A few points about tiru ArAdhanam

[Guest guest]

The "Sri Vaishnavism" book published by The Vishistadvaitha center, Chennai

covers a chapter on Aradhanam in English. This describes a simple version of

performing TiruvArAdanam with figures.

 

Govindarajan.

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaktas,

 

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am presently learning

how to do the daily worship of the Divya Dampatis. This

daily worship is known in our sampradAya as tiru ArAdhanam.

 

During my preparation for this month's Dhanur mAsa ArAdhanam,

which, as discussed before, is to be performed in the hour or

two before sunrise (ushA-kAla), several thoughts came to mind

about some of the details of the ArAdhana in general.

 

The following is gathered from my acharya, Sri Rangapriya Swami,

who went through the procedure in kind detail with me, and verified

by elders in India, and from a few books on ArAdhana krama:

 

1) ArAdhanam, both external (bAhya) and internal (mAnasika),

can be done by everyone, irrespective of birth or sex.

However, the mantras/prayers used may vary, depending on

whether one has Vedic initiation or not.

 

2) ArAdhanam can be performed to any form of the Lord --

sAlagrAma, pictorial image, sculpted image, etc. I asked

Sri Rangapriya Swami this specific question, because it

came up on this list earlier. When asked if ArAdhanam

could be performed using only pictorial representions,

he replied, "Yes; there is no fault in doing that

(paNNalaam; oru doSamum illai)."

 

3) The most important part of the worship, however, is the

internal (mAnasika), which precedes the external. In

the mAnasika ArAdhanam, one takes the Lord in one's mind

through all the stages of the worship:

 

(1) mantrAsana -- prayers, as the Lord awakens from yoga nidra

(2) snAnAsana -- bathing the Deity

(3) alankArAsana -- adorning with flowers, and offering

sandal paste, incense, and lamps;

doing archana

(4) bhOjyAsana -- offering of food and the Lord's partaking

of it

(5) punar mantrAsana -- prayers, and possibly music and dance,

for the Divine Couple, like post-meal

entertainment

(6) paryankAsana -- requesting the Lord to go back to his

yogic sleep (yoga nidra)

 

Naturally, time permitting, after mentally performing this

worship, the devotee elaborately worships the Lord and His Consort

externally in this manner.

 

Sri Rangapriya Swami's advice is to spend at least five minutes

on the internal worship alone, repeatedly saying that this

is the most important part!

 

 

By the way, the very same procedure is followed in a very detailed

manner in every Sri Vaishnava temple. For those who do not know

(and I did not until a few months ago), the tIrtha (sacred water)

the temple priest gives you at the temple is simply the water

used during the worship for the upacAra-s and bathing.

Similarly, the flowers and tulasi given to worshippers is

offered during alankArAsanam, and the prasAdam given is offered

during bhOjyAsanam.

 

One of the things I discovered is that performing the ArAdhanam

in its basic form is actually a simple procedure. I used

to be mystified by all the transferring of water between the

silver cups and the occasional ringing of the bell. But it is

all very simple (I can explain if anyone would like).

 

I also learnt that there are not that many mantras/slokas used

in the basic ArAdhana. It doesn't take that long to learn them,

and it is not obligatory to use Vedic mantras. There are many

paasurams from the Prabandham that can be used, and one has

a lot of freedom to use what slokas/paasurams one likes. I can

provide a list of paasurams suggested by Sri Manavaala Maamunigal

if requested.

 

In short, I urge everyone to learn the ArAdhana in its basic

form. It can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as an hour

or two. And it is extremely satisfying!

 

thirukkacci nambi dhaasan

Mani

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah

 

I agree with Mani. Daily tiru ArAdhanam is is extremely satisfying! If

any body needs, I can send you a simplified copy written in Telugu and

published with the blessings of Tridandi Srimannarayan Jeeyar.

 

Ramanuja Dasan

 

Ramagopal

[Guest guest]

Some questions have cropped up since my post on this topic

yesterday. Below are some clarifications, based on my limited

knowledge. I ask more experienced members to correct any errors

I may make.

 

At the outset, I would like to state emphatically that

the ArAdhana procedure is best learnt from one's acharya

and one's elders. Each family or tradition tends to

perform the ArAdhana slightly differently, with different

prayers and slightly different procedures. I think this

variation is actually very nice; PerumaaL likes being

being worshipped in different ways. So we should try to

maintain the uniqueness of our different traditions.

 

When is someone qualified to perform ArAdhana?

-------------

 

The Sri Vaishnava is only instructed in how to do ArAdhanam

as part of the rite of samASrayaNam, where one officially is

initiated into the sacred truths of Sri Vaishnavam by his or

her acharya. Instruction in the traditional way of worshipping

the Lord is one of the five samskAras or sacraments administered

by the acharya to the new Sri Vaishnava.

 

Anyone who desires to worship in the traditional manner

should seek out an acharya and undergo samASrayaNam.

