Ramanisblog

Tag: Iyengar

  • Cuddalore Vaishnavaite Clash Painful Anachara

    It gives me great pain to write this post.

     

    Sri Devanathaswamy Temple at Tiruppadiripuliyur,Cuddalore is the center of the controversy.

     

    The High Court of Madras has to make certain valid observations which should have been have known to the groups concerned.

     

    This is a pictorial depiction of Thenkalai and...
    This is a pictorial depiction of Thenkalai and Vadagalai Thiruman side by side with pointers to the differences. Thiruman is the caste or religious mark adorned on the forehead by the followers of vishnu. It reprsents the feet of the lord and his wife consort lakshmi. Apart from the menfolk wearing the centre thiruman this mark is used to brand the temples and places of worship. There are two subsects called Thenkalai (Southerners) Vadagalai (Northerners). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     

    As one who hails from Srivilliputtur, the home of Andal and reasonably exposed to Vaishnavism,I am pained and hurt at this.

     

    Earlier there have cases galore on which Vaishnavaite mark to use for Kanchi Varadharaja Perumal Temple.

     

    This went on for years.

     

    Are the learned scholars of both the sects aware that the other Religious Groups are laughing at us for this act?

     

    Please do not quote Catholics, Protestants, Shia and Sunni.

     

    We are Hindus.

     

    Vedas are our Pramana.

     

    We know that there was no Advaita , Visistadvaita or Dwaita in the Vedas.

     

    It is a question of interpretation by the Acharayas who had taken into considerations the social conditions at the point of enunciating their Bhashyas.

     

    It is a question of Perspectives.

     

    All our perspectives need not converge.

     

    Krishna does not advocate this divisions.

     

    Why differentiate?

     

    Does it not look silly when we worship a Cowherd and a Kshatriya, yet war amongst us, who belong to the same community?

     

    The division of Vadakalai and Thenkalai does not have the sanction of the Vedas.

     

    This act in the premises of Hayagriva, Lord of Wisdom?

     

    When shall we grow?

     

    Story:

     

    Brokering peace between two warring sects of Vaishnavites, and disapproving the controversial practice of one sect closing doors of a famous temple in Cuddalore during a procession by the other sect, the Madras high court has said a true Vaishnavite does not cause pain to others.

    “One who is a Vaishnava knows the pain of others, does good to others, does not let pride enter his mind, tolerates and praises the entire world, and does not say bad things about any one,” said Justice V Ramasubramanian, quoting from Nasinh Mehta’s rendition “Vaishnava Janato’.

    The judge said doors of Devanatha Swamy Temple at Thiruvendipuram in Cuddalore, managed by Vadakalai sect of Vaishnavites, should not be closed when their counterparts in the Thenkalai sect take out Manavala Mamunigal procession on Sunday. He also asked police to ensure that the procession passes off peacefully.

    The dispute is between Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects of Vaishnavites. Thenkalai sect takes out the deity of Manavala Mamunigal in a procession and chants Divya Prabandhams, after lighting camphor in front of Devanatha Swamy Temple. The Vadakalai sect wanted to close the doors of the main entrance to the temple at that time. After Hindu Religious & Chartable Endowments commissioner refused permission to close the temple, a petition was filed seeking permission to close the temple entrance and to restrain Thenkalai members from reciting Divya Prabandhams. Another petition was filed by Swami Govinda Ramanuja Dassar.

    Justice Ramasubramanian said: “Even as per the Sastras, doors to the entrance of a temple constructed as per the Aagamas cannot be closed, except during fixed hours and except during certain inauspicious times. Therefore, the doors of the main entrance shall not be closed when the procession of the deity of Manavala Mamunigal is taken out.”

    The judge asked the processionists not to light camphor when the deity passes through the temple, but said: “It is neither fair, not possible to prohibit the precisionists from chanting Divya Prabhandams and stopping for a few minutes in front of the temple, since it happens to be a public road. However, the processionists shall not obstruct the ingress and egress of devotees to the temple.”

