
bāhye – outwardly / externally
bahūniṣyuḥ – many times / repeatedly
padāni – steps / feet
ca – and
pade pade – at every step / step by step
aśvamedhasya – of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
phalam – fruit / result
daśaguṇam – tenfold
bhavet – it becomes / it happens
aṅga-pradakṣiṇam – circumambulation of the body
ca – and
anyat – another / other
udayāstamana-āntakam – from sunrise to sunset / from beginning to end of the day
anayoḥ – of these two (the two practices mentioned above: external effort & body circumambulation)
puṇya-māhātmyaṃ – greatness of merit / virtuous significance
na – not
śaktum – able to / can
vaktum – to speak / express
agrajāḥ – even elder brothers / the foremost learned
Commentary:
For the circumambulation done on the outside ( remember we initially saw two forms of circumambulation - interior and exterior? ), one should repeatedly place the steps gracefully. Doing such, one attains the fruits of performing ten times of an Aśvamedha yāga, for each step.
There is an even superior form of circumambulation which is called aṅga-pradakṣiṇam. Lying on the ground, one should roll around the temple clockwise. Doing this the whole day, from sunrise and sunset, bestows one with the merits, so, so superior, that no one is able to describe.
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