Srivaishnava AhAra niyamam - Q & A
Thanks to: "Sarathy Thothathri" sarathy_t
_________________________
Srivaishnava AhAra niyamam - Q & A
Thu Aug 23, 2012
Posted by: "Sarathy Thothathri" sarathy_t
sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
In the original post (http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2012/07/srivaishnava-aahaara-niyamam_28.html) relating to AhAra niyamam we observed the fundamentals in this topic. One swamy (Sri U.Ve. Sridharan) who is adiyen's Apthar prepared a questionnaire on AhAra niyamam and requested adiyen to fill in the details. adiyen thought it would be better to get the answers from a prAmANikar (authoritative person) instead of adiyen just answering myself. So, adiyen requested Sri U.Ve. Rangarajan swamy to get the answers personally from ThiruppullANi Sri U. Ve. Sundararaja iyengAr swamy (srirangavAsi now) who is a well respected authority in our sampradhAyam. swamy spent some of his valuable time and gave the answers for our queries. This article is an attempt to document those valuable questions and answers.
Words of Caution: This is not an attempt to find fault in anyone or look down upon other's food habbits. It is an effort to document what is mentioned in sAstram in this regard. Every one of us can try to adhere to the principles as much as we can.
There are certain raw materials which we are not clear about - i.e., what they really contain, how they are processed, etc. When in doubt about the raw material or the process involved, it is always better to avoid such food items.
Traditionally, foreign foods (foods that originated from outside India and foods that were produced outside India) are avoided. Most temples, mutts and ThirumALigais dont use anything other than the traditional foods.
Here are the questions we asked swAmy and his answers:
Queries on Temple prasAdham
Many times in the temples, some devotees (not from our community) with vessels, give prasAdham to all other devotees who pass by. Can that be accepted and consumed by us? Or should prasadam be accepted only from the authorized people?
prasAdham should only be accepted from srivaishnavas.
Consider the case when we come to the temple after the prasAdha viniyOham is over. If a devotee (not from our community) gives us a bit of that prasAdham, should that be accepted?
No.
Can/Should we accept prasAdham from all srivaishnavas (one who had pancha samskAram) irrespective of their age, jnAnam and anushtAnam?
No.
What if the prasAdham during viniyogam falls down from our hands? Is it still edible after picking it up from the temple floor?
No.
Is it true that the temple prasAdham (both flowers and food) that we get, can be offered to our (sAlagrama) perumAL at home?
We can do that if we know that the temple (kainkaryaparars) maintains anushtAnam. swAmy said only two divyadhEsams maintain proper anushtAnam nowadays (could not confirm which two divyadhEsams but paramapadham and ksheerAbdhi are probably the safest ones to assume).
Queries on food in general
What is the remedy if we have had food at a house where no AchAram has been practiced under some unavoidable circumstances?
One day upavAsam (fasting)
Krishnan says in gIthai that if one ‘jAmam’ passes by after making the food, it should not be consumed. Does this hold true for bakshanam’s and pickles?
bakshaNams fried in oil dont fall under this category.
Is it true that in srivaishnava sampradayam, the concept of ishta pandhi holds good? So can dhivasa food at any bandhu’s house be consumed?
No. We can only share/consume pithru sEsham of Athma bandhus.
A BhOgi should have food only twice a day as per sAstram (yOgi - one meal, bhOgi (enjoyer) - two meals, rOgi (person with disease) - three meals). Do milk, fruits and prasAdha viniyOham make a bhOjanam?
No. Since it is not complete meals, they can be consumed in addition to the two meals.
Is it true that on amavsya days evening food should be consumed before sunset?
No. We cannot consume food after sunset on amAvAsyai.
What types of food should be avoided at night?
keerai thandu(leafy vegetables), curd, etc..
During travels, Can We Consume Fruits that are purchased?
Yes, one can. One has to wash it with water and then offer it to EmperumAn and then consume.
Queries on water
Is there a rule that when we go to somebody’s house, we should have atleast water in their house and not come on empty stomach?
No.
Are the restrictions about eating only for food or also for water? The reason behind this is the story where Krishnan sends Indran to give water to Udhankar Maharishi. Udhankar refuses since Indran comes in the form of a chandalan.
Yes. There are restrictions.