 

 

Worshipping pictures of the Lord

--------------------------------

 

Ideally, every home should have a sAlagrAma, a manifestation

of Lord Vishnu in the form of an ammonite fossil (see Sri Vijay

Srinivasan's recent post for further details). ArAdhanam is

best done directly to the sAlagrAma, according to tradition,

and this is how the orthodox do their worship.

 

These days, many households do not have a sAlagrAma. I have

been instructed and have read in books that one can worship an

image of the Lord in the form of painting or picture instead.

The question then arises as to how to bathe the deities in

snAnAsana. My surmise is that where one would normally pour

the water directly on the sAlagrAma, when using pictures,

one simply drops it into the pratigraha pAtra [*], mentally

offering the water to the Lord for His bath. This last part

needs to be clarified by elders.

 

[*] pratigraha pAtra -- the vessel in which all water used

during ArAdhanam is poured after

offering to the Lord

 

 

What prayers/mantras to use

---------------------------

 

As I stated above, each tradition uses different prayers

in different orders. However, even if one knows no prayers,

paasurams, or Veda mantras, one can simply use the tirumantra [+].

In fact, the tirumantra combined with an offering of water is

an appropriate substitute even when one is unable to offer

any food to the Lord! (Thanks go to Sri Vijay Srinivasan

for bringing this to my attention in a private email).

 

[+] tirumantra -- the ashTakshara mahAmantra, which is imparted

by the acharya at the time of samASrayaNam

 

So, not knowing any Veda mantras or prayers is no reason to

not perform ArAdhanam. This also means that one should not

incorrectly and improperly recite the sacred Veda mantras,

if one is not instructed in them face-to-face; there are

always 100% acceptable alternatives.

 

In a future email, I will list a few of the Veda sUktas

and paasurams from the Prabandham that are in vogue in our

tradition.

 

 

What is all this transferring of water between vessels?

----------------------

 

Anyone who has witnessed a tiru ArAdhanam at home, a

temple, or maTha has seen how the worshipper mysteriously

and regularly transfers water between five cups and a

larger vessel. This used to mesmerize me, and I thought

I could never learn the procedure.

 

It is actually very simple.

 

There are five main cups (panca pAtra) used, and a larger

vessel that holds the remainder of the water after offering

it to PerumaaL and Thaayaar. The five pAtras used are:

 

(1) arghya for washing hands

(2) pAdya for washing feet

(3) AcamanIya for Acamanam (drinking water for purification)

(4) snAnIya / pAnIya for bathing / drinking

(5) Suddhodaka "pure water" for washing the spoon between

offerings

 

These five pAtras are either of equal size, or, preferably,

in ascending size (I can explain why). The sixth and larger

vessel, as noted above, is known as the pratigraha pAtram.

 

(Sometimes yet another pAtram is added for AcArya pAdodakam,

but I'll omit that for now, mostly because I'm unfamiliar

with its use.)

 

Six Asanas are offered to the PerumaaL and Thaayaar (see my

previous email for details), taking them through the various

stages of worship. For each Asana, the Divine Couple is

invited to a "new place" for the next stage of worship,

so they are offered the courtesies of arghya, pAdya, and

AcamanIya, so they can refresh themselves. These are

traditional courtesies offered revered guests in the Vedic

tradition.

 

Here is why the transferring of water takes place. Roughly,

at each Asana:

(1) First, from the arghya pAtram, a spoon of water is taken,

offered to the Lord, and the remainder is placed in the

pratigraha pAtram.

(2) Second, the spoon is "washed" in the Suddhodaka pAtram by

taking a spoon of water and dumping it in the pratigraha

pAtram. This is because one should not mix the water

used in the different courtesies offered to the Lord.

(3) Third, two [$] spoons of pAdya water are taken, offered

to the Lord, and placed in the pratigraha pAtram.

(4) The spoon is washed as in (2).

(5) Three spoons of AcamanIya water are taken, offered,

and placed in the pratigraha pAtram.

(6) The spoon is washed as in (2).

 

[$] The numbers of spoons of each type of water offered varies

from tradition to tradition. What I mention here is how

I learnt it.

 

Once the connection is made between the transferring

of the water and the courtesies, including the washing

in between, it all makes a lot of sense.

 

If you are fortunate enough to attend a thirumancanam

(ceremonial bathing) of the Lord at a traditional temple

such as Tiruvallikkeni, you will notice how the arcakar

very carefully takes the spoons of water, offers them to

the Lord's hands, feet, and mouth, and only then places

them in the pratigraha pAtram. This makes the whole

procedure all the more obvious.

 

[ Care should be taken to not mix the different waters before

offering them to the Lord. This is taken to such an extent

that the five pAtrams should be dedicated for their respective

waters and should not be mixed up. Thus, the arghya pAtram

should always be the arghya pAtram. It should never be used

for pAdyam, AcamanIyam, etc. ]

 

The tIrtha (consecrated water) offered to bhAgavatas

after the conclusion of worship is taken directly from

the pratigraha pAtram.

 

More in future posts. Your questions are welcome if anything

is unclear.

 

tirukkacci nambi daasan

(Mani)