Questions And Answers

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Sri U. Ve Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy answers your questions on spirituality, Sri

Vaishnava Sampradhaya and Sanathana Dharma.

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under the "Spiritual Quest" section.

Question ID: 545 - Namaskarams, While explaining about Viswarup in the battle
field. You said that Lord Krisha gave a special set of eyes to Arjuna and Sanjaya for
the Viswarupa Seva. But on 09/10/08 program, while worshipping "Karagathan" you
said that all of them in the battle field including Gowravas had a chance to
Viswarupa Seva...Please Explain whether all of them in the battle field of
Mahabharatha got Viswaroopa seva. Seeking the blessings of Ramanuja..... Vinodh -
Question By - Vinodh, vinod53vinodh54@yahoo.co.in

The complete visvarupa was visualised only by Arjuna and sanjaya. Krishna wanted to
make Bhishma Drona and the like awe struck and Duryodana and his allies
freightened. For that He made them see a part of visvarupa enough to make them feel
so or gave them that feeling alone which one might get by seeing the visvarupa. If
Arjuna alone had seen, without anybody expressing any feeling, then Arjuna may
doubt that the whole visvarupa is an illussion. Now seeing the reaction of others he
was assured about the truth in visvarupa and supremacy of Sri Krishna.

Question ID: 544 - Swamin, Nanmugan Thiruvandhadhi pasuram 63 ends as

'vaNangi vazhipattum pooosiththum pokinen podhu'. Adiyen is the leader of a group
that is more like .... 'suNangi' vazhipattum 'pusiththum' pokinen podhu. But, of late,
this leadership role of mine is ever so slightly but progressively being shaken as
adiyen continue listening to devareer's upanyasams. Thank you so much for
providing us the guiding light. --------- adiyen's question is here swami: A
saranagathan should pray only for kainkaryam to Him. Is it acceptable for the
saranagathan to pray to ramanujar or perumal that an other person (not a relative)
should lose his bad habits and ways and should become congruent to his father's
noble way of life? Or would that be equivalent to asking something to peruman
when He knows what to do when, and so the sarangathan should not pray such
things? - Question By - Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

We can certainly pray for every fellow citizen to become a bhakta. This is not wrong.

Question ID: 543 - 1)I am basically a thengalai sect Iyengar. When and why did
this two sects come into existance? 2)What are vaikanasam, panchrathram and
munithram? 3) In some thengalai temples, vadagalai battars are performing pooja.
How and why? - Question By - SUKUMAR A, vedhavahini_bsnl@dataone.in

1. I am not aware of the date. 2. vaikhanasam and pancaratram are two methods of
worships in temples. 3. munitrayam is a sampradaya being followed by one section of
vadakalayars. 4. There is a long history for each temple and how vadakalai bhattars
are serving in tenkalai temples and tenkalai bhattars are serving in vadakalai temples.
You will have to study the history of those temples.

Question ID: 542 - swamy, the geetha says surrender your thoughts and actions
and prayers to me and i will protect you.yet we see situations in day to day life that
certain prayers we sincerely offer to the lord sometimes repeatedly sometimes over
many years seem to be never answered or remedied.yet the geetha recommends
total surrender. while I understand that the ultimate goal of human birth is moksha
for those of us still mired in responsibilities and looking for divine interventions for
some life issues where reasonable human interventions doesnt seem to work ,
should one accept that it is strong prarabdha which even the bhagwan cannot
resolve .In that case isnt bhagvans promise that he will rush to any bhagavatha
calling out to him at anytime sometimes doesnt happen. what is the explanation for
this, and how do you still keep faith. - Question By -
ukodiyalam, ukodiyalam@hotmail.com

One has to necessarily exhaust his karma before attaining moksham. When we
surrender to Sri Krishna he wipes our sanchita karmas and re schedules our prarabdha
karma to experience the effect of them from the day of saranagati to the last day. On
that last day all karmas get exhausted and we attain moksham. So when He says that
he releases of our karma He does not mean He removes them on that day of
saranagati and then on keeps us happy till the last day. If we enjoy in that period we
would again get attracted to samsara and lose interest in srivaikuntha. the more we
experience pain the more we long for moksham. So Krishna's promise for release from
karma is once for all and not for a temporary period while we are in this material
 world. So we must take our suffering in the right spirit that we are exhausting our
karma in this last birth. It does not mean that karma is stronger than krishna. He is
only taking us through a progressive path.

Question ID: 541 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, Dear Swamiji, Can you please suggest
me a good book in Tamil on Srimad Baghavatham? Also suggest the place where the
book is available. Namaskarams - Balaji - Question By - Balaji, hi.balaji@gmail.com

There are not many. You can find a couple of editions in jayalakshmi indological books
opposite to mylapore anjaneyar temple.

Question ID: 540 - Respected Swamin, Dasasya Vignyapanam. I've a question

about lineage. Tamil SriVaishanvites are said to be from the linegae based on
Guruparamparai that extends upto the present day Acharya.We also have Gothrams.
For eg., My father's Acharya swami is Sri.Sri.U.Ve. Koil Kandadai Appan Swami of
Sriperumpudhur and my father's Gothram is Bhardwaja My father-in-law's , who in
turn is our respected acharya, is Sri. Sri. U.VE. Sirupuliyur Suddha Satvachariyar
whose Thirumaligai is in Srivilliputhur and our family Gothram is Gargeya Gothram.
How can we trace our lineage? Is it based on gothram or Acharya swami? Garga
Maharishi is the son of Bhardwaja Maharishi. How are there 2 different Gothrams
based on both of these great sages? Vasaga Dosham Kshamitharulavum. Adiyen
Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Vidhya Vasudevan, vidya_vasudevan@yahoo.com

Kindly do not confuse between gotram and acharya. you can refer to the answer to q
no 529 for an explanation of gotrams. Gotrams sutram etc are based on our birth in a
particular varna which is more to do with our body. Acharya sambandham is eventually
for Ramanuja sambandham which reaches the atman to srivaikuntha. so acharya
sambandham relates to the atman.

Question ID: 538 - Respected Swami, Guru ve Charanam. AdiyEn 33 years old
women thengalai Iyengar. AdiyEn have been listening to Swamin?s ?Upanyasam?
everyday for the past one year and trying to follow everything possible. AdiyEn
have few basic questions in my mind, kindly clarify them. 1. Is there any specific
number of times to do Namaskarams for God, Acharyas & elders? 2. There is ?
Gagendra azwar? sannidhi in some Vaishnava temples. Is it in our Sri Vashnava
Sampradhayam? Is there any meaning for the ?Aadhyantha prabu? piture.
(Gagendra and Jai Hanumar)? 3. Can AdiyEn keep my ?iraiyadi eidhina? mother's and
inlaw's photos in the pooja room? Can AdiyEn offer them the ?kandarul
prasadham?of Sriman Narayana before AdiyEn eat? Guruve thangal
Thirupadhangale Charanam! - Question By - Latha Kannan, klathu@gmail.com

1. tenkalayars prosprate once before god or acharyas or parents. 2. Gajanana placed

at entrane of Sri Vishnu temple, is a chieftain in the army of Vishvaksena who in turn is
the senapathy of Sriman narayana. I am not aware of the picture which you have
mentioned 3. You can have the photos of your inlaws. Tiruvaradhanam is offered only
to perumal azhvar and acharyas.

Question ID: 537 - Namaskaram, I read 'SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM' , in that it is

given there are seven dvipas .I am having a doubt that whether this dvipas are in
this earth or in this galaxy ? If it is so , it should be visible for reseachers ? But they
have not reported like this ? Or that can be seen only when atma attains moksha?
Sorry for asking so much questions.My name is HARISH.R, I am from chennai. -
Question By - Harish, Sriharish315@yahoo.com

Bhu; is the first of upper worlds (there are totally 7 upper worlds). It's extent is much
bigger than the world we know from japan to california. this bhu: is divided into seven
dvipas, the central one where we live is jambu dvipa. The extent of this is 10,00,000
miles which is way beyond the world we know. As accepted by the researchers many
more galaxies, stars and planets exist. They may be found in the coming years.

Question ID: 536 - Dear Swamy, Please let us know if food cooked in microwave
oven can be offered to perumal. Also kindly let us know the type of vessel (eg.
silver, eversilver etc.) to be used to offer food to perumal. Can food offered in the
morning be reheated in the evening and taken for dinner? Many thanks in advance
for your guidance, adiyen. - Question By - Geetha
Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

No it cannot be. You can offer in silver, bronze, copper, lead, brass utensils. Reheated
food cannot be offered to perumal and so we cannot consume. Instead you can
consume food offered to perumal in the morning without reheating in the evening. But
this should not be done for the next day.
 Question ID: 534 - Namaskaaram to Swamigal.. In Bhagavad Gita, Verse 2.18,
Bhagawan says "..nithyasyoktha sharirinaha..". I am intrigued by the use of the
word "uktha". Lord Krishna, as knowledge personified, can categorically state that
"the embodied atma IS eternal". Why does he have to use the term "uktha" to mean
"it is said that" while making the above statement? Respectfully, Murali - Question
By - Murali, j.linked@gmail.com

Any day, the words of the learned and noble souls are more clear and meaningful than
the words of Bhagavan. Krishna after preaching gita, suggests to dharma putra to go
to bhishma and receive his preachings before the later departs. krishna in gita also
says in sloka ...tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya... that we must listen to
the gnanis. The words of the learned would appeal more to us as they are also jivas
who are appreciate our sufferings and needs better.

Question ID: 533 - aham ramanuja dasi, adiyen ramanuja dasan swamigal
thiruvadigale saranam, swamin...... i heard that Sundara Kaandam is a mine of
spiritual power, reading which devotees can gain mental strength, swamin,due to
time constraint, can i read(paarayanam) the Sankshepa Sundara Kaandam,(since i
will not be able to spare enough time to read the whole sundara kandam) ? ...please
advise me .. - Question By - godhalakshmi, godhags_1@hotmail.com

Kindly recite the complete sundara kandam even if it takes two months.

Question ID: 532 - My question (more a QUEST) relates a doubt which has been
nagging me for long. I am a septuagenerian (about to complete my 70 by 8 Dec
2008) & during my seventy years life I have listened to a lot of spiritual Discourses.
My Grand father himself (after whom I have been named) was a Sastrigal in
Tirunelveli. I have an unshakeable faithin the Doctrines & sacred utterings of (late)
Kanchi Periyaval. Kanchi Periyaval in his book "THE VEDAS" (translated by another
sacred soul Late Shri NSS Rajan) says that KARMA is Summum Bonum (meaning
Supreme) and that a soul face the consequences {Punya for Good Karma & Sin for
bad karma}and that nobody can escape this universal rule. But the VEDAs say (or
the Lord Shri Krshna in Geetha says}, "Renounce everything, follow me and You
willultimately reach ME, I will pardon/dissolve all your sins and I will grant you
Release from all your sins". My ultimate doubt is what will take effect, whether the
Karmas done by you or after doing all (good & bad karmas} seeking the Lord's
protection. - Question By - KNellaiyappan, KNellaiyappan@yahoo.com

Our cycles of birth and death are decided by our karma only. It is true for all that
karma rules. When we realise this truth and want to be liberated, we seek protection
from Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna's compassion is powerful than karma. Krishna chooses the
 one to be protected and destroys the karma of that atman. So we have to either go
through karma phala or krupa phala. If there is no end to karma then it would mean
that there is no end to birth and death. So there would be no meaning in the
preachings of any acharya. The tool to end karma is krupa which is what Krishna
assures in gita.

Question ID: 531 - Adiyaenin namaskarangal. I am srinivasaramanujam, my age is

23. I am having doubt on visvekshenar and vinayakar? I heard they are not the
same. I need a clarification on this - Question By -
srinivasaramanujam, srinivas_ram19@yahoo.co.in

They are not the same. vishvaksena a nityasuri (ever liberated soul) living in
Srivaikuntha is the chieftain of Sriman Narayana. He controls this universe with a staff
in his hand. vinayaka is the son of Siva.

Question ID: 530 - Please kindly accept my humble obeisances unto your lotus
feet! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1)From your lectures io
have heard that there are brahmana-abrahmana restrictions in chanting of mantra
but not the case with nama.That means can we say that a person though born in
mlechha family,if trained in brahminical qualities and undergoes pancha samskara
etc will be now be able to chant the vedic mantras.By specifying brahmana-
abrahmana,did you mean with references to qualities or sacred thread or birth.
2)I've read from Srimad Bhagavatam,prahlad mahj says to his friends"we must not
work hard for economic development because material happiness is automatically
obtained by the interaction of the 3 gunas.I also heard a vaishnava say that even if
you work very hard to increase economic devp you will only get what you deserved
according to our past karma.But i feel still that aren't things partially under our
control also? For eg if i finish my 10th std and go for a job,or if one finishes his
engineering and goes for a job,there will be a difference in the amount he is paid
and his material comforts than the former isn't? very humbly and patiently waiting
for your reply! - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

1. No he should not as per the sastras. There are two ways in determining caste - by
birth and by conduct. all are free to chant namas. 2. I am not clear on this question.
However let me try to answer. Yes things are under our control. That is why we must
take a decision to be spiritualistic and not materialistic. Inspite of this realisation, why
are we so materialistic - because of our inseparable involvement with three gunas.
 Question ID: 529 - Namaskaaram Swamy. Adiyen would like to know the meaning
of abhivaadhaye. What does aavatsaara; aashraya pravaraanvitha, aapasthamba
shutra signifies? My gotra is Naithruva Kaishyapa Gothra. - Question By -
raghavan, raghavan37@gmail.com

abhivaadanam is a polite humble introduction of one self performed during

prostration. It identifies one self with reference to the pravara, gotra sutra and the
branch of veda. We belong to the lineage of three rishis (pravara), we belong to a rishi
by hereditary (gotra) in performing rituals we follow the method of a rishi (sutra) we
belong to the stream of a studying brahmam through a particular veda (sakha) . this is
a general explanation of the terms we use. I am not aware of specific gotrams.

Question ID: 528 - Swamiji, Would like to know the speciality of Deer's skin.Apart
from its usage as a floor spread for seating renowned acharyas, small pieces of it
are also tied to Poonool's of bramachary's. - Question By -
Kannan, kski_in@yahoo.co.uk

only some tie it to yajyo pavitam and that too only for the first time and not later.
Krishna mentions the use of deer skin in the sloka suchou dese... chela ajina
kusottaram while explaining the method of performing yoga.

Question ID: 527 - Please kindly accept my humble obeisances unto your lotus
feet! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1)Since Nama sankirtana
as the main medicine for today is prescribed in Srimad Bhagavatam and other
upanishads, has Ramanujacharya on any of his commentary written anything about
nama sankirtana as the medicine for the day? 2)I heard in your lecture about 'Nama
Sankirtana' that one of the alzwars had spoken,wanted his devotees to perform
congregational chanting and dancing of the holy names of the lord,but why isn't
congregational chanting and dancing performed as a practise in any of Mutts of sri
ramanujacharya,instead sophisticated and the difficult practise of chanting vedic
hyms etc performed as a principal sadhana unlike other mutts like Iskcon.Isn't
performing it very difficult for the common man of this age? Very humbly and
patiently waiting for your reply! ------------------------------------------------------- - Question
By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Nama sankirtana is a medicine which cures our disease of indifference towards

Bhagavan and makes us absorbed in His auspicious attributes. It is a constituent of
bhakti yoga but not a substitute. For a prapanna it is a pious way to spend his life
time. A prapanna (following Ramanuja sampradaya) also chants but not as a means
 for liberation but as a pastime. It is not a substitute for nitya/naimittika karma
anushthana or prapatti or bhakti. It is not a direct means for liberation. Azhvars have
told us to chant. They have also sent birds as messengers, sung in bridal mysticism
( nayika bhavam) which all we cannot repeat. So we take their message and only do it
as demonstrated by our purva acharyas. Ramanuja in his gita bhashya has talked
about nama sankirtana in the commentary to the verse - satatam kirtayanta:...

Question ID: 526 - IT IS SAID THAT FOUR VYASA EXISTED AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT
DWAYAPAYANA HAS DONE THE WORK OF CODIFICATION OF VEDAS AND UPANISHEDS
AND HAS GIVEN US THE EPICS OF MAHABHARATHA ,PURANAS ,AND THE
BAGHAVATHAM. HE IS THE SON OF PARASARAR AND FATHER OF VYSAMPAYANA AND
SUKHA BRAMAM. AM I CORRECT ? WHERE CAN WE FIND THE DETAILS OF THIS
PARTICULAR VYSA ? ADIYEN DASAN OF SWAMI - Question By -
R.KRISHNAN, KOTHAIKRISHNAN@MSN.COM

Veda vyasa is not an individual. It is a post with a responsibility to which a noble soul
gets nominated in each dvapara yuga. we are in the 28th caturyugam now . 25th was
sakti 26th was parasara and 28th is krishna dvaipayana 29th would be asvattama. Yes.
suka brahmam was the son of krishna dvaipayana. You can find all these details in the
veda vibhaga adyaya or sri vishnu puranam.

Question ID: 525 - Adiyen Anantha kodi namaskaram swamy having the doubt why
we are wearing to lord the silk clothes, we are killing some insects to weave silk
know swamy? kindly guide to clear the doubt. Namaskaram - Question By - chithra
raj, shreemadhuram@gmail.com

Sri Krishna, in gita, has permitted usage of chela (silk cloth) while doing yoga. So it
must be right

Question ID: 524 - adiyen ramanuja dasan swamiku adiyenin namaskaram.i belong
to tirumalai nallanchakravarthy vamsam we are also suyamacharyas.but there is no
acharya left who can perform panchasamskaram for me .whom should i
approac.kindly guide me - Question By - aravamudhan, mukundsalem@yahoo.co.in
 There are still acharya purushas in tirumalai nallan chakravarty vamsam who are
performing samasrayanam. Kindly contact me after 20th of november. I would let you
know. kindly send an email to this effect to kinchitkaram@yahoo.co.in you would get a
reply

Question ID: 523 - Swamigal Thiruvadigale Saranam. Dear Swami, I am an avid

listener of your upanyasams. To my delight, I noticed that your US Upanyasams
were uploaded on your website, and have listened to them all. I just have a question
regarding your upanyasam 'azhwars prescription for liberation'. I noticed that you
have mentioned that the azhwars' time period as per mythology is early dvapara-
late kali yugas, and as per history is 7-9th centuries AD. Swami, my doubt is
regarding the word 'mythology' which primarily indicates a hypothesis, or legend. I
was wondering if you used this word selectively for the audiences in the west,
because normally you have always advocated the tradition(such as avatars of Lord,
Acharyas, Azhwars, etc.) as a fact and not as a hypothesis/legend. Kindly clarify my
doubts. Please excuse any errors I may have made. At your lotus feet, Vidya P. -
Question By - Vidya P., govi_60@yahoo.com

I had already clarified the right meaning of mythology in another lecture in the US. It
seems they interpret mythology from the word myth which is not right. I then used
only the word purana in my future lectures.

Question ID: 522 - NAMASKARA! According to shastras, is a Brahmin male allowed

to marry a Kshatriya female as a primary and only wife ? If so (or if not so), are the
resultant progeny considered Brahmins ? Dhanyavaad, vadhula@gmail.com -
Question By - RAVI CHANDRASEKHARA, VADHULA@GMAIL.COM

Varna sankaram is a papa as per first chapter of Gita

Question ID: 521 - My Dear Pujya Swamy, My humble obeisances to your lotus
feet. I have had my samasharnayam from the present pontiff of Sri Ahobila Madam
in 1996. I am presently participating in all activities of ISKCON, I am yet to take
Bhranyasam from my jeer After taking Bhranyasam can i continue my activities in
ISKCON and also can i take initiation there. I was working in Dubai and back to India
form last 1 year, I am planning to relocate once again back to Dubai where ISKCON
congregation is there, hence the above question. Yours Eternal Servant Srinivasan -
Question By - srinivasan, ask19586@gmail.com
 You can get bharanyasam and then join in the bhajans of ISKCON. But you cannot get
initiation there. More importantly, be clear about the philosophy of Sri Vaishnavism.

Question ID: 518 - ***Om Sri Kooresaya Nama*** Dear Swami, By the grace of
Perumal and through perumal bhakthi invoked in me by your upanyasams, adiyen
had stayed away from certain ill-habits that were with me for more than 10 years.
But I do not know why, adiyen had consumed liquor and had certain unwanted food
habits last week, after a gap of keeping away from them 4 months at a stretch.
adiyen is now feeling guilty to adorn the SriChoornam, which I am used to wearing
everyday. The fear and guilt is not about having had liquor - but about the fact that
something else has interested me more than Perumal. Please let me know a way out
of such practices. Also let me know whether I can continue to wear Sri Churnam
again. Swamigalin kamala paadhangalukku samarpanam, adiyen madhavam -
Question By - Sundararajan Arumugam, asrajan199@yahoo.com

It is only a priority problem. If we do not realise that pleasing bhagavan is our first
priority then we indulge in such acts. If we have no fear or papa and naraka then we
indulge in such acts. Better knowledge of these would enable us abstain from such
acts. You can wear srichoornam if you repent and promise not to repeat

Question ID: 517 - Swamin Whether adoption is allowed in our sampradaya, is

there any restrictions on it... Eventhough my heart pushing to adopt a child, on one
side I don't want to go agiaint our sampraday... I need your advise on the same
Adiyaen Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Hari, iamsrivaishnavan@yahoo.com

Adoption is allowed in our sampradaya. Kindly refer to your family brhaspati swamy for
the right method.

Question ID: 516 - Dear Swamin, Your sevice to our society is unvaluable. We get
lot of wealth of information from you to lead our day to day life. I have a question.
We say mostly Rama and Krishna are all lived with in Indian Geography. When their
existence, were America, Africa and other continent existed or not. That is the
question. Regards, P.S.MURALI - Question By - P.S.MURALI, psmurali@yahoo.com
 all these countries would have existed. purana talks about a 10,00,000 miles jambu
dvipa which is much much bigger than the world - between japan and california - we
know.

Question ID: 515 - Dear Swamin Adiyen wants to understand what is "kaivalyam".
Normally what i hear is that all who practice Yoga abhyasam reach this stage and
becomes one with bhagavan. However there is a negation also that is mentioned
where in it is said that these people do not serve god and always in atmanubhavam.
Does our emperuman state so in Geetha ? when a yogi who controls his senses and
takes so much effort in knowing the antaryami , should he not get the same as that
any other saranagatha would get ? why does he not go to Sri Vaikunta ?Is this why
our acharyas do not encourage Karma,Jnana yoga or even Bhakthi Yoga ? When
Swami Ramanuja himself is a great Yogi,Bhaktha, why our Udaiyavar did not teach
Yoga rahasyams ? Even Acharya Nathamuni was a great Yogeeswaran par
excellence? Why do they discourage anything that is not saranagathi ? Please
enlighten adiyen. What i can see today is there is no Sri Vaishnava who knows yoga
rahasyams. I may be wrong. Kindly pardon if so. Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan. - Question
By - Bharadwaj G, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Nathamunigal was a master in Yoga rahasyam. However his sishya uyyakkondar

denied receiving it from him and instead chose to receive and propagate 4000 divya
prabandham. The reason he gave was "pinam kidakka manam punarvaar undo" When
there is a dead body at home, will we prepare for a wedding ? ie yoga weds an
individual with bhagavan. When the whole samsara is withering without spriritual
knowledge (similar to death) can I alone enjoy bhagavan through yoga. Instead I would
propage 4000 divya prabandha as an elixir to all those samsaris. So our purva
acharyas have taken a conscious decision that yoga is not the right prescription for the
years to come. Kindly refer to azhvar's pasurams like 1. periazhvar - edu nilattu
iduvadan..,2. Nammazhvar - irugal irappennum gnanikkum appayan illayel etc. for the
plight of kaivalyarthi.

Question ID: 514 - Dear Swamin Adiyen wants to know why geetha was taught
only in Dvapar Yuga that too in the fag end of that yuga. Is it meant only for the
people of Kali ? Geetha is one single grantham which shows very clearly that
Bhagavan is only one and that is our Sriman Naarayanan. Then who did people in
Krta, Treta and Dvapara yuga worship ? Why is god wanting to establish truth only
at the fag end of 3 yugas ? I may be wrong. Kindly excuse. And all these other non
hindu religions were also created by him only right ? does he mention anything
about creating many religions in geetha ? - Question By - Bharadwaj
G, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com
 Gita is before the two popular religions and so there is no mention of other popular
religions. however budhism and jainism were there. The subject of gita was not
preached by krishna for the first time. Krishna mentions in the beginning of 4th
chapter that He had preached the same to vivasvan 28th caturyugams ago. So it is not
only for kali yuga but for all yugas. Krishna also mentions that Janaka who lived in
treta yuga practised karma yogi for atma saksahatkara.

Question ID: 513 - WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SWAMI VEDA VYASA BHATTAR ,
YOUNGER BROTHER OF SWAMI PARASAR BHATTAR - Question By -
SRINIVASARAGHAVAN GOMATAM, dhamusri@yahoo.com

Kindly go through guruparampara prabhavam, peria tirumudi adaivu, veda vyasa

bhattar tirumaligai vaibhavam. They carry a detailed note on his glory, works and
successors.

Question ID: 512 - Sri guruByo namhah, I hail from a SriVaishnava family
belonging to the Vadakalai sampradayam, affiliated to Sri Ahobila Mutt. We carry a
family name(or title?) - "Asuri" or "aasoori" (I have seen it written only in tamil
script). I read from some sources that Maharishi Asuri was one of the founding
fathers of the Samkhya philosophy. And interestingly, I also read that Acharya
Ramanuja inherited the name, and was called Asuri Ramanujacharya, though the
family title/name was not popularly associated with him nor with his cousin Embar
Swamy. We belong to Harita gothra and hail from Konerirajapuram village in
Thanjavur district for atleast 400 years from now. I have been trying to find the
source of this name/title to our family, with very little success. While trying to
interact with a few people from Melukote circles, who also carry the name/title; And
they had a version to say that, all the rishis who originally belonged to Samkhya
school inherited the title. Adiyen would be grateful if Swamy could throw some light
into this matter, or suggest some reading where I can find the history how Samkhya
school graduated to Vedanta. Thank you. - Question By - Sriram
Raghunath, rsiriraam@gmail.com

The propagator of Sankhya school was Kapila (an avesa avatara of Sriman Narayana). I
know nothing more about this lineage. This must be your family name. I have not seen
rishis names attached to anybody's family name. Rishis are related to our gothram
sutram and pravaram only.. so it must have something to do with your family. You can
refer to asooriyar at melkote or sriperumbudur or srirangam. They can guide you
better.
 Question ID: 511 - Dasoham. We understand that the common attributes for
mukthas/ nityas/ piratti/ srimannarayana are saalokyam, saarupyam, sameepyam.
What are the differenciating attributes (incl saayujyam- pls explain this also) among
all these personalities? Kindly elucidate for the laymen like us to understand.
Danyosmi desika dasan - Question By - Desikan V, vdesikan61@yahoo.co.in

I am not quiet clear on your question. However, let me answer. All the qualites which
you have mentioned are the same for nityas muktas and piratti. Kindly do not add
Narayana to this list as salokyam or sameepyam are only with reference to Him.
however, Piratti has the uniqueness of being His patta mahishi (consort) and
Purushakara bhutai. But there are many common features between piratti and
nityas/muktas (samya shatkam mentioned in acharya hrdayam). Sayujyam is enjoying
His divine attributes (sosnute sarvan kamaan saha brahmana vipaschita). Moreover,
nityas are ever enjoying these virtues but muktas have it only now.

Question ID: 510 - Swamikku adiyenudaye kotana koti namaskaram, would like to
know whether it is mandatory for a srivaishnavan to get samashrayanam done to be
eligible to do shraddam and thiruvaradanam . - Question By - K
RAJAN, rajankrish@yahoo.com

Yes it is mandatory.

Question ID: 509 - Dear Swamiji, Adiyen Ramanuja daasan. Recently i heared from
some upanyasam that a person should not chant "Naalayira Divya Prabandam" on
his own. It should be advised by some eligible person. I not able to find the right
person near by my residence. But i had a doubt that some years back i used to
attend and chant Thiruppavai in the month of Margazhi near by Perumal Koil. Can i
treat that as "advise" or should i go to a person? Kindly clarify my doubt. - Question
By - R.Narasimhan, narasimhan.in@rediffmail.com

If you want to memorise, then you would not be successful on your own. You need to
follow santhai method through an acharya. if you just want to read with a book, there
are cds available now. I suggest you go to an acharya and get tutored for atleast two
days everytime you begin a new prabandha and then continue at home with the cds.
This is only a compromise.
 Question ID: 508 - Dear Swamiji, Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan (this is the first time i
am introducing myself in this manner & i proud for that also), My spiritual life
started for the past 1 year bak only, i used to attend upanyasams regularly, and
hear that in cd's. i am satisfied that Bhagavan Sri Krishnan is guide me in a right
path. I have a doubt about Vadakalai & Thenkalai samprathayam's in Sri Vainavam.
Myself is following Vadakalai sampradayam. What is the difference between these
two? Why our acharya's are following this? When it got splited and by whom? I
asked many questions to you. Kindly consider my question and clarify my doubts? -
Question By - R.Narasimhan, narasimhan.in@rediffmail.com

There are about 18 conceptual differences between the two. Books are available
explaining them. I do not know the date of split. As you are following vadakalai
sampradayam, spend whatever time you have in knowing more about that. Remember
that all belong to Sri Ramanuja and further the azhvars. Study divya prabandham,
works of Ramanuja and Sri Vedanta desika stotras.

Question ID: 507 - Swamy, Adiyen Ramanujadasan. Please help me understand

what sampradyam, is followed in Thirupathi Thirumalai, whether Thenkalai or
Vadakalai. Many say that both the sampradayas are followed, is it so. And is that
the reason, the Thirumann on Srinivasa Perumal in Thirumalai is different, like
belonging to both Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Sorry for taking your precious time,
Swamy please enlighten me on why the Thirumann of Srinivasa Perumal is different.
- Question By - Rajesh Skylad M, rajeshskylad@gmail.com

I just do not know why and when that tiruman became so. The best source for an
answer to your question would be Srimad paramahamsetyadi Peria kelvi appan jeer
swamy (peria jeer swamy of Tirumala)

Question ID: 506 - Respected Swamy,Pranams to your divine feet1). It is belived

that swami ramanujar had his samasrayanam done by his acharya in
madurantakam. and again on a panguni uthram swami had saranagathi to Sri
ranganathar with sridevi nachiyar. where Namperumal promised moksha to swami
and to his sampandhis. and instructed swami to chant dwayam till the period swami
sheds his body. Here according to our sampradaya prapathi should be done only
once during samasrayanam, now why swami had another saranagathi to lord
ranganatha. 2)Namazhwar was born 42 days from the departure of krishna to
vaikuntha which is in the dwaparayuga and in the starting of the kali means its in
B.C. The other madhas like Budha madham, Samana Madham were all born in A.D.
Then how was it possible for namalwar to mention about these madhas in his works.
Please excuse me in case of any ignorance in these questions. - Question By -
Balaji, balajidevanathan@gmail.com
 1. yes. Ramanuja was administered panca samskraram at madhurantakam which was
when he surrendered. What he did on panguni uttiram is on our behalf / for our sake as
he is Jagad acharya and karuna murti. This is explained in 'kala trayepi' verse of
yatiraja vimsati and 'inda arangattu inidu' pasuram of arti prabandham. However,
there may be two opinions on this. so it would be advisable to request your acharyan
for a clarification. 2. the goutama buddha we know of in history is not the founder of
buddhism. He was also a follower. Buddhism and jainism were in vogue even during
the period of Vyasa in dvapara yugam.

Question ID: 505 - Swamiji,I have heard that the Lord does creation,preservation
and destuction by taking forms of Sankarshana, prayumana and Anirudha etc., how
is this different from the duties of bramha, vishnu and shiva - Question By -
guest, sstest@gmail.com

It is from the holy naval of vyuha vasudeva (ksheerabdhi sayi) Brahma gets created.
So Pradyumna creates brahma and then creation is continued by Brahma. In turn
Brahma creates Siva for absorption which again is done by sankarshana as the power
behind. It is aniruddha who reclines in the ocean of milk and thinks / plans for
sustaining this world which is executed by Vishnu

Question ID: 504 - Pranam It's been told that Dhasaratha did not attain Mokcham
but attained only Svergam. Kindly let me know the difference and the reason for
Dhasaratha's plight. Thank You. - Question By - yugandar, yugandar_d@yahoo.com

Dasaratha should have been concerned more about Rama's wellbeing rather than his
promise. Dasaratha's promise is a samanya dharma. Rama's wellbeing is a visesha
dharma. Whenever there is a conflict between samanya and visesha dharma, visesha
dharma should prevail.

Question ID: 503 - aham ramanuja dasosmi om namo narayanaya adiyen submits
my aneka koti namaskarams to swamis thiruvadi... swami , why should bhagawan
simplify the bhakthimarga from yuga to yuga.... he would have told
namasankirtanam itself in kruthayuga no ????? if the questions are silly please
porutharula vendum....... adiyen ramanuja dasan thanking you, narayanabhakthan ,
ramanuja dasan - Question By - narayanabhakthan, narayanabhakthan@yahoo.in

the means for libertaion must be befitting the skill of the individual. In krta yuga the
knowledge, longevity and power were at their best and so the difficult marga. As they
dwindle, the means also got simplified.

Question ID: 502 - aham ramanuja dasosmi om namo narayanaya i submit my

aneka koti namaskarams to swami's feet...... please clear my doubt swamy.... in
gajendra moksham, bhagawan kills the crododile first ...so the crocodile got
motcham first since it got sudarshanaazhwar's sumbandham .... isnt it??? what is
the tatparyam of this swamy ??? (if the questions are silly, please porutharula
vendum) "kaan amar vezhamkai eduththalara karaa athan kalinai kathuva aanayin
tuyaram teera pulloorndu.................." adiyen ramanuja dasan thanking you,
narayanabhakthan - Question By - narayanabhakthan, narayanabhakthan@yahoo.in

The crocodile got released of its curse. It is not that when someone is killed by
bhagavan he / she would attain moksham (srivaikuntham). If so, then we would have
to accept the same to tataka subahu and many more. Moreover the word moksham
means a mere 'release'. When you find that word in the itihasas or puranas it does not
necessarily mean srivaikuntha prapti.

Question ID: 501 - Adiyen Ramanuja daasan. In poikai azhwar's pauram it is

written in the second verse after vaiyam thagaliya............. the pasuram goes like
this " Enru kadal kadainthathu? Evvulagam neeretrathu? Onrumathanaiunaren naan
Anru athu adaithu udaithu kanpadutha vaazhi Idhu nee padaithidanthu
undumizhndha paar.The question is Is this about the Ramar sethu bridge and if so it
is mentioned that the bridge is blocked and broken what exactly is the meaning for
the same. I request ur holiness to clarifty this for me.Thank U. Adiyen
ananthasayana daasan. - Question By - R.Ananth, ananth_r43@yahoo.co.in

This and a few other pasurams also mention about building and then breaking the
bridge symbolically in a corner so that the bridge is no more used for transport but
used only for worship
 Question ID: 500 - I am currently an E-member. Is it possible to become a life
member by paying one time subscription - instead of paying quarterly? If not please
consider introducing that option as well. Thanx and regards - Question By - Ramji
Govindarajan, ramji.iyengar@yahoo.com

Life membership option is not available. Our purpose is to keep regular contact and
communication with you

Question ID: 499 - I would like to come to India to learn Sanskrit and all the
vaishnava literature. Is it possible learn at your place? how long it will take and how
much it would cost? Also I would like to contribute specifically to your " Sri
Ramanuja Siddhanta Vidya pitham at Srirangam " Can you please kindly send me
the details of this school and how I can contribute? thank you. - Question By - Ragul
Kanagaratnam, ragulk@yahoo.com

Kindly send an email to kinchitkaram@yahoo.co.in with your details address and time
available for your study. A programme is now being arranged for people overseas.
They would reply

Question ID: 498 - Dasan's vinamra prarthana Is it possible to purchase the entire
collection of swami's Audio and Video CDs and ship to my address. Adiyen will pay
for the entire collection and bear all the necessary expenses. Look forward to a
favorable response. Dasan Ramji - Question By - Ramji
Govindarajan, ramji.iyengar@yahoo.com

Kindly send an email to kinchitkaram@yahoo.co.in with your details address and

requirement . They would reply.

Question ID: 497 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'm currently in my 4th year
engineering,1 more semester to go,am an uninitiated follower of iskcon.Two years
back when i was completely confused about my duty,and my path,somehow i had
the opportunity to associate with your grace personally.Your grace has completely
destroyed my illusion,and clearly set my goal.Further you have invoked within me
causeless service attitude unto your lotus feet. Your Grace had instructed me,
1)Right now i have spiritual duty to my peer group,you must make your son a
vaishnava,duty to the society. The suprising thing is,I still do not know from whom
can i hear the spiritual discourses and therefore serve my society,or peer group. By
browsing through the writings of vaishnava acharyas,i came across a writing which
says:- "By Krishna's mercy one comes in touch with a Guru.If your Pada Pradashaka
Guru does not inform you who your Guru is, then you have missed the actual Gem."
My situation is the also the same. I have read in one of your writings that "The
Azhwars always kept guessing the lord's mercy on them,but if one surrenders unto
guru,there is no need of such confusion of liberation." Now what should i do?Should
i again keep waiting for the lord's mercy when he would send me to a Guru?,or
should i surrender unto my Pada Pradarshaka Guru? I can understand the pain i had
guessing the lord's mercy upon me before i took the dust of your lotus feet.Please
Kindly guide me. Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply! - Question By -
Kishan, kishantns@sify.com

If you are well convinced about the philosophy and principles of Visistadvaitam and
Srivaishnava, kindly approach an acharya and first get related to Sri Ramanuja through
samasrayanam. You are then eligible for rahasyatrayam and bhagavad aradhanam
which are a must for mukti. If you need guidance kindly send a mail to
kinchitkaram@yahoo.co.in with your details. We would reply

Question ID: 496 - Respected Swamy! koti pranams unto devareer's LOTUS FEET.
Adiyen ramanuja dhasan. When I read various quest and ans of this site's spiritual
quest, a splash of doubt(two type) arose when I read question No.413 wherein it
was mentioned about VALAMPURI SHANKU and BHARANYASAM. Quest.No.1: What is
the difference between valampuri shanku and idampurishangu(if any )really- I do
not know about this) and why so much importance given for valampuri shanku.
Quest.No.2. What is the meaning of Bharanyasam and how it differs from
samasrayanam and bharanyasam. So many adiyars spell out about this when I
happened to have any discussion with them. If samasrayanam is done ,then is there
any necessity for bharanyasam. Adiyenukku idhu romba naalaga puriyavillai. I
request devareer to clarify this doubt. My advance dhanyavadh . Vachika dosham
kshandhavya!! - Question By - kalyani venkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com

I am as ignorant as you are regarding valampuri sankham. All that I know is the
physically appearance of it bending towards the right or left and caving in or out.
Regarding q 2 : there is a difference in the practice between Tenkalayars and
vadakalayars in samasrayanam and bharanyasam. Both are performed by
vadakalayars but for tenkalayars it is only samasrayanam. So you need to decide
based on which sect you belong to. Kindly approach your acharyan to know more in
detail

Question ID: 495 - adiyen. In devareer's answer to question 400, it is mentioned

"1. Vedas are time immemorial and talk with the knowledge of past present and
future. That is why we find mention about future rishis too ." As future is also
mentioned in the vedhas, could it be possible that some of the rishis mentioned in
vedhas and upanishads are yet to be born and some of the incidents mentioned are
yet to happen? Are there any vyakyanams by our acharyans which allude to this
possibility? - Question By - Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

Hypothetically it is possible. But in fact since all the four yugams have cycled for many
times now, all the rishis and their related events would have happened

Question ID: 493 - Dear SWAMI namaskarams to you. I am 18 years old college
student. I and my family members will listern to your discourses regularly. The
discourses are so divine and nice.Swami a very very very long time ago a member of
my family had comitted some mistake so it is said that our family members should
not go to THIRUPATHI SRI VENKATACHAPATHI TEMPLE. I have a strong faith in
perumal and i am a devotee of HIM. I have surrendered to HIS HOLY LOTUS FEET. I
have a strong desire to go to THIRUPATHI. What can i do ? Please help me. -
Question By - R.karthik, karthik23_india@yahoo.co.in

Sri Venkatesa is ever compassionate. He would certainly forget and forgive. Kindly
request your parents / acharya about this and go along with them

Question ID: 492 - 1. When there is a death in the family , if 10 day theetu is
applicable to the head of the family, is that applicable to his sons as well. Does
theetu vary depending on the generations? 2. Also Please let me know if theetu,
madi all that is only for the physical body and not for the mind, why should people
follow that strictly. Is that all required? - Question By - Parimala
Narayanan, par_raga@yahoo.com

He is subject to teettu if married. Yes, teettu is for 7 generations. For the last query
kindly refer to the answer for q no. 480

Question ID: 491 - Respected Guruji, i am venkatesh I am a bachelor and belong

to naidu cast in tamil nadu where your activities all take place and improtant is
given to perumal from birth to death rth. i have good faith in god and , perumal has
stolen me and i am proud that i am also a great bhakthan of perumal. Many
bhaghavathas told me to take samasrayanam .Please tell me what is that how it
should be taken? where can i take that?what are the rules to be followed. please
advice me - Question By - R.venkatesh, venkatram07@yahoo.co.in
 Kindly send a mail to our trust e mail id kinchitkaram@yahoo.co.in with your details
and address. We would guide you

Question ID: 490 - respected swamiji,namaskaram,i believe in God,i listen to your

upanyasams,trying to follow all those.. but some people aound me ,make fun out of
it,because they dont believe in God..they used to give me scientific reasons..how to
make them believe that it is God who does everything for us?can you please guide
me? - Question By - umayal.sp, umayal_sp@yahoo.co.in

As you are progressing into bhakti you must not waste time arguing with others. Thank
Sriman Narayana for having blessed you in believing and following Him. After you have
well progressed and equipped with material to argue with others to convince, them
you can do so. You can listen to cd on naan yaar ? en piranden ? to know the
arguments to prove the existence of Paramatma and Jivatma

Question ID: 489 - respected swamiji, namaskar,i want to ask that why people who
worship &promptly believe in god ,they have to suffer a lot even to get small work
to be done,but people those who do not believe in god &make fun of him,their work
is easily done?kindly tell me. - Question By -
avantika, avantika_pandey83@yahoo.co.in

You are generalising based on a few random samples. This phenomenon is not true.
Everyone is driven by his papa or punya karma for his birth and the consequent
experience of punya or papa karma. Further, what we see as pain or pleasure may be
deceptive, temporary and vary in individual yardstick

Question ID: 488 - Dear Swamin Where in the geeta does Bhagavan mention that
all souls are meant for his service ? How can a soul being atomic in size offer any
kainkaryam in Sri Vaikuntam ? Will it take another form then ? The advaitis claim
that if a sadhana is not fullfilled this janma then it will continue from next janma. Is
this valid ? Please clarify. Does Bhagavan anything like that in geetha ? - Question
By - Bharadwaj G, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com
 To quote some verses : anayascintayanto mam.. satatam kirtayanta: ?. Patram
pushpam phalam toyam ?.After this atman reaches Sri vaikuntham it is blessed with a
aprakrta divya mangala form with which it serves. As per Gita karma can be continued
where left in next janma. Bhakti may span through many janmas before it yields result.
Saranagati gives mukti in the same janma

Question ID: 487 - Namascaram. Adiyen has a question. Adiyen will greatly
appreciate if you can answer. 1) What is Athma? If one cannot see or feel by our
senses then how can one undestand it? (I heard this on Sri Krishnapremi's
Bhagavadtha upanyasam; am not able understand this allegory. Quote: If someone
says "I am worried", we can understand that. Worry cannot be felt or seen; but all
us understand that this person is "worrying". End Quote. My confusion in this is: a)
Worry is "sensed" by brain. whereas. Athma is supposed to be beyond senses. 2)
Efforts: Not clear how much efforts is needed to attain a GOAL or do an action. For
example, let us I would like to do research on Business administration. I zero on my
focus and do nothing but Study or do as much as I can, whilst working & doing the
family as well as religious duties. The latter if it results in Failure, might give rise to
a question that there could have been greater efforts. Adiyen Ramanuja dasan -
Question By - Srinivasan Ramanujam, rsrini0498@yahoo.com

Atman is ?self? ? sentient, eternal, different and superior to the perishable body, subtle
in form, subservient in its essential nature to Paramatma. You or Me is the atman.
Atman never is born or dead but we say so when he assumes a body or sheds it. Since
atman is the one who is knowledge by itself and has knowledge too, it can only
experience pain or pleasure. Body cannot experience pain or pleasure as it is
insentient. This is evident as there is no pain to the body when we cremate it after the
atman exits. The word ?aham? or ?I? refers to atman and the word ?mama? or ?my /
mine? refers to all the insentient belongings. Even when all the sensual organs are
shut during sleep, the coming morning we wake up and say ? I had a peaceful sleep? ?
so even during sleep we are able to remember ourself. With this background , now to
your question. Worry is not sensed by brain as it is insentient. It is the atman which
worries. It is also that, an atman cannot act without a body. We need not decide on the
quantum of efforts to achieve our goal. It is enough we follow the tenets of dharma
sastra and the foot steps of our purva acharyas to attain moksham. We cannot draw
the study of business as an analogy to spiritual studies. In academics or office the
objective is to filter the students or employees by subjecting them to strict tests. In
spirituality bhagavan is ever willing to embrace as many as possible into His fold and
so it is not the quantum of efforts or a research of failure that matters, but dedication ,
devotion and obedience matter
 Question ID: 486 - adiyen's namaskarams, This is with reference with one of your
previous posts where you had mentioned azhwars are greater than Vishwamitra
,the great seer ,mantra drushta of gayatri mantra,which is responsible for the
sustenance of all the worlds,this being supported by the shruthi and shriman
Narayana himself asserts this fact ,saying that he is present wherever this japa is
being done.Narayana alone is worshipped with this mantra.This being the case how
can you not place a seer like vishwamitra on par with azhwars for the sole reason
that he did not have sense control prior to attaining the status of Vishwamitra?If
this is case there were some azhwars who did not have sense contol ,but due to the
divine grace of shrimanNarayana they were uplifted.Vishwamitra was on par with
the azwhars in every aspect may it be jnana,bhakti or vairagya.Sorry if i had been
offensive..adiyen's sashtanga namskarams - Question By -
Venkateshan, venkateshans@gmail.com

It is not me who made that statement. It is well accepted unanimously by all our
purvacharyas and recorded in their vyakshyanams that azhvars are superior to rishis
in many aspects

Question ID: 485 - Namskarams .I am a regular viewer of your Kannnin Aramudu

in Podhigai right from the begining of this serial. I would like to get a clarification
from you regarding the celebration of one's sastiyaptha puja at Thirukadaiyur Sri
Amirtha Kadeswarar & Sri Abirami Temple and what is the stand of srivaishnava on
account of this? - Question By - devanathan, devanadhan_2006@yahoo.co.in

Srivaishnavas do not conduct shastiabdapurti there

Question ID: 483 - My husband Sri.K.Ramanujam tells that only Lord Narayana is
the Supreme God. All his avatharas are only demi gods and they have karmas and
dhosas like human beings as they have born from the womb of a mother. Is it so ?
He also says that Lord Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are demi gods. Please clarify. -
Question By - Smt.Rama Ramanujam, ramurema2003@yahoo.co.in

He is right regarding the other devatas but not right regarding the avatarars or Vishnu.
Sri Krishnan in the beginning of the 4th chapter in gita clarifies that one should not
misunderstand His avataras to be demi. They are all supreme as He is. Avataras are
chosen by Bhagavan to descend to this material world to uplift the downtrodden
through His unconditional compassion. So avatarams are additional aspects for us to
enjoy His divine attributes and get more intimate to Him
 Question ID: 482 - Adiyen ramanuja dasan.. Respected swamy , I have two
questions to be clarified from you . 1. I always use to listen to your upanyasams
whenever i find time , this has inspired me to follow the basic principles and karmas
of a brahmin which i am not currently following to be frank . Kindly advise as to how
to start doing the nithya karmas and which one is very essential 2. Also in our
modern life i feel almost half of us were not doing the nithya karma including me
and slowly the affection towards god is getting reducing day by day because of the
work culture or what ever it is , will it affect the future generation your comment on
this please . How can we improve ourself to improve the love and affection towards
god .Since at this point of time if some body asks me what is the speciality of a
vaishnavite and how we are staying ahead when compared to others and what is the
relationship and privilege that god has given to us. i don't have any answers Thanks
for your time .. - Question By - Govindarajan Vasudevan, govi.upps@gmail.com

One has to live as per varna and asrama dharma. Secondly, one has to conduct as per
srivaishnava dharma. This is for personal and bhagavan?s satisfaction. Kindly refer to
an earlier question and answer where I have written in detail about the minimum
behaviour and conduct of a vaishnava

Question ID: 481 - Dear Swamyji, I have the following doubts. 1. I am having Gita
Book of Gita Press, Gorakhpur (Hindi Version)for my reference. In the preface to
first adhyaya, it is said that Sanjaya was in the battlefield for 10 days, till Bhishma's
fall. and then he returns to DHritarashtra to explain in detail what all happened in
the battlefield. Thus Bhagavat Gita comes in the Bhishma Parve. As this is
confusing, could u pl.enlighten me. 2. At the end of each chapter of the Gita u r
giving the details of benefits of reciting that chapter as told by Lord shiva to Devi
Parvati. Could u pl. tell me in what context ( and in spiritual book) such a
conversation takes place. - Question By - Indira
Srinivasan, indirasrp2003@yahoo.co.in

I do not have that book. Let me refer and let you know. However the first day of the
battle is also bhishma parva only. You can refer to Sri U Ve Tirukkallam Narasimha
raghavachariar Swamy?s three volume tamil Gita book for the conversation between
Siva and Parvati on gita mahatmyam

Question ID: 480 - Respected Sirs, Myself & wife are regular watcher of all ur
programmes in TV. As mentioned by ur goodself as well others after death athma
goes out and we perform the rites only for physical body. As per the custom, we
perform the rituals and it is always told that if u don't do all these things properly,
then pithrus will not be pleased? When once the athma has alreday been
tranformed elswhere immedaitely after death. Then is it still necessary to carry the
prescribed rituals for one yaer & thereon. Will it not be sufficient u just remember
the day & salute the departed soul. Thanks u sirs. - Question By -
N.kalyanaraman, nkalyan2008@yahoo.co.in

Our life is guided by the saastras. Papam and punyam are the results of our action ? ie
if we obey the dictum it is punyam and papam otherwise. The sastras prescribe
performance of karma for the departed soul for 12 days and then on for the whole
year. Although the destination of that soul would have been decided by its punyam
and papam, it is a must for us to perform our duties as directed by the sastras.
Further, the karma which we perform like offering pinda or water pleases Bhagavan
and in turn the pitrus. If I can put in the lighter vein, more than sending my father or
mother to mukti, my karma, ensures mukti for me.

Question ID: 479 - srimathe ramanujaya namaha. swamy lots af namaskaram to

your lotus feet.swamy daily i am going to ram temple near my house i am very much
interested in doing kinkaryams. while sweeping the temple i can see many insects
(ants)are getting injured or killed. knowing that insects are getting injured is it
right to continue sweeping?will papams come to me?i am very much annoyed and i
am feeling guilty of sweeping.please reply for my questions.waiting for you answers
humbly.thanks in advance. - Question By - umakanth, umakanth_mech@yahoo.co.in

Your concern is valid but this problem cannot be solved. Not only in the temple but
also at home we kill many insects while using 1. stove 2. mortar and pessle 3. ammi 4.
water vessels and 5. sweeping. The sastras have specified panca maha yagnas as a
prayascittam for this papam. As the sastras have noted this and guided us we must go
ahead.

Question ID: 478 - Respected Guruji, can u explain me about balaram and
lakshman ?whether both are same?balaram and lakshman are incarnation of
adishesha? - Question By - jayanthi, jayanthiti@yahoo.com

Lakshmana was born in treta yuga and Balarama in Dvapara yuga. Lakshmana was an
incarnation of Adisesha and not Sriman narayana. Balarama was an avesa avatara of
Sriman Narayana with the sakti of Adisesha
 Question ID: 477 - Namaskaram, What is Marriage? Is marriage necessary for
every person and if so, why at a later stage of life to attain Mukthi we should leave
the family instead why not a person remain single and do all the things to attain
Mukthi? Due to this our needs and wants increases day by day which restricts from
doing our karma. The above question will be very silly Kindly advice and clear my
doubt. - Question By - Shankar, shankarsudarsan@rediffmail.com

Marriage is an acceptance by both a male and a female to perform the prescribed

duties of grahasta asrama as mentioned in the sastras. It is a great service to keep the
wheel of creation and sustenance rotating. In fact, both brahmacari and sanyasi are
dependant on a grhasta for their living. There is no rule for mukti that finally all
grhastas should quit their marital life. You can attain mukti as a grhasta as done by
many of our purvacaryas. If one spouse is spiritual and the other is not then there is a
problem. This needs to be discussed and ironed out. Both must try together for
brahma gnana and bhakti

Question ID: 476 - NAMO NARAYANA SWAMY, ADIEN DASAN..... SWAMY AT THE
TIME OF SAMUDRA MATHANAM, AS INDRA TOOK THE IRAVATHA, VAJRA AYUDA, AND
BALI CHAKRAVATHI TOOK THE UCHIESRAVAS (THE HORSE....) HOW COME BALI
CHAKRAVARTHI COME IN THE KURMAVATHARAM? AS HE IS THE GRAND SON OF
PRAHALADA, AND HE COME ONLY IN VAMANA AVATHARAM...AND PRAHALADA
COMES ONLY IN NARASIMHA AVATHARAM, HOW COME THIS BE POSSIBLE... PLEASE
LET ME KNOW SWAMY.... - Question By -
SUDARSHANA, VKSSSDARSHAN@YAHOO.CO.IN

Kindly refer to Srimad Bhagavata Purana where the order of narration is 1. Prahlada
caritra in skandha 7 and then 2. amruta mathana in skandha 8 and lastly 3. vamana
caritram in skhanda 8. So there is no confusion on the birth of bali as the grand son of
prahlada. The order of avatarams are not to be considered as they differ in various
texts.

