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Thiruman Shrichuranam
Iyengars are basically Sri Vaishnavas - meaning they accept the supremacy of Sriman Narayana and acknowledge their eternal servitude to the divine couple.
As a mark of this acceptance, they keep the thiruman-srichurnam on their forehead as well as at 11 other places on the body. Each of those signify the presence of the divine couple - Sri and Narayana. They are also called ‘urdhva pundra’s, meaning ‘vertical lines’. This is a demarcator which distinguishes Vaishnavas from Saivas and other who wear tiryak pundras (horizontal lines) on their foreheads.
The white colour thiruman is made of lime (or whatever you want to call it), which is derived from the earth. That is why it is called ‘thiru-man’ (thiru=sacred; man=earth). The red colour srichurnam is made from turmeric by adding lime and other ingredients to it. Literally, sri-churnam means the sacred paste.
The white thiruman represents the two lotus feet of the Lord Sriman Narayana. The extension onto the nose represents a lotus flower on which the two feet are placed.
The red srichurnam represents Sri Mahalakshmi - the consort of Narayana. Together, they make our masters and we Sri Vaishnavas are their eternal servants. So we wear the symbol of their presence (as His lotus feet and Herself) on twelve places on the body.
An orthodox ( formally initiated ) Srivaishnava is expected to wear the 12 puNdras [ThirumaN] with the chanting of the names of 12 forms of VishNu.
The reason why they are kept vertical is that they signify our journey from this lowly samsaara (material creation) to the supreme abode of Sri Vaikuntha (supernatural world) - basically an ‘uplift’ of a fallen soul.
The twelve places are: forehead, abdomen (center), chest, neck (middle), right side of abdomen, right shoulder, right collar bone, left side of abdomen, left shoulder, left collar bone, base of spine (below the thorax) and behind the neck (just above the thorax) in that order. Each of these thiruman-srichurnams have their own names in each of these locations, and the corresponding divine forms of the Lord and His consort are invoked while wearing them.
Swamy Desikan has beautifully explained it in this work Sacharitharaksha.
Vedic authority of Urdhva puNdram dhAraNam is:
GruthOdhvapuNdra: paramESithAram nArAyaNam saankhya yOgAdhi gagyam |
jnAthvA vimuchyEtha nara: samasthai: samsaara paaSairiha chaiva vishNu: ||
MahOpanishad statement above says: One who wears Urdhva puNdra and meditates on Lord Sriman Narayanan and realizes Him through his mind gets liberated from the bondage of samsaara.
In Paancharaathra Samhitha it is said:
yagnO dhAnam thapou hOma: bhOjanam pithru tharpaNam
sarvE bhavanthi viphalaa: Urdhva puNdram vinAkruthA:
Yaga, charity, penance, daily sacrifice, taking food,offering of water to manes (argyam) etc., is all null and void if one does without wearing Urdhva pUndram. Libations means pouring of water in honour of God. Manes means spirit of the dead (deceased Father,Mother. Grand father, Grand mother, Great grand father, Great grand mother et al). pithru tharpaNam means offering water with sesame seeds to those twelve Pithru dEvathAs. Hence, wearing Urdhva pUndram is essential. The shape of Urdhva pUndra should be in the shape of HaripAdakruthi (in the shape of the Lotus Feet of Sriman Narayanan).
In Varaaha pUrAna Lord says:
yEkAnthina: mahAbhAgA: math swarUpa vidha: amalA:
sAntharAlAn prakurvIran puNdrAn *mama padhaa kruthin
As per Brahmaanandha purAna, in the middle of every Urdhva puNdra, which is wide and good looking, Lord Sriman Narayanan stays with His Consort Goddess Mahalakshmi. The symbol of Mahalakshmi is Sri choorNam which may be either in red or yellow colour.
Source: web search
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
Iyengars are basically Sri Vaishnavas - meaning they accept the supremacy of Sriman Narayana and acknowledge their eternal servitude to the divine couple.
As a mark of this acceptance, they keep the thiruman-srichurnam on their forehead as well as at 11 other places on the body. Each of those signify the presence of the divine couple - Sri and Narayana. They are also called ‘urdhva pundra’s, meaning ‘vertical lines’. This is a demarcator which distinguishes Vaishnavas from Saivas and other who wear tiryak pundras (horizontal lines) on their foreheads.
The white colour thiruman is made of lime (or whatever you want to call it), which is derived from the earth. That is why it is called ‘thiru-man’ (thiru=sacred; man=earth). The red colour srichurnam is made from turmeric by adding lime and other ingredients to it. Literally, sri-churnam means the sacred paste.
