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Uttara Khandam

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Bharadwaj, Jaganath • October 15, 1997 


In reply to Mrs. Krishnamachari's question, Sri Srivatsarangachariar
says in his Paduka Sahasram Upanyasam, quoting many stories from the
Uttara Khandam that these are not read because traditionally we end
Ramayana Parayanam with the Pattabhishekam, because that is the
situation in which Piratti and Perumal are united in happiness, but we
get a lot of (thought provoking and moral filled) stories from the
Uttara Khandam.

Going by this, I do not think that it would be inauspicious to keep
Uttara Khandam in the house.  If that were to be the case, then Valmiki
would never have composed it in the first place.  Also these unambiguous
statements by Srivatsarangachariar put to rest any speculation as to
whether the Uttara Khandam was composed by Valmiki.

Regarding the thiruchinnams of Sriman Narayana on our clothes, it is
best to get these doubts clarified from an Acharya.  Anyone, in contact
with one, can probably resolve these doubts for the rest of us.  There
is a lot of truth and myth closely interwoven in our practices, and only
an Acharya with a pure mind can answer these questions, putting our
doubts to rest.

Jaganath.