Question ID: 475 - Namasthe, We want to know when we can read (adyayanam )
Divyaprabhandham pasurangal. we want to chant the pasurangal everyday. kindly
advise us. Thanking you, Indira Sudarsan & Friends - Question By - indira
sudarsan, thirusai666@yahoo.co.in
 chant nityanusandhanam during morning tiruvaradhanam. Other than that - as per
your convenience any time.

Question ID: 473 - Dear Swami, Can a daughter perform the last rites of her
parents in case the son can not do so? Also, can the son in law who is more than a
son , perform for his in laws, even while his parents are alive? Looking forward for
clarification, Thanks. - Question By - padmajamadhu, padmajamadhu@gmail.com

Kindly refer to your family brhaspati.

Question ID: 472 - Swamigalin thiruvadikku adiyen (aged 61) submit many
namaskarams.Pls. accept.Being born in Saivaite family I worship Lord Siva ever
since I remember my child hood. I also worship Sriman Narayanan and all the
Gods,Deities.my aim is to submit my humble prayer to God. Since last year I
continuously watch Kannanin Aramuthu.I understand a little and choose
Saranagathi to the Lotus feet of Sri Narayan. I also understand that I should
concentrate more to pray Lord Narayana if I want to aim rest of my life towards
Motcha.I have to thank you for the wonderful, simple discourse you make
everyday.In deed it is my poorva janma bagyam I statrted listening to you and I
thank Sri Narayan and you for it.Nowadays, "man me sanchal ho raha hai".When I
worship Lord Siva, Adhiparasakthi,Vinayaga and Muruga I pray to Sri Narayan who
is "antharyami" in These Deities.Am I correct in remembering Sri Narayan at the
time of praying Them.Please show me the path to pray Sri Narayan and all Others in
a properway so that my Saranagathi remains always with Sri Narayan. - Question By
- Arunachalam Sekar, aru_sekar@yahoo.com

I am sure that you are spiritually progressing. If your objective is moksham then be
steadfast with Sriman Narayana saranagati and bhakti. That would suffice.

Question ID: 471 - aham ramanuja dasosmi adiyen ramanuja dasan swamigal
thiruvadigale saranam, swamin...... i love to follow shri vaishnavam practices and
adiyen is trying to do it strictly also.... but a small doubt.......when shiva (a demi-
god) has done poojas and has worshipped our shrimann narayana, why cant we see
shiva as a bhaktha of our perumal........(thavaru enil porutharula vendugiren) i will
remain in sri vaishnavam only...but just asking this as a doubt... swamy also told in
an upanishad that shiva has told "shri rama rama ramethi rame raame manorame
shasranama dattulyam rama naama vaaranae " and shiva has realised the nectar of
rama nama.... in gita also he (god) says his bhakthas are his body parts... why cant
we see shiva as an atom of bhagwan's body and not as another god (of course no
one else other than perumal are males) thanking you if the questions are silly ,
please porutharula vendum.... - Question By -
sivaraman, narayanabhakthan@yahoo.in

Yes Siva is a vaishnava. He is very much a part of Sriman Narayana. Before I answer,
could you pls let me know the purpose of you wanting to worship Siva. Kindly also read
question 472 and the answer before sending your reply.

Question ID: 470 - Respected Swami, I have started reading B.Geeta, and when I
read this particular shloka, KarmaNyevadhikaraste ............ AkarmaNi (B.geeta, 2:47
) it just puts me to a state of ambiguity. All the recent commentators(English
commentators) explains this shloka in different ways and can be summerised as,
"Do your duty and be detached from its outcome, do not be driven by the end
product" Does it mean that we are not allowed to expect the results. Because
without expectation, it is not possible to do karma and it also decreases the
confidence level. What I think is, One can except the result, but cannot demand the
same. Is that right ?? Requesting you to explain that would enable me to get out of
the state of ambiguity And Is it that, I am reading the english translation of B.Geeta
and till I learn Sanskrit and read it, I will not a get a clear picture of B.Geeta Please
explain !!!! Thanking you - Question By - Raghav, ragghavendran@gmail.com

Our right is to perform but not to expect low human ends. This gita sloka suggests to
abstain from any low human end like artha kama etc. Our objective has to be atma
sakshatkara and paramatma sakshatkara only.

Question ID: 469 - aham ramanuja daasosmi adiyen ramanuja dasan swamigal
thiruvadigale saranam, in bhagawath gita bhagawan says , "i am the one who is
doing the killings, you are like the dagger i use, i get the merit or demerit of the
action , not you" if this is the case then where is the "we" or "i" there, doesnt this
reflect adwaitha sidhdhantha ? (thavaru enil....porutharula vendum .......) 2) in
varadars hand...(kanchipuram) what is written (with diamonds) why is it so ? if the
questions are not proper please porutharulal vendum swami. adiyen ramanuja
dasan - Question By - sivaraman, narayanabhakthan@yahoo.in

Krishna conveys that an atman is not completely independant and so cannot claim
performance totally. He is dependant on paramatma who engages the jiva in birth,
pain and joy according to the karmas of the jiva. the jiva is ofcourse accountable for all
his actions. I presume, Varadar sports "mamekam saranam vraja in hands."
 Question ID: 468 - There is a rumor in Seattle that Swami is visiting Seattle in
October - is this true ? How can we know such useful information and his schedule
in advance? I kindly request that the "news and events" part of the website should
be updated with such useful information. Thanks. - Question By - Sriram
Sampath, sriramsampath@gmail.com

Kindly visit vedics.net for more details. Seatle programme is from Oct 5th to 8th.

Question ID: 467 - After hearing upanyasam , i got this doubt. After our soul
seperated from body, It takes one body( (not sure)Yadana sareeram) undergoes
punishment (the wrong thing( pavam )we do it in earth) .After this, our soul will be
free from all pavams(I guess) . All soul will be same then . For the next birth How
will our karma (pavam)affects? Can you please explain this? Which pavam will be
free and which is not? Thank you for your valuable time spending to answer. -
Question By - Jeyasri Sundar, jeyasri_sundar@hotmail.com

We are experiencing a set of papams called prarabhdha karma. Once they are
exhausted then we are still left with sanchita karma which is too large to be
exhausted. A part of that would start again as prarabhdha karma resulting in births.

Question ID: 466 - Humble Greetings. How should a devotee follow Ekadesi
Vratham? What is the importance of Ekadesi and Duvadesi? Why does Gokulashtmi
and Krishna Jayanti fall on different days? - Question By - BK.Suresh
Balaje, bksureshbalaje@yahoo.com

The significance of ekadasi and the method for vratam have already been answered.
Kindly go through earlier answers. They differ based on determining factory - ashtami
tithi or rohini asterism.

Question ID: 464 - Azhwar Emperumanar Jeeyar thiruvadigale saranam Devareer

had said that Saraswathi Pooja was called Maha Navami and do not know how it
became to be known as Saraswathi Pooja. Does celebrating Saraswathi Pooja (as
done today by Srivaishnavas) amount to worshiping other devatas? I don't think all
of us worship Saraswathi for being Bhagavan's Sareeram (consciously keeping in
mind the fact that Narayana being the Antharyami of Saraswathi). We just simply do
the pooja following the family practice. Is it in line with our Vaishnava Siddantham?
- Question By - Ramanujam, rgr.ad@adia.ae

Performance of puja on that day had been in practise for long and so we would not
violate any code by doing the same. However it should not be puja to sarasvati.
instead it must to Sri lakshmi and Sri Hayagriva.

Question ID: 463 - Poojya Shri Swamyji, adaiyan is a thengalai thirumalai nallan
chakravarthy swamyam acharya .We are three brothers between the age of 57 to
62.For the past few years we are trying to locate anacharya to perform
samashrayanam for us .So for we are not able to succeed in our efforts to find an
acharayan .With your help and Divine Grace i am sure our long time longing will
come true.Seeking your help ,advice and guidance.Adaiyan Dasan Rajagopaln. -
Question By - S.rajagopalan, radjaa3@gmail.com

I would try and locate. Kindly call me after my return to India.

Question ID: 462 - Respected Swami, I belong to the Iyer Community and an
ardent devotee of Sri Panchamukha Dwaadasa Buja Anjaneya Swami, Chithra Kulam,
Mylapore. The upasakar Sri. M.R. Balaji is my spiritual guide. I also watch and listen
to the Bhagawat Gita program presented by you in DD. I'm really thankful to you for
the wealth of information presented through the program. Its clearing the clouds
surrounding many questions we all have in life. I have 2 questions to ask you
related to history and Mahabharatha: I read a lot about spiritual teachers cutting
across sects and even religion to understand the messages propadated by them. I
was reading from wikipedia about Sri Vedantha Desika Swami. Wikipedia says that
he built a wall in front of the main shrine of Lord Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam to
protect the diety from attacks by Malik Khafur. If this is true, why is it that these
stories are not told to us in schools while the invasion of Mahmud Ghazni and
Robert Clive's battles are covered in detail? In fact, I studied in a school which puts
a lot of emphasis on vedas and vedic learning, even they didn't discuss this event.
What do you think is the reason for this kind of selective teaching and learning? Can
anything be done about it? The second question is from the English version of
Mahabharatha written by Rajaji. He mentions that the armies at the Kurukshetra
war violated war discipline by fighting in the night. Is this true? Your response will
be extremely valuable to me. My friends and I discuss a lot about these kind of
stories and sometimes we find that there is no answer for some of the questions.
Respectfully, Prakash - Question By - Prakash
Sridharan, prakash.sridharan@gmail.com

It is better to play down any act of agression so that the minds of children is not
contaminated. Moreover the school syllabus is made by some who may not be aware
 of many details. It is enough that we are spiritually educated at the right age.
Mahabharata war was fought only during the day unlike Ramayana war.

Question ID: 461 - Dear Swamiji, Recently I understood that our family consisting
of me, my wife and son, have rahu dosham. We are in the process of performing
poojas and other required prayers, kindly let me know the rahu namams which I and
my family can chant every day and also the ideal time for chanting the same. If
possible also let me know other prathividhis to reduce this dosham. - Question By -
Ajith, ajith_puthukulangaramadam@yahoo.com

I am totally ignorant on this. Kindly consult your family brhaspati.

Question ID: 460 - Dear Swamin, this is a question about how much people are
aware about Samashrayanam, and the effect of that ignorance. </br> 1. Some of my
married relatives, when one of their parents died, did Samashrayanam as instructed
by vadhiyar so that they can do the kaariyam, etc. They are thinking that
samashrayanam is part of some things they were asked to do by vadhiyar. 2. Many
do Samashrayanam at the age of 7 or 8 and mostly they are too young to
understand what it is about and why they are doing Samashrayanam. Many of them
at this state of day and age even don't remember later that they did
samashrayanam! 3. Many more just do Samashrayanam because their parents asked
them to do it without any further explanation given or seeked. 4. A few have
realized about the significance of samashrayanam but only much later than the
actual act of doing the samashrayanam. </br> 5. Some of my relatives who have the
pori in their shoulders are still thinking that they will be having next piravi. They
don't realize getting the rahasyangal from their Acharyan. </br> Given all these, (a)
will such people get moksham at the end of this piravi, or is it not for sure even
after doing samashrayanam until they realize and open up their mind (prapadhye)
about saranagathi? (b) Could this be one more explanation for saying that only
peruman is the upayam? (c) How do all these mesh with the promise peruman gave
to Sri Ramanujar about giving moksham to his people? Thank you for Devareer's
guidance. - Question By - Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

From your question I am sure that you have understood the significance of
samasrayanam. So be happy that you would not have next birth. Now whenever we
come across ignorant people our duty is to educate them to the extent possible. So
kindly start that with all the people whom you have mentioned above. I am also trying
to do the same. Our job is not to doubt or debate whether they would reach moksham
or not but to ensure that they reach.
 Question ID: 459 - Respected Swamy,Pranams to your divine feet. 1)In your
discourse on Bhagavath geetha ,in Chapter6, you stated that yogam should be
performed by sitting on the deer's skin.Is there any other sustitute as it is not easily
available. 2)While performing Yogam,is it neccessary to remove the ornaments
while concentrating on the nose tip?Will it not affect the sentiments of ladies? 3)In
the second chapter of Bhagavath geetha ,Lord Krishna,advised Arjuna to do Karma
yoga rather than doing gnanayoga as ,if his subjects weren't able to reach the
destination through gnanayoga then ,Arjuna as a King ,would be held responsible
(Lokasagraham).But how come King Janaka was able to practise gnanayoga being a
King as well as Rajarshi? Please excuse me in case of any ignorance in these
questions. - Question By - shrinidhi, shrinidhi1992@yahoo.co.in

A silk cloth is fine instead of a deer's skin. 2. Yoga as mentioned in gita is not for
ladies. Simple dyana is the right way for ladies. So you need not remove ornaments in
the nose. 3. King Janaka practised karma yoga only inspite of being capable of
performing gnana yoga.

Question ID: 458 - Respected Sir, I am a pious learner of Prabhandams and a

devotee of Lord Narayana though borne as a smartha. Yesterday early hours in the
morning I dreamt of a very big Thiruman (Vadagalai) appearing in the sky with
Thayar at he bottom of the Thiruman. Is there any temple with that sort of Thiruman
depiction which perhaps I should visit ? Or is any other significance attached ?
A.N.Raman Cost Accountant - Question By - A.N.Raman, anraman@gmail.com

I am sorry. I have not come across sucha phenomenon anywhere.

Question ID: 457 - I missed to take down a point from Velukkudi Swami's Gita
lecture on TV. Parathwam Vedas Vyooham Agamas Vibavam Ithihasa, Puranas
Archai Divya Prabandham Antharyami ......................? I would Like to know the
answer for Antharyamithvam please. - Question By -
S.SOURIRAJAN, kanapurarajan@yahoo.com

manu smriti etc.

Question ID: 456 - adiyen ramanuja dasan.swamy my doubt is who is

srivaishnavan ? only our poorvacharyars from [ present acharyan to perumal ]
southindia or whoever got samashrayanam from our acharyas should be considered
as srivaishnavas or anybody who worships or worshiped perumal like chaitanyar ,
thulasidasar can also be considered as srivaishnavas.this may be a silly question
please forgive me if it is wrong. - Question By - m raghavan
, rag_bpharm@yahoo.co.in

There are many vaishnavite cults in bharat. But a srivaishnava is one who follows the
purvacharya lineage from lakshmi natha to asmadacarya. Besides the various other
qualities, He must have been administered samasrayanam.

Question ID: 454 - Swamikku adiyenin anekakoti Namaskarangal. Adiyen is

studying B.E. Adiyen is a listener of Swami`s Upanyasam. In the "Srimad
Bhagavatam" Upanyasam, adiyen learnt the existence of Ashtanga Yoga. Adiyen
likes to practice it(Swamiyin anugrahathodu). Adiyen understood that, the person
who wishes to practice Ashtanga Yoga must be a Brahmachari. Adiyen also
understood that the person who is a Brahmachari, must be a celibate. Adiyen`s
doubt is, "Does practicing Ashtanga Yoga prevent a man from entering
Gruhasthashrama ?", and "Is it that a person in Gruhasthashrama cannot practice
Ashtanga Yoga(as he must be a celibate)? ". Adiyen requests Swami to forgive the
mistakes Adiyen have made in asking the question. Also, Does our pooravacharyas
insist on Ashtanga Yoga ? Once again forgive adiyen for all the mistakes adiyen
have made. Dasan Jagannathan Raman - Question By - Jagannathan
Raman, jagan_raman567@yahoo.com

Practising ashtanga yoga is not easy. Kindly do not venture. Our purva charyas have
not suggested it to be mandatory. They have advised simpler and more effective ways.
Moreover, they are included to an extent in our nitya karma anushthanas.

Question ID: 453 - adieyan humble pranams, Sir my question is - can the husband
do saranagati alone through an acharayan when the wife is not keen? If yes, then
how should he conduct his karmas and follow food habits to practice saranagati
alone while part of the family - Question By - S K Srinivasan, sksrini9@yahoo.co.in

Yes he can do alone. This samskaram is for the individual atman. Whether he does it or
not he has to follow the right food habits and other karmas. That again is individual
specific .

Question ID: 452 - Namaskaram This is regarding your ans. to the question 386.
You say Shankarar is a vaishnavite.He did not praise demi Gods. But he is the one
who created six religions and sang on Dakshinamurthy, Parvathy, Ganesha and so
on. I could not understand your answer. Kindly elaborate on it. - Question By - Latha
Vijayan, lathavij@gmail.com

He did not do any of the things which you have mentioned in all in four important
works 1. brahma sutra bhashyam 2. gita bhashyam 3. sahasranama bhashyam and 4.
upanishad bhashyam. There may be many stotrams claiming his name which are later
day additions.

Question ID: 451 - I would like to understand the different ways one can surrender
to a Guru. I believe we have 2 ways - Samaashrayanam and Paranyasam. (please
forgive any errors in spelling). Could you please explain the difference between the
two ways? Also, which way is available /suitable for an unmarried woman? -
Question By - Mayuravalli Rajan, sandy_rajan@yahoo.com

Since you sound like beginner I suggest that you go directly to your acharya and act as
per his advice.

Question ID: 450 - Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha Respected Sir, Thank you so
much for all your publications. I am so indebted to you for all the things I have
understood correctly from your upanyasams :) The following semi-scientific
incomplete theory occurred to me while you explain the creation of the universe in
"Bhagavadathil Muthukal". Would like to get your comments/augments/corrections
on these: - In the Big Bang Theory, they say at the time of creation Matter and
Antimatter split. Just for this discussion let us call AntiMatter as GodMatter. - What
we are and what we see around us etc is matter. Scientist say that lot of GodMatter
is un accounted for today. - Is the purpose of all life form to inherently try to go
back to the union state with GodMatter ?(Matter and Antimatter when they come
together, become light) - Are the desires that we are born with, the ones that
distracts us from the ultimate purpose of life made up of some kind of special kind
of matter, which needs to get nullified by us somehow trying to unite it with its
corresponding GodMatter. THat would mean God is the perfection that we are not.
This would also lead to the theory of personal God, meaning, my definition of God
will be perfection that I am not. This would then lead to God having countless
Kalyana Gunangal to account for every one of jeevatma's flaws. Looking forward to
your reply. Adiyen Ramanuja Daasan - Question By - Ramesh
Chellamani, chellamanis@gmail.com

Everything is fine here expect one. We never existed in srivaikuntha once and then
broke away to samsara. We are in cyclic births in this samsara for ever. Moreover
 matter and anti matter do not enjoy any sort of concrete or abstract relationship.
Whereas the para and jiva and atma and sareera. If this is reconciled rest would follow.

Question ID: 449 - Srimathey Ramaanujaya Namaha Respected Sir, Could you
please tell me when Thirumazhisai Azhwar lived (between which years) ? You
mention in one of your upanyasms that he lived for 4700 years and also say that he
learnt Saakyam, Samanam and Sankaranaar's aagama nool. Thank you Sir... Adiyen
Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Ramesh Chellamani, chellamanis@gmail.com

He was born towards the end or dvapara yuga and lived for 4700 years. For more
interesting details on this refer to our blog section.

Question ID: 447 - adiyen ramanuja dasan.vanakkam can a staunch sree

vaishnavas chant aditya hridayam?pl clarify - Question By -
aravamudhan, mukundsalem@yahoo.co.in

Not necessary.

Question ID: 446 - Adidyen Ramanuja Dasan, Sathyanarayan xstd student. I want
to know how Mahavishnu avatar formed first ? nobody is answering for my
question.Everyone is telling first mahavishnu, then brahma etc. - Question By -
satyanarayanan .s, preeths94@gmail.com

Sriman Narayana is never born. He is eternal. He is all pervasive. His one form or
incarnation is Maha vishnu. He is the creator of all. He is never created.

Question ID: 445 - Pranams. From when the Chakra is associated with Thirumal,
as if some of the followers of Lord Siva, is telling "PAALUKKU BALAGAN AZHUDHIDA
PAARKADAL EENDHA PIRAN MALUKKU CHAKKARAM ANDRU ARULPURINDAVAN ....."
kindly enlighten Swami. - Question By - Sadagopan, privalihe@yahoo.co.in
 Sri Sudarsana is a nitya suri (the ever liberated) and so is associated for ever. I have
no clue whatsoever of the story which you have cited.

Question ID: 444 - My humble salutations to Velukkudi Krishnan swamy. Do plants

have soul?What do our scriptures say regarding this?Do we take birth as plants
before going into cycles involving animals and humans?.I frequently encounter the
question that even strict vegetarians kill plants (knowingly) and hence commit the
same paapam as people who consume non-vegetarian food, in the sense that they
destroy life. How can this be justified?I have heard about pancha yagnam in your
discourses. Does the bhootha yagnam cover this kind of paapam also? - Question By
- Anand, anand_v21@yahoo.co.in

Yes there is an atman in every insentient. However its gnana in flora and fauna is
almost nill and that is why cutting or eating them would bear no effect on them. But
their gnana in animals is better that they feel pain. panca maha yagna and other
prescribed karmas would remove these sins also.

Question ID: 443 - Swamy, I am blessed with panchasamaskaram by Sri U.Ve.K.K.

Su Sirupuliyur Thiruvazhi Annan Swamigal. I perform Nithya Karma & chant
Thiruppavai & Thirupallandu. I am based out of chennai & like to learn Divya
Prabhandham. Please let me know whether you are taking any Divya Prabhandham
class in chennai. - Question By - Madhavan, madhavan_contact@yahoo.com

We do not conduct any divya prabandham classes. If you contact our volunteer in your
area, they would guide you to an tutor who takes classes.

Question ID: 442 - Dear Poojya Swamin! Humble namaskarams to your feet!
Adiyen would like to know this - Absolutely everything originates from Brahmam.
Then why ever do rajas and tamas exist, that trigger papam? Also are jeevathmans
created or are they also anadhi - anantham? Namaskarams, Lakshmi - Question By -
Lakshmi, luxmer@yahoo.com

Prakrti - the primodial nature which is a part of brahmam (sareeram) and the material
cause for creation of this universe, it called as mixed satva ie which has a mixture of
satva rajas and tamas. The essential nature of Brahmam and Nitya vibhuti is pure
satva (devoid of rajas and tamas). The concept is that the jivas who are born in this
 universe must follow a discipline and elavate themselves from this prakrti to reach
srivaikuntha. Jivas are never created. They are anadi and so are their karmas. Jivas are
anatam but their karma have antam. Once karma ceases, jiva reaches vaikuntham and
never returns.

Question ID: 441 - hi I was not sure where to ask this question. I had bought a few
of the wonderful Upanyasam CDs from Kinchitkaram trust, and about 3 audio files
were corrupt. I was wondering if there is a way you could help me get those mp3
files (download from online??). I could give you more details. Madhusudhanan -
Question By - Madhusudhanan Srinivasan, srinivma@gmail.com

Yes . you can get them replaced. They can't be downloaded. Kindly call 044 24992728.

Question ID: 440 - Respected Swami,Namaskarams to your lotus feet.As already

mentioned in the earlier question,I am only a beginner and want to follow
Srivaishnava Sampradayam very sincerely.Even though i was born in a Srivaishnava
kulam,my interest towards Srivaishnavam developed very recently.But i am
constantly undergoing some sort of difficulties which ultimately make me think that
i should follow some other path and not srivaishnavam.But at the same time,I think
Srivaishnavam is the only correct path and there is always a confusion which makes
me feel very helpless.When i told this to my close relative i was told that this was
"thapathrayam".Please tell me as to why i am undergoing such troubles and is it the
result of any bagavatha apacharam or is it due to my past karmas? could you please
suggest me something for this? - Question By - ramanuja
dasi, namperumal@hotmail.com

Of course all these confusions are effects of our birth and the cause karma. You are
very disturbed for no reason. Even if you follow any other sampradayam you may
continue with the same confusion. You will have to sit down, reflect and choose.

Question ID: 439 - adipanindhEn vinnappam, swAmi. In Sri Ramayanam, when

Mandodhari laments Ravana's death, she mentions that Sri Seetha is not equal to
her in kulam, beauty, etc.. Looks like she is so full of herself and does not realize
whom she is comparing herself with!!! Is this not a bhAgavatha apachAram?
However, our AchAryAs have considered her words of praise about the Lord (esp.
where she identifies the Lord as the Supreme) in a serious light. I think They would
have had some reason to have ignored her strange and incorrect words about
Thayar. Have They stated that reason anywhere, swAmi? Kindly enlighten adiyEn.
devareer thiruvadigalukku pallaandu. - Question By - Sudha
R, sudha.rams@gmail.com
 Let me suggest again. There is an answer to all questions. However we must not
spend time on trivial matters. Since you believe in our acharyas, just focus on knowing
the esoteric meanings of the four slokas of mandodari as described at length by Sri
Peria vacan pillai in tanislokam. You will get a reply for your question there.

Question ID: 438 - adipanindhEn vinnappam, swAmi. When one reaches

paramapadham, we honour the great soul by saying that S/He reached AchAryan's
thiruvadi. So, in paramapadham, will one get to directly serve His/Her AchAryan like
one gets to do in this vibhUthi? Or will serving the Divine Couple (and thus making
the AchAryan happy) is the only form of kainkaryam available there? Kindly clarify
and grace adiyEn. devareer thiruvadigal vAzhi. - Question By - Sudha
R, sudha.rams@gmail.com

A mukta would serve the divine couple and all the nityas and muktas there. Our
acaryan would also be one of them.

Question ID: 437 - adipanindhEn vinnappam, swAmi. I gather that there can be a
liberation from samsAram even in the form of kaivalyam where one will enjoy
oneself and stay in the nithya vibhoothi without ever coming back but at the same
time will not be able to serve the Lord and thAyAr. I believe they will be stationed
on one bank of srI virajA without bathing in it and will not be purified by srI
amAnavan. Is my understanding correct? Kindly clarify and grace adiyEn. devareer
thiruvadigal vAzhi. - Question By - Sudha R, sudha.rams@gmail.com

A kaivailyarthi does not travel through arciradi margam at all. He lives for ever in a
place beyond the viraja without entering Tirumaa mani mandapam. He neither serves
the Lord at Srivaikuntha not returns to this material world.

Question ID: 436 - Ref: Reply to Question ID: 349 namaskArams, swAmi. Thank
you very much for your clarifications regarding why our AchAryAs chose srI krishNa
charama slOkam (over srI rAma charama slOkam) for upadesham. One more query
in this context: From the sharaNAgathan's perspective, doesn't srI rAma charama
slOkam sound more inviting and inclusive i.e. doesn't it enable (with more ease than
srI krishNa charama slOkam) the person who wants to do sharaNAgathi to shed all
fears and doubts and approach the Lord? If the sharanyan is a "thEvai idAdhAr",
doesn't His words give more confidence and hope to people (and thus lead them to
approach the Lord)? What is the samAdhAnam given by our AchAryAs to this? Kindly
clarify and grace us, swAmin. Pallaandu to devareer's thiruvadigal. - Question By -
Sudha R, sudha.rams@gmail.com

The same set of reasons as I gave last time. Let us spend more time in knowing the
meaning of both the caramaslokams rather than comparitive argument.

Question ID: 435 - namaskArams swAmi. Amongst the 12 AzhwArs, srI pEyAzhwAr
alone is hailed as "thamizh thalaivan" - I have 2 questions wrt this: (a) Is srI
rAmAnuja nootrandhAdhi the first and only text where srI pEyAzhwAr is referred to
this way? (b) Why is srI pEyAzhwAr alone referred to thus? Is there any specific
phrase or approach He used in moonraam nootrandhAdhi that paved way to this?
Kindly enlighten adiyEn, swAmin. Pallaandu to devareer's thiruvadigal. - Question
By - Sudha R, sudha.rams@gmail.com

All azhvars are hailed as tamizhars. Much before iramanusa nootrandai, azhvar himself
has sung as "paalei tamizhar isai karar pattar....". Specially the mudal azhvars are
called as tamizhar. Mudal azhvars claim to be perum tamizhan nallen. the same
iramanusa nootrandai reveres poigai azhvar as "sendamizh tannayum kootti". So this
only a common title to all.

Question ID: 434 - My Humble namaskars to swamiji. I am 36 yrs old staying away
from my family..Recently I am having an inclination to chant some slokas about the
lord and I started listening to Vishnu Sahasarnamam. But when I wanted to chant it,
I get disturbed a lot and I am unable to recite it continuously. Need your guidance
as to how should I start and where to start. - Question By -
P.R.Arun, prarun71@gmail.com

It is surprising that you are not able to chant sahasranama. Let it not be mental. It can
be oral. Just take a book and read through which may take about 20 minutes. If it is
difficult just join the group which chants SVS in your town and make a beginning.

Question ID: 433 - Swamigal Thiruvadikku Shathakoti Pranamangal, swamy i went

to bhadrachalam recently, there was one place with the name paransala, the people
in that place told that, this is the place where ravana took sita to lanka, is it true,if
thats not the place , swamy could you please tell the place where ravana took sita
to lanka, one more request , if it is possible is there any chances of listing the
rama,krishna,ramanuja yatra places in the website, so that it will be useful for the
devotees to go to those places whenever we get time. Adiyen Prabhu Ramanuja
Dasan. - Question By - Prabhu ramanuja dasan, prabhu.37@gmail.com

I am not going to contradict the claim or bhadracala vasis. It is our fortune that Rama
set us lotus feet throughout the length and breadth of India. However there is an
interpretation to Rama being at parnasala near bhadracala. It was when Ramadasa
built the temple for Rama, both Sita and Rama appeared and supervised the
construction living in this parna sala. All this is in kali yuga. Ravana abducted Sita from
pancavati near present day Nasik. We had publised a book on both these yatra. We
would try to post it in the website.

Question ID: 432 - Respected Swami, Please accept my humble obeisances at your
lotus feet. I am extremely grateful to you for answering my earlier doubt (Q 386).
However, I have yet another question, which I hope you will clarify. Please excuse
any ignorance on my part. Swami, I have been conversing with some people who
claim to be Sri Vaishnavas. These people tell me that while Vishishtadvaita accepts
Savisesha Brahman, with all kalyana gunas, we do not limit Brahman to the form of
Vishnu, as described in the scripture. These people told me that Sriman Narayana's
form with the lotus, mace, conch and discus is simply a symbol to be assumed for
meditation, and that Brahman in reality is above all forms. So basically, we can
meditate on Vishnu's form or even Shiva and get moksha. They also were of the
opinion that the avatars/lilas of Narayana as described by the Puranas is allegorical,
and their historicity is not required as far as our sampradaya is concerned. They
also say that the Puranic accounts of creation does not tally with science, and hence
are to be considered as metaphors (For instance, Bhagavatam's description of the
Universe is not in accordance with science as it describes the Universe as 5 billion
miles across). My question is - Is what these people are saying true? I have always
felt that Sriman Narayana, while not being limited to forms, still has taken this
beautiful thirumeni for devotees. I am a firm believer and have utmost faith in our
alvars and acharyas, who have beautifully described emperuman's thirumeni.
However, these people too claim to belong to Sri Ramanuja Darshanam, and hence, I
feel it appropriate to clarify my doubts. To say that Vishnu is allegorical seems too
much for me, because our sampradaya is based on the fundamental tenet that
Bhagavan incarnates from time to time to mingle with Jivas and show His kalyana
gunas. Please forgive me for any sort of ignorance I may have exhibited. The idea of
Sriman Narayana's beautiful thirumeni being an allegory is quite distressing, and
the people I spoke to appear to be quite erudite as far as philosophy is concerned,
hence a seed of doubt crept into my mind. Kindly address this issue. At your lotus
feet, Narayana. - Question By - Narayana, maverick_a31@yahoo.com

You are quite clear in your understanding. Just do not be concerned about what others
claim or argue. Follow our acharyas. Let us not waste time. Nobody is above Sri
Ramanuja or azhvars.
 Question ID: 431 - What is meant by Bhagavatha Dharmam ? Did our acharyas
also preach and follow it ? Is it the same as Sri Vaishnava Dharmam ? - Question By -
BHARADWAJ, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Srivaishnava lakshanam and bhagavata dharmama are one and the same. It is listed in
Sri vishnu purana, Gita and purvachaarya works. Our purvachaaryas were living
examples of the same.

Question ID: 430 - What is the opinion and message of azhwars on chanting the
names of the Sriman Naarayana ? Do they prescribe it as a mokshopayam ? What is
the opinion of our Sri Vaishnava Acharyas on the same thing ? Kindly enlighten -
Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - BHARADWAJ, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Neither the azhvars nor acharyas prescribe naama sankirtana as mokshopaya. It only
aids in 1. service to the Lord 2. useful past time during our lifetime after saranagati. 3.
nurturing bhakti 4. enjoying the auspicious attributes of bhagavan. It is an indirect
upaya which may lead to bhakti or prapatti which are the direct upayas. Bhagavan is
the only means for liberation.

Question ID: 429 - swamin small clarification about swamy answer for question
no:393 (thanana thirumeni in sri rangam) the answer was -Not the original tirumeni
preserved. till today we believed all three thirumeni i.e.,
thammugarntha,thamarugantha,thanana thirumeni we teaching to our younger
generation also about this tnanana thirumeni normally we take swamy word is final
word but this gives us mis-direction. In history says sri ramanuja thirumeni
preserved in sri rangam temple. swamin please clarify this again in details. adiyen -
Question By - govindarajan, nayagam.govind@yahoo.com

I never said that it is not known as taanana tirumeni at Srirangam. However, the
original tirumeni is not preserved there. It is under the earth beneath the present
mandapa. It is revered as taanana tirumeni as this is where the final tirumeni was laid
to rest.
 Question ID: 428 - Namaskarams. 1. I am a widower. 2. I have no children 3. My
father passed away last year. 4. My mother is old and fragile. 5. I have an elder
brother. 6. I want to perfrom the srardham (first year srardham) for my father at
Varanasi. Should I do it in Varanasi or Gaya? 7. Can I perform Srardham in Gaya for
my ancesstors. (My mother is alive). 8. Can I perform Srardham for my wife in Gaya?
Namaskarams. - Question By - srinivasan, srininame@hotmail.com

My suggestion would be to perform later. However kindly refer to your family

brhaspati.

Question ID: 427 - My respectful pranams to Swami. My doubt here is that

according to temples and Sri Vaishnava Sampradayam, we celebrate Sri
Jayanthi(avani - rohini) and not gokula-asthami for Lord Krishna but we celbrate
Rama Navami(chitirai - navami) and not on chitirai-punarvasu for Lord Rama.In
short ,why do we celebrate Krishna's birthday according to star and Rama's birthday
according to tithi??? - Question By - Arun, arun23885@yahoo.co.in

Rama's birthday is popularly identified as Sri Rama navami. But, It is also calculated
based on the asterism punarvasu only.

Question ID: 426 - adiyen Ramanuja dasan. Swamiyin Thiruvadihaluku adiyenathu

namasakarangal. Swami, is it true that Lord Rama had maamsam. i dont believe
that. some people are arguing that Rama is a kshatriya and he is having full rights
to have maamsam. they are giving some verses from Valmiki Ramayana ( Sundara
Kantam -- Hanuman to Sita prati ) ... ?Na mamsam Raghava bhunkte, na chaiva
madhu sevate, Vanyam suvihitam nityam bhaktamsnati panchamam.? Swami, pls
tell me what is the exact meaning of that verse .... - Question By - VaradhaRajan
Renganathan, pascal45@gmail.com

Rama did not have maamsam. Hanuman is only describing the plight of Rama
suffering from the pangs of separation. Although a kshatriya can have under certain
circumstances Rama did not have.

Question ID: 425 - Adiyen Sridevanathan Namaskaram. Recently I saw in a

website the other religion evangalists say that our Vaishnava and Saiva, and Hindu
siddanthams are from them. The St. Thomas who came here was the origin and from
his teachings only our Hinduism came. These propogandas makes my blood boiling
and my heart wants to do something to crush it. I loose my mental balance and
anger occupies my mind. Is it not necessary for us to crush this? Our Younger
generation will be spoiled by this. I pray my Krishna to solve this. Else what can we
do? - Question By - sridevanathan, srideva07@gmail.com

Yes many would like to go your way but they would not solve the issue. We need to
have a structured spiritual education programme for children so that they are not
caught in the web of wrong propaganda or material pleasure.

Question ID: 424 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recently maya created such a
tricky situation,that i got bewildered,and although within my heart i carefully
considered the lord as the only upayam,the situation prompted me to display
ahankaram,and went against my free will,and caused apacharam in my mind unto
your lotus feet.I personally deeply regret my mistake,but on the other
hand,sincerely speaking i was completely helpless.From this krishna has revealed so
many things to me,how dangerous bhagavata apacharam is,and how tricky and
powerful maya is.Unlike before the tendency to commit bhagavat apacharam has
completely gone,but this happened suddenly.Although i wanted to plead for
forgiveness personally,but because of severe pain,guilt in my heart for many days,i
feel something like a stone covering my heart,which prompted me to ask
forgiveness thorugh e-mail.I promise that i shall sincerely strive to not commit such
offences again.Sincerely begging for kshama. your servant -------------- - Question By
- kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Yes bhagavata apacaram is cruel. Kindly go directly to the bhagavata whom you
offended and convey the same to him or her. Only that would nullify the offence.

Question ID: 423 - ** Om Sri Kooresaya Nama ** Dear Swami, In Q.354, you had
replied to my question that as adiyen does not have a vaishnava lineage, I cannot
have Sri Koorathazwan as my maanaseega Acharya. You had also advised me to
contact an acharya and do samashraNam first. As adiyen do not belong to the Sri
Vaishnava parampara, I cannot consider anyone else but your kind self as my
Acharya, next to Koorathzwan. You were the one who had inculcated the spirit of
Perumal Bhakthi and have also guided me in many ways (through your upanyasams)
to come out from certain practices & habits which are not considered as good. It is
my humblest request to you to allow me - to accept you as my Acharya. Can you
please advise me of the needed procedures for me to obtain samashraNam under
your holy guidance as my Acharya. Seeking your blessings, Adiyen Madhavn. -
Question By - Madhavan, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com
 I can be your guide as an upanyasaka. My duty is to lead you to an acharya who
comes in the lineage of the 74 simhasanadhipatis. But for this I would fail in my duty.
So kindly contact me when I am at chennai, I would guide you.

Question ID: 422 - Dear Swamiji i like to know the importance of Prodasha -
Question By - N.Arun Kumar, surajgraphics@yahoo.co.in

I have little knowledge about this. Kindly ask this to your nearby temple priest.

Question ID: 421 - ********************Srimathae Ramanujaya

namaha******************** Devarir Thiruvadikaluku Adiyenudaya Danada
samarpanam, 1) Adiyen heard your upanyasam about Thirumalai "Thaavi Annu
Ulagamellam Thalaivilla .........". In that devarir explained that Perumal wanted to
have His Thiruvadi sparisam for all the people in the earth as well some of the
Devas who have aahangaram and went upto Sathyalogam (Thiruvasiriyam 5 Pattu).
Now, in Krishna avataram after Sriyapathe Sarveswaran Emperuman put His Divine
Lotus Feet above Boothanai all the dur gantham that would come out of Asura's
Degam was not there. So, after Perumal had his Thiruvadi above all the vasthus in
the Boologam, everybody should have identified Him and should go to Moksham.
[For this he even asked all the people to see Him as Vamana, and once all of them
bent down to see Him, He changed as ThiruVikraman]. So, why Namuchi and other
people still went against Thiruvikrama? 2) When Prylayam comes, will Nithya
mandalam present or will it also have the bagyam to go into Emperuman's
ThiruVayiru? If no, then how our Purvas explained "Aevam Narayana Asith" and
other related things. - Question By - sutharsan, sutharsan_ss@yahoo.co.in

In tirumaalai azhvar only says that trivikrama was impartial to all as He touched
everyone. It is not that putana or mahabali went to moksham on being touched by
bhagavan. The Key to moksham is the realisation that His touch would fetch moksham.
True to it's name,Nitya mandalam would not be consumed by bhagavan during
pralayam.

Question ID: 420 - NAMASTA SWAMI , I AM 2 MONTHS PREGNANAT ON 17TH AUG I

WAS OUT IN THE LIGHT WHEN IT WAS CHANDRA GRAHAN AT 1.15 AM . I WANT TO
KNOW IS THEIR ANY PROBLEM ACCOURING TO ACCOURDINGTO HINDU - Question By
- SHUBHA, SHUBHA@GMAIL.COM
 It may probably affect not only as said in dharmic scriptures but also in science.
However kindly plead to bhagavaan who would for sure listen to your request.

Question ID: 419 - Adiyen ramanujadasan .Swami ,we belongs to suyamachari

vamsam (Paravasthubattarbiran jeeyar).Till my great grand father we performed
samasrayanam.after his demice my grandfather connected our family to tirumala
peria jeeyar mutt.And i got samasrayanam done by parasara bhattar.Will it be
possible to perform samasrayanam once again. - Question By -
Sriraghavan, p.murali63@rediffmail.com

I am ignorant about this. Kindly refer to an acharya purusha or either Peria jeer swamy
or bhattar swamy.

Question ID: 418 - Upayavedanthaachaarayrai ezhuntharuli irukkum Swami

sannidhiyyil anantha kodi dhandam samarpiththa vinnappam. Swami, purushaas
have the privilige of addressing themselves "Adiyen" and "Ramanuja dasan".
Likewise, can you kindly clarify the correct term to be used by Sthris to address
themselves? - Question By - Vijayalakshmi
Srinivasaraghavan, vijaya55raghavan@gmail.com

you can use the same. nothing wrong as we are only conveying the subservience of an
atman where gender does not matter. If you want to be specific then use adiyaal and
ramanuja dasi.

Question ID: 417 - Upayavedanthaachaarayrai ezhuntharuli irukkum Swami

sannidhiyyil adiyen ramanuja dasan dhandam samarpiththa vinnappam. From our
website's welcome banner and from other sources, adiyen learnt that "thiruman
kaapu" which we have on our forehead is Perumal's tiruvadi and "srichoornam"
represents Thaayaar mahaalakshmi. As adiyaars of Him we wear His Lotus Feet on
our forehead. Adiyen's doubt is why does the Lord Himself have to wear "thiruman
kaapu" (i.e, His own Lotus Feet) on His Forehead? Adiyen request Swami to kindly
clarify this silly doubt of mine. - Question By - Sridhar
Srinivasan, sraghvan@gmail.com

There is a detailed reply earlier on this question. He is adorned with tiruman as an

alankara (decoration). Secondly He is trying to simulate His bhata to experience the
joy which they experience by wearing the same.
 Question ID: 416 - Adiyen had the opportunity to listen to devereer's upanyasam
on Kanninun Siruthambu (2004). Enna Bhagyam! I think that every Sri Vaishnavar
should listen to it at least once in the life time. In the last pasuram Madhura Kavi
Azhwar says 'Vaikuntham Kaanmine'. In response to people trying to catch him
saying he is up to Peruman rather than to Azhwar, he says that Azhwar is the king in
Sri Vaikuntam, and also wherever there are people who believe in his words then
that place itself is Vaikuntham. 1. Considering that spirit, it is not clear what he
means by 'Adiyen Petra Nanmaiye' in the 3rd Pasuram. The pasuram seems to say
that he considers it a 'Nanmai' that Devapiran gave darshan to Madhura Kavi. In the
same spirit as above though, is he Really saying that That is the Nanmai, or is there
some other meaning to it which actually implies Azhwar only? 2. Is there any
distinction (UL PoruL) in his usage of 'Naan' versus 'Adiyen' in different pasurams?
Thank you for devareer's valuable time. - Question By -
Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

Bhagavan is dearer to bhaagavata bhaktas than His own devotees. That is why He
volunteered to give darshan to madhura kavigal although that was not the wish of
madhura kavigal. However MK azhvar did not deny that darshan fearing that such an
act would offend Nammazhvar. He claims that this nanmai is also due the grace of
Nammazhvar and not of his own. So the focus in this song is to bring out the glory of
Nammazhvar's grace which grants everything. 2. Whether azhvar's use naan or adiyen
- both mean adiyen only.

Question ID: 415 - What is the slogam to be recited during Chandra Grahanam and
Surya Grahanam? When is the tharpanam to be done at the begining of the
grahanam or during the grahanam or a few minutes before the end of the
grahanam? Does it differ between Surya and Chandra grahanams? - Question By -
Chandru, chandroob@gmail.com

Tarpanam is always in krishna paksham and so it is towards the end in candra grahana
and at the beginning in surya grahana. the exact timings would be given in the
pancangam. For slokam - I do not know. Kindly refer to your family brhaspati

Question ID: 413 - Respected Swamy, Adiyeanudaya Thendan Samrpiththa

Vignapanam. My question this time is about Panchasamskaram and Bharanyasam. I
am told that we all become eigible to do Thiruvaradhanam after going through the
ritual of Panchasamskaram (Samasrayanam). Much before my Upanayanam when I
was a small boy,based on the advice of some of my well wishers, I had done
Thirumanjanam and Thiruvaradhanam reciting Purusha Suktham, Shree Suktham
and Hayagrivasthothram with Unboiled milk poured on the Panchaloka Vigraha of
Lakshmi Hayagreeva with a Valampuri Shanku and Thulsi leaves as offering while
reciting the shloka. All these were not done with the proper sequence as described
in Vaishnavadhanacharya but just because of Bhakti, I was doing the same. After
coming to know of the fact that Samsrayanam is essential for the above procedures,
I need your advice on whether to first undergo the ritual of Samasrayanam and then
continue with the practice of doing the Thirumanjanam and Thiruvaradhanam or I
can continue doing the Thiruvaradhanam and as and when I find time, I can have
the Samasrayanam done? The Second question I have is, When I go for the ritual of
Bharanyasam, I am told that the Acharyan of the Family helps me to show the way
to Moksha and when once the procedure of Bharanyasam is done, then the
individuals undergoing this procedure must refrain from having food in Hotels and
also cook Onion, Garlic and Masala items. Being a Sales Professional, I meet my
clients over a dinner or breakfast and having items without these is inevitable,
knowingly or unknowingly. I am told that the mistakes so commited knowingly or
unknowingly befalls the Acharya. Hence I need advice on - a. Can I consume onion
or garlic after Bharanyasam? What does the shastras say in this regard? b. If the
shastras prevent the consumption of these items then should I have to postpone
this ritual for a few years till I am certain that I can refrain from these? In the midst
of your very busy schedules, if I am sorry to make you read very long paragraphs.
Adiyenai Poruththu Arula Vendum. Warm Rgds, R.Venkateshamadhavan - Question
By - R.Venkateshamadhavan, venkateshamadhavan@gmail.com

It is not wrong what you did as a small boy. But now, you cannot perform
tiruaradhanam without samasrayanam. You should not post pone the ritual as this life
is very short lived and uncertain. You cannot consume garlic or onion - not only after
samasrayanam but right from your birth. So you need to immediately stop that. I
disagree with you that you are compelled to have these along with your clients. First
you restrict yourself to cucumber and tomatoe salads along with plain curd rice during
travel or dinner. And then slowly change yourself and carry a electric rice cooker to
cook for yourself. I know many who have tried this way and succeeded.

Question ID: 412 - Adeyan Krishna Dasan from Pune is there is any book avaialble
to read/understand Vedas. For example, to know about "nalayera Diva
Prabandham", we have several books on Alwars, and we have 4000 pasurams
written by 12 alwars. Thanking you. - Question By - R
Krishnan, sudha.krishnan68@gmail.com

Yes. there are many books. But you may not find a traslation of the complete vedas in
english or tamil. I would suggest that you read the translation of the principal
upanishads first. You can contact jayalakshmi indological books house at mylapore.
 Question ID: 411 - Adeyen Krishna Dasan from Pune, All my questions may be
sounding very simple, kindly pardon my ignorance. how to teach my 12 year son
about 'Guruparampara'. My Acharyana is "Andavan Swamigal". Please guide. -
Question By - R Krishnan, sudha.krishnan68@gmail.com

there is a lineage to any education. Physics chemistry or mathematics , the theorems

and experiments are identified with the name of the scientists who invented them.
Even science where it is claimed that no emotions or faith are attached the lineage is
never forgot. Similarly in vaishnavism the lineage of preceptors who introduced
bhagavan and His relationship to us, is considered to be sacred. You can tell him in
short about the contribution of each one in the parampara.

Question ID: 410 - Adeyen - Krishna dasan from Pune dt : 150808 I wanted to
spend more time on spiritual activities. But due to time constraints, I am not able to
spend time. One side office and the other side family. I am finding difficult to match
both ends and ends up in spending a very little time in spiritual activities.
Whenever time permits, I listen your "upansams" since I am a direct member of
"kinchitkaramtrust" for the last few years and I have a collection of dozen CDs.
Please guide how can i spend dedicate more time towards spiritual activities. -
Question By - R Krishnan, sudha.krishnan68@gmail.com

Knowledge and neccessity decide your priority list. First we need to know more about
bhagavan, atma and their glorious relationship. Then we need to realise the necessity
to realise the purpose of our birth. Only then spirituality would fare earlier in your list
of priorities. So reflect on the essential nature of jiva and para with the aid of books
and cds. Resolve to religiously spend a particular time slot for Him, come what may.

Question ID: 409 - Dear Swamin, My question(s) pertains to your wonderful

Upanyasam of BhagavadGeeta on DD. 1) In Sloka 3.42 , senses, mind,intellect are
graded in ascending order. And then finally, Desire(Kaamam) is mentioned as higher
than Intellect . Where does the Jeevatma fit into this grade? Isn't Jeevatma higher
than the Intellect? Intrestingly, other Vaishnvaite schools (madhva, Nimbarka etc)
seem to refer to Soul here, instead of desire for the last grade. Please clarify my
confusion. 2) Please suggest any English books of Gita translation as per our
Sampradayam. (including Ramanuja Bhasyam, Swami Desikan's commentary on Gita
etc), which can supplement your discourses. There are so many english
translations/books on the net, many of which are bewildering. Thanks. Ramanuja
Dasan - Question By - Rajagopal Kaliyur Mannar, rajmannar@yahoo.com
 of course atma, the sensient, is superior to all these insentients. It is the atma which
realises that these are inferior and so controls them. atma is not kama. You can buy
two books : 1. Sri U Ve Tirukkallam swamys three volume book and 2. Sri U Ve. Puttur
advocate swamy's five volume book.

Question ID: 408 - Dear Swami What is the significance of blowing conch
immediately after death. Since conch is one of the paraphernalia of the lord Sriman
Narayana, how come it gets associated with this ritual.? Kindly clarify this doubt.
dasan Sriram - Question By - Balaraman Sriram, srirambm@hotmail.com

Kindly let me know when and who blow conch on death. I would reply based on that.

Question ID: 407 - Hari bol ! It is recommened to take milk and other substances
by vedas ,puranas or by anyalzwars.(In bagavat geetha krishna said only
palam,pushbam,leaf and water but not included milk)Some people arguing that any
food which comes from animal, include milk,honey it is considered to be non-
veg.And also non veg people saying that egg which is nonfertile can be considered
as veg. I am confused ,Please clarify. Thanks - Question By -
Dhineshkumar.E, dhineshkumar_e@infosys.com

Krshna has mentioned a few inexpensive and easily available products that can be
offered to Him. This sloka is not to advice us of our consumption. so do not confuse.
You can very well have milk with sugar. In fact that is the most liked by Krshna. Vedas
themselves and azhvars have mentioned consumption of milk at many places.

Question ID: 406 - Pranams to Swamiji. I have been listening to the CDs and
recently attended the Swami's discourse on "Ramanayanathil Rahasiyangal" at
Tambaram. Swami has said that this birth depends on "Prartha Karma" and the joy
and sorrows belong to the birth. But, the level of joy and sorrows seem to differ
from person to person. Kindly clarify the cause for the difference in the level of our
joy and sorrow . Kindly bless me to be a good bhaktha of Sriman Narayan. -
Question By - KANNAN, kannannet@hotmail.com

The discrimination in birth is due to the individual specific karmas. Similarly the birth
which we have taken and our conduct in it decide the varying degrees of joy and sorry.
 OUr prarabdha karmas are slowly exhausted as we experience joy or sorrow. So it is all
the making of our punya or papa.

Question ID: 405 - Swami, I enjoy your programme [Kannanin Aramuthu] in

Doordarshan. Unfortunately we are not getting the channel in my place. Will it be
possible to get all the episodes as CD. Dasan, Thirunarayanan T Srinivasan -
Question By - Thirunarayanan T Srinivasan, tstnarayan@gmail.com

Govt of India would release after the programme is over in sept 09.

