taptamudrAdhAraNam

Dilip

shrI madAnandatIrtha bhagavadpAdAchArya revived the lost tradition of mudrAdhAraNe. For mAdhvAs this is absolutely essential and infact we are identified today by these symbols!

murdrAdhArane are of two types, shItala mudrAdhAraNa and tapta mudrAdhAraNa. The former is the cold mudrAdhAraNe which is to be done daily using gOpichandana and the later is the hot mudrAdhAraNe which is to be done at least once a year on prathama Ekadashi (AShADa Shuddha EkAdashi). This is to be done by every mAdhva (all ages, varnas and gender).
The symbols of Vishnu on our body symbolises that our body belongs to Him. It is like the seal of authority, here the authoriy of Narayana!

prathamEkAdashi or shayani EkAdAShi is the day on which the Lord goes into yOganidra for the next four months. These auspicious months called chAturmAsa are meant for the special worship of paramAtma. Most of the vratas and festivals are celebrated in chAturmAsa. AchArya has also ordained the chAturmAsya vrata to be followed. Therefore before the commencement of these four months, we are supposed to get the taptamudrAdhAraNa done, symbolising that our body and mind are dedicated to hari sEva.

Since the following EkAdashi is the prathamEkadashi, I will try to write the importance of taptamudrAdhAraNe. I am referring to Sri.Vyasanakere Prabhanjanacharya’s book “sadAcharavinOda bhAga-1”. The mistakes in this writing are solely mine and not of the author. Kindly correct me at places where there is something wrong.

taptamudrAdhAraNa, an obligation:

Various puranas and smruti texts endorse the necessity of undergoing taptamudrAMkana.

saMskArANAM cha sarvEShAmAdyaM chakrAdhidhAraNaM
tatkartavyaM tu sarvEShAM vidhinA vai dvijanmanAM|| (hAritasmRuti)

The chakradhAraNa or taptamudrAdhAraNa must be done in the beginning of all samskAras. All Brahmins have to get the chakrAnkana done without fail.

upavItAdivaddhAryAH shaMkhachakrAdi lAMChanAH|
brAhmaNasya vishEShEna vaiShNavasya vishEShataH|| (shaMkhasmRuti- vAyupurANa)

The symbols of shankha and chakra are absolutely essential for a Brahmin just like how compulsory the upavIta is. This is more special for a vaishnava.

lakshaNaM dvividhaM prOktaM bAhyamAbhyaMtaraM tathAH|
taptachakrAMkanaM bAhyaM anyadrAgAdihInatA|| (parAshara smRuti)

lakshanas are of two types, one inner and the other outer (inner and outer beauty). The outer beauty/lakshana is the tapta chakrankana and the inner beauty/lakshana is the elimination of kama, krodha, etc.

chakrAdi dhAraNaM puMsAM harisaMbaMdhavEdanaM|
pativratAnimittaM hi valayAdivibhUShaNaM|| (kUrma purANa- rAmAmRutamahArNava)

Just like how the jewelry adorned by a woman represents her pAtivratya, the taptamudra symbols on a person represent vaishnavatva.

The above verses make it clear that this act of branding the self with symbols of Vishnu is absolutely mandatory. Taptamudras are like the janivara on a Brahmin or the jewelry on a married woman.

The importance of taptamudrAdhAraNa:

prataptaM bibRuyAchchakraM shaMkhaM cha bhujamUlayOH|
shrautasmArtAdisiddhyarthaM maMtrasiddhyarthamEva cha|| (yuktimallikA , shrI vAdirAja tIrtharu)

One needs to have the tapta mudres of chakra and shankha on both the shoulders. This makes one eligible to perform rites ordained by the shrutis, smrutis and shatras and also bestows mantra siddhi.

yE kEchidyatra puruShAH viShNuchakrENa lAMChitAH
tEShAM darshanamAtrENa mahApAtakanAshanaM|| (vRuddha manu)

Just by looking at the people with tapta mudras several heinous sins are washed away.

rAkShasAshcha pishAchAshcha gaMdharvA daitya dAnavAH
kRuShNAyudhAMkitaM vipraM dRuShTvA nashyaMti dUrataH|| (vRuddha manu)

rAkShasA’s, pishAcha’s, daitya’s, dAnavA’s and other such evil spirits run away by the very sight of a person with that taptamudra’s.

It’s a sin not undergoing the taptamudrAdhAraNa:

atshchakrAMka shUnyAnAM vEdAbhyAsO vRuthA bhavEt|
yadA chakrAMkashUnyOktavEdasyApyapavitratA||

tadA tEShAM tu mUrkhAnAM hInAdapi cha hInatA
kiM vAchyA tEna chaMDAlAdadhamaM taM smRutirjagou|| (yuktimallikA)

The entire vEdAbhyAsa and shAstrAbhyAsa of a person who does not undergo taptamudrAdhAraNe goes waste. Such an education is considered apavitra.
With such a vEdAbhyAsa, it need not be reiterated that such people are dim-witted amongst the dim-witted and inferior amongst the inferior. Such people are considered inferior than chAnDAla’s by the smRuti’s.

upavItaM shikhAbandhamUrdhvapuMDraM tathaivacha|
chakralAMChanahInasya viprasya niShphalaM bhavEt||
tasmAcchakrAdisaMskArAH kartavyA munisattamAH|| (parAshara smRuti)

The signs of a Brahmin like upavIta, shikhA, UrdhvapuMDra, etc are worthless on a person who has not got the mudres. Therefore one has to undergo taptamudrAdhAraNa.

adhRutvA vaiShNavaM chakraM yatkarma kriyatE janaiH|
tatsarvaM rAkShasairnItamiShTApUrtaM dvijOttamAH|| (atri smRutiH)

The good deeds done by people without the chakrAdi tapta mudras, are taken awaya by the rAkshasa’s.

kRuShNamudrAMkitO naiva lalATE puMDravarjitAH|
yashcha viprashcha dEvarShe vij~gEyO dAnavAMshakaH|| (padmapurANa)

A vipra devoid of taptamudras is considered as a person with daitayAMsha.

taptamudrAdhAraNe is compulsory to everyone

shaMkhaM chakraM sPuTaM kuryAtprataptaM bAhumUlayOH
sarvAshramEShu vasatAM strINAM cha shrutichOdanAt|| (rAmAmRutamahArNava)

The tapta mudras must be applied on the shoulders. This is for people in all AshramAs and also women.

agnAvEva prataptaM tu chakramAdAya vaiShNavAH|
dAhayEt sarvavarNAnAM harisAlOkyasiddhayE || (vyAsasmRuti)

The heated tapta mudras have to be applied by all vaiShNavas belonging to all the varNas for obtaining sAlOkya.

kalatrApatyabhRutyEShu pashvAdiShu vimuktayE|
pashuputrAdhikaM sarvaM gRuhOpakaraNAni cha|
aMkayEcchakrashaMkhAbhyAM nAma kuryAccha vaiShnAvaM|| (shAMDilya smRuti)

The head of the family should get the taptamudrAdhAraNe done to his wife, children and every member of the family. It should be done even to the animals and various instruments used in the household.

Suitable occasions for taptamudrAdhArana:

chakrasya dhAraNE kAlaM brAhmaNAnAM vidurbudhAH|
jAtakarmANi vA kuryAt choulOpanayanE

taptamudrAdhArana is to be done every year:

pratisaMvatsaraM kuryAdupAkaraNamuttamaM|
EvaM pratyAbdikaM kuryAdyupavItaM sudarshanaM|| (hAritasmRutiH)

The taptamudra’s have to be applied every year just like how the upAkarma is performed.

taptamudrAdhAraNa during the time of death

yasyAMtakAlE gAtraM tu lAMChitaM chAyudhairharEH|
dRuShTvAshIGraM palAyaMtE yamEna saha kiMkarAH|| (brahmANDapurANa)

A person, who undergoes taptamudrAdhAraNa during the time of death, has no fear of yama dUtas. (They run away)

taptamudrAdhAraNa essential for Gods

dEvAstu taptachakrAMkayOgyE shubhadinEsadA
taptEna tEna punatE mRudA tallAMChanaiH sadA|| (yuktimallikA)

