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parASara, vyAsa, vEdhavalli and aththuzhAy entered ANdAL pAtti’s house.

pAtti: Welcome children. Wash your hands and feet I will give you fruits offered to perumAL. Do you know what is special this month?

vEdhavalli: I will tell pAtti. I remember what you have told us before. It is “sUdik koduththa sudarkkodi” ANdAL nAchchiyAr’s birth month. Her birthday is on thamizh month “Adi” & star “pUram”.

parASara: Yes. This month is also the birth month of nAthamunigaL’s grandson ALavandhAr. thamizh birth month “Adi” & star “uthrAdam”. Am I right pAtti ?

pAtti: Well said. We have seen about AzhwArs and AchAryas so far. Next we will learn about anushtAnangal (best practices) which we should follow daily.

aththuzhAy: pAtti, what is anushtAnam?

pAtti: There are some rules set by SAsthras for our well being, following those rules are called anushtAnam (best practices). For example: early morning we have to wake up and take bath. This is one rule set for us. This was also told by our ANdAL nAchchiyAr in her thiruppAvai as “nAtkAlE nIrAdi”

vyAsa: Yes pAtti, I remember it is in thiruppAvai second pAsuram.

pAtti: Exactly! Early morning while we think and chant the names of emperumAn, our mind gets purified. Most important thing is, every morning after bathing we must wear thirumaN kAppu and those who had upanayanam, must do sandhyAvandhanam and other daily karmAnushtAnams.

parASara and vyAsa : pAtti, we will perform nithya karmAnushtAnams without fail.

pAtti: Happy to hear!

vEdhavalli: We are wearing thirumaN kAppu with full of happiness. Please tell the importance and reason behind wearing thirumaN kAppu. We are very eager to listen pAtti.

pAtti: Alright, listen. thirumaN kAppu – meaning of kAppu is rakshai (protection). emperumAn and pirAtti are staying with us and protecting us always. By wearing thirumaN kAppu, it is very clear that we are devotees of them. So we should wear happily and with lots of pride.

vEdhavalli: We have understood the importance of thirumaN kAppu. Very good to listen.

Everyone (in chorus) : Yes pAtti.

pAtti: Very good children. similarly there are many other rules set by SAsthras for our well-being. I will share a few of those now, listen carefully. We should wash our hands and feet before and after eating. Because, only if we are clean, our health will be good. Most important thing is, we should only take food which is offered to perumAL. Food which we eat determines our character. By consuming perumAL prasAdham sathva guNa (good qualities) will develop with his grace.

parASara: In our home, my mother prepares food and my father offers that to emperumAn. Only after taking perumAL thIrtham, we will consume the prasAdham.

pAtti: good habit. Keep it up dear children.

All four said ok with smiling face😊

pAtti: Further we should take prasAdham only after reciting few pAsurams of AzhwArs. Food offered to perumAL is food for our stomach. Do you know what is the food for our tongue?

aththuzhAy: Food for tongue! Please tell! What is it pAtti?

pAtti: yes dear. Chanting emperumAn’s divine names is the food for our tongue. madhurakavi AzhwAr considered nammAzhwAr as his lord. madhurakavi AzhwAr in his kaNNinuN chiRuth thAmbu says that saying then kurugUr nambi (One of the names of nammAzhwAr) is like tasting honey in his tongue.

( nammAzhwAr – madhurakavi AzhwAr )

vEdhavalli: pAtti, madhurakavi AzhwAr’s devotion for nammAzhwAr is so heart touching and you have explained it very well pAtti. Here after, we will recite kaNNinuN chiRuth thAmbu and only then, we will take prasAdham.

pAtti : Good to hear VEdhavalli.

vyAsa : pAtti, it is very interesting to listen your words. Please tell us more.

pAtti: I will be very happy to tell it but now it’s getting very dark outside. Go to your home now.

The children leave happily to their home thinking about the conversation they had with pAtti.

adiyen madhusUdhana rAmAnuja dAsan