Should water also be consumed in the morning only after a bath? (is snAnAthva bhunjItha applicable here?)
Yes. We can consume only anything after thiruvArAdhanam for our home perumAL.
Queries on milk
Is it correct that milk should not be consumed in day time?
No. It can be consumed.
Is powdered milk permissible?
Don’t know how they make.
Is sOya milk permissible?
Don’t know how they make. But since this is sourced generally from outside bhAratha bhUmi, this should not be consumed.
Queries on Permissible/Prohibited fruits/ vegetables /food items:
Are the following food permissible:
Vegetables
Y/N
Potato
N
Tomato
N
Beans
N
Carrot
N
Capsicum
Y
Keerai types other than Agathi keerai and molai keerai?
Y (some)
Cabbage
N
Caulilflower
N
Peas
N
Corn / Sweet Corn
Y
Koththammalli
Y
Pudina
Y
Mango Inji
Y
kovakkai
N
Ladies finger
Y
Spinach
?
Menthium Keerai
Y
Brinjal (white/pink)
Pink is Ok, No for white
Fruits
Y/N
Dates
Y
Custard Apple
N
Aththi Pazam (Fig)
Y
Papaya
N
Water Melon
N
Pineapple
Y
Orange
Y
Guava
Y
Plum
N
Girni Pazam
Y
Nongu
N
Green grapes
Y
Apple
Y
Sapota
Y
Pear
N
Food Items
Y/N
Barley
?
Oats
?
Rava
? If broken locally, it can be consumed.
Maida (finely milled and refined wheat floor)
? process.
Javvarisi (Sago)
N
Panan kalkandu
N
aval
N
Pori (Puffed Rice) prepared at home
N?
Boiled Rice
N
Panneer (made from milk)
N
Almonds
Y
Pista
Y
Bajra (pearl millet)
?
Ragi (finger millet)
Y
sOmbu
N
cooking soda
?
baking soda
?
cheese
N
sOya
?
white sugar
? process, traditionally only brown bulk sugar is used.
"?" indicates doubtful about the raw material or the process involved. When in doubt about the raw material or the process involved, it is always better to avoid such food items.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/, also visit http://guruparamparai.wordpress.com.
_________________________
Srivaishnava AhAra niyamam - Q & A
Thu Aug 23, 2012
Posted by: "Sarathy Thothathri" sarathy_t
sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
In the original post (http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2012/07/srivaishnava-aahaara-niyamam_28.html) relating to AhAra niyamam we observed the fundamentals in this topic. One swamy (Sri U.Ve. Sridharan) who is adiyen's Apthar prepared a questionnaire on AhAra niyamam and requested adiyen to fill in the details. adiyen thought it would be better to get the answers from a prAmANikar (authoritative person) instead of adiyen just answering myself. So, adiyen requested Sri U.Ve. Rangarajan swamy to get the answers personally from ThiruppullANi Sri U. Ve. Sundararaja iyengAr swamy (srirangavAsi now) who is a well respected authority in our sampradhAyam. swamy spent some of his valuable time and gave the answers for our queries. This article is an attempt to document those valuable questions and answers.
Words of Caution: This is not an attempt to find fault in anyone or look down upon other's food habbits. It is an effort to document what is mentioned in sAstram in this regard. Every one of us can try to adhere to the principles as much as we can.
There are certain raw materials which we are not clear about - i.e., what they really contain, how they are processed, etc. When in doubt about the raw material or the process involved, it is always better to avoid such food items.
Traditionally, foreign foods (foods that originated from outside India and foods that were produced outside India) are avoided. Most temples, mutts and ThirumALigais dont use anything other than the traditional foods.
Here are the questions we asked swAmy and his answers:
Queries on Temple prasAdham
Many times in the temples, some devotees (not from our community) with vessels, give prasAdham to all other devotees who pass by. Can that be accepted and consumed by us? Or should prasadam be accepted only from the authorized people?
prasAdham should only be accepted from srivaishnavas.
Consider the case when we come to the temple after the prasAdha viniyOham is over. If a devotee (not from our community) gives us a bit of that prasAdham, should that be accepted?
No.
Can/Should we accept prasAdham from all srivaishnavas (one who had pancha samskAram) irrespective of their age, jnAnam and anushtAnam?
