pUrva dhinacharyA – 19

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Brithyaihi priyahithaikargaihi prema purvam upasitham /
Tat prarthananusarena samskaran samvidhaya me //

(w to w) Priyahithaikargaihi – For the sake of Tiruvaradhana, arranging for collecting such things desired by acharya and things that benefit acharya as per the four religious order, Brithyaihi  – by disciples like Koil Annan, prema purvam  -with intense devotion, upasitham  – as stated earlier submitting the  things, which are lovable and delightful, that are needed to perform Tiruvaradhanam, Tat prarthananusarena  – to accept the desire of those disciples, me  – for me, who took asylum at Mamunigal’s feet only yesterday, samskaran – five sanctifying ceremonies of  tapa , pundram (mark on the forehead), namam (naming), mantram (Dvayam), and yagam (sacrifice), samvidhaya  – done as stated in Sastra…..

(Commentary) As stated earlier, when Mamunigal was sitting close to the pillar in the Sannidhi, his disciples with intense devotion brought rice, cereals, fruit, milk, curd, vegetables etc. and placed before him for the performance of Tiruvaradhanam. He also accepted the same. Parasara Samhita says that a saint, with a view to develop the dharmas of vaishnavam, (i.e. five sanctifying ceremonies, preaching Ubhaya Vedanta Rahasya Granthas, insist disciples to practice as stated in those texts etc.) will accept to be a Chief of Mutt. Since Alagiya Manavala  ordered  Mamunigal also to be the Chief of the Mutt, Acharyas like Koil Kandadai Annan and other Mahans (great people) became his disciples. So it is appropriate for Mamunigal to accept those things that were brought by disciples for the sake of Tiruvaradhanam to Perumal where Thadeeyaradhanam  is underway.

It is said that those great disciples prayed to Mamunigal to do pancha samskara (five sanctifying ceremonies) to Erumbiappa who came only yesterday. Since those disciples are very much liked by Mamunigal, he accepted their request. This is stated in the second line of the Sloka. The Sastra orders that Pancha samskara to a disciple is to be done only on the condition that he meditates the Acharya for a year.  Though this is stated in the Sastra, Mamunigal doing this will not become a mistake. Since, the prayer of his close disciples is stronger than the Sastra. So Pancha samskara was done after Tiruvaradhanam. This is also in conformity with Parasara’s saying i.e. Acharya, after  bath in the morning and performed Tiruvaradhanam as codified, invites the disciple, who completes bath and other rituals, winds a thread in his hand and performs the Pancha samskara. In this Sloka, the three samskaras i.e. tapa – adorning of Conch and Chakra on disciple’s shoulders, pundram – marking twelve Tirumankappu in twelve places of the body, namam – naming Ramanauja Dasa is shown. In the next Sloka, yaga – sacrifice to God –  by holding the feet of Mamunigal in Erumbiappa’s head and after that next Sloka, Mantram – preaching of Dvaya Mantra is explained. Samskaram means the rituals done by Acharya for transforming someone to become eligible Sri Vaishnava.  Samskaram – moulding oneself to become a person of  good character

Translation by Sri U.Ve.Dr.M.Varadarajan Swami, MA, MA, PhD

Source: https://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2015/09/purva-dhinacharya-tamil-19

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