Question ID: 404 - Namaskaram Swamy, adiyen would like to know the meaning of
sankalpam we do at the beginning of a spiritual event. Mainly what is swetha
varaha kalpa? - Question By - Raghavan, raghavan37@gmail.com

There are many kalpas each one being the beginning of the day of the four headed
brahma. brahmaNa: dvitIya parArdhE - in the second 50 years of brahma sveta varaha
kalpE - in the day named sveta varaha kalpa vaivasvata manvatarE - in the
manvantara named vaivasvata (14 manvataras pass by during the day of brahma)
ashtA vimsati tame - in the 28th caturyuga of that manvatara ( about 71 caturyugas
pass by in each manvatara. so 71 x 14 = about 1000 caturyugas which forms the day
of brahma.) kali yugE - in the fourth yuga of that 28th caturyuga. Our present kalpa is
named as sveta varaha kalpa.

Question ID: 403 - Swami, it is said that Madhurantakam eri katha ramar got that
name during an episode with a british officer. But Swami Manvala Mamunigal's lines
below indicate that this name for ramar was there much before the british time:
Marumalar Kamazhum Solai Madhuraimaa nagarvandheidhi Arulmozhi Periya Nambi
Andru Ethirasa rasarkku ArumporuL vazhangumengaL ERI KATTHARULVAR KOIL
Thirumagizhadiyir Selveer Theevinai Therumare. Kindly clarify. - Question By -
Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

This title to Ramar is not new. The earlier eri is Ramanuja himself who was nurtured by
Sri Rama.
 Question ID: 402 - Namaskaram, Do our Shastras permit marriage between
Smartha and Vaishnava? - Question By - Bharathwaj, nbaradwaz@gmail.com

Sastras talk about varnas (brahmanas at the gross level) and not the subsects.
However as this is not found in practice amongst our preceptors we abstain. This may
be so as the gap in the philosophical and the religious thinking has widened between
the two. The practice of sishtas is an equal authority as the sastras (as mentioned by
Sri Krshna in gita - yadyat acarati sreshtha:...).

Question ID: 401 - Swamigal Thiruvadikku Pranamangal ? I am blessed to be part

of the Kinchitkaram Trust. Kindly let me know which direction we should face while
having the food & which direction while sleeping. Pls pardon me if anything is
wrong in my question. - Adiyen Madhavan. - Question By -
Madhavan, madhavan_contact@yahoo.com

Eat facing the east and keep your head in the east while sleeping.

Question ID: 400 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan. Adiyen pranam unto ur lotus feet.
Swami, 1. Vedas are not created by a Man. But in vedas, if u see, some sukthams
are in the name of rishis. Why? 2. Sabdam (veda) has got language? If yes, whether
Sanskrit verses or words like purusha suktham which are readily available now will
change or not? 3. We are treating thiruvaimozhi as sama veda. But in many cases he
has cried like anything. My question is the same crying languague ( like kangulum
pagalum kanthuyil ariyal) was there in previous kali yugas & the same words will
exist always. 4. Acutally whether veda has any form or sound which pervades
everywhere like bagavan. If not, what is the form of veda? Kindly clarify. - Question
By - M. Gopalakrishnan, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

1. Vedas are time immemorial and talk with the knowledge of past present and future.
That is why we find mention about future rishis too . 2. vedas and their language
sanskrit would forever remain the same. 3. tiruvomozhi is not a word by word
translation of sama veda. It has embedded the purport of sama veda in the golden
base of tamil and bhakti. The different aspects of bhakti makes tiruvoimozhi more
absorbing than sama veda and easily accessible. 4. Vedas have form and sound as it is
in the present. But many part of the vedas are lost today. Only bhagavan is
omnipresent. Vedas by their essential nature or form cannot pervade everywhere.
 Being the only source of knowledge for realising divinity, it pervades the minds of the
seekers.

Question ID: 399 - Dear Swamy, Adiyenudaya Thendan Samarpittha Vignapanam. I

had the privilege of hearing your Upanyasa on Garuda Dhandakam in Hindu
Vidyalaya - West Mambalam. This is the first of your Upanyasams I had attended
and on the second day you had referred to the War between Rama Lakshmana and
the Asuras of Lanka. In the Upanyasa you told us that " Lord Rama and Lakshmana"
were tied due to Nagastra and once on the arrival of Garuda with the wings open,
the mere gust of wind that emanated from Garuda's feathers were sufficient for the
Nagastra to loose the effect by which Lord Rama regainied Consciousness. My
question' s are: 1. Garuda, being the vahana of Lord Vishnu and Lord Rama himself
being an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Human Form, to defeat Ravana, could
have won the battle having Garuda as his Vahana in the war because the shloka in
Garuda dhandaka says, when Lord Vishnu, sets his foot on Garuda Vahana, then
Victory is imminent. What is the necessity for the Lord himself to recite Aaditya
Hrudayam as per the advice of Sage Agastya to win the War? (Eathath Thrigunitham
Japthwa Yudhdheshu Vijayishwasi!") 2. If Lakshmana is an incarnation of
Adhishesha, then Nagastra should not have done anything to him, instead Lord
Hanuman went in search of Mruthyu Sanjivani? What is the necessity for this? The
above two questions may also be silly but Adiyeanai Poruththu Arula Vendum, if the
question asked is so silly. Warm Rgds, R.Venkateshamadhavan - Question By -
R.Venkateshamadhavan, venkateshamadhavan@gmail.com

Answer for the both the questions is the same. They never wanted to reveal
themselves divine. Rama Himself states to consider Him as a manushya.

Question ID: 397 - respected sir, i am a housewife. very recently ie for the past 7
months i am following ekadesi viratham.A gurukal's wife from Anjenaeya temple
told me how to follow. I take only fruits and milk and on duvadesi i make rice with 7-
9 vegetables and have it before sunrise . am i correct sir - Question By -
uma, umasmahesh@gmail.com

Not before sunrise. Before 9 am is Ok. Why so many vegetables.

Question ID: 396 - Respected Swami, Pranams to your Divine Feet which has
walked through the lands lived in by Lord Krishna and Lord Rama and all great
people described in Puranams. I am very much interested in reading Garuda
Puranam - just wanted to know if the same can be done at home - are there any
criterias to be followed apart from being pure by soul?? Kindly advice. Regards,
Gayathri Krishnan - Question By - Gayathri
Venkatakrishnan, gayathri.jwala@gmail.com

There is nothing wrong in reading. But there are more important texts like Sri
Ramayana , Sri Bhagavatam and portions of Mahabharata that give authenticated
information. So kindly read them first.

Question ID: 394 - Respected Guruji, I have a doubt that if Lakshma is Balaraman
in Mahabaratham then when counting about the Avatharams of Lord Narayana they
are mentioning only Balaraman not Lakshmana ?whether both are same? - Question
By - bhavani, bavanit2001@yahoo.co.in

Lakshmana is not an avatara. Balarama is an avesa avatara of Bhagavan with the

power of Adisesha.

Question ID: 393 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, Swamy Anantha kodi dandangal to
your thiruvadi Adiyen would like to know about Thamana Thrumeni of Swamy
Ramanuja at SriRangam.. Some say that it is the original Thirumeni of swamy which
is still being preserved...Some say it is made of Chandanam by sishyas for worship
above the brindavanam..I would to know about Swamy Ramanujas vigraham above
the brindavanam. Kindly clarify. - Question By - Kidamni
Seshadri, krseshadri84@gmail.com

Not the original tirumeni preserved.

Question ID: 390 - Dear Swamiji, My pranams and namaskar once again. I could
not understand certain things answered by you in Q. No.294, Hence I would like to
clarify some of the doubts. The questions are : 1) In your answer you replied 14
manus will rule one manvantra - Who is that Manu, How many manus are there?
Why only 14? Either less than that or more than that? 2) You had replied that we are
in the 28 thousand chathuryugas. - We have any pramanams for that? 3) To know
the secrets of Him (Universe) - What we should do? Is it right to ask these questions
about the Lord? Do you feel that I am provoking the secrets of Almighty? 4) When
and Who started keeping Thirumann, Sreechurnam in the forehead and how dit it
came into existence? If we do not keep what will be the ill-effects? With namaskars
rama - Question By - Rama Mahalakshmi, shakthi_ram2006@yahoo.com - Question
By - Rama Mahalakshmi, shakthi_ram2006@yahoo.com
 I said one manu would rule one manvatara. 14 totally during the day of brahma. There
is no point in asking why not more or not less. Then you can also ask why 60 seconds
to a minute, why 365 days to year. 2. It is mentioned in many puranams including Sri
Vishnu puranam 3. Nothing wrong in asking questions. There is nothing secret about
Brahmam which a jiva should not know 4. Time immemorial. If you do not wear then
one is not explicit in accepting the relationship with Sriman Narayana.

Question ID: 389 - In my traditional way of performing Sandhya Vandhanam,at the

end, we used to use the manthra " Kaayena vachaa,
mansendrierva,bhudyathmanava.................................Srimannarayna ithi
samarpayami, Sarvam sri Krishnarpanamasthu,Vasudevarpanamasthu, thath sath
Brahmarpanamasthu. Why do we say Narayana, Krishnarparnamasth and
Vasudevarpanamasthu since they are one and the same. A Venkataraman - Question
By - A Venkataraman, venky_raman2001@yahoo.co.in

I am not aware of chanting the last three. We stop with narayanayeti samarpayami.

Question ID: 388 - Recently, my wife went and did Bharanyasam with limited
scope from my side. After that she started defending Srivaishnavism against
shivaite philosophy. My question to you i sthis. If Sriman Narayanan has created the
world and Lord Shiva also worshipped Sriman Narayanan, then Shiva is a Vishnu
Bhaktan. If you can worship Alwars who are bhaktas why not worship Shiva who is
also a bhaktan. Actually this whole incident has caused a lot of dent in my personal
life as i believe that GOD is one and all this SHIVAITE, VAISHNAVITE thing is an
invention of the recent years but eternally MAHAVISHNU is supreme and can never
be so narrow minded to say dont pray to shiva etc. Your views appreciated. -
Question By - Balaji, try2xl@yahoo.com

We have to worship a God 1. with satvik character to develop the same in us 2. who
created us, who is the Creator and not the created. 3. who has the capacity to grant
moksham 4. who is accepted by the sastras as the supreme. 5. who is paramatma and
again not a jiva 6. who is free from blemishes and trouble. 7. who himself is still not a
seeker of moksham Kindly analyse the the Vedas for an answer to all the above
questions. Whichever devata satisfies all the above, kindly go ahead and worship.
 Question ID: 387 - Respected Swamin, WHY SHOULD WE USE ONLY PLAIN MILK
FOR PERUMAL THIRUMANJANAM? [THAT IS WITHOUT BOILING]----adiyeAn
n.padmanaban - Question By - n.padmanaban, npn72005@gmail.com

Because Krishna consumed and bathed in that. Bhagavan is closer to nature.

Question ID: 386 - Respected Swami, Accept my humble obeisances to you. I have
a few doubts regarding the validity of certain Upanishads, which I'd like you to
clarify. Kindly excuse any sort of ignorance that I may have displayed in asking
these questions. 1) Bhagavad Ramanujar has quoted the vakya 'Eko Ha Vai
Narayana Asit Na Brahma Na Isana' in his Vedanta Sangraha. This line apparently
comes from a 'Maha Upanishad', which is not considered as among the authentic
Upanishads. Therefore, I'd like to inquire as to whether this vakya is accepted as
authentic by all schools of Vedanta (Advaita, Dvaita, etc.) as well? Of course, I am
aware that any vakya quoted by Emperumanar, Sri Sankara or Sri Madhva is
considered genuine, but what is the current level of acceptance? 2) There is also a
'Narayana Upanishad' which has the oft quoted vakya 'Narayana Brahma Jaayate,
Narayana Rudro Jaayate'. Is this Upanishad, or atleast the vakya, accepted by all
schools? Have Sri Sankara, Sri Bhashyakarar or Sri Madhva quoted this Upanishad?
3) Lastly, I am aware that Sri Madhva has mentioned many texts that Emperumanar
never quoted. Two examples are Bhallaveya Shruti and Paingi Shruti. I was informed
that the Paingi Shruti finds mention in our sampradayic work named Sruta
Prakasika (please excuse me if this information is erroneous). Hence, do Sri
Vaishnavas accept Bhallaveya or Paingi Shruti? Please forgive any mistakes I may
have made. Yours Sincerely, Narayana (Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan). - Question By -
Narayana, maverick_a31@yahoo.com

Both Mahopanishad and Narayana Upanishad are accepted by all the three schools.
From your questions I get a feeling that you have presumed that Sankara or Madhva
are not followers of Sriman Narayana. It is not so. All three are true vaishnavites who
do not praise demi gods. So they also accept these vakyams. Moreover it is a wrong
notion to say that these Upanishads are not authenticated. They are not in the 10
upanishads - that is all. Yes the two mentioned by you are accepted with some
exceptions.

Question ID: 383 - Dear swami, namaskaram. Adiyen is studying B.E. . Adiyen is a
listener of your upanyasams. Adiyen wants to know if we should not have any
desires in our life in this world ? If so, what should we do to control our senses ?
Dasan, Jagannathan Raman. - Question By -
Jagannathan, jagan_raman567@yahoo.com
 Namasankirtana, archavatara seva and doing our daily prescribed duties would help
controlling the senses.

Question ID: 382 - My pranams to Swami. I recently bought "Kovil Thiruvaimozhi"

upanyasam CD from the Kinchitkaram trust. (1 CD version for 10 hours). Its
excellent as usual. However I have a question. ThiruVaaiMozhi 7.2 - kangulum
pagalum kaN thuyilaRiyaaL - has been left out and there is no commentary on that.
Is this accidental or deliberate? I was a little disappointed that Nammazhwar's
direct conversation with NamPerumal in the form of these pasurams are not part of
the commentary in the CD. Another question on same lines - in the paasuram "En
Thirumagal ser marpanae ennum", Nammazhwar concludes with "Then
Thiruvarangam Kovil Kondane - therikilen mudivival thannake" - if I understand the
meaning, it is Nammazhwar tells NamPerumal "my daughter wants to marry you,
but I dont know what to answer her now because you are not speaking" (as
uruvagam). Did Nammazhwar hint here that there will be azhwar avadarams
Periazhwar and Aandal in the future (because the lines are more appropriate for
them - Periazhwar's daughter Aandal wanted to marry NamPerumal and was
successful in doing so). Sorry if this is a question born out of my ariyamai. Thanks a
lot. -Sriram - Question By - SriramS, sriramsampath@gmail.com

I think 7.2 is in another cd. You can enquire in 24992728 The vyakhyatas have not
mentioned anything in those lines.

Question ID: 381 - namaskarams is there any difference amongst, GURU,

ACHARYA, UPADHYAYA ETC. is there any difference amongst SAGE, SANNYASI, MUNI,
RISHI, DEVARSHI, BRAHMARISHI - Question By -
padmanabhan, callpadman@rediffmail.com

Yes there is a difference I would mention a few Guru - one who dispels the darkness of
ignorance Acharya - one who masters the Vedas, teaches them and makes others
follow them Upadhyaya - a teacher Sanyasi - one who has renounced wordly likes and
pleasure Rishi - one who realizes mantra Muni - one who can see beyond Deva rishi - a
higher grade of rishi based on his control over senses and birth.

Question ID: 380 - namaskarams. is there any restrictions to use boiled rice while
cooking (1) for neivedhyams (2) for other preparations like idly/ dosai etc. I was told
that boiled rice is being used in Kerala temples. Hence the doubt. - Question By -
padmanabhan, callpadman@rediff.com
 Anything cooked of boiled rice (bought directly from shops) cannot be offered to
perumal and so we cannot consume.

Question ID: 379 - Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah: We know from our scientific
uderstanding that the solar and Lunar eclipses are routine astronaomical events.
But according to our tradition we relate these natural events to the bad influence of
Rahu & Kethu planets on the Sun & Moon and treat these events as something
unholy. We also take bath and offer Tharpan to Pithrus before or after
Sparsham/visarjan of the eclipse. We also refrain from taking food during the
eclipse and offer special worship to the Lord if the eclipse occurs on the birth stars
of individuals and also ask the pregnant women to stay at home and so on. Do we
have references in our scriptures supporting these traditional practices? Though I
am a devoted Srivaihnavite, I am seeking these clarifications to learn from the
spiritual platform. Kindly enlighten me. Ramanuja Dasan, Sampathkumaran. -
Question By - C.S.Sampath Kumaran, samvijay@vsnl.com

Every aspect of grahanam that you have mentioned finds a place in our scriptures.

Question ID: 378 - adieyan humble pranams. i happened to glance thro the
karudapuram where it is stated the karta should perform the rituaals for the
departed soul for nearly one year, but in practise the sapindigaranam is performed
on the 12 th day to suit our convinent.if so then can we also reduce the no of days
from present 13 to 3 or 4 days to save money, since performing the last rituals have
become costlier and often the karta is forced to borrow to do the same. is any
prachitam for not doing this karma. pls enlighten us and pardon me if i am wrong. -
Question By - S.Raghavan, sraghavan2005@yahoo.com

The present system of performing 12 + 1 has been followed by our purvas after lot of
research. We also perform monthly sodakumbha and sraddha in place of the daily
sraddha and conclude it after a year on the abdikam day. Moreover the 10th and 11th
day have to anyhow be performed on those days only. So These cannot be shortened.

Question ID: 377 - swami adien namaskaram..... I'm 18 yrs old from mysore. i may
sound ridiculous but i had a dream of melukote areyar swami doing shamasrayanam
to me. we have swayam aachrya at srirangam I'm confused that can i get my
shamasrayanam done now from areyar swami or later. - Question By -
chaitra, chain_mr@yahoo.co.in
 If you are a svayam acharya, do you have any elders who can perform samasrayanam.
If so you have to get it done through them. If not kindly decide on the acharya to
whom you wish to surrender and then get samasrayanam through him. You can also
contact Melkote arayar swamy for his suggestion.

Question ID: 376 - Adiyen Srinivasan, swami sannidhiyil Namaskaram.My wife and
myself are planning to visit Gaya.I have three daughters only.I have my elderly
parents.Can I perform any ritual at Gaya,say Pinda darpanam,when my parents are
alive and I have no son to perform Kriyas after our lifetime.I would be happy if you
can enlighten me. wth respectful regards, srinivasan,Baroda - Question By -
srinivasan.v.n, srinivasan43@rediffmail.com

You cannot perform when your parents are alive. Kindly contact your family brhaspati
for further details.

Question ID: 375 - Dear Swamin, Namaskarams. I have two questions for which I
am trying to find answer: 1. I have been trying to do a balance between material
persits like jobs, susitaining family and spirituality. Due to my work, family
commitments I am unable to spend lot of time in spiritual aspect. I am unable to
vene do basic sandhyavandanam. Can you please guide me how to balance the two?
2. I am in search of a acharya/guru to guide me, can you please tell me how to find
one? With Regrads, Adien - Prakash - Question By - Prakash
Krishnamachari, prakash.krishnamachari@gmail.com

Kindly listen to the lecture on balancing materialism and spirituality. Where are you
residing ? based on that I would suggest.

Question ID: 374 - Respected swamin Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan 1.I would like to
know the works of Nampaaduvan (Thirukurunggudi) 2.What is Bhodhayana vrithi
Grantham ? 3.I heard in your upanyasam about"Karaivagal pin senru " pasuram
where we stop krishna from giving us good or gnanam. I don't understand what are
we stopping krishna from helping. Kindly help me if time permits. I heard the
Vidhura neeti discourse of yours. Just Excellent! Thanking you Ramya - Question By
- Ramya Nathamuni, ramyanathamuni@yahoo.com
 1. I do not understand this part of the question 2. Bodayana vritta is the collection of
brief notes written by Sage Bodhayana on Brahma sutra. 3. Our ahankaram and
mamakaram are barriers that stop Krishna from helping us. He helps those who shed
them.

Question ID: 373 - All respects to Velkuddi Swamy from Ramanuja Dasan. My work
requires me to live abroad and I have been living abroad for 8 years. Every year I
visit India. Recently, in the last few years, I have deveoped a big fear towards
travelling in airplanes. I have no fear of dying as such, I fully believe in Sriman
Narayana and have surrenderd at His Lotus feet. Even though I have no fear of
death, I have fear of flying in airplanes, am afraid it will crash etc. I chant Vishnu
Sahasarnam on every flight to stay calm - it helps to a extent. How can I overcome
this problem. Please help Swami. - Question By - CP, crazypalms@gmail.com

I do not think you have a problem. This is only temporary. Sahasranamam would
certainly help.

Question ID: 372 - What is meant by "Purvasika" SriVaishnavan? (Do they still
exist?) - Question By - Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

The etymological meaning for the word is one who sports a tuft on the front portion of
the scalp. There are many even today. Most of the azhvars were purva sikayars.

Question ID: 371 - In a Charamaslokam upanyasam devareer mentioned a story

where a sishya asks his guru whether he could do kainkaryam to Ravana also since
Ravana is also Peruman's sareeram; the smart guru answers that the sishya could
do that if Ravana were to accept himself as bhagavan's sareeram. Please see
answer to question 239 where it is said that Sivan is an ardent vishnu devotee. If
one should do kainkaryam to bhagawan's adiyars, why should one exclude sivan
who is also an adiyar of sriman narayanan?! If that sishya were to ask whether he
could do kainkaryam to Sivan, what would be the answer of the smart guru? (I am
not trying to make fun, just being jestful when asking about my doubt that arose
when listening to the upanyasam. Kshamikka prarthikkiren.) - Question By -
Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

Whether your intention is to make fun or not the truth is the same. Siva is a tamasa
devata who dared to fight with Sriman Narayana becoming proud of tripura
 samharam. Again he fought with Krishna during banasura yuddha. If he had truthfully
accepted that he is the sarira of Bhagavan would he do so ?

Question ID: 369 - SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA . Humbly request Swamji to

enlighten the Avathara vashayam of Sri Bharatha Azhvar and Shatrugana azhvar in
Ramayanam as compared to Sri Lakshmana Azhvar as of Adiseahar. My respectful
pranams - Question By - N S RAJAGOPALAN, needraja@hotmail.com

Bharata who was an icon of paratantyam was born as panchajanya amsa. Satrughna
was the embodiment of bhaagavata seshatva and paratantya who was again a replica
of lakshmana only.

Question ID: 368 - adiyen swamin i have small clarification in periyalwar

thirumozhi (4-10) pasuram no 431 alwar mentioned andrumudal endruridhiya
aadyian jothi marandhariyen whether alwar states from bhagwan srikrishna period i
could'nt understand. please clarify swamin - Question By -
govindarajan, nayagam.govind@yahoo.com

Anru mudal means ' from the day Bhagavan blessed azhvar to sing pallandu '.

Question ID: 367 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
WITH REFERENCE TO MY Q122) I HAVE A DOUBT LISTED AT THE BOTTOM. Question
ID: 122 - Please accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
-------------------------------------------------------------------- I Shifted from chennai to Mumbai
and joined in 9th standard.Somehow because of extreme western influence and
association,i became mad after the western culture.Now currently in Third year
engineering,by Krishna's mercy i follow all regulative principles according to
sastras,begin my day at brahma muhurta.But because of my past,now that subtle
impression is forcing my heart to again think of it sometimes(the force is sometimes
at a greater extent or sometimes less),but i keep controlling my senses very
hard.What should i do?I do hear your daily morning, evening Bhagavat gita
lecture,read SB,memorize verses etc, and you have blessed me with clear
intelligence on inaction and action,after which that force has very greatly reduced.I
feel if i go to west,krishna will sideline me from his vision to take me to
vaikuntha.Also i feel if i get more money,i may become proud and will not be able to
think of krishna from the bottom of my heart.Please kindly help me! How can i get
over this karmic bondage.Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply. -
Question By - Kishan, kishantns@sify.com ANS) The assured way for snapping this
bondage is saranagati to Sri Krishna. From what you have written it is clear that you
are on the right track. You can well stay in India and pursue your career. This feeling
of 'what to do more for mukti' or 'am I doing the right thing' or 'am I eligible for
mukti ' or 'why am I still not able to control my senses' haunts every bhakta. This is
inevitable till we are in this samsaram. Alone, it is a challenge to cross this ocean of
samsara, but sailing the boat of Sri Krishna it is made easier.
-------------------------------------------------- ACTUAL QUESTION ------------------ SINCE YOU
had suggested mE to pursue my carrier in India itself,currently in final year
engineering,i feel sometimes that i should do M.TECH to please krishna more,to
become more disciplined in Brahmachari life,and to become experienced to guide
future young generations,also sometimes i feel that if i did MTECH i would become
more proud and hamper spiritual life and service to guru and krishna,because pride
is difficult to control once acquired, Am i trying to run away or please kindly explain
what do to in my situation. Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply! -
Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Krishna is not concerned whether you pursue MTech or not. He is concerned about
your bhakti and liberation. So kindly pursue that.

Question ID: 366 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
1)I have seen a person,who at the age of 19 left his home for the search for
god.Currently he is a great sanyasi spiritual master in iskcon.Would he have
executed karmayoga etc in the past,but because he hasn't performed sarnagati he
had to take birth again to slowly progress to the next stage,jnana yoga? 2)This
happened in my college.I have been trying to be nice to everyone,before i used to
be proud that i was a devotee.Recently my whole class decided to doa common
off,they requested me for it,but i was the only to not agree,because i felt that
krishna would feel that im out of fear obeying their requests.Ultimately i was the
only one present for the class,the rest were marked absent.Now how to act in this
case if everyone is displeased.Krishna likes if everyone is happy isn't? Very humbly
and patiently waiting for your reply! - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

I think it isa pleasure for you to often ask questions whenever something comes to
your mind. You must think and probe deep for an answer for yourself. If you do not still
get then you can question. Now coming to your present question - 1. Be concerned
about yourself and your liberation instead of the other gentleman. It is for him to find
his way. 2. Krishna would be happy if you please good souls.

Question ID: 365 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
1)Saranagati is an established path,does that mean that the lord has planned our
activities which we must do to attain liberation,ascertained our date of liberation if
we consider him as upayam? 2)Is it that desire to earn a good name among
people,although subtle is a kind of a subtle sense gratification which could lead to
bodily conception if agitated by the modes of nature? 3)In the initial chapters of
Bhag gita arjuna was lamenting because of his bodily conceot of life, but in the
following verse he says that "by killing his kinsmen there would be no happiness in
this life,and therefore he is going to forest to live in isolation. How could a person
simultaneously have attachment and detachment in materialistic concept of
life.What realization he would have had? 4)Why has the lord made the laws of
destruction.I heard that just like a child,when he has to leave kicks his sand
castle,similarly the lord destroys this manifestation as a plaything.It maybe
aplaything for the lord but what about us. i understand that it is only because of our
desires that he gives a suitable body,but why a constantly changing body.Why old
age,diseased body etc. Is it that the lord has made these laws so that we get
frustrated and begin enquring about our true permanent nature as his servant?
Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply! - Question By -
kishan, kishantns@sify.com

1. Saranagati, which is nothing but Brahmam Himself, is a path established by Lord

and prescribed as upayam for moksham. Whenever we realize this and surrender to
Him He removes our sanchita karma and reorganizes prarabhdha karma to finish them
with the same birth. At the end of that birth we, the surrenderer, attain moksham.
Realization of this fact and the responsbility of accepting Him as our upayam rest on
us. This is like hunger for having food. 2. I do not understand your second question. 3.
Arjuna is a well learned person who has strong belief in the sastric duties like varna
asrama dharma. He is a warrior but with compassion. He is a benevolent king. He has
controlled his sleep and kama. His problems were a. affection towards the unworthy
and b. confusion that dharma yuddha is adharma as it involved killing. He was filled
with compassion that he preferred isolation and begging instead of killing. He is a
person of detachment (vairagya) as any other noble kshatriya king of those days. His
attachment was only about killing which was due to compassion 4. The purpose of
creation is two fold a. for the jivas to be blessed with a body (as per their karma) so
that it paves the way for them to get liberated by performing any yoga B. it is a sport.
As the owner of this entire universe Brahmam has laid perfect rules for this game.
There are two purposes for a match with two teams organized by an institution 1. test
of skill 2. pleasure for all. In the bargain when a team looses nobody blames the game
or the institution. The team did not play well and so they lost. Nobody stopped them
from winning. Similarly we are welcome to perform well in this game of samsara
conducted by Brahmam and reach moksham. If some loose, they are to be blamed and
not Creation or the Creator. Still worse is - when the world series cricket match started
a coach got killed. In the recent Olympics in china people were killed. Do we blame the
event? If the intention for the game was good the game is welcome. So is Creation.
Further, Bhagavan is willing to pardon all the papams and to stand ever as the
upayam. It has been a mystery to me as to why Bhagavan alone faces this baseless
charge often ?

Question ID: 364 - Respected Swami, I am a bachelor and not a srivaishnavan by

birth. Previously i had no faith in god and some bad habits stick to me. Past 1 year
perumal has stolen me and i am proud that i am also a great bhakthan of perumal.
Many bhaghavathas told me to take samasrayanam from our Acharyar
H.H.Vanamamalai Kaliyan Ramanuja Jeer swami. Now the issue is i am unable to
through off my bad habits. I am afraid that if i did any such bad habits after
samasrayanam, it will be a great Bahavat, Baahavat, Acharya abacharam. But I am
very much interested to do Saranagathi. I am eagarly waiting for your advise. Dasan
Subramanian. - Question By - Subramanian, vipranarayanan@rediffmail.com

You cannot continue with your bad habits whether you get samasrayanam or not. Let
us all first be pious human beings and then become Srivaishnavas. So first make up
your mind to change your habits. You will have to sit think and take a decision. That is
all.

Question ID: 363 - Pranam Swamiji I have doubt in Sri Ramanuja"s life history.Is
his father Kesavariyar is VADAMA ? His wife Kandimathi is vadama or vaishnava ?
How Ramanuja had an uncle named thirumalai nambi a great Sri Vaishnavar ?
Because he is basically vadama he go to study at Yadavaprakasar and gone with him
to theertha yathrai to ganga. we never go to kasi know ? I heard this in one Lecture
.lectured by advaita philosophy based person.Pl clarify my doubt - Question By - Sm
t.Latha Ramanujam, latha_ram28@yahoo.co.in

The parents of Sri Ramanuja were Srivaishnavites only and so was he. What you heard
is wrong.

Question ID: 362 - *** Om Sri Kooresaya Nama *** Dear Swamy, Adiyen is really
enjoying the blessed opportunity of being dearer to Perumal, hearing about him and
reading / talking / discussing about his various actions / leelas. Often I find a sense
of displeasure towards the material world, family, official work, even salary and the
like. Adiyen just wants to keep away and spend my time in Bhagavad seva / Adiyar
sevai. (But practically I do not know whether this is possible. If not for me, I need
money for atleast helping others who are less fortunate than me and also need
funds for doing bhagavat kainkaryams.) During these times, I try to keep aloof,
restrain from office work and try to visit divya desams / perumal kshetrams. Is this
behaviour specific only of me. If so how do I balance work & worship equally. Please
help me out before I am drowned in this dual nature. Swamigal Padhangalil
Samarpanam, Adiyen Madhavan. - Question By -
Madhavan, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com

There are many sailing in your boat. So be happy doing kainkaryam and remaining
aloof.
 Question ID: 361 - respected guruji, on this amavasya we have surya grahanam in
the evening: shuld we perform prithru tharpanam in the morning and also during
the grahanam? between what time we should perform thrpanam in the beginning or
in the end of grahanam. kindly advise adiyen dasan, shrihari sharman - Question By
- duddam shrihari, dcshrihari@satyam.net.in

Let me reply although belated. We should perform only one tarpanam on 1st august
which is grahana tarpanam. It should be performed when the eclipse begins at 4.40.
We need to fast right through the day and eat only after the eclipse.

Question ID: 359 - Swamigal Thiruvadikku Shathakoti Pranamangal, Swamy could

you please tell what vegetables should a srivaishnavan avoid apart from
Onion,Garlic and Mushroom, if possible give me a list or please give me a link where
i can see the list, I also place a humble request to add a link in Kinchitkaram
webiste , to display the List of vegetables should be avoided by a srivaishnavan. Q2)
If Koorathazwan and Alavandar has done saranagathi, why did koorathazwan lose
his eyes, Is it due to his karma, or because of something else. Adiyen Prabhu
Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Prabhu, Prabhu.37@gmail.com

We would post the usable vegetables shortly in our website. Our karma results in birth.
Birth invites agony. So Sri Kuresa's birth alone was caused by His karma.

Question ID: 358 - Dear Swamin, Pranams. Why Chakrathalwar has Lord
NARASIMHA at his back in all sannadhis ?. - Question By -
RAMAN.PADMANABAHN, pram@igcar.gov.in

I do not have a satisfying answer.

Question ID: 357 - Dear Swamiji Can you describe in 2-3 lines the essence of the
Catusloki, I got curious regarding this after I saws your response to #329? Pardon
me if this question is not appropriate or correct. dasan Sriram - Question By -
Balaraman Sriram, Srirambm@hotmail.com

Catusloki details the glory of Sri Mahalakshmi in four stanzas. It says that Sriman
Narayana, the supreme, is Her beloved, all the nityas muktas and devas serve Her, Sri:
 is Her short name the meaning of which is beyond our words. It is due to Her grace,
Bhagavan took pity of the jivas and created this world. She is inseparable from
Narayana.

Question ID: 356 - Dear Swami, I have 8 year old son(26/04/2000) is his date of
birth Name - Adithya - uthiradam star. kindly suggest me when can we do the
upanayanam for him. Thank you. regards Kavitha - Question By - Kavitha
Krishnamoorthy, kavitha.hr@gmail.com

You can right away do on an auspicious day. Kindly contact your family brhaspati.

Question ID: 355 - ***Om Sri Kooresaya Nama*** Dear Swamy, Adiyen had been to
Koviladi (as mentioned in Q.320) After darshan of Perumal, adiyen had the
opportunity of talking to the Bhattar (Srinivasa Bhattar). He explained many facts
and the importance of temple and the love of Appakudathaan Perumal. He
expressed worry at the fact that the quantity of oil allocated to the temple does not
reach the concerned. He requested to VOLUNTARILY contribute (no compulsion of
any kind) our might towards meeting the oil expenses. I am really happy about
being a part of Bhagavad Seva. Can adiyen contribute a monthly amount to be sent
to the Bhattar. I'm specifically asking this question as I have had some bad
experiences with a couple of them earlier. (where I had given away a few
thousands). Please guide me, as adiyen does not want to miss out this opportunity
of Bhagavad Seva as well as I want the money to reach and serve the real purpose.
Swamigal Paadhangalil Samarpanam, Adiyen Madhavan. - Question By -
Madhavan, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com

You are free to donate. You can contact some of the local sabhas there. I am not aware
of the financial situation of that temple.

Question ID: 354 - ***Om Sri Kooresaya Nama*** Dear Swamy, Adiyen has learnt
and has been told that one should not go in search of an Acharya / Guru but in the
real sense, the Guru would identify and embrace the Sishya. (Like Swami
Ramakrishna & Vivekananda). But is it possible in this present world? Please
enlighten. Kindly let adiyen know if there is sloka(s) which is specifically used for
recitation while praying Perumal which will help to rise to the level of being
identified by an Acharya. (Adiyen is not using the words "which will help me to
identify a Guru".. as I will be contradicting my earlier statement. Swamigal
Paadhangalukku Samarpanam, Adiyen Madhavan. PS:- As adiyen is not a
Vaishnavite by birth, I do not have any elders in my family who can guide me to an
Acharya. At present, I'm having Koorathazhwan as my maanaseega Acharyar. -
Question By - Madhavan, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com
 Kindly go to an acharyan and get samasrayanam administered first. Since you do not
have a lineage of acharyas you can accept a jeer as your acharya. Do not wait for
them to identify you.

Question ID: 353 - ADIYEN RAMANUJA DASAN.SWAMY OUR ACHARYAN IS

MUDHALIYANDAN SWAMIGAL. NOW I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY ACHARYAN AND
POORVACHARYARGAL TO SELECT ME ALSO IN SRIVAISHNAVAM.MY QUESTION IS MY
FATHER ALSO GOT SAMASHRAYANAM FROM OUR ACHARYAN FEW MONTHS BEFORE.
BUT HE WORSHIPS A KAAVAL DEIVAM CALLED ARIYASAMY AND OUR ANCESTORS
WERE ALSO WORSHIPED THAT GOD(KULADEIVAM).SO THAT HE SAYS IT IS OUR
KULADEIVAM.SO WE SHOULD WORSHIP THAT GOD ALSO,AND APART FROM THIS GOD
HE WILL NOT WORSHIP ANY OTHER DEVADHANTHRAMS .HE IS NOT ACCEPTING OUR
SRIVAISHNAVAM IN THIS MATTER ONLY.I AM WORRYING VERY MUCH ABOUT THIS
MATTER. WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW TO STOP THIS. IF THERE IS ANY BHAGAVATHA
ABHACHARAM PLEASE FORGIVE ME. - Question By - raghavan
m, rag_bpharm@yahoo.co.in

You can advice him in privacy. Or request your acharyan to do so.

Question ID: 352 - Ref to query nos 310&338Dasan.Regret none of the replies to
the pts raised.In 338 itis told thet river&sea water are not one and same.But this
only a cycle.as per science and Thiruppavai pasuram Azi mazai Kanna ie sea-clouds-
rain-river-sea. is the cycle,which is that sea water comes back thro rivers to
sea.More over which is the origin for jeevathma, ie from where it is originated in the
beginning. - Question By - TTParthasarathy, ttparthasarathy@gmail.com

Kindly do not regret. Could you please give your question point by point validating
your arguments with references from original texts which cause the apparent
ambiguity? I would try to reply point by point.

Question ID: 351 - Respected Swamin Is it not possible to simplify our nitya
anyshtanangal, to make our present and youger generations to embrace our
tradition and put them in the right path.Once they start liking it they may do it with
more vigour, i feel. This is the biggest service to the man kind. Pardon me if there is
ny mistake in this. - Question By - Latha Vijayan, lathavij@gmail.com
 There is nothing wrong in your wish. But it is already done. We need only 1 hour for
our nitya karma anushthanams.

Question ID: 350 - Respected Swami. I offer my humble obeisance at your lotus
feet. In one of your upanyasams, I heard that, Lord Rama before ascending to his
abode Vaikunta was in a private conversation with Yama. The condition laid by yama
before the closed door conversation was that no one was to be allowed inside and if
some one barges in, he should be given the capital punishment. Lakshmana,
yielding to the compulsions he had, enters the room and Lord Rama was left with no
alternate but to uphold his promise. However, upon the advice of Vasishtar, he
instead of killing Lakshmana (which he could not do) renounce Lakhmana. My doubt
here is, if the Lord chooses to renounce a seshaboothan like Lakshmana, what
chances for papathmas like us are there for being uplifted by the Lord? Secondly,
Lord Rama known for upholding the promises he make (He once declares that, he
would renounce Sita and would never leave Lakshmana) had transgressed his
promise. How could this happen? I seek your pardon and mercy, if I had
misinterpreted your upanyasam in anyway. Parthasarathy G - Question By -
Parthasarathy, partha17@emirates.net.ae

Yes. Our plight is pitiable considering the case of Lakhsmana. So it is the absolute
discretion of Bhagavan only. That is why a saranagata has to be very cautious in his
living. Rama has not faulted in His words - renouncing Lakshmana amounts to killing
Him. So He was true to His promise of killing the intruder. Kindly recall Rama's promise
apyaham jivitam jahyam tvam va seete sa lakshmana na hi pratigyam samsritya
brahmanebhyo visesata: -- "O Sita I may renounce you or Lakhsmana but not my
promise to the ascetics." So Rama's conviction was only to stick to promises but not
Lakshmana.

Question ID: 349 - adiyEn, swAmi. swAmi Udayavar has hailed Sri Ramar as
"thEvai idaadhaar" and AchAryAs like Sri Bhattar and Sri Nampillai have also been
very attached to Sri Ramayanam. Sri Rama charama slokams are really amazing
when one thinks of how kind the Lord has been, ready to accept even Ravana! Yet
our poorvAcharyAs chose Sri Krishna charama slokam over Sri Rama charama
slokams when it comes to upadesham. What is the reason behind this choice? Kindly
enlighten adiyEn, swAmin. Pallaandu to devareer's thiruvadigal. - Question By -
Sudha R, sudha.rams@gmail.com

Tirumantram is explained by dvayam. The meaning of dvayam is exactly explained

and ordered only in Krishna caramasloka. It is Krishna's sloka which has the following
1. the virtues that are to be renounced (sarva dharman) 2. the way to renounce
 (parityajya) 3. the object of surrender (maam)4. the truth that Krishna is the only
means and not even surrender (ekam) 5. the upayama - Krishna's lotus feet (saranam)
6. accept absolutely and belief that Krishna is the upayam (vraja) 7. Krishna - the
supreme granter (aham) 8. jiva the beneficiary (tva) 9. the benefit (removal of sins)
(mokshayishyami) 10. command to be relieved of concern (maasuca:) All these
requisites of saranagati is complete only in Krishna caramasloka.

Question ID: 348 - adiyens prana pranamams to swamis thiruvadi. i am a fresh

engineering graduate ,i have just recently joined an mnc and working there. in my
holidays before joining the office, i involved myself in various bhagavat
kainkaryams , since i was totally enjoying it , office atmosphere became soo
uncomfortable that i always feel like returning home. but i know that i have to
withstand and work. my mind always thinks abt the perumal and his kaimkaryams
and not my work (am totally un enthusiastic) . please guide me over this problem.
any mistakes please pardon, dhanyosmi anugrahitosmi. - Question By - s hari
krishnan(ramapprameyan), malolanhari@gmail.com

If you have a family to support, you have to continue with your duty whole heartedly.
However you can continue with your service to Bhagavan and bhagavatas in your
freetime, evenings, week ends etc. wherever you are, Santhai and learning of our holy
scriptures are very important to control and mind from going astray.

Question ID: 347 - Respected swamin My pranams. From your Thiruppavai

discourse ,you say that there is a ner thanian of Emperumanar in perumal
Thirumozhi. I have seen other thanians of emperumanar in periya thirmozhi , periya
thiruvandhathi,etc. You reffered that Shri Ramanujan has not done any ner thanian
like this in whole of Dhivya Prabandham. What is the difference between Thanian
and Ner Thanian? Kindly apoligize if my question is irrelevant. Adiyen Ramnuja
Dasan Ramya - Question By - Ramya Nathamuni, ramyanathamuni@yahoo.com

All tanians are same. I only meant that Perumal tirumozhi tanian was the only one
which was a conversation between Ramanuja and Kurattazhvan. Moreover it is the
only tanian which sounds like a song of a nayika.

Question ID: 346 - Dear swamin, What is the connection between SATURDAY
&PERUMAL TEMPLES because many people make it a point to visit PERUMAL TEMPLE
on SATURDAYS ----adiyeAn, N.PADMANABAN - Question By -
n.padmanaban, npn72005@gmail.com
 Nothing special. It is related to Perumal as any other day.

Question ID: 344 - Pranam Swami Ji. Adiyen Krishna Dasan (from Pune) My 12
year old son does Sandhya, madhya and Sayam Sandhyam on a day-to-day basis
without fail. He knows by-heart all pasurams of - Amalanadipiran - Pallandu -
Kanninim Siruthambu - Thirupavai and Sahasranamam (partially). But he tells me
that he does all these because I insist him to do so. He does not have any
involvement. How can i make him understand the benefits of these. He is also good
in his academic. Please help R Krishnan - sudha.krishnan@gmail.com - Question By -
R Krishnan, sudha.krishnan@gmail.com

At this age it is enough he does these for your sake. Just take him to sannidhi and
make him be in the company of noble souls whenever possible. Tell him stories of our
purvacharyas from guruparampara. It will automatically happen.

Question ID: 343 - Poojya Swamin, Please pardon me for my ignorant questions.
After a soul departs from the body, how long does it take to get moksham crossing
Viraja Nadhi? It is hard to visualize a river in space outside the earth. After reaching
Srivaikuntam will the Jeevathma still retain its individual identity or will it merge
with Paramathman? Also, since Jeevathma has knowledge but not senses, how does
the Jeevathma talk to Yamar or experience bliss or punishment in Swargam or
Narakam? In your upanyasam, you always say that shareeram is required to
progress towards Moksham. Humble namaskarams, Lakshmi - Question By -
Lakshmi, luxmer@yahoo.com

AS this blessed muktha is lead by Paramatma Himself through His aati vahikas it may
hardly take any time. You can assume it is immediate except for the time taken by the
inmates of the lokas which he crosses to offer their respects. Anything about
Srivaikuntham is un believable but true. The jiva is given a sarira to experience sukha
or dukha in svarga or naraka.

Question ID: 342 - Dear Sir, Please accept my namaskarams. I have heard the
following story from Purana. That the bodygaurds of Vishnu once disrepected sage
Dhurvasa and he cursed them. On pleading to the Lord, the Lord gave two options..
1. To act as his enemy and come back to him in 3 births. 2. To be his devotee and
take 100 births to reach Him. The bodygaurds took the first option and took birth as
Ravana, Shishubalan and HiranyaKashibu (The names I remember). This being the
case, it looks like even these people where devotees of the Lord and they infact
reached him back faster in just 3 births.. Can you kindly explain us why this story is
told and what is our take away from this Purana? - Question By -
Srini, srini_vasan_k@rediffmail.com

I have not heard this story in the form which you have narrated. Let me enquire. What
is known of is - The four sons of Brahma cursed jaya and Vijaya to be born as
rakshasas and asuras thrice, and Bhagavan assured them that they would be killed
only by Him in all the three births and then they would reach Him. The story reveals
that even Sanatkumara is affected by anger as he cursed.

Question ID: 341 - Swamigal Thiruvadikku Shathakoti Pranamangal. Swamiji,

Thank you so much for reading my earlier question and taking time to reply. This
time I have a more generic doubt. If dEvarIr could please clarify the differences
between Thenkalai and Vadakalai. How & when these two branches came into
existence and what is the purpose behind such a bifercation. My maternal
grandparents are Thenkalai and I have heard from my maternal grandfather that for
Thenkalais there is no separate concept of BharaNyAsam. Their samAshreyaNam is
same as SharaNAgatI. Kindly clarify. dOshangaL irunthAl kshamikka prArthikkirEn.
aDiyEn, Srividya BadriNarayanan. - Question By - Srividya
BadriNarayanan, badrividya@hotmail.com

There is no difference of opinion between vadakalai and thenkalai. There only exists a
difference in interpretation which are 18 in number. There are publications which detail
them. However you can be assured that most of them are valid only for the elite
researchers and not for the common seekers of moksham. The gap could have got
widened in the past 300 years. It is our duty to narrow it.

Question ID: 340 - Srimath SwAmigaLiNn thiruvadigaLukku adiyENnudaiya

theNdaNn SamarppaNam. In GIthA kAlaxEpam adiyENn heard that our smruthi -
remembrance is under the control of BagwANn. In another place, there is mention of
aniyatha karmA which is in our hands. If remembrance itself is not under our
control, how can aniyatha karmA be? Also, the starting point is Bagavath
nirHEthuga kadAxam, then all our activities towards attainment of complete
pArathanthriyam should be in His hands, isn't it? Then He should only make us be
interested and energetic in doing aniyatha karmA also. We do the samAshrayaNam,
but He/AcAryAs draw the minds of only some people towards them, but leave some
at their own hands (to perish). Once samAshrayaNam is done, it will be better if
AcAryAs set adiyOnggaL budhdhi to be firm on them and prevent from prAkrutha
vishayam. Is there any way for this in our SampradhAyam? kshamikka
prArththikkirENn adiyENn irAmAnuja dhAsaNn - Question By -
E.Venkatesh, evenkat@bheltry.co.in
 We, jivas have been given a limited freedom by Paramatma to choose our way. Using
our reasoning power and having sastras as the tool, we will have to choose the
virtuous path. Paramatma does not interfere in this. This would prove that aniyata is
true. Now, about we being under the control of Para ( matta smriti gnanam...) as said
in Gita - We are under His control not at the micro level when we sneeze or cough but
at a macro level as this body, limbs, gnana, sastra etc were blessed by Him. As the
one who provided all the infrastructure, we are controlled by Him. The best example to
understand this is: a farmer or water is the common cause for any tree to grow and so
the tree is under their control. But whether the tree has to be banyan or coconut is due
to it's seed which is the specific cause. Kindly equate the farmer to Bhagavan, tree to
us and our conduct and seed to our karma.

Question ID: 339 - Swami I have been separated from my wife and two children
for the past one year. My wife still feels that she cannot reconcile with me despite
assurances from me and elders in my family. I love her very much and cannot
imagine a split in this union. I herewith seek you spiritual guidance to be reunited
with my family. Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan Bharath engira Narasimhan - Question By -
Bharath, brajnarayan@hotmail.com

I can only say that there is no room for a split in the sastras. Time would heal all
wounds. You can try to reconcile after some time.

Question ID: 338 - refer Q No.310 : adiyen quire y was whether,if yes where in
upanishads betha/abetha sruthis applicability is given?( part/kandam/sangai ) in the
10 upanishads.Meaning was already made known. Since sri adi sankara was
referring to paramarthiga/vyavakariga dasas. 2. In Aaru varthai 'Dharsanam betha
evacha' example of uppu/appu(salt/water) example given.In upanishads the size of
jeevatma is given as 1/10000 th of the tail of paddy(nell) whereas the paramathma
size is unimaginably bigger.How this jeevatma can alter the qty or quality of
paramatma.,when we say even by utterance of his nama every papas will
vanish.Secondly we can also refer to the gita slogam 70 of 2nd adyayam.Where big
rivers(compared to jeevatma,which is the size of tip of small needle ) can not alter
the small ocean (compared to brammam) whether it sounds right.Pl.clarify Dasan
sarathy - Question By - TTParthasarathy, ttparthasarathy@gmail.com

The point of debate is whether jiva and para are one and the same or different. In the
example which you have cited, apurya manam... the rivers and ocean are not one and
the same. Similarly jiva and para are not one and the same. Whether it is miniscule or
big they are different. It is right that the grace of Perumal destroys our sins, but if jiva
 is para, then Paramatma has to destroy His own sins. Can the sinner be the one who
dispels it. This all proves that jiva and para are different and jiva is dependant on Para.

Question ID: 337 - Dear Swamy, My pranams to you. Myself and my husband had
samasrayam eight years back. We are not following any sastras. I do daily puja and
give nyvedyam and I strongly have faith in Tirupathi Venkatachalapathi. My
husband does not do nitya anushatnam. Because of this will papa come to my
husband and as well as me. Will my children get affected. After listening to your cd
ethu dharmam and discourse on bhagawat gita i want to change myself but i don`t
know how to change my husband not that he does not have believe in God. What
should be my daily anushatnam. Can I do puja instead of my husband. We are
vaishnavite belong to srivatsa gothram and belong to parakal mutt. - Question By -
sreelatha, sreelatha68@yahoo.co.in

Nithya anushthanam is a must. Developing pious qualities and practicing them is a

must. Kindly refer to the answer to q no. 336. You can follow the positive points given
there. For the anushthanams to follow, kindly refer to the books published by Sri
Parakala mutt in this regard.

Question ID: 336 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
1)Because of my past ignorance,qualities acquired from past life and this my
consciousness is polluted.Although by krishna's mercy i'm now beginning my day
from bhrahma muhurta by worshipping the lord,reading Bhagavatam,memorizing
verses,although i'm trying to be nice, sometimes inspite of my consideration i
commit more of bhagavat apacharam.Sincerely speaking i totally have no control
over it,it's just keeping coming,and i do it and repent for it again and again.I
sincerely asked sri krishna to help me and i had a realization that krishna personally
forgave me of my sins.It has also greatly reduced than before,now dormant,but i
carry with me the seeds of future offence. I'm worried about my future and current
spiritual life . I'm after all a product of kali yuga.What does your grace suggest?
Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply! - Question By -
kishan, kishantns@sify.com

We are all in the same boat. The positive points from your note are 1. you repent for
the mistakes and 2. Their recurrence has reduced. This shows that you are
progressing. I am sure they would further reduce. However they would not be
completed erased till we are in this samsara. Have faith that we will not have next
birth as you have surrendered.
 Question ID: 335 - Swamin, Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan. Adiyen's Pranams for you. If
I ask wrongly pls pardon me. Can u guide me a simple way to attain the following
state. Is there any possibility to get this state simply. I have to become focussed on
this thought. I have to do all activities based on this thought only. The thought is "
Without being any self-wish, all should happen for me as per his wish, & for his wish
only." I have been trying this state of thought to attain purely since 7 years, but still
no positive result. Moreover most of the times, totally I am out of this thought only.
Why? I expect ur positive & favourable reply. Kshamikka prarthikkiren. - Question
By - M.GOPALAKRISHNAN, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

You can attain this if you follow the foot steps and the guidance given by our purva
acharyas. So kindly study Guruparampara, vaarta maalai and nithya anushthana
suggested by your acharyan. You can certainly become a Srivaishnavite in your
attributes as well as deeds.

Question ID: 333 - swami, My humble pranaams to you. Whenever I read or hear
about "who is a Brahmin?" , I hate myself for not being so. I barely manage to do
SandhyaVandanam 3 times a week. Why is "SRADHAI" such a difficult quality to
attain? Please advise me how to change my current life style. Thanks --Raghavan -
Question By - Raghavan Ramachandran, Raghavan.Ramachandran@gmail.com

Sraddhai is not a difficult quality to attain. You are very particular and meticulous in
many other things like your studies job promotion salary savings etc. So sraddhai is
there but where is the question ? As sandhyavandanam or other rituals are not in your
priority list , you fail to do them. So the deeper knowledge about varna dharma, its
significance, the fruits of performing them etc would change your priority and make
you perform.

