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?
Vidwan’s reply
No, the divinity of the Salagrama deities will never diminish because your grandmother had touched them. But women do not touch the deities as per the custom. Elders handle the deities only after performing the appropriate purification rituals. They do thirumanjanam with milk for purifying the deities.
Women should not take this incident as precedence to touch the deities. Women can worship the Salagrama deities mentally and offer food in the same manner. Women can clean the place around the Salagrama box, decorate it with kolam and flowers, light up lamps but never touch the deities and perform thiruvaradhanam.
Can women listen to upanyasams, nama sankeerthanam during menstrual periods and can they read digital granthams as well?
Vidwan’s reply
Women must not listen to upanyasams, do namasankeerthanam or read digital granthams during menstrual periods. Women can do all these usefully on other days and not on these three days. Women can spend their time meaningfully on the other days barring the period days.
Can women recite slokas during menstrual periods if so, what are the slokas that can be recited?
Vidwan’s reply
Women should not recite slokam during menstrual periods as it is not in tradition. One can contemplate on dwaya mantram anytime as it is accepted; but one should not do it intentionally by sitting exclusively to recite them during periods.
It can be chanted during times of adversities but not with the intention of chanting during testing times alone. Although it is permitted, it is improper to chant dwayam during periods.
Are women allowed to trim their hair and eyebrows in our tradition?
Vidwan’s reply
No, as per our tradition women are not allowed to trim their hair or eyebrows; but if the question arises pointing out the women are doing owing to current times, we can say they do it based on their karmic effects.
