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Thread: questions for śrī vaiṣṇava intitiates

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    questions for śrī vaiṣṇava intitiates

    śrīmate rāmānujāya namaḥ

    Namaste,

    One of the three Hindu traditions that I'm most interested in is the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition. I've been studying the fivefold initiation process (pañca-saṃskāra) and I hope that someone here who has experienced it would be willing to answer a few questions.

    The first stage (tāpa) I see involves receiving the marks of Lord Viṣṇu's conch (śaṇkha) and discus (cakra) from heated metal, typically copper or silver, just as it was done in Śrī Rāmānujācārya's time. What is this experience like? How was the recovery process? Did you take time off from work for a couple of weeks to heal? What has the branding of the conch and discus meant to you personally? How is life different after your initiation? I understand that the initiation enables you to practice the 5 daily observances (pañcakāla-prakriyā). I would appreciate any honest encouragement or comments you have to offer, as a Śrī Vaiṣṇava.

    Thank you in advance to the kind person willing to share the experience.

    praṇām
    śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ

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    Re: questions for śrī vaiṣṇava intitiates

    Quote Originally Posted by anucarh View Post
    śrīmate rāmānujāya namaḥ

    Namaste,

    One of the three Hindu traditions that I'm most interested in is the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition. I've been studying the fivefold initiation process (pa�ca-saṃskāra) and I hope that someone here who has experienced it would be willing to answer a few questions.

    The first stage (tāpa) I see involves receiving the marks of Lord Viṣṇu's conch (śaṇkha) and discus (cakra) from heated metal, typically copper or silver, just as it was done in Śrī Rāmānujācārya's time. What is this experience like? How was the recovery process? Did you take time off from work for a couple of weeks to heal? What has the branding of the conch and discus meant to you personally? How is life different after your initiation? I understand that the initiation enables you to practice the 5 daily observances (pa�cakāla-prakriyā). I would appreciate any honest encouragement or comments you have to offer, as a Śrī Vaiṣṇava.

    Thank you in advance to the kind person willing to share the experience.

    praṇām
    Namaste Ji,

    I have not taken initiation so I can't answer most of the questions but my family members(women, so I did not see the mudras myself) have taken Sri Vaishnavam.The only thing I can tell is I don't think it hurts a lot and it will heal soon.I think mantra diksha is given and they do chant some stotras daily,wear the namam(
    Urdhva Pundra ),study scriptures daily(Pasurams I think),Bhagavad Gita,Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayana,Andal Tiruppavai etc.They collect flowers for Puja quite early in the morning,when I was a kid it was funny to see women collecting every single flower available,later I knew it was for Puja and not for themselves.I never asked them the above questions as they are my mother's side relatives,I will ask them soon.They go on Nagara Sankirtana(chanting and singing about Lord Vishnu while going around the temple surrounding areas before sunrise)every week and I join them sometimes,I am not sure if this is compulsory but they never avoid it,rain or shine.

    Edit: I forgot to mention that they always say Narayana a million times every day,when greeting others,when answering phone calls and even when they want to scold .
    Last edited by Ram11; 23 August 2014 at 03:59 AM.
    He dances in the golden hall of Chidambaram, Let us worship His rosy anklet girt Feet.

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    Re: questions for śrī vaiṣṇava intitiates

    Quote Originally Posted by Ram116040 View Post
    Namaste Ji,

    I have not taken initiation so I can't answer most of the questions but my family members(women, so I did not see the mudras myself) have taken Sri Vaishnavam.The only thing I can tell is I don't think it hurts a lot and it will heal soon.I think mantra diksha is given and they do chant some stotras daily,wear the namam(Urdhva Pundra ),study scriptures daily(Pasurams I think),Bhagavad Gita,Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayana,Andal Tiruppavai etc.They collect flowers for Puja quite early in the morning,when I was a kid it was funny to see women collecting every single flower available,later I knew it was for Puja and not for themselves.I never asked them the above questions as they are my mother's side relatives,I will ask them soon.They go on Nagara Sankirtana(chanting and singing about Lord Vishnu while going around the temple surrounding areas before sunrise)every week and I join them sometimes,I am not sure if this is compulsory but they never avoid it,rain or shine.

    Edit: I forgot to mention that they always say Narayana a million times every day,when greeting others,when answering phone calls and even when they want to scold .

    Namaste Ram ji,

    Thank you for replying. This is such a beautiful and insightful tradition with teachers and saints from all varnas (castes or classes) and a strong tradition of vegetarianism or śākāhāra. Śrī Rāmānujācārya was an amazing, compassionate person with a penetrating intellect and his teaching on the sambandhas (relations), illustrating and clarifying our inseparable dependence upon God, was a powerful revelation to me. (These relations include part and whole, modification and substance, body and soul, attributes and entity or qualified whole, power and that in which power inheres, that which is supported and support, etc. The first in each pair represents beings and the world. The second is God.) I like his optimism as well. He argued that God has pledged to save all beings, to draw all beings to Himself in the end, and all of His intentions come to pass. Some ācāryas (teachers) had argued that certain beings (those without conscience or even a residue of goodness) are eternally bound, never to attain liberation (mokṣa). I understand both views, but the first is more inspiring to me and makes more sense when viewed from the larger perspective.

    I confess that reading about the branding and seeing it in a photo and video was surprising to me after all that I had learned and I'm still not quite sure what to make of it. Please let me know if you find out anything from your relatives. I hope that others who have experienced this will respond also.

    Thank you again.

    praṇām
    Last edited by anucarh; 25 August 2014 at 02:47 PM. Reason: to correct the spelling of sambandhas
    śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ

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    Re: questions for śrī vaiṣṇava intitiates

    Namaste,

    Yesterday I heard from my mom regarding a few relatives of mine who had undergone this procedure. #1 eating out is not an option for them. They cannot take anything other than a glass of milk at close relatives home. Eating in strangers homes/restaurants, etc is out of question. Even in marriages, they are fed separately as they can eat some food and not eat some other varieties, etc.

    Just thought of adding this important note. Hope it helps.

    Thanks.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: questions for śrī vaiṣṇava intitiates

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    Namaste,

    Yesterday I heard from my mom regarding a few relatives of mine who had undergone this procedure. #1 eating out is not an option for them. They cannot take anything other than a glass of milk at close relatives home. Eating in strangers homes/restaurants, etc is out of question. Even in marriages, they are fed separately as they can eat some food and not eat some other varieties, etc.

    Just thought of adding this important note. Hope it helps.

    Thanks.
    Namaste Viraja ji,

    Thank you for this. You've given me something to think about.

    praṇām
    śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ

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