Baring the right shoulder

[Sreenivasa S. S. Nittala]

> 
 Hi,
 
 On Wed, 2 Oct 1996, Girish Beeharry wrote:
> 
> I would have thought the same too. However, in the case of the deity being
> too close to the back wall, one has to rotate clockwise (once or thrice
> etc but never twice; I wonder why)  in front of the deity; this is a bit
> contradictory to the previous statement. Can anyone solve this 'problem'
> please? Thanks.
> 
> In the North, sometimes the following shloka is uttered while
> circumnabulating the deity:
> 
> yaani kaani cha paapaani janmaantara kR^itaaNi cha |
> taani taani vinashyanti pradakshiNa pade pade ||
> 
> I am curious as to what the South people/Buddhists say. Thanks in advance.

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Even in South India, it is the same shloka ("yaani kaani ...") that
is chanted. At least I am very sure of the practice in Andhra.

This is chanted either while circumnabulating the deity, or sometimes
the practice is that one stand erect and starts moving round on the same
point (it is not going around the deity but like rotating on a point).
Especially in the households, circumnabulating around the deities is  
not always possible and the person stands facing the deity and while 
chanting this shloka, moves round. I am not sure of the origin of this
shloka. I suppose that it has Vedic origins.

This practice is an inevitable feature of any Puja. It is almost as
important and as integral a part as starting any ritual by worshipping
Lord Ganesha. 

The chanting goes on beyond this shloka : 

("... Paapoham Paapamaatraahimaam Gadavatsale").

Unfortunately, I am unable to exactly reproduce the complete chanting.

Thanks & Regards,
Sreenivasa
(Nittala Sreenivasa Subramanya Sharma)
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