Why do vaishNavas wear kamala gatta mAla?
yE kaNta lagna thuLasi nalinAksha mAlA; yE bAhu mUla parichinnita sankha chakrA; ye vA lalAta phalakE lasadh Urdhva puNdrA; thE vaishNavA bhuvanam Asu pavithrayanthi.
This purANa SlOkam explains who a vaishNava is from a physical appearance perspective and what he does to the place where he lives.
One who wears mAlas (necklace) that is made out of thuLasi and lotus stems (also includes pavithra mAlai which was adorned by perumAL, thAyArs, AzhwArs, AchAryas),
One whose shoulders are decorated with the unique symbols of SrIman nArAyaNa – sankham and chakram (as part of the pancha samskAram process),
One whose forehead is decorated with Urdhva puNdram (an authorized symbol applied by mixing the clay that is found in holy pilgrimages and that represents the holy feet of SrIman nArAyaNa) – while it talks about forehead specifically, our pUrvAchAryas always applied 12 Urdhva puNdrams at various places of the body as per SAsthram,
That vaishNava quickly purifies the world (the place where he is present).
Can SrIvaishNavas worship dhaththAthrEya avathAram of bhagavAn?
dhaththAthrEya avathAram is an AvESa avathAram. AvESa avathArams of bhagavAn are not meant for worship for mumukshus.
Is there any grantham in which complete process of pancha samskAram / samASrayaNam with steps and details is mentioned?
SrI pAncharAthra Agama, parASara dharma SAsthram etc explains about it.
In what context are AzhwArs and bhagavAn so connected?
bhagavAn blessed AzhwArs to be his pure devotees and because of that they were totally dedicated to him only. Our pUrvAchAryas gave greater importance to AzhwArs than perumAL, because they are the ones who showed perumAL to us.
In our sampradhAyam we worship SrIman nArAyaNa in aiSvarya bhAvam. Shall we worship Him or different avathArams?
Different AzhwArs have enjoyed SrIman nArAyaNa in different bhAvam. For example:
nammAzhwAr, thirumangai AzhwAr et al – mAdhurya bhAvam;
periyAzhwAr – vAthsalya bhAvam.
So, yes, bhagavAn can be enjoyed in different moods.
As a SrIvaishNava, are we allowed to observe the new year?
Yes – but it varies from region to region. Generally, chithrai month (starting around April 15th in gregorian calendar) is considered as the first month in our native calendar.
The way new year is celebrated can be seen from one incident in bhagavath rAmAnujar’s life. Once when SrI rAmAnujAchArya was informed about new year, he became joyous and told “We are getting closer to reaching bhagavAn as we have shed one more year in our life”.
vaishNavas don’t consume onion, garlic, mushrooms, etc. But can we consume drugs/remedies that contain them?
We can try our best to avoid such medicines also. But if we have to take medicines for survival, we may not have any other choice.
In SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam, is thuLasi vivAham performed?
Such practice is not found in our granthams or pUrvAchArya anushtAnams.
While offering thAmbUlam and sambhAshanam should we say ‘adiyEn dhAsan’ or abhivAdhanam?
Saying ‘adiyEn dhAsan’ is the norm.
Please tell us what to do on samASrayaNam day. Should we celebrate the date or same star? What are the proceedings on samAsrayaNam day?
That day can be considered as the real birth star and one can show gratitude to one’s acharya for making that happen. Please see – https://ponnadi.blogspot.com/2015/12/simple-guide-to-srivaishnavam-pancha-samskaram.html
For a prapanna new year begins only in aippasi thiruvONam. Please explain.
Yes – this is said considering the appearance of first AzhwAr happened on that day as it dawned a new era for us, SrIvaishNavas.
Is sUrya dhEvar the avathAram of perumAL according to SrIvaishNavas?
Not specifically. But sUrya maNdalam is said to be a special abode of nArAyaNa – he is known as sUrya nArAyaNa in that place.
Is samASrayaNam still valid if it is done to children who don’t know what it means?
It is certainly valid – but as they grow up, they should be taught about its significance.
To get an overview of our sampradhAyam and philosophy, can we study books of scholars/researchers/philosophers?
