rudrAkSha mAlA niyamas
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.54)

Que: It would be useful to let me know the niyamas for wearing a garland of rudrAkSha beads.

Ans: If it is a single rudrAkSha bead tied around the neck as a necklace, it can be worn at all times and the niyamas don't apply.

In other cases, the rudrAkSha mAlA should not be worn all the 24 hours. During the times of nidrA (sleep), having a meal, going to the toilet, and doing shASTAnga namaskAram, the garland should be removed. However, there is an opinion that if the rudrAkSha beads are stringed with svarNam (gold), it can be worn all the times with no doShas.

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pitRu kArya, tarpaNam: times
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.55)

Que: It is said that the pitRu kAryas such as the amAvAsya tarpaNam, mahAlaya shrAddham should not be done in the morning hours, only more or less during the mAdhyAnihaka (noon) time. But this can hardly be done in cities by working men, what to do?

Ans: Let us understand one thing. Generally, the times prescribed for these ceremonies are based on the kAla krama computed by our ancestors. It is not possible to adhere to them completely in the urban circumstances of these days.

It is uttama to do the ceremonies in the noon time. If we say that they should not be done before that time, there is the danger of people giving up such karmAs. Moreover, the shAstrigaL who do dattam (guide performance) of these ceremonies at ten or fifteen homes, cannot be at the homes of his client disciples at the same time! In these days when most people have migrated from the villages to towns and cities, the difference in times for performing these ceremonies do not constitute doSham.

One thing, though. The pArvaNa shrAddham must be done at the prescribed time, because it is pratyApttikam (restitution), therefore of great mahima. So the shrAddham should be done with great bhaya bhakti, AchAram and with the kAla niyamanam.

In summary, if you follow the advice of your family priest you will not have any bAdhakam (annoyance).

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bhakti in the TV channels
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.60)

Que: These days bhakti is dispensed through religious and spiritual programms in TV channels. Does any good accrue by watching them?

Ans: It does, but then we should not get into the trap of Maya. Listening to VishNu SahasranAmam on the TV is not the equivalent of our chanting it loudly with our own mouth. Thus the satisfaction we derive from the TV chanting is only Maya: the fruits will accrue only when we ourselves chant the stotra and do the pArAyaNam. In the same way, only when we have personal darshan of the temples by going on pilgrimages, we would get the puNyas, not by watching them over the TV.

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pitRu kArya, shrAddham: sUtram
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.66)

Que: In the place we live we have, there is no shAstrigaL who knows the tradition of bodhAyana sUtram which is our sidhra (custom) for the shrAddham ceremony. Only a vAdhyAr who knows the Apastambha sUtram is there. We do not know how to perform the ceremony?

Ans: When a vAdhyAr (priest) of one's specific sUtram is not available, the shrAddham may be done through another sUtram. There won't be any karma naSTam (loss of the ceremony) by such act, so you may proceed with it, as it is important that the shrAddham should be performed.

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Home puja: women doing puja done by men
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.74)

Que: When men can't do the daily home puja, can the women do it?

Ans: Yes, they can do it very well. But then there is no place in the ShAstras for women to do the panchAyadana pUja. Even if one cannot do the puja in vistAram (detailed manner), one may do it briefly, chanting the bhagavAn nAmAs known to oneself, removing the old flowers and adorning the deities with new flowers and then offering some nivedanam and lighting the camphor, and finally do the namaskAram. One may chant the relevant shlokas that he knows. Bhakti is the most important thing, and the puja should not go unperformed without a valid reason.

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Doing puNya tIrtha yAtras for another person
(Sri Sarma SastrigaL in his book 'VaidIkam and Culture', p.74)

Que: Can another man do the gangAdi puNya tIrtha yAtras (pilgrimages to holy places of rivers) for another man?

Ans: Yes, one man undertake tIrtha yAtra for another by way of helping the other man. Proper saMkalpam should be done for this purpose. In the same way, with the necessary saMkalpam, one can also do the pradakShiNa namaskAram for another.

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