aashiirvaada - ##[aashiH + vaada (to pronounce) = meaning may this happen]

It is defined as## - iShTaarthaviShkaraNam ##kalpadruma gives the following laxaNa for aashrvaada ##- vaatsalyaadyatra manyena kaniShTasyaabhidhiiyate | iShTaavadhaarakaM vaakyamaashiiH saa parikiirtitaa || ##Meaning - A tradition where an elder person affactionately wishes the best (iShTisiddha poShaka) for the younger ones (kaniShTha).

My favourate aashirvaada is found in## R^igveda

shata.m jiiva sharado vardhamaanaH shata.m hemantaa~nshatamu vasantaan . shatamindraagnii savitaa bR^ihaspatiH shataayuSaa haviSema.m punarduH ..

aahaarSa tvaavida.m tvaa punaraagaaH punarnava. sarvaa~N{}ga sarva te cakshuH sarvamaayush{}ca te.avidam .. R^i\. 10\.161\.4-5 .. ========================================= pragataM daxiNamati Meaning - Going ahead while keeping the deity on your right side.

pradaxiNaaM ye kurvanti bhaktiyuktena cetasaa | na te yamapuraM yaanti puNyakR^itaaM gatim || varaaha puraaaNa || Meaning - One who circumambulates the deity with devotion avoids the death (yamaloka) and goes into the order of pious folks.

prasaarya daxiNaM sastaM svayaM namrashiraaH punaH | daxiNaM darshayan paarshva manasaapi ca daxiNaH || Meaning - Going ahead while extending the right hand and bowing the head and showing our right side to the diety. It is important to do the pradaxiNa with mind as well, which is often called a"R^ijuu vR^itti".

Traditionally - eka devyaaM ravau sapta triiIINi kuryaadvinaayake | catvaari keshave kuryaat shive caardhapradaxiNam || Once to devi, seven times to the Sun, three time to Ganesha, four times to viShNu and half to shiva. Hope this helps Yadunath

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