If you want to understand our SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam and our philosophy, it is better to study books by our sampradhAya people. You can see our publications in books.koyil.org.
As devotees following SrI vaishNava sampradhAyam, is it correct to pray sarasvathi dhEvi for education, since sarasvathi dhEvi herself named swAmy rAmAnujar as ‘SrI bhAshyakArar’?
No – we should not be praying to anyone else for anything. sarasvathi dhEvi was inspired by bhagavath rAmAnuja’s work – just because she did that, we need not worship her. Our prayers should only be to bhagavAn for eternal kainkaryam as the only benefit.
Sometimes we are getting confused due to other sampradhAyams’ philosophies. What is the remedy for this? Many of us didn’t have direct association of our sampradhAyam in the past.
Only if we stop listening to other sampradhAyam people, we will start getting clarity. If we keep comparing, it will only lead to constant confusion. When our AchAryas have given everything, why should we seek other sampradhAyams? Different sampradhAyams will have different concepts, personalities, etc. – we will not have explanation for everything. We have to understand and accept that certain things are beyond us, and let it be. If we focus on our sampradhAyam alone, then we can be learning in a more focussed manner.
We need to know what is important and what is not from our sampradhAyam perspective. It will take time. Years of continuous study is required. Everything cannot be learnt just like that. Now that we have some association, we should take time and slowly go through the available resources one by one. Patience and perseverance are the key for learning.
How should SrIvaishNavas spend their time in a day?
Ideally, we should make sure that the following aspects are done everyday
* Wake up early in the morning (around 4.30 AM)
* Remember guruparamparai, rahasya thrayam and chant ‘hari’ 7 times
* Complete our early morning activities
* Perform some dhyAnam on guruparamparai and dhvayam
* Take bath, apply thirumaN/SrIchUrNam, if applicable, perform sandhyAvandhanam
* Learn some pAsurams, SlOkams. Listen to lectures for some time
* Perform thiruvArAdhanam
* Visit to temple, AchArya’s mutt/thirumALigai if possible
* Accept prasAdham (meals)
* Studying AzhwAr/AchAryas works, under the guidance of an AchArya
* Evening sandhyAvandhanam, thiruvArAdhanam
* Spend some time together with family on devotional aspects
* Sleep early (maximum by 10 PM)
Are prapannas not supposed to take thIrtha prasAdham from dhivya dhEsams which have anya dhEvatha sannidhis as well?
If our sannidhis are managed by SrIvaishNavas – then there is no issue. The other dhEvathAs’ sannidhis can be avoided.
Please explain how EkAdhasi is not an upAyam for SrIvaishNavas.
For SrIvaishNavas, EkAdhaSi is not a means to attain something. Because in SAsthram, it is emphasised as an authentic vratham, we observe it as a kainkaryam. The goal of EkAdhaSi is to maximise our time in bhagavath vishayam. We try to avoid cooking which needs elaborate efforts. But if someone is unable to fast, each person can see how best he can limit his food consumption and keep it minimum. Sincere effort should be there – but if we are unable to do full fasting, it’s not going to be an issue for us.
Some people have this fear in mind that if we don’t worship other sampradhAyam AchAryas and perumAL will be upset on us.
No need to fear at all. When bhagavAn is there to protect us, why would he punish us for doing what is ordained for us to do?
Which purANams are recommended by our pUrvAchAryas to read?
SrI vishNu purANam is the main one.
What are some of the SrIvaishNava paribhAshai for cooked items?
offered cooked rice – prasAdham
ghee – neyyamudhu
sAmbhAr – nezhi kaRiyamudhu
vegetable – kaRiyamudhu
kootu – koottu, kaRiyamudhu
appalam – appalam
vadai – thiruppaNiyAram
rasam – sARRamudhu
pAyasam – thirukkannal amudhu (thirukkaNNAmudhu)
curd – thayiramudhu
pickle – (thiru)UrugAy
Can ‘harE rAma…’ be chanted before taking samASrayaNam?
Before samASrayaNam – yes. But it would be good to recite ‘SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:’ and continuously pray to bhagavath rAmAnuja, for the samASrayaNam to happen.
