Smarta traditions

[Guest guest]

I have a friend who is a priest at the Hindu temple here in Malibu, CA. He

was trained at the Shankaracharya's Mutt in Kanchipuram, about 1 hour south

of Madras. He explained to me that at the time of Adi Shankara the people

were worshipping so many deities, that he simplified the home worship to the

5 you mentioned. I would add that the stones (small murtis) that are

worshipped are very specific and come from specific areas in India. For

example Vishnu is worshiped in the form of a shaligram which happens to be

black. But it is not just any black stone.

 

It is my impression that the worship rituals that he does are taught in the

family tradition and you may be correct that they do not accept "converts"

as such. He's taught me many many rituals and pujas, but not his own. I

also find that sadanas are very private things and not discussed openly.

 

Regards,

Ben