Vidyalankara Sastra-Chudamani, Sangita-Kalaratna Professor Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao is a well- known scholar who combines traditional learning with modern research. Well versed in Sanskrit, Pali Ardhamagadhi and several modern Indian languages and acquainted with Tibetan and some European languages, he has written extensively on Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, Indian Culture, art and literature. In his professional career, however, he was a Professor of Psychology. He has headed the department of Clinical Psychology in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, and the Department of Indian Culture in the Callison College Study Centre of the University of the Pacific (USA). At present, he is the Senior Associate of National Institute of Advanced Studies (Indian Institute of Science), Bangalore, and Guest Faculty, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
He has been Member of the Karnataka State Lalith Kala Academi and Sangita Nritya Academi; he has served on the Agama Board (State Government). He is President of Silpa-kala Pratishthana. The State Government has honoured him with the 1986 Rajyotsava Award. He is on the Advisory Committee of the TTD. He has received awards from Lalt Kala Academy and Sangita-Nirtya Academy.
He has written more than sixty books in Kannada, a play in Sanskrit, and a Pali commentary on a Buddhist Classic. One of the books on iconography in Kannada has won me State Sahitya Academi Award, as also another of his books on the Tirupati temple.
Among his numerous English publications are three volumes of Encyclopaedia of Indian Medicine, (Popular Prakashan, Bombay). Tibetan Tantrik Tradition and Tibetan Meditation (Arnold Heinemann, Delhi), Consiciousness in Advaita, and a series of six books on Indian temples (IBH Prakashana, Bangalore). Origins of Indian Thought (Bangalore University); Kalpatharu Research Academy has published his Pratima-kosha in six volumes, Agama-kosha in twelve volumes, Art and Architecture of Indian Temples in three volumes.
He is also a musicologist, a sculptor and painter, and has held some one-man shows. He presided over the Music Conference of Gayana-Samaja in Bangalore for the year 1990.
The Kalpatharu Research Academy, established in 1981, was inaugurated by the then Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of India. It has strided across the horizon of indological research and publication with giant - steps since then. An institution dedicated to the cause of preservation of ancient heritage in India, it has encouraged research in the fields of Agama, Veda, Tantra, Jyothisha, Mantra-sastra, Vastu, Yoga, Silpa, Ayurveda, etc.
Among its prestigious publications (numbering more than fifty till now), are Six Vols of Pratima-Kosha, Twelve Vols of Agama-Kosha, Three Vols of the Art and Architecture of Indian Temples, and several Koshas like Ganesha-Kosha, Lalitha-Kosha and Navagraha-Kosha, Oshadhi-Kosha, etc.
The Academy has plans of undertaking intensive research in the field of Veda and Vedanga, and intends publishing Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-Kosha, an encyclopaedic work in several volumes dealing with all aspects of Indian Culture. It seeks to promote education, culture, science, art, and learning in all its branches. The approach will be broad-based and multi-disciplinary.
An extensive, comprehensive and specialist reference library has been built up, to assist the research workers engaged by the Academy, and also other workers in the indological disciplines. A valuable collection of palm-leaf manuscripts relating to Veda, Vedanta, Vedanga and allied subjects has already been made; the collection work is continuing.
The Academy has been running a Guru-Kula type of Institution, on ancient lines to impart Vedic education to selected boys in a rural-set-up since 1988.
The intention of the Academy is to develop as a national centre for higher learning in Veda and Vedanga and facilitate the founding of a unique Sanskrit and Vedic University of national and international stature.
This publication is the Fifty-Fourth of its achievement in this field.
It is a matter of great pleasure and privilege to place before the scholarly world the first volume in the project Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-Kosha. The project seeks to bring out a number of authentic and illustrated volumes covering all major aspects of Indian Culture. As the first volume, it is but appropriate that we have brought out an account of ‘Pranama’ (or Namaskara) in the Indian Cultural context. Greetings and bowings assume several forms with due regard to the status, age and degree of intimacy of the recipient. Authentic information has been provided here cm the manner in which salutations, bowings, greetings and prostrations are prescribed to be done in religious, secular and social situations, and for householders, teachers, ascetics and for divinities in a Temple.
The Kalpatharu Research Academy is grateful to Vidyalankara, Sastra-Chudamani, Sangita-Kala-Ratna Prof. S.K. Ramachandra Rao for having kindly prepared this volume on our request.
We deeply thank the Authorities of the Government of Karnataka, who made it possible, with their financial help, to bring out this volume, and also the Academy expresses its deep gratitude to Poojya Sri. D. Veerendra Heggade, of Sri Manjunatha Swamy Temple, Dharmasthala for his continuous encouragement and support, and to the Payonidhi Printers, Bangalore, for the speedy and elegant printing. Also we gratefully remember the help of Sri. H.J. AnandaRama Holla in providing photographs of Dipa-namaskara.
The Academy looks forward to bringing out many more Research Projects and Publications of the same nature, with the co-operation and help from our scholarly team and generous patrons, interested in preserving and promoting the values of Indian Culture.
The Present Volume deals with Pranama (or Namaskara) in all its dimensions, usages and prevailing customs. The initial contact between two persons takes the form of Greeting; and the manner of its expression varies with the character of the persons interacting (student and teacher, younger person and elder, devotee and master, persons of the same age and status and so on), and with the situation formal or informal). Pranama is also involved in bowings and supplications before Godhead, a revered ascetic or pontiff. There are prescriptions in the Smrti-Texts and Dharma-Sastra manuals. I have taken the material from all such sources, as well as from Puja-Kalpas.
I thank Daivajna K.N. Somayaji, Director of Kalpatharu Research Academy, Bangalore, for having provided this opportunity for me. I also thank the Payonidhi Printers for co-operating with me during the printing of this volume.
Vedas (1294)
Upanishads (481)
Puranas (610)
Ramayana (834)
Mahabharata (330)
Dharmasastras (163)
Goddess (471)
Bhakti (240)
Saints (1291)
Gods (1272)
Shiva (341)
Journal (143)
Fiction (49)
Vedanta (325)
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