Does vishishtAdhvaitha sidhAntham consider one universe or multiple universes?
vishishtAdhvaitha sidhAntham considers multiple universes.
Can we chant hanumAn chAlisa?
For SrIvaishNavas, it is important to learn, recite and understand dhivya prabandhams, sthOthrams and other works by AchAryas such as rahasya granthams and their vyAkyAnams. There is a lot of bhakthi literature which are present in different sampradhAyams. SrIvaishNavas must focus on our core literature.
Are there other prabandhams other than thiruppallANdu for mangaLASAsanam of perumAL
In many places, AzhwArs perform mangaLASAsanam. All of periyAzhwAr’s pAsurams – both thiruppallANdu and periyAzhwAr thirumozhi are said to be mangaLASAsanam. In ANdAL’s thiruppAvai, “anRivvulagam aLandhAy” pAsuram is said to be mangaLASAsanam. nammAzhwAr’s “angum ingum” padhigam/dhaSakam is said to be mangaLASAsanam, etc.
Why do many SrIvaishNavas apply only SrIchUrNam and not thirumaN?
Both thirumaN and SrIchUrNam should be worn together only. During aSoucham, one should not wear SrIchUrNam, but thirumaN is always compulsory.
Did SrIman nArAyaNa really promise rAmAnujar that one who has sambandham with rAmAnujar will attain mOksham at the end of their current life?
Yes – it is said in gadhya thrayam as such. The kainkarya prApthi he prayed for is not just for himself, but all his sambandhis, and perumAL granted that. But one has to remember that – one should remain a rAmAnuja sambandhi and conduct one’s life as a rAmAnuja sambandhi.
What does it mean to conduct ourselves as a rAmAnuja sambandhi?
In general – his thoughts are laid out in rahasya granthams by piLLai lOkAchAryar such as mumukshuppadi and SrIvachana bhUshaNam – these will be the main source of how we should conduct ourselves.
Why do we recite the charma SlOkams?
It is to remember his orders:
sarva dharmAn parithyajya mAm Ekam SaraNam vraja – give up all dharmam and surrender unto me only.
mA Sucha: – don’t worry
and his surety:
aham thvA sarva pApEbhyO mOkshayishyAmi – I will ensure that all your sins are eliminated
These should be constantly remembered
dharmam – upAyam. One should give up all upAyams other than bhagavAn. dharmam should not be seen as righteousness, in this case.
Can a SrIvaishNava prostrate or do SAshtAnga pranAmam before laukIka gurus (school teachers, college professors and mentors in work or business circle)?
Not unless they are also SrIvaishNavas.
Can a SrIvaishNava approach dhEvathAntharams to handle diseases?
There is no need to go to dhEvathantharam – it is just a disease and should be treated aptly.
In some venkatESwara temples, ganESa is present with Urdhva puNdra on forehead? Should SrIvaishNavas worship this ganESa?
No – not to be worshipped by SrIvaishNavas.
Can SrIvaishNavas worship AvEsha avathArams?
AvEsha avathArams are avathArams where emperumAn descends on a karma bound AtmA. Hence, they are not worshippable by mumukshus. mumukshus can celebrate the works of the avathArams of perumAL but cannot worship the AvEsha avathArams.
Can SrIvaishNavas celebrate nAga/garuda panchami?
Not specifically at home.
Can SrIvaishNavas perform vara lakshmi vratham?
No.
Do SrIvaishNavas celebrate vighna nivAraNa chathurthi?
Nothing to celebrate for us on that day. It is not a SrIvaishNava festival at all.
Do SrIvaishNavas celebrate rAdhAshtami?
No.
In ancient times, was SrIvaishNavam called as mAliyam by thamizh people?
mAl means nArAyaNa, vishNu. mAliyam means vaishNavam. It was a term used in thamizh literary circles.
Can SrIvaishNavas use mAla for japam?
We should not do japam with mAla. Because, focus goes on counting – main principle of our sampradhAyam is – when we do japam, we should focus on the meaning of the manthram and meditate upon the meaning constantly.
Can we perform thiruviLakku pUjA?
No such practice for SrI vaishNavas.
