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Swami Mudaliyandan, nephew and disciple of Swami Ramanuja, is one of the 74 Simhasanadipati [ஸிம்ஹாஸநாதிபதி ], Swami Ramanuja established. Swami Mudaliyandan descendents are all called Kandadaiyar [கந்தாடையார்]. At present there are many Acharyas in this ancestry. We will just mention their names: Swami Koil Kandadai Annan [Srirangam], Swami Koil Kandadai Suddhasatvam Sirupuliyur Annan [Srirangam], Swami Thirumani [Triplicane], Swami Appan [Sriperumbudur], Swami Kumara Varadacharya [Kanchipuram], Swami Koil Kandadai Chandamarutam Vedantacharya [Sholingapuram], Swami Koil Kandadai Chandamarutam Periyappangar [Sholingapuram] and Swami Koil Kandadai Ilayavalli Kandadai Acchan [Sholingapuram]. From these Eight Acharyas, thousands of disciples get the relationship with Swami Ramanuja. Acharyas perform Pancha samskara [பஞ்ச சம்ஸ்காரங்கள்] for their disciples. Pancha samskara are: Thapa: [imprinting of discus and conch on the shoulders], Pundra: [painting of ‘namam‘ on the forehead and on Twelve places over the body], Nama: [christening with a new name of disciple of Swami Ramnuja], Mantra: [preaching of sacred mantras], Yaga: [learning to perform daily aradana]…

What is Samashrayanam?
SamAshrayanam means ‘to approach (AchAryA) with all sincerity’. In a nut shell, during ‘SamAshrayanam’, the AchAryA initiates a person, irrespective of caste, creed or sex, as his sishyA. It is a commitment from the disciple that he or she will live as per the wishes of the AchAryA. Thus the person gets the link to the Sri Vaishnava paramparA. During SamAshrayanam, Pancha SamskAram (five Purifications) is performed and he becomes a “Sri VaishnavA”.

The five samskArams and its main purposes are:

1. thApam: To emboss the impressions of heated Sankha and ChakrA on the arms (near the shoulders).
2. pundram:To wear the dvAdasa Urdhva pundram (12 Thiruman & Srichoornam)
3. nAmam: To be christened by the AchAryA afresh as”RAmAnuja dAsan”(addition of ‘dAsA’at the end of ones name) to indicate that one is forever a servant of the Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyanA and BhagavAnRAmAnujA.
4. manthram: To get the initiation of “Rahasya Traya MantrAs” – AshtAksharam, Dvayam and charama slokam.
5. Ijyai:To learn the worship of Sriman nArAyanA in proper form (Bhagavad ThiruvArAdhanam).

The real meaning of life starts, only when one becomes a “Sri VaishnavA”. Since “Pancha SamskAram” marks the beginning of the true life one has to lead, it is a VERY VERY SPECIAL EVENT for the person undergoing it.

“IyengAr” means ‘Aindhu angam Udayavar’ or ‘Aindhu kAryangal Udayavar’. These five refers to the ‘Pancha SamskAram’. It also means the fiva angAs of prapatti. We can in general say that this Panca SamskAram gives one the name “IyengAr

..Chellams now that all of you have become truly Iyengars,try to lead Iyengar’s way of life.

This entry was posted on March 10, 2009 at 8:41 am and is filed under Sri Vaishna Concepts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.