On auspicious days suitable for taptamudrAdhAraNa (like shravaNa dvAdashi, prathamEkAdashi, etc), even the Gods get it done without fail.

prahlAdEna tathA mudrA dhRutA nArAyaNE karE|
vibhIShaNEna rudrEna brahmaNA vajrapANinA||
mAMdhAtrA chAMbharIShENa mArkAMDEyAdibhirdvijaiH|
aMkitaM shaMkhachakrAbhyAM taptagnou bAhumUlayOH|| (skaMda purANa)

Gods like chaturmukha, rudra, indra and others, bhagavdbhaktas like Prahlada, Vibhishana, Mandhata, Ambarisha, Markandeya and others always have the taptamudras on their shoulders.

The method of taptamudrAdhAraNa

prA~gmukhaM tu samAsInaM shiShyamEkAgramAnasaH|
pratapEcchaMkhachakrAdihEtibhirmaMtramuccharan|| (hAritasmRuti)

The guru has to make the shishya sit facing the east and with concentration has to apply the mudres chanting the right mantras.

The mantras for taptamudrAdhAraNa

chakradhAraNa maMtraH:

sudarshana mahAjvAla kOTisUryasamaprabha|
aj~jAnanAdhasyamE nityaM viShNOrmArgaM pradarshaya||

shaMkhadhAraNa maMtraH:

pAMchajanya nijadhvAna dvastapAtakasaMchaya|
pAhi mAM narakAd GorAt saMsArArNavatAraNa||

The abhimAni deities of chakra and other symbols

durgA chakrAdhidEvI shrIshcha shaMkhAdidEvatA|
vAyurgadAdhidEvaH syAdbhUmiH padmAbhimAninI|| (padyamAla of pUjya Sri.Tikacharya)

The abhimani of chakra is mother durga. The abhimani of shankha is Shridevi, vayu for gada and that of padma is bhudevi. (These deities have to be thought of during taptamudrAdhAraNe. This bestows phalas like elimination of wrong knowledge and ignorance and gives the right tatvaj~jAna).

The right time for taptamudrAdhAraNa

shayanyAm bhOdhinyAm chaiva chakratIrthE tathaivacha|
shaMkhachakra vidhAnEna vahnipUtO bhavEnnaraH|| (bhaviShyadpurANa)

The above quote makes it clear that taptamudrAdhAraNa has to be done on shayana EkAdashi which is AShADa shuddha EkAdashi.

I have tried to translate some of the verses provided by Sri.Vyasanakere Prabhanjanacharya in his book “sadAchAravinOda bhAga-1 (vaiShNava sadAchAra dIpikA)”, Publisher: Aitareya Prakashana Vyasanakere as per my very limited understanding. Readers could refer the book for more details.
I hope this writing is of some use and people realize the importance of taptamudrAdhAraNe and get it done this year and every year that follows.

bhAratIramaNa mukhyaprANAMtargata shrI lakShmIvEMkaTEshvara prItO bhavatu|| shrI kRuShNArpaNamastu||

@Praveen

Yes, everyone has to get the taptamudrAdhAraNa done, including shudras.

Ref:
agnAvEva prataptaM tu chakramAdAya vaiShNavAH|
dAhayEt sarvavarNAnAM harisAlOkyasiddhayE || (vyAsasmRuti)

It says "sarvavarNAnAM" and hence even non-brahmins have to get it done!

ViswaPriya

Is it a rule that i can have my mudra from the swamiji of the Mutt i belong to , or can i have it done from any madhva mutt swamiji?

Harish

any (mAdhva) maTha svAmIji is fine, but it has to be svAmIji only, i.e., only a sanyAsi can do taptamudrAdAraNe for others (donno who does it for him, maybe himself). i dont have any proof for this, only hearsay. maybe dilIpa can clear things up

@ViswaPriya

Hi,
The same question has been asked to "Pejawar Mutt Swamji".
His answer: Madhwa can have taptamudrAdhAraNe from any Madhwa mutt swamiji. It is not mandatory that, he need to get taptamudrAdhAraNe only from his mutt swamiji.
The only rule is, atleast once in a year he need to have taptamudrAdhAraNe..

