(VedAntha Desikan ) Sri Deshika Sahasranamam: Part XX-- NaamA 449

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ShrI:

 

ChithrabhAnu , KanyA Maasam , PurattAsi 20:

Hastham, NavarAthri Uthsava Aarambha dinam

at Kaanchipuram (sErthi sEvai)

 

shrI:

 

shrImate vakuLabhUShaNa mahAdeshikAya nama:

shrImate rAmAnujAya nama:

shrImate nigamAnta mahAdeshiKAya nama:

 

shrImad GopAlArya mahAdeshikaiH anugRihItam

shrI deshika divya sahasranAma stotram

 

shrImannigamAnta mahA deshika - divyasahasranAmAvaLi:

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449. (PraNavam) bhasma SrIviashnavAsprusya bhAvasAdhana-

dakshiNAya nama:

 

Salutations to that Great AchAryan , who established

authoritatively that SrIvaishNavAs should not touch

ashes (saambal/ neeRu))and that ThirumaNN (sacred clay)

is the preferred material for adornment on their bodies

during thier daily Vaidhika karmaanushtAnams !

 

SrI KrishNa manthra kalpam strictly prohibits the use of

ashes as Urdhva puNDram material. Varaha purANam has

even stricter commands about the banning of saambal by

SrIvaishNavAs in particular and all brahmins in general.

 

The highlights of this controversy and the reasons for

preference of ThirumaNN adornment over ashes are summarized

by Swamy Desikan in his SrI Sookthi, Saccharithra rakshA:

 

1) SaasthrAs recommend basma snAnam ( smearing the entire body

with ashes on special occasions). Why so ? This is intended

for those , who can not for health reasons take bath in water .

This type of SnAnam can only produce temporary suddhi .

Hence , one should not consider that such basma snAnam

for all occasions.

 

2) Wearing AgnihOthra Saambhal on forehead: There are

those ,who say that it is appropriate to wear ashes from

the rites of agnihOthram . The sages who wrote the klapa

soothrams for the performance of agnihOthram do not however

refer to this practise.Therefore , such observance is

not essential for the performers of agnihOthram to follow.

If there are others ( other than agnihOthris) who wish

to use ashes , they might have been recommended

to use atleast the ashes originating from agnhOthri's sacred

ritual fire. For SrI VaishNavAs , adornment of any kind of

ash is however forbidden.

 

3) PaancharAthra and VikhAnasa Samhithais: They state that

at the end of homam , the ashes from the agni kuntam should be

worn vertically (urdhvam) on the forehead. This does not

extrapolate to wearing puNDrams with ash every time.

The person performing the homam has to have ThirumaNN

Kaapu using the sacred clay in the first place to qualify

for the perormanc eof the homam. At the end of the agni kAryam

(homam) , the yajamanan and the rthviks alone are

enjoined to wear the ash from agni kuntam in the said

manner on their forehead as a part of that homam. It is not for

every one witnessing the homam or others.Certainly,

this practise has no impact on the daily adornment of

Urdhva PuNDram with the sacred clay for anushtAnams

of a VaishNavan.

 

4) ThiruvAimozhi passages and the reference to " NeeRU " :

In ThiruvAimozhi 4.4.7 , Azhwar says in the role of

ParAnkusa Naayaki: " neeRu sevvEidak-kANil , nedumAl

adiyAr yenROdum -- " Some have suggested on the basis of

this passage that AzhwAr meant that neeRu (ashes)

are the lakshaNams of the bahkthAs of ThirumAl

( SrIman NaarAyaNan). This paasuram is about a maiden,

who is so infatuated with the Lord (prEmAdhisayam for

her Lord in a vipralmabha srungAram mood) that She connects

every thing with Bhagavath sambhandham. When she sees

some one wearing even ash in a vertical manner , she

is reminded of SrI VaishNavars , who are dear to her Lord.

She is ready to prostrate before such a person thinking

that they must be devotees of her Lord. PiLLAn in his

commentary on this passage of ThiruvAimozhi explains

that the Naayaki becomes overcome with delusion out of

her intense feelings and sees even the vasthus

not belonging to the Lord as connected to Him.

He hints that ashes are not for BhaagavathAs/ThoNdars

dear to the Lord. Further , it has been pointed out that

the word " neeRu " has another meaning (viz)., dust

or rENu ( ThoNdaradippodi) in addition to the traditional

meaning of " ashes " . Swamy NammazhwAr himself uses

" neeRu " elsewhere to mean the dust of bhAgavathAs feet

( " Maayan tamar adi neeRu koNDu " : ThiruvAimozhi 2474,

" Kariya-mEni-misai veLiya neeRu siRithE idum:

ThiruvAimozhi: 2463) ). Hence the earlier

reference : " neeRu sevvEidak-kANil nedumAl adiyAr

yenROdum " can also be translated to mean that

Parankusa Naayaki in the height of her intense

longing for her Lord sees some one wearing urdhva

PuNDrams and develops a great reverence for him

as a Bhaagavthan dear to Her Lord and considers it her

duty to prostrate before him and follow him . " neeRu "

in AzhwAr's paasurams can not therefore be linked

to ashes (sambal) and justified for usage as material

for adornment on the forehead of VaishNavAs according to

Swamy Desikan .

 

VAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

VedAnthasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!

SrI LakshmI HayagrIva ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan