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Correct Direction to sit and do japa and to sleep

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thiruchitrambalam

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Hi,
Normally the correct direction to sit and chant the mantras is facing the east or the north, But in cases your are inside the temple and the deity is facing east, you will end up facing west, Is it correct to do JAPA?

Same way for sleeping, you keep your head on the east or in the south, But if your house or the mandapam is located just opposite the temple, one may end up keeping the legs towards the temple? In such cases what is the correct direction to sleep?

thanks
thiru
 
thiruchitrambalam said:
Hi,
Normally the correct direction to sit and chant the mantras is facing the east or the north, But in cases your are inside the temple and the deity is facing east, you will end up facing west, Is it correct to do JAPA?

Same way for sleeping, you keep your head on the east or in the south, But if your house or the mandapam is located just opposite the temple, one may end up keeping the legs towards the temple? In such cases what is the correct direction to sleep?

thanks
thiru
Click to expand...

It has been our practice to sit facing north, in front of the deity and do japam. In the special mandapams for making japams, we even sit facing south if there is another person sitting opposite.

As for sleeping inside our house, there is no need to reckon the temple. But if you want to sleep outside the house or in the open varandah, we should not keep our legs pointed towards the temple.
 
Disclaimer: I am an advaitin or Kabir Panthy.

Does it really matter? Is there a direction in which God is not present?
In the temple here in USA, we have shortage of real estate space. We have moorties on three sides, a door on the only side left.

Unless you sit facing west, your back will be turned to one of the moorties.
 
prasad1 said:
Disclaimer: I am an advaitin or Kabir Panthy.

Does it really matter? Is there a direction in which God is not present?
In the temple here in USA, we have shortage of real estate space. We have moorties on three sides, a door on the only side left.

Unless you sit facing west, your back will be turned to one of the moorties.
Click to expand...

So true... many times I have observed people doing a namaskaram before the shrine of their favorite deity - oblivious to the fact they are showing their feet to the deities on the other side! Somewhere I read this is very wrong, and that prostrations should be done only before the dwajasthamba or somewhere that one doesn't show his behind and feet to other deities.

Once, saint Gurunanak visited the Kaaba. There he sat before the structure stretching out his legs. He was told not to do so in front of god. For that he replied, "Show me a place where god is not there and I shall stretch out my legs in that direction!".
 
I agree with you....

Jyotirling Aundha Nagnath temple the famous poet-saint Namdev met his guru Visoba Khechara. He was advised to visit this temple by Sant Dnyaneshwar. According to the text Dnyandev Gatha, Dnyaneshwar and Muktai instruct Namdev to journey to temple of Aundha Nagnath in search of a proper guru. In the temple, Namdev finds Visoba resting with his feet on the sacred Shiva-linga, the symbol of god Shiva. Namdev reproached him for having insulted god Shiva. Visoba asked Namdev to place his feet elsewhere, wherever Namdev placed Visoba's feet a Linga sprang up. Thus, through his yogic powers, Visoba filled the whole temple with Shiva-lingas and taught Namdev the omnipresence of God.
There is one famous story told about Sant Namdev and Aundha Nagnath temple. Once when he was chanting Bhajans in front of the temple with his senior gurus like Sant Dnyaneshwar, Visoba Khechara and few more Varkari, the temple pujari told them their singing in front of the temple is disturbing their routine pooja and prayers and asked them to go away from temple. Then all Varkaris went back side of the temple and started singing bhajans there. But Lord Shiva and in order to be in the sight of the pining devotee and listen bhajans, revolved the temple. It is testimonial to that miracle why Nandi is located on back side of temple.
 
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