Question ID: 332 - adiyen have done saranagathy, during which time it was
explained that I should say 'adiyen Srinivasa dasan' when doing abhivadaye to
elders. Is it okay to say 'adiyen Srinivasa Dasan' whenever I need to do abhivadhaye
during Sandhya vandanam also? - Question By - Raghu, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

If you have been told to say Adiyen Srinivasa Dasan then you must be a sishya of
Chola simha puram Doddyacharya swamy. Kindly do not confuse between
abhvadanam which is an introduction to your current life and body with adiyen
srinvasa dasan which is an introduction to the eternal atman and its servitude. It is
enough you say Adiyen Srinivasa dasan when you prostrate.
 Question ID: 331 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1)Samhita vakyam "bhaktya
paramaya vaapi prapatya va mahaaa mune" A jiva reaches vaikuntham either
through bhakti or through prapatti." Here what does Samhita vakyam mean?,does it
mean that it is written by azhwars to help us understand the process.Can you name
the vedic literature where this has been mentioned? Very humbly and patiently
waiting for your reply! ------------- - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Samhita is not authored by azhvars. They are in Sanskrit. They are a part of sastras
which are explanatory. To name a few vihagesvara samhita, vishvak sena samhita etc.
Pancharatra also has samhitas like Parameshvara samhita Padma samhita etc.

Question ID: 329 - respected swamy, my pranams , i would like to post the
following questions- 1. in charma slokam, bhagavan says "maam yekam saranam
vraja" does this means the yekam represents only perumal or the divya dhampathis(
perumal and piratiyar) and is there any poorvars samadhanam for the yekam? 2. i
have once learnt from an old swamy that even piratiyar (thayar) also has equal
power of giving moksha as perumal stills she wantedly takes purushakaaram.
please explain me on this with pramanams. - Question By - S. Hari krishnan
(ramaapprameyan), malolanhari@gmail.com

As there are two different schools of thought in this, I suggest you personally get this
clarified from your acharyan.

Question ID: 327 - My namaskarams to Velkudi Swami !! My question is about

iyers and iyengars; Iyers claim to follow "Advaita" philosophy of Adi Shankara. Adi
Shnakara himself askes everyone to worship Govinda in "Bhaja Govindam". He askes
everyone to chant Vishnu Sahasarnamam - "Geyam Geeta naama sahasram". You
also have mentioned in one of your discourses that Advaitis are also Vaishnavites
only (even though there are small differences between Advaitam and
Vishistadvaitam). Given all this, how did the modern iyers claim that they are
"Saivites" while iyengars are "Vaishnavites". How did this wrong message start
propogating ? Is there some intermediate guru or acharya who started spreading
this wrong message to create division? (like Kulothunga Cholan II or someone?)
Thanks for any insights. - Question By - Sriram Sampath, sriramsampath@gmail.com

It is a misnomer to call Iyers as saivites. They are vaishnavites. This cult is recent. That
is all I know.
 Question ID: 326 - My Namaskarams to Swami Velkudi Krishnan !! 1. Both
Madhurakavi Azhwar and Nadhamunigal have met Nammazhwar - so are both
Madhurakavi Azhwar and Nadhamunigal contemporaries ? 2. Kavi Chakravarthi
Kambar created KambaRamayanam ; if Valmiki Ramayana is considered as Vedas
("veda vedyae bare pumsi.. slogam), then Kamba Ramayanam is also equivalent to
Vedam. Also Kamban did a separate work on Nammazhwar - Sadagopar Anthathi.
(similar to Madhurakavi's Kanninum Siruthambu). Given this, why is Kamban not
regarded on the same level as our Azhwars and Acharyas. He is not mentioned on
the same breadth. 3. Like Dravida Vedam (all of Nammazhwar's works) exists, do
similar works exists in other Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu etc ? If not, why
specifically in Tamil ? This sort of proves to me that Tamil is a very special language,
probably only next to Sanskit. I am not asking this for an air of superiority, but I feel
blessed to have born with tamil as my mother tounge. 4. When I am in stress, is
there a good slokam to cool down? Usually I pray Anjaneya with "Manojavam
marutha thulya vegam, jitendriyam buthi madam varishtam.." slokam. Any other
good ones? Thanks a lot! - Question By - Sriram
Sampath, sriramsampath@gmail.com

1. They are not contemporaries. Nathamunigal was about 4000 years later to
Madhurakavigal. Madhura kavigal met Nammazhvar when He was alive but
Nammazhvar appeared before Nathamunigal again to grant 4000 divya prabandham.
2. There is no comparison. There are many poets who have sung in praise of Bhagavan
but all are not azhvars. Even our acharyas including Sri Ramanuja are not revered as
azhvars. Azhvars are those who have been specially and effortlessly blessed by
Bhagavan with gnana bhakti and vairagya but others have earned them with their
efforts. Valmiki Ramanayana is an itihasa sung by Valmiki with the blessings of
Brahma. Valmiki had the darsan of Rama, the privilege of bringing up His children and
teaching Ramayana to them. 3. Yes. Tamil is only next to Sanskrit in time and glory. I
am not aware of similar literature in other languages. 4. You can chant azhiyezha
sangum villu mezha or Nammazhvarm, apadam apa hartaram...

Question ID: 325 - Namaskarams. I had a very strong faith and belief with Him
and was a very strict srivaishnavan. But my children have gone on their own ways.
If this is due to my karma, why my Lord has not stopped this. If karma has more
power than Him, what is the use of surrendering to Him? Why this misery of life
came to me? The involvement I had with Sriman Narayana is less now. How can I
recollect my faith and belief back? Please show me a way to get peace of mind and
do my daily rituals with full faith and belief. (Ref.Q.No.227+ - Question By -
r.shanmuganathan, smadhusha_85@yahoo.co.in
 You have said that it is due to your karma. If you mean what you say then you must
blame only you and not Bhagavan. Why should we blame Him for our karma. Let us try
whole heartedly to destroy our karma by surrendering to Him. Once He destroys them,
the next moment we are not going to be here. Your saranagati was for moksham and
not for a pious child. Moreover for a saranagata He destroys our left over papams
during this time and not immediately. Till such time we will have to suffer. Saranagati
assures you of moksham and not a life of material pleasure. The more you reflect on
these, you will certainly realize that there is no reason to find fault with Him and that
realization would restore your faith in Him. Now coming to the point of your children,
you can plead to Bhagavan to guide them rightly. We must try our best relentlessly for
the same. It would certainly happen but slowly.

Question ID: 324 - Sir, I was told that people who have done their samasrayanam
and bharanyasan cannot celebrate their Sashtiabda poorthi or Sadabhishekam. Is it
true ? The children are eager to perform their parents sadabhishekam - Question By
- shanti soundararajan, shanti134@gmail.com

Nothing like that. You can celebrate by having veda and divya prabandha parayanam
giving importance to vaidika methods.

Question ID: 323 - Dear Swamiji, Koti koti pransms I am practising yoga &
Pranayamam taught by Pujyasri. Swami Ramdevji maharaj I would request you to
kindly explain me in detail the method and other relevant requirements as
described in Bhagavat Geeta. I also look forward to meet you in person for holding
Geeta upanyasam in Tamil related to Yoga & pranayama for our teachers in Chennai,
numbering more than 200 who render honorary service in teaching free yoga for
public every day. At present our yoga and pranamaya classes are conducted in more
than 40 centres in chennai city. - Question By -
N.SURYAKUMAR, suryakumar_n@yahoo.com

I am not a yoga expert. You have already learnt it from a great yoga master. I only
know a little to practice for myself. Kindly excuse me.

Question ID: 321 - Namaskarams. I am a Smartha by birth. From the discourses I

hear, I am made to believe that vaishnavites are more closer to GOD than other
human beings. Is there any way for becoming a vaishnavite? - Question By -
Natarajan, kr_nata@yahoo.com
 All smartas are vaishnavites. Sri Maha Vishnu has been the original God right from Sri
Adi Sankara's period. You need not worry on that aspect. You will have to decide
whether you believe in advaitam or visistadvaitam as a philosophy. Kindly study both
of them, listen to scholars from both sides and then choose.

Question ID: 320 - **Om Sri Kooresaya Nama** Dear Swami, Adiyen has been
gathering details about 108 Divya Desams thro' the internet and other available
books. I also purchased one related book from our Trust. But I find that the dpetails
available on the internet are either less or they are not in completion. I have
decided to host a new site that would give complete details about the Divya
Sthalams in all aspects. Recently, I had been to Thiruvarangam, Koviladi & Thiru
Anbil. Could you please guide me to other people / sources from where I can add
authentic data to be hosted in the site, which will be useful to all concerned. The
site has been registered as: www.divyadesa-thiruvula.in Swamigal paadhangalukku
samarpanam. Adiyen, Madhavan. - Question By -
Madhavaraj, sharnaagathi@yahoo.com

The best way is to collect the original text of sthala puranam in Sanskrit and draw
details from them. You can visit the individual divya desams and talk to the vidvans
there. They would be able to guide you rightly.

Question ID: 319 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)I heard from someone that
the phylosophies of vadagalai and thengalai are slightly different.Is it so?If so
why?Since both have roots to the same acharyas,alwarzs how could there be even a
miniscule of a difference?how have both emanated.There should be only sri
vaishnavisim isn't? 2)What does your grace suggest for a person,who although
sincere,but because of his past karma is unable to do even bhakti?You might
suggest saranagati here as his only means,i.e he must now realize
seshatvam,paratatvam qualities of the lord isn't?But realization is only possible
when his mind becomes cleansed of anarthas isn't?for this he must do bhakti isn't?
but the problem here is,he finds it difficult to perform his daily bhakti also.What do
you suggest here? 3)Although my parents are not much sincere,i'm daily performing
the required pooja to the lord.The point is my parents feel that i'm ignoring
them.They are not satisfied.The point is only after i finish my daily routines for
krishna i.e chanting,hearing lecture,reading Bhagavatam that i come outside my
room.But when i'm free my mother is engaged with her friends,or is busy,my father
would have just left for office and comes late in the night.Please suggest me how
could i change myself to please krishna? Very humbly and patiently waiting for your
reply!! ----------------------------------------------------------- - Question By -
kishan, kishantns@sify.com
 1.At times, We find contradiction even in our own conduct in two different time
periods. Small differences are inevitable. It is not difference of opinion (abhipraya
bhedam) but only a difference in interpretation (yojana bhedam) in research level. It
should have no bearing on a common man seeking peace and vaikuntham. 2. Our
papam is not destroyed by practicing bhakti. It is the other way round. Only when our
papams are cleared can we begin bhakti yoga. Performance of nitya and naimittika
karma would only clear our papam. In the case of Saranagati that is also done by
Bhagavan Himself. As saranagati is nothing but accepting Bhagavan as the means for
moksham it is enough you realize absolute servitude and believe that as a belonging
of Bhagavan I would be protected by Him. 3. Morning is the time to perform to karma
and bhagavad aradhana. As you have said you cannot waste it by chatting. But you
must find some time to talk to your parents or serve them if they are in need. Do not
feel much if they blame that you do not find time to chat with them. Service to them is
more important.

Question ID: 316 - Swamiji my respectable pranaam to you. I have been practicing
bhakti yogam since last two years. I am gradually progressing but I have my own
pitfalls too. While performing devotional service I cannot concentrate on my
material duties i.e. I am least interested in my studies and I have no rasa in studies.
But this will create problem for me in future. Let me know what should I do? Should
I study as service to Krishna and if yes plz reveal the process unto me... Waiting for
your reply eagerly and submissively.Thanking you Your servant. - Question By -
Ashish Bhujbal, Ashish_bhjbl@yahoo.com

If you are absorbed by Sri Krishna then you can renounce everything else and
concentrate on His service. However it is better that you first complete your studies
which would satisfy your parents. I presume that you are now a bachelor and then on
you would become a grhastha. You can practice bhakti in both these asramams. All
cannot become sanyasis and they need not too. As far as you realise that your
household duties are duties which also supplement our spiritual progress, it is fine. We
must not give our material duties a status that contradicts spiritual progress.

Question ID: 315 - Dear Swamin, I would like to know if there are infinite numbers
of Jeevathmas. Or is it fixed with every Athma progressing across different janmas
towards human life and then ultimately to Mukthi? What happens to a Muktathma
over yugams - Is the Jeevathma liberated infinitely, or is there any possibility that
even after moksham the same soul gets birth after kaliyugam ends?? Is the growing
human population, that too with India having the biggest share reason to believe
that souls are progressing towards liberation? I dread to think of the possibility of
being born in another country or even here without satsangam. Even here we are
seeing falling levels of dharmic behaviors. Humble namaskarams, Lakshmi -
Question By - Lakshmi, luxmer@yahoo.com

The number of jivas are infinite. A jiva through bhakti or surrender sheds its karmas
and reaches Srivaikuntham from where it never returns. Population growth is no
indicator for progress towards mukti. Being a Ramanuja sambandhi and a follower of
his commands, you need not be worried of rebirth.

Question ID: 314 - Please pardon my ignorance. I have to cross seas to do my

Masters. 1) Is it ok to do Santhiyavandhanam there? 2) I have visited 82 Divya
Kshetrangal. I will not be able to visit the others as I have to leave soon. Is it ok if I
visit them after I come back after crossing the seas? - Question By -
Naresh, naresh.murali@gmail.com

Wherever you are kindly perform sandhyavandanam. yes you can come back and for
sure the divyadesa emperuman would be eagerly waiting for you

Question ID: 312 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1)In this age Nama sankirtanam
has only been prescribed as the yuga dharma by the sastras,but i've especially seen
in srivaishnava sampradaya,devotees do practically all fire sacrifices,omams,other
karma kanda activities .Aren't they deviating from the actual yuga dharma? 2)Since
Ramanujacharya's sampradaya is based on the phylosophy of surrender,why don't
they initiate people from all caste(foreigners also?) 3)Since in Sarnagati The lord is
himself the only upayam,not even the demigods,then why do the devotees do
ohmam?Isn't ohmam means demigods are invited for their share?If so then it
deviates from the phylosophy of surrender. Very humbly and patiently waiting for
your reply! - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Let me first clarify some misconceptions. 1. Varna and asrama dharmas are to be
performed by every inidivual who wants to attain moksham till his last breath. 2.
Whether he is a bhakti yoga nishtha or a saranagata performance of nitya and
naimittika karmas are a must. 3. Upanishads and puranas say that the only way to
please Bhagavan is performance of nitya and naimittika karmas irrespective of the
yuga. 4. It is a misconception to say that Nama sankirtana is a sufficient means to
reach moksham. It is yet another way to fruitfully spend our rest of the life after
saranagati till the moment we attain moksham. 5. Yes Ramanuja sampradaya would
accept anybody as a Sri vaishnavite irrespective of caste or country provided the
 individual follows the prescribed rules. 6. Only homams that form part of nitya and
naimittika karmas are done by saranagatas and that too towards Sriman Narayana
who is the antaratma of all devatas.

Question ID: 311 - Swami, Adiyen would like to clarify more with regard to Q 273.
Even though there are so many Anda Kadakams, everything is surrounded by Sapta
Avarnam with a defined size (10 times more than previous one). It gives a picture
that prakrti mandalam is finite as size is defined. When prakrti is finite, no. of jivas
residing should also be finite which implies Srihsti and Pralayam should have an
end. Pl. clarify. - Question By - Srinivasa Raghavan, ktkarthik@indiatimes.com

Leela vibhuti is a third of size and Nitya vibhti is thrice the size of leela vibuti. this is
the only measure mentioned in the vedas and so jivas are infinite. Thus, Srishti and
pralayam are perpetual. There are many instances in science even where there is
infinite number of particles within a finite surface.

Question ID: 310 - Dasan. Adiyen had listened to the aaru varthai CD.I belong to
Kanchee.I have the following quires. 1. betha /abetha sruthigal in
upanishaths.Ekameva Advitheeyam/Ksharatmanam etc. These are contradicting
each other.whether anywhere in vedhas is given as to where these are applicable.If
yes ref.pl. 2.What is vajasaneyam,Ithareyam,Mahaupanishad etc. 3.Padhartham for
the following:a)sadeva somya ;ithamagra aseedh ekameva advitheeyam.b)bramha
va ayameka evagra azeedh.c)eko ha vai narayana azeedh nabramha
nesaanaha.d)neha nanasthi kinchana e)sarvam kalu itham bramha.f) ksharam
pradhanam amruthaksharam haraha.g)ksharadhmanam veesathay dheva
ekaha.g)thva subarna sayuja. 4. whether achith thathvam is applicable in
paramapatham since chith or jeevathma only is acting as sariree to paramathma in
parmpatham. Adiyen dhasan. vachaga dosham
kshanthavyaha.email.ttparthasarathy@gmail.com - Question By -
TTParthasarathy, ttparthasarathy@gmail.com

1. Bheda sruti distinguishes Paramatma, Jiva and achit. (bhokta bhogyam preritaram
ca matva) Abheda sruti (neha nana asti kincana) confirms that Brahmam is unique, all
the cit and acit are inseparable from Him, and there is nothing in the universe that
does not enjoy Brahmam as the antaratma and all cit are equal as the same
Paramatma resides in them. 2. Vajasaneya is the veda revealed by surya taking the
form of a horse. Itareyam and Mahopanishads are the final part of vedas known as
vedanta or upanishads. 3. I have explained all these in detail in the same aaru varthai
cd or you can refer to upanishathil kadaigal cd. These are to be clarified or heard to
 only in an upanyasam. It would be too long to explain here. 4. Yes acit is found in
paramapadam in suddha satva form.

Question ID: 309 - respected swami, adiyen pranamams to your divya padukkai. i
belong to good sri vaishnava family. and we stricly worship only lord vishnu. not
even we pray vignesh or saraswathi. we are purely devoted to ramanujar.and i had
my panchasamaskaram also. though, i did one mistake, i am going to be married in
october . and daily i used to talk to my would be. we both started speaking very
closely and we became so intimate to each other which resulted in we stayed
together several nights.its an arranged marriage only. but we stayed without our
parents knowledge. but now i am feeling sorry for it and little bit afraid also.but still
again my would be planning for another stay and i am not able to say anything .
please advice me swami. what shall i do. will god forgive me. is there any answer
for this in our vishnu puranam. also i think your feet as ramanujas feet and beg you
to forgive me. requesting your pardon, lakshmi. - Question By - lakshmi ramanuja
dasi, lakshmiram@ymail.com

It is a mistake. If you plead to Bhagavan and your parents, it would be pardoned as

you have repented for it provided you abstain from repeating

Question ID: 308 - Swami, Pranams. Adiyen Ramanuja Dhasan. Adiyen having one
Question. In our culture most of us are chanting Saraswathi and celebrating
"Saraswathi Pooja". We all know endless Sriman Narayana is the only end for all. I
just wanted to know 'When it was started, and is Saraswathi referred in Vedas, what
is her work? Please correct me if I am wrong. Dhasan.-Giri. - Question By -
Giri, girigovind@gmail.com

Sarasvati is the consort of Caturmuksha Brahma. I am not sure about the date when
maha navami was called as Sarasvati puja. But it is a misnormer. The seat of Vidya is
Maha lakshmi Herself along with Sri Hayagriva. Sarasvati is referred to in vedas and
Puranas as any other devata.

Question ID: 307 - Pranams to THYSELF. I am aware that aathma vishayam is quite
beyond my understanding, that could be understood only by acharyan's grace. In
our thathvathraya concept, jeevaathma and paramaathma belong to chethana
group but to understand the existence of aathman in the achith / achethana vasthu
is very difficult. Is it so that" aathman lies in achith / achethana vasthu also, buth
that vasthu is termed as achith / achethanam just because of the athman's gnana
sankojam there? Praying thy clarification in this regard. - Question By -
Adhijegannatha Ramanujadasan, jegan@svce.ac.in
 acit is jada, non sentient. It is made of pancha bhUtas which are in turn a transformed
state of mUla prakrti which is the matter with which Bhagavan creates all acit. While
acit is prakrtam ( a product of prakrti) jiva is aprakrtam (not a product of prakrti). Jiva
resides in every acit. The status of knowledge is decided by the purva karmas of the
jiva. Acit is not termed so because the gnanam of the jiva inside is shrunk. Acit or this
body is slapped on a jiva to enjoy the fruits of his karmas. Once a jiva is residing in this
body it misunderstands as a human being or an animal or a deva. Once it sheds all its
karmas it reaches Srivaikuntham.

Question ID: 306 - Pranams. Tirucherai is called Panchasara Kshetram;Is it also

called Panchakamala Kshetram. What is meaning of "SARA"? tHANK YOU. Adiyen. -
Question By - Venkatesan , kuppuiyengar@homail.com

sAram is 'essense' or 'the best part'

Question ID: 304 - SwAmigaLiNn thiruvadigaLukku adiyENnudaiya theNdaNn

Samarppiththa viNNappam. What is the ultimate difference between a vaishnavite
and a nASthikA / dhEvathAnthara devotee while being in this world. A vaishnavite
even refuses this worldly pleasure more than the other two. If he tries to get the
peace of mind by thinking about Sriman nArAyaNA, his mind becomes soft and
supple and is not able to withstand the belligerence of the samSArIs. Also it is
painful to hurt even these villains. At the end of the day, will not a vaishnavite
become more depressed / demotivated? "bagavathanNubavaththukkum, bagavath
kainggaryaththukkum virOthigaLAy SamSAra varththagarAyiruppArgaLeNnRu
SamSArigaLai" niNnaikka vENdumeNnRu nNavarathnamAlaiyil piLLai lOkAcAryar
SAthiththapadi anNuSanthiththAl, it becomes very difficult to play a submissive role
to samSArIs in a corporate entity. The peer group's combatant attitude, the
superior's rude behaviour and their sheer determination in non-acceptance of our
culture makes us highly detached from the system. Our pUrvars were very
knowledgeable both in vaithigam & lowgigam. But in today's situation, it seems
next to impossible to achieve AzwAr's pala@sruthi which says "viNNum ALwar
maNNUdE". xamikka prArththikkirENn. adiyENn irAmANnuja dhASan. - Question By -
E.Venkatesh, evenkat@bheltry.co.in

It is difficult to strike a balance of being a true Srivaishnavite and at the same time
thrive in a corporate. The purpose of a job is material (drshtam) but the purpose of
vaidikam is divine (adrshtam). the best way to tackle this is as follows: 1. Think and
talk as much as possible about bhagavan, azhvars and acharyas unmindful of others
 comments. 2. Be detached and not very ambitious of promotions . 3. Do our varna
dharmas religiously which would aliniete our pain and papam.

Question ID: 303 - Pranams to Swami. There are several instances where Alwars
declare that Sriman Narayan resides in our body and soul as inner soul (Antaryami)
and that He has both 'Vibhutvam' as well as 'Anutvam'. Perialwar in particular
declares that Sriman Narayan resides in his heart with His Consorts and with all the
paraphernalia that belong to Him as a 'vibhu'. There is no question about this. That
is His dwelling pleace in the body or 'Acit' where He is seen as many. When the
same Sriman Narayan resides in the Soul or Atman or 'chit', He resides there as 'Anu
swaroopi'' and is seen as one. Does this mean that He dwells alone as otherwise
vibhutvam will apply to all 'chit' as well as 'achit' that reside along with Him inside
of the Atman. Saroopatvena, Emberuman is Vibhu and all others including Piratimar
are Anu. How these two go together. Please enlighten. Adiyen. - Question By -
Kidambi Srinivasan, kairavini@gmail.com

I am not quiet clear with the question. However let me reply for whatever I have
understood. Paramatma alone if vibhu. He and only He is a vibhu by His svaroopa. He
is also aNu. Piratti is inseparable from Him and is anu as any other jiva. But by the
status as His divine consort she enjoys the benefit of being along with Him wherever
He is and so is distinguished from other jivas.

Question ID: 302 - Pranams to Swami. Can U please tell me the difference
between 'Saranagadhi' and 'Prabhati'. What I have understood is that 'Prabhati'
performed with a self less mind that "I did it" is 'Saranagadhi'. Correct me if I am
wrong and also clarifythe real intent of both the words or are they mutually
exclusive in any context? - Question By - Mrs.
Amruthavalli, nappinai1952@yahoo.co.in

Both are synonyms. They mean accepting and pleading Sriman Narayana to be the
means for moksham. There should not be even a trace of ego or svatantryam while
performing this absolute surrender. It is not right to say that saranagati is did thinking
that "I did it".

Question ID: 301 - My mother side grand parents are no more. My uncles have
also reached the heavenly abode. So there is no body performing Srardha for my
grand parents. My father side grand parents are living and hence my father as son
in law can not also perfrom this, I believe. So can my mother perform 'Aama
Srardha' on their respective dates? Or the Srardha performed by my cousins for
their father (my maternal uncle) will be enough feeding for the grand parents in
common? Please advise. - Question By - Ms. Aravinda, aravindakidambi@gmail.com

Kindly refer to your family brhaspati for an answer.

Question ID: 300 - Adiyen Ramanuja dasan, I have listed some of doubt, which
may be due to my ignorance. Please forgive me for the same. 1. As a srivishnavan,
do we need to dp Jathagam matching for marriages, if so please let me know the
valid reason, simillary if some is having some graha dosham, do we need to do
dosha nivarthi parikaram. 2. Can one person move from one varnaashram darmam
to other. like vishawamithirar. In a given birth itself, can sudran become brahmanan.
If so what that person need to do. 3. Adiyean, heard that in one of your upanyasam,
saying that Aadhi shankarar also accepted that Narayanan is parap bramhem. If it is
the case. It will be quite contradicatory to what he is saying Adivadam. With my
knowldge, in Adividam Bramem is suda satva bramem. In that case Bramem can not
have the name,rupam,etc .... . Then How come Aadii shankarar would have given
the name as "Narayanan" to that parpbramem. Alwar,Emperumananr, Jeeyar
thiruvadigale Saranam. V.Narayanan - Question By -
Narayanan, arvind_svpr@yahoo.co.in

1. Yes you will have to match. This has been in practice for long and so we will have to
follow our purvas. There is no need to do graha preeti as dosha nivritti. Instead we
need to plead to bhagavan to pardon all our doshams. 2. One cannot move from one
varna to another. It is decided when born. By conduct one can follow satvik qualities.
Moreover there is no need to switch as moksham can be attained from any varna. 3.
As per Sankaracharya Brahmam is gnana mayam and one without any form or
attributes. This he calls as Nirguna brahmam which is the ultimate. But since one
cannot comprehend this at the first instance he accepts brahmam to be sagunam with
rupam. In this context he accepts Sriman Narayana to be the brahmam. After realising
this, by continous dhyanam eventually one has to realise that we ourselves are
brahmam.

Question ID: 299 - Respected Swamin, Pranams. Whether marrying a girl elder to
that of boy is permitted in our sastras?. My friend says taht it is due to male
domination the females are chosen younger so that male can enjoy the youth of the
female. Also, what is the mnimum age difference between the male & female is
recommended for marriage?. This question arises since I have a blind faith in our
sampradayas / sastras . Kindly respond. Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, - Question By -
RAMAN.P, pram@igcar.gov.in
 Marrying an elder girl is not permitted. Domination has no role to play here. Saastras
are the preachings of Bhagavan Himself. We cannot call Him too as a male chauvinist.
Sruti and smriti are the supreme commands of Bhagavan Himself.

Question ID: 298 - Respected Swamin! Sankaracharya said in his advaitham that
Parabrahmam is Nirgunam,etc., and also advocated the Shanmathams.But Swami
Ramanujacharya said that Brahman is not nirgunam and said Srimannarayanan is
Brahmam.I have heard in one of Krishna premi swami's upanyasams that brahmam
cannot be understood by anyone and beyond the comprehension of human mind.If
so, how can we give a name to this Brahmam? what is the way to reach it?and how
can we call this brahmam as vishnu which only forms a part of the
shanmathams?kindly clarify because i am only ignorant and new to this
sampradayam. - Question By - ramanuja dasi, namperumal@hotmail.com

More than Ramanuja or Shankara the Veda / vedanta have to decide. They identify
Brahmam as the abode of countless auspicious attributes in many passages. They also
identify that brahmam to be Sriman Narayana. Vaidika matham is Srivaishnavam. All
other devatas are the limbs of Sriman Narayana as per the Vedanta. "Anganyanya
devata:..." Ramanuja only reconfirmed this to the confused world.

Question ID: 297 - KOTI KOTI PRANAM. Can i chant vishnu sahasranamam during
the menstrual periods also. Kindly reply to my question. Till today i am reciting
throughout the month thinking that chanting lord's name in any avastha is
permitted. - Question By - Anuradha, anuradhe1972@yahoo.co.in

It is not permitted. No one can stop you from uttering stray Namas (one or two when
you sneeze or yawn) but Vishnu sahasranama is set to be a holy prabandha which is to
be chanted following rules and regulations.

Question ID: 296 - Dear Swamiji, Pranams I had been suffering from Back pain for
the past few weeks. I had been advised to be under rest for the next three months. I
request you to suggest some daily mantras to get cures. Currently i am doing
sandhyavandanam and also chanting Vishnu sahasranamam and Adithya hridhyam
daily. Also please suggest me some other sthothras for getting cured. - Question By
- Hariharan, mbahari2000@yahoo.com
 Kindly chant Nammazhvar's tiruvoimozhi 1.7 beginnng piravi tuyar ara..This concludes
as udaindu noygalai oduvikkume.

Question ID: 295 - swamigalin thiruvadigaluku adiyen ramanuja dasanthenden

samarpita vinnapam.Although i worshipped both siva and vishnu agter hearing your
discourses and after samasryanam i worship sri ramanujar perumal and thayar only.
my mother says i can go to samayapuram when i go to srgm. i intend to have
dharshan of periya perumal on 7th of july. I am confused please help ramanuja
dasan - Question By - radha venkatesh, bhavradha@yahoo.co.in

If you are a saiva you can go. If you are a Srivaishnava wedded to Sriman Narayana
you have to abstain.

Question ID: 294 - Dear Swamiji, My pranams and namaskar, The 8 chapter, in
sloka 17 Which starts has sahasrayugaparyantham....... : I request you to clarify
various points in that sloka : In the sloka we come to understand that Lord Brahma's
life span is thousand chathuryuga as day and thousand chathuryuga as night, like
this combination of 100 years My questions is : 1. In that series of thousand
chathuryuga we are in which serial? 2. Whether we are passing the thousand
chathuryuga of day or night? 3. Will Lord Almighty's Dasavatharam repeat in each
serial of thousand chathuryuga. Namasthe With regards rama - Question By - Rama
Mahalakshmi, shakthi_ram2006@yahoo.com

1. During every day of Brahma 14 manus rule. We in the Vaivasvata manvantara which
is in the second 50 years of Brahma. Approximately 71 caturyugams pass during every
manvantara (manu's period). We are in the 28th caturyuga of vaivasvata manvantara.
2. We are in the day of brahma now. The first three worlds (bhU: bhuva: suva: ) get
destroyed during the night of brahma . As we, who live in bhU:, we are alive in the day
only. 3. Yes the countless avataras may get repeated in the same order or in any other
order which Bhagavan thinks fit.

Question ID: 293 - Re-Fasting during Ekadasi Respected Shri.Krishnan swamigal,

Many opinions have been expressed by near relatives about the intake on
auspicious days like Ekadasi.In our Vaishnava temples Prasadams are distributed
prepared from broken rice like Rice upma etc on such days..I hear from my North
Indian friends,that we should not take any items prepared from grains.Me and my
wife seek your kind advice on this matter.Though my doubt may sound silly, I feel
your advice will be very invaluable. with regards, srinivasan - Question By -
srinivasan.v.n, srinivasan43@rediffmail.com
 We can have a little of Whatever is given in temple as prasadam.

Question ID: 292 - Dear U. Ve. Krishnan Swami, I have been hearing your
Upanyasams through internet. I am interested in learning the divya prabhandams
and nitya karmas so that I can worship Perumal in the prescribed way. Pl give me
some guidelines regarding how to do this. Also pl give me your email so that I can
contact you. Ys Raj - Question By - Raj, rajnandaa@yahoo.com

You have to contact a proper guru in your area who would teach you these. You can
call any of our volunteers (if you live in their area) and they would be able to guide
you.

Question ID: 291 - Azhwar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale saranam I have a

question regarding thirukkOLUr peNpiLLai rahasyam. (No. 76 refers to an incident in
the life of Acharya Nampillai.) These questions were raised in a conversation with
Emperumanar who lived till 1137. Swami Nampillai was born much later and how is
that the above includes a reference to Sami Nampillai life? Pizhai irunthal
porutharula vendum Adiyen Ramanujam dasan - Question By -
Ramanujam, rgr.ad@adia.ae

The phrase which you are referring to is "neeril kuditteno kanapurattalai pole". This
kanapurattal was a lady who was a contemporary of Tirukkolur penpillai or one who
lived before her. There was another lady who behaved similarly with acharya bhakti
during the days of Nambillai.

Question ID: 289 - Dear Swamy, I have a ten year old daughter and am keen to
teach her 4000 Divya Prabhandam and BHagavat Gita. Is there any place in and
around T.Nagar, W.Mambalam etc where such courses are conducted? Kindly let me
know the contact details at the earliest, please forgive me for asking you this
favour but I tried through sources known to me and could not get a positive
feedback. Once again, kshamikka praarthikkiren, adiyen. - Question By - Geetha
Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com
 You can contact Tirukkana puram Sri Sathakopan swamy (he resides at W Mambalam
and conducts regular santhai and he is the adhyapaka of Kesava perumal temple at
Mylapore) or Malola coordinator. They may be able to guide you.

Question ID: 288 - Dear Swamy, In Bhagavat Gita, Lord Krishna says, "Kalanjam na
Bhakshayeth", ie, we should not eat "poondu" and "Vengayam". What about other
vegetables? What are the vegetables that a true Sri Vaishnava can take? Some
people say that even potato and tomato are "English" vegetables and not to be
eaten by us. Kindly let us know what are the vegetables allowed to be taken as per
our sampradayam, adiyen. - Question By - Geetha
Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

Potato and tomato are not to be taken. There are many vegetables that you can take
viz. vendai kattari vazhaikai vazhai pu vazhai tandu seppan chakkara valli avarai
pudalai pagal senai are some which we can consume.

Question ID: 286 - Humble submission: If related Divya Prapandha pasuram is

highlited with each Geetha verse during your discourse on Podhigai TV, the richness
of Divya Prapandham also reaches the devotees. Hopefully expecting. Pranams.
T.Sridharan - Question By - T SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

There is no related divya prabandha pasuram for every sloka of gita. We the
upanyasakas add pasurams for better understanding and joy of listening.

Question ID: 285 - Pujya Swami! Namaskaram. Recently I heard a Dhyana Shloka
on Sri Krishna in one of the Gita Lectures of Pujya Sri Swami Omkarananda. The
shloka describes in a very excellent way, the posture of the Lord in which He
delivered the Divine Message to Arjuna. Since then, I have been trying my best to
locate the source of this shloka, but failed. My humble request to you is to enlighten
me about the exact source of this following shloka. Is it from Srimadh Bhagavatham
or Mahabharatha or from any puranas like the Gita Mahathmyam from Varaha
Purana. The (Transliteration of the ) Shloka is as follows: " Agre kruthvaa kamapi
charanam jaanunaikena thishtan pashchaath paartham pranaya rasajushaa
chakshushaa vekshyamaanaha. savye thothram kara sarasije dakshine
jnaanamudraam aabhibhraano rathamadhivasan paathu nah suutha veshaha".
Eagerly awaiting your reply. With Namaskarams. S. Adhinarayanan, - Question By -
S. Adhinarayanan, adhinarayanan2002@gmail.com
 I am sorry that I do not know the source of this slokam. I would let you know if I trace
it.

Question ID: 284 - Poojya Swamin, my humble Namaskarams! I have a huge fear
that the chances of getting even a life similar to this life, with knowledge of Mukti
Margam or even being born as a vegetarian, is very low in this yugam. With the help
of your divine guidance, Adiyen has learnt that by practising Bhakti and
Sharanagathi, it is possible to attain Moksham for oneself. Is there anything one can
do for a beloved person e.g. parent's soul to attain Moksham, even after death? I
have another doubt. I understand that by means of Sharanagathi, Sriman Narayan
will guide us through the right path and avoid further papam. Is there any way to
dissolve purva janma papam, that too of a beloved person other than self? Aneka
Koti Pranams! - Question By - Lakshmi, luxmer@yahoo.com

Technically it is not possible to do something to clear the papam of another departed

soul. Our right and duty is only to perform the prescribed ceremonies. However we can
plead to Bhagavan. It is for the particular individual to take birth again and reach
moksham by saranagati.

Question ID: 283 - Garuda, Chakrathazhwar, Panchajanya and Hanuman always

guard Sriman Narayana. Three of these are nithyasooris what about Hanuman? In
Yamuna's chatussloki there is no mention of thiruvadi ( not siriya
thiruvadi)Hanuman. In Periazhwar's pallandu there is no mention of Hanuman. In all
our logos Hanuman is always depicted. Is he a sentinel only in the leela vibhuthi? Is
there any pramana that Hanuman did saranagathi? I have heard of some
paramaekanthis not going to Hanuman's sanctum as he is a mere chiranjeevi and
not a muktaathma. I request swamiji to clarify these points. To most of us Hanuman
is a baktha shiromani and is one of the very few to get Perumal's alinganam. He is a
consistent varaprasadi and the most loveable of all Ramayana characters, the hero
in fact. Why is he not mentioned by purvacharyas? What is the esoteric truth that
many of us have missed? Dr.S.Sundar Rajan, Trichy - Question By - Dr.S.Sundar
rajan, kuresadasan@yahoo.co.in

Hanuman is to be worshipped. Our purvacharyas have abundantly quoted instances

from the life and history of Hanuman. The fact that He is not quoted by some would
not deny worship. Sri Parasara Bhatta quotes in his Sriranga raja stava as "hanu
bhusha vibheeshanayo: syam yatamaviha moksham upekshya..." ie Hanuman and
vibheeshana glorify together at Srirangam. It is a treat to have darshan of Vishvaksena
and Hanuman together conduct the mritsangrahana puja on tirumulai day at
Srirangam. Periazhvar has exclusively allotted one decad 3.10 for the conversation
between Hanuman and Sita . Sri Vedanta Desika equates Hanuman to our acharya in
 his sloka "darpo dagra dasendriyanana mano naktam....hanumat samena guruna...".
He refused to go to Srivaikuntham and so stays here. His sloka "sneho me... bhavo
nanyatra gacchati " is revered in atleast 50 places in purvacharyas vyakhyanams. He
finds a place equal to Garuda in vahana purappadu also. He is not a nitya suri.

Question ID: 282 - Adiyen Ramanuja dasan. Swami, there seems to be a lot
difference on Ramanuja's year of exile to Thirunarayanapuram and the chola king
was involved (whether Kulothunga I or II)? This also affects the exact lifetime of
Swami Ramanuja. If we accept Swami's life time to be 1017-1137 then it has to be
Kulothunga I who reigned between 1070-1120. Could you please make it clear for
the benefit of all? - Question By - Ramanujam, rgr.ad@adia.ae

There are many publications including Koil ozhugu on this. Our members can go
through them. Ramanuja's period as per Guruparampara is 1017 to 1137. Let us stick
to that. Nampillai in his Eedu vyakshyanam calls krimi kantha chola as avyapadesyan
ie one, whose name is not to be uttered or told. So let us not get into that debate.

Question ID: 281 - Dear Swami, I have two questions. Please forgive me for asking
this first question. I know this question should not be asked. Sorry.. 1) Sri Ramanuja
Nootrandadhi is also included in 4000 Divya Prapabdham? if it is included means
how come Nammazhvar gave 4000 to Nadamunigal? Why Periyava added Sri
Ramanuja Nootrandadi into 4000 Divya prapandam? 2) Swami our friends will share
our knowledge across sidantas. One of my Madva friend told me that
"maadhweergAvO bhavantu nah..means follow only the words of Acharya Madhwa
and none other".. I Do like Aananda Theerthar as a great Saint, But I think he
misinterpreted this sentence. Please tell us the meaning for this... Swami please
forgive me, If I asked anything wrong or as Vidandavatham.. Dandam Smarpikiren
Swami.... - Question By - Vijayaraghavan, vijay_raghavk@yahoo.co.in

Iramanusa nootrandadi is included in 4000 divya prabandham in the sense that 1. it is

not recited during anadhyayana kalam. 2.As Namperumal wanted to listen to that
during His customary procession in Srirangam it gained equal importance and got
included in 4000. Even today it is being listened by Namperumal during purappadu. 3.
The same is true with Tiruvengadamudayan also - He listens to it exclusively on the
22nd day of adhyayana utsavam. However while calculating the number 4000
divyaprabandham this need not be included. Nammazhvar revealed 4000 without
Iramanusa nootrandadi only. Yes. Your friend's interpretation is wrong. In no way the
words mean so.
 Question ID: 280 - Adiyen,Pranamams to your divya Padukai,What is the
significance of Brahmotsavams in temple.?What do the vahana sevai in particular
signify?Thanks in advance. - Question By - indumathi
patalay, indumathi.patalay@yahoo.com

Brahma utsavam is supposed to be conducted by the four headed Brahma himself. All
the utsavams and vahanams are to get the bhatas attracted to Him distracting from
mundane world. Purappadu in simha, garuda hanumar vahana are to reinforce
confidence in the minds of the devotees - Here comes our strong protector. Let us
surrender to Him and live without fear. He marches as army marches to install
confidence in a riot hit area.

Question ID: 279 - SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA Adiyan Dasan. Swamy I seek
Your guidance in my present predicament. Before seeking Your valuable Guidance
here's the preamble. I have benn performing the Shradhatha of my parents in
Srimad Andavan Ashram from 1986.I perform the prescribed way by giving Vastrams
to both Vadhiyars and the main Vadhiyar.In addition to the Dakshina given by the
Ashram I with pleasure give Dakshina to all three Vadhiyars in additon to the
paricharakar. The whole ritual was going smoothly.I was performing at the Ashram
since I live in a flat where it's not possible perform such a ritual. But since last three
years the condition has detoriated every Year.I have been patiently bearing it
without leaving it.Vadhiyars were sitting for two Shradhas on the same day and also
the tahligai was commonly done.What's more'the performing Vadhiyar was
disturbed half way thru to do in the other room and also he will sit for bhojanam
and then come and continue.I have been pushed to the precipice just two months
back appaling things were done.Even the mantrams were said fully or properly.
There is a nexus between the paricharakas and Vadhiyars. Noe Iam not complaining
nor asking You to interfere because I know it's beyond repair!!My appeal to You pl.
gide is there any manner I can continue this Vaidhika Karma by poor Brahmana
feeding or like Ama Shradtam?? Pl.enlighten and HELP!! - Question By - N S
RAJAGOPALAN, needraja@hotmail.com

When we are physically and financially fit to perform regular sraddham we cannot
switch to other methods. If you are in India, you can perform sraddha in a flat. You
might have to arrange for some bricks and sand to safeguard the floor if you are in a
rented flat. You will have to get some well water from near by well if you do not have
one. The best way to do is in your flat.

Question ID: 278 - Dear Swami. My parents have inculcated us in the

srivaishnavite tradition. We have been strictly adhering to the nitya anusandhanam.
A few years back, my brother went overseas and moved away from our tradition by
taking to drinks, non vegetarian food and worst of all, physical relationship with a
foreign woman. However, thanks to piratti?s forgiving nature, and thanks to the
austerities observed by my parents, he has realised the errors of his ways,
separated from that woman, and lives on his own following the nitya
anusandhanam. Piratti?s karunai is limitless and now his marriage has been fixed to
a girl whose family also obey the sasthras. My brother now wants to make my
parents happy by following the path shown by them. He also wants to live as a
srivaishnavite and marry this girl who obeys the sasthras. But he has one big
dilemma. Is it forbidden by the sasthras to marry a woman after he has had a
physical relation with another woman? If so, how does he reconcile this issue. How
does he make his parents happy and follow the srivaishnavite tradition? We are in a
critical situation and look to you desperately for guidance. - Question By -
Kanakavalli, kanakavalli.veeraraghavan@yahoo.com

Sastraas do allow remarriage for men. However he has to do prayaschittam for the
earlier one. Kindly contact your family brhaspati for the ritual. He should also take
acharya sri pada tirtham after that.

Question ID: 277 - Swami, Pranams, Adiyen Kalyan Krishnan. I had a chance of
hearing your upanyasam on Bakthi Neeri. I am at present hearing Nam Azhwar?s
approach towards sriman narayana. In that I have a small doubt like Nam Azhwar is
the first azhwar of Kali yuga, he was born 42 days after Dwapara yuga came to an
end and lord Krishna went to paramapadham. But Madhurakavi Azhwar, who is a
disciple of Nam Azhwar, was elder to him. If that is the case he must be the first
Azhwar of Kali yugam. I also presumed that this may be because like Madhurakavi
Azhwar became ?Azhwar? after seeing Nam Azhwar only, correct me if I am wrong. -
Question By - Kalyan Krishnan, kalyankrishnan84@gmail.com

Kindly follow the postings in the blog discussion in our website on this subject. You will
get the right conclusion shortly.

Question ID: 276 - srimathae ramanujaya namha, swami after panchasamaskaram

we all were thirumen in 12 stanams of the body to show that our mind ,body, heart
and soul are devoted of Sriman narayana, i also heard that thirumen and
chisernanam represents feet of sriman narayana, swami then why in alankaras of
perumal in temple (moolavar) we put thirumen for them too swami? - Question By -
adiyen venkatesan, venkatesan.ramanuja@gmail.com

Bhagavan is adorned with Tiruman 1. as a decoration. 2. also as He is fond of wearing

anything that His devotees wear with love.
 Question ID: 275 - Pranams. Nowadays everybody is talking about Organ
Donation. If the last rite of offering our body to Agni Bhagawan is also a
"samarppanam" to God, can it be an "incomplete offering" that is, a body without all
its parts in it? Is it allowed in vedas? What do the Shastras say on organ donation?
Some say it is allowed while others say it is not allowed. I request you to please
enlighten us on this once and for all. - Question By -
Kannan, kanbansan@yahoo.com

Saastras do not allow voluntary organ donation. Nothing wrong if an organ is lost in an
accident.

Question ID: 274 - 1.I am having the question on the status of piratti before
Ksheerasagara Madanam. Mahalakshi Thayar arose out of Paarkadal during
churning and married Perumal. What was the status of thayar before her
avatharam? Was Perumal alone in Sri Vaikuntam. 2.You have also explained in your
answers that Aandal is an avatharam of Bhoomi piratti and not Neela Devi. But in
Thaniyan of Thiruppavai, we chant as Neela thunga...... So can please clear my
doubt on Andal. 3. Also, please explain who is neela devi? - Question By -
Vijay, vijkrish@gmail.com

Amruta mathana Hari is one of the incarnations as Rama and Krishna when Piratti also
incarnated as Lakshmi like Sita and Rukmini. Srivaikutham and the union of Narayana
and Lakshmi are eternal. Tiruppavai tanian refers Neela as a consort of Krishna and
does not refer to andal and Neela. In fact this slokam of Parasara bhatta clearly
distinguishes Neela and Andal - as Neela is sleeping along with Krishna and andal is
waking them. Neela is the third important consort of Sriman Narayana.

Question ID: 273 - adiyen ramanuja dasan. swami, I have a doubt. I have heard
that jevaatmaas are anadhi. If I assume that all jevaatmaas would reach the
moksham at one point (after several several several srishtis/pralayams), Then 1)
Will there be no jevaatmaas (outside vaikundam) at one stage? 2) And will that be
THE END to the srishtis/pralayams? 3) Or, is my assumption wrong? Raghavan
rag_bpharm@yahoo.co.in - Question By - Raghavan, rag_bpharm@yahoo.co.in

There will be no end to srsti and pralayam. The number of jivas is infinity. Till now or
any day the number of jivas who have left this world is infinity. Infinity (minus) infinity
is always infinity and never turns tobe zero.
 Question ID: 272 - Swamigal Thiruvadikku Shathakoti Pranamangal. Swamiji, .
Adiyen has a few questions that have been disturbing me. What do you do if
somebody asks you to perform devathantaram's poojai. Please let me clarify the
situation further.We(my Husband and I) go for the Vishnusahasranama recitation
every saturday evenings. For the last several months, these recitations are being
held at the ISKON temple (the ISKON priests have been kind enough to let the
Perumal Koil Priest to conduct those there). On one such recitations, one of the
iskon devotees/volunter came to us and urged us to participate in a Spiritual Quiz
which comprised of questions about our lifestyle, our nature, our attitude towards
people and circumstances etc... , the devotee looked at our scores (for Satva, Rajas
and TamO guna) and told us about Bhagvat Geeta. In the end, he gave us a Beed
Mala to recite 4 cycles of Hare Krishna....Hare Rama mantra. He also asked us to
chant one initiation Mantra about Chaitanya mahaprabhu before starting the actual
Mantra cycle. Eventhough we took the mala from him (we did not want to hurt him
by refusing to take it), we have just kept it at our Perumal Sannadhi. Swamyji,
adiyen has been trying to practice principles of visishtadhvaitham for the last few
years now and dont want to recite anything other than our Sampradaya slokas and
pasurams. So now my questions are: 1. What do I do with the bead mala? 2. How
can I simply refuse to indulge in any other Sampradayam/devathantharam?(I am
asking because I am not sure if I am comitting apachAra by refusing/hurting a
Bhagavathan-ISKON is after all Krishna namasankeerthanam) My Other Questions
are: 1. What do you do if somebody asks you to take devathantaram's prasadam like
Vibhuti etc...? 2. My In laws go to devathantaram temples also. How do I refuse
them if they ask me to come and moreover how do I divert them to resort fully and
only to our SrI sampradayam? Thank you for reading patienly and hopefully I have
been able to put forth my questions in a clear manner. Doshangal irunthAl
kshamikka prarthikkirein. Adiyen Srividya BadriNarayanan. - Question By - Srividya
BadriNarayanan, badrividya@hotmail.com

You can use the tulasi bead mala to chant tirumantram. Nothing wrong in it. As a
srivaishnava prapanna you will have to get samasrayanam administered which
represents marriage with sriman narayana and so you cannot look upon other devatas.
If somebody forces you then you have to politely but firmly convey your unwillingness
and also try and correct them. It is not an apacharam at all as we are not dishonouring
or disgracing any devatas. The fact is that we firmly believe that Sriman Narayana is
the only moksha datha and so stay away from others who may occasionally grant
some wordly pleasure.

Question ID: 271 - Swamin, Adiyens pranams for you. If I question wrongly, pls
pardon me. Jivan's Sathhai (existence), Sthithi (Living), Pravruththi (Action) are
supposed to be in an existing condition, because of Paramathma's inner existence,
that too he is gazing always the soul's saththa, sthithi, pravruththi. If we go deep
further, Pravruththi of jivan is determined or continued because of following one of
the relationship with bagavan. 1. He has to allow us to do the deed, then only we
can do or continue or 2. He should stimulate or 3. He should be watching the action
as an intermediate Then only Pravruththi of jivan is possible. Like that, Are there
any common factors to saththai & sthithi of jivan. kshamikka Prarthikkiren. -
Question By - M.Gopalakrishnan, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com
 Satta is by antar vyapti (itadaatmyam idam sarvam) and sthiti is by antarvyapti and
souhardam.

Question ID: 270 - Pranams. What will happen to the SriVaikuntam during the
change over of Yugas / Pralaya kalam and to the Mukthathmakkal & Nitya surigal.
Kindly reply - Question By - RAMAN PADMANABHAN, pram@igcar.gov.in

As conveyed by the name Nitya vibhooti, Sri vaikuntham, mukta or nityas are never
affected by any deluge.

Question ID: 269 - "adiyaen ramanuja dasan" "acharyan thiruvadigale saranam"

1)What is the differnce between yogi,swami,acharya,siddhar,munivar and rishis??
2)Does these words mean the same? - Question By - naresh
iyengar, lanaresh@gmail.com

Yogi - one who is ever practicing yoga Swamy - one who is the owner of the belonging
sishya Acharya - one who guides his disciple in the right way. Siddha - one who has
accomplished the siddhis. Muni - one who meditates. Rishi - one who has recognized
mantras.

Question ID: 268 - Respected Swami, Adiyen's humble pranams, Can ladies chant
Vishnu Sahasranamam. - Question By - Raghavan K, ragh_18@yahoo.com

Kindly refer to your acharyan for proper guidance as there are different opinions on
this.

Question ID: 266 - Dear Swami, adiyen is immensely blessed to read Swami's
clarifications on various relevant issues in the Spiritual Quest section regularly.
adiyen would like to clarify something on Nithyanusandhanam from Swami. On
enquiring for a publication from the Andavan Ashramam, adiyen was not able to
obtain the same, but obtained a copy of the Ashrama sevakala saatrumurai
kramam. Adiyen would like to know the difference between the two, i.e
Nithyanusandhanam and Sevakala Saatrumurai kramam. More specifically, can
Nithyanusandhanam be recited anytime of the day while engaging in other karmas
like bathing, cooking etc or should it be recited only in front of the Salagraama
Perumal in the house during Thiruvaraadhanam? adiyen would be eager to listen to
Swami's upanyasam on a similar topic in the near future. dasan Praveen Krishnan -
Question By - Praveen Krishnan, fd98417@gmail.com

Nitya nusandhanam can be recited after wearing tiruman kappu and concluded before
conclusion of tiruvaradhanam. Nityanusandhanam is a collection of the songs to be
recited daily, sattumurai is the pasurams, slokas to be recited at their conclusion.