The white thiruman represents the two lotus feet of the Lord Sriman Narayana. The extension onto the nose represents a lotus flower on which the two feet are placed.
The red srichurnam represents Sri Mahalakshmi - the consort of Narayana. Together, they make our masters and we Sri Vaishnavas are their eternal servants. So we wear the symbol of their presence (as His lotus feet and Herself) on twelve places on the body.
An orthodox ( formally initiated ) Srivaishnava is expected to wear the 12 puNdras [ThirumaN] with the chanting of the names of 12 forms of VishNu.
- On Forehead – Keshava. Lord holds Chakra in all four hands and his consort name is Sri
- Above Belly button – Narayana. Lord holds Shanka in all four hands and his consort name is Amruthodbhava
- At the centre of Chest – Madhava. Lord holds Koumodhaka in all four hands and his consort name is Kamala
- Centre of front Neck – Govinda. Lord holds Saranga in all four hands and his consort is Chandrasodari
- Right side above belly button – Vishnu. Lord holds Ploughshares in all four hands and his consort name is Vishnu Patni
- Right shoulders in line with the namam on the chest in terms of length and width – Madhusudhana. Lord holds pounding rod in all four hands and his consort name is Vaishnavi
- Right side of neck – Trivikrama. Lord holds sword in all four hands and his consort name is Vararoha
- Left side above belly button – Vamana. Lord holds Thunder Bolt in all four hands and his consort name is Hari Vallabha
- Left shoulders in line with the namam on chest in terms of length and width – Sridhara. Lord holds Axe in all four hands and his consort name is Sharngini
- Left side of neck – Hrushikesha . Lord holds Crow-bar in all four hands and his consort name is Devadevika
- On the back on spine above the hip joint – Padmanabha. Lord holds all his weapons in 8 eight hands and his consort name is MahaLakshmi
- Behind & centre of neck – Damodhara. Lord holds Whip in all four hands and his consort name is Surasundari
The reason why they are kept vertical is that they signify our journey from this lowly samsaara (material creation) to the supreme abode of Sri Vaikuntha (supernatural world) - basically an ‘uplift’ of a fallen soul.
The twelve places are: forehead, abdomen (center), chest, neck (middle), right side of abdomen, right shoulder, right collar bone, left side of abdomen, left shoulder, left collar bone, base of spine (below the thorax) and behind the neck (just above the thorax) in that order. Each of these thiruman-srichurnams have their own names in each of these locations, and the corresponding divine forms of the Lord and His consort are invoked while wearing them.
Swamy Desikan has beautifully explained it in this work Sacharitharaksha.
Vedic authority of Urdhva puNdram dhAraNam is:
GruthOdhvapuNdra: paramESithAram nArAyaNam saankhya yOgAdhi gagyam |
jnAthvA vimuchyEtha nara: samasthai: samsaara paaSairiha chaiva vishNu: ||
MahOpanishad statement above says: One who wears Urdhva puNdra and meditates on Lord Sriman Narayanan and realizes Him through his mind gets liberated from the bondage of samsaara.
In Paancharaathra Samhitha it is said:
yagnO dhAnam thapou hOma: bhOjanam pithru tharpaNam
sarvE bhavanthi viphalaa: Urdhva puNdram vinAkruthA:
Yaga, charity, penance, daily sacrifice, taking food,offering of water to manes (argyam) etc., is all null and void if one does without wearing Urdhva pUndram. Libations means pouring of water in honour of God. Manes means spirit of the dead (deceased Father,Mother. Grand father, Grand mother, Great grand father, Great grand mother et al). pithru tharpaNam means offering water with sesame seeds to those twelve Pithru dEvathAs. Hence, wearing Urdhva pUndram is essential. The shape of Urdhva pUndra should be in the shape of HaripAdakruthi (in the shape of the Lotus Feet of Sriman Narayanan).
In Varaaha pUrAna Lord says:
yEkAnthina: mahAbhAgA: math swarUpa vidha: amalA:
sAntharAlAn prakurvIran puNdrAn *mama padhaa kruthin
As per Brahmaanandha purAna, in the middle of every Urdhva puNdra, which is wide and good looking, Lord Sriman Narayanan stays with His Consort Goddess Mahalakshmi. The symbol of Mahalakshmi is Sri choorNam which may be either in red or yellow colour.
Source: web search
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
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