parishEshanam

[Guest guest]

om namo narayana

 

Respected srivaishnavas,

My name is Madhusudhan Srikkanth and I am

doing my

B.E degree in Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.This is

my first

mail to this group after my introduction.I came to know about this

group

from my uncle Sri.Madhavakannan and I am very grateful to him for

this.I had

the bhagyam of undergoing panchasamskaram under the guidance of His

Holiness

Sri.Sriranga Srimad Andavan during my first semester holidays.

I have a doubt regarding parishEshanam.Is

parishEshanam offering of food to the lord residing within us

(antaryAmi)

before eating it?If it is so why is it that we do parishEshanam only

when we

are eating rice and not when we are eating other kinds of food like

chappatis and dosas.Please forgive adiyEn for asking silly doubts.I

had this

doubt for a long time but had the courage to ask it only today as I

know

that this question is not fit to be asked to stalwarts in this

field.adiyEn

again requests all of you to forgive me for asking questions like

this.I

would be grateful to anyone who could kindly clarify my

doubt.adiyEnMadhusudhan.

[Guest guest]

At 07:43 AM 2/22/01 -0000, you wrote:

>namo narayana

>

>Respected srivaishnavas,

>My name is Madhusudhan Srikkanth and I am

>doing my B.E degree in Nanyang Technological University

>in Singapore.This is my first mail to this group .

> I have a doubt regarding parishEshanam.Is parishEshanam

>offering of food to the lord residing within us

>(antaryAmi) before eating it?If it is so why is it that

>we do parishEshanam only when we are eating rice

>and not when we are eating other kinds of food like

>chappatis and dosas.Please forgive adiyEn for

>asking silly doubts.I had this doubt for a long time

>but had the courage to ask it only today as I

>know that this question is not fit to be asked

>to stalwarts in this field.adiyEn

 

Dear Sri MadhusUdhan:

 

Your question about ParishEchanam is very important .

Consuming food is not for the quenching one's

appetite. This is more serious and that is why

it is elevated to the level of PrANAgnihOthram.

 

AchAryAs describe it as aNu yaagam since this annam

presentation is done to the JeevAthmA , who is

of the size of an atom (aNu) .This aNu yaagam is

done following samarpanam of PrasAdham to

the Vibhu SavarUpi ( the Supreme Lord) during

our AarAdhanam.The Jeevan becomes qualified

to enjoy the Bhogams and Mokshams as a result

of the consumption of the Food presented first

to the Lord.

 

After consecration of the site of eating

with appropriate manthrams(pranavam and

VyAhruthi), One sits facing east or west or

facing the Koil AzhwAr.

 

When the rice is placed on the Leaf and

the ghee is added , one should offer worship

with the manthram:

 

" asmAkam nithyamasvEthadh" and salute the annam.

 

One should not make balls out of the rice

or spread it around .The annam should be served

only once before parishEchanam.

 

annam is consecrated with the recital of

Pranavam and the sprinkling of the annam

with water (arghyam) from the ends of the fingers

with the utterance of VyAhruthis.Gayathri and

Moola manthram is used next to consecrate

the annam for the antharyAmi nivEdhanam .

 

Next is circling of the bhOjana paathram

with water , while reciting VyAhruthis.

This is followed by the Rishi , Chandas ,

DevathA vandhanams:

 

"PrAnAgnihOthra manthrasya , BrahmA Rishi:

anushtup chandha: VaisvAnAgnir dEvathA"

 

Touch the tumbler of water with left hand and

use the water (arghya theertham) to perform

ParishEchanam with the manthram ,

"Sathyam thvarthEna parishinchAmi".

 

Next receive the paadhya Theertham from AarAdhanam

on the right side of the served annam and consume

it as aachamaneeyam after reciting " amruthOpastharaNamasi".

This is called "Aapasa+ asanam "(aapOsanam).

 

Next , take three fingers full of annam from

the east , south , west , north and center

regions of the annam served one at a time .Place it in

the mouth one at a time and swallow it with the recitation

of the 5 manthrams "(Pranavam) PrANAya svAha" et al.

 

This annam served should be suddhAnnam and should

not have any adnmixture of salt , spice or sour

items. This is called SuddhAnna PrANAhUthi.

( That is why we do not consume Chappaatthi

et al , which have the admixture of salt and ghee ).

Swallow with out biting the individual portions

of annam.Some say "PrANAya idham na mama et al

for the 5 swallowing.Ghee should not be served

directly again during bhOjanam .

 

At the conclusion of BhOjanam , you arrive at

the UttharAbhOsanam stage.Mounam should be observed as

much as possible during bhOjanam.With the Paadhya Theertham

served, drink half in cupped palm with recitation of

"amruthApithA namasi and leave the rest thru finger tips

on to the north or south of the leaf .

 

After that, clean your hands with water and then

rinse your mouth a few times (16 times in dharma

Saasthrams).Achamanam follows.There are few other

manthrams recited and procedures followed after

that, which ends with:

 

angushtamAthr: PurushOangushtancha SamAsritha:

Eesa: sarvasya Jagadha: Prabhu PreeNAthi Visva Bhuk .

 

This may sound long , but with practise , you

will find this goes fast.

 

Best wishes,

V.Sadagopan