SamAshrayanam - part 3

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Sri :

 

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

 

Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka -

Srivan Shatagopa Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha

 

Srimate NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Namaha

Srimate Bhagavad RAmAnujAya Namaha

 

Sriyai Namaha ; SridharAya Namaha

 

 

Dear Bhakti Group Members ,

 

Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyens pranAmams.

 

Let us continue with our discussion on SamAshrayanam .

 

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WHAT IS SAMASHRAYANAM ?

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SamAshrayanam means 'to approach (AchAryA) with all sincerity'.In a

nut shell , during 'SamAshrayanam' ,the AchAryA initiates a person ,

irrespective of caste,creed or sex, as his sishyA. It is a commitment from

the disciple that he or she will live as per the wishes of the AchAryA.

Thus the person gets the link to the Sri Vaishnava paramparA. During

SamAshrayanam ,Pancha SamskAram (five Purifications) is performed and he

becomes a "Sri VaishnavA".

 

The five samskArams and its main purposes are

 

1. thApam : To emboss the impressions of heated Sankha

and ChakrA on the arms ( near the shoulders ).

 

2. pundram : To wear the dvAdasa OOrdhva pundram ( 12 Thiruman &

Srichoornam )

 

3. nAmam : To be christened by the AchAryA afresh as "RAmAnuja

dAsan" (addition of 'dAsA' at the end of ones name) to indicate that one

is forever a servant of the Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyanA and BhagavAn

RAmAnujA .

 

4. manthram : To get the initiation of "Rahasya Traya MantrAs" -

AshtAksharam , Dvayam and charama slokam .

 

5. Ijyai : To learn the worship of Sriman nArAyanA in proper

form ( Bhagavad ThiruvArAdhanam) .

 

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PANCHA SAMSKARAM

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In general,the human body must undergo many samskArams.This is done

basically to make the body more pure and thereby aid the jIvAtmA in

the path of Spiritualism , which culminates in God- Realisation.The

greatest stumbling block for one's advancement in Spiritualism is their

body itself, which is a result of their previous karmAs.So , sAstrAs

prescribe various samskArams like JAtakarmA , NAmakaranAa , Upanayanam etc.

 

 

Pancha SamskArAm is superior to all such samskArams .One is not a

born "Sri VaishnavA". It is this "Pancha SamskAram" that makes him one.

Millions and Millions of janmAs(births) were simply wasted without

becoming a "Sri VaishnavA".It is this highly sacred "Pancha SamskAram"

which gives the real "birth" to the jIvAtmA. Since all the previous births

were simply spent in the darkness of ignorance , they don't have any value

.. The real meaning of life starts, only when one becomes a "Sri VaishnavA" .

Since "Pancha SamskAram" marks the beginning of the true life one has to

lead , it is a VERY VERY SPECIAL EVENT for the person undergoing it .

 

 

 

"IyengAr" means 'Iyndu angam Udayavar'or'Iyndu kAryangal Udayavar'.

These five refers to the 'Pancha SamskAram'. It also means the fiva angAs

of prapatti. We can in general say that this PanchaSamskAram gives one

the name "IyengAr".

 

1. thApa SamskAram :

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This is the first samskAram . The AchAryA embosses the

impressions of Conch (Shankam) and Discuss (Sudarshana chakram) on the

left and right arms of the disciple, respectively .

 

To give an analogy in the materialistic world , a sales representive

wears a logo representing the organization for which he is working.

Factually , we ( JIvAtmAs) are servants of the Supreme Lord Sriman

NArAyanA. So ,we also identify ourselves through the things which uniquely

represent Him. NArAyanA holds the Conch(PAnchaJanyam) in His Left Hand and

the Sudarshana Chakram in His right Hand.So ,we also bear the same way

..Any highly fortunate jivAtmA ,who becomes a devotee of Lord Vishnu will

be very happy about wearing Shankam and Chakram .

 

The AchAryA with great devotion recites the mantrAs to invoke

Sriman NArAyanA and His weapons Sudarshana Chakram & PAnchajanyam .The

Supremely merciful NArAyAnA abides by it.The Lord and His weapons thus

become present in the Agni (Fire ).Then, the AchAryA prays specifically to

the divine weapons to be eternally present with the disciples for whom

Pancha SamskAram is being performed.

 

The emblem of "Sudarshana ChakrA" is heated in the agni and is

embossed on the right hand , by chanting a hymn, which translates into

"Oh! Sudarshana MahAJwAlA (Highly resplendent), as lusturous as crores of

Sun , please show me , an ignorant one, the path of Lord Vishnu" .

 

Then , the emblem of "PAnchajanyam" is heated in the fire and is

embossed on the left hand , by chanting a hymn , which translates into

"Oh! PAnchajanyA! You are capable of driving away the sins of individuals

through your sound. Please protect me , a sinner , from this samsArA ".