Is there any difference between SrIvaishNavas who are dhvijas, and SrIvaishNavas who are non-dhvijas (SARRAdha SrIvaishNavas)?
They should do their kainkaryams as per varNASrama dharmam. Other than this, there is no difference in pride or respect and sharing knowledge.
Is pithru paksha applicable for SrI vaishNavas?
Nothing specific for us.
Can SrIvaishNava wear silk clothes? (Some say it is not advisable as it comes from himsa of silkworm)?
There is no compulsion to wear except in some cases where it is mandated. If it can be avoided, that is better.
Can SrIvaishNavas give hair completely when visit to thirumalA?
No. we should always retain a shikha – full tonsure must not be done.
Can prapannas perform yAgams?
Certain vaidhIka rituals mandate performance of yagyam such as marriage, upanayanam ceremony and also during final rites of a diseased person. In these cases, yagyams can be performed. Also, as part of Agama, certain yagyas are performed in temples – these are also allowed. Some SrIvaishNavas do aupAsanam after marriage and some do samithAdhAnam before marriage – these are also allowed.
Can SrIvaishNavas recite rudhram of yajur vEdha?
If it is learnt as part of yajur vEdha adhyayanam and is recited in sannidhis as part of vEdha pArAyaNam in temples, then it can be done. Otherwise, on its own, it is not recited.
Can a SrIvaishNava do japam of lord dhanvanthari vishNu to get relief from chronic illnesses?
No. We should only pray for continuous kainkaryam through japam of guruparamparA manthram and dhvaya mahA manthram. That is the only prayer we can do – everything else will be automatically taken care by that.
Do SrIvaishNavas accept thirukkuRaL views? Is thiruvaLLuvar vaishNavar?
There doesn’t seem to be any direct evidence that vaLLuvar was a vaishNavar. But generally, he accepted the principles of sanAthana dharmam and explained them well. He has shown the topics covering superiority of vishNu, mOksham, etc.
In our sampradhAyam can we wear colour vEshti or only white is permitted?
Only white colour vEshti (dhOthi) is permitted. We do see yellow dhOthis being worn (white dhOthis soaked in natural turmeric for auspiciousness) – even this does not seem to a regular practice. Silk dhOthis are also worn occasionally and they do come in different colours – but that seems to be acceptable.
Why is waking up early, important in the SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam?
Early morning is when sathva guNam will be more – this will help in deep contemplation. In the afternoon, rajO guNam will be more – this will help in rapid actions. In the night, thamO guNam will be more – this will help in sleeping/resting.
Do we do sarasvathi pUjA?
Not a traditional SrIvaishNava practice – but nowadays many SrIvaishNavas do.
Can SrI vaishNavas perform SAradh pUrNimA?
No specific practice in the south and traditional SrIvaishNava routine.
If we come in contact with bhasmam from a dhEvathanthara temple, is it an insult to that dhEvathA if we take bath and do sandhyAvandhanam?
Not an insult. Coming in contact with bhasmam, certainly needs purification – and the right thing is taking bath. And consume AchArya SrIpAdha thIrtham on the subsequent day morning.
Can SrIvaishNavas consume more food to build muscular body?
Generally, no. In special cases, if one has specific responsibility to protect others, temple, etc., then one can take necessary steps for that.
As mumukshus and prapannas, one should focus more on Athma and less on body. Body should be taken care of, to the extent it is necessary to engage in kainkaryams. So, if a particular kainkaryam needs strong body, one can take care of the body to that extent. Otherwise, we need to have controlled diet to focus on Athma’s journey to bhagavAn.
Are tattoos permitted in SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam?
Not permissible to have tattoos.
Can one touch their family members’/elders’ feet, or accept food from them if they are avaishNavAs?
Ideally, all of these has to be avoided, after one has become a SrIvaishNava. General namaskAram with joining hands to show respect to them is fine to do for elders like parents, grandparents etc.
Is it fine for SrI vaishNavas to take kAvEri snAnam in thulA mAsam?
kAvEri snAnam is always auspicious since it has divine connection with SrI ranganAtha. It should be performed as part of nithyakarmAnushtAnam as kainkaryam. We should not do thulA kAvEri snAnam thinking it will give something for us. Usual rule is, any ordained actions should be done as kainkaryam and not as upAyam.
