Now, a person is a Hindu. He gets converted to Christianity. How does he do it? A 'Father' of that religion conducts the ceremony of baptism for him. Only when it is done, he'll be considered to be a christian.
Otherwise, will he not continue to be a Hindu?
Similarly, only when Siva-dhIkkai or samAchrayanam or mudhrAdhAranam is done, a person becomes a saiva-siddhAnthi or a srI Vaishnavaite or a mAdhwA.
A person who gets converted to Christianity, leaves our vEda - shAstrA-s. [*On the other hand*] the one who adopts other siddhAnthA-s, except advaita, follows the respective schools, while
retaining vEda-shAstrAs. Even the AchAryA-s of these samprdhAyam-s are the ones who have accepted the pramAnA of vEdA-s and smrithi-s. However, they insist on some rites, in addition to those prescribed by
vEdA-s and smrithi-s. Only when these rites are carried out, one would be considered to have become a vaishnavaite or a saivaite or a mAdhwA.
Otherwise, he continues to be a smArthA; it can even be concluded that he is the follower of Shankara Bhagawadh pAdAl. Arguing thus, am I trying to grab more number of people to my sampradhAyam or what?
If AchAryAl had ever recommended any new samskAram to be done for an advaitin, then what I said could be wrong. But, AchAryAl had never suggested any thing like that. He had never segregated any one as
an advaitin. He let His devotees contiune to follow the immemorial smArtha sampradhAyam and the pUrna vaidhIka matham. He never introduced any separate samskAram for an advaitin. Therefore, all
those who have not undergone any new samskAram, are His followers, by default.
Neither the dhIkshai nor mudhrAdhAranam nor samAchrayanam had been mentioned in the vEdA-s. What is recommended [*in vEdAs*] is only the gAyathrI upadEsam after upanayanam, as a pre-requisite, before
the starting of vEdic education, for those belonging to the first three varnA-s, qualified to have this knowledge. Only upanayanam is suggested for 'bhrama-kshathra-vaisyA-s'. Even that is not there for
the fourth varna. Even without this, he [*the one belonging to the fourth varna*] is accepted to be the follower of vEda matham. AchAryAl had retained the same
frame-work(vazhi-murai) [*of vEdA-s*]. He has not introduced any new samskAram.
SmArthA-s should not feel bad that they don't have any new samskAram prescribed. Whatever is mentioned in vEdA-s is more than sufficient for us.
Is there any reference either to the mudhrAdhAranam or samAchrayanam or siva-dhIkshai of srI RAmachandhra mUrthy or Krishna paramAthmA in texts such as RamAyanA, Bhagavatham etc? No.
If other siddhAnthi-s argue that they [*such rites*] are not applicable to them as they are avathAra purushA-s, then that is not a correct logic.
Why because, it is mentioned in RamAyanA that Rama along with His brothers had done vEda-adhyayanam [1]. Adhyayanam is possible only after the upanayanam. From this, His upanayanam becomes an explicit
fact. Similarly, there is a reference to the upanayanam of Krishna paramAthmA, being conducted by VasudEvar and DEvaki, immediately after their release from 'kArAgruham' [2]. Subsequently, KrishnA is said to
have started His guru-kula-vAsam under a bhramin known as SAndIpanI and completed the vEda-adhyayanam like any other ordinary student [*of His times*].
Why are only these things [*such as upanayanam, guru-kula-vAsam, adhyayanam etc*] required for avathAra purushA-s? On their own, within a moment of their willing, could have they not mastered all the
vEda-shAstrA-s?
Why should RAmA learn asthra-shasthra-abhyAsam, 'palai'and 'athipalai' mantrA-s from VishwAmithrA?
So, it becomes clear [*from the above instances*] that they have got upanayanam done and compeleted the vEda-adhyayanam to set an example regarding an ideal way of life for the mankind. Whatever thay had done
is adequate for us. srI Bhagavadh pAdhAl has enjoined that anything that is in excess of/more than what has been said in the vEdA-s and also in smrithi-s, the creation of maharshi-s by closely following
sruthi-s, is not at all required for us.
Though the AchAryA-s of other sampradhAyam-s have introduced new samskAram-s while accepting the vEda-shAstrA-s, their followers are forced to relinquish many things that have been prescribed, with out
any Siva Vishu bhEdham, by shAstrA-s, due to their philosophy. So, though there are few new additions, some [*of the earlier samskAram-s*] do get dropped. We can be satisfied that we have
neither of these.
Our AchAryAl had advocated 'Do not add anything to the immemorial shAstrA-s! Nor miss out even a single element of it [*in practice*]!'. He removed only the newly accumulated dOshA-s, cleansed and brought it
back to its original form.
[1]. 'vadhikAdhyayanE rathA:'. 18th sargam, bAla kAndam, srImadh VAlmIki RAmAyanam.
[2]. 'atha sUra suthO rAjan ... dvijasamskrithim'. 45th sargam, 10th skandham, srimadh BhAghavatham.