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Ashaucham & Nitya karma

From the Bhakti List Archives

L. Vijayaraman • October 21, 1998 


Srimathe Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabhrahmane Namaha
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha
Srimathe Nigamantha MahaDesikaya Namaha
Srimathe SrivaN Sadagopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra 
               MahaDesikaya Namaha
Srimathe SrivaN Sadagopa Sri Narayana Yatindra
              MahaDesikaya Namaha
------------------------------               
Sriman Narayana,

Dear Bhagavadotthamas,

adiyen have a doubt on nitya karma (like sandhya vandanam, ijya etc.) 
that we are supposed to be performing daily. What should be the 
status when one is on vriddhi Ashaucham (the stage when one is unholy 
due to the birth of a child to him or to his near relatives) or kshaya 
Ashaucham (the stage when one is unholy due to the death of a near 
relative)? adiyen understand the sandya vandanam can never be ignored 
even under such circumstances though the person (karta) can only do the 
least austerity (japa) i.e. 10 times gAyatri. But the problem is on other 
mantrAs like rahasya trayam. Can this also be performed? 

Will it make any difference in the light of having different sampradyas 
having different ways. The Sri Sannidhi sishya (ahObila Mutt) are 
supposed to be doing ashtAkshara Japam before the gAyatri Upasanam. 
This means is a part of sandhya vandanam whereas the rest are doing after 
the sandya vandanam. What is the view on Bhagavad Aradhanam on such 
a situation? adiyen recall in good old days one does not cook in that house 
but the relatives/friends (those are not under Ashaucham) bring the food 
and feed such people. What is the view expressed by sAstras with regards 
to the mUrthys (sAligramam) at home? How will the mUrthys at home be 
offered naivedyam? Is there any reference of such a kind in Nityam 
(Sri Bhasyakarar), SampradAya parisuddhi (Swamy Desikan), Ahnikam 
(26th Azhagiasinghar and Andavan swamy Gopala Desikan)

adiyen would appreciate learned scholars to throw light on this.

Dasan,
Vijayaraman