Is it bhagavadh apachAram if we are not able to apply Urdhva puNdram properly?
It’s not an offence. We just need to try our best.
After samASrayaNa, does one have to adorn all the 12 Urdhva puNdra nAmams?
Ideally it is required to have all the 12 nAmams.
Is dhIpAvaLi for one day or multiple days for SrIvaishNavAs?
In our SrIvaishNava tradition, it is only done for one day to celebrate narakAsura vadham. But in other places, more rituals have been added over time, perhaps.
What is the meaning of kAlakshEpams?
In our sampradhAyam, kAlakshEpams means explaining a grantham with the source text, on a line-by-line basis. Actual samskrutham word literally means spending time. In our sampradhAyam, we should spend time in studying pUrvAchArya granthams.
How to master aruLichcheyal / dhivya prabandhams?
To learn the dhivya prabandhams pAsurams by heart, one has to keep reciting the pAsurams multiple times like 20 to 40 times, each pAsurams until we master them. This is going to take us many years but over time we can master few padhigams at least. Also learn the meaning of these pAsurams which will help us have good understanding of the pAsurams and increase our devotion towards AzhwArs / AcharyAs and understand their state of mind and how we can instil those qualities in our lifestyle.
What is the dress code for men in our sampradhAyam?
gruhasthas should always wear pancha kachcham + uththariyam and brahmachAris should wear vEshti + uththariyam all the time. When going to restroom, we should tie the uththariyam on the head and pooNal should be worn like mAla and then should be hanged on the right ear to ensure pooNal does not lose its sanctity. We should follow the same attire (pancha kachcham + uththariyam / vEshti + uththariyam) while going to bed at night.
What are the etiquettes when going to holy rivers?
Taking bath in holy rivers like kAvEri / gangA- we should not spit in the holy water. Care should be taken to not do mala moothram in the holy water. Before entering the holy water do prOkshanam to head and then get down inside the water. We should not take bath with the same vasthram with which we slept the previous night. We should carry spare dress [not complete set for taking bath] (take a uththariyam / towel to cover) and then to get inside the water. We need to always have a cloth covering the private parts of the body while taking bath even at home. Then after getting inside the water, we should recite “kAvEri virajA SEyam vaikuNtam rangamandhiram Sa vAsudhEvO rangESa: prathyaksham paramam padham vimAnam praNavAkAram vEdha Srungam mahathbhUtham SrIrangaSAyI bhagavAn praNavArtha prakASakah:” and pAsuram 76 (ninRa vaN keerththiyum) from rAmAnuja nootrandhAdhi. Then take 4 dips inside the water, then take one dip inside the water reciting in mind guruparamparai and dhvayam, then again take 4 dips inside the water. Totally 9 dips and 1 dip to recite the guruparamparai and dhvayam.
What are the rules for chouram / haircut – process?
It is ideal to get complete body shaved for gruhasthas maintaining the shikai, and till the neck level only for brahmachAris maintaining the shikai on appropriate days checking the thithi, nakshathram and avoiding the activity on AchAryan / AzhwAr thirunakshathram. Generally, take bath, apply thirumaN kAppu, recite guruparamparai, then recite the 3 rahasya manthrams, thaniyans, do prAthaha / mAdhyAnikam sandhyAvandhanam, then take SrI pAdha thIrtham (AchAryan thiruvadi thIrtham) and then complete thiruvArAdhanam. Then without taking perumAL and SrI pAdha thIrtham, go and finish chouram, come back and take bath, then apply thirumaN kAppu, now take perumAL and AchAryan thIrtham and prasAdham.
What are the rules around using vasthram?
Extra vasthram to be carried along – thUndu / small towel around the waist to carry prasAdham/ phone/keys while at the temple. Generally, we should avoid wearing shirt at home as well and wear the uththariyam if we want to cover the chest or feeling cold. We should avoid wearing bags around the waist as this is not appropriate while performing kainkaryam at the sannidhi.
What are the rules when taking prasAdham?