Question ID: 265 - *** Om Sri Kuresaya Nama *** Dear Swamy, Adiyen had been to
Kooram today (Sunday) and had the blessed opportunity of getting the darshan of
Koorathazwan. Adiyen would like to thank yourself as you have been fully
instrumental in educating adiyen about Kuresar. It was a wonder experience of
being in the hometown and the Bhattar told us that the temple was one of the
hundred rooms of Kuresar when he was a king. Adiyen would like to get involved in
having the Gopuram of the temple to be painted and have sufficient information
noticeboards / banners to be placed in / near the temple for the people to know
more about Koorathazwan. Please let me know how to start working on the same.
Swamigal paadhangail samarpanam, Adiyen Madhavan. - Question By - Adiyen
Madhavan, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com

Kindly contact Kooram dharma kartas to execute your kainkaryam.

Question ID: 264 - adiyan swamin, IN your discourse about varaha avatar
boomadevi taken by asura and hidden in the samudram in science samudram is part
of boomi it creats confusion in my mind swamin please clarify this confusion. adiyan
dasan - Question By - govindarajan, nayagam.govind@yahoo.com

As per the sastras every dweepam is surrounded by an ocean and finally the entire
universe is surrounded by sapta avaranam of which one is water. Even in science the
earth portion is much lesser compared to ocean and so it can be hidden.

Question ID: 263 - Adiyen Srinivasa Dasan 1. When reciting pasurams in temples,
why do they start the 2nd half of a pasuram even before the first half is completed
by one group? 2. Kindly suggest a good book that has 4000 divya prabandham WITH
padhartham, for Beginners, in TAMIL and Another book in ENGLISH. 3. Some of the
old books have OLD TAMIL(?) letters that are not same as the current day tamil.
Kindly suggest any souce that explains those alphabets in terms of current tamil. 4.
Kindly point out some guide/book to understand the Manipravala nadai. Thank you
for your valuable time, Swamy. - Question By - Raghuram, adiyenraghu@yahoo.com

1. It is not an accepted practice. Somehow it has crept in. 2. The authenticated pada
padartham and commentary of our Purva charyas is of Peria vachan pillai. 3. I know of
Sri Sriram Bharathy swamys English book. 4. I am not aware of current tamil script. 5. I
am not aware of any book to explain manipravala nadai. You will have to get used to it
by attending kalakshepams.

Question ID: 262 - Three doubts about sandhya vandanam: Only Narayana was
present at the begining... From Narayana Brahma was born... From Brahma Rudra
was born... The lineage is clear. Narayana is the progenitor of progenitor, Brahma,
of whose forehead Rudra was begat. During sandhya vandanam before gayathri
avahanam stotras are done to 1. Brahma as a kumari on a Hamsa vahana in the
morning, 2. Rudra as yuvathi at noon on Vrsha vahana and 3. Vishnu as an old lady,
vrddha in the evening on Garuda vahana. Here the well setablished order seems to
be distorted as the younger Rudra is considered as a young woman where as the
elder Brahma is a mere girl. Should it not have been Rudra as kumari and Brahma
as yuvathi? Vishnu as vrddha is ok. What is the answer to this apparent distortion?
What is the correct explanation for the dilemma of a prapanna who has to worship
Rudra and Brahma during sandhya vandanam which cannot be relinquished at any
cost? If the answer is that the prapanna is supposed to worship the antaryami
Narayana in these deities then why not do that pleasent duty directly? If this is
sanctioned then why cant the prapanna woship all deities using the same method?
Geethacharya has unamibguously said that He should be resorted to directly. Is
there a different version of sandhya vandanam for prapannas? I humbly request
some swamiji to clarify. Dr.S.Sundar Rajan, MS ortho, Trichy - Question By -
Dr.S.Sundar rajan, radnus.rajan@gmail.com

As prapannas we are supposed to 1. worship Sriman Narayana only 2. Perform all the
varna asrama dharmas (sandhyavandanam is one of them) prescribed for us to please
Sriman Narayana which is the only purpose of life. To satisfy both the above
conditions, we have to perform sandhyavandanam and at the same time worship only
Sriman Narayana as the antaratma of the devatas mentioned in the mantras. Then the
consequential question as to why cant we worship all other devatas similarly. We
cannot do that as they are not prescribed varna dharmas. We are supposed to do only
the varna dharmas and even there wherever there is a mention of other devatas we
have to worship their antaryami.
 Question ID: 261 - Pujya Sri Swamji Our Sastras prohibit marriages in
"Swagothram" Most of us are descendents of triya rishis or pancha rushis of a
common sage. For Example, Sage Angirasa has several descendents which we come
to know through pravaram. Sage Angirasa is common for several gothrams. Will it
not amount to swagorthram? Pranaams A Venkataraman - Question By -
Venkataraman, venky_raman2001@yahoo.co.in

The combination of rishis , pravara and gothra make every lineage unique. So we need
to avoid spouse of same gothram only. For that matter all rishis were born from
Brahma and so we would all belong to one father including saraswati the consort of
Brahma.

Question ID: 260 - Pujya Sri Swamiji, In the Dhyanasloaka in Bhagavat Geeta,
what is the meaning for the line which goes like this. Om Parthaya Prathiboditha
Bhagavathe .................... Adhvaithamrutha varshineem............. In what contect
the word advaitha is used? Pranaams A Venkataraman - Question By -
Venkataraman, venky_raman2001@yahoo.co.in

This sloka is of late recited by some. It does not find a place in traditional recitation.

Question ID: 258 - Hearty Pranams to you Sir. I have been watching Kannanin
Aramudhu regularly and find it enlightening. I have been searching for some
months now, a sthothram in sanskrit or tamil to "thank" God for what he has given
and praying for his Grace. I have searched through Sankara's slokas but could find
about asking forgiveness but not about thanking. Can you please pass on any that
you know that can be recited daily to thank the Lord. - Question By -
Meera, meera.mouli@gmail.com

You can recite stotra ratnam of Alavandar as it is included in nitya anusandhanam and
Nammazhvar's tiruvoimozhi first centum last decad.

Question ID: 257 - Respected Swami, Can we read Mahabharata(english

translated text) at our home? Thank you. Regards, Dayasurabhi - Question By -
Dayasurabhi, aurosurabhi@gmail.com
 Yes. you can read.

Question ID: 256 - Dear Swamiji After listening to your lectures and following a bit
of Bhakti Margam, by perumal?s grace, I now desire samsrayanam. In this regard
my background is I am from Saivite family and my association with vaishnavism is
through my maternal grandmother. Her acaryan was Sri Parasara Ranganatha
Bhattar in Srirangam. When I was in school days, I used to visit my relatives in
Trichy during holidays and also go to the Koil and acarya?s house to pay my
respects. Now that he is no more and I have lost touch with the acarya?s family ( as
I went abroad for some time). a) can you kindly advise who is the acarya in
Srirangam giving samsrayanam in the same lineage as Sri Parasara Rangantha
Bhattar (i.e if you know him) otherwise where else can I go for the same. b) Second
I have a doubt- is it advisable to lay foundation stone for a new house when one?s
wife is pregnant. Looking forward to your replies.. - Question By - Balaraman
Sriram, srirambm@hotmail.com

The descendants of Sri Parasara Ranganatha bhattar are at South uttira st in

Sriramgam. There are three Parasara bhattar families there. You can go and enquire
with them You cannot lay foundation stone or build during pregnancy.

Question ID: 255 - Respected swamin! my humble pranams to your lotus feet! this
question may seem very silly. when we refer to Bhagavan,we say " Him", whereas
when we refer to Brahmam , we say " It " could you please tell the reason as to why
there is difference in usage when we refer to the same SrimanNarayanan? -
Question By - ramanuja dasi, namperumal@hotmail.com

In sanskrit language gender is for words. Sriman Narayana is a Purusha and many
words of masculine gender are His epithets. However the word 'Brahmam' is
napumsaka (neuter) gender and so we call as 'It'

Question ID: 254 - Please explain why Poigaiyahwar's first song is available today.
It was sung in a hut, with rain and thunder. Who heard this? - Question By -
Ramamoorthysrinath, ramamoorthysrinath@gmail.com
 No one heard it. It was the grace of Sriman Narayana that all the 4000 holy verses
were preached by Nammazhvar to Nathamunigal again and that is how we have them
today.

Question ID: 253 - Humble Pranams to Swami, In my family no one is sri vaisnavan
except me, if some death occured in my family say my grand mother, is that theetu
is also applicable for me, or i can normally follow my nithyaanusthanam, say like
thiruvaradhanam and chanting divya prabhandam, or i need to stop
thiruvaradhanam for 16 days.can i eat food in my home when death occured.if i had
eaten food what is the prayachitham for that.Kndly explain me what procedure
should be followed by me if any death occurs in my home. Adiyen, Prabhu Ramnuja
dasan. - Question By - prabhu, prabhu.37@gmail.com

Aasoucham (teettu) is inevitable unless the relationship has been severed by sastric
rituals. So you will have to observe teettu. But there is no need to eat there.

Question ID: 252 - *** Om Sri Kuresaya Nama *** Dear Swamy, When one is not a
born Vaishnavite (like adiyen), and drawn towards Perumal bhakthi, is it necessary
that he has to renounce his earlier deity and Acharyas? I read a book by a
Vaishnavite periyavar, who mentioned that after adorning the Thiru maN and Sri
Churnam, it is a sin if one adorns other symbol of any other devatha. After beloving
Sri Sambhu & nayanmaars for more than 10+ years, should I abandon them after I
have started bhakthi towards perumal & Azhwars.?? Moreover... are the words "
Hariyum Sivanum onnu, ariyaadhavar vaayil mannu" - just for the sake of general
use and not for practise? Adiyen can admit that only if we choose one deity, it will
be helpful for us to submit ourselves for Paripoorna Sharanaagathi. But still, is it
necessary that adiyen has to totally discard and move away from Eashwara bhakthi.
Swamigal Paadhangalil Samarpanam, Dasan Madhavan. - Question By - Madhavaraj
M, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com

1.The limited time at our disposal is not enough even to know and serve Sriman
Narayana. 2. Bhakti is absolute devotion and not a past time to try with many. 3. We
are here to develop satva guna by worshipping saatvika devata. 4. Sriman Narayana
can grant all our wishes including moksham (unlike others) These are the reasons why
we stay away from other devatas. Just list down the reasons as to why you want to
hold on to others and analyse them along with the above statements. You will not be
left with even a single reason.
 Question ID: 251 - Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha. Swami, Why is that our Swami
Ramanuja negates the word Maya in his bhashyam ? Isn't everything temporary in
this world ? Recently i went thru what they call as Sri Rama Gita which is a
conversation between Siva and Parvathi in Adhyathma Ramayanam wirtten by Veda
Vyasa. In this text Sri Raama is explaining to his brother Laskhmana that everything
is transitory in nature. And that one must contemplate on the self which is eternal
and formless. Please enlighten me on this text of Rama Gita. It sounds very advaitic.
Is it because in Tretha Yuga people had enough time and energy to contemplate on
the self ? - Question By - Bharadwaj G, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Your question has the answer. Anything that is transitory is not illusion. It keeps
changing and so bewildering but not a myth. This is precisely why Ramanuja wrote the
right meaning of the word maya as ascharyam instead of illusion. Everything in this
world is true but the only disadvantage is that they are ever changing except the atma
svaroopa. To comtemplate on self you need 1. knowledge 2. reflection 3. references 4.
source of knowledge 5. body 6. sensual organs 7. life and many more. If all these are
maya then the whole process of contemplation or comprehension is illusionary which
is a wasted exercise.

Question ID: 250 - AZHWAR ANDAL EMPERUMANAR JEEYAR THIRUVADIGALE

CHARANAM. APPAN THIRUVADIGALE CHARANAM.. adiyen have a small doubt.
Occassion has arisen to travel abroad. We are not able to perform NITHYAPADI
THIRUVARADHANAM(especially THALIGAI). DEVARIR please suggest us a way so that
we can perform our nithya kainkaryam without any obstacles. - Question By -
P.Ramaswamy, kidambiramu@yahoo.com

You can safely hand over your salagrama perumal to your close friend or relative who
is eligible and willing to perform aradhanam and taligai.

Question ID: 249 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
1)Is Bhakti yoga-ego=saranagati? 2)What is the result of those who does saranagati
without knowledge.In the sense, he also does bhakti(acharya kainkaryam etc) for
pass time,but because he is not phylosophically inclined he doesn't cultivate
knowledge.Does the time of moksham of this person and another person who does
bhakti yoga(sadhana)+cultivates knowledge matter? 3)Is Krishna conquered by
pure devotional service or saranagati? 4)You had said Bhakti yoga involves a lot of
rules and regulations,which therefore,appears impractical for this age.Recently my
father purchased a book named as agnirantham from azhgiasinger jeer swami.I had
seen that there are also so many rules and regulations over here too.Is it a fact that
the different activities of saranagati and bhakti yoga is the same ,but in saranagati
there is no way for false ego and krishna himself is the means and the end.Am i
right? 5)Ramanujacharya specifically stressed the people to perform saranagati
than bhakti yogam.But isn't it a fact that how much ever you tell a person to do
saranagati,unless and until he has some realization(like parikshit maharaj) he will
not do so? - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

1. Technically bhakti yoga - ego is not saranagati as both are different paths with
different rules. For a bhakti yogi bhakti is the means for moksham but for a saranagata
Bhagavan Himself is the means. However you can say that when a person who wanted
to practice bhakti yoga realizes his nature of absolute servitude and sheds his ego, he
would switch to saranagati. 2. One is not said to have performed saranagati if he has
not realized his true nature which is seshatvam and paratantryam. So knowledge is
imperative for saranagati. This is all the more important as saranagati is a state of
mind. 3. The word 'conquering Krshna' would be used by a bhakta and the word
'pleasing Krshna' would be used by a saranagata. Saranagata is a devout servant till
his last breath. 4. all the rules in bhakti yoga are obligatory to attain moksham but
they are voluntary for a saranagata. So it does not matter even if done short of
perfection. 5. Sri Ramanuja advised us to realize seshatvam and paratantryam and
perform saranagati. Only realized souls perform saranagati.

Question ID: 248 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
1)The current age is full of quarell,hypocrisy,impatience etc.Isn't Srivaishnavisim
difficult for the people to accept.There are so many rituals(karma) isn't?Therfore by
the gradual progres of spiritual advancement(beginning with sandhyavandanam
etc) it will take so many births for a person to clear away his sins and finally attain
moksham isnt? - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Srivaishnavism is the right medicine for today disturbed environment. The path of
surrender which has been so well practiced in this sampradayam makes moksham
accessible in the same birth when performed. The rituals prescribed by the sastras can
only keep us away from the evils of today's world. The more you spend time doing
them, the more you are dear to Bhagavan and the less you move with hypocrites.

Question ID: 247 - adiyen RAMANUJA dasan. adiyen's Pranams to Swami. In your
Kalakshepam's You have said that doing "Bhagavatha Apacharam" is a great sin. As
Varaha Bhagawan says, "Kalpa Kodi varusham aanalum Manika Maten". But to be
more frank, adiyen did a lot of Bhagavatha Apacharams. adiyen now realised it and
asking for Forgiveness to Emperumanaar and Namperumal. will JagathAAcharyan
and Namperumal forgive me ?? - Question By - Varadharajan
Renganathan, pascal45@gmail.com
 Bhaagavata aparacharam can be pardoned by that bhaagavata only and not by
Perumal. You will have to seek aparadha kshaamanam from him. It would be pardoned
once you repent for it.

Question ID: 246 - Srimathae Ramanujaya Namaha:

===================== Swamin, Please accept the danda samarpanam. I
have the following two doubts in the Vykyanam for Thiruppavai released by Puthur
Swamigal. 1) Almost in all the 'avatharigai' composed by Periavacchan pillai,
Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar and ThiruNarayanapurath Ayi, when referring
to the age of thayar says the following phrase "Oru Kol Kombilae Vaikkum
ParuvaM". Can you please explain this phrase. 2) When doing Vykyanam for the
word "Narayanane" in the first Pasuram composed by Thayar,Azhagiya Manavala
Perumal Nayanar says that "VyThalum Per Solli Vyathal Vendum; Kakathaiyum
Sisubalanaiyum pola" . Here Sisubalan reference is that his activities towards LoRd
KriShna. Is my understsanding correct? Also what "Kakam" [Crow] refers to?
Periavacchan pillai Thiruvadigalae saranam Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar
Thiruvadigalae saranam ThiruNarayanapurath Ayi Thiruvadigalae saranam. Adiyen
Ramanuja Dasan, Sutharsan - Question By - sutharsan, sutharsan_ss@yahoo.co.in

Bhagavan's age is confirmed by Vedas as 'yuvA kumara:'- ie one who is always in the
beginning of youth (youvanam)having crossed the age of koumara. Similarly piratti
age is 'yuvatishca kumAriNi' one who is in the beginning of youth having crossed the
age of koumara. This does not mean that they were of the same age but it means that
they were rightly matched in their age. Kodiyai kol kombile vaippadu means when a
creeper grows to an extent then it is ready to wind around a tree - similarly this pirarrti
the tender creeper has grown to an age when she is ready to wind around the wish
granting kalpaka tree - Perumal. This example talks about her tenderness, right age for
marriage and the fact that she is always wound around Perumal dependant on Him.
Irrespective of the purpose, the use of Bhagavan's holy names do good as in the case
of Sisupala who attained moksham by uttering His name to reprimand Krishna - ketpar
sevi sudu keezhmai vasavugale vayyum sisupalan tiruvadi tatpaal adainda tanmai
arivarai arindume - nammazhvar. This reference is taken to prove that sisupala had a
reason to be pardoned - uttering the holy name. However the episode of Kakasura is
not quoted by the author for uttering the holy names of Rama - It is taken to show that
kakasura had a reason to be pardoned - surrender. So, surrender for kakasura, and
uttering holy names for sisupala, were lame reasons which were magnified by Perumal
to pardon them.

Question ID: 245 - Pranams to thyself; there is a sequence in the worshipping in

temples that the worshipping sequence is first Aazhwaracharaaryas, Anantha
Garuda Vishwaksenadhis, Thaayaar and then the Emperumaan. Similarly is there
any such sequence in the daily chanting of sthothras that First Lakshmi Ashtothram
and then the Vishnu Saharanamam? . In temples first Vishnu Saharanamam is
recited and then the others including Lakshmi Ashtothram. I seek your clarifification
in this regard. - Dhasan - Question By - Adhijegannatha
Ramanujadasan, jegan@svce.ac.in

Yes. First is Sri Vishnu sahasranamam and then Lakshmi ashtottaram. The order of
nitya anusandhanam is as published in the book.

Question ID: 244 - my sincere namaskarams to you. my working hours are 6PM in
the evening to 03.30 in the early morning, Also i sleep during the day time. But I
still manage to pray the supreme everyday. Please advice will this lead to papam as
per sastras. Where can i get cd's/dvd's of your upanyasams ? Seeking the blessings
of Lord Srinivasa........... Vinodh L - Question By -
Vinodh, vinod53vinodh54@yahoo.co.in

It is not advisable to sleep during the day time and work during the night. However
considering your circumstances which is common to many, as soon as you return
around 4.30 have bath and complete your anushthanams (both Sandhyavandanam
madhyanhikam, and tiruaradhanam by 7.30 am and then go to sleep.

Question ID: 243 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, I have a doubt about the
kaivalyarthis. In vaishnavite Upanyasams generally I have heard that Sriman
Narayana has taken this 'Archavadhara' Especially in Srirangam taking a oath that
he will one day or the other take all the 'bathathmas' from this leela vibhoodhi to
kalanga peru nagaram 'Srivaikundam', till then he will be in the sayana thirukolam
in archay . For the 'mummoochoos' attaining vaikundam is sure. But for the
kaivayarthis who have attained the kaivalya moksham they dont have a sareeram,
birth,death,nothing other than only the atma just twinkling. As from your
discourses adiyen came to know that atma by himself cannot do anything . He just
has only gnanam. So how its possible for the kaivalyarthi's to attain 'kalanga
perunagaram' if the atma attains that gnanam or how srimanarayana will fullfill his
oath if some jeevathma's have attained this kaivalya moksham where nothing is
there except the atma. Will the atma realise that? pizhikal irrunthal porutharuga. -
Question By - Vidyalakshmi Ramanujam, vidyaonline007@gmail.com

Sri Ranganatha would certainly elevate all the baddha atmas from this mundane
world. Not the kaivalyarthis who have been blessed what they wanted and left this
leela vibhuti. Kaivalyarthi would not reach Sri Vaikuntham and bhagavat kainkaryam
(as per Sri Pillai Lokacharya).
 Question ID: 242 - Dandavath pranam, request Swami to clear adeyen doubt
regarding... can we recite 'THIRUVIRUTAM' PRAPANDAM IN THE HOUSE? Adeyen
Ramanuja dasan - Question By - SARANATHAN
RAMANUJAM, SARANATHAN1964@YAHOO.COM

Yes. You can recite. The stories related to it are only a myth.

Question ID: 240 - Respected Swamy!! Pranams!! in podhigai devareer mentioned

in the Gita programme in Podhigai that panchayudha stothram can be chanted but a
doubt here is that can ladies also chant that or only male people? Adiyen ramanuja
dhasan. - Question By - kalyanivenkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com

On any question regarding chanting sahasranama or related stotras kindly refer to

your acharyan.

Question ID: 239 - ***Om Sri Kuresaya Namaha*** Dear Swamy, I was worshipping
Lord Shiva so far, but now I'm pulled towards Perumal. I am wearing the Shri
Churnam everyday, commencing the day by daily worship at home & taking food
after offering it to Perumal , as advised by you earlier. When worshipping Shiva, I
started loving the Naalvar and 63 Naayanmaars more than Shiva himself. Now I'm
slowly getting to learn about Azhwars and Acharyas. (as I follow the belief that
Adiyar sevai is higher than Andavan sevai). Am I right in doing so? I came to know
through a couple of my friends that Lord Shiva was the first disciple of Sriman
Narayanan. Is it a general belief or is it mentioned anywhere in the scriptures?
Swamigal padhangalil samarpanam, Dasan Madhavaraj. - Question By -
Madhavaraj, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com

Yes adiyar seva is supreme to bhagavat seva. Since Krishna says vaishnavanam aham
sambhu: Siva is said to be an ardent vishnu devotee.

Question ID: 238 - ***Om Sri Kuresaya Namaha*** Dear Swamy, Adiyen had been
to ThiruKannapuram divya desam last saturday. To much of my astonish, the vaikasi
bramotsavam was cancelled this year. When we enquired the reason, it was told
that the sripadham thaangigal had asked for an enormous sum this year. Even
though that could be arranged, the local people told that the temple administration
was not in place and that is why they did not have the intention to collect the
money. But it is really paining to note that in a Divya Desam as holy as
ThiruKannapuram, such an event has occurred. Please let me know what I could do
in this aspect. Swaamigal paadhangalukku samarpanam, Dasan Madhavaraj. -
Question By - Madhavaraj Madanagopal, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com

Yes it is paining. I too tried my best but in vain. You can represent to The Commissioner
HR & CE board. There is a kainkarya sabha at Tirukkannapuram who are also trying
their best to solve this.

Question ID: 237 - Respected swami, Aneka kodi pranams. Would like to know the
exact reason as to why a lady should not enter kitchen and cook during the monthly
menstrual cycle. I strictly follow this and do not enter kitchen during these days,
though not knowing the reason. The purpose of this question is many people who
do not follow ask me for the reason (for which I cannot answer) and also they say it
is right to enter kitchen and cook. They feel there is no specific reason for this, for
which I don?t agree. I am sure there must be some valid reason. - Question By -
Gayathri Rajesh, rajgaya3amirthaa@yahoo.com

As I have been writing time and again, the first reason is since the sastras direct us to
do so. Dharma sastras are the supreme commands of Bhagavan Himself which we
cannot afford to disobey. We can concoct many more reasons for ladies directed to
abstain from household activities during their menstrual cycle. But we need not go into
all those. My suggestion would be - kindy distance yourself from those who want to
question the sastras. Will they dare a contempt of court? This is much much more
serious contempt of Divine order.

Question ID: 231 - Swamy, Pranams. I had a chance to listen to Sri Bhagavatham,
it was awesome to hear and i gained lots of knowledge by that. Basically 2
questions rose in my mind while i was hearing that. 1) In an instance you mentioned
that if we think something at the end of our life the next birth will be determined on
that only, example Adhi jada Bharathar's Birth as a Deer. You also Mentioned like
once a person does charanagadhi, this rule does not apply. I cannot understand this
part alone and could you please explain in detail on some of the charanagadha
thathuvam... 2) Is there any instance in the krishna avatharam or rama avadharam
the previous avadharams of Sriman Narayanan has been praised or worshiped? -
Question By - Kalyan Krishnan, kalyankrishnan84@gmail.com
 1. Bhakti and saranagati are two means (upaya / sadhana) to attain mukti. Bhakti is
accomplishment by our efforts. In saranagati, Bhagavan Himself is the upaya. We
accept Him as our upaya. Now coming to the concept of antima smriti - this is
remembering / meditating bhagavan during the last moments in the death bed in
order to reach His lotus feet. This is mandatory for a bhakti yogi but not for a
saranagata. In the case of saranagata the responsibility of remembering is on
Bhagavan . He remembers His saranagata and escorts the jiva to Srivaikuntham. This
is as per the 4th phrase of Sri Devaperumal to Sri Ramanuja ' antima smriti varjanam'
and varaha carama sloka. 2. Yes. Sri Ramayanam bala kandam refers to vamana
avatara when visvamitra narrates the story of vamana to Sri Rama at siddhasrama.

Question ID: 226 - SwamigaLin thiruvadigaLukku adiyEnudaiya theNdan

samarppiththa vigNYapanam. What is meant by braHmavidyA? How it differs from
our divya prabandha vyAgyAnangaL? xamikka prArththikkirEn - Question By -
E.Venkatesh, evenkat@bheltry.co.in

Brahma vidya - vidya is upasanam or bhakti. Brahma vidya is knowledge about

brahmam and its upasanam. There are many vidyas suggested in the upanishads
namely sad vidya, dahara vidya, bhouma vidya and many more. I do not understand
the second part of your question on divya prabandha vyakhyanangal.

Question ID: 225 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, The bhagavat Geeta discourses on
Podhigai TV dated 22 and 23 of May 2008 you were explaining about the Brahma's
age as thousand of sahasra yuga will complete one day of Brahma . While Brahma's
night comes all the three worlds Boohu, Buvaha and suvaha will be demolished .
Again will be created on the next day morning of Brahma. Adiyen's First doubt is
since while the four yuga cycle finishes and when the next cycle is starting will
there wont be any modifications in the worlds . The last stage of the sahasra yugas
is Kali in which the earth will be exploited to the maximum extent as we are seeing
now itself like there is ozone crack, pollution,Adharma's . Will there wont be any big
destruction at the end of every kali yuga. Secondly, As we are celebrating Srimat
Ramayanam, Mahabharata, Sri Bhagavatam,Bhagavat Gita, Azhwars, Acharyas, their
Srisookthis' like Nalayira Divya Prabandham, Stotra Ratnam, Kuruparamparai, 108
Divya desams, Sahasranamam,etc. whatever we have got in this sahasra yuga which
is presently running will be again repeated by Sriman Narayana in every sahasra
yugas or will they be dated to that particular sahasra Yugas and continued
celebrating these great treasures. In depth my doubt is will Ramanuja and
Nammazhwar will take birth for every sahasra yuga? - Question By - Vidyalakshmi
Ramnujam, vidyaonline007@gmail.com
 There would be a total change in the standing of dharma but no big destruction after
each caturyuga. To facilitate a smooth change over each yuga has a sandhi before the
yuga and after (purva and uttara sandhi) ie an intermediary transition period. They
may very well take birth in every catur yuga. At a macro level creation and absorption
follow the same pattern.

Question ID: 224 - Adiyaen's pranams to you. In the "Hare rama Hare rama, rama
rama hare hare....." mantra, is "Rama" indicating "Sankarshanan" or Lord
"Ramachandra". Please clarify. Srimathae Ramanujaya Namaha Sri vara vara
munaiyae namaha Hare krishna - Question By -
krishnakumar, krishnakumar.k@aol.in

As we do not have any text in vedas or itihasa puranas or purvacharya vyakhyanams

giving details of this mantra I cannot give a valid interpretation. It is so sweet to chant
this even with its simple and direct meaning of Rama and krishna.

Question ID: 223 - I pay my obeisances unto you. Could you please differentiate
'Brahman' ,' Paramathma' and 'Bhagavan'? I learnt that, only by realizing Bhagavan,
one can attain Moksha and not by understanding the 'Paramathma''/'Brahman'
feature of lord - i.e. the reason why Bhakthas are more closer to the God than Yogis,
who realize "Paramathma". I am waiting for your advice/opinion in this. Srimathae
Ramanujaya Namaha. Hare krishna. - Question By -
krishnakumar, krishnakumar.k@aol.in

All the three are different epithets of the same Sriman Narayana. Brahmam is that
which is big. Paramatma is the atman which has none equal or supreme to it.
Bhagavan is one who by nature has the 6 great qualities of gnana bala isvarya virya
sakti and tejas in abundance. All these are the attributes of the same Sriman
Narayana.

Question ID: 222 - Dear Swamiji - Thanks for your replies. My query is how can
"Chitta Vritti" be stopped /stunted. What procedures /rules are recommended as per
Sri Vaishnava siddantham towards this? humbly yours Dasan - Sriram - Question By
- Balaraman Sriram, srirambm@hotmail.com
 chitta vritti cannot be stopped. We have to only redirect them towards bhagavan and
His devotees and they would automatically get controlled.

Question ID: 234 - Dandavath Pranam. Adeyen request your goodself to explain
meaning of the 'UPDADESA RATNAMALAI' prapandam in that
'ATHIGARUM............NADU SONNAVARAI NALUM THODAR'. Adeyen Ramanuja dasan.
- Question By - SARANATHAN RAMANUJAM, SARANATHAN1964@YAHOO.COM

nastika, astika and astika nastika are three categories of people. Sri Manavala
Mamunigal advices us to analyse their characters and move away from the first and
the last and follow the middle. An astika nastika is one who apparently looks like an
astika but truely not so.

Question ID: 233 - I pay my obeisance to you for the excellent discourses that you
bring in every day. I am greatly immersed in your speeches. I have been following
the three stages of humans who strive to be either a , Aishwayathee, kaivalyathee
and Bhagawat-bhalarthi. Of the three you mention that the last one is supreme. Is it
possible for people like us living in this mundane world to attain be a Bhagwat-
bhalathri with our daily routine in the world? If so how? - Question By -
Raghavan, vijurags@gmail.com

We can certainly reach moksham even in the present circumstances. Kindly refer to
the answer to question no 62 for the practices to be followed.

Question ID: 232 - my sincere namaskarams to you. I am listening "kannin

aramudhu" in podhigai everyday. As you said To attain the lotus feet of the supreme
lord pure bhakthi is essential, that too a person should consider lord as "unnum
soru, parugu neer and thinnum vethilai". Will marriage become a hindrance for pure
bhakthi. Seeking the blessings from Sriman Narayana and you - Vinodh L
vinod53vinodh54@yahoo.co.in - Question By -
Vinodh, vinod53vinodh54@yahoo.co.in

Marriage would not be an obstacle to bhakti marga or mukti. Grhastha dharma is held
in high esteem by the dharma sastras. Kindly choose a spouse who has the inclination
to obey the sastras.
 Question ID: 230 - Pranams If organs can be donated from the person who is
declared"Brain dead" is the anthima samskaram permitted for that body without
those organs. Adiyen Radheeka Jegann - Question By - Radheeka
Jegann, radheeka@rpgstsl.in

It is not permitted.

Question ID: 229 - Respected Swami, Adiyen's humble pranams to you. I was
studying the 4th chapter of Bhagavat Geeta, where I came across the verse: "na
maam karmaani limpanti na may karma phale sprihaa iti maam yobhijaanaati
karmabhir na sa badhyate" I was going through "Sri Ramanuja Bhashya" on this
verse (translated in English). I could not comprehend the verse all that well. How
can a jeeva, who, just by knowing that Bhagawan is not bound by the karmas, be
liberated from the bond of karmas himself? Kindy clarify this for me. Thanks in
advance, Srinivasa Rajan Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Srinivasa
Rajan, srinivasarajan@gmail.com

Bhagavan's karma is creation, absorption and protection. There exists differences in

creation between atma to atma. There are four varnas in creation. All these do not
affect bhagavan. By realising this truth, one must conclude that all these differences
are due to my own karmas and I have been prescribed certain duties according to my
varna and asrama, the performance of which would destroy my karmas and release
me from samsara.

Question ID: 228 - Respected Swami, Adiyen's humble pranams to you. Can you
please elaborate on the 8 attributes gained by a mukta jeeva? Thanks in advance,
Srinivasa Rajan Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Srinivasa
Rajan, srinivasarajan@gmail.com

Apahatapaapma - untouched by karma vijara: - unaffected by old age vimrityu: -

beyond death visoka: - unaffected by sorrow vijighatsa: - unaffected by hunger
apipasa: - unaffected by thirst satya kama: - having auspicious attributes satya
sankalpa: - ability to accomplish all wishes.
 Question ID: 227 - Namaskarams. I want to know who is a Srivaishnavan? Is it by
birth? Is it by living ? Is it by doing rituals daily? A man who is leading a simplelife ,
doing only good things to others, only chanting namas of Vishnu, going only to
Perumal Temples,is he not a srivaishnavan? 2. By fate, the children of a
Srivaishnavan have gone on their own , married an d gone to other hindu families.
The srivaishnavan left them , came to other place and leads his own life as
srivaishnavan. Is he a srivaishnavan still? Can he say that he is a vaishnavan? -
Question By - shanmuganathan.r., smadhusha_85@yahoo.co.in

1. A Srivaishnava is by living. A Srivaishnava has to necessarily do his prescribed

rituals daily. Being good, chanting namams and going to temple are all attributes of a
Srivaishnava but they would be wasted without the daily rituals. 2. He is certainly a
srivaishnava.

Question ID: 215 - Adiyen,Pranamams to your divya padukai,by the divine love of
lord SrimanNarayana ,adiyen got attracted into the world of
Srivaishanavism.Through the years interest was developed.Adiyen is a Marathi-
Kshtriya and got the Panch-Samaskara even before marriage(though not existent in
our caste).Later i learnt ,that Samsrayanam for ladies need to be done only after
marriage( if she plans to marry).Have i made a mistake,but whatever has happened
,has happened due to adiyen's ignorance.!How do i correct it?.I expect my "would
be" also to be a vaishnavaite, is there a condition that he also needs to be initiated
under the same acharya as mine? - Question By -
Indumathi, indumathi.patalay@yahoo.com

Pancasamskaram must be undergone only once and that must be after marriage for a
female. It must be administered by the acharyan of the husband. So I pray that you
get a groom who is a sishya of your acharya.

Question ID: 213 - The supreme has various names. Sahasranamam finally
eulogises Rama Nama with the verse Sri Rama Rameti..., we call Sriman Narayana
as the supreme. Krsna Nama is also considered supremely auspcious. It is also
considered that nama sankiratan as the supreme bhakthi that can be performed. In
this regard a) what is most supreme name of the lord which can be used
predominantly in sankeertanam? b) Can singing of Alzwar Pasurams be considered
as Nama sankeertanam ? c) is Nappinai referred by Andal same as Sri Radha ? d) of
the different types of bhakti rasa (Maduryam, Vatsalyam, Sakhyam, Dasyam) which
is highest and should be exhibited towards which avatar of the lord- Rama, Krishna
or Sriman Narayana? Kindly clarify these doubts.. Humbly Yours, Dasan - Sriram -
Question By - Balaraman Sriram, srirambm@hotmail.com
 Narayana namam and tirumandiram. All those pasurams which contain namams can
be sung as nama sankirtanam. Nappinnai is not Radha. All the nine forms of bhakti are
equal.

Question ID: 212 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, 'Maranthum Puranthozha Mandhar'

according to this quote and with acharya anugraham Namperumal has kept adiyen
like this. But the same Namperumal got me married to a family where my mother-in-
law's grand father was one of the vanamamalai jeers. But still she goes for other
temples and tells that all are one . After marriage adiyen felt so bad why it has
happened like this for me? But somehow I adjusted and prayed Namperumal to
change her. Adiyen never thought of coming and run a neutral family. But due to
some circumstances in our house, adiyen and my husband were shifted to upstairs.
Still adiyen never give up to do the help what my inlaws wanted. On hearing to your
discourses , adiyen has a feeling that coming upstairs as a neutral family was
adiyen's mistake or done by the almighty. Now adiyen dont have any other photos
kept in our pooja room. Adiyen's doubt is , Whatever she cooks offers it to all the
Devathantharams also . So adiyen have told my mother-in-law adiyen cant eat the
food offered to devathantharams , so Iam is not eating the food downstairs. Adiyen
can feel the difference also, if I eat the food not offered to Namperumal. But adiyen
is doing my kaimkaryams to them. Is adiyen's path right or wrong? Pizhai irrunthal
mannikkavum. Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, Vidyalakshmi Ramanujam. - Question By -
Vidyalakshmi Ramanujam, vidyaonline007@gmail.com

You are on the right path. You must stick to Sriman Narayana alone and at the same
time must continue serving your inlaws. As far as they do not stop you from following
the right path, do not worry.

Question ID: 211 - Srimathae Ramanujaya Namaha, Swamin, Please accept

namaskarams. There is a doubt regarding Athma Gnanam. Our vedas instruct us to
see everybody as Narayanan's Sothu. It may be easy for Him, Sriyapathe to be equal
to all the jeevatmas. But its very hard to realise this. I have studied in some of the
Quotes that "Katrarindha Pandithan idathum Nayinin idathum Ore nokkadu parthida
vendum". But its very hard to realise this. Especially with the act the people
perform. Is it worth comparing these people and great Bhagavadas. Please throw
some light on this and SAMATHANAM for the same. - Question By -
sutharsan, sutharsan_ss@yahoo.co.in

Samadarsana is possible only if we practice to visualize atmans devoid of this body. In

its natural form every atman is equal in all the apects of gnana ananda, etc. It is this
body that discriminates .
 Question ID: 210 - Adiyen Ramanuja dasan, I reproduce below the answer given
by you for Question No.172 "There are references about gita in divya prabandham
1. seyan aniyan siriyan.... of tirumazhisai azhvar 2. arul kondadum adiyavar
inpura... of madhura kavi azhvar 3. ivar deiva terinil seppiya geetayin.. of
tiruvarangattu amudanar. are some of them." In Madhura Kavi Azhwar's "Arul
Kondadum..." pasuram, I believe you refer to the part 'Avvarumaraiyin Porul' which
the Azhwar refers to Bhagavat Gita. As far as I understood from Sri Periyavaachaan
Pillai's vyakhyanam (which I got from a website), 'Avvarumaraiyan' refers to
'Upanishad'. I may be wrong because I am not well versed with Manipravala nadai
used by Sri Periyavaachaan Pillai. I would request you to clarify this. I request
Swamy to kindly pardon me if I asked you anything wrong or high handing question.
Dasan Cheenu (a) M V Srinivasan - Question By - M V
SRINIVASAN, srinivasan.mvs@gmail.com

Kindly refer to Nanjiyar vyakhyanam on the same pasuram.

Question ID: 209 - Adiyen Ramanuja dasan, When I was hearing your discourse on
"Guru Paramparai" (CD), it came to my knowledge that Sri Vadi Kesari has
translated Bhagavat Geeta into Tamil in the form of 'Venba'. I would like to know
where this is available. I am really interested to read through this venba form of
Bhagavat Geeta. I believe I would relish in reading this parallelly with original
Sanskrit book. (I have a Geeta book with Sankrit verses - Tamil transliteration -
Tamil meaning - Tamil explanation) Dasan Cheenu (a) M V Srinivasan - Question By -
M V SRINIVASAN, srinivasan.mvs@gmail.com

It is published with meanings by Sri U Ve Puthur Krishnaswamy Iyengar swamy in his

gita vyakhyanam.

Question ID: 208 - Swami, Could you kindly clarify the difference between
Upanyasam and Kaalakshepam? Are they the same? Thanking you, Radha. -
Question By - Radha Sudarshan, radhasud@gmail.com

Upanyasam is wreathing many stories and concepts related to a particular subject (on
bhagavat vishayam) together and presenting it to the listener. Kalakshepam is giving
word by word definition and explanation based on the vyakhyanam of a purvacharya.
 Question ID: 207 - Swamigalukku adiyen thendam samarpitha vigynapanam. As
ramanuja sambandhis, we are taught by our acharyas to have faith in Sriman
Narayana alone. Exclusion of other devatas also means exclusion of the navagrahas.
Then, how come, vaishnavaite families consult horoscopes for all family affairs? Is it
not giving importance to the "griha devatas" when we arrange our affairs according
to horoscope? Secondly, all our sufferings (and enjoyments) are due to our papam
and punyam. We should strive to accept both as given by Perumal. Is it then allowed
in our sampradayam to do certain specific tasks to mitigate a difficulty? Sometimes,
our elders advise us to observe or do certain things do solve some problems of our
daily life, thiruvona vratham, etc. When we do these, are we going against the basic
principle of our sampradayam (not asking for anything)? I remain grateful to you for
clarifying my doubts. adiyen - Question By - Sriranjani
Ranganathan, sriranjani.ranganathan@gmail.com

Consulting horoscope would not amount to questioning the supremacy of Sriman

Narayana. These devatas have been nominated by the same Lord for this purpose. But
it is wrong to often consult about our horoscope to decide our daily life. We must
observe only those vratams like ekadasi vratas which are prescribed in the sastras. If
other vratams are in practice in a particular family then it should be observed without
expecting anything in return.

Question ID: 203 - Respected Sir, I am suffering from a great mindset problem.
Please help me.... I think i am the greatest sin committer in this world. I am
suffering from the problem " INFACTUATION" I don't know how to get rid of it. Lord
Narayana has proposed that One can reach him only if he has controlled all his
organ sensations. Please Sir, I am afraid.... I tried all possible solutions I Knew........
I have watched your Editions in Podhigai Television... and hence i am seeking only
as a refugee.... Please help me Sir..... - Question By -
K.V.Navaneethakrishnan, hayagriva_success@yahoo.com

Kindly chant Vishnu sahasranama and Sri Rama nama as many times as possible.

Question ID: 202 - Adiyen thenda samrpitha vinnappam, After death of normal
person, person reaches he reaches Naragam or Sorgam based on karma. Once he
will enjoy /suffered for his Punniyam/Papam in Sorgam/Naragam,.As already his
paapam and Punniyam are over in Naragam/Sorgam, he will not have any
papa,puniyam with him at the end of it. So what basis his rebirth happens. For that
matter, how we can relate our sufferings in current genma, with purva genma's
karma. As we already lost our papa,punyma at the end of one jenma in sorgam or
naragam. Adiyean Ramanuja dasan, - Question By -
Narayanan, arvind_svpr@yahoo.co.in
 Our karmas are of two categories - Sanchita and prarabdha. Sanchita karma are those
which have not started yielding the results of them. Prarabdha are those which have
started yielding results. We attain svarga or naraka consequent to the prarabdha
karma . So even if we spend them, again another portion of sanchita would start
yielding results due to which we are born again. Only when sanchita also gets
exhausted we reach srivaikuntham from where we do not return. This may take many
many births.

Question ID: 201 - Again Bhoopathy thanks for replying instantly to me. I born in
ordinary family not known many thing about vaishnavisam after seeing first first
your speech of thiruppavai on vijay TV then podhigal Kannanin aramudhu. Then i
started purchasing discourse CD like thiruppavai, vishnu sahashra namaha mahimai,
sundara kandam(DVD) it really helps what we are. My another doubt in thiruppavai
CD in that you told about 3 Secrets(20 word=65 letters). i have memorized that
when ever i get time by travelling or when ever i frustrated or not feeling confident.
i have keep chanting that shothram whether it can be said any time because (moola
mantra, sarana slogam, dhyum mantra) it has ohm. whether i want to know i can
say at any time?Explain me. - Question By - Bhoopathy, bhoopathy.s@gmail.com

First you have to get panca samskaram under an acharyan and only the your become
eligible to chant rahasya traya. I am sure you would have done this. Dvayam can be
chanted always but not to be heard by others. tirumantram during morning hours after
bath and during tiruvaradhanam. Caramaslokam is not a mantram. It can be chanted
in the morning and not necessary after that.

Question ID: 200 - Sri: Srimathe Ramanuajaya Nama: As we are hearing more
upanyasam and mixing with more srivaishnavities, we are able to know some our
sampradhaya vishayangal and follow some of them. We are not clear on our day-to-
day practices, which are to be followed inside our home (also to be followed in
outside) as it was totally different and removed. Adiyen here raising a general
question on treatment of pathu, ecchil, theettu, etc., which are now commonly
diluted in this modern world even within Brahmin (also srivaishnava) families. Hope
we have to give more importance to all these as we are doing bhagavat aradhanam
and some kainkaryams outside. Could you please answer how to handle these in
general and is there any reference in books, audios, etc. to follow these in our day-
to-day life. Kindly apologize me if i am anything wrong in my way of questioning on
all the aspects. adiyen sampath ramanuja dasan - Question By -
Sampath, samway_t@hotmail.com
 You will find the daily routine, acharam to be followed, teettu etc in the book ahnikam
published by many. You can also refer to the book published by your acharyan on the
daily routine.

Question ID: 197 - You have many time told about pancha maga yekiam. Could
you explain for me once again to follow that little karma. Which can be easily
followed - Question By - Bhoopathy, bhoopathy.s@gmail.com

Brhama yagyam, deva yagyam, pitru yagyam, manushya yagyam, bhoota yagyam
which is chanting vedas, performing homam, performing tarpanam, bhojanam to
atithis, and feeding the animals.

Question ID: 196 - Please accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
---------------------------------------------------------------- 1)I heard from a lecture that,just like
after a deep sleep a naughty child forgets everything what he was doing before and
becomes peaceful,fresh,similarly, the lord conducts pralaya so that again the
disobediant jivatmas become peaceful.eg change from kali yuga to kruta yoga. But
if this is so what about their karmic backlog.Is it that during pralaya the lord
destroys the pappa of all jivatmas(in case of kali to kruta yuga).Again if this is true
then what about the karma of jivatmas when age progresses from kruta to kali
yuga? 2)Is it that Kama jnana and jivatma svaroopa jnanam,perumal jnana always
remain's together with the jivatma?,and a jivatma falls down when the kama jnana
overtakes his swaroopa jnanam? 3)What to do when aatma develops a strong desire
for something(kama_ which he knows that it is difficult to accomplish? Please
forgive me for a long e-mail.Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply. -
Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Karma is not destroyed during change of yuga or pralaya. Incidentally, Pralayam does
not occur during every change in yuga including kali to kruta. A jiva's karma remains
with him till he is for ever released from this material world to reach Sri vaikuntham.
His karma and vasana travel along with him to every birth. These influence an atman's
indriya manas and buddhi and he gets dragged in this deluge. This has nothing to with
the yugas. We find good and bad jivas in every yuga. You can consider krita yuga as a
favourable weather for a match or a favourable tail wind for an aeroplane and likewise
kali as unfavourable. In any case it is the skill of the player or the engine of the plane
that has to perform.
 Question ID: 195 - Swami, aDiyen's humble pranams to you. The other day, one of
my friends was trying to elaborate the meaning of "purnamadah purnamidam"
mantra. He went on to say that the "completeness" (jeeva) arising out of
"completeness" (paramaatma) is also "complete". Though I was not convinced about
the fact that jeevatma is complete, I did not know how to refute this. Could you be
so kind as to explain how this veda mantra fits in the context of our Sri
Sampradayam? Thanks much, Srinivasa Rajan Ramanuja Dasan - Question By -
Srinivasa Rajan, srinivasarajan@gmail.com

All the terms "purna" in this mantra explains the completeness of the five forms of
Sriman Narayana. It does not talk about jiva. A jiva is also complete in its own way (in
8 attributes) when it attains the status of a mukta. Similarly a nitya jiva is also
complete always. A baddha is not complete as he suffers in samsara.

Question ID: 192 - namaskaram to swamigal. sir i stay in london but am ardent fan
of ur upanyasam. I have 75% of your CDs which we hear. especially Ramayanam
upanyasam we like it too much. sir is it wrong to study garuda puranam at home
and also do let me know sir whether divya prabandham should be learned only from
acharyan or guru. thank you so much - Question By - rasikalatha kasthuri
rangan, RASIKALATHA@yahoo.com

Nothing wrong in studying garuda puranam but with your limited time there are more
important scriptures to study. It is difficult to get an acharyan to teach divya
prabandham at London. Learning on your own is better than remaining idle. There are
some cds available which are published by scholars in India. You can keep them for
guidance.

Question ID: 191 - Respected Swamy!! your highness may please explain whether
there is credibility on the belief about KAN DRUSHTI or DRISHTI DOSHAM. Why it
arose to me is that though I firmly believe Lord Sri Krishna, still just casually I
shown my hand to a palmastrologer. Just for fun sake only. What she told was that I
have lot of KAN DRUSHTI and also said that whatever the field I enter finally at the
fag end itwill not give any fruit to me. What does it mean. Is itreally believable?
since, when we are firmly on the feet of powerful weapon Lord Krishna how this can
happen. The things that is happening around me forcing me to believe so. Whatever
the work I take or whatever the field that I select or what ever the service I wanted
to do without any favour, it does not come out successfully or in a haphhazard
manner resulting I get frustrated to proceed further. In fact I hate myself at that
situation . In fact I never thought bad of others normally and that too after listening
to your discourse. What is the solution. When I strongly and deeply have premai and
belief to Lord Krishna how can this happen. But in the case of getting any divine
matters adiyen's prayer both for me or for others are fulfilled but not what I select
to do so. What does it mean. Sometimes I get frustrated for this. Adiyen anxiously,
patiently awaiting your advice and opinion in this affair. - Question By - kalyani
venkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com

I have no faith on kan drusti. I have no knowledge about it so I cannot comment on it.
In your case which are the works that have failed? Is it official ? If so instead of
complicating it with kan drusti or bhagavat krupai kindly plan and execute it better
with the help of a management consultant. You have said that Bhagavan has helped
you in everything relating to Him. This is the best we can expect. Should He help in
you earning more profit or getting a promotion. Moreover, our love towards Him must
be unconditional. So kindly do not relate your premam and His reciprocation.

Question ID: 190 - ADIYEN THENNDAN SAMARPITHA VINNAPPAM. This may looks
chilly question, but till now i have not get satisfied answer from any one. Swamy I
want to know, our Srirenga sri (Renganathan) suffered alot during Muslim invasion.
Along with Srirengasri our aachyaras also suffered. Why he did not protect our
aacharyas and srivaishnavas from those attacks. I heard some stories related with
at times perumal protecting bakthas from these scenarios. Is it due to Kaliyugam or
all these things are his game. If we consider Aarchai is one of his 5 forms, why he is
not protecting bakthas from enimies like Rama or Krishan during their period, or is
there any limitations for Aarchai murthy. Is Aarchia murthy's power dependent on
the puja and krama followed in temples ?. Adiyen Ramanuja dasan. - Question By -
Narayanan, arvind_svpr@yahoo.co.in

Archa is in no way inferior to any other form. But Bhagavan has chosen with His free
will to remain controlled and dependent. There are instances when He has broken this
self imposed restriction to protect His bhaktas but that again is left to His free will. This
restriction is not a shortcoming to archa, as it is the same behaviour which saves us
from being punished for all our sins. If it were Rama or Krishna they would punish us
for all our sins. We cannot assume that we as bhaktas are free of sins to be protected
by archa form.

Question ID: 188 - Dandavath Pranam Swami. ennudaiya vinnapathil pizhai

erunthal poruthu arulavum. Bhagavan Narayana having Sangu and Sakaram. All the
alwars glorified the Sangu and sakkaram. Kothai Nachiyar glorified 'SANGU' in 10
pasurams. But almost all the vishnu temples there is separate sannadhi for 'Sakrath
alwar' Why not 'Sangalwar'? What is the reason? Adeyen Ramanujadasan - Question
By - SARANATHAN RAMANUJAM, SARANATHAN1964@YAHOO.COM
 In many pasurams azhvars have sung not only about sanku and chakram but also
about all 5 divine weapons. Sudarsana is the chief of all the 16 weapons of Sriman
Narayana and that is why he enjoys a separate sannidhi.

Question ID: 187 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)A Devotee said that
completely engaging in Bhakti Yoga is the ultimate surrender.Is it correct?if not
could you provide some verses wherein a distinction between Bhakti Yoga and the
doctrine of surrender is clearly illustrated. 2)He also said that "if you are completely
surrendered to the lord you will naturally think of him at the time of death",is this a
sign of sadhana bhakti or saranagati? Very humbly and patiently waiting for your
reply! - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Samhita vakyam "bhaktya paramaya vaapi prapatya va mahaaa mune" A jiva reaches
vaikuntham either through bhakti or through prapatti." Both are clearly different.
Bhakti is saadya upaya which is achieved through my efforts but prapatti is
siddhopaaya where Sriman Narayana Himself is the means. It is not mandatory for a
prapanna to meditate on the Lord in his death bed to reach vaikuntham. But being a
prapanna he would always be absorbed in His thoughts only.

