HH's Answers: Q1: Why do we wear Thiruman & SreeChurna (Pottu)?

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sri: Jai Sreemannarayana!

Dear Devotees:

Adiyen was re-reading some of the beautiful answers HH's gave us, a few years

ago?

For the sake of new devotees in the list & for revising this for ourselves,

adiyEn will post

these answers and also make them available on the Web for future revisions:

 

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Q1. ThirumaN & SrEEChurnam:

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Your holiness, adiyEn 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?

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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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a:zhwa:r emberuma:na:r Jeeyar thiruvadigale: saranam

 

adiye:n ra:ma:nuja da:san

Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi

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