In a Hindu temple, the term refers to viewing the garbhagriha 'inner sanctum' of the temple, which hosts the murti 'image of a god'. Devotees taking darshana of the god Vishnu in the inner sanctum of the Chennakeshava Temple, Belur.
darshan, in Indian philosophyand religion, particularly in Hinduism, the beholding of a deity (especially in image form), revered person, or sacred object. The experience is considered to be reciprocaland results in the human viewer’s receiving a blessing.
In its most literal translation, darshan means ‘divine sight.’ Darshan is a reciprocal experience—a moment of seeing and being seen by the Divine. It is the practice of looking upon or being in the presence of a temple deity, a saint, or a God-realised master such as Paramahamsa Vishwananda.
What Does Darshan Mean? Darshan is derived from the Sanskrit, darsana, meaning "sight," "vision" or "appearance." In Hinduism, darshan is the act of beholding a deity, divine person, sacred object or natural spectacle, especially in a physical image form.
In the Hindu tradition, darshan refers to the beholding of a holy person, sacred object, natural phenomenon, or deity especially in imaged form. Darshan implies a mutual interaction between the viewer and the perceived object or being.
Darshan, (Sanskrit: “auspicious viewing”), also spelled darshana, in Hindu worship, the beholding of a deity (especially in image form), revered person, or sacred object. The experience is often conceived to be reciprocal and results in the human viewer’s receiving a blessing.
Faith and intense attachment to the divine form of God are necessary to understand the role darshan plays in a Hindu’s life. Darshan in Sanskrit means ‘seeing, to see, or be seen by God or His gunatit sadhu.’. However, the true import of darshan is much more than its literal meaning.