Sri.Prabhanjanacharya quotes several pramanas (almost 9 to 10) that says taptamudras have to be applied by a paramahamsa sanyasi only. (I convininetly skipped that part :P). He says only svaguru who is a paramahamsa sanyasi has the adhikara to do the taptamudradharane. He does not mention about muttas.

What I have heard is that the taptamudradharane on prathama ekadashi can be done by the svamiji of any mutta, but taptamudradharane during other times have to be done by the svamiji of one's own mutta. It is like accepting that person as one's guru. I have no pramanas for this.

We, at home, have been getting the taptamudradharane done by Abbur (kundapura) Vyasaraja mutta svamiji on prathamEkadashi though we belong to Sosale Vyasaraja mutta. The main reasons being, the tiffs in Sosale Vysaraja mutta and also this svamiji comes to the rayara muta close to our house early in the morning, hence convinient.

@dilIpa,

namdu sOsale mATha ne. last time bhagavaMta abbUr maThadalli hAkisida, I sali uttarAdhi maThadalle hAkisida. bhAgavatara darshana mADsda, pUje nODsda, tapta mudrAdAraNe bagge oMdu pustaka kUDa odsda (by dr. bhImasEnAchArya maLagi). I maige javra ella koTTrUnU, ivella mADsda. adakke jagannAthadAsaru hELiddu, `Enu karuNAnidhiyo hariye' aMta!

pUje AgOvAga nan pakka kUtidda vayssAdavaru obbru kELdru (bEre samAchAragaLa madhye), niMdu yAva maTha aMta. nAn hELde. adakke avru `bEjAr mADkObEDi, t.m.dhAraNe na nimma nimma maThagaLalle mAdskObEku' aMta. maLagiyavara book nalli (sannyAsiyAda) gurugaLa kaynalli hAkskObEku aMta idyE hortu, nimmadE Ada gurugaLa kainalli hAkskOLLi aMta illa. ivella detailsu, biTTAki !

@Harish

kELi bahaLa santosha aaytu :)
ii sali Sri.Suvidyendra Tirthara hatra mudradharane aaytu.

Pujya vadiraja swamigaLu hELidahaage

satAM bhujE dhArayati munInAM madhvarUpadhRuK|
sa Eva dhArayEdvAyuranyatra guruShu sthitaH|| (yuktimallika)

ella madhva yatigaLalli svayam AchAryare iddu mudradharane maDistAre! :)

left nalli oMdu, right nalli oMdu, hoTTeya mEle oMdu hAktAre aMta gottirlilla. left&right du hAkid gottAitu, hoTTedu gottAgle illa. manEg baMdmEle, hoTTe mEle yAko uriyAgtidyalla aMta nODidare, alloMdu biddittu :) ellAru hedarsidru, uttarAdhi maThadalli sikkapatte heat mADbuTTu hAktAre aMta, no such thing.

chikmakLu kelavaru, ``ayyo byADa, amma nan biTbuDu'' aMtella kai mugudu gOLADtidru. adE parentsu muMche horagaDe line nalliddAga, baDAyi kochkOtidru, ``(magUna nODta) ayyo pApa, beLigge iMda En illa. IgAgle nAlku sali hAksoMDiddAne, allvEno pApU!'' aMtella ... jaMbha yake aMta ... idEn competitionna athava vishvajit yAgAna, 100 mADidare iMdra padavi :)

hIgella mADbEDi aMta pATha aShTe, AkShEpaNe alla. EnAr mADkoLLali

Even i was told by a person that the Tapta mudra Dhaarane, should be had from one's own Swami-galu.., and not by Swami-galu of any Muth.

however-> the only exception being during the Adhika-Masa. during that particular period, if one is not able to reach the place one's own Swami-galu is reciding, then he can have Tapta mudra Dhaarane done, by any any other Madhwa Sampradaya Swami-galu.

corrections welcome.