Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Re: Sri Vekatesan Iyengar's Questions

From the Bhakti List Archives

rangaswamy_m • March 4, 2002 


Sri:

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

Dear Bhaktas,

Adiyen is forwarding the insightful response from U.Ve. Sri 
Venkatakrishanan Swamin on the above subject. Sri Venkatakrishnan 
Swamin is a learned scholar of our Sampradayam, having had extensvie 
Kalakshepam from H.H. the 45th Azhagiyasingar and other leading 
Vidwans of our tradition. 

Namo Narayana,

SriMuralidhara dasan nama Ramanuja dasan

********************************************************************

Om Shri Ramajayam.  Om Namo Narayana.

With regards to Shri Venkat's question on "manains /
sthanikars" hierarchy of the priestly class, I'd like
to submit the following response:

As I understand the question, he desires to know who
are the "manains / sthanikars"  in our temple
management.  First of all the temples of the Vaishnava
tradition are governed by two distinct schools.
Those governed by pAncarAtra AgamAs and the others
governed by vaikAnasa AgamAs.  In the temples, the
priests who are privileged to do service to the sacred
mUrthys consecrated in the temple by physical contact
with them during thirumanjanam, alankaram and other
kainkaryams are variously known as archakAs,
bhattachArs and dikshitars.  They have to be
proficient in their respective AgamA schools – vis
vikAnasA or pAncarAtrA.  In the former the hereditary
system is in vogue.  IN the pAncarAtra tradition one
should learn the important AgamAs such as the pAdma,
sAtvata, paushkara and jayAkhyA samhitAs and attain
dIkshA.  Only then are they qualified to function as
temple priests.  For example, the temples in tirumalA
and thiruvallikkENi follow the vaikhAnasa AgamAs while
those in srIrangam, kAnchIpuram, mElkote follow
pAcarAtra AgamAs, each of the latter three following a
different samhitA under the pAncharAtra umbrella.

The category of assistants who help the archakAs is
known as parichArakAs doing the auxiliary duties
connected with the daily worship, but are not allowed
to touch the sacred mUrthys.  The temple kitchen also
called the thirumadaipaLLi should be constructed in
the southeastern direction is managed by a section of
these parichArakAs.

I presume by "manains" you refer to the general
manager of the temple who is called the "kovil
maNiyam"  or "koil maNiyakkArar".  If so he is the
person responsible for the day-to-day management and
maintenance of the temple, organizing its daily
special and festival routines.  He is variously called
"maNiam", "amIna", "pEshkAr" and "shrIkAryam"
according to local custom.  He is pEshkAr in tirumalA,
shrikAryam in shrIrangam and in the major vaishNavA
mutts like ahObila mutt, Andavan Ashramam, parakAla
mutt and vAnamAmalai mutt, and amInA in
thiruvallikkENi.  It is well known that periya kOil
nimbi later named as amudhanAr was the shrIkAryam of
the shrIrangam temple whose management he handed over
to kUraththAzhvAn.  He has to ensure the availability
of the material and manpower resources required for
the temple's routines on a day-to-day basis.  He is
the one person who has to spend most of his time in
the temple attending to and overseeing a multitude of
functions.  In a small temple he is also in charge of
the accounts.  At the end of the major routines or
festivals he is honored for his services with a token
floral string adorned to diety before any contributing
donor is honored (muthal mariyAthai).

We now come to an important functionary known as
"sthAnikar".  He is in charge adhyApakam – the daily
recitation of divya-prabandham and vEda pArAyaNam and
during festivals.  In many temples, they are the
hereditary people enjoying certain privileges for
their services.  In the daily routine, as during
festival times, they enjoy the right of commencing the
recitation and concluding it.  They are offered the
sanctified thIrththa prasAdam and satAri mariyathai
first in the ghOshti (congregation).  They alone are
privileged to offer "mantra pushpa" kainkaryam in the
morning and evening sessions every day.  It is they
who read the kaishika purANam on kaishika EkAdashi
day, pranayakalaha prabandham on a specific day during
BrhamOtsavam and tirumanjana ghatiyan during all
occasions when tirumanjanam is performed for the
presiding diety.

The temple administration honors them variedly.  In a
majority of the cases no remuneration is given, but a
portion of the daily neivEdyams to the dierties is
given as their share.  On the conclusion of the main
BrahmOtsavm they are honored in certain temples by
offering them a silk turban, a garland adorned to the
diety and taking them in a ceremonial procession to
the residencies with all the paraphernalia of the
temple in recognition of their services.

Thus the archakAs, sthAnikars, parichArakas and
maNiams (or pEshkArs or amInAs) by their joint efforts
contribute to the orderly conduct of various routines
in the day to day functioning of a temple as a temple.
 BhAgavathAs are solicited edit, correct and amplify
the general outline given above as appropriate.

A thousand praNams.  Adiyen rAmAnuja dAsan,

K. Venkatakrishnan.





--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/