Pradakshinam denotes circumambulating clockwise from left to right around the gods or the abodes of gods or the objects of reverence, so that one’s right side is always turned towards the person or object circumambulated. In simple words, it denotes moving in the direction of right. Here is a look at the benefits of Pradakshinam in Hinduism.
According to Svayambhuvagama, one gets all his desires fulfilled by performing circumambulation thrice; becomes victorious by five times; gains the destruction of one’s enemies by seven times; obtains progeny by nine times; gains prosperity by fifteen times; achieves all round growth by seventeen times; and gains all round happiness by twenty-three times.
While doing pradakshinam one should extend one’s right hand, bending the head, turning one side towards the right and mentally facing the right side.
Pradakshinam once or thrice pleases the gods. It relieves one of all sins, states Kalika Purana. According to Vishnu smriti, salutation with single hand, and circumambulating once and beholding Bhagavan Vishnu at the inappropriate time will take away the merits already earned.
In general, there will be five enclosures around the sanctum sanctorum in the temples. Benefits accruing from pradakshinam in each of them vary. One reaps the fruit of performing the Ashwamedha rite by doing pradakshinam in the enclosure known as antarhara; thrice that by doing it in the enclosure madhyahara; four times that in the enclosure called maryada; and five times that in the enclosure known as mahamaryada.
Sometimes people make a resolve to do pradakshinam either by rolling on the ground around the enclosure so that their entire body touches the ground or by placing step after step without allowing space between each step in order to get their desires fulfilled. This is deemed to be highly meritorious.
While doing the pradakshinam of one’s self at the end of worship, it is a general practice to utter the words – ‘whatever sins have been committed by me in this birth or in different births get destroyed as I place each step of his pradakshinam.’
Puranas glorify the pradakshinam done around the sacred region or a sacred hill. It is a prevailing practice to go round the sacred hill at Tiruvannamalai in South India, believed to be a representation of Shiva’s manifestation as a column of fire, considered highly meritorious.