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QUALITY of a srivaishnavan - Sri Visu's comments

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jasn sn • June 25, 2002 


 SRIMATHE RAAMNUJAYA NAMAHA

Many thanks to Sri Visu for making me think more on
this subject.
He says,
 
> Even though Smt. Jayasree captions the quality as
"desirable", she tends to 
> make it obrigatory

This is about the purachinnangal.
I was very careful in dealing with this topic that I
almost behaved like  a 'madhil mEl poonai'.
All that I wanted to convey was that the purachinnagal
was not the be-all and end-all of a sv.

The individual may or may not adorn them, led by his
circumstances and he is the best judge of his
circumstances. 
(I have heard the horrific tales of how my people in
Tanjore had to wipe out the oordhwa pundaram, hide
their shigai and poonool and run for life when the
anti-brahmanic triade was carried out by the DMK in
the seveties.)
 In today's conditions too, things are not very rosy -
something we must acknowledge.And there may be other
reasons too whiich I leave to the individual to judge
and decide.

I wanted to sound less dogmatic and less ambiguous too
in this aspect in my post.
But to a deep-probing mind, the ambiguities become
well-detected:-)) 
So let me tell why I made it look obligatory while I
was  actually clubbing it along with the desirables (I
used the term 'basic' as an inter-changeable one to
'desirable'- another proof that I didn't want to say
the last word on this issue)

# I thought I will be offending scores of sv-s if I
say that the purachinnangal are 'just' desirables and
nothing more. I didn't want to do that - a true sv
must not hurt others (attractive quality) and I try to
be one!

# It is said that Sriman Narayana comes to reside in
the body that is adorned with the purachinnangal - it
is for this reason, dwaadasa manthras are recited when
one wears the thiruman kaapu- Though symbolic, I
didn't want to appear to be on the adverse side by
making debatable remarks.
( another point to note: Almost 99.99% of sv-women do
not follow the srichooram code in daily life. Still
are they not sv-s? -I know I am touching upon  another
controversy. But let us speak out)

# I strongly believe that the purachinnagal alone do
not make one a sv, the must-be and attractive
qualities also are to be adopted in all earnestness.
So I want to say there is more to do with
aga-chinnangal  than to be complacent with the
purachinnangal.

# And lastly I have my own debates and inferences why
the purachinnangal came to acquire so much importance
over and above the other qualities.

For this I can quote the words supposedly spelt by
Yama dharma raja and Sri Krishna. As I couldn't get to
know the exact source, I didn't use the following in
the previous post.
 Thirumazhisai Alwar has said that  Yamadjharman
instructed his messengers to prostrate before the 
sv-s. The sv-s can be identified in the following way.
 " Ye baahu moola parichinha shanka-chakra:
   Yeva lalaada palakelasa oordhwa pundra:
   Ye kanda lagna thulasi nalinaaksha mala:
   Teh vaishnava: bhuvana maashubha vidhrayanthi"
The sv can be identified by the shanku-chkra chinnam,
oordhwa pundaram and the thulasi maala.

Sri Krishna was said to have instructed his dwaara-
paalagas, before leaving  the fort of Dwaaraka, to
allow  sv-s inside,  who can be identified by the
shanku-chakra dhaaranam and the oordhwa pundaram.
 " chakraangitha: praveshtavyaa:
   Yaavadaagamanam mama,
   Naamudhritha: praveshtavyaa:
   Yaavadaagamanam mama" 

The insistance on pura chinnangal in the above two
instances made me wonder, why they had not laid the
stress on the other spiritual qualities (the must-be
and the attractive in our reckoning). In fact the
qualities of people in those days (pre-kaliyuga) 
pursuing athma-vidhyai must have been of a highest
order, irrespective of the sect they belonged to. 

May I reason out this way?
The mental and spiritual qualities of the  seeker,
irrespective of his sect are the same. Like the
different streams rushing to unite with the same
ocean, these seekers are in the same direction. But
only the 'kozhu-kombu' (that which they cling to) is
different. For some it is Vishnu, for some it is
Shiva.

