Must Kanuppidi be performed only after taking a bath and also in svarupam? In some places, they observe this without taking a bath. Kindly clarify.
Vidwan’s reply:
In certain places, it is a practice to perform Kanuppidi after a bath. In Southern places, they take a bath after Kanuppidi. Specifically, in the Southern districts such as Tirunelveli, this practice is followed. This is local custom. So, follow the practice of one’s household.
While adiyen is in foreign countries, on different occasions, there is a need to perform masa pravesha tharpanam or amavasyai tharpanam. Which place should be (desham) included in the sankalpam-s?
Vidwan’s reply:
The Dharma shastras have not mentioned anything about this matter. It appears that our elders also collectively have not suggested a solution for this. So, one could consider the place that they are in at that time; some do so. This is an opinion of adiyen alone.
Even within India, eclipses do not occur at all places; at times, there are significant variations in the timings of sunrise and sunset. During such instances, people follow what applies to the places they are at for rituals. Notably, last year Sankranti occurred over different days at many places in India. Some places followed the first-day occurrence and some other places followed the second-day occurrence. It appears that one can follow the details that are pertinent to the places one is at.
Kindly explain the rationale followed for Kanuppidi. My father-in-law asks my husband to send money to his (father-in-law’s) sisters during Kanuppidi. Must we follow this practice?
Vidwan’s reply:
Women, especially married women, perform Kanuppidi for the welfare and closeness of their brothers along with the welfare of other family members. That is the reason that brothers, on the day of Kanuppidi, send their respects to their sisters in the form of money. This one custom is still followed by all.
Kanuppidi intends to ensure that the bond between brothers and sisters does not fade away.
Partaking Panchagavyam, cleanses the physical body. If there are any other scientific reasons, kindly explain.
Vidwan’s reply:
Partaking Panchagavyam is not based on scientific reasons. There are two aspects to partaking Panchagavyam. One, it cleanses the body. That is, the scriptures mention a few items related to cows, grant us strength, and this results in the cleansing of the body. The second aspect is nishkruti-prayaschittam – this is an atonement that we must not repeat the same mistake.
Generally, in material life, Panchagavyam is one that many hate and refrain from partaking it. But this is an atonement. If we commit an offense, we must undergo the requisite punishment. From this perspective, we must consider this an atonement. The chief aspect is that it cleanses the physical body. And it is an atonement for not repeating the same mistake.
It is said that it is futile to perform any rituals if one does not perform sandhayavandanam and before any ritual, one must perform sandhyavandanam. Given this, how is it possible to perform sandhyavandanam before rituals that are performed at Brahma muhurtham or in the dawn, such Grihapravesham (housewarming)?
Vidwan’s reply:
Sandhaya kalam is the time of sunrise and during which sandhyavandanam must be performed; it cannot be done before that. If the grihapravesha muhurtham is before sunrise at brahma muhurtham, it must be performed before sandhya kalam. Only after the advent of sandhya kalam, it become conducive. After sandhya kalam, no ritual must be performed without the performance of sandhyavandanam. This is the reason why it is said that no ritual must be performed without performing sandhyavandanam. If rituals must be performed before sandhya kalam, sandhyavandanam can be performed then.
Kindly request to provide answers for adiyen’s queries below related to aradhanam, tharpanam, etc.
One of the divine names in the Sri Mahalakshmi Ashtohra Namavali is ‘sri bilva nilayAya namaH’. Vilvam (Bilvam) the sacred tree is associated with Thayar. This being so, why is Vilvam usually offered to Shivaperuman? Why is not offered to Perumal? It is also said that Vilva leaves are offered to Srinivasa Perumal at Thirumala during Dhanur maasam. Why is it offered only during Dhanur maasam?
According to the English calendar, the next day (a day) starts at midnight. Given this, during a Dhanur masa aradhanam that is done before sunrise, what day (E.g. bhAnu vAsara) must be mentioned during sankalpam? Is it based on the day as per the English calendar or the previous day? As the taligai is offered before sunrise, must we recite ‘satyam tvadartEna parishinchAmi’ or ‘rutam tvA satyEna parishinchAmi’?
Which star (nakshatram) is associated with Dhanvantari Perumal? In which tithi or star must we perform aradhanam for Dhanvantari Perumal?
vyatIpAta yogam, one of the 27 yogas, is said to be malefic and is suitable only to perform karmas related to Devas and Pitru-s. As a result, during vyatIpAta yogam period, must any specific Perumal aradhanam/Japam/Dhanam be done?
As per the shloka below, what is the relation between the vyatIpAta yoga kalam and ‘cakra svarUpAya’?
vyatIpAta mahAsatva
sarvapApapraNAshana
sahasrabAhO vishvAtman
gruhANArkyam namOstu tE |
vyatIpAta namstEstu namaste
vishvamangala
vishNucakrasvarUpAya namaste
divyathEjasE ||
In America, this year Makara Ravi came into being at 4.15 PM. Adiyen could not fast until 4.15 PM to perform tharpanam. As a result, performed the tharpanam the morning of the next day before partaking food. In such instances where Makara Ravi’s advent is in the evenings, can one partake food before tharpanam, or must one perform tharpanam before partaking food?
