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question on samashrayanam

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Bhagya Murali • August 25, 2000 


sri:
srimathe rangaramanuja mahadesikaya namah


dear madhavakannan mama,

you had written:

One lady in the list asked me this question. Please throw some light.

1. When is a lady eligible to undergo samasrayaNam?
2. Should it be necessarily after her marriage- as the gothram changes.
3. If she is allowed to undergo samasrayaNam before wedding, should she
change her AchArya after wedding and follow husband's AchArya lineage?

I could not answer- as I had seen all combinations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, adiyen had just undergone samashrayanam and prapatti under the lotus 
feet of HH Srimushnam Andavan of Srirangam.  Adiyen is not married and this 
was the concern that was most prevalent among the sishyas present at the 
ashramam at that time.  Adiyen had asked HH if He would be willing to do 
samashrayanam for adiyen(The day of the prapatti).  HE said "sure, come 
tomorrow"; but there was a clause--He did mention "only if your parents are 
okay with it".  He also mentioned that in the olden days they did not 
perform samashrayanam for unmarried women, for the following reason: once 
they get married, their husband's house might have a different acharya 
lineage, so THEY(meaning the husband's house) might want the bride to have 
samashrayanam done again under their acharya.  But HH does not recommend 
performing samashrayanam done twice.  So this was the dilemma adiyen was 
faced with.

About an hour and a half passed and adiyen's family wanted to go to the 
kovil(at srirangam), and adiyen's family was still on the ledge-did not know 
what to do.  At that time, HH asked adiyen on what adiyen's decision was; 
adiyen mentioned that adiyen's parents were not too particular, just in case 
the sampradayam changes in the future.  But adiyen also mentioned that 
adiyen really really really(you can see the emphasis adiyen placed) wanted 
to have it done.  So HH said, 'okay then, you're coming tomorrow to have 
your samashrayanam done'.  So adiyen had samashrayanam done the next 
morning.

The gothram change is not a problem; it's only a problem when you're 
husband's sampradayam differs.  But, if someone really wants to get their 
samashrayanam done, to become a true srivaishnava, then please do go for it. 
  Only after samashrayanam do we become 'iyndu angam udayavar or iyengar'.  
It does not matter what cast,creed,or sex that you were born into-once you 
undergo samashrayanam, you are automatically a srivaishnava.  A title that 
is the far more valuable than any other!  If you are concerned about the 
whole marriage thing, but you still want to perform samashrayanam, please go 
ahead and perform it-leave the rest to Perumal.  He will take care of it.  
Go to your respective Acharyan and ask Him to see what He says-His word of 
course is the Ultimate Authority.

adiyen raamanuja daasi
bhagyalakshmi daasi





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