Sashtang Namaskar / साष्टाङ्ग नमस्कारः

Many of us would have done or seen someone do the साष्टाङ्ग नमस्कारः / Sashtang Namaskar – paying respect to God, a Guru/Teacher or Elders by prostrating in front of them completely. I am not talking about the “modernized pay-lagu” culture largely popularized by Bollywood and the entertainment industry, where, with one hand or two, one just bends a bit aiming to touch the feet of an elder without succeeding in either touching them or feeling any respect!!! But I mean the lying down - completely prostrate - in front of a God or an elder that is done to seek blessings from them.

The Samskrit Shloka in this regard says –

उरसा शिरसा दृष्ट्या मनसा वचसा तथा।

पादाभ्यां कराभ्यां जानुभ्यां प्रणामोऽष्टाङ्ग उच्यते॥

It means, a Namaskara done with chest, head, sight, mind, speech, (two) feet, (two) hands, (two) knees is known as a साष्टाङ्ग नमस्कार / Sashtang Namaskar. It is also known as Dandavat Pranam in many parts of India.

Loosely translated, साष्टाङ्ग / Sashtang is स+अष्ट+अङ्ग (Sa + Ashta + Anga) – with Eight Limbs and Sashtang Namaskar is a Namaskar done using Eight Limbs (Body Parts) namely 1. Chest, 2. Head, 3. Feet, 4. Hands, 5. Knees, 6. Sense Organs of Sight, 7. Sense Organs of Speech, and 8. Mind.

Some count the Eight Limbs as Feet, Hands and Knees being two each, so six in all and Head and Chest totalling to eight.

When one is doing Sashtang Namaskar, one is expected to lie completely prostate on the ground, with one’s Eight body parts namely two feet, two hands, two knees, chest and forehead (8 points) touching the ground and three sense organs – sight, mind and speech focused on the Deity or Person to whom the Namakara is being offered.

You are, thus, in complete concentration on the Act of ‘Namaskara’ – showing deference, humility and respect through your body that is lying flat on the ground as well as your mind and senses that are not engaged in anything else.

Thus, done in the right manner, the Sashtang Namaskar aims to remove the ego and pride in us and guides us to achieve शरणागति / Sharanagati i.e. complete surrender.

Surrender is not a sign of weakness in Hinduism, but a great strength because only when you surrender do you become completely free! Free to accept and change or free to learn and absorb or free to pursue new paths depending on the nature of the surrender.

You may have seen that women do not perform Sashtang Namaskar. Women perform the Panchang Namaksar where two hands, two legs (knees to feet portion) and the forehead touch the ground. You may wonder, is this some sort of discrimination against women? Are they considered lesser and incapable?

Well, that is not the case. Our scriptures prohibit women’s breasts and abdomen from touching the ground. The likely reason is that since these two areas are associated with Motherhood and nourishment of the child, any injury or untoward incident is avoided. Hence, women are prohibited from performing the Sashtang Namaskar.

This form of Ashtang Namaskar is also a part of the Surya Namaskar regimen in some Yoga schools.

The next time you want to pay obeisance to an Elder or your Teacher or a God, you will think of doing the Sashtang Namakar, the सनातन / sanatan way, as it was meant to be, won’t you?