Worship on Sri Rama Navami -- questions

[Guest guest]

Dear Astikas,

 

As you all know tomorrow (25th-26th) is Sri Rama Navami.

In the U.S., we will observe it on the 25th. It is recorded

that Chakravarti Thirumagan Sri Rama appeared on this earth

during kaTaka lagnam on Chaitra Sukla Navami, during Punarvasu

nakshatra. This corresponds to approximately midday on the

Navami day. We perform ArAdhanam to Sri Rama at this time

to celebrate his birth.

 

I have a couple of questions as I prepare for observing

tomorrow's pandigai.

 

1) According to Sri Gopala Desikan (the originator of the

munitraya sampradAya), one should observe complete

fasting (uposhaNa, not phalAhAra) on Navami and

break the fast (pAraNa) on Dasami. This is from

Sri Agastya Samhita, a Pancaratra text.

 

My question is this: what happens to the prasAdam

that is offered to Sri Rama on Navami? Food naturally

is cooked and offered to Perumal on this day, and one

is counselled to eat fresh food everyday, barring sweets.

 

If we are to eat on Dasami the next morning, is the

the Navami prasAdam wasted? I am wondering how much we

should cook and offer to Sri Rama on Navami.

 

2) A question on the viSesha ArAdhanam:

 

I understand we are to offer an arghyam to Perumal with

the following slokas:

 

daSAnana-vadhArthAya dharma-samsthApanAya ca |

rAkshasAnAm vinASAya daityAnAm nidhanAya ca ||

 

paritrANAya sAdhUnAm jAto rAma: svayam hari: |

gRhANArghyam mayA dattam bhrAtRbhi: sahito 'nagha ||

 

In which part of the ArAdhanam is this arghyam to be

offered? Is this said at the conclusion of the worship,

when one gives one last arghyam during paryankAsanam?

 

I would appreciate any information my fellow bhaktas can offer.

 

Thanking you,

rAmAnuja dAsan

Mani