The Devotion of Prostration
Vandana ('salutation,' 'reverence,' 'prostration') is the sixth mode of navadhā-bhakti — expressing devotion through the act of bowing or prostrating before the Lord, the deity in the temple, the ācārya, and elders in the community. The physical gesture of bowing expresses the inner recognition of the Lord's supremacy and one's own smallness.
Forms of Vandana
Vandana has several forms: (1) namaskāra — bowing with palms joined (añjali); (2) sāṣṭāṅga-praṇāma — full-body prostration with eight points touching the ground (forehead, both hands, both knees, both feet, chest); (3) pañcāṅga-praṇāma — five-point prostration; (4) añjali — the gesture of joined palms alone. The sāṣṭāṅga-praṇāma before the main deity at a Divya Desam is a traditional peak act of pilgrimage.
Vandana to the Ācārya
In Sri Vaishnava practice, the same reverence offered to the Lord is extended to the ācārya — who is the Lord's representative. The practice of performing dīpārādhana (lamp-worship) to the ācārya's image (or the ācārya's feet) is a form of vandana that expresses ācārya-niṣṭhā. Touching the ācārya's feet is perhaps the most common daily form of vandana.
Vandana and Humility
The act of vandana cultivates humility (nīcabhāva) — the physical posture of prostration reinforces the inner recognition that 'I am small, the Lord is great.' This is theologically aligned with the karpanya (sense of utter smallness) that is one of the prerequisites for effective prapatti.