What actually is the meaning of kainkaryam?
kainkaryam is loving service to bhagavAn, bhAgavathas and AchArya.
What can we do for a mentally ill person who is suffering a lot as a SrIvaishNava?
We as SrIvaishNavas should not be praying for any materialistic remedies. We can pray for anyone to be happily engaged in kainkaryam.
Can AchAryan thaniyans be recited by kids at home who have not yet been performed with pancha samskAram by AchAryan?
Yes.
Can dhivyaprabandham be learned by people who have not undergone pancha samskaram/samASrayaNam yet?
There are few variant views.
a) Some scholars say that dhivyaprabandham must be learnt only after pancha samskAram
b) Some scholars say that dhivyaprabandham must be learnt only after pancha samskAram, but for children born in SrIvaishNava families (both brahmaNa and non-brahmaNa), they can be taught even before pancha samskAram, since they will be having pancha samskAram sooner or later.
c) Some scholars say that dhivyaprabandham can be learnt by all, since that is by nature the difference between vEdham and dhivya prabandham – vEdham is very restrictive while dhivya prabandham is very open.
adiyEn feels that option b) is reasonable and it can be extended to even those who are not born in SrI vaishNava families, but will eventually get pancha samskAram done.
In vishNu purANam, it’s said that the motto of writing the purANam is that all beings can benefit from this. But why do some AchAryas say that SlOkams like sahasranAmam and many others shouldn’t be recited by women?
One need not directly read to benefit from it. Anyone can listen to those who have read.
There are mixed instructions on thirumala darSanam during theettu (suthak) period. During such times of grief and loss, when we really long to go to temple its being told that it would become an apachAram. Please clarify why it is so.
For the karthA (the one who is doing the final rites), restrictions such as not going to hill temple, not going near seashore etc are applicable. The reason is – there were certain risks in the past in such places and anything happening to karthA will lead to abrupt stopping of the one year rituals, which need to be completed, ideally. But there will be no such restrictions for others in the family.
Also, if one performs kainkaryam in a hill-temple, one will have to continue his kainkaryam after 13th day. Such restrictions will not apply to such person.
Some of these get exaggerated without understanding the real purpose. The hypocrisy will be visible when they will avoid going to temple, but go everywhere else. But as per SAsthram, one should remain at home throughout the period.
Should we offer tharpaNam to bhIshma on bhIshmAshtami?
No.
My yagnOpavItham just broke. What should I do now?
For now, you can knot it where it is broken. As soon as possible, get a new one and change it with the appropriate manthram.
Which pAsurams should we recite 2 times in thiruppAvai?
mArgazhi, Ongi, nAyaganAy, undhu, mAri, anRu, kUdArai, kaRavai, siRRam, vangam.
In the month of mArgazhi, do we refrain from consuming milk and ghee?
Though that was part of the vratham of the gOpikAs, we are not performing the same vratham – our focus is only to engage in bhagavath anubhavam and kainkaryam.
What should we do in suthak (theettu) when someone dies?
We need to arrange someone else to take deities to their home or they should come and do the worship here.
During theettu/aSoucham, can pUrvAchArya sthOthrams or dhivyaprabandham be recited?
No – we cannot recite any prabandhams, sthOthrams etc. during theettu. They can be meditated upon and recited in mind.
We are in this material world and we have to get educated in materialistic things. How to tackle those as a devotee following SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam?
If we pray for kainkaryam, bhagavAn will grant everything we need – as he knows everything about us.
What can be said about those who have not undergone pancha samskAram, and not born in SrIvaishNava family and yet recite selective dhivyaprabandhams including thaniyans daily?
If there is no intent to get pancha samskAram, one may not fully be in line with SrIvaishNava thought process. Simply learning the dhivya prabandhams without implementing the meanings in their life, will be a wasted opportunity. But adiyEn feels that coming in contact with AzhwArs’ divine words and practicing them will help in upward progress of the jIvAthmA for the next birth.
It is said that in prathama parvam, we have thirumanthram, dhvaya mahA manthram and charama SlOkam for emperumAn. Like that in charama parvam, we have the manthrams for emperumAnAr too. If that is the case, can we, prapannas chant this dhvayam of emperumAnAr like dhvaya mahA manthram?
Yes – there is rAmAnuja rahasya thrayam. But for us, the main rahasya thrayam, is compulsory to understand and practice. Though charama parva nishtai is glorified, in pUrvAchArya granthams, specific usage of manthrams is not emphasised.
adiyEn is not able to concentrate on my devotion to perumAL (it’s without my intention). adiyEn really don’t know why this is happening. adiyEn remained patient thinking everything will get sorted with time but adiyEn is not seeing any improvement.
Number of factors are there – whether there is clean environment, good sath sangam, etc. Also, some discipline should be brought in our routine, that we allocate daily a specific time for listening to lectures, reading books etc. Whether there is full involvement of mind is there or not, one should push through the routine – soon, it will become a habit to like the routine.
adiyEn ‘s father-in-law has not taken pancha samskAram. But he was chanting ashtAkshara manthram. adiyEn listened to one upanyAsam where the upanyAsakar swamy said that chanting ashtAkshara manthram is fruitful only when we have done samASrayaNam and it has many restrictions. So adiyEn told adiyEn’s view about that. Now to chant something, he has started chanting another dhEvathAntharam’s manthram. Now adiyEn doesn’t know how to make him understand swAmy. But he has made a point to recite vishNu sahasranAmam daily. Kindly guide adiyEn swAmy.
Any vaidhIka manthra, should be chanted only after personally getting instructed from a guru only. You can inform him that. Reciting the nAmams from sahasranAmam is fine. He can be encouraged to recite SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: – bhagavath rAmAnujar will guide him soon to an AchArya.