Acharya vaibhavam - 37- Wearing ChakrA and Sankhu on the shoulders [thApa samskAram]

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

The Pancha samskaras [five fold rituals] are the

following:

 

1. tApa samskaram- or wearing [or embossing] the marks

of the Conch [shakhu] and Discuss [ChakrA] the two

weapons [ornaments] of MahavishNu.

2. pundram: To wear the dvAdasa Urdhva pundram (12

Thiruman & Srichoornam)

3. nAmam: To be initiated by the AchAryA afresh

as"RAmAnuja dAsan"(addition of 'dAsA'at the end of

ones name) to indicate that one is forever a servant

of the Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyanA and

BhagavAnRAmAnujA.

4. manthram: To get the initiation of "Rahasya Traya

MantrAs" - AshtAksharam, Dvayam and charama slokam.

5. Ijyai: To learn the worship of Sriman nArAyanA in

proper form (Bhagavad ThiruvArAdhanam).

 

All Individuals are subordinate to the Lord. As a

token and mark of this quality, we identify ourselves

thorugh a symbol of the Lord. The Acharya after

prayers invoke the Lord and His weapons [sudharsana

and Paanchajanya] to be present in the fire. He

[Acharya] specially prays to Sudharshana and

Paanchajanya to be eternally present in the individual

undergoing Pancha samskara. The emblem of Sudharsana

[Chakra] is heated in the fire and embossed on the

right hand, chanting the following:

 

Sudharsana Mahajwala! Koti Soorya sama prabha |

agnAnanda syamE dEvA vishNOr maargam pradharsaya ||

Oh! Flamy, fiery Sudarsana as lustrous as crores of

Sub, please show me, an ignorant one, the path of Lord

Vishnu.

 

Afterwards, the emblem of Paanchajanyam is hearted in

the fire and embossed on the left hand chanting the

following hymn:

 

Paanchajanya nijadwana dwastapataka sanchya |

Paahimaam paapinaam ghOra Samasranava pathinam ||

 

Oh paanchajanya! [Conch Shell] you are capable of

driving away the sins of individuals through your

Sound. Please protect me, a sinner from this

samsaaram.

 

Taapa samskara is the most important because in the

absence of this, an individual is not qqualified to

recite the mantras and perform the ArAdhanam [formal

workship] of Sriman Narayana. The purpose of this is

to purify the body and mind of the individual who is

the token of his having become a VishNu devotee should

bear permanently on his body the symbol of ChakrA and

Sankhu. The reason for choosing these two symbols of

Vishnu is that the Conch represents the

auspiciousness, whereas the ChakrA [discuss]

represents the spiritual energy that wards off evil.

This apart, there are numerous texts in saasthrAs that

vouch and prescribe the wearing of the marks of these

two symbols. Thus says MahOpanishad: The Brahmin

should bear the discuss [chakra] on the right arm and

conch on the left.

 

dhakshiNE thu bhujE viprO beebhryAdvai sudharsanam |

savyE thu sankham beebhryaaditi vidhu: ||

 

[atharvaNa mahOpanishad]

 

The Baaskala Samhitha of the Rkveda also points that

the learned Vaishnava must wear the mark of the

sanctifying Conch and discuss on the upper part of the

arms in order to cross the ocean of bondage.

Many other saasthric texts are quoted by Vedanta

Desika in support of this ancient practice. The

Mahabharata which refers to the Paancharaathra system

known by the name of Sarvaarthavidhi, mentions

explicitly that god is to be worshipped by persons of

all castes who have obtained the marks of identity

such as Sankha and Chakra. The Paancharaathra

Samhithas also emphasize the necessity of bearing the

marks of Chakra and Sankhu as an essential requirement

in performing Aradhanam for Sriman Narayana. Based on

such authoritative sources, Srivaishnavism has thus

advocated the sacrament of Thaapa samskaram.

 

The Jeevathma when it attains Srivaikuntam, gets also

a celestial body with four handsm h0olding Sankhu and

Chakra etc. Thus the powers of Sudharsana and Sankhu

are already inherent in every individual. The Acharya

through embossing as above, activates this power.

 

References: Srivaishnavism book - published by

Thillaisthanam kaimkarya Sabha

and Vaishnavism by Sri SMS Chari

 

asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE GuruparamparAm

Regards

Namo Narayana

dasan