Questions on Sthree Dharmam

Can women tie flowers using plantain string during abnormal times, such as menstruation (as the male folk does not know how to string flowers)? Can the menfolk offer such garlands to Perumal by sprinkling water on them for purification?

Can women recite Desika Stotram, Desikaprabandham, and Nalayira Divyaprabandham during menstruation?

Can a menstruating lady wash and clean vessels at home (Due to lack of domestic help)? If so, how to purify the cleaned vessels?

I am 40 years old. During menstruation, can a quilt bed be used? Or choir mat with a mattress is used? I have back pain. If a quilt can be used, kindly advice how to purify it.

During her wedding, to which side must a Srivaishnava bride wear the Andal kondai? Is it towards the left or right?

Can one observe Ekadasi vratam during menstruation? How to perform Dvadasi paranai at that time?

I read in Sudarsanam that new clothes are not considered madi (pure). I have two young daughters. During menstrual times I take rest separately, but I bathe and feed my daughters during those times. As they are young, they roam around the house, and I dress them up every month at this period with new dresses. Is this considered right?

Can women chant Garuda Gayatri mantra for better health of children? If so how to chant?

Adiyen’s question on menstrual doubt was answered during Adi Sudarsanam issue and have some more doubts on the same:

It is understood that during menstrual time, sanctity has to be maintained in the house as Emperuman resides in it. My daughter asks what about the Emperuman that resides as an antaryami inside us; will he leave during the menstrual period?

In my house for the past 22 years, adiyen has been cooking during the menstrual time too as my husband travels officially; also I cannot buy food from outside during that time for 3 or 4 days; on the fourth day, I clean up everything and cook food to offer it to Perumal. Is there a way to rectify this mistake; Moreover, my husband is not very cooperative, so I have to cook food for him as well and I continue to commit offence for which I have cried many times.

I have negative thoughts not only during my menstrual period but at other times too; still, I manage to chant the divine names of Emperuman. What is the remedy?

How should lactating mothers observe Ekadasi vratam?

What are the scientific reasons for women to be in a separate place during menstruation in days gone by? The facilities we have at present times were not available back then. Why must we continue this practice? Kindly explain in detail for the women of the household to understand the reasons and follow them.

On days such as maasikam, sraddha, amavasyai, etc., must the sumangali ladies wear only a simple 9 yards cotton saree? Or are they allowed to wear sarees with silk zari border or Kalyani cotton sarees? Can 6 yards saree be worn like traditional 9 yards sari?

Can women recite the Lakshmi Gayathri mantra?

How should a widow wear Srichurnam? Is it correct to wear the Srichurnam in a small vertical line and Thiruman in a small v shape below the srichurnam. Should a widow not apply Vermillion and turmeric?

How to draw Sudharshana Shad kolam mentioned by Navalpakkam Sri U Ve Vasudevachar Swami in Sudharshanashtka upanyasam?

Can women offer home-cooked food to Salagrama Perumal if the men of the household are not present?

Can women do manaseeka aradhanam during asauca and mensurating period? Is it an offense to do so?

Can women recite Kamasikashtakam?

How should Sumangali-s observe Ekadasi vratam?

Someone else would cook during a woman’s menstrual period and offer it to Perumal. Are women allowed to partake prasadam offered to Perumal during that time? Or should food be cooked separately for them?

Can women address themselves as adiyen and dasan or are there any other suitable words? I have been intending to ask this for a long time and am using this platform to clarify my doubt. Thanks.

Can women recite Bhagavad Gita, Itihasa, and Puranas?

Can women alone recite Divya Prabandam and Padhuka Sahasram as a group at temples?

Can women recite Desikar’s Adikarasaranavali and tatvamuktavali?

Pray tell me if adiyen can recite Prabandam and Purvacharya slokas during the menstrual period as adiyen feels tormented for not being able to recite during that time.

Can women perform Salagrama aradhanam?

Can women chant Vishnu Sahasranamam?

How to recite thiruashtaksharam, dwayam, and carma slokam every day in an orderly manner?

What are maDi and paththu? How to explain these to the current generation?

What are the pasurams and stotras that women can recite while offering cooked food?

Can Ekadasi fasting be observed during the menstruating period? Will it beget sin? Is Rama-Krishna Nama japam, chanting of Dvaya mantram allowed during this period?

Do scriptures allow any other religious practices other than observing Ekadasi vratam for women who had done Prapatti?

Women worship Thulasi by offering water, drawing kolams and chanting slokas. Can they meditate upon Krishna Bhagavan and pluck Thulasi leaves for offering it to Perumal?

Can women recite Sundarkandam? Or they are allowed read only the exposition? Will we derive the same fruits when we recite its exposition rather than the original verse?

Adiyen has some physical ailments that my mensurating period stretches between four to thirty days:

should I refrain for four days or the entire period of mensuration for routine work?

