Azhwars and Urdhvapundram

[Guest guest]

Dear Balaji,

Thanks for your response. I did get two responses in private

which I'm appending.

 

-Kasturi

 

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here are a couple from periyAzhvAr's pAsurams -

 

1. in senniyOngu - first pAttu - "ennaiyum en udaimaiayum un chakkarap pori

oRRik koNdu"

2. in thiruppallANdu - "kOyil poriyaalE oRRuNdu ninRu"

 

The above two generally refers to sanku chakram and thirumaN - though srI

P.B.aNNaNgarAchAriAr svAmi uses the former to talk about thirumAN, snaku

chakram being put on everything even remotely connected to perumAL (i.e.

vessels in our home used for making prasAdam etc..)

 

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There are references in azhwar pasurams where azhwar talks about

Pancha-Samskaram (which also includes 12 UrdhavaPundra Dharanam).

Shree VishnuChittha PeriAzhwar in "Tiru Pallandu" says "Teeyil

poligindra Chen Cudar Azhi ... Kolil Poriyaale Otrundu Kudi Kudi

Aat Seygindrom". The Urdhava Pundra Dharanam is well celebrated

in Sruti and Smruthi. The outward appearance of Shree Vaishnavas

in very ancient times are as follows:

1. Brahmacharya Asrama: White Veshti (not panchakatcham), Yanjnopavitam,

KrishnaJeenam, Samit, Gowpeenam, Munji, 12 UrdhavaPundrams with Sikha

(Kudumi) and Shanka Chakra Mudras. (Can use silk, gold and fire)

2. Grahasta Asrama: White Veshti in Panchakatcham, Gowpeenam,

Yanjnopavitam, Krishnajeenam, Samit, 12 UrdhavaPundrams, Sikha

and Shanka Chakra Mudras.(Can use silk, gold and fire)

3. Vaanaprasta Asrama: Yanjnopavitam, Safron/white Veshti (panchakatcam),

Gowpeenam, 12 UrdhavaPundrams, Sikha and Shanka Chakra Mudras with

Jata Mudi.(Can use fire)

4. Sanyaasa Asrama:Yanjnopavitam, Cotton Safron Veshti(no panchakatcham),

Gowpeenam, 12 UrdhavaPundrams, Sikha and Shanka Chakra Mudras,

Tridandam, Kamandalam and a piece of safron cloth.(Cannot use fire).

 

These outward apprearance of Shree Vaishnavas is as ancient as the

Vedic Visistaadvaita Shree Vaishnava Philosophy. These dress codes also

are Vaidikam. For details, I suggest reading of smruthis, Ahnika grantas.

---

[Guest guest]

There is a possible reference to the wearing of Urdhva-puNDra

in tiruvAymozhi 1.9.11:

 

neRRiyuL ninRennaiyaaLum niraimalarp paadhangaL soodi ...

 

Some commentators take this is a reference to wearing the

tirumaN in the form of the Lord's feet (vide Kanchi Sri

P.B. Annangarachariar's "divyArtha-dIpikai" on this

pAsuram). However, other commentators disagree on whether

this actually is a reference to tirumaN; the commentaries

of the pUrvAcAryas do not mention the Urdhva-puNDra in their

glosses on this pAsuram.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mani