Bhakti is utmost love for God and surrender unto Him. We express our love for God by folding our hands in the Namaste position and head bent in humbleness and also by prostrating. Prostration is lying on the earth at the feet of God or Guru with all the eight limbs of the body touching the ground. It is also called ‘Sashtanga Namaskar’ or ‘ Namaskaram’ and it is done with great love, faith and reverence. This is called Vandana. It is one of the limbs of the Nava Vidha Bhakti as taught by Sri Rama to Shabari.
Prostration is an essential part of worship and showing respect for saints, sadhus , Guru and God. When we prostrate with humility, we are open to receiving the vibrations of love and grace emanating from the feet of Guru and God. Such grace wipes out much of our negative karma and frees us from a great deal of suffering in life.
Why is it necessary that we fall completely flat on the ground with all eight limbs touching the earth? Such a position is one of utter humbleness. Our ego is wiped out during such time and bhakti flows out from us to the Supreme. Another reason is it is prostration to all creation. The sky, air, fire, water, earth, stars, all planets, all living creatures on land, air, sea, plant life, bird life, mountains, rivers- everything in the universe constitutes the Body of the Supreme. Doing the Vandana is offering respect to the Body of God.
The goal of bhakti is to develop such deep love for God that the Supreme Power manifests itself and graces us within and without. We need to develop exclusive love for God. Any worship offered in any form goes to the Supreme Lord who is One. Let us learn from Arjun and his Vandana of Sri Krishna. He prostrates to Sri Krishna and says: : Salutation to You from the front, salutation to You from behind, salutation to You from every side! O All! Immeasurable in strength, You pervade all. You are all! Arjun’s understanding of Vandana is correct. When we offer Vandana to Guru and God this should be our thought: You are all, all is in You.
Vibhishan, the brother of Ravana practised Vandana. He left Ravana as Ravana broke all dharma by unjustly kidnapping Sita who was devoted to her husband Sri Rama and was forcing her to marry him. Vibhishan left home and hearth and crossed the seas and prostrated before Sri Rama in bhakti and surrender. Sri Rama accepted him as a friend and also promised him the throne of Lanka after the defeat of Ravana. Vibhishan’s bhakti and Vandana blessed him with the utmost Grace of Sri Rama.
Laxman and Hanuman are also examples of Vandana bhakti. Both of them served Sri Rama with the dasya attitude – servant of God. And both were blessed with the utmost Grace of Sri Rama and Maa Sita.
Bhisma – the Grand Old Man of Mahabharat practiced the Vandana Bhakti. Though he belonged to the Kaurava group and fought against the Pandavas in Mahabharat, he was a staunch devotee of Sri Krishna. Bhisma offered Sri Krishna salutations in a voice choked with love, Sri Krishna blessed him with the light of Divine Knowledge.
Akrura, the uncle of Sri Krishna, is also famed for the Vandana Bhakti. Vandana helps us to easily overcome our ego. Overcoming ego is not normally possible except with grace of God. All those who practice the Vandana Bhakti are blessed with the Grace, Wisdom, Love and Self-realisation.
