Practice

Ponnadi Sāttrudal

பொன்னடி சாற்றுதல்

Also known as: ponnadi sāttrudal, ponnadi saatrudal, பொன்னடி சாற்றுதல், welcoming vaishnava, Ponnadiyaam Sengamalam, பொன்னடியாம் செங்கமலம்

Meaning

Receiving a Śrī Vaiṣṇava at one's home — the sacred act of welcoming a devotee as a guest and honoring them with hospitality.

Detailed Explanation

Sacred Hospitality

Ponnadi sāttrudal (Tamil: pon = golden/sacred + adi = feet + sāttrudal = to welcome/receive; 'receiving the golden feet') is the act of inviting a Śrī Vaiṣṇava to one's home and receiving them with honor. The 'golden feet' refers to the guest's feet — a Śrī Vaiṣṇava's feet are considered sacred, and receiving them in one's home is a blessing.

Extension of Divine Service

The act flows from tadīya-śeṣatva: a Bhagavān-devotee is an extension of Bhagavān Himself. Welcoming and serving such a devotee in one's home is welcoming and serving Bhagavān. This is why Piḷḷai Lokācārya teaches that in Kali Yuga, bhāgavata-sēva (service to devotees) is even more meritorious than temple worship.

Ponnadiyām Sengamalam

The phrase ponnadiyām sengamalam ('golden lotus feet') refers specifically to the lotus feet of Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ. It is used in the tradition's devotional vocabulary in the same way that Śrī Rāmānujam refers to Nammāzhvār's feet at Āzhvārtirunagari — as an honored focal point of devotion.

Related Terms
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