HH Tridandi Sriman Narayana Jeeyar Swamiji answers Qs posed by a bhakta

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Hello,

 

Interesting Qs that were asked and were answered by

HH Tridandi Srimannrayana Ramanuja ChinnaJeeyar Swamiji

 

 

,

"Chinna Jeeyar Swamy" <acharya27 wrote:

 

Q1. ThirumaN & SrEEChurnam:

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I would like to know the Spiritual & physical (if any)

reasons for applying Dwadasa Pundras (12 Thirumans).

How long ago did the practice Start. (The coloring of SreeChurnam

to make it Red in color could not have been aNadi (forever in

the past)) Why are there various forms of applying the Thiruman?

Are there references in our Puranas on how, where and when to

apply Dwadasha pundras?

 

Answer)

The practice of wearing Thiruman started long ago. It is so

evident in Pa:dma Samhitha of Sri Pa:nchara:tra A:gama,

which clearly describes Narayana, who is to be meditated upon

in A:ra:dhana, having U:rdhwapundram along with all other

jewellary and weapons.

 

Here we quote

" Sri:bhu:mi sahitham de:vam lala:tay swe:tha mrutsnaya|

krutho:rdhwapundra thilakaihi manditham chenrabhanubhihi||

niyuthai rayuthais chendraih vidyut ka:la:gni ko:tibhihi|

samave:thai rivaikatra te:jah punjair visarpibhihi||

bhrajama:nam dura;lo:ham de:hamandala nirgathaih|

bha:sayantham jagath sarvam dhya:ye:th prakshi:na kalmashaha||"

 

Here in the above slo:kas Lord has been described having somany

u:rdwa pundra:s along with Sri:de:vi & Bhu:de:vi. And that pundra thilakas'

shining is so illuminating the whole universe with their moon-light like

prabha.

 

Other than Pa:dma Samhitha, we can see the mentioning of u:rdhwa

pundrams in other samhithas also. A:gamas are considered as more authentic

scriptures even by The Ve:das. Cha:ndo:gyo:panishad

mentions about it in Na:rada & Sanathkuma:ra discussion.

 

Regarding color of the pundram, in the above slo:kas it is

mentioned to have in 'white'(swe:tha mruth) and the middle one

should be in 'light red' (may be a little dark pink) here again

Pa:dma Samhitha says 'lala:ta thilakam sowmyam di;pavath

swe:tha mrutsnaya' and it goes like that. The process to make

the middle red one is followed by using termaric powder.

 

Termaric powder is not supposed to be used directly. It has to

be purified. The way to do that is to add it with lemon juice

and another substance called 'veliga:ram' (what the english term

for it? may be crystal) This veliga:ram has to be purified again

on fire. Then it becomes powder like. All these three things will

be mixed up and dried in shade, not under sun.

 

That is what people call as 'sri:chu:rnam'. With that the middle

one like flame on the fire, to be applied.

 

The places to apply the pundras are 12 in number. One on the fore

head, four all around the neck, two on shoulders, one on chest,

three at the stomach and one at the end of the spinal card.

There are the key part of the body. They need to be sanctified

by applying pundram and chanting His name (there are 12 ke:sava

etc names used to all these 12 pundras).

 

Whenever we take a shower in the morning, we decorate with 12

pundras. It is enough to decorate once a day, not after the food

is taken (like in the evening times).

 

When we talk about the significance, we go through the sa:stras

and that is all. We can say a few reasons, of course, but

confining to scriptures is really beautiful.

 

For our satisfaction few things are told they are:

 

1. If one has pundras, he cannot do unwanted things. If he

tries to do, the society around will not allow him to do so.

 

2. It is a mark of respect to say that we belong to Lord

Lakshmi Na:ra:yana.

 

3. Those parts of the body may be activated in satwic way

by which we can think and do better activities.

 

4. If we wear those pundras we become Srivaishnavas and it seems,

the god of death 'Yamaraj' will never look at us, according to

Maha Bharat.

 

We are sure that these are enough points we discussed about.

 

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Q2. Why do we chant Vedas and Prabhandas? Significance?

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Vedas: How does our chanting provide (Loka KShemam and Shathi)?

Does God want to hear Vedas? Does the Chanting induce bhakti &

or any other feelings in us? We are repeating the Prabhandas

chanted by Alwars, they sang them after being in the Bhakti

trance for a long time. Would we feel what they felt

*** **** **** ****

 

A. God never asks us to chant Ve:das. Nor He is in need of

listening to them from us. He has somany Mukthas & Nityasu:ri:es

with Him always, who are always keep chanting Ve:das without

any flaws, just for His sake only, without any expectation.

Chanting of Ve:das definetely provides welfare to the world at

large. It helps the one who is chanting and the one who is

listening to that. To the one who chants- it increases the

memory power and powerful throat. It also adds monitory benifites

to him. If he really believes in it, it gives him peace of mind

and divine feelings also. It strenthens the 'will power' who

really believes in it and does Just Parayana.

 

To the listener, it elevates innter traits and makes one, feel

divine. If it is chanted with belief, it even sanctions mundane

benifits too, which ultimately help to choose divine path.

Even if it is heard by the Nature, like plants and trees, their

yeild much be quite better than earlier.

