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tirumaN-kAppu in archA

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Tssundararajan • June 21, 2000 


Friends,

May I add my own bit to the postings (reproduced below) on the issue.

The 'sushumnA-nADi' is identified as reaching up from the middle of eyebrows 
to the top of forehead, and the Urdhva-punDram (vertical tirumaN-kAppu, as 
different from the horizontal tiryak-puNDram of Saiva) drawn over the nADi 
signifies that it has an uplifting power.  It is accordingly the conjecture 
of Sri koorat-t/AzhvAn that Lord varada is Himself sporting the 
Urdhva-puNDra-tilakam on the forehead as a fraternal endorsement.

"uddharat-yupari bhakta-janAn-iti Urdhvat-ASrayaNa-sUchita-Saktim
Urdhva-puNDra-tilakam bahumAnAt kim bibharshi varada ! sva-lalATE ? "

(varada-rAja-stavam, 26.)

aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan, tirumanjanam Sundara Rajan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 09:55:33 -0700     From:  
Subject: THIRUMANN.      thiruvengada jeeyar thiruvadigale Saranam.

Why does Perumal keep Thirumann on His forehead? one of my colleagues, a 
Srivaishnava, says that we do not have all the three lines on the forehead of 
the image of Perumal in many temples and have only the middle line. is it 
true?
dasan vishnu

Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 13:23:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: Venkatesan Ananth   Subject: Re: THIRUMANN

I have seen a few explanations for this question.  But the one that stuck 
most in my mind was one I heard in a upanyAsam:    "thanathu adiyArkaL 
virumpi aNivathaiyE thAnum ukanthu aNikiRAn".  "He relishes wearing that 
which His Bhakthas wear
with joy (and pride)".

The second part I am not sure about. Pretty much most of the kshethrams I 
have been to, moolavar has adorned thirumaN and srichoornam.
mathurakavi thAsan  TCA Venkatesan.

Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 15:52:18 PDT  
From:"Harini Raghavan"  Subject: Re: THIRUMANN

If you search in the bhakthi archives you will have a lot on Thirumann and 
especailly Sri Sadagopan has answered the question as to why the Lord wears 
ThirumaN in the Sept 95 archives.    I am cutting and pasting it for your 
information.  Though I couldn't find answers for your second question.   
-Harini

>From Sri Sadagopan
------------------------------
Why the Lord Wears ThirumaN?

Ramanuja is also known as Godhagraja or the elder  to Andaal based on an 
incident that happpened at Thirumaaliruncholai ( Offering of the 1000 vessels 
of Akkaravadisal on behalf of Aandal). Ramanuja is also known as Thiuppavai 
Jeeyar, because of the joy that he experienced in reciting Thiruppavai Verses 
and the reverence he had for the Philosophy of Aandal. She, unlike other 
Azhwars reminded Her Lord of his duties and  awakened from his slumber (Yoga 
nidra). She reminded her Lord about his sworn duties to rescue the tormented 
Jeevans and interceded on their behalf. Ramanuja in the spirit of Andaal 
might have put the ThirumaN on the Lord to remind Him of His duties to use 
his  weapons to come to the rescue of the Jeevans. I think however the 
practise of wearing ThirumaN goes to a time much before Ramanuja.
In conclusion, it can be said that Lord wears Thiruman not as His Lotus feet 
on
His forehead, but as an indication of the power of his weapons and His 
presence
in every one of the directions to protect His devotees. When the Vaishnavas 
wear
the Pundrams , they consider their body as being protected by His weapons and 
as
a temple for the Divine Couple. Thus, there  are two separate  reasons for the
ThirmaN wearing by the Lord and His devotees.       Sadagopan


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