tirumaN-kAppu in archA

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Friends,

 

May I add my own bit to the postings (reproduced below) on the issue.

 

The 'sushumnA-nADi' is identified as reaching up from the middle of eyebrows

to the top of forehead, and the Urdhva-punDram (vertical tirumaN-kAppu, as

different from the horizontal tiryak-puNDram of Saiva) drawn over the nADi

signifies that it has an uplifting power. It is accordingly the conjecture

of Sri koorat-t/AzhvAn that Lord varada is Himself sporting the

Urdhva-puNDra-tilakam on the forehead as a fraternal endorsement.

 

"uddharat-yupari bhakta-janAn-iti Urdhvat-ASrayaNa-sUchita-Saktim

Urdhva-puNDra-tilakam bahumAnAt kim bibharshi varada ! sva-lalATE ? "

 

(varada-rAja-stavam, 26.)

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan, tirumanjanam Sundara Rajan.

 

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Mon, 19 Jun 2000 09:55:33 -0700 <s.vinjamuri

THIRUMANN. thiruvengada jeeyar thiruvadigale Saranam.

 

Why does Perumal keep Thirumann on His forehead? one of my colleagues, a

Srivaishnava, says that we do not have all the three lines on the forehead of

the image of Perumal in many temples and have only the middle line. is it

true?

dasan vishnu

 

Tue, 20 Jun 2000 13:23:35 -0700 (PDT)

Venkatesan Ananth <vtca Re: THIRUMANN

 

I have seen a few explanations for this question. But the one that stuck

most in my mind was one I heard in a upanyAsam: "thanathu adiyArkaL

virumpi aNivathaiyE thAnum ukanthu aNikiRAn". "He relishes wearing that

which His Bhakthas wear

with joy (and pride)".

 

The second part I am not sure about. Pretty much most of the kshethrams I

have been to, moolavar has adorned thirumaN and srichoornam.

mathurakavi thAsan TCA Venkatesan.

 

Tue, 20 Jun 2000 15:52:18 PDT

"Harini Raghavan" <harini_r Re: THIRUMANN

 

If you search in the bhakthi archives you will have a lot on Thirumann and

especailly Sri Sadagopan has answered the question as to why the Lord wears

ThirumaN in the Sept 95 archives. I am cutting and pasting it for your

information. Though I couldn't find answers for your second question.

-Harini

>From Sri Sadagopan

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

Why the Lord Wears ThirumaN?

 

Ramanuja is also known as Godhagraja or the elder to Andaal based on an

incident that happpened at Thirumaaliruncholai ( Offering of the 1000 vessels

of Akkaravadisal on behalf of Aandal). Ramanuja is also known as Thiuppavai

Jeeyar, because of the joy that he experienced in reciting Thiruppavai Verses

and the reverence he had for the Philosophy of Aandal. She, unlike other

Azhwars reminded Her Lord of his duties and awakened from his slumber (Yoga

nidra). She reminded her Lord about his sworn duties to rescue the tormented

Jeevans and interceded on their behalf. Ramanuja in the spirit of Andaal

might have put the ThirumaN on the Lord to remind Him of His duties to use

his weapons to come to the rescue of the Jeevans. I think however the

practise of wearing ThirumaN goes to a time much before Ramanuja.

In conclusion, it can be said that Lord wears Thiruman not as His Lotus feet

on

His forehead, but as an indication of the power of his weapons and His

presence

in every one of the directions to protect His devotees. When the Vaishnavas

wear

the Pundrams , they consider their body as being protected by His weapons and

as

a temple for the Divine Couple. Thus, there are two separate reasons for the

ThirmaN wearing by the Lord and His devotees. Sadagopan