Anuṣṭhānam — The Daily Practice of Śrī Vaiṣṇava Life
Anuṣṭhānam (Sanskrit: anuṣṭhāna = practice, observance, execution) refers to the faithful performance of one's prescribed religious duties as a Śrī Vaiṣṇava. Far from mere ritual formalism, anuṣṭhānam is the outward expression of an inward orientation: the recognition that all action is performed for the pleasure of Bhagavān (Bhagavad-kainkaryam), and that the ordained duties transmitted through the Āchārya are themselves the path of self-purification.
The Nityānuṣṭhānam of a Śrī Vaiṣṇava: The daily anuṣṭhānam (nityānuṣṭhānam) of an initiated Śrī Vaiṣṇava typically includes: (1) Sandhyāvandanam — the tri-sandhyā worship at dawn, noon, and dusk involving ācamanam, prāṇāyāmam, tarpaṇam, and gāyatrī-japa; (2) Tiruvārādhanam — the daily domestic worship of the household deity with offerings of light, water, food, and prayer; (3) Tīrtha-prasāda-sevā — receiving the Lord's consecrated water and food; (4) Ūrdhvapuṇḍra-dhāraṇam — wearing the two white lines of Viṣṇu's mark in sandal paste; (5) recitation of Divya Prabandham pāsurams; and (6) Ācārya-sevā — service and mental submission to one's Āchārya.
Anuṣṭhānam as a Bridge, Not a Goal: Śrī Vaiṣṇava Āchāryas — especially in the Teṅkalai tradition — emphasize that anuṣṭhānam is not to be confused with the upāya (means of salvation) itself. Only prapatti (total surrender to Bhagavān) is the upāya; anuṣṭhānam is its proper accompaniment — a form of kaiṅkarya (devotional service) and a means of removing the impurities (doṣas) that obscure the jīva's natural relationship with Bhagavān. Piḷḷai Lokāchārya in Śrī Vachana Bhūṣaṇam notes that anuṣṭhānam divorced from prapatti-bhāvam becomes mere arrogance, while prapatti without anuṣṭhānam becomes neglect of dharma.
Transmission through the Āchārya: The precise form of anuṣṭhānam is transmitted through the Āchārya at the time of pañca-saṃskāra (five sacraments). The Āchārya teaches the disciple the correct mantras, sequences, and inner meanings — so that every act of anuṣṭhānam is simultaneously an act of remembrance (smṛti) of Bhagavān and an expression of gratitude to the guru-paramparā. This is why Ācārya sambandham is held to be the very foundation of any valid anuṣṭhānam.