No.
What if the prasAdham during viniyogam falls down from our hands? Is it still edible after picking it up from the temple floor?
No.
Is it true that the temple prasAdham (both flowers and food) that we get, can be offered to our (sAlagrama) perumAL at home?
We can do that if we know that the temple (kainkaryaparars) maintains anushtAnam. swAmy said only two divyadhEsams maintain proper anushtAnam nowadays (could not confirm which two divyadhEsams but paramapadham and ksheerAbdhi are probably the safest ones to assume).
Queries on food in general
What is the remedy if we have had food at a house where no AchAram has been practiced under some unavoidable circumstances?
One day upavAsam (fasting)
Krishnan says in gIthai that if one ‘jAmam’ passes by after making the food, it should not be consumed. Does this hold true for bakshanam’s and pickles?
bakshaNams fried in oil dont fall under this category.
Is it true that in srivaishnava sampradayam, the concept of ishta pandhi holds good? So can dhivasa food at any bandhu’s house be consumed?
No. We can only share/consume pithru sEsham of Athma bandhus.
A BhOgi should have food only twice a day as per sAstram (yOgi - one meal, bhOgi (enjoyer) - two meals, rOgi (person with disease) - three meals). Do milk, fruits and prasAdha viniyOham make a bhOjanam?
No. Since it is not complete meals, they can be consumed in addition to the two meals.
Is it true that on amavsya days evening food should be consumed before sunset?
No. We cannot consume food after sunset on amAvAsyai.
What types of food should be avoided at night?
keerai thandu(leafy vegetables), curd, etc..
During travels, Can We Consume Fruits that are purchased?
Yes, one can. One has to wash it with water and then offer it to EmperumAn and then consume.
Queries on water
Is there a rule that when we go to somebody’s house, we should have atleast water in their house and not come on empty stomach?
No.
Are the restrictions about eating only for food or also for water? The reason behind this is the story where Krishnan sends Indran to give water to Udhankar Maharishi. Udhankar refuses since Indran comes in the form of a chandalan.
Yes. There are restrictions.
Should water also be consumed in the morning only after a bath? (is snAnAthva bhunjItha applicable here?)
Yes. We can consume only anything after thiruvArAdhanam for our home perumAL.
Queries on milk
Is it correct that milk should not be consumed in day time?
No. It can be consumed.
Is powdered milk permissible?
Don’t know how they make.
Is sOya milk permissible?
Don’t know how they make. But since this is sourced generally from outside bhAratha bhUmi, this should not be consumed.
Queries on Permissible/Prohibited fruits/ vegetables /food items:
Are the following food permissible:
Vegetables
Y/N
Potato
N
Tomato
N
Beans
N
Carrot
N
Capsicum
Y
Keerai types other than Agathi keerai and molai keerai?
Y (some)
Cabbage
N
Caulilflower
N
Peas
N
Corn / Sweet Corn
Y
Koththammalli
Y
Pudina
Y
Mango Inji
Y
kovakkai
N
Ladies finger
Y
Spinach
?
Menthium Keerai
Y
Brinjal (white/pink)
Pink is Ok, No for white
Fruits
Y/N
Dates
Y
Custard Apple
N
Aththi Pazam (Fig)
Y
Papaya
N
Water Melon
N
Pineapple
Y
Orange
Y
Guava
Y
Plum
N
Girni Pazam
Y
Nongu
N
Green grapes
Y
Apple
Y
Sapota
Y
Pear
N
Food Items
Y/N
Barley
?
Oats
?
Rava
? If broken locally, it can be consumed.
Maida (finely milled and refined wheat floor)
? process.
Javvarisi (Sago)
N
Panan kalkandu
N
aval
N
Pori (Puffed Rice) prepared at home
N?
Boiled Rice
N
Panneer (made from milk)
N
Almonds
Y
Pista
Y
Bajra (pearl millet)
?
Ragi (finger millet)
Y
sOmbu
N
cooking soda
?
baking soda
?
cheese
N
sOya
?
white sugar
? process, traditionally only brown bulk sugar is used.
"?" indicates doubtful about the raw material or the process involved. When in doubt about the raw material or the process involved, it is always better to avoid such food items.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/, also visit http://guruparamparai.wordpress.com.
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