Sri Vekatesan Iyengar's Questions

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

Adiyen is forwarding the insightful response from U.Ve. Sri

Venkatakrishanan Swamin on the above subject. Sri Venkatakrishnan

Swamin is a learned scholar of our Sampradayam, having had extensvie

Kalakshepam from H.H. the 45th Azhagiyasingar and other leading

Vidwans of our tradition.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara dasan nama Ramanuja dasan

 

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

 

Om Shri Ramajayam. Om Namo Narayana.

 

With regards to Shri Venkat's question on "manains /

sthanikars" hierarchy of the priestly class, I'd like

to submit the following response:

 

As I understand the question, he desires to know who

are the "manains / sthanikars" in our temple

management. First of all the temples of the Vaishnava

tradition are governed by two distinct schools.

Those governed by pAncarAtra AgamAs and the others

governed by vaikAnasa AgamAs. In the temples, the

priests who are privileged to do service to the sacred

mUrthys consecrated in the temple by physical contact

with them during thirumanjanam, alankaram and other

kainkaryams are variously known as archakAs,

bhattachArs and dikshitars. They have to be

proficient in their respective AgamA schools – vis

vikAnasA or pAncarAtrA. In the former the hereditary

system is in vogue. IN the pAncarAtra tradition one

should learn the important AgamAs such as the pAdma,

sAtvata, paushkara and jayAkhyA samhitAs and attain

dIkshA. Only then are they qualified to function as

temple priests. For example, the temples in tirumalA

and thiruvallikkENi follow the vaikhAnasa AgamAs while

those in srIrangam, kAnchIpuram, mElkote follow

pAcarAtra AgamAs, each of the latter three following a

different samhitA under the pAncharAtra umbrella.

 

The category of assistants who help the archakAs is

known as parichArakAs doing the auxiliary duties

connected with the daily worship, but are not allowed

to touch the sacred mUrthys. The temple kitchen also

called the thirumadaipaLLi should be constructed in

the southeastern direction is managed by a section of

these parichArakAs.

 

I presume by "manains" you refer to the general

manager of the temple who is called the "kovil

maNiyam" or "koil maNiyakkArar". If so he is the

person responsible for the day-to-day management and

maintenance of the temple, organizing its daily

special and festival routines. He is variously called

"maNiam", "amIna", "pEshkAr" and "shrIkAryam"

according to local custom. He is pEshkAr in tirumalA,

shrikAryam in shrIrangam and in the major vaishNavA

mutts like ahObila mutt, Andavan Ashramam, parakAla

mutt and vAnamAmalai mutt, and amInA in

thiruvallikkENi. It is well known that periya kOil

nimbi later named as amudhanAr was the shrIkAryam of

the shrIrangam temple whose management he handed over

to kUraththAzhvAn. He has to ensure the availability

of the material and manpower resources required for

the temple's routines on a day-to-day basis. He is

the one person who has to spend most of his time in

the temple attending to and overseeing a multitude of

functions. In a small temple he is also in charge of

the accounts. At the end of the major routines or

festivals he is honored for his services with a token

floral string adorned to diety before any contributing

donor is honored (muthal mariyAthai).

 

We now come to an important functionary known as

"sthAnikar". He is in charge adhyApakam – the daily

recitation of divya-prabandham and vEda pArAyaNam and

during festivals. In many temples, they are the

hereditary people enjoying certain privileges for

their services. In the daily routine, as during

festival times, they enjoy the right of commencing the

recitation and concluding it. They are offered the

sanctified thIrththa prasAdam and satAri mariyathai

first in the ghOshti (congregation). They alone are

privileged to offer "mantra pushpa" kainkaryam in the

morning and evening sessions every day. It is they

who read the kaishika purANam on kaishika EkAdashi

day, pranayakalaha prabandham on a specific day during

BrhamOtsavam and tirumanjana ghatiyan during all

occasions when tirumanjanam is performed for the

presiding diety.

 

The temple administration honors them variedly. In a

majority of the cases no remuneration is given, but a

portion of the daily neivEdyams to the dierties is

given as their share. On the conclusion of the main

BrahmOtsavm they are honored in certain temples by

offering them a silk turban, a garland adorned to the

diety and taking them in a ceremonial procession to

the residencies with all the paraphernalia of the

temple in recognition of their services.

 

Thus the archakAs, sthAnikars, parichArakas and

maNiams (or pEshkArs or amInAs) by their joint efforts

contribute to the orderly conduct of various routines

in the day to day functioning of a temple as a temple.

BhAgavathAs are solicited edit, correct and amplify

the general outline given above as appropriate.

 

A thousand praNams. Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsan,

 

K. Venkatakrishnan.