While eating we should do parisEshaNam only if they serve white rice + ghee+ paruppu (dhal). We should keep water on the right side and only then start partaking the prasAdham. Then ensure the dhoti is pulled up till the knee level while sitting down and eating to ensure the ellai / banana leaf does not come in contact with our dhOti. After finishing the prasAdham do parisEshaNam. Note after having prasAdham we should always do parisEshaNam. Also do not drink water holding the vessel with your left hand only. While having prasAdham if we need to take water, we need to use the left arm for drinking but the right arm should also be in contact with the vessel. Also wait for the eldest in the ghOsti and other bhAgavatAs to start partaking the food before we start. Watch what everyone is doing with the leaf used for eating and then see if we need to take the leaf or leave it there for the kainkaryaparas to take it.
What are the rules for samudhra snAnam?
samudhram can be touched on amAvAsyai/pourNami only. samudhra snAnam is usually done only when perumAL goes there – for example on mAsi magam (pourNami) perumAL goes to samudhram for thIrthavAri. Only exception is for sEthu samudhram – one can take bath any day there.
How to enquire about a swAmy’s wife (as per SrIvaishNava paribhAshai)?
While asking about swAmy’s wife- We can ask how is swAmy’s dhEvigaL doing or only how is ammangAr. If we are asking how is swAmy’s ammangAr then we are referring to swAmy’s mother. To address swAmy’s appA (father), we can address as periya swAmigaL.
After bath, should we first do sandhyAvandhanam or take AchArya SrIpAdha thIrtham?
First snAnam, proper vasthram, Urdhva puNdram, sandhyAvandhanam and then SrIpAdha thIrtham.
Is there any criteria/eligibility for wearing twelve Urdhva puNdrams vs one?
No – all (male) SrI vaishNavAs, irrespective of varNam, should wear 12 puNdras, every day.
What to do in scenarios where we cannot get AchArya SrIpAdha thIrtham?
We can get a pair of pAdhukA, offer them to jIyar swamy and get it back. Then daily we can prepare SrIpAdha thIrtham using those pAdhukas.
What can we do in situations where AchArya is not unavailable for us to offer pAdhukA and get it back, for SrIpAdha thIrtham?
We can either use his picture and accept SrIpAdha thIrtham through that, or we can get from current jIyar in the same peetam.
How do we remove or reduce our karmas?
karma can generally be exhausted by experiencing the results of it or through atonement (prAyaSchiththam). But in some cases, where great sins are done, atonement option will not be available. We cannot get rid of karma easily – bhagavAn can get rid of our karma easily. When we surrender unto him, we are considered as prapannas. He eliminates a major portion of our karma at that time. Imagine we have 1 billion worth of karma, and he eliminates everything except 1000. That is what he does for prapannas. We have to realise that and ensure that we don’t add much more to our karma. We have to ensure that we remain alert and not violate SAsthram, as much as possible. Eventually, we will exhaust the karmas, before ascending to paramapadham. During our lives here, we should take guidance of elders, learn our anushtAnams and practice them properly. Laziness has no place in a SrIvaishNava’s routine. We need to wake up at 4.30 a.m. and perform all the tasks briskly. We should not waste even a moment of our time/energy. This will help us make progress positively.
What manthrams can we recite before pancha samskAram?
‘SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:’ is the best manthra to chant – no need to count. Chant as much as possible and pray to bhagavath rAmAnujA sincerely – this will bring all auspiciousness in our life.
Is there any adhikAram needed to chant ‘SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:”?
Desire to become a SrI vaishNava and engagement in eternal kainkaryam are the qualification.
How to avoid/control intrusive thoughts that pulls us away from bhagavath vishayam?
We should constantly engage our mind into devotional practice. krishNa says in SrI gIthA “abhyAsEna thu kaunthEya” –> https://githa.koyil.org/index.php/6-35/ – Oh mighty armed! Oh son of kunthI! There is no doubt that it is difficult to control a wavering mind; still, by practicing (in AthmaguNams – focussing on AthmA) and developing aversion (in worldly matters by showing their defects), it is controlled (to some extent).
