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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

The Pancha samskaras [five fold rituals] are the
following:

1. tApa samskaram- or wearing [or embossing] the marks
of the Conch [Shakhu] and Discuss [ChakrA] the two
weapons [ornaments] of MahavishNu. 
2. pundram: To wear the dvAdasa Urdhva pundram (12
Thiruman & Srichoornam) 
3. nAmam: To be initiated 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). 

All Individuals are subordinate to the Lord. As a
token and mark of this quality, we identify ourselves
thorugh a symbol of the Lord. The Acharya after
prayers invoke the Lord and His weapons [Sudharsana
and Paanchajanya] to be present in the fire. He
[Acharya] specially prays to Sudharshana and
Paanchajanya to be eternally present in the individual
undergoing Pancha samskara. The emblem of Sudharsana
[Chakra] is heated in the fire and embossed on the
right hand, chanting the following:

Sudharsana Mahajwala! Koti Soorya sama prabha |
agnAnanda syamE dEvA vishNOr maargam pradharsaya ||
Oh! Flamy, fiery Sudarsana as lustrous as crores of
Sub, please show me, an ignorant one, the path of Lord
Vishnu. 

Afterwards, the emblem of Paanchajanyam is hearted in
the fire and embossed on the left hand chanting the
following hymn: 

Paanchajanya nijadwana dwastapataka sanchya |
Paahimaam paapinaam ghOra Samasranava pathinam ||

Oh paanchajanya! [Conch Shell] you are capable of
driving away the sins of individuals through your
Sound. Please protect me, a sinner from this
samsaaram. 

Taapa samskara is the most important because in the
absence of this, an individual is not qqualified to
recite the mantras and perform the ArAdhanam [formal
workship] of Sriman Narayana. The purpose of this is
to purify the body and mind of the individual who is
the token of his having become a VishNu devotee should
bear permanently on his body the symbol of ChakrA and
Sankhu. The reason for choosing these two symbols of
Vishnu is that the Conch represents the
auspiciousness, whereas the ChakrA [discuss]
represents the spiritual energy that wards off evil.
This apart, there are numerous texts in saasthrAs that
vouch and prescribe the wearing of the marks of these
two symbols. Thus says MahOpanishad: The Brahmin
should bear the discuss [chakra] on the right arm and
conch on the left. 

dhakshiNE thu bhujE viprO beebhryAdvai sudharsanam |
savyE thu sankham beebhryaaditi vidhu: ||

[atharvaNa mahOpanishad] 

The Baaskala Samhitha of the Rkveda also points that
the learned Vaishnava must wear the mark of the
sanctifying Conch and discuss on the upper part of the
arms in order to cross the ocean of bondage. 
Many other saasthric texts are quoted by Vedanta
Desika in support of this ancient practice. The
Mahabharata which refers to the Paancharaathra system
known by the name of Sarvaarthavidhi, mentions
explicitly that god is to be worshipped by persons of
all castes who have obtained the marks of identity
such as Sankha and Chakra. The Paancharaathra
Samhithas also emphasize the necessity of bearing the
marks of Chakra and Sankhu as an essential requirement
in performing Aradhanam for Sriman Narayana. Based on
such authoritative sources, Srivaishnavism has thus
advocated the sacrament of Thaapa samskaram. 

The Jeevathma when it attains Srivaikuntam, gets also
a celestial body with four handsm h0olding Sankhu and
Chakra etc. Thus the powers of Sudharsana and Sankhu
are already inherent in every individual. The Acharya
through embossing as above, activates this power.

References: Srivaishnavism book - published by
Thillaisthanam kaimkarya Sabha
and Vaishnavism by Sri SMS Chari

asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE GuruparamparAm
Regards
Namo Narayana
dasan



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