Therefore, the need must have arisen to differentiate
a sv from others, just by seeing, i.e., by appearance.
The sv-s who were the highest epitomes of the
srivaishnava-lakshna, adorned the purachinnangal to
show others that they are Emperuman adiyar.
Today it is the other way round. 
The purachinnangal seem to remind us that we must live
to be a sv! (no offence meant)
I agree with the following words of Sri Visu:- 

  It seems to me that the external imprints 
> (purac/cinnaGkaL) are symbols of character and not
of baptism. 
> 
> Unlike the other three components, the imprints need
not serve any purpose 
> for the initiate. On the other hand they proclaim to
the community that this 
> person being a Shri vaishNava can be expected to
demonstrate a certain 
> behavior. 


In the case of Muththanathan (in Sri Visu's post),the
purachinnangal were regarded as symbolising the inner
sublime qualities that they come to symbolise.
Muththanathan was an exception than a rule in those
days. The imposter was spared of his life, because of
the purachinnam
Today if someone attempts to do a Muththanathan, we
know what will happen to him. Because the purachinnam
does not corresspond to the aga-chinnam in today's
context.That is why we keep harping upon the other two
types of qualities to anoint one as a true sv!

Now once again to Sri Visu:  

, the 
> story makes a point that is valid today. 
> 
> It seems to me that the pundram is a trademark which
carries with it a 
> warrarnty. Under the product warranty, I would have
sued muttu/nAtan and 
> claimed compensation! 


Muththanathan is not the original, only  a duplicate.
The company will not comply with Mr Visu's demand!!!

I beg to differ from Sri Visu on the warranty clause.
I think warranty is out of place in this context.
Warranty deals with replacement of the defective
parts.
In spiritual realms (even in mundane affairs)the
defective ones are not replaced. The faulted one has
to face the consequences of his mistakes / sins
(Theory of karma -cause and effect)
But there is a gauranty offered to the sv -
and  true to the implication of this word gauranty, 
a wonderful service is offered by none other than 
Sri Ramanuja himself.

In his  (apparantly) last dialogue with the lord
before he left for the 'Ponnadi'of Emperuman, he was
said to have extracted a gauranty from the lord that
He grant mukhthi to all those who have connection with
him (Ramanuja sambhandham).
That is why the need to surrender at the feet of an
acharyan who binds you with Ramanuja sambhandham which
in turn facilitates the ascent to moksham.
This guaranty is indeed the hope of every sv that he
will attain his 'ponnadi' someday due to his Ramanuja
Sambhandaham!

Reaching out to the acharyan alone will not help
unless the sv as an individual, follows the other
qualities. The 'gauranty' can not be expected to come
to one's rescue (automatically and logically) at the
end of the same birth, unless the sv stands up to the
other faculties of mental and spiritual nature.
It is very clear from the  must-be qualities (emphasis
on MUMUKSHPPADI Avashyaa-peshitham)that they offer
Absolute gauranty to moksha  to the  sv who is sincere
in his efforts.

Now the question from sri Visu:

> 
> Finally, I would like to address a question: We have
had very little 
> discussion on: How does a Sri vaishNava handle
non-vaishNavAs. I cannot 
> imagine a dossier of Sri vaishNavas that will omit
such an important 
> question. The question is of special interest to
teenagers and young people. 
> 

The answer is obvious.
The attractive quality is essentially about the
inter-personal relationship of the sv.
A detailed version of these qualities are listed in
Taittriya upanishad, (Sheekshavalli, 11.1 to 11.4)
The advice from the Guru, starting with 
'satyam vada: dharmam chara' ( speak the truth, follow
the dharma)and 
ending with the art of giving -"Bhiya deyam, samvidha
deyam"
and the other advices in the same chapter precisely
deal with how one must conduct himself in body, speech
and mind.
In his interaction with a non-sv, if the sv stands
steadfast in keeping up with his purity in the
tri-kaaraN,
 that is the ultimate good he will be doing to the
sect he swears by. 
History will then come to speak about not just one
Kulashekara alwar, but many. 
That is the  ultimate triumph 
of SRI VAISHNAVISM,
of MANKIND
and 
of CREATION itself!!

AHIMSA PARAMO DHARMA:
Ahimsa through body, speech and mind!

The lead has already  been given by Nammalwar,

POLIGA, POLIGA,POLIGA
POYITRU VALLUYIR CHABHAM..(3128)
...
..
VERRUPPINDRI GYAALATHTHU MIKKAR
MEVI THOZHUDU VUIMINEERE.. (3135)
......
OKKA THOZHUGITTREER AAGIL
KALI YUGAM ONDRUM ILLAIYE!(3137)

jayasree  sarnathan



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