Question ID: 186 - My kind request to you to clear my following doubts: Can ladies
do parayanamam of Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam or is there any restriction? Can
prayanamam of Sri vishnu sahasranamam be done regularly even in Prodasha
days ? Thanking you in advance. indira. - Question By - indira
sudarsan, thirusai666@yahoo.co.in

Opinion is divided on this. Kindly contact your acharya and follow his advice.

Question ID: 185 - Dear Swamiji Are there any specific instructions provided by
Sriman Narayana to devotees or all instructions given are thru mukya aavatars like
Sri Krishna. I am aware that Sri Rama ,the other mukya avatar made his life as an
example but never gave any instructions to devotees. dasan Sriram - Question By -
Sriram Balaraman, srirambm@hotmail.com
 All the vedas and vedanta are orders of Sriman Narayana only. Pancha ratra was
preached by Himself to five rishis in five nights. Sri Krishna further explained the
vedanta through gita.

Question ID: 184 - Adiyen has a question regarding religion. Are all the religions
other than Santana Dharma born in Kaliyuga ? Why does Sriman Naraayana create
so many religions ? Is it because the baddha jivatmas have different degrees of
papam and punyam ? Why is there so much confusion among humanity ? Is it
because of the pravaham of Kali ? Even amongst Sanatana Dharma we have
Saivam,Vaishnavam,Shaktism etc. Did the other yugas also have the same kind of
faiths and philosophies ? - Question By - Bharadwaj G, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Kindly refer to q 176. What is applicable to puranas is applicable to devatas also.

Question ID: 183 - Pranams swamy, I want to know can we eat the foot from
hotels,if not why?what remedial action i should take in case i happened to eat
outide due to unavoidable circumstances. pls explain. - Question By -
S.Raghvan, sraghavan2005@yahoo.com

Food at hotels contain many vegetables and ingredients that are prohibited by the
sastra. It is not offered to Bhagavan. It is not a part of a yagya (tiruvaradhanam) and
so it is literally consuming papam if we eat there. If you have ate and want to get out
of this practice once for all, you have have pancha gavyam and acharya sri pada
tirtham. But then on you should not continue this practice just because of the fact that
a Parikaram is available.

Question ID: 182 - Namaskarams. This question relates to Maha Bharatam. a) Is it

a chance occurrence that the Maha Bharatam, -- Has 18 Parvas, -- Kurushektra war
lasted for 18 days -- The number of Akshauhinis (battallions) were 18 (11 for
Kauravas and 7 for Pandavas) -- The Bhagavat Gita has 18 chapters b) While the
Great sage Veda Vyaasa provides an accurate composition of an Akshauhini ( 21,870
charioteers, 21,870 elephant riders, 65,610 Horse riders, 1,09,350 Foot soldiers
totalling 2,18,700 warriors - Here too each number's digits add up to 18!!) the date
of the war, has been left to a lot of speculation. Is there any un ambiguous pointer
to the date of Kurushektra war? Kindly ignore an earlier inadvertent submission of
the question that was incomplete and received a Question Id 180. Sincere Regards,
R. Srinath - Question By - Ramamoorthy Srinath, ramamoorthysrinath@gmail.com
 Except for knowing that 18 is a unique number which is found often in our
sampradayam I do not know much about other calculations.

Question ID: 181 - Respected Swami, Could you please explain the six words or
doubts of Shree Ramanuja Swami - just happened to read in one of the books that it
is very important to follow them Rgds, Gayathri Krishnan - Question By - Gayathri
Krishnan, gayathri.jwala@gmail.com

The six words of Kanchi Thevaperumal were 1. Ahameva param tatvam - I am the
supreme 2. Darsanam bheda eva ca - Dualism is the true philosophy 3. Upayeshu
prapatti syat - Prapatti is the best means to reach Me. 4. Antima smriti varjanam - It is
not compulsory that a prapanna must meditate on Me during the last breath. 5.
Dehavasane mukti syat - Prapanna reaches vaikuntham at the end of the current birth
in which he performed saranagati. 6. Purnacharya samasraya: - Seek Peria nambigal
as your acharya.

Question ID: 179 - Namaskarams. 1.To lead a peaceful ,serene and calm life,how
should a person live his life? Is there any prescription from scriptures? 2.In the
pathway of liberation,how can one know how much he has travelled and how much
more one has to travel? 3.Anybodys sorrow or happiness is based on his Karma but
is there any way the parents can cotribute to the happiness and peace of their
children? 4. Problems are eternal, no doubt, to get a solution from the spiritual
aspect how can one get help from God? Thank You Suresh - Question By -
SURESH, madhviganesh@satyam.net.in

1. Kindly refer to the answer to q 178 and a detailed answer to a question on habits to
be followed by a srivaishnava. 2. once you have surrendered to Sriman Narayana
(saranagati), moksham is confirmed then. You will have to live the rest of the life as
prescribed. There is no need to be concerned about the distance travelled or maturity
level reached. 3. Parents can contribute to the children by guiding them to lead a pious
srivaishnava life and be a saranagata. We should teach them the values and the long
term benefits of being a bhakta. 4. You have rightly understood that as long as we are
in this samsara problems would be keep coming. Strengthening our mind by
meditating on the divine qualiities of Brahmam and chanting His divine namas is a way
to bear the problems.
 Question ID: 193 - Devarirukku Namaskarangl I ask this question purely to clear
my long time diubts and do not mean to hurt anyone.To my knowledge Swamy
Ramanujar spread Vaishnavism in a very simple way, those who says the
ashtakshara mantrabecome a vaishnavite and this isapplicable to anyone .Then why
a person, because he is saivaite is not included in the tours you are arranging, and
things like that. Why some pravachanists talk ill of them also?According to Gita
even Siva, Brahma all are created by Him.Then why hurt them?A true vaishnavite
should not hurt other's feeling also. Isn't it?If we also become fanatic , what is the
difference between a true vaishnavite and others?I am not able to express more on
this. At the same time, a Saivaite or any other religion says that their religion only
shows the truth.Can't we live inthis society in harmony with out all these fights? To
my small intelligence, a question arise .should relions are needed at this critical
time? Is it not spirituality more important than religion? kindly clarify my doubts. -
Question By - Latha Vijayan, lathavij@gmail.com

We have not stopped anybody from joining our tour. We have never announced that
only vaishnavites should join. A vaishnavite should not hurt anyone and so he should
not hurt a saivite. The real issue is not all these. Vedanta says that one reaches
moksham by practicing bhakti on the absolute cause (karana) of this universe. It also
confirms that Sriman Narayana is the absoute cause and so meditate on Him. So
vaishnavites stick to Sriman Narayana as the supreme God as confirmed by vedanta.
Your poser that spirituality is more important than religion. I am not very clear on this.
What is spirituality ? Is it study of atman ? If so then meditating on atman is not going
to fetch moksham and so I would not like to be spiritual. Finding oneself as brahmam,
or meditating on a formless, attributeless brahmam would lead us no where. There has
to be one God on whom I should meditate and reach moksham. This is the simple
teaching of Sri Ramanuja. One should see all other beings as jivas only and give due
respect.

Question ID: 178 - Dear Swamy, I have been hearing to your lectures through CDs
obtained from Kinchitkaram Trust. I should say that I'm really blessed to fell that I
am drawn towards Perumal. There are a few incidents that happened in my life -
relating to the above. As I'm new to Vaishnava siddhantham, I shall be greatly
thankful to you if you can guide me in the following aspects: 1. The day to day steps
and habits to be followed, what are the books that I need to take up for initial study.
2. Any specific food habits to be followed - I am a non vegetarian, but I have
reduced the frequency of intake - as I find it difficult to totally stop it at one go. 3. I
had contacted a vaishnavite periyavar and he told me that I can start off with
selected verses from Naalayira Divya Prabandam and Thiruppavai. I have also
started reading Vishnu Sahasranamam, after hearing your lecture. Please let me
have your guidance. Anbudan, Maadhavaraj. - Question By - Madhavaraj
Madanagopal, sharanaagathi@yahoo.com
 1. Nitya tiruvaradhanam and nitya anusandhanam. 2. ahara niyamam - total
vegetarian satvik food only without onion or garlic - food intake only after offering to
Perumal. 3. Read tiruppallandu tiruppavai tirumaalai, gita and vishnu sahasranamam
initially. Kindly go through one question on the habits to be followed by vaishnavites to
which I have given an exhaustive reply.

Question ID: 177 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan has a dount relating to acharyas. Why
none of our acharyas have done a commentary on Srimad Bhagavatham ? Secondly
can a person who has undergone Samashrayanam chant "Hare rama Hare krishna"
mahamantra ? Or should that person only chant Om Namo Narayana ? - Question By
- G.Bharadwaj , bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Our purvacharyas have not commented on Srimad Bhagavatam. But later one Sri
Veeraragahavacharya has extensively commented on this based on visistadvaita
philosophy. A person who has undergone samasrayanam should chant dvayam always
and tirumantram and caramaslokam occassionally.

Question ID: 176 - Adiyen Ramanuja dasan has a doubt in puranas. Why did Sri
Veda Vyasa write 18 puranas ? In each purana a diety is shown as supreme. Why
didn't he show directly that Bhagavan Krishna that is Sriman Naraayana is the
supreme being. Why so many puranas ? - Question By - G.Bharadwaj
, bharadwaj_g@hotmail.com

Brahma himself propunded the 18 puranas - 6 satvika puranas when he was

overwhelmed with satva guna and similarly 6 rajasa puranas and 6 tamasa puranas.
He also guides us to eventually follow the satvika puranas. If only satvika puranas
were available, then the people who are rajasas and tamasas would go astray as
atheists. To cater to them, he preached all the three types so that they would slowly
mature to follow Sri Maha Vishnu.

Question ID: 175 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 1)Prapatti assists devotional path
and on its own also.Isn't it a fact that a devotee in the former category who
surrenders to krishna to clear his sins which acts as a barrier to engage in
devotional service unto him birth after birth more dear than the latter case.In the
latter case,he wants the lord to act as his upayam to reach his abode,that means he
is asking some benediction for him isn't?Isn't Hanuman more dear to Ram because
he did refuse vaikuntha,but wanted to serve him in the material world itself? 2)Have
Alzhwars,acharyas expounded Bhakti Yoga Sastras in detail also for persons
interested,or have they restricted themselves to the doctrine of Saranagati? Very
humbly and patiently waiting for your reply. - Question By -
kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Bhakti is the upayam to attain moksham for a bhakti yogi. He performs it for a
reciprocation ie moksham. Since bhakti yoga is a sadhya upaya - that which is
achieved by our effort - it is stained with svatantryam which is totally against the
nature of jiva which is seshatvama and paratantryam. A saranagata on the other hand
accepts Bhagavan as the upayam for attaining moksham. Isvara is the siddha upaya
for him - that which is not achieved by his efforts. A saranagata very much practices
bhakti - not as a upaya but as a kainkaryam. If you are referring to this category then
he is the best and the dearest to Bhagavan. He performs svayam prayojana bhakti.
Azhvars have not expounded bhakti sastras as a upayam. They have only stood by
saranagati. However they explain a lot about svayam prayojana bhakti.

Question ID: 174 - adiyEn, swAmi. I have a couple of scenarios: (1) Suppose a lady
who is very much interested to get her samashrayanam done but does not get
married due to inevitable circumstances (2) Suppose a lady who is very much
interested to get her samashrayanam done but has got married to a person who is
not aware of / interested in the same. In these 2 scenarios, is the concerned lady
eligible to seek Acharyan's Thiruvadi sambandham in our sampradayam? If yes,
when and how? Kindly enlighten adiyEn with your answers, swAmin. Kindly forgive
adiyEn in case I've sounded impudent. Pallaandu to devareer's thiruvadigal. -
Question By - Sudha R, sudha.rams@gmail.com

Certainly she is eligible to get samasrayanam. Anybody who has not married and
decided not to marry can get samasrayanam. Anybody who is married but husband
does want to get samasrayanam, can also get samasrayanam (as a last
resort)individually. However your acharyan is the best judge here.

Question ID: 173 - respected swami, in ramayan, lord rama went to forest for 14
years.i want to know why keikeyi sent him for 14 tears and not 5 or 10 years. what
is the reason for numerical 14 years. requesting your blessings, aishwarya ramanuja
dasi - Question By - aishwarya ramanuja dasi, aish_july2@yahoo.co.in

No legal claim was possible above 12 years in those years. I think it is true with Indian
law even today. Another angle is, the longer the period people would forget certainly.
 Question ID: 172 - ADIYEN THENNDAN SAMARPITHA VINNAPPAM. IS THERE ANY
EXPRESS REFERENCE TO BAGAVAD GITA IN NALAYIRA DIVYA PRABANDAM. IF SO
PLEASE INFORM THE PASURAM WITH MEANING. - Question By - V SRINIVASA
RANGAN, srinivasan_rangan2001@yahoomail.com

There are references about gita in divya prabandham 1. seyan aniyan siriyan.... of
tirumazhisai azhvar 2. arul kondadum adiyavar inpura... of madhura kavi azhvar 3. ivar
deiva terinil seppiya geetayin.. of tiruvarangattu amudanar. are some of them.

Question ID: 170 - Please accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
------------------------------------------------------------------ Recently i had been with my
parents to sri ahobilam madam for my parents initiation ceremony.I heard the jeer
swami saying that only ramanuja sampradaya is saranagati,others are bhakti yoga,i
also heard your cd on 6 questions answered by devararaja perumal to
ramanujacharya,you had also said the same.Is there a sarnagati MUTT and a Bhakti
yoga MUTT?Does krishna's acceptance of our saranagati depends on the MUTT we
are initiated into? Very Humbly and Patiently waiting for you reply! - Question By -
kishan, kishantns@sify.com

There is nothing called Bhakti mutt or saranagati mutt. I do not know why you got
such an opinion. Bhakti is one way moksham and saranagati is another way moksham.
Sri vaishnava sampradayam nurtured by azhvars and acharyas advocates saranagati
as that is the apt and possible path under the present circumstances. All the
mathadhipatis of this sampradaya preach the same.

Question ID: 169 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan. Generally we celebrate

Thirunakshathrams of Azhwars / Acharyas / Perumal during their Natchathram. But
why do we celebrate Sri Ramar's and Sri Krishna's (Sri Rama Navami and Sri
Jayanthi respectively) during their Thithis (Navami and Ashtami respectively) rather
than their natchathrams? - Question By - Kannan
Govindan, kannan.govindan@gmail.com

We celebrate Sri Rama and Sri Krishna jayanti also on nakshatrams only. It is
punarvasu and rohini. Navami and ashtami are only added features.
 Question ID: 168 - SwamigaLin thiruvadigaLukku adiyEnudaiya theNdan
samarppiththa vigNYapanam. Any atman will have to undergo five stages as
mentioned in the panchAgni vidya before being born. How to relate this
SAstrArththA with the birth of any organism by test tubes-where the union of male
& female cells takes place in a test tube or cloning-where a single male/female cell
is artificially stimulated to life without union of the two. This sometimes reminds me
of DrOnAcAryA who is born in a drOna. Our mudalAzhwRs (but they are avathAra
purushAs) are also ayOnijars. How can these be understood through our SAstrAs /
vaidiga SampradAyam? - Question By - E.Venkatesh, evenkat@bheltry.co.in

Instead of matru garbha it would be a flower or a test tube. Instead of physical union it
would be a clinical union. However nothing is replicated or cloned without the
sambandham of retas or a purusha / stree.

Question ID: 167 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, Anantha kodi Dandan for u. Swamin,
Thank u for ur mercy upon me by giving ur answer to my questions without
considering my triviality & imprudent. I want some clarification in Mumukshupadi
grandham, that there is a sutra that (Samsarikalukku Ishtam Soru, thanneer
Anishtam : Sathru peetadhigal. Mumukshukkallukku Ishtam moksham Anishtam
Samsaram. Nithya muktharkalukku Ishtam kainkarya Vruddhi, Anishtham:
Kainkarya Haani). Here, we can easily come to conclusion that Nithya mukthas are
under the threat of kainkarya hani even in Sri Vaikuntham. My humble question is
that 1) in Vaikuntham everybody has the power of sathya sangalpathvam, sathya
kamathvam. But why they fear about kainkarya hani? 2) If it is true that they are
really under the clutch of kainkarya hani, why it is commonly said that Anthamil
perinbathor naadu. 3) If they get kainkarya hani, then we can easily presume that
there are some obstacles to everybody. But our poorvacharyas have strongly
confirmed that there is no distress or obstacles. It is only the place for obstacle-free
kainkaryam & bagavath anubavam. Kshamikka prarthikkiren. - Question By -
M.GOPALAKRISHNAN, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

There is no kainkarya hani at Srivaikuntham. The fear is born out of the reverence and
longing for kainkaryam. Piratti says "irayum agalagillen.." inspite of the fact that she is
never going to separate from His divine chest. If the object which they are enjoying is
so valuable, it is common to have an unexplainable fear that they should never be
separated from it. Srivaikuntham is no exception to Bhakti and the resultant confusion
(kalakkam). Confusion born out of agnana is condemned but confusion born out of
matured gnana is lauded.

Question ID: 166 - swami..please accept my koti koti pranams to your lotus feet as
a srivaishnava,sharanagatha, can we perform satyanarayana pooja?since we always
say..."piratti munnitt... " for everything,and that , there is no piratti for satya
narayana,does our sampradayam accepts this pooja? - Question By -
godhalakshmi, godhags_1@hotmail.com

Satya narayana puja (as it is popularly known) is not in practice in Sri Vaishnava
sampradaya. However we have Satya narayana perumal koil and satyan at
tirumeeyam whom we worship.

Question ID: 165 - Namaskarams. Pleassse enlilghten me as to who is Acharyan

and what are his importances. Iam smartha and i am interested to have knowledge
about this. Also about Swami Nammalwars reply to shriMadhurakavi
Seththadhuvayithil siriyadhupirandhal eththaithinru engess Kidakkum ? - Question
By - s.mohan, mohanaharitha@gmail.com

Acharya is the one who 1. has mastered all the sastras and esoteric meanings for
himself 2. preaches it to others and makes them follow the same. Sriman Narayana
grants moksham based on the recommendation of an Acarya - who is Sri Ramanuja.
WE get related to Sri Ramanuja through the 74 simhasanadhitpatis whom he
established. Panca samskara is the procedure which an acharya administers on a
sishya to make him eligible for Ramanuja sambandham and eventually moksham You
can find the answer to to madhurakavi azhvars questions in the archives.

Question ID: 164 - swami dasan srimathae ramanujaya namha swami what are the
slokas or prapandams which can be recited by everyone with out any descripition
like bhramna,vaishya and etc adiyen ramanuja dasan - Question By -
RAMAN, potingras@gmail.com

4000 divya prabandham and purvachara stotrams can be recited without any
discrimination.

Question ID: 163 - Swamin!! Adiyen has a longing desirie to listen to the
vyakyanam of One of the very great Alwars Sri Thirumazhisai Alwars' divine
presentation "THIRUCHANDHA VIRUTHTHAM" from Swamy's divine coral mouth. The
chandham in all the pasurams are very inspiring but some of those when we read
could not understand deeply. That is why on behalf of the adiyaar goshti, adiyen's
humble appeal to your highness to present upanyasams to adiyars on the captioned
subject after your busy schedules. Adiyen dhasan to your lotus feet!! - Question By -
samandhagamani, samandaga@hotmail.com

I too wait for this opportunity.

Question ID: 162 - Respected Swamy!! firstof all I am very sorry for making
inconvenience to your highness by sending a cumbersome question. Adiyen
resubmit to your lotus feet with an appeal for kshama from your highness.Many
things are understood to some extent ( that too only after listening to your very
great upanyasams ) but still a splash of thought of quest a follows:( which might be
silly also and if so again beg your pardon) As a general rule Lord Srimannarayana is
the sole authority to hold Panchayudhas viz. counch, chakkar, discuss ,Sarnga,etc.
But in all the temples the vishnu dhuthas jeya and viyaya appear on bothsides with
some of the sacred equpments. Why this is so? Are they Nithyasoori category or a
jeevathma and if so whey they are given such a preference and why not for alwars
who are beloved to God always.? Perhaps this might not be a competent question to
ask pl pardon me. Secondly this is a pracitical experience which any baktha could
have had. Suppose a baktha(i)could not get a darshan due to any circumstances
getting angry for god since that baktha does not need any materialbeings but only
god, his paripoorna krupa kadaksham premam etc. Is it agreeable to get annoyed
over God? In some of the history of Divyadesa it is told that one Alwar went for
darshan in Thinnanoore Bakthavathsala God but got refusal.He got angry but went
to thirukkanna mangai where he offered mangalasasana for the same
Bakthavathsala god.This reference is not to gain any competency to ask this
question since adiyongal are far far away to stand before Alwars.Just a mention for
knowing that whether we can have that type of tendency over God.Knowing well
that baktha has no right over that. But if it comes from the thiruppavalam of Swamy
we can follow in a right path.Pl......ease clarify this doubt. Adiyen ramanuja dhasan.
- Question By - samandgagamani, samandaga@hotmail.com

All the nitya suris have the same ayudhas and abharanas as Sriman Narayana. Jaya
and Vijaya are the dvara palakas in Vishnu loka and they too possess the same
ayudhas. In fact all of us would also get the right to possess them when we become
muktas. The deities of azhvars whom we worship in the temples are archa forms of
their vibhava tirumeni and so they do not hold sankha and chakra. Amongst many
merits of moksha one is saroopyam in which we are blessed with the same form as
Sriman Narayana. A bhakta has the right to get annoyed with his Perumal. But he is
consoled quickly by his Lord. Individual experiences have to be accepted as they are
and are never to be questioned.

Question ID: 161 - What is the mangalasasana of thirunindravur? Who is the

father of ramanuja? - Question By -
Madhusudhanan, madhusudhananuppili@yahoo.com
 "Ninravoor nittila tottu ...." by Tirumangai azhvar. Asoori Satakratur Kesava Somayaji
Swamy was the father of Sri Ramanuja.

Question ID: 157 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it a fact that any one who
performs japa (in his mala) or in mind a sign of bhakti yoga. ,or does it depend on
with what consciousness we chant the names of the lord. Is Dhruva Maharaj a
bhakti yogi or a saranagatar? 2)in ramanuja sampradaya the ultimate doctrine is
saranagati,is it true that anyone(a beginner)initiated into any sampradaya first
performs bhakti yoga and only then after many births of realization the begins
saranagati,because in your previous mail you had mentioned saranagati is a state of
mind which is difficult to achieve. 3)How could we understand whether a
vaishnava(acharya) is a bhakti yogi or a saranagatar. Are there different degrees of
sarnagati,if so kindly explain. VERY Humbly and patiently awaiting your reply. -
Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Japam is not only a part of bhakti yoga but a saranagata also performs it. The
difference is whether it is a means to moksham or a self satisfying service. The
moment I realize that I am an absolute servant of Sriman Narayana and shed the last
bit of independent will (svaatantryam) I am eligible for saranagati. When I recognize
that I am His belonging, then I realize that protecting me or elevating me is no more
my responsibility, which is the state of a saranagata. A State of mind that is difficult to
achieve does not mean it would be a delayed achievement. It can happen any day.
Bhakti yogi is one who clings to his own efforts in attaining moksham. On the contrary
a saranagata leaves it to Bhagavan.

Question ID: 156 - Pranams to Swami. I read in Cho's Hindumahasamudram that

Sri Ramanujar gave 82 instructions/advices to his disciples at the time of his
vaikuntaprapthi. The article gave only a sample of them. I request you to please
give this in your article in the site. Perhaps you can give us an upanyasam on this
topic. Pranams again adiyen ramanuja dasan - Question By -
venkatesan, venkatesan.sfl@gmail.com

I am aware of only the 6 directions (which everyone is aware of)which he gave to his
disciples. Kindly contact your acharyan for the others.
 Question ID: 155 - Swamikku aneka thendam samarpitta vigynapanam. I am
unable to understand why we should plead for Moksham in our siddantam? Can we
not just plead that He keep us engaged in His service, His thoughts and so on? Is
there a difference between these two kinds of prayers? Even going to temples,
delighting in his worship cannot happen unless He wills it. Is it not a great blessing
to just be engaged in His service and not have our minds turn to more trivial worldly
things? The reason for my question is - it is very difficult (for my mandha buddhi) to
comprehend what moksham means but the joy of a darshan at Srirangam or
Oppiliappan koil is easy for our limited minds to understand. Edhenum aparadham
irundal kshamikka venum. adiyen - Question By - Sriranjani
Ranganathan, sriranjani.ranganathan@gmail.com

There is a large difference between the two. This is a mundane material world where
one is haunted by many evils such as senses, ego, material body, karma, birth and
death, pain and pleasure. One cannot be in absolute service in this world. Almost none
- right from the rishis to azhvars and our acharyas have felt confident of eternal
service in this world. At best we can serve for a few years expecting to leave this for
ever i.e. the period between the day of acharya samasrayanam and the last breath. If
we cannot comprehend moksham as it is abstract, then we cannot comprehend
Paramatma too. Comprehension is not through our finite senses alone, but through the
preachings of Vedas, the only eternal source of knowledge.

Question ID: 154 - swami..please accept my koti koti pranams to your lotus feet..
we are really blessed for having you as our spiritual leader...margadarshi... who has
substituted srimad Ramanuja himself.!!! in one of your discourses at satyanarayana
temple, you have said "satyanarayana swamy thiruvadigalakk vanangi... so on"
according to my mother she says there is no satya or asathya narayana... there is
only one .. he is sriman narayana.. so she avoids going to sathyanarayana poojas..
she wants to know whether she is right or wrong.. is it prescribed in our
vedas/shastras? even i am confused.. please take time to clear out doubts... we are
sharanagathas.... adiyen ramanuja dasi.. godhalakshmi.. 9341926643 bangalore -
Question By - godhalakshmi, godhags_1@hotmail.com

Satya narayana whom I mentioned is the Perumal of Tirumeyyam. Azhvar sings as

'meyyaan' Here satyam means nityam and nirvikaram. So question of satyam and
asatyam does not arise. This satya narayana is not the one on whom satya narayana
puja is popularly performed.

Question ID: 152 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan. Adiyens pranams for you. Swamin, My
small and basic doubt. Pls claify. If I ask silly, pls pardon me. In our Guruparamparai,
Vishwaksena is treated as one of Guru. If we see all acharyas they have done
panchasamskara from their gurus. Even nathamuni has done panchasamskara from
nammazhwar. 1) But Where we have evidence from our guruparampara that
nammazhwar has done panchasamskara from vishvaksena. 2) Whether Vishvaksena
has done panchasamskara from thayaar or not. 3) If it is yes means, Normally has
lady got right to do panchasamskara to his sishyas? Kshamikka prarthikkiren. -
Question By - M.GOPALAKRISHNAN, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

Bhagavan is the direct acharya for all azhvars. Nammazhvar is the amsa of
Vishvaksena. By the unconditional grace of Sriman Narayana when everything about
brahmam became known to azhvar, all the samskaras are also implied to be done by
the respective nominees. Vishvaksena is a nitya suri and so his panca samskrara was
not administered on a particular day. It is ever done for him. So the second question
does not arise.

Question ID: 150 - Swamikku adiyen aneka thedam samarpitha vignyapanam. I

have a few questions (not all related ) but I will ask them together because I am not
sure how to categorize them. 1. There have been several unfortunate instances in
our life which I believe have happened because Perumal wanted us to realize that
we are not doers and all things happen in accordance with a divine plan.
Fortunately, we have had Panca samskaram through our acharyan and I feel we
have found the path. But there is still a lot of restlessness in me and I want to find
peace . Can Swami suggest some methods to follow? Following samasrayanam, I
have taken up the chanting of dvayam. 2. In a household, where the male members
are not available to do Thiruvaradanam, is there a way for women to submit thaligai
to perumal without the aradhanam? Specifically, can they offer to saligramam
without touching the perumal, if the food is prepared in a pure manner? 3. What is
the story behind specific nakshatrams to Ranganathar (why Revathi) and
Mahalakshmi (Panguni Uthiram)? As they are anadi, how come we are ascribing a
certain nakshatram to them? I can understand nakshatrams for vibava avatarams
but the above is not clear. 4. What is the way to train children in our sampradayam
in today's world when they are exposed to so many different things outside of
home? adiyen, Sriranjani - Question By - Sriranjani
Ranganathan, sriranjani.ranganathan@gmail.com

You are on the right track. Kindly perform your nitya karma anushthanas regularly and
chant dvayam as many times as possible. Read or listen to the stories of avatarams.
Think for a while whether you were born for these miseries or for eternal bliss and
shirk your itching botherations. Take up some service to a temple / acharyan or to the
society for the needy and involve yourself. Do not allow spare or rest time, when your
emotions or mis happenings can overtake you. When the male members are away, the
female in the family can open the koil azhvar, offer flowers, and food by chating, all
the relevant azhvar pasurams and acharya stotrams. No tirumanjanam or other
offering that requires touching the saligrama murti. The nakshatram celebration in
practice in almost all divyadesams. This would be the day on which the deity first gave
 darshan to a devotee (in most cases a rishi) or the date on which the Lord took to deity
form.

Question ID: 149 - srimathe ramanujaya namha swami dasan i am not a brahmin
some say i should read any slokas or any thing but i used to read and tell slokas of
vishniu sahasranamam can icontinue it or stop, adiyen ramanuja dasan - Question
By - kannan, talktown12@yahoo.com

Kindly refer to your samasrayana acharyan and act according to his directive.

Question ID: 148 - Please accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
---------------------------------------------------------------- Saranagati is a mental thought
between us and paramatma.Does formal saranagati depend on the sampradaya we
are intitiated into?,only in sri sampradaya but not in others. Vey humbly and
patiently awaiting your reply! - Question By - kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Saranagati is a doctrine suggested in Vedanta. It is common to all. It is a state of mind

which is difficult to achieve. Sri sampradaya is a misnomer. None of our acharyas have
used this nomenclature. It should be addressed as vaidika sampradaya.

Question ID: 147 - Srimathe Ramunujaya Namaha .Adiyan . Pl. enlighten whether
Sri Ramunuja has visited Badrihashram and also Sri Krishna's birth places like
Mathura,Gokulam,Dwaraka and others there semms to be no mention
anywhere.Where to look for ? - Question By - N S
RAJAGOPALAN, needraja@hotmail.com

Sri Ramanuja did visit all the holy shrines which you have mentioned. It is quoted in
the sloka "srirangam karisailam anjanagirim...saligrama girim nishevya ramate
ramanujoyam muni:" and descriptively given in 6000 padi guruparampara and
ramanujarya divya caritai.
 Question ID: 145 - Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, Ananthamana dandan for you.
Swamin I use to hear lectures only about our Thennacharya Sri Vaishnava
Sampradaya Vishayam. Krishna premi swami even though he is not our
sampradayam, I listen to him only the lecture of our sampradayam. He will talk with
full evidence as he is mahavidwan. In one of his lectures, he said that Nilathingal
thundan which is in Ekambareswara temple and Kallapiran in Kamakshi temple are
not divyadesams. They are treated like parivara devadas by dikshidaas of those
temples. He has given lot of evidence to prove this fact. He ascertained that one
nilathingal thundathan is in the backside of the Ashtapujathan. Another one is
nearby kanchi devaperumal varaha sannidhi. He requested not to treat as
divyadesams, presently we are thinking as divyadesams. He put his authenticate
wish that we have to raise new temples for those divyadesams if we do not consider
his two evidences for those two temples. I request u to clarify in this regard.
M.Gopalakrishnan - Question By - M. GOPALAKRISHNAN, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

I have no idea on this. Kindly refer to the acharya purushas of kanchi.

Question ID: 144 - swamiyin thiruvadikku en namaskaram.i want to get a

clarifications for the following questions 1.did acharyan alawandar compose
storaratnma and chatusloki on sree renganatha and renganayaki thayar or upon
devaperumal and perundevi rhayar? 2.adiyen is a lecturer in management studies.i
want to be best at it .may i know which slokas can i continue to chant so much so
that i can emerge as the top-notch lecturer in my profession? question may sound
silly, but unless one has the benediction of periya perumal and renganayaki thayar
,one's talent just remAIN just that , a mirage.so please let me know the slokas that
will help me aquire the expertise i need to shine through in my career? - Question
By - n.r.aravamudhan, mukundsalem@yahoo.co.in

Alavandars stotra ratnam was towards Sriman Narayana and not to any particular
divya desam. I am sorry that I am unable to suggest you any slokams. There is no
room in srivaishnavism to recite slokas for material pleasure.

Question ID: 143 - Pranams 1. In the thathvathraya concept of Chith, Achith &
Easwara - will the Athman be in Achith vasthu also? If Athman exists in Achith
vasthu, how can we call a vasthu with Gnanamaya Athman as Achith? If not
when/how the Achith becomes Chith due to existence of Athman during the
Athman's travel in various births? 2. Five forms - Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Sky.
Are they in the Jeevathma Goshti / Achith Goshti? Sometime they are referred to as
Bhooma Devi, Parjanya Devada, Agni Deva, Vayu Deva, as Jeevathma Goshti,
othertimes they are referred to as Achith goshti. Are both these statments correct?
This concept is not understandable. 3. Can you please oblidge to render
Upanyasa/Spiritual discourses on the following grandhas a) Yathiraja Vimshathi b)
Varavaramuni Prabaththi Adiyen Radheeka Jegann - Question By - Radheeka
Jegann, radheeka@rpgstsl.in
 Cit may be found inside every acit. For example our body is ruled by an atman. Body is
acit and atman is cit. All the acit would ever remain as acit only and can never become
cit. cit dwells in acit but does not become one with it and so it cannot be termed as
acit. Panca bhutas are all acit only. There are devatas who control them and they are
all cits.

Question ID: 142 - Srimathe Ramanujaya namah. Madurakavi alwar thiruvadigale

charanam. Dandavath pranam Swami. Is there any anustanam and austerity one
should observe during alwars and acharyas appearance and disappearance days.?
Kindly explain me. Adeyen Ramanuja dasan - Question By - saranathan
R, SARANATHAN1964@YAHOO.COM

We have to recite their prabandhams , taniyans and vazhi tirunamams

Question ID: 141 - Adiyen is studying B.E. Adiyen has doubt regarding what
"Athma Gnanam" is and also wants to know if bakthi alone can give athma gnanam ?
Also, adiyen learnt from swami`s upanyasam that there are certain people who do
not come back to bhoolokam and also do not reach paramapadam and they are
lonely in someplace. Adiyen wants to know what should not be done to prevent
being trapped in such a pathetic situation ? Adiyen requests swami to clarify this
doubt. Dasan, Jagannathan - Question By -
Jagannathan, jagan_raman567@yahoo.com

Atma gnanam is a prerequisite to bhakti. It is gained by learning the scriptures and

listening to the acharyas. All the upadesams and sastras are to prevent any one from
desiring kaivalyam. We should only try and educate them about the blemishes of
kaivalyam and the merits of bhagavallabham.

Question ID: 140 - Namaskaramas. This question relates to the Thiruman Kaappu
(UrDhva PuNdram). Any mis interpretation and even this question iteself, is purely
due to my ignorance, and hence kindly bear with me. Thiruman Kaappu signifies the
Lotus feet of Sriman Narayanan and the middle red line denotes Sri Mahalakshmi
who is ever present with Him. We adorn our forehead with this sacred symbol to
demonstrate our eternal prerogative to be in His service. What is the significance
behind this Thiruman Kaappu adorning Perumaal as well, as part of the daily
Alankaram in the Divya Desams and in all Perumal Kovils ? With Sincere Regards, R.
Srinath - Question By - ramamoorthysrinath, ramamoorthysrinath@gmail.com
 There are a few reasons Bhagavan wearing tiruman kappu 1. Kurathazhvan says '
uddharat upari bhakta janan iti - urdhva pundra tilakam bahumanaat ' - The lord is
adorned with tiruman pointing upwards to physically show His bhaktas that it would lift
you above this samsara. 2. Bhaktas enjoy wearing tiruman. Bhagavan wanting to know
the secret of this joy is trying out for Himself. (appayya dikshitar says ' vaishnava
bhogya lipsaya va') 3. It is an alankara to Him.

Question ID: 139 - REspected Swamy!! Humble pranams!! adiyen

Ramanujadhasan. Adiyen request you to present your reply for the following
question: Regarding Ekadhasi anushtanam, it is now clarified through an adiyar's
quest. In addition to that suppose when we receive any koil prasaadham during the
day before ekadhasai are we eligible to take that prasadham(which is including
puliyodharai-being a rice variety).Adiyen, due to anaemic problem, not able to fully
maintain poorna vradham , if so shall we take sweets and koil prasadham. Swamin
pl clarify adiyen's doubt. The main thing is sleepfulness. How to avoid this malady.?
Adiyenin prnams to your divine feet. dhasan - Question By -
samandhagamani, samandaga@hotmail.com

Yes we do receive a little amount of prasadam at the temple. Yoga is a way to

overcome sleep. Take up some kainkaryam that you enjoy and get absorbed in it. It
would keep you busy and not allow you to sleep excessively.

Question ID: 136 - Respected Swamin: Namaskaram. I am an avid listener to your

upanyasams and recently I was listening to Koil Tiruvaimozhi. You were describing
why Sri Nammazhwar starts with U (uyarvara), followed by M (mayaravara) and A
(a) in the first pAsuram and traced it back to the nama UTHU from the Upanishads.
My question is this: Since Sri Nammazhwar explcitly performs sarnagathi to Piratti
and Perumal ( agalagillEn iRaiyum enRu alarmEl mangai uRai maarbhan ..) and U
stands for Piratti, could Sri Nammazhwar have placed U first as a dedication to
Piratti? The last word in tiruvAimozhi in uyarndE - if one bows in front of Piratti (U in
the first word) and then to PerumAl (A), then one reaches paramapadam (uyarndE -
the last word) - is this a resonably consistent interpretation also? Thank you so
much. Respectful Regards to you. Vasudevan - Question By -
Vasudevan, vasu.d@comcast.net

In your interpretation, U stands for piratti is right but uyarnde does not end with the
syllable 'A '. The first letter in Sanskrit or tamil which is 'A' stands for perumal
(akaaraartho Vishnu:). But the last pasuram of azhvar does not end with this. It rather
ends with the eighth syllable 'E' which does not give the meaning of Perumal. Inspite
 of all thse, We in vaishnavism cannot give any interpretation of our own which is not
suggested by our purva acharyas.

Question ID: 135 - Respected Swamy, Adiyen Ramanuja Dasi. Many Pranams to
your lotus feet. I would like to follow up on my question on the significance of the
Varnashrama Dharma. Does it mean that Varnashrama dharma today, is something
to be followed parallel to our normal profession(doctor engineer, whatever)? Thank
you very much for your time.. Pizhaigalai khsamikka prarthikkiren Adiyen - Question
By - Deepa Vijayaraghavan, deepa.vijayaraghavan@gmail.com

Varanasrama dharma is a must for everybody. Kindly also check whether your
profession is as per your varanasrama dharma.

Question ID: 133 - Swami - namaskarams from adiyen. I remember listening to

your "Aazhwargal yaar" upanyasam; in that you have said that long long time back
Veda Vyasa has quoted that narayanan's bhaktas would be born in Dravida bhoomi,
near river banks like Tamirabarani banks as "Azhwars". I would like to know the
quote and the place where Vyasar wrote this. Thanks a lot, -Sriram - Question By -
Sriram, sriramsampath@gmail.com

In srimad bhagavata purana ' kalou khalu bhavishyanti narayana parayanA;....kvacit

kvacit mahabhaga dravideshu ca bhUrisa....'

Question ID: 132 - In the ancient days, Tamil nadu extended far south than today
in the Kumari kandam (lumuria) - because of several natural disasters like tsunamis
and continental shift, the world map has become like today. Also, we have read that
various tamil scriptures from the olden days were LOST - for example, even in
Iymperumkaapiyangal of tamizh, Kundalakesi and Valayapathi are not found fully.
My question is - have our great Azhwars composed only 4000 prabandams? Or did
we get hold of only 4000 ? Have we lost some more treasures which we could not
recover ? How can we be sure that they composed only 4000 prabandams. Thank
you very much, -Sriram - Question By - Sriram, sriramsampath@gmail.com

Our azhvars have composed only these 4000 verses. This has been stated by
Nammazhvar himself when he blessed all the divya prabandhams to nathamunigal. It
is true that Tirumazhisai azhvar composed more but it was perumal's will that only two
should survive and so the others were lost during the lifetime of azhvar.
 Question ID: 131 - ananthakoti namaskarangal to swami's thiruvadigal i just want
to clarify a doubt ,azhwars have did mangalasasanam to perumal's by single
pasuram also but they have left some sthalams like
vaduvoor,mannargudi,maduranthakam but have done to kshetrams very near to
them for ex:they have done mangalasasanam to thanjai mamani koil emperuman's
leaving vaduvoor and mannargudi is it that these kshetrams didn't exist during
azhwar's avatharams or these do not have a specific reason adiyen ramanuja dasan
- Question By - gosakan, kaliyan3189@gmail.com

We have no specific historical records to date these divya kshetrams. But as per the
puranas these are ancient. It was only the choice of Perumal to draw a particular
azhvar to Him to benedict a divya desam. Sri Ramanuja submitted oru nayakam
pasuram to melkote and Manavala mamunigal submitted unnittu matroru deivam
thozhal to mannargudi.

Question ID: 130 - Respected Swami, My pranams to your respected and holy feet.
I am one of the regular devotees who watches your upanyasam - Kannanin
Aramadhu and I should say I was blessed to attend your upanyasam live -
Ramayanam in Vani Mahal. I do regret that my interest towards understanding
Puranams and Karma's started only after 26years of life on this Holy earth. Since i
have been blessed with one of the best parents on earth - i have followed just what
the Paramatma likes - Something that keeps haunting my mind is: > Why does
Vedas not support Ladies being everything to their parents - i.e - when men do the
last rites to their parents and do the Amavsya Vritham and do everything that is
required to help their parent's soul rest in peace - why are Ladies not allowed to do
it - after all Ladies were created to be ladies only by HIM. Our hearts does suffer
when we lose our dear ones right? How is this justified Swami? > Could you please
advice one simple slogan/ Mantra that can be recited at all times? I WAS ONE ONE
OF THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR BLESSINGS ON
ALMOST ALL THE DAYS DURING THE RAMAYANA UPANYASAM. INSPITE OF MY
WORKING HOURS BEING 3.30AM TO 12.30PM - SHREE RAMA GAVE ME THE ENERGY
TO COME AND ATTEND YOUR SESSIONS. Thanks to YOU Swami - for i have started
viewing my life in a completely new perspecive only after listening to your sessions.
After my daily Prayers - i do the following namaskaram in my heart -- to my mother,
father, GURU - ( Shree Raghavendra and YOU) and then Lord Vishnu( in Vaikundam)
- ellamey ennoda Karpanaila Dhan anal manasigama panrein. Regards and Best
Wishes for your Seva to reach the needy - Gayathri Krishnan - Question By -
Gayathri Krishnan, gayathri.jwala@gmail.com

Vedas have delegated certain duties to certain relatives of an individual. It has

nominated the son to do all the kainkaryams to his father along with his wife. Ladies
have responsibility towards their in laws. So it is not that Vedas have barred ladies
 from vedic kainkaryams - only the recipient is different. You have to chant dvayam
always after getting panca samskaram from your acharyan.

Question ID: 129 - Swamikku adiyen dhendam samarpitta vigynapanam. I was

listening to your Ramayana discourse (on CD) and two questions arose: 1.
"Naamaga poi vizhunthal Avan kittuvathillai". In the instance of Bharata and Guha,
Bharata did not commit any papam. In fact, both him and Guha were only practising
bhagavat-bhakti. In the absence of any papams, why does perumal choose one over
the other? If we commit papams (which we do), the only way to please the Lord is to
consciously engage in his service (to temples, to poor or other service). What you
mentioned seemed to suggest to me that there is no hope for us..we can keep doing
the punya karmas specified but neither material gains might come nor His Grace
might come. Have I misunderstood the comment in your upanyasam? 2. In the
Subahu- Mareecha episode, you likened it to the papams of someone that has
performed saranagati. In the practical sense, how does "papangalai vilakki viduvan"
work? Do a saranagatan's papams go afflict someone else? Or does a saranagatan's
act not even get classified as papam just because of his saranagati? Aparaadam
edhum irundhal, kshamikka vendum. -Sriranjani Ranganathan - Question By -
Sriranjani Ranganathan, sriranjani.ranganathan@gmail.com

We do not know the extent of papam and punyam of bharata and guha and so we
cannot conclude that both had equal karmas. Bharata might have been forced to be
separated from Rama due to his papams even. Moreover his karmas forced him to
leave Rama for a short period and go to his maternal uncle's home which played a
major role in all the mishappenings. Even though Perumal has all the right to arbitrarily
choose to bless anybody, He follows all the rules set by him. So kindly do not lose
hope that in spite of punyams Perumal may not choose us. Your question has assumed
that you are doing only punyams or more of punyam than papam. Is it possible in this
ssmsara. Even our azhvars and acharyas lament that they are unable to be so. So, can
we ask perumal to grant moksham as a right? The only alternative is to plead to Him.
Let me now explain a more important point here. Let us accept the supremacy and the
arrogant (!) authority of Perumal over this jiva. At His will He can arbitrarily choose
anybody to bless. Why cannot we plead to Him to choose us arbitrarily and grant
moksham. Punyam is not an eligibility to attain moksham. In fact it is a hurdle to
moskam. It only qualifies us to join the band of short listed people. It is finally the
unconditional mercy (and the arbitrary choice) of Perumal that grants us moksham.
Passing +2 exam qualifies you to join a college but cannot give you a seat in any
college. One has to shed all the papams and punyams to attain moksham.
Saranagata's papam gets distributed to his offenders and punyam to his well wishers.
 Question ID: 128 - shrimate ramanujay namah.i offer my humble respects to you. i
keep trvelling abroad frequently.while going to usa there is a stop inbetween with
no facilities to take bath.is just doing proktshane with gangajal equivalent to taking
bath.is there any other method which can be practised in this respect. also is it
alright to say srivishnu three times before having food which is not the prasadam of
perumal(vegetarianfood not containing onion,garlic and mushrooms) during long
travel. kindly oblige.thank you. - Question By - satish n
iyengar, rupesh_iyengar@yahho.com

Saastras say 'snaatva bhunjIta' - bathe before food. When you are not able to take
bath, avoid food. Decades ago, when traditional vidvans where undertaking train
travel to badri, they went without bath and food for 2 days. Toady, longest travel can
be for 24 hours. It is better to have only fruits during air travel. This has an indirect
advantage - you will not have any jet lag. You would avoid food (eventhough
vegetarian) served along with non vegetarian.

Question ID: 127 - shrimate ramanujay namaha. i offer my humble respects to

you. swamy can peoplewho have taken samashreyanm drink coffee or tea(even if
they are addicted to it). - Question By - satish n iyengar, rupesh_iyengar@yahoo.com

Our tradition does not permit consumption of coffee or tea.

Question ID: 126 - shrimate ramanujay namaha. i offer my humble respects to

you. it had come in the newspaper that the cows in the dairies are treated very
cruelly and the male calves are allowed to die without even a drop of their mother's
milk. do we acquire any sin by drinking and using such milk? - Question By - rupa s
iyengar, rupesh_iyengar@yahoo.com

It is better to switch to cow's milk served at our doorstep by a cowherd where milking
happens before our eyes. They know to respect cows. The only way to get out of your
doubt is to stop buying milk from factories.

Question ID: 125 - shrimate ramanujay namaha. i offer my humble respects to

you.my question is-apart from consuming nothing or consuming only water or
having only fruits, is there any other level of observing ekadashi? kindly oblige,
thank you - Question By - puja s iyengar, rupesh_iyengar@yahoo.com
 Total fasting is the only way. Those who are physically unable to practice this, consume
fruits or palakaram.

Question ID: 124 - Dear Swami, I understand that Sridevi and Bhoodevi are with
the utsava murty of perumal while thani kovil naachiyaar is at her sannidhi.
However, in many divya desams, I have noticed that while Sridevi and Bhoodevi are
with perumal, we also get to worship the utsava vigraham of tani kovil naachiyaar
along with perumal, in fact in some divyadesams there are two naachiyaars plus
Sridevi, Bhoodevi (eg. in some nava tirupathi sthalams, thirukkurungudi etc.) Can
you kindly explain the reason for this, adiyen Geetha Krishnan - Question By -
Geetha Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

In many temples utsava murthy of tanikkoyil nachair is along with Perumal (nowadays)
only for safety reasons. Other wise in specific temples where there are four or five
nachiars even, it is based on the sthala purana. You will have to refer to the specific
divyadesam's sthala puranam.

Question ID: 123 - Dear Swami, I have heard you mention about the difference
between upanyasam and kalakshepam. My humble question to you would be when
is it mandatory for us to be in panchakacham / madisaar? Is it for kalakshepam only
or for both? Please enlighten. Also kindly let me know if it is mandatory to be in
madisaar till tiruvaradanam for perumal is over at home. Adiyen, Geetha Krishnan. -
Question By - Geetha Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

It is mandatory to be in kaccham and madisaar all 24 hours. That has nothing to do

with kalakshepam, upanyasam, or tiruvaradhanam.

Question ID: 122 - Please accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
-------------------------------------------------------------------- I Shifted from chennai to Mumbai
and joined in 9th standard.Somehow because of extreme western influence and
association,i became mad after the western culture.Now currently in Third year
engineering,by Krishna's mercy i follow all regulative principles according to
sastras,begin my day at brahma muhurta.But because of my past,now that subtle
impression is forcing my heart to again think of it sometimes(the force is sometimes
at a greater extent or sometimes less),but i keep controlling my senses very
hard.What should i do?I do hear your daily morning, evening Bhagavat gita
lecture,read SB,memorize verses etc, and you have blessed me with clear
intelligence on inaction and action,after which that force has very greatly reduced.I
feel if i go to west,krishna will sideline me from his vision to take me to
vaikuntha.Also i feel if i get more money,i may become proud and will not be able to
think of krishna from the bottom of my heart.Please kindly help me! How can i get
over this karmic bondage.Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply. -
Question By - Kishan, kishantns@sify.com

The assured way for snapping this bondage is saranagati to Sri Krishna. From what you
have written it is clear that you are on the right track. You can well stay in India and
pursue your career. This feeling of 'what to do more for mukti' or 'am I doing the right
thing' or 'am I eligible for mukti ' or 'why am I still not able to control my senses'
haunts every bhakta. This is inevitable till we are in this samsaram. Alone, it is a
challenge to cross this ocean of samsara, but sailing the boat of Sri Krishna it is made
easier.

Question ID: 121 - Respected Swamy!! firt of all adiyenin krithagnathai for
presenting your answers for question No.103.Adiyenin mandha buththikku
sariyaagapuriyavillai.(since I have clubbed two type of questions it seems). In the
said question it was asked about of the importance of the gothram. In fact some
sects they do not even know to tell their gothram. But we insist on this especially
for marriage purpose.what is the connection in between and why it is
imparted.Perhaps it might not have any relevance to our birth chain. In respect of
second type in the above question asked,your highness answered that athma taking
the body based on karma and sons and daughters are only self(in adiyen's question
it was mentioned it is for grand daughters or sons and not sons and daughters
because the transformation will go to next alternative generation only) then when it
takes so many birth whey it is said "matha pitha seivathu makkalaikk kakkum" since
as per the statement of your highness that they carry only the mission of their
parents. If so for the papa or punya will the athma take rebirth in the same
paramparai or in some other unconnected family.If for anybody who have no
children after their birth to whom it will be transferred. After some discourses of
your highness, after a thought over about the Athma , this question arose.
Ple.................ase do not mistake for repeating this question since none other than
your highness can clarify this type of question which not only adiyen consider but
whomsoever it may concern will utter the same word only. - Question By -
samandhagamani, samandaga@hotmail.com

It certainly has relevance to our birth chain. Nothing can become irrelevant if we are
ignorant about it. We have to identify ourselves with our moola rishi - gothram sutram
and pravaram are a must for any wedding. The logic is like this - we may not be aware
of the entire chain but we do know about 3 generations before us. Similarly my grand
father would have known 3 before him and thus the chain gets established easily.
Sastras refer only about a son to be the reincarnation of his father and that too not in
the physical sense but only as a torch bearer. There is no mention about anybody
being born as a grand son or daughter. An atman's next birth need not be in his family
at all. For that matter he need not be born as a human being. The atman would follow
 it's own course of papam and punyam. There is an instance when the papams and
punyams of a saranagata get distributed to others (when he once for all leaves this
material world) - ie his punyams to those pious who were his intimate well wishers and
his papams to those who offended him.

Question ID: 120 - Namaskaram Somsebody says that ladies sould not pronounce
the word "OM" and SLOKAS should be learned only from Guru and not from the Book
or from CD etc. Is it correct .Please clarify. Yours obediently Kalpakam Poovendran -
Question By - Mrs.Kalpakam Poovendran, vishnumapspublications@yahoo.co.in

Yes what all you have said is correct. For certain exceptions kindly refer to your
acharya.