 

 

In Ahobila Mutt , the procedure is much simpler since the emblems of

ShankA and chakrA were given by the most merciful Lord Sri Lakshmi

Nrusimhan Himself , to Sri Adivan Shatagopa Yateendra MahAdesikan.

 

 

This is a highly powerful samskAram . SudarshanAzhvAr's (ChakrA) mercy

to the devotees of Sriman NArAyanA is highly glorifiable. No one can

forget the wonderful way in which SudarsanAzhvAr chased DhurvAsa Muni for

his BhAgavadha apachArA unto the great VaishnavA "Ambarish". That is the

way in which Sri SudarsanAzhvAr extends his mercy to protect the

devotees.He wards off the evil elements and thereby makes a nice pathway

for the devotee to engage in Bhagavad Kainkaryam ( service ).

 

Nowadayas , SudarsanAzhvAr is popular amongst the 'mooda bhakthAs' ie.

those people who pray for the fulfillment of their cheap materialistic

desires.Its really a pity that eventhough SudarsanAzhvAr is highly

merciful to ward off all the evil obstacles that obstruct a person

from developing pure bhakti or performing prapatti,these people keep

pestering him regarding their materialistic desires.

 

The divine conch 'PAnchajanyam' shatters all the evils through

transcendental sound . The most important aspect is that we have to

realize our ignorant way of leading the life. The whole life should be

packed with ONLY devotional services (kainkaryAs) unto Sriman NArAyanA

and His devotees.If we are even an inch shorter to it , it clearly implies

that we are ignorant.But , attaining the mood of kainkaryA is not a

material phenomena.One must deeply depend on the mercy of AchAryAs and

BhAgavathAs.This is the only way to get it.

 

But before coming to this position , one has to know that doing

kainkaryam to the Divya Dampati ( Sri and NArAyanA )is the ultimate goal

of life . Thats why , we pray to SudarshanAzhvAr to show us the path of

Vishnu . SudarshanAzhvAr will lead us to do prapatti and by becoming a

prapanna , one will be ever ecstatic in performing various kainkaryAs

..But , how will he help us if we don't want this from the depth of our

hearts ?

 

In addition to our unwillingness to completely surrender to the

lotus feet of Sriman NArAyanA , there are so many nefarious traps in this

world of samsArA. Since everyone is allured by this and indulge nicely in

the materialistic activities , they pile up the sins.So, already being a

sinner , who is attracted by all the petty materialistic things , we pray

to 'PAnchajanyam' for his protection from 'SamsArA' (materialistic world).

 

 

ThApa SamskAram is highly glorified by the sAstrAs in various

places. Some of them are as follows :

 

1. Brahmasooktha in the Atarva Mahopanishad says " ChakrA in the right

shoulder and Sankha in the left shall be worn" .

 

2. The Pushkala Samhita in Rig VedA says " Oh vishnu ! The learned wear

the holy Sankha - Chakra to cross the ocean of samsArA ".

 

3. Atarva vedA says " By adorning the armour of the Lord , we shall live

happily in this world and reach the abode of the Lord ( conveying that

others cannot reach Sri Vaikuntam ) "

 

4. In the Vishnu Tattvam , the passage narrating about NarakalokA says "

Wearing of Sankha and ChakrA informs the relationship with Vishnu . The

sentries of YamA are afraid of them . The world will perish if they are

belittled . The devotees of Vishnu are never seen in YamA's place due to

the glory of Sriman NArAyanA " .

 

5. BheeshmaparvA of MahAbhArathA says " All shall , as ordained in the

PAncharAtrA SAstrA preached by Lord SankarshanA ( NArAyanA ) , wear the

chakrA mark. They only are eligible to worship BhagavAn Vishnu ( Bhagavad

ArAdhanam ) "

 

6. VarAhapurAnam glorifies the persons wearing the hot seals of the

Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyanA on their arms (shoulders) . It says that

these devotees ultimately reach Sri Vaikuntam .

 

7. Garuda PurAnam says that only those who have been affixed with the

Sankha and ChakrA are eligible to take part in the ceremony to

forefathers.

 

 

Atarva vedA is very clear in the regard that one should adorn the

heated symbols of Sriman NArAyanA on ones body , and continues to say that

only such people attain the Supreme Abode ( Sri Vaikuntam). Rig VedA is

also categorical that the Sankha and chakrA be heated and adorned.

 

Any intelligent person ,after getting so much help from the divine

weapons of Sriman NArAyanA , should proceed further to become a true Sri

VaishnavA in practise.

 

Thus the AchAryA out of his dayA does this "thApA SamskArA" for the

upliftment of the sishyA from the world of samsArA .Further, the disciple

with Anjali MudrA should regularly chant the two hymns through which this

samskAram has been performed and thereby derive the supreme protection

from SudarsanAzhvAr and PAnchajanyam .

 

-

 

Namo NArAyanA

 

Adiyen

 

Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan

 

 

Sarvam Sri KrishnArpanamastu