Ramanisblog

Tag: Iyengars

  • Brahmin Tamil Closer To Classical Tamil

    Brahmin Tamil Closer To Classical Tamil

    It is a habit of self-styled rationalists like Karunanidhi  and other self styled protectors of Tamil to ridicule the Tamil  being spoken by Brahmins in Tamil Nadu.

    A close examination of the Tamil being spoken by Tamil Nadu, reveals Brahmins is closer to Classical Tamil than one would imagine.

    The word Tamil Nadu Brahmins  us,being ridiculed by many, is ‘Aambadayan’ meaning Husband.

    This word is actually Ahamudayan,அகமுடையான்( அகம் +உடையான்).

    The word Aham /Akam denotes mind,heart.

    Udayaan means one who owns it.

    1. The word Ahamudayan means one who is/owns the Home/ the heart of the woman who runs the household(Akam).

    The same applies to the word Ahamudayal.

    Take the word Sattramudu, sattumadu.

    The word is made of Saatru and Amudhu.

    Saatru means essence and amudhu nectar.

    The tasty and rich dish/soup Rasam is denoted thus. as it is difficult to prepare, may look easy and very healthy even during Ill health.

    Ammanji -Name for mother’s brother’s child (a cousin) Ammanchei அம்மான்சேய்-son of Mother’s brother.

    Maatuppenn-Son’s wife.In pure Tamil Ma means wealth, here it means that the Daughter in law is the one who brings wealth or who rules the wealth of the household.

    Peran-Grand son, one who would make the name of the grand parent remembered

    Perumal, the term used by Iyengars to denote Vishnu means , in pure Tamil,one who rules all that is to be praised.

    Brahmin Tamil (Tamil: பிராமண தமிழ்) is the name for the Sanskritized version of Tamil traditionally spoken by Tamil Brahmins. The dialect, largely, uses Classical Tamil and a large variety of Sanskrit words.[1][2] According to linguist V. Balasubramaniam, Brahmin Tamil dialect is closest to the Central Tamil dialect, particularly, the variant used by Vellalars and Mudaliyars.

    I shall be updating this post frequently as I recollect more words.

    Readers contribution welcome.

    Citation.

    Brahmin Tamil

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  • What Is Swayam Acharya Of Sri Vainshnavam

    What Is Swayam Acharya Of Sri Vainshnavam

    The Sri vaishavaites of some groupings follow the Swayam Acharya Sampradaya.

     

    I have a close friend who is a Swayam Acharya.

     

    Unfortunately, though he is a devout Iyengar,he was unable to say what it was excepting that he was following the Acharya of a Mutt.

     

    When I checked with some of m other Iyengar friends, they also did not have the details.

     

    I have referred some texts, the internet and am sharing the information.

     

    Suggestions for improvement is welcome.

     

    The earliest name the Puranas ascribe to those who worship Lord Vishnu is ‘Bhagavatha’

     

    Later it was meant to include those who follow Pancharatra.

     

    Please read my post on Pancharatra.

     

     

    Bhagavatha means one who sings. praises the Glory of Bhagwan, here it refers only to Vishnu,

     

    Technically this is incorrect as it refers any one who praises Bhagawan,

     

    Please read my post on Bhagwan, God in Hinduism.

     

    Equally incorrect to say that Ishwara refers only to Lord Shiva.

     

    Iswara means personal God , that’s all.

     

    Now to Swayam Acharya.

     

    Later when many Devathas were being worshiped, to distinguish those who worship Vishnu, the term Vaishnava was coined.

     

    As Vishnu is to be worshiped always along with Lakshmi, Sri, has been added.

     

    Thus was born the term Sri Vaishnava.

     

    Swayam Acharya means one who is an Acharya to himself.

     

    In the earlier days, when Brahmins were following all the duties of a Brahmin, including  Agnihotra, the tradition was handed over to the son.

     

    Thus the father becomes the first Acharya.

     

    In Upanayana, the Gayathri is first taught by the father.

     

    In all cases Father is the first Acharya.

     

    Sruthi says Pitru devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava  in this context.

     

    “Swayam Acharya sampradayam:
    In olden days, all the Vaishvaites were very orthodox, performing daily Agni Hothram in their houses. Therefore the father of the family himself was the Acharyan for the members of that family. He was initiating the members into Sri Vaishnava sampradayam by Samasrayanam process.

    Matams and Munitrayam sampradayam:
    Now a days, most of the family heads do not perform agni hotrams and follow the sampradayam very strictly. So for the purpose of Samasrayanam, we approach Matams. The matadhipathi/Swami/Acharya initiates us into sampradayam.