This can be done by regularly 1) reciting pAsurams, sthOthrams, etc. 2) listening to lectures 3) engaging in sathsangam with like-minded bhAgavathas 4) reading sampradhAya literature 5) meditating upon guru paramparA manthram and dhvaya mahA manthram. There are many ways to train our mind to have better focus and minimise intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are certainly a result of past karma, vAsanA (past impressions) and ruchi (taste) – we need to eliminate by indulging more in bhagavath vishayam.
Do we celebrate dhvAdhaSi thuLasi pUjA (thuLasi vivAha)?
thuLasi vivAha/pUjA are not standard practices in our SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam.
Can we recite lakshmI ashtOthara and ashta lakshmI sthOtram?
Our pUrvAchArya sthOthrams can be recited – SrI sthavam, SrI sthuthi, chathu: SlOkI.
What is the meaning of ‘ponnadiyAm sengamalam’? Can we use this along with ‘SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:’?
1 – ponnadiyAm sengamalam means “the golden feet that are fresh lotus flowers” – this indicates the divine pAdhukAs of maNavALa mAmunigaL.
2 – If we like to, we can use. But in our tradition, usually we greet each other saying “adiyEn rAmAnuja dasan”.
What can we do if we are reciting prabandhams without knowing their meanings?
Constantly listening to lectures and reading the meanings are the ways to imprint the knowledge/meanings in our mind. That should happen continuously and will help understanding the meanings as we recite the pAsurams.
The whole purpose of dhivya prabandham is to gain better knowledge of the truth, develop devotion towards bhagavAn and detachment from everything else. So, we can progress towards such goal by engaging in dhivya prabandham systematically and eventually get pancha samskAram and get deeper understanding with rAmAnuja sambandham.
What to do if we are reading prabandhams with mistakes in pronunciation?
Mistakes should be corrected by properly learning pAsurams through santhai method. We have plenty of such santhai for prabandhams – the whole thing can be obtained at https://pillai.koyil.org/index.php/2017/11/learners-series/
Why do SrIvaishNavas follow AhAra niyamam?
We eat only food which is sanctified by offering to God first. Food should be prepared by those who are peaceful, caring and kind. We consider that when we offer food to bhagavAn, we should be in such good, caring mood. Such food which is offered to God is what we consume, so that we maintain such peaceful mood always.
Those who eat anything and everything, do not have that sense of care about themselves and they have not understood the philosophy clearly. In any faith, there are different levels of practitioners – some just follow casually, others more strictly and few who follow very strictly.
Anyone who is participating in the process of killing/eating meat incurs sin.
How to memorise granthams?
Please see https://pillai.koyil.org/index.php/2017/11/learners-series/ . Here in this page, we have got traditional way of teaching which is known as santhai class recordings for many dhivya prabandhams, sthOthrams, rahasya granthams etc.
Usually, we learn any prabandham or sthOthram from a teacher in multiple steps. First, we will learn the pAsurams/SlOkams in a batch of 10, 20 or so, as word-by-word, one line, 2 lines and full pAsuram/SlOkam. Each step needs to be repeated 3 to 4 times fully. So, after 16 times (probably once per day), we can move on to the next batch. This way, we will get fully familiarised with the whole pAsuram/SlOkam. Then to memorise the same, we need to repeat each pAsuram/slokam,10, 20 or 50 times till it gets fully into our memory. Then we need to keep in touch with all prabandhams by periodically reciting them.
This is the traditional way of learning and memorising and retaining them.
We will take the example of thiruppAvai. thiruppAvai santhai: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcJLpGJlP9mrip6J7zSC0TmPMwBbh8o-h
We have totally 8 santhai videos, 15 pAsurams in each video.
First, we have to learn –> Part 1, Step 1 of 4 –> 4 days
Then we have to learn –> Part 1, Step 2 of 4 –> 4 days
Then we have to learn –> Part 1, Step 3 of 4 –> 4 days
Then we have to learn –> Part 1, Step 4 of 4 –> 4 days
After this routine, we will be very familiar with the pAsurams and can comfortably recite the same using a book. Young kids will have the pAsurams memorised just by these 16 days learning. But for older ones, we need to then recite each pAsuram, 10 times, 20 times or 50 times according to our ability, until we memorise the pAsuram.