    Citation.

     

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Court-steps-in-to-settle-dispute-between-warring-Vaishnavite-sects-in-Cuddalore/articleshow/44872472.cms

  • No Pitru Paksha for Sri Vaishnavas?

    A close friend of mine, a Sri Vaishnava told me that he does not perform the Mahalaya Paksha Tharpana.

    He informed me that , as an Iyengar belonging to Thengalai Sampradya, he does not do it as it is prohibited by Ramanucharya.

    He told me that the other sect of Iyengars in Tamil Nadu, Vadagalai Iyengars perform the Pitru Paksha Tharpana.

    Radha Krishna.

    As I am unable to find any authentic source on this, I am posting my views.

    Those who know the subject well may quote with source.

    In Hinduism there are two paths in terms of Lifestyle.

    One is called Pravritti Marga and another Nivrutti Marga.

    Pravrutti Marga is the leading of our daily lives , as normally do, by going after the sense objects.

    Nivrutti Marga is renunciation of the sense objects.

    Hinduism teaches how to live,taking into account the limitations and the frailties of Human Life including the desire to go after sensory objects for pleasure.

    So Hinduism has devised the four stages of Life.

    Brahmacharya, the young Celibate.

    Gruhastha when one gets married begets children and goes about Life.

    Vanaprastha,when one, after the son becomes capable managing the Family leaving the Family, either with or without wife to seek Reality either in the Forest or staying at Home in a detached way.

    My friend quoted Visishtadvaita to support his view that one need not perform the Karmas,excepting Sandhyavanadan and Amavasya Tharpana as Sri Vaishnavism gives priority to surrender to Lord Vishnu and once one surrenders himself to God, one need not, should not perform Karma , including Pitru Paksha Tharpana.

    He quoted the Sloka form the Bhagavad Gita, this is also called the Karna Mantra,,

    Sarva Dharma Parijyasya Maameka Charanam Vraja,

    Aham Thva Sarva Paapepyp0Mokshayisyami Maa sucha. Chapter 18

    Leave all actions, and surrender only to Me.

    I shall absolve you of all your sins and grant you Moksha’

    I think my friend does not seem to have understood Krishna and this sloka is often misunderstood.

    What Krishna says is that He shall grant Moksha and one need not perform any action(Karma)  if one surrenders to Krishna.

    The surrender , Krishna means a surrender  is not a lip service but one of total Surrender,mind ,words and deeds.

    By merely saying one has surrendered to Krishna does not mean total surrender.

    Draupadi who wass a cousin of Krishna and an ardent devotee had to throw her arms up and pray Lord Krishna when Dhuchashana was stripping her.

    Krishna did not pay heed to her earlier entreaties to save her when she held her hands to her saree: only when, she ,devoid of Ego , called out, leaving her hands off the saree, did Krishna rescue her modesty.

    Such a devotion is very difficult to come by.

    It needs years of practice ,Abhyasa and determination(vairagya)

    This, I think we do not, posses at least I do not.

    So the statement , presumably said by Ramanucharya, that one need not perform Karmas if one surrenders to Vishnu, is meant for evolved souls;such loved souls like Ramadasas,Ramakrishna Paramahamsa may and can follow this as they had lost Dehatma Buddhi, the attachment to Body.

    We can not compare ourselves to these souls.

    Again, while talking about Renunciation, Krishna says  in the Bhagavad Gita, those who call the,selves Sanyasis , while their Minds are after sense objects, may appear so outwardly. are only Aashaadaboothis(hypocrites)

    The determination to relinquish the fruits of action even at the mental level while performing the action is called renunciation.

    With such a mindset one can even be in family Life, like Janaka, father of Sita.

    Therefore the non-performance of Pitru Pksha , quoting some Acharya is contrary to Vedas and as such is incorrect as Pitru Yagnya is one of the most important and mandatory Yagnya for every one.

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