     

    Citation.

    http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/may99/0063.html

     

    http://ramanuja.wikifoundry.com/page/Sri+Vaishnavaite+Monastries

     

    This term is used for Sri Vaishnavas who are descendants
of the original 74 disciples of Ramanuja, and who continue
to have association with learned members of their extended
family who administer the panca-samskAra (samASrayaNam) 
and minister to their needs.  Many of our most learned
acharyas came from "svayam-AchArya" families -- Desika,
Pillai Lokacharya, etc. This is because the concept of
a maTha and therefore a sampradAya based on the maTha
dates from the 14th century, much after Sri Ramanuja's
time.

Some notable svayam-AchArya families are Prativaadi Bhayankaram,
Tatacharya, Tirumalai Anandaanpillai, Nallaan Chakravarti, etc.
There are many scholars among these families even today,
as they have a strong sense of connection to the tradition
and maintain a certain level of scholarship.

Not all descendants of the 74 original disciples are still
considered "svayam AchArya".  At some point, some of the  
descendants drifted away from their traditional acharya or
did not have a strong scholar in their family, and consequently
became associated with some maTham or other swami.  So there
will be Sri Vaishnavas who bear the appellation "Kidambi",
"Vangipuram", "Tatacharya", etc., who at one point belonged 
to svayam AchArya purusha families, but who now follow
some other swami.

It should be pointed out that some people object to the
term "svayam AchArya purusha" (not the concept behind it)
with the feeling that only one person is truly a "svayam
AchArya", an acharya for himself -- the Lord.
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  • Types Of Vaishnava Sampradayas History of Vaishnavam 3

    Types Of Vaishnava Sampradayas History of Vaishnavam 3

    Sampradaya may be translated loosely as Tradition.

     

    Practices that were followed are continued by successive generations at the Family level.

     

    Thus in Hinduism we have some practices that are common to all the Hindus and some that are group specific.

     

    Some Common practices  are,

     

    Waking up early in the morning,

     

    Taking bath and drawing Rangoli in  front of the House,

     

    Doing Pooja,

     

    Performing Sandhyavandan, in the case of Brahmins,

     

    Performing pooja and offering Naivedya to God,

     

    Cook only after taking bath,

     

    Perform basic samskaras like Namakarana, Karna Bhooshana, Upanayana, Marriage, Garbhadhana, Seemantha,Anthima Samaskaras.

     

    But the way of performing them and some practices distinguish one group from another, though in essence all are Hindus.

     

    The two sects in Hinduism, Shaiva and Vaishnava, the former worships Shiva, the later Vishnu,the Samapradayas differ.

     

    What is Vaishava Sampradaya?

     

    Basically Vaishnavas worship Vishnu to the exclusion of all other Deities, though Puranas insist that this is not correct.

     

    Even among the Vaishnavas, there are different Sampradayas.

     

    They are four in number traditionally.

     

    Sri Sampradaya which is the Sampradaya of Lakshmi
    Philosophy: Vishishtadvaita (“Qualified Monism/Non dualism”), espoused by Chidachida Visishtam Ramanujacharya
    See Sri Vaishnavism, Vaikhanasa, Ramanandi Sect, Swaminarayan.
    Brahma sampradaya
    Philosophies: Dvaita (“dualism”), espoused by Madhvacharya, and Achintya Bheda Abheda (literally “inconceivable difference and non-difference”).
    Rudra sampradaya
    Philosophy: Shuddhadvaita (“pure nondualism”), espoused by Vishnuswami and Vallabhacharya.
    Kumara-sampradaya
    Philosophy: Dvaitadvaita (“duality in unity”), espoused by Nimbarka.

    In South India.

     

    1. The Iyengars, who follow the Sri Vaishnava Vishistadvaita philosophy of Asuri Ramanujacharya. The Iyengars are further divided into the Vadakalai-i.e. the northern school, and Thenkalai or southern school. Both these sects adhere to the Pañcaratra agama, in temples.

    These two sects evolved about 200 years after Ramanuja and differ on 18 points of doctrine. The founder of the Vadagalai sect is Swami Vedanta Desika, and the Tengalai sect is Manavala Mamuni.[26] But both schools have a common Guru Parampara prior to the division. The Sri Vaishnavas use both the Sanskrit veda as well as the Tamil divyaprabandham in temple worship.

    1. The Madhvas, who follow the Sadvaishnava Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya.
    2. The Vaikhanasas, who are primarily an ancient community of temple priests, who use the Vaikhanasa Agama in temple worship. They use Sanskrit exclusively in temple worship.

    But as I indicated in my post Vadakalai, Thenkalai has no sanction of the Vedas, there is no sanction for these divisions in the Vedas.

     

    The Reality is One but people practice different methods to realize it , period.

     

    Squabbles are not allowed, if one is a Hindu.

    Citation.

     

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishnavism#Vaishnava_sampradayas

     

     

     

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  • 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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