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Ashaucham & Nitya karma

From the Bhakti List Archives

L. Vijayaraman • February 25, 1999 


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

Dear Bhagavadotthamas,

adiyen in the month of Oct'98 had raised the following question (the entire
question is reproduced for quick reference) :
-----------------------------------
	adiyen have a doubt on nitya karma (like sandhya vandanam,
	ijya etc.) that we are supposed to be performing daily. What
	should be the status when one is on vriddhi Ashaucham (the
	stage when one is unholy due to the birth of a child to him or
	to his near relatives) or kshaya Ashaucham (the stage when
	one is unholy due to the death of a near relative)? adiyen
	understand the sandya vandanam can never be ignored
	even under such circumstances though the karta (person)
	can only do the least japa (austerity) i.e. 10 times gAyatri.
	But the problem is on other mantrAs like rahasya trayam.
	Can this also be performed?

	Will it make any difference in the light of having different
	sampradyas having different ways. The Sri Sannidhi sishya
	(ahObila Mutt) are supposed to be doing ashtAkshara
	Japam before the gAyatri UpastAnam but immediately
	after the gAyatri Japam. This means is a part
	of sandhya vandanam whereas the rest are doing after
	the sandya vandanam. What is the view on Bhagavad
	Aradhanam on such a situation? adiyen recall in good old
	days one does not cook in that house but the relatives/friends
	(those are not under Ashaucham) bring the food and feed
	such people. What is the view expressed by sAstras with
	regards to the mUrthys (sAligramam) at home? How will
	the mUrthys at home be offered naivedyam?
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adiyen went to India on vacation and had a chance of viewing a book
published by Sri Nrusimha Priya Trust on dharma sAstra - questions & answers
by Sri U.Ve. MelpAkkam Narasimhachar swamy. adiyen also have consulted some
elders on this. Though the above questions were not answered directly adiyen
could arrive some possible solutions and would seek approval of these from
the bhAgavatAs in this list. Also,
there could be few bhAgavatAs who had these doubts like adiyen and would
benefit from these discussions.

1. CAN THE RAHASYA TRAYA JAPAM BE PERFORMED?
adiyen feel only gAyatri japam could be recited during this period as there
cannot be discontinuity. However, Thiru AshtAkshara japam in case of ahObila
mutt is part of sandhya vandanam (reasons can be cited in Ahnika commentary
by present azhagia singhar in his pUrvAshramam) and hence must also be
recited as many times as of gAyatri japam. With regards to other two
rahasyams it cannot be recited as japam (i.e. with counting) in Ashaucham
period, but could be recited normally any time. This adiyen could interpret
from following slokAs:
	dEvatAntara nAmAni nAsuchi: parikIrtayEt
	nArayanasya nAmAni sadA sarvatra kIrtayEt

	apavitra: pavitrO vA sarvAvastAm gatOpi vA
	ya: smarEt pundarIkAksham sa bhAhyAbhyantara: suchi:

2. CAN BHAGAVAD ARADANAM BE PERFORMED? HOW WILL THE MURTYS AT HOME BE
OFFERED NAIVEDYAM?
No. Elders of the opinion that they will not even go near the kOilazhvar
(room for the deity - where we think we have imprisoned the sarvEswaran).
Then the question comes how would the sAlagrAmam at home be worshipped? For
this we have two solutions. First, we could give the mUrtys to a person who
does daily ArAdanam (and of course whom we have faith, this is because
adiyen heard sometime back it will not be wrong even if one steals
sAlagramam from other house and perform ArAdanam. May the other bhAgavatAs
confirm this-nor that we are interested in stealing). Second solution is
asking an outside person to place the kOilazhvar inside the rice tin [Elders
derive this by quoting following]:
	gruham smasAnam tava bimbavarjitam

	sAlagrAmasilA yatra na tishtati mahIpatE
	tasyAnnam naiva BhOktavyam aBhakshyEna samam hi tat

It is also said that even if ArAdanam is stopped for couple of days it is
not a problem and the pramAnam could be
	sAlagrAmasilAyAstu pUjAlOpO na dhUshanam

Request feedback on these interpretations from other bhAgavatAs on this
list.

dAsan
Vijayaraman