Vidwan’s reply:
Vilvam can be offered to Perumal. It is known that it will not be a misdemeanor since ‘bilva nilaiyAya namaH’ is towards Thayar. So it can be offered to Perumal. Because offering Vilvam to Shivan is considered special, they do so.
The question itself mentions that Vilvam leaves are offered to Srinivasa Perumal at Thirumala during Dhanur maasam. Hence it means that Vilvam can be offered to Perumal. What is the special reason that it is only offered during Dhanur maasam at Thirumala must be queried around. Whatever the reason, Vilvam can be offered, and let us accept that it can be offered during the Dhanur maasam.
Since Pongal is generally offered during the Dhanur masa aradhanam, and because it is a salted preparation, parishesanam is not applicable for that. Without parishesanam, Pongal can be offered after shosanam and plavanam as purificatory rites.
There is an ancient Sannidhi for Dhanvantari at Srirangam temple. In that Sannidhi, Dhanvantari Jayanthi is celebrated during the month of Aippasi and on Hasta nakshatram. We can follow the same.
Srivaishnava-s need to perform any aradhanam, japam, dhanam, etc. that is mentioned in the vyatIpAtayogam. It includes several karma-s for material benefits (kAmya karmA). We have been told not to perform any rituals for material benefit.
Adiyen is not aware of where the shloka that starts with ‘vyatIpAta mahAstava’ is. Many meanings can be said for ‘vyatIpAta’ – it could also mean ‘One who transcends everything’. Maybe because of this meaning the association could be construed. It would be convenient for adiyen if you could point out whether it is vyatipAt1a or vyatipAd3a in the shloka. Adiyen is also asking several others about this.
Usually, one must not partake food before tharpanam; tharpanam must be done only on the day of masa pirappau. The following day is not a punya kalam. Because of this, if one is unable to wait until the appropriate time for masa pirappu tharpanam, one could do the tharpanam a little earlier and partake food. Even if this is not possible, as asked in the question, one must avoid performing tharpanam after partaking food or the following day.
Adiyen is not a Brahmin. Am a disciple of the present Srimad Azhagiya Shingar. Have undergone both samashrayanam and bharanyasam. I live alone. To the best of my abilities, have been observing AchAram and following anusthAnam, perform japam, Perumal aradhanam, etc. for the pleasure of the divine heart of Acharyan and Perumal. While undergoing bharanyasam, Acharyan has assured that at the end of this life that adiyen will attain moksha. I have absolute faith in that. Have a deeper understanding of the importance of the last rites (Charam kainkaryam) from the lives of Maraneri Nambi and Periya Nambi and as a result continue to perform tharpanam, etc. I don’t have children, and my family does not have faith in the shastras. This means that there is no possibility of charama kainkaryam for me. Though I have absolute faith that attainment of Vaikuntham and Divine Feet of Emperuman is assured due to the munificence of Acharya, are there any atonements or AchAra/anusthAnam that need to be performed as an alternative to the charama kainkaryam? Adiyen asks this not to fulfill a shortcoming, asking instead solely to please Perumal and Acharya.
Vidwan’s reply:
Shastras themselves have mentioned that there is no need to worry about charama kainkaryam to a great extent; there is also no need to perform atonements or anusthAnam as alternatives. Moreover, those who have undergone bharanyasam need not worry, so says the Vedas. Let us pray individually to Perumal that it must go through smoothly due to HIS grace. Perumal will conduct that effectively. We have witnessed many such instances.
Can Tiruvaradhanam be performed with two Salagrama-s? (That is, by placing each Salagrama in two separate boxes and performing all the Asana-s and performing snAsanam for both individually).
Can Tiruvaradhanam be performed without Sanskrit shloka-s but only with appropriate Azhvar and Desika Prabandham during the respective Asana-s?
Can tirtham from either sarvArtha thOya or arghya vattil be used for grinding sandal wood paste?
Vidwan’s reply:
It is specified that one must not have two Salagrama-s. If one has two Salagrama-s, as mentioned in the question both the Salagrama-s can be placed in individual boxes and Tiruvaradhanam performed individually. Until one has 4 Salagrama-s, one must follow this practice and one must make efforts to obtain two more Salagrama-s.
One can seek one’s Acharyan and he gives his consent, one can certainly do so. Ask your samashrayanam Acharyan and he will teach you. After obtaining his permission, proceed to do so.
One can use the tirtham from sarvArtha thOyam for grinding sandalwood paste. Instead, one can use the tirtham from Tirukkaveri.
When one undergoes samashrayanam under Munitraya tradition and performs bharanyasam under Sri Matam tradition, which tradition that one must follow to celebrate festivals such as Sri Jayanthi, Karthikai Deepam, etc.?
Vidwan’s reply:
Svami Desikan has mentioned that the Acharyan under whom one has undergone mantropadesam is the primary Acharyan. There is also a tradition that does weddings, etc. based on the lineage under which samashrayanam was done.
So, it would be appropriate to follow the Munitraya tradition under which you have performed the samashrayanam. It does not mean following otherwise is wrong. It can be said that only to inculcate a discipline that it is said one must adhere to a tradition.
