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" Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha !"
118. Q .: What is the level of acceptance of Emperumanaar Darshanam by Vaikanasa Brahmins? I am asking this because the temple in our village is conducted in accordance with Vaikanasa aagamam (by bhattars from Karuppur), and I was told that the Sri Vaishnava Guruparampara was accepted by Vaikanasas much after Ramanuja's era. Tirumala has Ramanuja Sannidhi, and also the temple in Pazhayaseevaram has Nammalwar, Ramanuja and Desikan but the Prasanna Venkatesa temple in Gunaseelam has none.
Ans .: Vaikhanasa's are followers of Bhagavan Vikhanasa Maharshi, they dont either follow the rules laid by Bhagavad Ramanuja for Srivaishnavaites or recite Divya Prabhandams as done by all Sri Vaishnavaites. The one and only Guru for Vaikhanasa's is Vikhanasa Maharshi, who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. A Vaikhanasa will follow the rules laid down by Vikhanasa Maharshi in Sri Vaikhanasa Kalpa Sutram. Vaikhanasa's are the only Priest Community where they have their own Kalpa Sutram. Infact as Sri Ramanuja reestablished Sri Vaishnavism throughout India, they do respect them too personally. Vaikhanasas claim to be a surviving school of Vedic ritual, the Taittiriya sakha of the Krishna Yajurveda. Vaikhanasa tradition says the sage Vikhanas, who was a manifestation of Vishnu, composed the Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra and taught four disciples, Atri, Bhrigu, Kasyapa, and Marichi. To know more about Sri Vaikhanasa Bhavachhastram read my introductory eBook at : http://www.srihayagrivan.org/html/ebook031.htm
119. Q .: What is the significance of Bharanyasam? and what is the difference between yellow srichoornam and the red vermillion?
Ans .: Prapatti or Bharanyasam is a sAdyOpAya – “means”. It is total surrendering at the lotus feet of Sriman Narayana:. It has five “angas” namely AanukUlya-sankalpam, praathikUlya-varjanam, Maha-visvaasam, gOptruvavaraNam and kaarpaNyam. It has to be done by the jivaatman who has realized aachinchanyatvam and ananya-gathithvam and wants the result without delay.
This is a view quoted by one of my online Sri Vaishnava relation. I will sum up a few points to focus on the significance of Kumkumum .Literally Kumkumum means saffron . For our use , it is the vermillion used on the forehead of Sumangalis to indicate their SoumAngalyam. This is one of the five items(entities ) used to refer to their SoumAngalyam or auspicious wedded state . The other four are ManjaL , Ear Rings, Bangles and ThAli ( mangala sUthram ) . A Sumangali is never without tilakam on her forehead . It has manjal and SuNNAmphu heated together to produce that color .
From the VaishNava Point of view , Sri ChUrNam represents the SoumAngalyathvam of a Jeevan wedded to the Lord . Sri ChUrNam along with PunDram worn on the 12 sites of the body of a Sri VaishNavA is assoicated with our salutations to the 12 UpavyUhA forms of the Lord with His consort ( KamalA NirapAyan = one who is never separted from Her Lord ) .It starts with Sri Kesava and ends with Sri VaasudEvA .The wearing of the PuNDram and Sri ChUrNam is part of the purificatory ceremonies after pancha SamskAram by AchAryA . Our body is formed of Prakrithi , which forms also the body of the Lord in Sri VisishtAdvaitha SiddhAntham . The 12 UpavYuha forms of the Lord reside in the 12 sites of our body , where we wear Sri ChUrNam and ThirumaNN and our wearing the 12 Urdhva PuNDrams is an external display of reverence for those UpavYuha forms of Sriya: Pathi and His consorts associated with each of the 12 forms .
Jai Srimannaryana !
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