pUrva dhinacharyA –7

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SlOkam 7

Ambhoja beejamalabhihi abhijatha bhujantharam |
Urdhva pundraihi upachchishtam uchisthana lakshanaihi ||

Word to word meaning

  •  Ambhoja beejamalabhihi  – by arranging the garland with the lotus bead,
  • abhijatha bhujantharam – adorned in the beautiful arms and chest,
  • uchisthana lakshanaihi  – in the places of liver, gap between each other as codified in the Sastra,
  • Urdhva pundraihi  – the mark (tirumankappu) from downward to upward, suitably done…..

Commentary

Having narrated about the chest, arms, the sacred thread, Erumbiappa narrates about the garland made of lotus beads which is adorned  over the chest  and the sacred tirumankappu.  It is to be remembered that according to Sage Bharadwaja  one has to wear sacred garland made out of lotus bead, to stamp  the symbol of conch (Sanka) and the Discus (Chakra) on the shoulders and  name oneself as either Vishnu’s various names or His devotees names. Sage Parasara says that a Brahmin must wear sacred thread, keep a tuft, wear the holy mark on forehead (tirumankappau), put on garland made out of lotus bead and silk cloth.  If not lotus bead garland, one can add Tulasi garland and different coloured ceremonial garland made out of silk.  It is also to be remembered that Brahma Purana says that one has to adorn the garland made out of black thulasi stump, silk pavithras, garland made out of lotus bead to the Lord and as His Prasad,  one has to put them all.

Regarding mark (tirumankappu), Sri Pancharathra Parasara Samhitha says that a Brahmin must adorn tirumankappu as follows: in the base of the nose an inch length line and in the centre of the forehead there should be one and half inch  space between the lines  on both sides and the  side line should be one inch  thick. Padma Purana states that starting from the base of the nose; the face mark should be worn upto the forehead of white clay.  From the centre of the eye-brows there should be space between the lines and the space, about two inches and the two lines must be an inch thick each. Parasara Samhitha underlines that pure white clay must be brought from a Vishnu Kshetra, consecrated with Tirumantra and then adorn the sacred tirumankappu with that clay on the face and other places beginning from head in twelve places. Erumbiappa by mentioning tirumankappu implies Srichurnam also.  One can also notice that Parasara says that the Srichurnam made out of turmeric, which is liked by Goddess Sridevi,  must be applied in the space between the white clay marks.

Translation by Dr M Varadarajan

Source: http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2015/09/purva-dhinacharya-tamil-7/

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