Fw: The Thiruman kaapu on Lord Venkateshwara's forehead

From the Bhakti List Archives

• June 24, 2000


Subject: Re: The Thiruman kaapu on Lord Venkateshwara's forehead


 Hare Krishna.

 How authentic is this explanation ?
We must remember one point - in all traditions, discrepancies can abound
over time with someone doing something out of sentiment and as a result of
his often powerful position within the establishment, traditions are blindly
created around it and continued for centuries on end.

I am not suggesting that such an occurrence could have definitely taken
place with regards to the Lord at Thirupathi.
But the possibility can exist.

What is essential however is an authentic reason. Certainly the eyes being
too powerful and hence the need for a thiruman cover seems untenable with
the ardent devotees' desire and prayer for the Lord's loving glance to shine
upon him/her !

When we constantly pray to the Lord to cast His divine sight upon us,
when we describe His merciful eyes as pankaja netram or lotus eyes,
when we often chant slokas to the archa vigraha to bestow his lotus vision
on us, how can this explanation be tenable ?

Something serious and more philosophical is warranted and I am certain that
a Sri Vaishnava Periyar could elucidate.

And how can a Thursday reduce the power in the Lord's eyes ? unless of
course this is said with a certain friendly or parental mellow attached to
it in terms of rasa (as in the case with Sri Ranganatha Swami being seen as
an "old" Perumal and hence a later mangala arati at Thiruvarangam in the
morning, or with the pastimes of Lord Oppiliappan)

The Lord is sarva shaktiman. How can His eyes be reduced by a mere graha ?

 Hare Krishna.



 Your servant,
 R. Jai Simman
 Singapore


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "sarayu rajesh" 
> To: 
> Sent: Friday, June 23, 2000 3:19 PM
> Subject: Re: The Thiruman kaapu on Lord Venkateshwara's forehead
>
>
> > Hello Bhakthas,
> > As I am reading this mail I remember somebody was saying about this.I
> don't
> > know whether this is right or not.
> > Since Lord's eyes are very powerful, the devotees would not be able to
> bear
> > the power of the eyes if left open. Hence the Thiruman kappu is used as
a
> > shield protecting the devotees from the power. However only on thursdays
> > eyes are kept open for the bhakthas to see. There is a myth that the
> > marriage of Lord Venkateswara with Padmavathi(Lakshmi) took place on a
> > Thursday  which reduced the power in the eyes hence Thursday is chosen
as
> > the day when devotees can have the darshan of the Lord without the
> Thiruman.
> > I think this explanation is correct.If anybody disagrees with this
please
> > correct me.
> > Vasaha Dhoshaka Shanthaviyaha.
> > SarayuRajesh.



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