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Re: [A doubt on how to offer taLigai to perumal]

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M.S.HARI Madabhushi Sarangarajan Hari • January 9, 2001 


Dear Shreemathee Kalyani Krishnamachari,

>A relative said that we should offer food only after making sure 
>it is not hot for perumAL.

I have heard that the cooked-food-offerings that are made to 
perumAL should be neither too hot nor too cold. I believe that
it is more of preethi (love) towards perumAL regarding this
offerings. 

>"Avi umakku, amudu emakku" 

I have not heard of this. But sounds interesting. When
food is offered to perumAL, He accepts the sUkshma amSam
of it. 

>aDiyEn's mAmiyAr (late) had said that we
>should place the whole vengalappAnai in which we make
>cakkaraip pongal for pongal day when we offer food to
>perumAL. 

Yes. All the food items must be placed in full and the
nivEdanam must be done. This is done during bhOjyAsanam.
(which is a part of Bhagavath ArAdhana kriyA). One more
point is that, not only during pongal day, but also 
during all days, we have to use only non-ferrous vessels
(those vessels that are NOT having iron in it) to cook
the naivEdyams for Tiru-ArAdhanam. (Stainless steel 
(ever-silver) must not be used).

>aDiyEn's aunt (who was very orthodox)
>used to take perumAL SALagrAmam to the kitchen and
>offer amudu there itself after she removed the vessels
>from the fire and placed on the side. 

This is also done if the number of vessels are more and
transporting all of them to perumaL sannadhi is difficult.
Men who have undergone panchasamskAram can 
do tirumanjanam, take Saligramam to places.

>Question is - should we take the whole vessel that is
>hot and offer it hot 

Yes. all the food cooked is offered to bhagavAn. In fact,
I have seen paramaikAntis not accepting those food items which
where not offered to bhagavAn during ArAdhanam. 

>Is there a difference between offering food to
>SALagrAmam and KrishNan(tavazhum KrishNan is what
>aDiyEn's mother offered and we have sALagrAmams
>also)?

SAlagrAma ArAdhanam is simple; but mUrthy ArAdhanam
is difficult and has lot of procedures involved in it.
For example no AvAhanam is done in SAlagrAma ArAdhanam
as Lord has nitya-sAnidyam in SAlagrAma. But in vigraha
ArAdhanam, elaborate AvAhanam has to be done. In case if the
vigraha has "pratishtA" as per Agama, then the kriyA becomes
very complicated. Lot of mudras are involved in bhagavath vigraha 
ArAdhanam. In Salagrama ArAdhana, the number of mudras are 
limited and the kriyA is also simple. Both these ArAdhanams can be 
done only by men who have (underwent panchasamskAram) in mAntrika and
tAntrika-mAntrika methods. But women who underwent panchasamskAram 
can do the ArAdhanam by offering food to bhagavAn, chanting dwayam, singing
divya-prabanda pAsurams, AchArya's stotras, preparing 
flower/tulasi garlands etc. All are qualified to do bhagavath 
ArAdhanam but the methods differ.

Thanks & Regards
M.S.HARI rAmAnuja dAsan.

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