 

Chanting prabandha:s also considered as equal to chanting the

Vedas. In some places, chanting Prabandhas, is respected higher

than the Vedas itself and while the diety of temples is in

procession, in front of the diety, prabandha is chanted and in

the back side of the diety Vedas are chanted. We can observe

the practice. It is because, the devotees who chanted them

were dived deep into the ocean of divine qualities of Lord

Narayana, couldnot contend themselves and the whole experience

overwhelmed and outpoured through their mouths. Their later

devotees recoreded them for us. But the important thing we should

remember is, the places, wherefrom the sounds produced in our body

to say anything, are quite common for anyone on this earth.

So also, to those devotees whom we call as Alwars. If we also chant

the pasurams they have chanted in the same way prescribed, if not

immediately, but some day we will definitely be blessed with such a

devotion. Even otherwise, God will look at us wherever we chant them,

for , they are His lovely songs ever listened. What we need to understand

is, chant the divine songs of any Bhaktha of any

language, in that particular language only, when you call it

chanting. But try to understand the meaning of those songs in

your own language. Some people say that translating them to our

own language will help in fastening the process of getting bhakthi.

 

But it helps us in learning the meaning to practice and feel.

But to show some impact on our heart, we must accept them as it

is, in the same language it first appeared, like Ramayana,

Bhagavatham like scriptures in Sanskrit only. Divya Prabandhass

in Tamil only. Veda and Upanishad like things in their original

form only. Translations, no doubt, will help us to understand

in a better way.

 

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Q3. Ekadashi Fasting.

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We see many pios people observing Ekadashi Fasting and

Dwadashi Paranam. Could you please explain the logic and

reasoning behind this fasting.

 

A. We observe E:kadasi fasting and Dwa:dasi pa:ranam (ending

up fasting by eating prasa:dam early in the morning, after

praying to The Sun) because the ''smruthi scriptures'' say so.

And we believe in them also. E:kadasi is also named after

"hari va:sara" means "a day takes us nearer to Lord Vishnu".

 

According to Cha:ndo:gyo:panishad, the food we eat makes our body

and mind. It says, the food we eat will be devided into 3 parts.

Gross part form excreta and will be released out. Middle part

forms as flush. But the suttle part helps the manas,

(and it may not be the mind). So manas and body are the products

of the food we eat. If we want body a satwic one and the manas

also should function sa:twic, then one must eat sa:twic food.

 

Man is supposed to eat vegitarian food only that is produced

from plants and trees. They are called O:shadhi:s. Thaithari:yo:panishad

says

"O:shadhi:bhyo:nnam, anna:th purushaha, sa va: e:sha purusho:

anna rasamayaha".

It means the food man eats should be made out of vegitables, so

man is called "anna rasamaya". All the O:shadhi:s are grown and

receive their energies from the moon. Hence, moon is called

"O:shadhi:pathi".

 

Again here, as moon grows and decreses(waxing & waning moon)

his impact on the o:shadhies, as well as on our body, also will

be changing. The moon has 16 phases. There are 16 elements in our bodies

too. Our manas and buddhi are falling in 11th and 12th

number. To decreas the impact of the thamo:guna one needs to

stop eating food on that day. But to activate the Manas with

sa:twic guna, one needs to chant divine name with love and

should keep himself amidst sa:twic people. Though, it is

always recommended to be practised, particularly on that day

it helps a lot. When one is spending his time with great people

and chanting God's name, the love in God, will automatically keep

the food and sleep away from him. That is called 'upava:sa' and

'ja:garana'. This must come automatically, not by force.

On the dw:dasi day, moon's impact will be there on buddhi. So to

keep it active with satwaguna always, we offer food to God, make

it Prasa:da and have darsan of the Sun, and then take that

prasa:dam by breaking fasting, which is called 'pa:rana'.

Thus we practice e:kadasi & dwa;dasi.

 

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Q4. Ultimate Reality : Shape, form and presence.

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Quoting from another list:

"Some scholars say Ultimate Reality is devoid of a form (amUrta),

but it assumes a limited form (mUrtatA) for the sake of

devotees and this limited form is incomparable (anupama) ".

End Quote

 

The divine body taken by SrIman nArAyaNa at Sri Vaikuntha is the

form we believe has been there for ever.

Whom should we meditate on, nArAyaNa at Sri Vainkuntam and any

other form he has taken for us or the FormLess Untilmate reality

(how to medidate on a formless God.)

Where do the Real and Eternal mUlarUpa & avatArarUpa fit in the

above Quote. Could you explain on this?

 

A. Yes, Ultimate reality is formless and has form also. What we

need to understand here is the word ''formless'' means ' not

having a form as the worldly forms are'. But when we say that

'there is a form' it means ''it's form is par-excellence and

no comparison at all'. In Sri vaikunttham, according to a:gama:s,

there is a form inexplicable in it's beauty etc.,qualities.

It is not mu:rtham(disposable). It is amu:rtham only(eternal.

We call that form as Sr:mannarayana, as revealed by A:gama:s.

 

All the avata:ra:s of Lord Vishnu also are amu:rta:s only.

Though the bodies appeared as human bodies, they are not

made of Pancha Bhu:thas but Pancha Upanishads. This is what

precisely He explained in the 4th Chapter of Bhagavadgi:tha,

as "prakruthim swa:m adhishtta:ya..." The mu:lavar(concecrated

diety in the sanctum of the tempel) though appears and made of

worldly elements, yet, the power of the Lord inside the temple

is something beyond anybodies perception. if it is done according

to a:gamas.

 

 

 

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