[Advaita-l] Fantastic Rudram Chamakam chanting by 21 Priests

[Venkata sriram P]

// It's not accepted by all shiShTas that it should not be chanted at home //

If you refer shiSTAchAra, then entire AraNyaka portion is chanted at forest and should be chanted before mAdhyAhnika bhojana. The current age has relaxations and the pitru-medha too is subjected to that. 

// opinions vary on this issue //

Yes ! it matters.  In coastal andhra, these mantras are strictly not taught even to those whose parents are alive.  And during vedic examination, the examiner doesn't insist on chanting these if the parents of the student is alive and there were instances where the 'certificate' is awarded without testing these portions.  

These may sound superstitious but it is their AchAra !

Here in our veda pathashaala, while teaching the पितृमेधं (for starting the new pATha), the students are taken inside the temple nearby and then the swAdhyAya is performed in the courtyard of pAThashAla. 

Another rule for AraNkyaka is that it should be read before afternoon lunch.  However, there is also a relaxation where students can learn this post-lunch provided they have the 'haviSyAnna" during lunch. We prepare this 'haviSyAnna" by adding a little cow ghee in the rice grains and fried a bit.  Later, hot water is added and the rice is cooked.  Thus, the 'dosha' of having learnt the AraNyaka bhAga post-lunch is removed.  This is being followed with the guidance of senior ghanapatigals (like Venkatarama Ghanapatigal - principal of Shankara Gurukula Veda Pathashaala, Veda Bhavan, Hyd.

sriram