Can I enter the kitchen after five days?

Can I clean the vessels used for Perumal after five days?

Can women recite Ashtakshara mantra after Samashrayanam or should it be recited only after performing Bharanyasam?

Can Srivaishnava women wear garland made of Thulasi beads? Iskcon allows only those who wear thulasi bead garland to perform kainkaryam; as adiyen goes there to render kainkaryam, can adiyen wear it to perform service?

When aidyen’s husband is away on travel and as adiyen is not allowed to perform Tiruvaradhanam (especially during a festival, Fridays or Saturdays), can adiyen offer lighted camphor for Perumal?

Adiyen is six months pregnant; as pregnant women should not climb the hill, can adiyen worship at Divya Desams that are not situated atop a hill?

While doing Sumgali pooja, we seat a girl along with other Sumangalis. Who is considered as a Kanya girl, is it an unmarried woman or a girl child of a certain age? How many girls should be seated along with a Sumangali?

Adiyen’s mother passed away while returning from Thirumogur temple in an accident. While my brother performed the last rites, as a daughter what should adiyen do for the well-being of her soul?

Can adiyen draw Perumal and Thayar as a kolam during Thiruvadipporam and Janmashtami?

Adiyen, my daughter who is in college does not accept when we forbid her not to worship Perumal sannidhi or visit temple during menstrual period. When she asks for explanations, we are unable to make her understand. Out of our compulsion she started worshipping Perumal at home and visits temple once a month. We feel that your explanation will convince her so kindly help us.

Can women recite Prabandham?

Why should women perform Acamanam? What is the proper way of doing it? What are the mantras to be chanted during Acamanam? Is there a rule for performing it? Can it be performed during menstrual period?

Can women recite Bhagavatam, Sundara Kandam, Bhagavad Gita in its original content?

What holy names of Perumal a woman should chant while applying Srichurnam and Thiruman?

What are the austerities that a lady must follow if the periods stretch beyond the normal duration?

Can women wear gold mangala sutra instead of turmeric thread as married women these days and their mothers prefer to wear gold? Please clarify.

Can women recite Jitante stotram of Alavandar?

Can women touch the deities at home to clean and adorn clothes?

Should women observe vratam during Mahalayapaksham?

During Dvaya mantra initiation, adiyen was instructed to say ‘um’ instead of pranavam. In that case how to recite Vishnu Sahasranam as it contains pranavam in many places?

Can women participate in shraddha karyam after taking the anniyaa theetu snanam on the fifth day after periods?

While the men of the house are away, can women open the Perumal Koilazhwar (the box in which Perumal is kept) to offer prasadam? Or must they offer food mentally without opening the box?

What are the samskara-s that are to be followed when a girl attains her puberty?

Can women offer camphor harathi for Perumal at home and can they accept the harathi after showing it to Perumal?

Can women read Pancharathra Grantham?

How should married women decorate the Thulasi maadam and worship? Are there any specific rules and what slokas can one recite?

Can women recite Sundarakandam at home?

Can women recite Sri Suktam?

Should women do Acamana after taking bath, wearing clothes and after applying Srichurnam or should they do Acamana after wearing clothes and then apply Srichurnam?

For Astaksharajapam, should we follow this order of – doing Acamanam, Sankalpam, and Japam? What is the order for chanting Dvayam and Carama slokam for women?

How should a woman apply Srichurnam on her forehead as per Vadakalai Sampradayam? Some adorn only the srichurnam, while some do so with a small tiruman (after Acaraya samasharayanam) and a few others just wear a round vermillion dot.

It is said that during new moon day, turmeric should not be used to cook food; can women use turmeric during bath on Ammavasai and can one take oil bath on that day?

Which days are to be avoided for Sumangali prarthanai?

Can women of our sampradayam wear glass bangles?

How to celebrate if a festival occurs on the fourth day of the periods?

Can we take oil bath if anyaa theetu occurs on Ekadasi, Dwadasi and Ammavasai days?

It is stated that women should not touch Salagrama deities; but adiyen’s mother said that my grandmother touched the deities when she used to clean the box in which the deities were residing. Does the divinity of the deities diminish because of my grandmother’s action? Can adiyen continue the thiruvaradhanam for the deities?

Can women listen to upanyasams, nama sankeerthanam during menstrual periods and can they read digital granthams as well?

Can women recite slokas during menstrual periods if so, what are the slokas that can be recited?

Are women allowed to trim their hair and eyebrows in our tradition?

Can women recite Kamba Ramayanam?

Can women visit the temple if the periods extend even to the fifth day?

Should sumangali women apply thilakam with Kumkum or Srichuranam during Shraddham and festivals? Can women of this tradition apply Kumkum on the parting of hair?

