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Re: Are you a True Sri Vaishnavite?

From the Bhakti List Archives

sampath kumar • November 29, 1999 


--- ramudu@us.ibm.com wrote:
> Hi,
> Can you please list all the necessary and
> important daily things that a so called
> Sri Vaishnavite has to do in order to truly
> become one?
> 
> Thanks
> Raghu Ramanuja Dasaha


Very good question. And something which all
SriVaishnavas must ask themselves periodically and
honestly. 

What a SriVaishnavan must do daily is listed in works
like "SriVaishnava dinasari" written by our great
"AchAryA-s" like Swami Desikan and others. Every
Vaisnavan will read it and try to follow it as
religiously as possible with utmost faith.

Given the travails of modern life we may not all have
the "sakthi" to follow everything that the "achAryas"
have laid down. But in adiyEn's humble view the
following would be the bare minimum of things that a
Vaishnavan will do in a day:

(1) Wake up as early as possible in the morning and
utter first "Hari, Hari" and if possible the verse
from the "tiruppAvai" beginning
"chitrun-chiru-kAle...".

(2) Have bath quickly and perform "sandhyAvandanam"
with at least 10 "gayatri" japam with deep respect for
the devata who is our true mother. This must be done
AT ALL COSTS.

(3) If one has had "samAshrayanam" then one must do
"tirmantra" or "dwaya" mantra japa as taught by one's
achAryan. This must be done quietly and with full
faith at least 10 times.

(4) Offer at least 2 pieces of fruit (banana or apple
or some such thing) to the family idol of "perumAl".
This offering must be made lovingly and with utmost
care.

(5) Recite a few "achArya tanians" (whatever few you
know).

(6) Recite "Vishnu-sahasranAmam" loudly and clearly.

(7) Stand before the Lord in your puja room and shed a
few genuine tears. Without shame ("vekkam") but filled
with deeply-felt remorse cry out silently to the Lord
that due to your "agnyAnam" and "a-sakthi" you are
unable to offer "perumAl" anything other than your
tears by way of obesiance or "kainkaryam" otherwise
set out in the sAstras for a true Vaishnavan. Beseech
the Lord's compassion and forgivance. Prostrate 4 or
10 times before "perumAl" and say,"Lord, please grant
me the strength and good sense, like you have today,
to fall at Your feet like this every other day in my
life and beg for your grace and protection knowing yet
fully that I am utterly undeserving of both".

dAsan,
Sampathkumaran



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