Question ID: 119 - Respected Swami. Pranams. I got the oppurtunity to listen your
upanyasam on "Kanninun Siruthambu". In the third pasuram explanation, you made
a point about Ramanuja's "Vella Veshti Utsavam". Can u please explain in detail
about this utsavam. Thanks - Question By - R. Kalyan
Krishnan, kalyankrishnan84@gmail.com

Vellai sattuppadi utsavam is conducted at Sriperumbudur during chittirai tiruvadirai

festival. Sri Ramanuja is adorned with white garments (without tridandam in his hands)
on that day. This is to remember the circumstances under which Sri Ramanuja had to
wear vellai veshti of a grhasta instead of his usual kashaya when he had to leave
Srirangam towards west without being identified by the servants of krimi kantha.

Question ID: 118 - Dear Swami, It is said that Aandaal is the avatharam of 'Bhoomi
Piraatti', hence she should be Bhoodevi. However, when adiyen worshiped Aandaal
at her sannidhi in Triplicane, the archaka swamy said she is 'Neela Devi'. Please
clarify as to what this means and where we can worship Neela Devi. Is Neela Devi
Nappinnai piraatti and is Nappinnai different from Satyabama? Adiyen Geetha
Krishnan - Question By - Geetha Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

Andal is an avatara of Bhooma devi only. Nappinnai was Neela Devi's avataram.
Tiruvellarai is for Sridevi, Srivilliputhur is for Bhoodevi and Tirunarayur is for Nila Devi.
 Satya bhama is not Nappinnai. While the former was the daughter of Satrajit the latter
was the daughter of Kumbha, the brother of yasoda.

Question ID: 117 - Sri Pranams Elders, including your Highness, are preaching
that during the marraige function, tying the mangalasutra is not the end of
marriage function but, it is the "saptha padi" which solemnises the marriage is very
important. But when I watched the Srinivasa Kalayana Mahotsavam in the Island
grounds on 6th of April, I was very eagerly waiting for that to happen . Your
Highness also made an appeal to the devotees that after the "mangalyadharanam"
lot more functions are to take place. Though "thengai uruttal /Malai Matrudhal" etc
were performed, "Saptha padi" was not performed. (it is pertinent to mention here
that when I witnessed the Kalyana Utsavam organized by the TTD centre at T.
Nagar, the Bhattar on that day did perform the "Saptha padi" by using the "Sattari"
symbolically.. Recently, I witnessed the Kalayana utsavam of Mayuravalli thaayaar
at Peyazhwar Devasthanam at Mylapore.There also the Bhattar used the "sattari"
for "sapthapadi".) Please enlighten us. If "sapthapadi" is a must in the Kalayana
utsavam, humbly request you to take up this issue with the Jeers/Officials suitably
so that this important function is performed/demonstrated during the Kalayana
Utsavam. With warm regards S Malathi - Question By -
S.Malathi, smalathi_56@yahoo.com

Saptapadi is a must and it is a must for our marriages. All my upanyasams are for
what we have to follow. I do not know much about vaikhanasa agama or what is being
practiced in Tirumala - TTD archakas and authorities are the best judges. I get about
10 requests every day on matters like these to take up with concerned authorities.
Hope you would understand that I would then be doing only this.

Question ID: 116 - Namaskarams. Kindly refer to Ques ID 70: Ans (3). Why is it Our
objective to please the Master(!) ? As he created atmans as per step (7) of creation
process, who is suffering from separation? As you left Teranzdhur ( On DD
Podhigai), I believe, I saw tears in your eyes, when you mentioned, that Perumal is
so un unhappy to see us leave and his feet becomes weak). At least it brought tears
in my eyes!! I had the privilege of being present at Yadiraj Mutt(Malleswaram,
Bangalore) , for your discourse on Siriya Thirumadal. Does Thirumangai Azwar enjoy
special privileges with Sriman Naranyana, and if so why? Rgds, R. Srinath - Question
By - Ramamoorthy Srinath, ramamoorthysrinath@gmail.com

The sesha seshi relationship is what is translated in simple English as master servant
relationship. Sri Ramanuja defines sesha as the one who breathes lives and does
everthing to please his seshi Sriman Narayana. We have been given birth by Him, to
practice bhati yoga or saranagati to get relieved of all the karmas and attain
srivaikuntham. 1. We are in absolute servitude to Him servitude is fulfilled / realized
 only by performing service and pleasing the Master. 2. We surrender to Him being
helpless other wise and so we have to please Him. 3. We are a part of His divine body
and He is our atman - body can only be for the benefit of atman. Considering all the
above our objective is to serve and please Him.

Question ID: 115 - Sri Pranams On 6th April 2008, Thirupathi Thirumala
Devasthanam arranged Lord Srinvasa Kalayana Mahotsavam in the Island grounds.
Thirupathi is a Vaishnavaite temple following Vaikhanasa Aghama. But during the
Kalayana Utsavam, Iyers chanted the veda.I do not know whether they chanted
veda relevant to Kalayana Utsavam or generic vedas. But, I also notice that
everyday Venkatesa Suprabhatham is chanted at the temple by Iyers. I further
notice that on many other utsava kalams, Iyers only chant the veda . Why this is
so ? Is there any mythological reason for this or is it due to the rivalry between
Vadakalayars and Thenkalayars, Iyers have been entrusted with the kainkaryams. -
Question By - S.Malathi, smalathi_56@yahoo.com

Vedas are common to all the vaidikas. I can say that the phenomenon which you have
mentioned is certainly not because of any rivalry. The reasons would be best known to
TTD authorities.

Question ID: 114 - Dear Swami, My humble obeisances to you. I have had the
bhagyam of attending your upanyasams many times, and am extremely glad that
you have opted to put up a website that promotes our great sampradaya. My
question is about our Sampradaya itself. Recently, a Dvaitin has challenged Sri
Ramanujar's reasoning, so therfore, being completely ignorant of philosophy myself,
I'd like you to provide me with ample pramanas/reasoning that establishes
Vishishtadvaita over Dvaita. The Dvaitin has raised the following objections: 1) The
Dvaitin challenged the Vishishtadvaita view that Jiva and Prakriti is a
mode/attribute of Brahman. He asks that if jiva has sariri/sarira relationship with
Brahman, then how is Jiva an attribute of Brahman? 2) He also says that the
Mahavakya 'Tat Tvam Asi' is actually 'Atat Tvam Asi' and talks of distinction. He says
Atat Tvam Asi is in sync with other portions of Upanishads. 3) Since Brahman is
antaryami, He is distinct from Jiva. The Dvaitin says that he cannot accept the
explanation for Tat Tvam Asi by Sri Ramanujar. 4) The Dvaitin also says that in Gita
verse 5.16, Sri Ramanujar has used 'Param' as adjective for Jnana, when it occurs as
a subjective. 5) The Dvaitin also wants pramana for the fact that Brahman is not
only the instrumental, but also the material cause of the Universe. 6) He wants
pramana for Chit and Achit theory. Adiyen is not well versed in polemics, so I look to
your lotus feet for answers. Kindly resolve this debate. - Question By -
Govindarajan, govi85@yahoo.co.in

I appreciate your quest. However it is not possible for me to give all the arguments to
counter dvaitam or advaitam which you can simply convey to your friend. It is a study
 on which you will have to spend atleast a month personally with an acharya for your
personal enlightenment. You have to study vedartha sangraham of Sri Ramanuja and a
few more texts. Moreover let us first stick to making visishtadvaitins realize of their
glorious treasure.

Question ID: 113 - Shrimathe Ramanujay Namaha I offer my humble respects to

you. Kindly answer my question and oblige. Is there any special method by which
women can observe Ekadashi Vratam. Thank You. - Question By - rupa s
iyengar, rupesh_iyengar@yahoo.com

Could you please clarify your question as to what would you like to know. This vratam
is practiced by both.

Question ID: 112 - shrimathe Ramanujay Namah I offer my due respects to you. I
had a certain query which I have not been able to clarify for quite sometime. Kindly
answer my question and oblige. Who is Satyanarayana? What is the significance of
Satyanarayana Puja? Has anything about this been mentioned in the scriptures?
Thank You - Question By - puja s iyengar, rupesh_iyengar@yahoo.com

I am not much aware of Satyanarayana and the pUja conducted to Him by many. It is
practiced in Andhra more than Tamil nadu. It must be Sriman Narayana only. In
Srivaishnavite sampradayam we know about Dasa satyan (adiyaarkku meyyan) and
meyyan (satya murthy ). Satyanaryana perumal at Mambalam stands as an
embodiment of satyam - truth as it is. The Upanishads say "satyam gnanam anatam
brahma" - the meaning for satyam here is nityam and nirvikaram. There is one more
epithet of Sriman Narayana mentioned in the Upanishads - sattiyam - sat + ti + yam.
Sat = cit, ti = acit , yam = the controller (isvara) of both cit and acit.

Question ID: 111 - Swami, Need to know about Garudan. Why it is referred as
Periya Thiruvadi? I read in a book that Hanuman [Siriya Thiruvadi], represents Air
[vayu bagawan] and we find plenty of day to day applications of it [Air in
Automobile tyres, Pneumatic applications etc..]. Do we have a practical
manifestation of Garudan? Is there a teaching on Garudan being always projected as
perennial enemy of Snake kingdom? While Snake's find place in almost all major
religions of world, Garudan is not so. Kindly clarify ? Pardon me for layman's quest. -
Question By - Kalyanapuram Kannan, kski_in@yahoo.co.uk
 It is true that Garuda is known as Peria tiruvadi but it is a misnomer in the case of
Hanuman as Siriya tiruvadi. He is known as Tiruvadi only. Garuda is the embodiment of
all the Vedas and he is the asanam and vahanam of Sriman Narayana. As Vedas
portray the glory of Bhagavan so does Garuda by bringing Him physically on his
shoulders. Let us not confuse one issue from some religion with another issue in
Srivaishnavism. Snakes mentioned in other religions has no relevance with Garuda.

Question ID: 110 - Please kindly accept my humble dandavat unto your lotus feet!
1)Yes,the lord acts only as the witness and provides the resultant reactions to the
conditioned souls.The lord has provided him with all facilities for him to understand
Krishna and attain him,but isn't it a fact that Krishna only influences him(that
sudden force) avan dane thoondi udaran by the 3 gunas,and the 3 gunas are under
control of Krishna,even in Bhagavat Gita Krishna smiles and says to arjuna, i've tied
him,so he cannot come out of his own means, Kindly help!! - Question By -
kishan, kishantns@sify.com

I think this is the tenth time such a question is posted in this column. Kindly note
"Avan tanAga toondi viduvadu illai". He does it only on us choosing to act in the
righteous or the unrighteous way. Adiyen's request to all those who are repeatedly
blaming Bhagavan for this and trying to prove something against all the sastras and
our pUrvacharyas - kindly think and answer for yourself "why should Bhagavan thrust
papam on us ?" "Does He derive any pleasure out of it" "is He than a vesha dhAri
hoodwinking us by giving so many sastras, avataras, gnanam, bhakti, azhvars, and
acharyas for the upliftment of humanity ?" "Can anybody be such a systematic
cheater" Kindly write in this column after giving a honest answer to all these points.

Question ID: 108 - Dear Swami, Please advise what are the divya prabhandams to
be recited by the lady of the house while cooking food, also what are the stotras to
be uttered. Adiyen Geetha Krishnan - Question By - Geetha
Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

All the prabandhams / stotrams that are included in the nitya anusandhanam list as
per the publication of your acharyan.
 Question ID: 107 - Dear Swami, I have a few questions regarding the
anushtanams to be followed by a Sri Vaishnanva. It is said that only food offered to
God should be partaken by us. However, please clarify what does 'Food offered to
God' mean? Does it mean only the food offered to the 'Salagrama' moorthy at home
or does it also include food that we offer to pictures of deities at home. Also, what
about food cooked in the evenings? Should it again be offered to Salagrama or only
to the photograph will do? Kindly clarify so that we can follow according to
devareer's advise, adiyen Geetha Krishnan. - Question By - Geetha
Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

Yes. It is food offered to sala grama murti only. Food is offered to Perumal as a part of
tiruvaradhanam which is done only in the morning and not in the evening. If you are
orthodox enough to practice all the anushthanams in the evening also then kindly
refer to your acharyan and offer in the evening also.

Question ID: 106 - hare krishna, Swami adiyen by birth not a srivaishnavan. now i
have been attracted towards this fantastic way. Please forgive me if i am wrong. I
had been to Thirupullani(Adijegannatha perumal-padmashani thayar temple) last
year. i was told by the archaga swami that dasaradhan came and worshiped at the
divine SantanaKrishnan sannithi and then only he was gifted as the father of
SriRaman. But Ramaavatharam was before than Krishnaavatharam. then how did
dhasaradhan worshipped SanthanaKrishnan. Can you please clarify.. - Question By -
Subramanian, manibellb@rediffmail.com

The holy name Krshna, His divine power to grant a heir and His deity form are eternal.
Santana Krshna need not necessarily be after Krshna avatara. Moreover Krshna did not
take birth only once. He might be born in another catur yuga.

Question ID: 104 - Respected Swami, Aneka kodi namskaram. Would like to know
whether there is any difference between Panchasamskaram and Samashrayanam or
they mean the same? Thanks - Question By - Gayathri
Rajesh, rajgaya3amirthaa@yahoo.com

Samasrayanam is surrendering to ones acharya. Panca samskara is the five

sacraments that are administered to the one who has surrendered to an acharya with
an objective of getting Ramanuja sambandham and eventually attaining moksham.
 Question ID: 103 - REspected Swamy!! Pranam!! each and every family
isbelonoging to aparticular gothram which is nothing but origination from the rishi
of that gothram. Here the doubt arises.Is there any connection between the
moolapurushar of that paramparai that we belongs and the moola rishi of that
particular gothram. Some confusion over this because if a person commit any pava
that is followed upto 140 birth or 7 thalaimurai and the same is transmitted to the
children also. But it is said that moksham is obtained after leaving this body. But
this pava is punya is transmitted to our children means we are taking rebirth again
to experience that sin or punya in the grand daughters or grand son rupam. Utter
confusion in this . In fact I squeezed my brain to ask a question like this only but
still I am not even able and clear to ask you properly but your highness can
understand what adiyen wanted to ask you regarding this. Still I have doubt
whether I have presented this question to you perfectly. Such is the debth of doubt
in this subject. Kindly clarify this doubts swamy!! Pl pardon for anywrong
perseverence over this question. - Question By -
samandhagamani, samandaga@hotmail.com

Kindly do not squeeze your mind on simple matters which are well explained by our
pUrvAcharyas. 1. All those who leave this body ( on death) cannot attain paramapada.
2. only those who have exhausted all the papams and punyams can attain
Srivaikuntham. (tadA vidvan puNya pApE vidhUya niranjana: paramam sAmyam upaiti)
3. One who has attained srivaikuntham never returns to leela vibhUti under any
circumstances. (na ca punarAvartatE... mAmupEtya tu kountEya punarjanma na
vidyatE). As karmas are the only cause for an individual to take birth, once he sheds
them then he would never take birth. 4. We cannot take rebirth as our son or daughter.
It is deemed that son is self, as the son is supposed to carry on with the mission of his
father. I do not know whether I have clarified your doubt. If not kindly write to us.

Question ID: 101 - Pranams Swami. Recently I read an article by Pradip

Bhattacharya -this is the link of the article:
(http://www.mahabharataonline.com/articles/mahabharata_article.php?id=37)-
which was trying to put things in totally different perspectives or I would rather say
connfusing. In this particular article, the author was trying to say that according to
Sri Vyasa's Mahabharata, Draupadi during her vasta harana was saved by Dharma
and not by Sri Krishna as we have know. Is not Lord krishna himself Dharma? I
would like to know whether Mahabharta really mentions that Draupadi was saved
Dharma and if so, how is the meaning to be taken? Another aspect that article took
on ,was Bhishma's attachement to throne- the author tries to say that Bhishma was
attached to the the throne and used his oppurtunity to weild power with a blind
king on the throne. This particular view is so outrageous. Bhishma is almost as
sacred and divine as Sri Krishna, who had the potential to give us Sahsranmam.
That is what I know. Then why do people keep interpreting things in such a
demaning manner? How does Mahabharta actually portray Bhishma ? - Question By -
Surabhi, arushi_mitra@yahoo.com

Draupadi surrendered to Krishna only by chanting 'gOvinda pundarIkAksha raksha

mAm saranAgatAm" and it was Krishna who blessed her with clothes. Krishna on a
 later date feels sorry that He was only able to protect her modesty but not able to be
by the side of her to soothen her - "gOvindEti yadAkrandat krshnA mAm dUravAsinam"
Pillai lokacharya mentions this as "draupadikku ApattilE pudavai surandadu tirunAma
vaibhavamirE" meaning that it was the holy name of Krshna that protected draupadi.
The point here is whether it is dharma or the holy name both are non sentient and so
do not have the thinking power to protect. The Lord is pleased when we obey His
commands viz practicing dharma or chanting His names and protects us. When we
swipe our digital id card or even by sensing us the automatic door opens - do we
praise the door or the one who designed it. Krshna is Himself dharma - ("krshnam
dharmam sanAtanam") is evident from His direction 'sarva dharmAn parityajya mAm
Ekam saranam vraja" The second point is baseless. The only mistake which Bhishma
committed was - he gave more importance to rAja dharma than Krshna, the absolute
dharma. He should not have watched the disrespect to draupadi after she had
surrendered to Krshna. Krshna loved and revered bhishma a lot. When He suggested
to dharma putra to listen to bhishma's preaching He praises Bhishma as a great gnAni
(bhIshmE lOkAntaram gate gnAnani alpI bhavishyanti) - when Bhishma was departing
he meditated on Krshna and it seems Krshna's mind journeyed to bhisma eventhough
He was not physically present there (mAm dyAti purusha vyAghra..)

Question ID: 99 - Respected Sir, Our dharma is stongly believing that our Athma
has rebirth immediately after the death according to its Karma. At the same time,
we are supposed to give PINDAM and THARPANAM during srardham till we live to
our ancesstors. It creates confussion to me. How can that PINDAM or THARPANAM
go to our ancesstors, when their Athma has attained REBIRTH in another form. Can
you clarify this confusion. Thanks and NAMASKARAMS to you. - Question By -
K.Sankar, sankar_5@yahoo.com

Firstly, Any atman need not necessarily be born immediately. It undergoes five stages
of oblations as mentioned in panchagni vidya in the Upanishads. It may even be
wandering as atma punja for many years without taking the next body. All these are
decided based on its karma. Secondly, when the atman is permanent, why do you feel
that the panda would not reach. Furthering your opinion, if the atma does not take an
immediate rebirth will our pinda reach it. The panda and teertham which we offer does
not physically reach it in any case. When we perform the rites as prescribed in the
sastras, Bhagavan is pleased and He conveys it. It is bhagavan's pleasure and
displeasure which are called as punya and papa. Moreover, we perform the rites to
avoid papam (to us) of non performance.
 Question ID: 98 - swamin, i kindly request you to clarify this doubt of mine - why
is Srirangam referred to as Bhooloka Vaikuntam? also, i had read in one of the
books of Mr Vaidyanathan on Lord Guruvayurappan, published by Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan that Guruvayur is Bhooloka Vaikuntam. Can you please clarify if both
Srirangam and Guruvayur are referred to as Bhooloka Vaikuntam, for the knowledge
of all? - Question By - Vijayakrishnan, krish.rv@gmail.com

Srirangam is called as bhooloka vaikuntham as mentioned in satadhyayi and

dasadhyayi. Kaveri viraja seyam vaikuntham ranga mandiram sa vasudevo rangesa:
pratyaksham paramam padam. A parallel is drawn between srivaikuntham and
srirangam, viraja nadi and kaveri due to the aradhana kramam, practices, customs etc
being followed in srirangam that are similar to Srivaikuntham. It also houses the 1000
pillared mandapam,tirumamani mandapam and vimanam as in srivaikuntham. On
Srivaikuntha ekadasi day Namperumal enacts a jiva leaving this material body and
journeying through archiradi marga and attaining parama padam. These are a few
reasons which earned the status of Bhooloka vaikuntham to Srirangam. I do not know
much about Guruvayoor. You have to search for the reasons given in the book which
your have referred.

Question ID: 95 - Swamin, adiyen pranams to you. I have one doubt on

Divyadesams. Last fortnight I had been to one of the 108 Divyadesams, viz.
Thirikkoshtiyur in Sivaganga District. The Bhattachariar and also the guide there
informed us that Thirukkoshtiyur is the first of the Divyadesams. I queried them
with my limited knowledge, if Srirangam was not the first Divyadesam. Both replied
saying that Thirukkoshtiyur was considered the first Divyadesam since the first
paasuram of Naalayira Divya Prabhandham, viz. Pallandu Pallandu was composed
referring to Thirukkoshtiyur. Adiyen would be pleased to get the clarification and
enlightenment on this subject from you. Adiyen's mail id is krish.rv@gmail.com. -
Question By - Vijayakrishnan, krish.rv@gmail.com

Kindly clarify in which aspect you mean 'first divyadesam'. Do you mean that it was
created first? We are not sure of the date of any divyadesam and so we cannot come
to any decision on its chronological order. If it is because all the azhvars have sung, all
the acharyas lived there, and being the head quarters of Srivaishnavism then it is
Srirangam. Incidentally tiruppallandu is not the first prabandham. It is mudal
tiruvandadi.

Question ID: 94 - Sri Pranams My question may sound silly. But this is lingering in
my mind for quite some time. Only Hindus believe/preach/follow Ithihasams and
Puranams.. What about the people of other continents. Does it mean that during the
various avataras of Vishnu, other continents did not exist? Or the people of other
contintents followed some other religion or faith, as Christianity could not have
been followed since it is only 2000 years old . Shall we presume that the whole
world followed Hinduism and after the birth of Jesus and Allah, they got converted
into those religions. - Question By - S.Malathi, smalathi_56@yahoo.com

All continents would have existed in different states. Not only this world which we
know of but also many more dveepams exist where sanatana dharma was and is being
practiced. There would have been many religions which worshipped vayu, surya,
Chandra, venus etc which are also puranic characters. The whole of Egypt and Rome
were worshipping nature. It is true that majority of the nature worshipping persons got
converted in the past 2000 years.

Question ID: 93 - Sri Pranams While committing suicide is not approved, why/how
Sita Devi thought of committing suicide , unable to bear the separation from Lord
Rama, using her hair. (reference your upanyasam at Vani Mahal, T Nagar on 29th
and 30th March 2008) With warm regards S Malathi - Question By -
S.Malathi, smalathi_56@yahoo.com

Committing suicide is not approved; it is not wrong to think about it even in a dejected
and separated mood. Even if Hanuman had not appeared Sita would not have
committed suicide as she is well aware of dharma sastram.

Question ID: 92 - Adiyen Swami Dasan, Ananthamana dandan for you Swami, I
have a humble request to you swamyi, i want to hear thiruvaymozhi kalakshepam
from your mouth, is there any plannings in your mind swamy to conduct
thiruvaymozhi kalakshepam in the near future, i heard that ur father has done
thiruvaymozhi kalakshepam in triplicane, i am only 24 years old, so i didnt have ur
father kadakshem to listen the thiruvaymozhi kalakshepam, i am eagerly waiting for
ur kadakshem to listen the thiruvaymozhi kalakshepam.This is my Humble request.
Srimadha ramanujaya namaha. Azhwar Emberumanaar jeeyar thiruvadigala
saranam. - Question By - prabhu, prabhu.37@gmail.com

Not in the near future. I pray that it happens at least in a few years.

Question ID: 91 - My humble salutations Swami. I have heard different things

about the uththara kaandam in Valmiki ramayanam. Is it true that Lord Rama exiled
Seetha devi to the forest after listening to some ordinary person's words about
what was being spoken about her?.I also hear people telling that Seetha devi's
shorter span of life was because of this incident. Few give this as an example of
gender inequality of our ancient society. To do away with such problems it is put
forth by a few that this uththara kaanda was not written by vaalmiki at all but was a
later addition. Since I have not read the original verses please explain what exactly
happens in the last kaandam. Since Rama was brahmam himself in human form with
all kalyana gunams manifested, he could not have acted wrong.So kindly explain
how to interpret these events and also anything that I am missing out here. -
Question By - Anand, anand_v21@yahoo.co.in

Uttara kanda was also authored by Sage Valmiki only. When Sita was pregnant Rama
wanted to fulfill any of her wishes and requested Her to spell out. Sita wished to live
amongst rishis in the forest during Her pregnancy and delivery. Thus Rama sent Her to
the forest. The words of dhobi were only a lame reason given to send Sita as per Her
wish. But for that reason, the citizens of Ayodhya would not have allowed Sita to go to
the forest as per Her wish. All these are mentioned in uttara kandam itself. I have
written a detailed article on this about 3 years back in kalki deepavali malar. You can
refer to that.

Question ID: 90 - respected sir, i am lakshmi studying in class 10.i have been
listening to your kannanin aaramudhu from the beginning .in the seventh chapter
you said that this universe is created by the lord.sir, during creation the lord
assigns some body for the atmas sticking to him.i.e,one atma is given an ameoba
body and other is given ahuman body,say.then the one with human body elevates
faster when comparred to the ameoba body.and we know that depending upon our
karma we take the form or body.but this is the creation in the beginning and we
have no paapa or punya .then on what basis the lord determines the body of a
atma.kindly excuse me if i had questioned wrongly. - Question By -
lakshmi, lakpad@hotmail.com

As this atma has no beginning so are its papam and punyam. There was no day when
this atma was devoid of papam and punyam. Karma is anaadi. This atma has been
entangled in samsaram from time immemorial due to its karma.

Question ID: 89 - namaskaram swamiji, I heard your visit to mumbai is confirmed,

can i know the dates please? i have a doubt, we planned to conduct upanayanam for
my brother in law's sons who are aged 11(11/96) & 8 (9/99) years completed, at
what exact age upanayanam is conducted? Is it ok if we conduct the upanayanam
for both at this age? we wish to do it together only.. there are some confusion about
the age to do upanayanam. so i would like to clarify.. kindly clarify my doubt. We
need your blessings too. thanks - Question By - radhamohan, radha29@gmail.com
 Sastram says ' ashta varsham brahmanam upanayeeta ' ie. Eight years including
garbham. So effectively the right age is 7. You have to seek other clarifications with
your family brhaspati.

Question ID: 88 - Respected Swamy, Adiyen namaskaram. Pranavam is found in

vedas. Ladies are not supposed to chant vedas. If so, how can ladies chant
thirumantram (Which has Pranavam in it). Kindly clarify. Thanks. - Question By -
Satya, satya_chellam@yahoo.com

There is a difference between two sampradayas in this. Only in tenkalai sampradayam

those ladies who have undergone panchasamskaram chant pranavam. But this
exception is only when pranavam is chanted before tirumantram. Srimad
paramahansetyadi Ayodhya Ramanuja jeer swamy has written a small book on this,
giving reasons. You may refer to that with Tirumala peria jeer mutt.

Question ID: 87 - Swamyin We are enjoying your gifted KANNANIN ARAVAMUDU in

DD for more than a year.In addition to your giving explanation to each gita sloka
your giving particular speciality in each DIVYADESAM makes each one in inducing to
visit these places.before visiting these places particulars you give would be very
useful in not missing anything in those places. I would like to know whether
KINCHITKARAM or D D are planning to comeout with DVD/VCD for cost;Most of the
devotees would like to have.These DVD/VCD would be A TRESSURE for coming
generations.Adiyen has a quite a good collection of cds released by
KINCHITKARAM.After hearing I am preserving for my son,grand children and others.
Kindly inform about GITA programme broadcast daily in DD would be available at
least at a latter date. DASAN LAKSHMI NARASIMHAN - Question By - K S L
NARASIMHAN, ksln1938@hotmail.com

This is a programme by Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) and so they have the rights.
They do have a plan to release this as DVD in future. Regards.

Question ID: 84 - Swamin, adiyen pranams for you. If I question wrongly pls
pardon me. In one of QA section, you have answered that "total age of dwapara
yuga is 864000 years. In 720000th year krishna ascended to vaikuntha.
Mudalazhwars belong to uthara sandhi (72000 years) of dwapara yuga. So it is apt
to have sung about sri krishna". I have heard in your upanyasam that Nammazhwar
was born in kaliyuga after 40 days of lord krishna's ascension to vaikunta. But it
seems like contradictory when I see both matters. Kindly correct me for the above
doubt. - Question By - M. GOPALAKRISHNAN, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

This is a valid doubt. Our purvacharya vyakhyanams mention that Nammazhvar was
born 42 days after the birth of kaliyuga and so there was an ambiguity in my mind.
After probing further it is clear that Nammazhvar was born much later ie after the
uttara sandhi of dvapara was over Vyakhyanams do not mention that Nammazhvar
was born 42 days from the departure of Krishna. They only mention that azhvar is
relatively proximate to the date of Krishna rather than other avataras. (This confusion
would arise if we assume that Krishna departed on last day of dvapara uttara sandhi.
But in fact He departed on the last day of the actual dvapara yuga.)

Question ID: 83 - Adiyen Swami Dasan, Ananthamana dandan for you. Swamin, It
is a doubt I have kept in mind such a long time without any proper clarification. I
beg you to clarify this doubt. My question is that same Rama, Krishna, Kalki avatars
will take incarnation again and again with same events. And the same events from
satya yuga to kali yuga will repeatedly happen without any change but only the
souls will change. For example, swami velukkudi krishnan (you) won't come next
kaliyuga, but another soul with same name, form and events will come in next kali
yuga. If these points are right, My humble question is that where we have got
evidence to testify these facts very clearly from scriptures without any round about
way. Second question is if we get the evidence from scriptures for these facts also,
how can god put the burden of good deeds and misdeeds on the pitiable souls as
the events are happening in a prearranged manner. If I have asked wrongly, pls
pardon me. M. Gopalakrishnan (gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com) - Question By - M.
GOPALAKRISHNAN, gopalan-ltuil@lntecc.com

It is true that avataras repeat (dhata yatha purvam akalpayat) But the name, form,
place etc of individual souls would may not necessarily be the same. At the macro
level sthavara jangama manushya deva etc are created. But at a micro level their
names forms and places may change according to their papa and punya. There would
be sadhus and dushtas owing to their own karmas. In every yuga many would practice
bhakti or saranagati and attain moksham. Our karmas and pain / pleasure as a result,
is not inflicted by Bhagavan. It is our own deed. I have explained this while answering
another similar question in this section a few days ago. Kindly refer to Question ID: 36
for more details on this.

Question ID: 82 - Swamiji i am feeling very very guilty because all my problems
inmy family is due to my ignorance and carelessness only. is iam only person
responsible for what happened ?.is it because of karma? - Question By -
meyyammai, meyyam@gmail.com

We are, due to karma, responsible for the happenings in and around us. However we
are not the only one responsible. There are five factors which coordinate any action
and result - sareeram, pranam, indriyam, atma, paramatma. We must reflect on this
and develop a strong sense that I am not the doer. This is known as akartrva
anusandhanam. Neither this absolves us of our papams nor does it approve us to
commit papams. . We must strictly adhere to sastric principles and in the process if we
inadvertently commit any mistake, it would not affect us. For a saranagata, any papam
is removed if we repent for it and resolve not to commit it again.

Question ID: 81 - Pranams! Dear swamiji. We all have the practice of doing
Santhayavandhanam daily. but we do not know for what santhyavandanam is been
done and also please let me know the purpose of doing it. Namaskarams! - Question
By - A R Hariharan, mbahari2000@yahoo.com

Kindly contact our information centre at 044 24992728. There is a cd released by

Vaikunthavasi Sri U Ve Srinivasa raghavachariar swamy (srikaryam of andavan asram)
which was published by Sri Suresh Krishna of TVS Madurai. This is free. It would give
you all the information you require about sandhyavandanam.

Question ID: 80 - Pranams! As per your advice lastweek"Certainly anjaneya

swamy would give you whatever you want. From your questions it seems that you
want a lot. What do you want at this age ? A tip for your practice - do pradakshinam
chanting Rama namam for a week just for the sake of pleasing Anjaneya swamy
(without requesting anything from him) and let us know the result. You can chant
sundara kandam regularly". I went to anjaneya swami temple just for pleasing
anjaneya swami without asking for wants.I am just starting to feel confident on
myself and also i am getting the Bhagyam of hearing Ramayanam from you at vani
mahal, Chennai. I feel this had been the greatest gift. Thanks for your advice. Also
please tell me any other practice to do daily other than santhyavandhanam which i
do it regularly. Namaskarams! - Question By - A R
Hariharan, mbahari2000@yahoo.com

Kindly chant important stotras of acharyas, tiruppallandu and tiruppavai.

 Question ID: 79 - I wonder, Why Mangai Mannan (Thirumangai Azhwar) did not
visit Thothadri (Vaanamaamalai) which is a Swayam Kshetram and one among 108,
inspite his being in Thirukurungudi, which is very near?!!! He visited lengths and
breadths but still left the cited Kshetra!!! Any specific reason to know? With
respectful Pranams, T.Sridharan - Question By - T.
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

There are a few more instances also like this. No specific reason.

Question ID: 78 - VANCHA KALPADRUPYASCA KRUPA SINDUTHA EVACHA

PATITANAM PAVANEPYO VAISHAVEPYO NAMO NAMAH! acharyan Thiruvadigale
charnam Mudal alwargal birth time most of the acharyas described in dwapara
yugam. But in their pasurams they were mentioning about krishna leelas. Like that
Thirumazhasai piran in his pasuram mentioned about samana and sakya
matham....'. As per the history samana madam just 2000 years before. Kindly clear
my doubts. adeyan Ramanuja dasan - Question By - RAMANUJAM
SARANATHAN, SARANATHAN1964@YAHOO.COM

Dvaparayuga consists of 864000 years out of which 720000 years is the actual yuga
and 72000 years of purva sandhi and 72000 years of uttara sandhi. Sri Krishna
departed this material world on the last year of the actual yuga i.e. 720000th year.
Mudal azhvargal were born after Sri Krishna during uttara sandhi kalam. Regarding the
other question, bouddha and jaina were existing much before these recent buddhas
and jainas. It is evident from the fact that Sage Veda vyasa condemns these faiths in
his Brahma sutra which belongs to dvapara yuga.

Question ID: 76 - I understand that you have started sending the charts to some
people (Kinchitjkaram - 3 months - Rs 1280 - donors). I would be very grateful and
blessed one if I get the charts which I feel enable me to go thro again and again and
thereby improve my knowledge and self. - Narayanan Sridharan. My earlier question
is below: ===== Respected Swamiji, I have the Baghyam of listenng "Kannanin
Aaravamudhu" (both morning andf evening) in Pothigai Channel on Mondays thro'
Fridays. Due to my poor & inadequate retentions, whenever you explain the Stanzas
by chart or using "padigal" I am finding it difficult to recollect the same. Hence I
request your goodselves that these charts / "Padigal" may also be made available in
our website so that many perople like me would get the benefit of repeatedly going
thro them and our spiritual thurst wouid get quenched. - Question By - Narayanan
Sridharan, n_sridharan52@yahoo.com ---- The answer received is : ---- Yes we would
do that. ============== I await. NarayananSridharan -
n_sridharan52@yahoo.com - Question By - Narayanan
Sridharan, n_sridharan52@yahoo.com
 The charts are on our website under the URL Pictures talk. Kindly go through.

Question ID: 75 - Swami, India has 2% of World's land, while the share on
population is 20%.With due consideration to other beleifs, more than 95% of World's
population, may not be following either Saivam or Vaishnavam. Is it a Divine plan, to
populate India more, such that they are initiated into the attainment of Moksha,
atleast after some lives? India is still predominantly a poor country [as per Material
standards] with many beggers. Does our scriptures prescribe begging?
US/Europe/Japan are prospering with healtheir and wealthier citizens, while in India,
with excellent Spritual tradition, many are struggling to live. I am pained at this and
hence this unorganized question ? - Question By - Kalyanapuram
Kannan, kski_in@yahoo.co.uk

Bharata desam is the karma bhumi as mentioned in Sri Vishnu puranam. All the sastric
deeds here bear fruits in moksham. I remember to have read somewhere that once
Indian Prime Minister Sri Lal Bahadur Sastri landed in China along with a few vedic
scholars. The then Chinese Premier Mr. Mao Tse Tung greeted them along with chinese
scholars. He had conveyed the belief in china to our Prime Minister - "To take birth in
Bharat is the penultimate step to attaining salvation." Poverty in India is due to 1. We
being robbed of our wealth by many foreign invaders. 2. It depends on the definition of
wealth. We have been taught to develop our inherent and eternal power of meditation
rather than material wealth. Our focus is on the invisible atman and paramatman but
others focus on visible wealth and this perishable body. For them, material wealth,
which is difficult and painful to earn, is the means for pleasure but for us, bhakti or
saranagati, which are easy and enjoyable to practice, are the means for absolute bliss.
For us both the means and the end are enjoyable. 3. Sri Krishna says ' yasya
anugraham icchami tasya vittam haramyaham - "I rob the wealth of those whom I
choose to bless". Hope this divine statement dispels all doubts.

Question ID: 74 - Poojyasri Swamiji, I wanted to share with you 2 dreams I had
recently. Few days back I had a dream of someone explaining about a temple, which
highlights the importance of the name "Rama". I dont know which temple he was
referring to. Couple of days back I had a dream where someone is showing me a
book with lot of images of god and devotees. One picture I can remember clearly is
of Lord Narasimha and in that dream I can remember someone chanting the verse
"Naarasimha vapuh sriman Keshavah Purushottamah" from Sri Vishnu
Sahasranamam. I request swamiji to guide me on the significance of these dreams.
Is it pointing me to some temple or to do something specific? I do Sri Vishnu
Sahasranama Parayanam daily along with Lakshmi ashtotthara and other slokhas.
Should I be doing something in addition? Humbly request you to guide me on this. -
Question By - Sivakumar PR, ponaiyur@yahoo.com
 I am sorry that I do not know about interpretation of dreams. One thing that the
Upanishads admit is that dreams are a result of punya and papa karmas. This is an
intermediary state to deep sleep. All objects in the dream are created by Brahmam. It
is good that you had dream of Perumal.

Question ID: 73 - Swami, The Kali yuga is of 438,000 years. The current year
-Circa 2008 AD corresspond to Kali year 5109.In the Arithmatic perspective, not
even 1.2% of Kaliyuga has passed. In this light, how long will be the impact of
teachings of Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika... on mankind. They had lived
in the last 1500 years and will their impact be felt in the ever changing world?.
Sorry if my ignornace has not been framed correctly. - Question By - Kalyanapuram
Kannan, kski_in@yahoo.co.uk

Their teachings would be relevant and alive till the last day of kali and then on for
ever. The number of people practicing them may diminish but would never become
zero.

Question ID: 71 - Moksham - To be very precise, when I was having darshan of

Lord Vardaraja in Kancheepuram (Thatu Thirumanjanam), I had a feeling as if
salvation is a state where one forgets oneself in divine ananda and in that process
forget onself and also Him. It was a very palpable feeling. I should say I was literally
able to see Him there. Is salvation really like that? - Question By -
surabhi, arushi_mitra@yahoo.com

Moksham is getting relieved of the pain and pleasure of this mundane world. While
having darshan of Perumal and experiencing His attributes, since we are absorbed in it
we get such a feeling. However this ecstasy vanishes once we are out of sight of
Perumal as the clutches of this world arrest us. It requires a lot of yogam to extend this
ecstasy even when we are away from Him. This pleasure becomes permanent when
we reach Sri vaikuntham which is parama pada prapti.

Question ID: 70 - Namaskarams. This doubt relates to Thirumangai Azwar. When

Sriman Narayanan wishes to place his lotus feet on Azwar's head, Azwar declines. In
addition he states I prefer to serve your Bhakta than you, as elucidated by your
discourse last week at Saranatha perumal divya desam. What is the philosophy
behind this and, why does the Azwar prefer the service to Jivatama in the presence
of paramatma? Kindly pardon my ignorance. With sincere regards, Srinath -
Question By - Srinath, ramamoorthysrinath@gmail.com

This is due to many reasons 1. Bhaktas are the ones who lead us to Bhagavan sowing
the seed of bhakti - we need to be grateful to them more than Bhagavan.
Ezhutharivittavan iraivanagum. 2. They are the lotus feet of Bhagavan - serving them
is serving Bhagavan Himself. 3. Our objective is to please Bhagavan the Master - He is
more pleased when we serve bhaktas than serving Him. 4. Bhaktas share our pleasure
while enjoying bhagavat vishayam and share our agony due to His separation or the
torture of this material world. 5. They correct us when we err. 6. Being humans, in a
way they understand our plight better than Bhagavan can.

Question ID: 69 - Namasthe, I would like to know, how one can develop the
sathvakunam,in the context of this fast and speedy world and the Second question
is what to do with the coconut that was offered in the purna kumpam to the saint
when they do the "ponnadisathudal" at our home in view of the sastra that we
should not eat the food touched by the saints as per Agaraniyam by swami Desikan.
Kindly clear my doubt. with pranams, S.raghavan - Question By -
S.Raghavan, Sraghavan2005@yahoo.com

Ahara suddhi (controlled diet and consumption of satvika food), knowledge about the
shortcomings of rajas and tamas, knowledge about our well being and feeling of
satisfaction when satva guna improves, focusing our sensual organs on the suddha
satva deity of Bhagavan, meditating on the divine attributes of Perumal, nitya karma
anushthanam are some of the ways that help us develop satva guna.

Question ID: 68 - anahakoti namaskaram swamiji, kindly pardon me if am wrong...

This year calender is excellent and its worth preserving it in good condition for
million years unlike the other regular calender... one of my relative asked me to buy
the calender, so i purchased it and gave it her as a gift as i thought she will read &
enjoy the whole concept of the calender. but i came to know from my mother in law ,
she did nt keep in the house rather she didnt hang it near mandir or perumal 's
place. though my mother in law would like to read it but its not available to her
sight too. As i heard she bundled and kept it inside... my mind is really disturbed by
this act... many times my mind provoked me to ask the same and give the same to
some one (i know many deserving prople who are kannanin devotees) but my other
mind is also preventing me , not to do that.. i am also thinking as you said i did my
karma and forget the outcome. but my least expectation is the " conceptial
calender" supposed to utilize well by us as bhaktas.. I really cant think beyond
krishna & Lord Uppliappan ... please kindly give me the strength to control my
thought and fruitful reply to my question. then i am sure my mind will be satisfied
by your answer only. sorry for adiyens' quest. radhamohan - Question By -
radhamohan, radha29@gmail.com

Nothing wrong in asking her as to the fate of the calendar. You can even suggest her a
couple of times to read it. If all these attempts fail, you can request her to give it to
any of her friends who would read it. We should not spare any attempt to induce
people to bhakti without getting perturbed.

Question ID: 65 - vanakkam ayya. mathurakavi aazhwarukkum

nammaaazhvaarukkum idaye aana 'seththadu vayitril siriyadhu kidappin......" enum
uraiyaadalukku vilakkam aliththamaikku miikka nandri. melum , atharku veroru
vilakkam ulladhaaka koorineerkale!! athayum thantharula iyalumaa? - Question By -
ambarish, ambasoft@gmail.com

That is the one found in all books and that is why I did not write. Settadu is achit -
siriyadu is jiva - Where would it live and enjoy - it would enjoy material pleasure and
be bounded in cycles of birth.

Question ID: 64 - Dear Swami, adiyen was listening to your discourse on

'Devaperumal's Aaru Vaarthai' (CD) where devareer has mentioned about
'Swarakshane Swaanwayam'. The examples given by you for the same are two - 1.
Rani not relying on her Raja and asking the neighbouring State's Raja to protect her
and 2. A lady not relying on her husband and going for work for her sustinence.
While the first example is understandable, I have a question regarding the second
one. Do you mean to say that women should not go for work and depend on the
husband's earnings only to run the family? This might be true or applicable even
until fifty years back, but in this modern age, how can we ask women to stay at
home, especially since they are also equally competent (if not more) in most areas
of work like men. Please forgive me for raising this but wanted to seek your views
on the subject. Adiyen, Geetha Krishnan - Question By - Geetha
Krishnan, geethakrishnan@live.com

I understand your view but the dictums of the sastram remain the same. It is the
male's duty to sustain his spouse as per the mantras he had chanted.

Question ID: 63 - Pranams. Human body (any living being) is comprised of crores
of cells. These cells have individual life span. (this is evident from the fact that even
after the soul leaves the body, body parts are transplanted and function well in
other body) During their life span they are nourished by the whole body function
under the influence of Jeevatma. Is it appropriate to say that: (1) nucleus of each
cell is `chit` (Jeevatma) (2) surrounded by protons and electrons `achit` (3) the
`Jeevatma`of the whole body becomes the `Paramatma` for these individual cells.
(4) ie., `chit` &`achit` of all cells collectively form the `achit` or `body` of the
`atman` inside the whole body. Please throw light. Respectful pranams. T.Sridharan
- Question By - T.SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

All cells, atoms including protons neutrons and electrons, molecules are all achit. The
atman resides in them due to karma. They may be many atmans in any part.

Question ID: 62 - Respected Swamin you have mentioned that samashrayanam is

not a mere ritual and that one has to follow the internal and external prescriptions.
What are they? could you please be more specific. what does one have to do to
increase the mental inclination of total surrender and mature us spiritually
especially if one has not got it even after samashrayanam? What importance do
chanting of dwayam and ashtaksharam have in post prapatti days? i find that a lot
of people do not chant these two mantras but do chant other slokas other
srivaishnava acharyas. is this approach correct? - Question By - Geetha
Rangarajan, geetha_rangarajan@hotmail.com

A direct interaction with your samasrayana acharya would be the only right reply to
your question. However, I state in brief Internal qualities - realize that Me, the eternal
atman, is different and superior to this perishable body, not offend anybody through
manas vaak or sareeram, control of sensual organs, steadily develop a detachment to
anything material, develop an attachment and love towards Brahmam Brahmam, shed
haughtiness, practice non violence and patience, honesty in manas vaak and
sareeram, speak only the truth, practice dyanam on Perumal for atleast 30 minutes a
day, think about the glorious berth in Srivaikuntham that is waiting for us and the
path, archiradi marga, which would lead us there, bhagavat bhagavata acharya
pratipatti, absolute belief in the truth that Sriman Narayana, the supreme is my only
sustainer and giver of Moksham, dwell and reflect on bhagavan's divine attributes
which gives immense pleasure, ensure that our entire family in this same wavelength
External qualities : support your parents till their last day, allot atleast 2 hours in a
week to serve somebody in need, learn to live for others, perform nitya karma
anushthana as per varna asrama dharma, consume only satvika ahara that is offered
to Perumal, wear tiruman, get samasrayanam administered, recite nitya
anusandhanam and perform tiruvaradhanam to Perumal daily, contribute our little
mite to acharyan and divya desams in cash or kind or physical service or all the three,
attend kalakshepams to enrich our understanding on Bhagavan, chant dvayam and
 Bhagavan namams as many times as possible daily, be thankful to the purva acharya
parampara which blessed us with this treasure

Question ID: 61 - Respected Swamiji, I have the Baghyam of listenng "Kannanin

Aaravamudhu" (both morning andf evening) in Pothigai Channel on Mondays thro'
Fridays. Due to my poor & inadequate retentions, whenever you explain the Stanzas
by chart or using "padigal" I am finding it difficult to recollect the same. Hence I
request your goodselves that these charts / "Padigal" may also be made available in
our website so that many perople like me would get the benefit of repeatedly going
thro them and our spiritual thurst wouid get quenched. - Question By - Narayanan
Sridharan, n_sridharan52@yahoo.com

Yes we would do that.

Question ID: 60 - Pranams! I am 26 yrs Old. I am a bhakta of Anjaneyar Swami. I

daily go to anjaneya swamy temple in my place. But now-a-days people come and
say to me that Anjaneya swami does not give what you need in instance or quick
time. so it is good for to rather go to some Vishnu temples or Pilayar temples. BUt i
certainly believe that Anjaneya swami will not let me down. I request you to kindly
tell me the pooja and stothras to chant for anjaneya swami and also i request you to
tell me how many pradhakshanams should i do for anjaneya swami. A.R.Hariharan -
Question By - Hariharan, mbahari2000@yahoo.com

Certainly anjaneya swamy would give you whatever you want. From your questions it
seems that you want a lot. What do you want at this age ? A tip for your practice - do
pradakshinam chanting Rama namam for a week just for the sake of pleasing
Anjaneya swamy (without requesting anything from him) and let us know the result.
You can chant sundara kandam regularly.

Question ID: 59 - Pranams! I would like to clarify certain doubts which have been
in mind for a long period. I had seen so many elder person do all the mistakes at
their young age and when they become old they certainly change viceversa. At the
older age they do all their duties, go for upanyasams.temples, perform homams
etc.. but they forgot that when they are young, they where the person who does not
respect their parents or elders. I certainly believe that, all those sins u did at the
young age will certainly have the replica at the olderage. Kindly advice whether my
thinking is correct or not. - Question By - A R Hariharan, mbahari2000@yahoo.com
 Yes. we have to experience the result of any karma. Karma can be burnt through two
means 1. by experiencing or 2. by prayaschittam. The first route is too long and we do
not know the procedure for the second route. Saranagati is in lieu of prayaschittams.
Once you surrender, repent for the previously committed papams and do not repeat
them, our karmas are pardoned by Sriman Narayana.

Question ID: 58 - Respected Swamin!! adiyen humble pranams!! Your highness

may kindly present your reply for the following two questions: 1.As per rule when
the couple seeking blessing and vice versa , spouse stands on theright side of her
husband where as the idle or divyamangala vigraha of Ramar in tirucherai or
wherever we see the pictures in the frames, Goddess sita is standing on the left
side of Ramar or to say thayaar standing on the left side of perumal. Pl clarify the
reason behind this. 2. It was told in one of Devareer upanyasams that when kuchela
met Lord Krishna He took handful of Aval from Kuchela and when he started taking
a second morsel of aval Rukmini thaayaar forced him not to take since already for
one morsel Lord krishna is after kuchela and if he takes one more morsel even
thaayar would be a slave of kuchela. Here the doubt arises to me that out of premai
he is taking more. In this context question of slavery of thaayaar to kuchela why
arises ? If bagwan wish he can even shrink his wealth to the extent needed to him .
Then why thayaar should be slave for taking aval out of love on kuchela. This is only
a question out of inquisitiveness and not to hurt the principles behind this. Purely
out of ignorance this is raised. Pl pardon me for this and kindly consider as a
question asked by an ignorant child asking to father. Adiyen ramanuja dhasan!! -
Question By - kalyani venkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com

The explanation given to me at Tirucherai was - this tirukkolam is of vana vasa ramar
where they are at will and so the common rule of spouse being to the right does not
apply. Whether Krishna consumes the second morsel out of love or compulsion, the
result would be the same.

Question ID: 57 - respected swami, from your geethopadesam i slowly attained

sathvika mind. and i came to a conclusion that only lord krishna is important in this
world and no other thing is needed so all desires and wishes has ceased from my
mind slowly. but one day i was insulted by one of my friend . i felt so bad that whole
day. in such situations how i have to react. whether i should reinsult or fight or
maintain silence that god takes care of everything. i am not able to decide.is there
any answer for this in geetha. please give me a solution. - Question By - aishwarya
ramanuja dasi, aish_july2@yahoo.co.in

Your friend can only insult your body and certainly not your atman. You are to
experience pain as a result of your karma and your friend is an instrument in
implementing it. It is your Karma that makes Bhagavan to influence your friend to
 insult you. Violent response would add to your karma. Just think in these lines - you will
not respond and not be disturbed.

Question ID: 56 - Dear Swami, May I know the significance of calling SRI
RAAMANUJA as Acharya and SRI KOORATHALWVAR as ALWAR though latter is the
deciple of SRI RAMANUJA ?. What is the role played by Acharyas & and Alwars ?
Kindly clarify. - Question By - RAMAN.PADMANABHAN, pram@igcar.gov.in

Your question has the clue to the answer. Azhvars are those who are more absorbed in
divine experience and bhakti and less focused on preaching. On the contrary acharyas
took up preaching as their prime responsibility and experience was secondary.
Koorathazhvan was an exception amongst acharyas who was more inclined towards
divine experience and outpourings which won that title to him.

Question ID: 55 - Hello my name is gautam.i am in class x i would like to know

where and how did come. - Question By - gautam, gautam225_4@hotmail.com

You are created by the Almighty God through your parents in this birth. You are a part
of the same Brahmam. As your limbs are a part of you, you are a part of Paramatma
Sriman Narayana. Think about Him as many times as you can in your day, listen to His
stories and you would progressively realize that you are His part, supported by Him
always and protected by Him in all circumstances.

Question ID: 53 - Mathsyavathara: Why Sri Hari took Asuras along with Devas for
churning the Ocean? Is it that good and bad in balance are required for action? Why
the karmaphala, ie., nectar was not shared to Asuras who were also part of the said
Karma, ie., chruning? If the outcome was to be reached to the deserving, ie.,
SriLakshmi to Sriman Narayana, Aalakala poison to Shankara, Nectar to Devas etc.
what Asuras got out of the said Karma? Please clear my ignorance. Respectful
Pranams. T.Sridharan - Question By - T SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

Bhagavan is asrita pakshapaadi ie He is partial towards His devotees. Devas are His
devotees while asuras are not. (quote: Vishnu bhakti paro deva: viparita: tathaasura:)
Asuras were denied of the nectar as a result of their papa karmas. Narayana
 suggested that devas join hands with asuras as they could not have churned it alone
and also that asuras strength diminishes by the poisonous exhale of vasuki.