Then we move on to Part 2.
Note: we have mentioned it as 16 days course. But you can do the same in 4 days also, if you spend the time to do more times in the same day.
What does nirAkAra brahmam mean in our sampradhAyam?
nirguNa – not having defects, nirAkAra – not having materialistic forms.
bhagavAn shows his qualities, forms, etc., for those who believe in him. He hides his qualities, forms, etc., for those who don’t believe in him. https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2015/04/thiruvaimozhi-1-1-9-ulan-enil-ulan/
As a working professional, how can we follow AhAra niyamam?
Quite a few discussions available on AhAra niyamam at https://ask.koyil.org/ahara-niyamam-english/ and https://ask.koyil.org/food-restrictions-tamil/ .
We need to try our best to carry food along wherever possible.
If that is not possible, get fruits or curd locally and consume for immediate term.
For day-to-day consumption we need to find temples or SrIvaishNava mutts/homes in that location and request for prasAdham.
What prAyaSchiththam can we do for bhAgavatha apachAram (done by mind, words and actions)?
Physical approach and seeking forgiveness are best to do and that will bring the issue to a clean closure. Somehow, we need to connect with them and seek forgiveness.
Can SrI vaishNavas chant or listen to the SrI rudhram with namakam and chamakam?
If it is required for recital as part of vEdha pArAyaNa kainkaryam, it can be learnt and recited. Other than that, there is no need to listen to it.
As a bachelor, how can we follow the AhAra niyamam?
The best way is, that we perform daily thiruvArAdhanam to the perumAL (SALAgramam perumal, vigrahama or photo), then offer the food and take that as prasAdham. It would be a big mistake if we could not do even that for our perumAL. So, we should give up outside food little by little as soon as possible. Eating out is also very bad for health. So, avoid it.
Can we chant praNavam with meditative awareness of its meaning, as explained in mumukshuppadi?
We don’t chant praNava separately in our sampradhAyam since that is not given as manthrOpadhESam. We get rahasya thrayam only as upadhESam. In that thirumanthram’s meanings should be meditated upon. We chant it once every day after applying thirumaN. After that meditation of the meaning only. guruparamparai and dhvayam should be chanted with meditation on the meaning, continuously.
What meaning should we meditate upon while chanting vAkya guruparamparai?
Each line has a specific meaning which relates to the person we are saluting. For example, while chanting “SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:” we can contemplate on his qualities, his favours etc. Similarly for other Acharyas too. Please see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPm_35Npo1o
Why SrI vaishNava sampradhAyam doesn’t accept sAnkhya philosophy, which is propounded by sage Kapila (an avathAram of bhagavAn)?
Both budhdha and kapila are incarnations of bhagavAn. Still their words are discarded since they were spoken for a particular purpose and not meant for Asthikas.
The sthala purANam says that the vaishnavi dhEvi temple mUrthi is a devotee of SrI rAmA and will marry kalki perumAL in kali yuga. It is said to be an aspect of perumAL. Can SrI vaishNavAs visit that temple?
‘seyyAdhana seyyOm’ (Won’t do what our ancestors did not do). We should avoid doing things that our elders never did. Sometimes sthala purANam can be unreliable.
Can SrI vaishNavAs wear spatika or thuLasi kanthi mAlA?
These practices are not seen in our pUrvAchAryas.
Is it acceptable for husband and wife to have different AchAryan?
Yes, in some cases, it will happen. Within the same mutt/thirumALigai, husband may have samASrayaNam from one swamy and wife may get samASrayaNam from the next swamy in line. In other cases, wife may have had samASrayaNam before marriage with different paramparai. In other cases, husband may have from one swamy and that peetam may become empty subsequently, and wife may end up with samASrayaNam from a different AchArya. Many scenarios are possible.
Quantity or quality? Should we aim to learn more, or learn in a systematic way to understand and practice what we learnt?
It is good to focus on one or two granthams and learn that systematically. In addition, we will always be absorbing sampradhAyam information which passes around us. But focus should be in systematic learning.