Should we recite Mantra Raja Pada stotram only after obtaining as a upadesam through an Acarya? Are women allowed to recite them?

My daughter is having hormonal problems; are there any stotra-s to submit our prayers to Emperuman to cure her disease?

I have come to know through Sudarshanam that women should not touch Salagrama deities, but Andavan Ashram has published a book on Tiruvaradhanam that can be performed by women which states that even the mantra to touch Perumal. I am confused about following the right practice.

At our home, we have bedridden elders and small children. There are instances to help in cleaning the children resulting in impurity (vizhuppu). Can we light the lamp in the evenings with vizhuppu or should we take bath to light up the lamp? Can women take bath after sunset?

How should a widowed woman apply Thirumann and Srichuranam?

What are the rules and regulations that women should adhere to? Kindly explain what a lady must do starting with bathing, preparation of food, lighting lamp at Perumal sannidhi, etc.

Is it right to change the thirumangalya-caradu on suitable days?

Is it a must that sumangali women and children should eat cooked rice at nights?

Based on what time should the monthly periods be calculated?

Can women and children take oil baths during the Adi festival?

What are the rituals that working women must observe without avoiding them?

It is understandable, that ladies must not recite Sri Vishnu Sahasranam. Can ladies instead recite ‘vanamaali gadI shArngi’ and ‘sri rAma rAma rAmEti’ slokas?

To pray for the continuity of Sumangali status, are there any slokas?

It has been 17 years since my divorce which was within one year after giving birth to a son. Are there any methods for a lady to observe ceremonies such as mother-in-law’s sraddha, other tarppanam, etc.? Or are these not required? Have not received any alimony or wealth from my in-law’s place. Kindly advise.

During the menstruating period, how many days should the women refrain from chanting stotram, Prabandham, etc.? It will be beneficial if stipulations to be followed during a menstruating period as a separate publication.

Can we women recite Sudarshana Shatakam?

Can the coconut in tambulam presented during Navarathri by those who are not Srivaishnava-s (Smarthas and others associated with demi-gods) be included in the food prepared by those who have undergone bharanyasam? Can we place the turmeric, areca nut, etc. in the Perumal sannidhi?

A widow lives alone; her sons and daughters do not live with her. Can she arrange Golu and offer betel leaves and areca nut to the visitors during Navarathri?

What are the daily austerities for unmarried girls and for girls who have not performed samashrayanam?

Adiyen is not married and has asked this question because adiyen does not belong to a Srivaishnava family and has been born and brought up abroad. Due to some reasons, adiyen could not come to India for performing samashrayanam but is desirous of following the practices of Srivaishanava tradition until such time. The husbands of our household do not render puja and adiyen being attracted to Srivaishnava tradition had put forth this question for practising the tradition.

Are there any references to acamana for women in Ithihasa and Puranas?

Can sumangali women apply manjal kappu and kungkumam on their forehead, especially over Thiruman and Srichuranam?

Can a Srivaishanava women recite Hanuman chalisa?

Can Andal goshti alone recite Gadya-Trayam at temples?

Adiyen performs Tiruvaradhanam every day at home which my wife recites along during Arulicceyal; is this acceptable?

Can a woman who had lost her husband, re-join the classes to learn Sri Suktis of Azhwar, Acharya-s after the conclusion of Subham?

For how many days should women both married and unmarried women (sumangali and kanya) wear the masi nonbu caradu?

What duties are to be followed on the days of shaving?

It has been a practice at our house to offer food to Brahmacharis during kumara sashti; as we have performed pancha samaskaram and bharanyasam, should we continue that practice?

Can ladies wear chains that includes coins with Sri Krishna or Mahalakshmi figures? When can they be worn and when should they not be worn? Can it be worn while prostrating the elders? Kindly clarify the doubts.

Should women chant Dwadasa nama while applying Thiruman kappu on their forehead and nape or can they just say Kesavaya NamaH/Sriyai NamH / Damodaraya NamaH/Surasundaryai NamaH alone?

Why we should not shift house when a woman is pregnant?

Can women learn and recite Sundarakandam and Bhagavad Gita? Are there any guidelines for this?

Can a wife who has lost her husband visit nearby temples that are not Divya Desam temples during the first year, please clarify.

Can women sound the divine bell while offering prasadam to Perumal when the husband is away?

As per Srivaishnava sampradayam, can women recite Narayaneeyam and Sankshepa Ramayanam?

Why do we not use Tulasi bead, neem, and lotus garlands in our tradition while performing japa? Which garland should a woman use while doing japa?

In certain households, after the menstruation period, on the fourth day a woman takes raw rice, salt, or tamarind; is there a scientific reason behind this practice?

Can women recite the Apamarjana Stotram from Sri Vishnu Dharmam?

Can married woman participate in her mother’s aptikam and partake its prasadham?