Question ID: 52 - enadhu vanakkangal. aiyaa, nammazhvar kuzhandhayaga

irukkumpozhuthu mathurakavi aazhvar avaridam "seththathin vayitril siriyadhu
kidappin eththai thindru enge kidakkum ?" ena kelvi ketkiraar. atharku namaazhvar
"aththai thindru ange kidakkum" endru vidai alikiraar. Intha irandu vasanangalin
moolam ulagirku unartha vizhayum seythu yaathu? ithu kurithu pala kshethrangalil
periyorgalidam vilakkam kettu vitten. avargal sariyaaga vilakka villai. Dhayai
koornthu enakku vilakku veergala? - Question By - ambarish, ambasoft@gmail.com

At the outset, let me place a request. While asking a question kindly do not write or
even think that many have not answered your question earlier and so you are asking
again. There are many great scholars in our sampradaya who can clear any doubt.
Probably you might not have had a chance to interact with them. Now about your
doubt: This saying has two interpretations and I am giving one here. Settadu - jivatma
laden with karma and covered by agnana. Siriyadu - svarupa gnana - (i.e. if a jiva who
has been absorbed in the cycles of birth and agnana is blessed with a little svarupa
gnana )ettai tinnu enge kidakkum - which would be its way to attain Bhagavan and
what would it enjoy on reaching Attai tinnu ange kidakkum - it would absorb
Bhagavan's lotus feet as the only means and enjoy serving the same eventually. The
purpose of this statement is to convey that Bhagavan is the means and He is the
accomplishment (upaaya and Upeya)

Question ID: 51 - Ananthakoti dhandangal to Devareer's thiruvadi! Devareer's

upanyasams have been a constant source of guidance to me. i strongly believe that
Srimannarayanan alone is the Parabrahman. I've heard people saying that God is
formless,etc., Where does the concept of nirguna/nirvisesha brahman arise as said
by the advaithins? Is there any mention about it in the vedas/upanishads? -
Question By - hiranmayi, jyothsna_ns@yahoo.co.in

There are some portions in the Vedanta which apparently suggest nirguna brahmam.
However when read along with all other vakyas we can arrive at the correct concept
that Brahmam is sagunam. After establishing the auspicious qualities of Brahmam
through saguna vakyas, the nirguna vakyas do not negate the same auspicious
qualities of Brahmam but the inauspicious qualities.
 Question ID: 50 - namaskarangal.Eventhough i do the duties correctly, still myself
and patient (wife) suffering like anything.She got kidney transplant last april, donor
is myself. We are having strong faith lord krishna thats what we are able to survive
with this difficulties.We sometimes lose our hope.But after seeing your spiritual
discourse thro' " POTHIGAI" we convince ourselves. Still she is having some health
problems .Can you pl guide us to pass the hurdles . - Question By -
dayalan, dayalan@igcar.gov.in

I am moved by the way you have taken things positively seeking solace in Sri Krishna.
At times He puts His bhaktas through many hardships. It is like gold subjected to
hardships to decorate the neck of somebody. Here we can be assured that we would
be a necklace around the neck of Sri Krishna. Kindly chant His holy names as much as
possible. You can chant Nammazhvar's 1st centum 7th decad "piravittuyar ara..." (11
verses) which would reduce your agony. Sri Krishna would certainly stand by you.

Question ID: 49 - I pay my obeisances unto u. With reference to one of the verses
from Srimadh Bhagavatha Mahapuranam, adiyaen infer that Krishna is the
Bhagavan or Svayam - meaning he is the seed/creator of this Universe and the last
part says, the different incarnations happen when there is a disturbance. So, it
would mean to say that the Krishna avatharam is the Svayam Avatharam or the God
himself came to earth? and all other incarnations are his portions? Also, i would like
to know if Krishna, Sriman Narayanan, Maha Vishnu are interchangeable and they
refer to the same name. Please correct me if i am wrong. Thanks. Hare Krishna -
Question By - Srikanth, Limited.Srikanth@in.bosch.com

Svayam only means it is Sri Mahavishnu Himself who incarnates. This usage does not
give any room to say that all other incarnations are of Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna avatara
is read along with all other avataras. When it mentions that Narayana or Hari or Vishnu
incarnates, it means that Sriman Narayana is the avatari and Sri Krishna is His
avataram. Let us conclude this string of questions with this reply.

Question ID: 47 - Hails to Sri Hari. Your Discourse on Bhagavat Geeta on TV is very
simple superb are the ways you try to push the meanings into the listener. But still,
if some listeners are like me, at the end of 18 chapters, we will end up in the middle
of the road, confusing between which yoga to practice. In Kali, it is fast, even
willing to reach Sri Vaikuntha by `hook or crook`, means, `we cant perform yogas
strictly as per norms, but still sincerely WISH to reach SRIMAN NARAYANA`s
SRIPADHAM. So, I submit that you may have to give an easy CAPSULE at the END OF
18 CHAPTERS, which is practical and easy to `swallow` or FOLLOW by any common
man in this Kaliyuga - like `Om Namo Narayanaya Namaha` by SriRamanuja - which
takes us TO HIM. Doctrines are bound to get crossed in Kali and hence solution
suitable for Kali is required. Respectful Pranams. T.Sridharan - Question By - T
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

We are not going to invent new yogas. Saranagati is the right medicine in kali yuga.
However using phrases like hook or crook would only demean the greatness of
saranagati. Even saranagati fetches moksham only if performed with realization and
maha visvasa.

Question ID: 46 - Pl give very simple definition that even a layman can understand
clearly - for Advaita, Dwaita and Vishishtadvaita. Also, when all paths are leading to
same destination, what is the need for the evolution of three Sidhanthas? With
respectful Pranams, T.Sridharan - Question By - T
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

Advaita - Only one real atman which is brahmam, other than that everything else
whether sentient or non sentient is illusion, jiva and brahmam are one and the same.
There is nothing second to brahmam. Brahmam is formless, attributeless. Realising
that everything is illusion and I am Brahmam is (ikyam) moksham. Visishta advaitam -
all the three chit achit and isvara are real and different. Chit and achit are inseperably
dependant on paramatma. There is nothing that is equal to the paramatma that is in
communion with chit and achit. Brahmam assumes all forms, and is full of divine
attributes. Realising that I am the absolute servant of brahmam and attaining
Srivaikuntham to enjoy eternal bliss (saamyapatti )is moksham. Dvaitam - chit achit
and isvara are real and different. The jiva is not entirely dependant on paramatma. As
you can see all the three do not lead to the same destination. So the need to rightly
interpret the Vedanta.

Question ID: 45 - My respectable pranaam to you acharya ! ahdiyen have

planbned for Sri Maha Sudarshana Homam at my Home. I would like to know
information about Sudarshana homam. Can we have Lord sudarshana photo at
home? some pweople say we should not have it at home. request you to please
clarify the same . Many Thanks - Question By - Vinodh, vinodhbharadwaj@gmail.com

Kindly contact your family brhaspati. He would be the right person to guide you.
 Question ID: 44 - Respected Swamy, Adiyen namaskaram. Kindly request you to
clarify my following doubt. What is the difference between "Jeevathma as sareeram
of paramathma" and "Jeevathma as prakaram of paramathma". Thanks. Satya. -
Question By - Satya, satya_chellam@yahoo.com

atma as a sareeram of Paramatma is a dravya which forms part of His divine body,
being borne and controlled by Him for His sole enjoyment. Atma as a prakaram ? it is
apruthak siddha viseshanam of Paramatma ? inseparable qualification. All sareerams
would be prakarams but not all prakarams are sareerams. The divine qualities of
Brahmam is His prakaram but they are not His divine body. Jiva is His sareeram as well
as prakaram.

Question ID: 19 - Swami sannidhiyil adiyen Ramanuja dasan thendam

samarpiththa vignapanam. Swami, adiyen is blessed to have the thiruvadi
sambandham of Thirumani Swamikal of Mudaliyandan Thiruvamsam (at
Thiruallikeni). adiyen has two daughters aged 7 and 4. adiyen is confused about
how and when they will get their samasrayanam and get Ramanuja sambandham.
Supposing adiyen had boys, they would have had their samasrayanam immediately
after their upanayanam. But what about girls, Why do they have to wait till their
marriage? if so why this lowkika even called 'marriage' is preventing their
opportunity to get samasrayanam? as an athma why are they having different rule?
what if they don't live till they get married? Can adiyen approach my Achryan for my
daughters samasraynam? Swamy kindly enlighten. adiyen Ramanaja dasan Sampath
Kumar Padmanaban - Question By - Sampath Kumar, janasampath@yahoo.com

We have a practice of girls? samasrayanam after their marriage only. Do not feel that
they are denied till that age. Sastras wait till that age. For that matter even male
children are denied till the age of upanayanam. The point to be noted is that they are
not denied for ever. If a girl decides to remain unmarried then she can approach her
acharyan for samasrayanam. Even practically speaking if they get samasrayanam
before marriage and then after marriage her inlaws acharyan would be different, will
she get samasrayanam again (which is not permitted) or would husband and wife
belong to two acharyans. So kindly wait till your daughters get married and then they
can be administered samasrayanam through their in laws acharyan.

Question ID: 43 - My respectable pranaam to you, My question is, sometimes

people think that Lord Krishna is one among the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, but my
understanding is that Lord Krishna is the source forms including Maha Vishnu,
Garbhodakshayi Vishnu and Kshirodakashyai Vishnu. These are 24 lila avatars like
Matsya avatar, Kurma avatar etc., and all these originate from Krishna. That is
mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam (1.3.28) "ete camsa kala pumsa krishnas tu
bhagavan svayam" and on other hand it is said Lord Vishnu is the bhagavan or
supreme lord. please can you clear my doubts. Please forgive me if I have offended
you or any of the sampradayas. - Question By -
Ashish_bhjbl@yahoo.com, Ashish_bhjbl@yahoo.com

There are hundreds of verses in Srimad Bhagavatam which talk about the supremacy
of Sriman Narayana or Sri Maha Vishnu or Hari. The words in the slokas and the
purport are clear that 1. Narayana is the Creator and everything else is created.
(2.5.15,16)(2.6.30) 2. From matsya to kalki , not only 24, but innumerable number of
avataraas are all of Narayana. 3. Sri vaikuntham is the ultimate abode where
Paravasudeva resides and where every atman has to reach some day. Just browse
through and rewind 5 slokas - 1.3.23. Ekonavimse vimsati tame vrishnishu prapya
janmani - ramakrishnou iti bhuvo Bhagavan aharat bharam. This sloka says that Sri
Krishna and Balarama are both incarnations of the same Vishnu like any other
incarnation. They are also numbered as 19 and 20. In the 28th sloka which you have
mentioned it differentiates Sri Krishna from the other avesa avataras like parasurama ,
vyasa and manus and confirms that Sri Krishna is one of the mukhya avataras. Again
in 2.7.26 it is mentioned that Sri Krishna and Balarama are the 21st and 22nd avataras
of the same Sri Mahavishnu. In 9.24.45 it is said that Hari took birth as the eighth child
Krishna. When the devas go to the ocean of milk and plead to save them, Bhagavan
assures to take birth as Krishna and relieve them (10.1.23). Further in 10.2.16 it
specifies that an amsa ( a portion) of Vishnu entered the womb of Devaki to be
krishna. So, Sri Krishna, the most beloved of all the azhvars, is an incarnation of
Sriman Narayana.

Question ID: 42 - Swami Adiyen Ramanuja Dasi. My humble pranams. First of all
thank you very much for taking time off for ignorant souls like me, who, but for your
Kalakshebam CDs would have been totally lost in life ! My question is: What is the
significance of Varnashrama Dharma in todays world? I understand that doing
karma the Vedic way is important, but it looks like in todays world, we do it in
parallel to our other activities like education, work etc. When I try to look at the
essence of the Vedic Karma classification, I feel that we should also take the
essence of it in our activities today(not only Spiritual activities, but also normal
activities). For example, irrespective of a person's birth varna, if he works as a
Software Engineer(for example), or a Professor, it is a task that involves more
mental strain than physical strain.. For such a person, irrespective of his birth, the
extra muscle power from meat eating is not necessary. It will only lead to health
complications. Similarly, a person working in the Army, irrespective of his birth,
needs more muscle power. There, we can see what the Vedas prescribe for a
Kshatriya, and follow it. So, the significance of the Varnashrama dharma in essence
in todays world, is what I would like to understand. I am not sure if I have
formulated my thoughts well.. May be I will follow it up with more questions later..
Thank you very much for this opportunity. Pizhaigalai Kshamikka Prarthikkiren..
Adiyen. - Question By - Deepa Vijayaraghavan, deepa.vijayaraghavan@gmail.com
 Varna and asrama dharmas are relevant for any day. They may deteriorate due to the
changing yugaas and more due to the nature of people in the yugaas. Your suggestion
that we can alter the prescribed dharmas according to their current profession cannot
be held valid as, prima facie, a change in profession itself is not acceptable. When
there is a rule that I should not cross the yellow line can we formulate a fresh set of
rules for driving across the line. In reality even if many are crossing it cannot be
justified or ratified. I would write further when you clearly come up with your doubt.

Question ID: 41 - " It is the karma of dvarapalaka's which decided their demonaic
birth". I am confused. Even if the souls (Dvarapalaks) at Sri Vaikuntam are
influenced by karma and take birth, which is the state attaining which neither
Karmas nor birth influence? Which is such state `Saranagathi` takes the soul of no-
return? Please throw light to my ignorence. Respectful Pranams. T.Sridharan -
Question By - T SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

It is either karya vaikuntham or Sri Vishnu lokam where this took place. As you have
rightly said Sri vaikuntham is a place for those who have shed all their karmas and
attained mukti and this is why sanaka and sanatkumara could not have visited here.
Further in Sri vaikuntham Bhagavan never sleeps and so dvarapalakas could not have
stopped the two citing Bhagavan's resting as a reason.

Question ID: 40 - Swami, Kindly advise the apt timings of performing Sandhya
vandanam and Madhyannigam. Also request the appropraite timings of taking food,
suiting the above. With due consideration to my Karma, I am comfortable with the
western system of Breakfast [8 [am]hours], Lunch [1-2 p.m] and Dinner [7-8 p.m]. -
Question By - Kalyanapuram Kannan, kskki_in@yahoo.co.uk

You can perform prata: Sandhya between 5.45 - 6 am. Then tiruvaradhanam,
madhyanhikam - 7.45 am. and then breakfast. Evening Sandhya between 5.30 and 6
pm. I do not know whether you are still employed. If not, these timings and practices
can be altered to better suit vaidic culture.

Question ID: 39 - Swaminh, Pranams I have some clarifications about our

Sampradhaya. The doubts may be quite absurd but please pardon me and oblige to
clarify them. 1. Heard in aupanyasam that there is a vyakyanam for Srimath
Baghavatham with vaishnavite / vishishtadhwaidhic principles other than
Sridhariyam, which is based on adwaitha. Would like to know about that. 2. Srimath
Baghavatham is a saadhwika purana as old as more than 1000 years ago. But heard
that Baghavatham - a collections of vedic mantras came to this world only after the
period of Swamy Ramanuja - is it so? 3. There is no quotation of Srimath
Baghavatham in the life history of Swamy Ramanuja either "like Ramayana,
Baghavath vishayam from five Acharyas but not Baghavatham like this" Why is it
so? Is it due to that Baghavatham contains also matter of devathandhara
Bhajanam? 4. Swami Ramanuja & Swami Manavalamamuni both are sages. But
Thiruvadhayanam (annual ceremony) is done for only Manavalamamuni and but not
for Swami Ramanuja. Both are incarnations of Adhiseshan. Why this discrepancy?
Dhanyawaadh Adiyen Radheeka Jegann - Question By - Radheeka
Jegann, radheeka@rpgstsl.in

1. Veeraraghaviyam is the commentary based on vedic principles i.e. vishistadvaitic

concepts. 2 and 3 - Sri Ramanuja has neither quoted any verse from Bhagavatam in
any of his works nor has he mentioned about that in any of his discourses. So he could
not have propagated it. Bhagavatam does not contain any devatantara bhajanam. If so
it would not have been categorized as satvika purana. There is also an opinion that
Bhagavatam in vogue today might have been authored by a saintly poet of tamil origin
after the date of Sri Ramanuja. All these are just comments without any authenticity. 4.
Tiruvadyayanam of Sri Manavala Mamunigal gained importance as it is being
conducted by Sri Ranganatha Himself as a disciple.

Question ID: 38 - respected swami, i was able to understand karma yogam,bhathi

yagam, prabakthi yogam individually.but i am not able to get the differance
between these three.because in all these three one cannot go out of his duty.a
person following any yogam should do his duty perfectly then in what way one
differs from the other. please explain.requesting your blessings. aishwarya. -
Question By - aishwarya ramanuja dasi, aish_july2@yahoo.co.in

Karma yogam is ancillary to bhakti yogam. Performing ones karma burns his papam.
This is a prerequisite to the dawn of bhakti. Both karma and bhakti are categorized as
saadhya upaya - i.e. which is accomplished by human efforts. Prapatti is siddha upaya
where the responsibility to do anything to attain moksham ceases with humans and
gets switched to Bhagavan. It is His effort that reaches us to moksham in this.

Question ID: 37 - Respected Sir, 1. I am not learned in Sanskrit to study the vedas
and comprehend their meaning myself.I repeatedly find people telling that meat
eating was prevelent in ancient India.One person also said Rig Veda Book 1 Chapter
162 verse 12 shows meat eating was encouraged. I believe that misinterpretation is
the order of the day and this is one such case but on the other hand Lord Krishna
mentions in Bhagavad Gita " thraigunya vishayaa vedhaa.....", so I am not able to
come to a conclusion . 2. It is emphasised that vibrations in vedic chanting is the
key to its role in our lives.A recent issue has raised questions like "why cant we use
only tamil in temples as we understand it well?".What is there in sanskrit that is not
there in Tamil?.Kindly explain the uniqueness of sanskrit matras. - Question By -
Anand, anand_v21@yahoo.com

Vedas do prescribe and guide one and all. Meat eating is allowed for some. They would
also transform slowly. As you have said we have to choose our right recipe from the
Vedas based on who we are and what we want to accomplish. Chanting tamil
pasurams of azhvars has been in practice for thousands of years in Vishnu Temples in
tamil nadu. This is nothing new. This in no way contradicts vedic chanting. All tamil
Vedas have their source from Sanskrit Vedas only which is verily mentioned in the
tamil pasurams themselves. So no harm can be done to Sanskrit Vedas. They are
apourusheya and anaadi. Even one word chanted rightly from Sanskrit Vedas would
reach us to svargam. Now, the request is to chant tamil nayanmars pasurams in a
select siva temple.

Question ID: 36 - I strongly feel Sriman Narayana is the one who design all
Karmas for Jeeva. The Dwarapalaks of SriVaikunta were just performing their duty.
It is Sriman Narayana who advance- planned for his ensuing Avatars and chose the
Dwarapalaks to act as His rivals in the Avtars (I think it is again a testing for the
Dwarapalaks to ensure that they are competent enough to hold that security post).
This He got fulfilled thro the curse of Bruhu Rishi. So, all the acts/karmas of
Hiranya, Ravana and Kamsa with their brothers, are all pre-determined by Sriman
Narayana HImself. Thats why these Jivas went to the abode of Hari after the end
and without any rebirth in the pretext of Karmaphala. Being the creation of SriHari,
this should be applicable for all Jivas, ie., their Kama, Karma, and Karmaphala - are
pre-determined by Sri Hari. At the end all Jivas automatically reach His abode as per
His Plan. Why should I then worry for my Kama, Karma or Karmaphala, when it is all
His? and not mine? I am acting only as His tool to satisfy His own Kama.!!! Pl
comment. Respectful Pranams, T.Sridharan - Question By - T
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

I had replied to this question earlier too. However let me write again. Sriman Narayana
does not decide or pre determine the karmam of jivas. It is we who are responsible for
the same. He does not influence us in this matter. Having given the required
infrastructure viz body, mind, gnana and sastras He watches us perform. It is we who
decide our actions. This does not mean that He does not control us. Although a
common farmer has about 10 acres of land, and controls them all, he tills and waters
them equally, each tree or plant grows according to their seeds only. Unlike this God
does not sow the seed. It is we who sow the seed of karmas and grow accordingly.
When we have knowledge and reasoning power why should God behave like a
shepherd, deciding the sheep's detailed course, with us. It is the karma of
 dvarapalaka's which decided their demonaic birth and this was not influenced by God
to facilitate His avatara.

Question ID: 35 - Adiyen Namaskaram. Kindly pardon my ignorance. How did the
Atma stray from the vicinity of Sriman Narayanan to startwith and end up having to
get trapped in bodily forms in the lesser worlds ? Sincere Thanks and Regards,
Srinath - Question By - Srinath, ramamoorthysrinath@gmail.com

Atma and its karmam is anadi (without a beginning). So it was not with Brahmam
initially and then stray. It had been suffering these cycles of births for time
immemorial. But there is an end to its karmam and births through bhakti or
saranagaty.

Question ID: 34 - Dear Swami, Pranams. It is said that we should not practice "
bhakthi" in aticipation / with expectation of some thing ( material / peace of mind )
from GOD. When we are in distress we are bound to pray God with an appeal that
we will do a particular thing ( anna dhanam / anga prathkshanam / offering in
hundi ) lest our beloved ones are rescued from their sufferigs. Is it wrong to ask our
( PITHA ) God what we want though He knows what we deserve ?. Since
SARANAGADHI is NOT THAT EASY to practice. Kindly clarify. Adiyen Ramanuja dasan
- Question By - RAMAN.PADMANABHAN, pram@igcar.gov.in

If saranagaty is tough bhakti is tougher. If we really realise God to be our parent and
act according to His wish we can request Him to cure our son or daughter or whoever
as he or she is also a bhakta. Even without this request He would cure. We should not
confuse this with bhakti. Do we request our father for something just because he is our
father or because we love him ,maintain him, pay him or prostrate before him. It is
only because we revere God as our father we ask for something material in extreme
circumstances (certainly not material wealth, buying a property, profit in business,
etc). Still we would not ask Him anything as a reciprocation for Bhakti.

Question ID: 33 - Respected Swamy! Adiyen pramam!! We the vaishnavite being

an Acharyan sampandhi are not supposed to have Dhevathandhra Bhajan which
atleast by now most of us might be well aware of this principle but till now from our
ancestral period, during any of the friday of the month of Adi and Thai , most of us
(which means all the vaishnavites including vaidhiga and non vaidhiga family) go to
amman temple and pour Milk to Snake putru. If it is not done we get frightened and
we will have an obsession that snake will come in the dreams. Is that principle right
and to be followed still or why there is no such restriction to it. Swamy may pl
clarify. Thanks a lot and it is a big boon for us that we are living in your period so
that many things are getting properly clarified. Hats off to Swamy. Adiyen Ramanuja
Dhasan. - Question By - kalyani Venkatesh, kallyalni272002@hotmail.com

As you said this is in practice. This is certainly not as per Srivaishnava principles.
Those who are practising can sit together as a family and discuss the issue and
discontinue. In case you do not arrive at a consensus of discontinuing due to elders
not agreeing or youngsters not agreeing, kindly do it temporarily to adisesha (nagar)
in a Perumal temple.. Change your understanding about puttru or paal and meditate
that it is an offering to adisesha. Revisit the problem after two years. We would have
matured by then. What I have said here is not the right or permanent solution.
However it is a progressive step.

Question ID: 32 - A friend of mine asked "When the name `NARAYANA` is existing
from the beginning and prior to the birth of SriRamanuja, how it gets importance in
ShriRamanuja`s pronouncing the same, from Temple Top and gets the status of
Mantra for Moksha. Kindly throw light to our Agnana. Respectful Pranams.
T.Sridharan - Question By - T SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

Narayana namam is eternal. Ramanuja did not invent it. The contribution of Ramanuja
by preaching it from Tirukkottiyur vimanam gains importance owing to the following :
All acharyas before Ramanuja were known as anuvritti prasanna acharya i.e. those
who preach to sishyas only based on stringent qualifications. Ramanuja was a
revolutionary who started preaching to sishyas not based on stringent norms but on
willingness and eagerness to learn. This was the only qualification. Thus Sri Ramanuja
came to be praised as kripa matra prasanna acharya.

Question ID: 31 - "However atman is distinguished by virtue of gnana from achit" -

quote: Your Highness. Doubt: Gnana & Agnana the duals - also outcome of Sriman
Narayana`s Srishti Sankalpa like `Achit` and `Atman, the Chit`?!. When
Gnana/Agnana, is the fuel or drive force to Actions in the created world which also
acts as a binding between Chit and Achit, is right to discard Gnana/agnana to attain
Moksha the abode of no-change? - Question By - T
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com
 We have to drive away the darkness of agnana to accomplish moksham. Isvara
created everthing - satva rajas and tamas, poison and amruta, humility and
haughtiness, mercy and cruelty, ravana and vibheeshana, hiranya and prahlada - we
have to choose the right and follow.

Question ID: 30 - Respecte Swamy, Adiyen pranam!! Actually a thought of quest

arose reg yoga whether it is accepted in srivaishnavism and if so why it is not
implemented or ended wih Srimath Ramanujar, but after attending a splendid
lecture by Your Highness in the Madras University two days before, about the great
Philosopher, Vedhanthi, and above all our sampradhayic Acharya, some of the basic
doubts were clarified but yet the few following questions cropped up in adiyen's
mind which Swamy may pl clarify those quests. They are viz: 1. If a saranaagathan
who is as well practising Yoga with the sole aim to realise Paramaathma
Sakshathkaram without any expectations, can the yoga be continued or does it
affect the principle of saranagathi since both are the parellel lilnes of attaining
mukthi and our Swamy Ramanujar thereafter realising the difficulties of yoga
profounded the Saranaagathi principle in Srivaishnavism asan alternate , easy
marga to attain mukthi. 2. Lord Kirshna had even laid emphasis on the Yoga
margam and its modalities wherein he also justified that if due to circumstantial
discontinuity of yoga in the existing birth , it can even be resumed in the ensuing
birth on asiswhereis basis. But here the crux of the doubt is that yoga is the self
effort to some extent whereas the same person being a saranaagathan posing
everything to God. In such case the sanchithakarma will washed away with the
nirhethuga kirupai of God leaving the Prarabtha Karma which has to be cleared only
by suffering with the existing body inthe same birth . This is for the saranagathi
rule where as being also a yoga person it seems whether the question of prarabtha
karma arise since he realises while doing yoga about the modus operandi ofit and
correct himself with the mind control. So will it not be( both the principles)
contradictory to each other????Will there be any side effect since the sole aim is
only to realise Kalyana Guna of God and motivate the Bakthi and premai on God. 3.
If the Meditation is done for long hours will that affect the weight of the body due
to over heat(?!!). Swamy may pl parden me for presenting such a lengthy message
of quest making inconvenience to your precious schedule of time. Pl forgive me ad
thank you in advance for accepting this quest and awaiting very anxiously the
answers from your end. Adiyen Ramanuja dhasan. - Question By - kalyani
venkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com

Yoga cannot be replaced. It can only be simplified. Yoga is necessary to every

saranagata in the last part of the day (yoga kalam). This above yoga is not a sadhana
but only adhikari rupa or enjoying bhagavat gunas. The yoga mentioned in 5th and 6th
chapter of Gita is sadhana yoga. So let us drop that and its effects like burning karmas.
For a saranagata it is only Isvara kripai that does everything. A saranagata is supposed
to serve Bhagavan and His adiyars for long hours as prescribed and practice yoga only
during the last 6 nazhigai of the day. This would not affect the metabolism of the body.
 Question ID: 29 - Namashkarams. Adiyaen would like to know if the Absolute
Truth, Supreme Brahman and the Paramathma are one and the same. I have heard
comparing these three with the Sun's core part, its rays and the Disc respectively.
Also, would like to know, if the Absolute Truth is Krishna and Supreme Brahman is
Maha Vishnu - the reason i am hitting at this is - at the time of Pralayam, there
would be void all around, except for Krishna, who floats in the water. Then, there is
advent of Maha Vishnu and he takes differnt incarnations etc. Is the above
statement true or otherwise. I apologize if anything is wrong from my side. Please
advice. Hare Krishna Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha - Question By - Krishnakumar
K., krishnakumar.k@aol.in

The absolute truth - satyam, or Paramatma or Para brahmam are all one and the same
Sriman Narayana. He is the omni potent Creator of this Universe. One of His
incarnations is Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna had returned to His abode Sri Vaikuntham at the
end of Dvapara yugam. During pralayam or srusti Sriman Narayana, the omni present,
eternally permeates every where.

Question ID: 28 - This is with reference to my previous question on Pappa and

Punya Karmas. Thanks for the response. From the answer, i could infer that,
devotion or bakthi which is carried out to appease the Master/ the Lord and not
expecting anything in return would fetch Moksha. So, all our devotional service
when intended for a particular thing - be it material happiness or even Moksha
itself, wouldn't fetch us Moksha. But, the same, when done purely for the
satisfaction of the Lord, that would fetch us Moksha. Please correct me if i am
wrong. Thanks in advance. Hare Krishna. Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha. - Question
By - Krishnakumar K., krishnakumar.k@aol.in

Just a correction in you second sentence. Practice of bhakti yoga expecting moksham
in return would give moksham but this is inferior to svayam prayojana bhakti or
saranagati where we do not expect anything in return. We would by default be granted
moksham. I sweat when I pounded a kilo of grain in a mortar. I did not pound for the
sake of sweating but it happened by default. Similarly I practice bhakti not expecting
moksham but I am granted automatically. Bhagavan is most pleased with these.

Question ID: 27 - Swamin Namaskaram.I heard in one of your upanyasam,that in

pralayam all jeevathmas are sticked to emperuman body.In that case,why our
papams are not vanished as we are nearer to god? - Question By -
A.Banusekar, srirama01@dataone.in
 We are always near God or rather inseparable from God. That would not clean the
karmas. It is cleaned by prayaschittams, karma yoga along with atma gnana or
saranagati only. So pralayam does not alienate this agony. It is only a temporary
suspension of experiencing pain or pleasure. In pralayam we do not realize our
inseparable relationship but lie low almost as non sentient. It is only gnana ripened to
saranagati which leads us to mukti

Question ID: 26 - Dear Swami, Adiyen belongs to the Desika sampradayam, but
come from a background where treating the Desika and Pillai Lokacharya
sampradayams differently is not done. Swami's message regarding not dwelling on
the differences (where we, in today's age do not have the gnaanam of the maha
vidvans of yore), in the Dayaa Satakam upanyasam also has a deep impact on me.
Yet, I feel I need to be careful in showing respects to elders, for example while
prostrating before elders, or any such acts where the practices might be different
with the two sampradyams. So, as a case in point, is adiyen right in assuming that
when paying respect to an elder/vidvan/acharya of the Lokacharya sampradayam, it
is best to stick to the practices of the Lokacharya sampradaym itself, even though
adiyen belongs to Desika sampradayam? - Question By - Praveen
Krishnan, praveenkrish06@iimb.ernet.in

Kindly follow the practices prescribed in the sampradayam which you belong to (in
your case - Desika sampradayam) wherever or whichever situation you are. Both
sampradayams preach respect and honour to elders eventhough the method may
differ.

Question ID: 25 - Swamin,Myself and my son are visiting Sriperumbudur

everymonth on Thiruvadhirai day and visit temple and worship perumal Tayar and
EMPERUMANAR.Our SAMASRAYANA Acharya+s thirumaligai also inthe same place.If
that day falls on Sunday or holiday we go in the afternoon for thirumanjanam etc
and before that we goto Acharyan thirumaligai and after doing DHANDAM to Swamy
we go to temple.otherdays since my son has to go to office we go to temple
directlyfor Viswarupa sevai and then visit Acharyan thirumaligai.My doubt is
whether we can go temple first and then visit Acharyan.Ofcourse we take
upaharams to temple aswell as Acharyan.Kindly calify. 2 Once our acharyan told if
we meet him at temple( not in sannidhi) we should not Dhandan him as supremme
Perumal is there.Since then whenever We meet him at temple we don't do dhanden
at temple. Is it alright? ADEYEN DASAN LAKSHMINARASIMHAN - Question By - K S L
NARASIMHAN, ksln1938@hoymail.com

Both ways are ok but it is preferable to have darshan of acharyan first. While taking
upaharams there is a subtle difference - take what you wish to offer to Perumal and
 take what acharyan likes to acharyan. Kindly act as per your acharyan's instructions -
not to prostrate in the temple - instead you can do it at his tirumaligai.

Question ID: 24 - 'Matter' or 'Material` is the 'Sariram'/ 'Body' for the 'Sariree' /
'Inner Self' inside it. When all matters along with their Sarirees inside form the
Sariram of Sriman Narayana, how can I differentiate good and bad, whether it is the
act or the performer of the act! My inner self says it is Sriman Narayana everywhere
and all happenings are as per His Divine wish. So whether it is Ravana or Naradha,
when visualized as part of Sriman Narayana, both are respected in totallity with
Sriman Narayana. They are just performing Sriman Narayana`s Wish and hence to
be respected. Please clarify. Pranams, T.Sridharan - Question By - T
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

Every jiva (chit) and all matter (achit) are sareeram of Sriman Narayana the sareeri.
However atman is distinguished by virtue of gnana from achit. Using this gnana as a
tool and with the help of sastras the jiva acts driver by his karmas. Bhagavan does not
interfere in jivas decision to act wicked. Veda vyasa in his brahma sutra says
"vaishamya naigrhunye na saapekshatvat" meaning brahmam cannot be blamed for
discrimination or mercilessness as the jivas act guided by their karmas. Our body
atman relationship would not be the right example to explain this as our body is totally
achit (and so cannot act on its own) whereas Bhagavan's divine body comprises of
achit and chit. Every jiva has a right to decide in his first step to every action and then
on Isvara support Him in his path. Bhagavan controls us but does not decide every
minute first action of ours. I agree that we have to revere ravana or sisupala because
they form part of Bhagavan - but with a condition - if ravana and sisupala agree that
they are a part of Bhagavan. If they had agreed they would no more be Ravana or
sisupala. Being a part of Bhagavan alone is not enough but the realization of it is more
important. For example a holy dip in ganges would clear our papam. Will it apply to all
the fishes living for ever in ganges. No. It is the gnana that ganges is the sri paada
tirtham of Trivikrama and a dip in it would fetch moksham that matters.

Question ID: 23 - Respected Sir, Whether it is in order to worshipVinayaka? In all

the temples of ours (Vaishnavites) the deity is installed and our archakas do
perform archanas there. Whether it is in order? - Question By - M K
Sridharan, vansri@airtelmail.in

This elephant headed deity in Srivaishnava temple is not the Vinayaka (popularly
known as the son of Siva). He is gajanana one of the military chieftains of vishvaksena.
 He is worshipped by Sri Parasara bhatta in his invocatory verse in Sri Vishnu
sahasranama bhashya - om namo gaja vaktradyai...

Question ID: 22 - Namashkarams. Would like to know about Punya karmas. Said in
Bhagavath Gita that, if one is in devotional service, then reactions to all the past
Pappa and punya karmas will be burnt to ashes. In this regard, are visiting temples,
chanting, Slokas, kirtans Punya karmas or those which will give a status of Moksha
to us? Please advice. Srimathe Ramanujaya namaha. Hare Krishna - Question By -
Krishnakumar K., krishnakumar.k@aol.in

I am not very clear on the question. However you can see whether this reply answers
your question. Punya karmas reach us to svarga or any other loka of material
enjoyment. Papa karmas on the other hand leads us to naraka for punishment. One
has to shed papa and punya karmas to reach moksham. All the services which we do
here are a part of bhakti. If you expect anything in reciprocation to your bhakti then
the result would not be moksham. If you expect moksham in reciprocation of bhakti
then you are using bhakti as a sadhana (means) to moksham which is a very difficult
path. If you accept Bhagavan himself as the means to reach moksham then all the
bhakti and other services which you do here are to be treated as kainkaryam which a
servant does to his master and not as means for moksham. So going to temple or
yatra etc are only kainkaryams and not means for mukti.

Question ID: 21 - Sir - I am fortunate to get to know about you and had the
opportunity to listen to some of your Upanyasams. I have a silly question - please
bear with me. I am a Sri Vaishnavite and has immense faith in our religion. But this
question has been haunting me since I started listening to Bhagawad Gita. In
Bhagawad Gita all good things are preached by Lord Krishna... but why he was
using not-straight techniques to kill the opponents (kauravas)... If he has preached
Dharma, he should have made Arjuna to beat his opponents in righteous
manner...eg: the way Drona, Bheeshma (using Shikandi), Duryodana (hit below the
waist against the rules)... If this is irrelvent - please ignore my question... profound
apologies... - Question By - Srinivasan, ssrini_26@yahoo.com

You are right that all rules are to be followed. But exceptions are inevitable when the
wicked had to be killed to save the society. Wherever you find a deviation from the
common rule in Mahabharata it would have been caused to fulfill another sapa (curse)
or a boon or a vow (pratignya) . Both instances mentioned by you fall under this
category. Krishna has the responsibility to kill the wicked as well as upkeep the boons
 or curses granted by rishis or devatas. But for these exceptions there would not be any
deviation.

Question ID: 20 - Namaskaram. Iwant to know Bharata, Mentioned in Srimad

Bhagavatam is the same Bharata born to Dushyan tha & Sakuntala. Kindly clarify,
Adiyen. - Question By - Malathi V., senkamalam44@yahoo.com

I presume that you are referring to srimad bhagavata jada bharata who preached atma
nityatvam to Rahooguna. He is different and much earlier to Mahabharata bharata.

Question ID: 18 - what is the general rule for chanting the divya prabadha at
home.also pls tell us to how start and end the parayanam. with regards s.Raghavan
- Question By - s.Raghavan, sraghavan2005@yahoo.com

We have to chant nitya anusandhanam viz tiruppalandu, tiruppalliezhuchi, tiruppavai,

poochattal kaappidal etc( many books are available for the same)daily. We start with
dayapatra taninan, then on from tiruppallandu and finally conclude with vazhi
tirunamam. This should be done according to the practice in your acharyan
tirumaaligai or mutt.

Question ID: 17 - Is Sathva Guna also to be dropped to attain the state of Eternity
or to reach Gunadheetha, the Lord. - Question By - T
SRIDHARAN, shri2566@hotmail.com

Initially we have to nurture satva guna to remove rajas and tamas. Then while
attaining mukti we abandon this satva guna also. On reaching Srivaikuntham the
muktatma is blessed with suddha satva guna and sarira. This satva is not sieved from
the mixture of three but it is by nature satva alone. Sriman Narayana's divine body too
is made of suddha satva.
 Question ID: 16 - Dear Swami, my humble pranams. Kindly clarify my doubts. 1.
Kodhai Naachiyar sung Thirupaavai to attain Lord Krishna. We celebrate Bhogi as
'Aandal thirukalyanam'. But after singing Naachiyar thirumozhi only she finds Lord
Krishna in Brindavan. So my question is after attaining Lord Krishna why should she
search him? As far as adiyaen's knowledge she sang Thirupaavai first.Please clarify
2.I have a 'Perumal Thayaar' vigraham(panchaloka idol - perumal .75 feet thayar .5
feet) in my perumal sannithi.I got this out of 'premai' and I used to dress my aaathu
perumal with various sathupadis. Initially I had doubts, whether one can have
vigraham at home and asked my family elders.They clarified that when a vigraham
is installed as per agama (Pradhishtai), then one should not miss daily
Aaradhanam.But if not installed as per agama we can worship vigrahams same as
the photos.i did not install as per agama,but treating it similar to photo. I offer
theertham/fruits daily and render prayers also. Am I doing something against
agama? Should I take it from perumal sannithi? Kindly clarify my doubts. - Question
By - Seshadhri, seshadhri84@yahoo.com

Andal is revered for tiruppavai more than nachiar tirumozhi. Margazhi is gloriously
related to andal than thai. That is why tirukkalyanam takes place at the end of
margazhi month. For that matter, Andal never got married to Sri Ranganatha. She
touched His lotus feet and vanished immediately. So all these utsavams are for the
anubhavams of bhaktas. What you are doing is right in terms of vigraha.

Question ID: 15 - Dear Swami, Why is there no reference to Rukmini piraati or

Satyabhama piraati in Thiruppavai but only references to Nappinnai piraati? I
understand that Thiruppavai is about the Glory of the Lord but it does contain a
couple of references to Nappinnai, and none for Rukmini or Satyabhama. Adiyen
Ramanuja Dasan - Question By - Lakshminarayanan, lakshs@yahoo.com

One should surrender to Rama avatara through Sri mahalakshmi (sita), surrender to
Varaha avatara through bhumi devi and surrender to Krishna avatara through nila devi
(nappinnai). Since the gopikas are surrendering to Krishna they chose Nappinnai. ON
the other hand, Andal has sung about rukmini in her other work nachiar tirumozhi.

Question ID: 14 - Namaskaram. Please take the following question by adiaen.

Would like to know whether it was Maha Vishnu who took the form of Krishna, or is
Krishna the Supreme Lord? From Srimad Bhagavatham, i learnt that, Lord (in his 4th
incarnation) became Nara and Narayana. So before this incarnation, who was the
Lord? Does it mean that Krishna is the Origin and all other incarnations are plenary
portions of him or is it Maha Vishnu, the seed? Previously i thought that Maha
Vishnu is the seed and he descended to Earth in different forms such as Rama,
krishna, which served their own purpose - but i am confused now. Also, from the
Flash Presentation in this site - which had the Hierarchy of Paramapadhanathan-
>Ksheerabdhinathan->Krishna->Idol, i am getting stirred up. Any connections in
particular? I know this is a basic question, but not too before, i have taken to the
study of the Absolute - hence the origin of this doubt. Please advice. Thanks in
Advance. Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha. Hare Krishna - Question By -
Krishnakumar, krishnakumar.k@aol.in

Sriman Narayana is the supreme Brahmam and the cause for creation as confirmed by
Upanishads. He another epithet is Maha Vishnu. He is the Isvara. Krishna is one of His
incarnations. Nara narayana is also one of the incarnations of Sriman Narayana (do not
confuse the like name in this avatara) for a specific purpose of preaching tirumantram.
Srivaikunthanatha is the first form, ksheerabdhinatha is the second form and vibhava
(Krishna is one of vibhava avataras)is the third form. Let there not be any confusion.

Question ID: 13 - My respected Pranams to Guru. I have a question regarding the

Grihasthashramam.1. As per our knowledge Mukti does not matter if one is bachelor
or Hrihasthashramam. Then WHY our Swamis like Rangapriyar or Prakala mutt
swamis or whoever mahanswamis are following Bramhacharyam?? 2.I am in UK and
I am not able to follow sanctity very well though I take utmost care ......like
entertaining foreign guests in the house with sometimes wine ... Will it lead to any
karmam ??? 3. Is there anything wrong in not wearing metti as it is not possible in
wearing it with shoes during cold climate?? 4. In Ramayanam Sita herself would
have killed Ravana but she dint do it so??? Is it because she was not knowing her
power?? Waiting for your reply Srirama Jayarama JayaJaya Ram Sumana - Question
By - sumanaRaghu, sumanaprem@gmail.com

Mukti is common to all varnas and asramas. The swamis whom you have mentioned
are following sanyasa asramam as they have chosen that. Entertaining foreign guests
especially when they are non veg and alcohol consumer would amount to papam.
Kindly abstain. You will have to wear metti. I am sure you will find a way out of your
shoes.

Question ID: 12 - Respected Sir, While doing Thiruvathyenam,if some apacharams

take place do we have to make re cooking the food offered to Pithru ?Some
Vathyars say that by doing prayachitham there is no need to remake the food.Kindly
clarify. Thanking you, Yours truly, BharathiKumar - Question By -
BharathiKumar, ahobil3@yahoo.co.in

I am not sure what type of apacharam took place. In these circumstances a honest
bruhaspati would be the best judge.
 Question ID: 11 - Namaskarams to my Guru I am a saivaite(Smarta) by
birth.Actually I feel that we do not observe any thing exclusively to identify us as
Saivaites. The Great 12 Namas of Vishnu are said during Sandhya Vandanam, The
Shrardams are performed before " Prathyaksha Mahavishnu" and most of the
offerings made to AAdi Narayanan .and Sarvam is Krishnarpanamasthu . I do believe
that Sriman Narayanan is the Supreme Lord. I would like to start my religious quest
in a more ardent way. Like the true Vaushnavite can have a Samashrayanam what is
possible for me being a woman. Kindly clarify. Namaskarams Kala - Question By -
Kala, madhviganesh@satyam.net.in

smarthas are not saivites. They are all vaishnavas only. You have rightly identified that
there are no prostrations to Siva in our daily anushthanams which itself proves the
earlier statement. You can get samasrayanam administered provided you have well
understood the significance of it. This cannot be explained in mail. You have to meet
an acharya in person to get all needed inputs about this.

Question ID: 10 - dear swami, i would like to know how to get dikshai for
pancharatra agamam,what does it mean, should we do santyavantam when i find
archagas in many temples do nt do the same. are they exempted from doing the
nithyaanushtanams,kindly explain .One more question i am a CA practising and
have to restore to unfair and unethical practise while doing my job as an auditor,can
i console myself saying it is the karmayagam that i am doing as advised by kannan
in gita.I feel guilty to continue in practice after i did baranyasam. and i belong to sri
sanndi.kindly help me as to what i should do.Eagerly looking forwrd to meet u in
person and i am from Ambattur,chennai - Question By -
S.Raghavan, sraghavan2005@yahoo.com

To get deekshai one has to undergo a 4 year course in pancharatra agama under a
agama vidvan. There are also pathasalas for this purpose. Everyone without
expception has to perform his nitya karma anushthana You cannot convince that it is
karma yogam. Karma yogam is a sastric prescription which cannot be against rule,
ethics, or values. Either you have to abstain from those practices or take a up a job
where these impediments would not be there.

Question ID: 9 - Adiyen Swami, In vishishtadhvaidha siththandham being the

dhasa goshti of Srimath Ramanujar, if any of the srivaishnavites do not have the boy
child what is the fate of those goshti since in our sampradhayam there is a saying
that the boy child only is the sole authority to relieve the pithrukkal from "PUTH
NARAG". If they do have only female children what will be the fate of them though
they follow the rules and regulations as laid down in our sampradhayam properly. -
Question By - kalyanivenkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com
 This rule is only to those other than saranagathas. You being a Ramanuja sambandhi
and saranagata need not worry about this

Question ID: 7 - Please accept my humble obeisances unto your lotus feet!
1)Krishna says that 'I put the atheistic demonaic people repeatedly in the lowest
species of life, on the other hand during the vibeeshan saranagati, Lord ram says
that he doesn't have any duality,he wanted including ravana to live. Isn't it a
contrary statement. 2)When lord krishna says "Just surrender unto me , i will
protect you from sinful reactions,do not fear".How does a devotee percieve when he
is seriously affected by a deadly disease or accidents? 3)One's karma will always
remain with him,but according to the tarpana system our good karma is shared by
our forefathers,why is this so? 4)Sir,i'm an engineering student(t.e),you had
instructed me that"right now i have duties to my peer group",but everyone in my
class thinks that i'm odd,how shall i please krishna. Please forgive me for the long
mail. Very humbly and patiently waiting for your reply! - Question By -
Kishan, kishantns@sify.com

Firstly Ravana was not an atheist. He was a siva bhakta. Further, Rama says that He is
equal to all, the wicked or rituous, but Bhaseagavan sends us to Svarga or naraka
based on our punya and papa. As an impartial King He provided the same
infrastructure namely, body sastra and knowledge, to both vibheeshna and Ravana.
Both chose their own ways for which Bhagavan is not to be blamed. So He is equal to
all while providing us this body and knowledge and at the same time He punishes or
rewards according to our actions. 2. Surrender is to relieve you of all sufferings and the
cycles of birth. The birth in which we surrender is the last. But we do not die and reach
moksham the next moment we surrender. In that case nobody would surrender for fear
of immediate death.. So it is at the end of this birth we are relieved. So between the
day of surrender and the last day of that birth we have to experience the results of our
papa and punya and exhaust them. Disease is as a result of our karma.. 3.Only the
effect of our karma is shared and not the karma itself. 4.You will please Krishna if you
do what He likes. He likes you being good to all.

Question ID: 4 - ADiyen swami, Swami could you please explain me the
significance of ekadesi vratham(Fasting). Adiyen Prabhu Ramanuja Dasan. -
Question By - Prabhu, Prabhu.37@gmail.com
 Both medically and religiously ekadasi fasting is a must. It cleans our digestive organs
and rejuventes metabolism. This vratam is so close to Sri Krishna's heart. There are 25
ekadasis in a year and each one is called by name. For example we call dhanurmasa
ekadasi as vaikuntha ekadasi as fasting and darshan on that day gives vaikuntham.
You are aware of ambarisha charitram which is a testimony to the glory of ekadasi.

Question ID: 3 - respected sir, i have been pondering for years together about
how the rishis like sage duruvasa,sage viswamitra and the like can be called "the
great ones" because ,i have learnt from mythological stories that these sages were
very short tempered and used to curse fellow human beings whenever they thought
that some disrespect has been done to them by the others.are not sages supposed
to have renounced their likes,dislikes,love,hatredness towards the world around
them?if so why this attitude of cursing others?if not,then how can they be revered
as great humans if they are going to bring immense sorrow to those who are being
cursed by them?and how God had given so much power to those sages despite the
fact that they react more equally like other human beings in showing their
anguish?plese clarify this doubt of mine. - Question By - gayathri
raghavan, gayathrismruthi@yahoo.co.in

Their power is due to their tapas (penance and detachment). Yes they did have some
unwanted qualities. But they also knew to do prayaschittam, which is very difficult to
do, to wriggle out of these wrong deeds. We neither have tapas nor have knowledge
and power for prayaschittam. They did not curse the good ones. They cursed only the
wrong doers. They also advised the way out if the cursed felt sorry. We hold azhvars in
a higher position compared to rishis as they did not have these problems

Question ID: 6 - Respected Swamy, Pranams!! when we go to DivyaDesa or any

type of Yathras for which we used to offer YATHRA DHANAM. In our case previously
i.e. before attending your Upanyasam we usually give Rs.11 to Lord Vinayakar
Hundi and then after returning from j ourney we will haond over to the priest of the
vinayaka temple since it is told that yathra dhanam to be given only to Pilliar hundi.
Here a question arises as to whether it can be continued likewise. After attending
somany upanyasams adiyan had a doubt as to why we should put to Pilliar idle since
antharyami of that idle is only Sriman Narayana. But all along we followed the
principle your highness may pl clarify what to do further about the procedure to
follow in respect of yathra dhanam. This is a pinching doubt in adiyen's mind. Based
on your clarifications adiyen wish to follow the same. When we realise the
srivaishnava principles we feel embarrassed to go to pilliar temple and give
offerings which hither to we followed .Sorry for anything wrong in adiyen's
questions and awaiting anxiously your reply in this regard. Adiyen ramanuja
dhasan. - Question By - kalyanivenkatesh, kalyani272002@hotmail.com
 Yatra danam is to a Brahmana. So do not stop giving it to the priest. But as a
Srivaishnava start giving to a Srivaishnava Brahmana. Your understanding that Sriman
Narayana is the antaryami to everybody is right and so we worship only Him. Do not
feel apologetic or guilty. But as a srivaishnava we should respect (not worship)
everybody including devatas.

Question ID: 2 - Namaskarams to my GURU. My husband and I are going on a

pilgrimage to Kashi this March. to perform the Pithru Karyams. I would like to clarify
a few things atleast now. It is said that when the body perishes the Atma
leaves,Where would it go if it does not attain Mukthi?Will it rest if it does not find a
suitable body? Then what is this Tharpanams ,Annual and Gaya Shrardams .If the
Atma has no identity other than being, God Principle then how will our recalling the
3 generations by their names will feed the Atman? Are we feeding the Atma or some
other form? Kindly clarify. Namaskarams Kala - Question By -
Kala, madhviganesh@satyam.net.in

After getting released from this body the atman, 1. either reaches Sri vaikuntham on
sheeding its papas and punyas from where it never returns 2. or reaches places like
svarga naraka pitru loka and many more as a result of its papas or punyas from where
it returns to bhooloka. Our offerings and rituals do impact those of the second
category. They do not impact the first category. However more than influencing or
ensuring a place for a departed soul, these rituals are vedic prescriptions for us (the
heirs). Only on performing these, we would be relieved of our karmas. So more than
sending my father to a loka through my karma, I perform these religiously to reserve a
birth for me in Srivaikuntham.

Question ID: 1 - Swamin, Pancha samskaram "seems" like a mere ritual, it does
not seem to give any spiritual experience. I would like to know how this actually
helps the evolution of the soul. If one has done samashrayanam is moksham
guaranteed in this very birth. Under what circumstances the moksham may be
denied? Do we have to do anything post samashrayanam to ensure our liberation.
Or does the Acharyan takes care of everything. Dasan, Sridhar - Question By -
Sridhar, sridhardasan@yahoo.co.in

Samasrayanam is a certain way for liberation in the same birth. This relates us with Sri
Ramanuja who was assured moksham to him and his devotees by Sri Ranganatha
Himself. It is not a mere ritual but a spiritual enlightenment about the absolute
servitude of jiva. As usual a few could have reduced it to a mere ritual but this is
common everywhere. Just because many jump signals or yellow line their usage
cannot be questioned. The almightly Himself is a mere stone (in idol form) if we do not
sanctify. After the samasrayanam we do have duties and responsibilities for the rest of
the life eventhough acharyan owns the single most important responsibility of granting
moksham through perumal. We have to follow internal and external prescriptions (6
commands of Sri Ramanuja) which progressively matures us. Moksham would be
denied if we commit bhaagavata apacharam.