(VedAntha Desikan ) Sri Deshika Sahasranamam: Part XXI-- NaamA 450-452

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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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450. (PraNavam) UrdhvapuNDra dhruthi dhravya-

visEshAvadhruthikshamAya nama:

 

Salutations to that great AchAryan , who established

as to what are the acceptable materials (dhravyam)

for use in the adornment (dhAraNam) of UrdhvapuNDram!

 

Swamy Desikan codified the list of materials that could

be used for ThirumaNN kAppu for VaishNavAs. He came up with

this codification based on many pramANams.Briefly the rules

of acceptable practise are:

 

1) Urdhva PuNDram has to be worn using the white clay.

 

2) This white clay can come from the dhivya dEsams dear to

the Lord or the clay from the banks of GangA river or

the soil under the KrishNa TuLasi ( dark leaved TuLasi)

plant . One should not use the sacred clay without links

to BhagavAn (Bhagavath sambhnadham).It is well known that

ThirunArAyaNa PerumAL of Yadhugiri revealed to AchArya RaamAnujA

in a dream , the site , where such sacred clay was available

abduntantly in His dhivya dEsam.Even today , VaishNavAs use

the sacred clay from TirunArAyaNapuram and ThiruvahIndhrapuram.

The sandy clay from the PerumAL PushkaraNis at Thirumalai,

SrIrangam and SrImushNam are also appropriate to use.

 

3) White clay is the highly recommended dhravyam to use

although for specific purposes (prayOjana visEsham) ,

other colored clay can be used. Vaishnava ParamaikAnthis

not interested in anything other than the Lord should

use only white clay.

 

4) Smruthis cite the usage of sandal wood paste and Panchagavyam

for ThirumaNN kAppu. The white Clay is however the preferred

dhravyam as indicated by the sruthi passage extolling the virtue of

the white clay.Sandal wood paste is considered rAjasa dhravyam

and panchagavyam tAmasic dhravyam in contrast to sacred clay,

which is recognized by smruthis as Saathvika dhravyam.

 

5) When the sacred clay is not at all available , then

sandal wood paste (GOpi Chandanam ) can be used for Urdhva-

PuNDrams. Ash (Saambal) should never ever be used.For monks

(SanyAsis), usage of Chandanam is forbidden and hence they

have to use the white sacred clay only.

 

All in all, the white sacred clay is the dhravyam of preference

for every one according to Swamy Desikan .

 

451. acchidhra puNDra dhamanAya nama:

 

Salutations to that SadAchAryan , who condemned the use

of Urdhva PuNDram without gap (space interval )!

 

Swamy Desikan established with the help of many pramANams

that smearing of the PuNDram without any gap in between for

the SrI ChoorNam is not acceptable. It is because , the Lord has

revealed in BrahmANDa purANam that he lives happily with

His consort, SrI Devi, in the middle of the space formed by

the two horns and paadham of white clay SrI Devi .

When one does not leave a wide space between the PuNDrams,

it is like squeezing the residential space of the Lord.

Smruthi states that a person observing this prohibited

practise (nisshiddham) will end up in narakam.

 

452. Thiryak-puNDra nishEdhakAya nama:

 

Salutations to that SadAchAryan , who condemned

the practise of wearing PuNDrams in a horizontal

(Thiryak) manner instead of vertical (Urdhvam) way!

 

Urdhva PuNDrams reaching upward takes us upward

(towards the Lord's Parama Padham) . The wearing

of the PuNDram in a horizontal fashion across

the forehead is condemned by the Smruthis. Examples

from Smruthi Vaakyams condemning such a practise are:

 

1)Even playfully , one should not wear the three

PuNDrams cross wise.

 

2) During the time of HomAs and AarAdhanams ,

One is not considered clean unless he wears

the PuNDram in the Urdhva manner.

 

3) The BrahmaNan , who wears the ThirumaNN in

a horizontal fashion becomes a neechan (Lowly one).

 

4) SaasthrAs say that a BrahmaNan has to wear his

ThirumaNN in the urdhva manner , the Kshathrian

in the form of half moon , Vaisyan in the form of

a circle and the fourth varNikan in the form of Thiryak.

This is not for VaishNavAs anyway from anyone of

the four VarNams. VaisNavAs belonging to any Jaathi

should only wear Urdhva PuNDram and not any other shape.

 

Thus the wearing of Thiryak PuNDram is condemned

in many pramANams.

 

VAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

VedAnthasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!

SrI LakshmI HayagrIva ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan