Welcome to Adiyen Sri Ramanuja Dasan !
" Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha !"
A word here about the practice of wearing Srichoornam alone: It is the Divine Duo who should be the subject of our adulation, adoration etc. It is no use espousing only one of them, for neither would be pleased by the rejection of or indifference towards the other. If proof were needed, we only have to remember what happened to Soorpanakha, who coveted the Lord and tried to do away with Sita Piratti, and the example of Ravana, who developed an infatuation for Mythily, to the exclusion of Emperuman. Hence, Tiruman is complete only when worn with Srichoornam and vice-versa. Tiruman alone is worn only when we contract some Asoucham or theettu, indicating the importance of Piratti in the whole scheme of things. Similarly, wearing of Srichoornam alone would definitely not please either the Lord or His Consort, who is His constant companion. It would be as if we were separating Emperuman and His inalienable companion, who has vowed never to be apart from the former even for a second.
Apart from any other reason, Tiruman serves as an adornment to our foreheads.
Readers would surely agree that the Lord's feet, worn symbolically, considerably enhance our looks and serve as a distinct decoration to our visages. Worn just right, neither too broad nor too narrow, with neither too sharp edges nor blatantly blunt ones, occupying just the right proportion of the forehead and touching the hairline, Tiruman and Srichoornam serve as effective enhancements of our looks.
With such a plethora of reasons, is it any wonder that our elders scrupulously adhered to this practice themselves and exhorted us too to follow suit?
We can now see why we should wear Tiruman. However, there is an extremely strange practice being followed at our temples, irrespective of the Agama or sampradaya to which they belong, which is quite puzzling.
We find the Lord at all divyadesams and other sannidhis scrupulously wearing Tiruman and Srichoornam on His own forehead. While many of the Utsava Murth is sport just a tilakam on their visages, the Moola bEram is invariably adorned with oordhva pundram. We are puzzled, because none of the reasons cited above for adopting the practice applies to Emperuman. If Tiruman indeed signifies the Lord's feet, would not its application to the Lord's forehead amount to His carrying His own feet on His brow? Would this not amount to an apachAram or insult to the Lord? And if we wear it to signify our slavery to the omnipotent Lord, what would be the purport of putting it on the Lord's forehead, since He is the Matchless Master? If we wear it for our protection ("Kappu"), what protection does the Lord need and from whom? If Tiruman serves as adornment to our faces, does it do so for the Lord too, whose beauty and brilliance are unparalleled and need no enhancement?
Jai Srimannaryana !
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