achara vs upasana

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

That is indeed a thought provoking write up by Sri.

Ravi. I thought I would share a few tit bits with the

group.

 

Once a group of devotees from Tirunelveli went to Sri.

Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharathi Swamigal of Sringeri

and requested for an audience.

 

The group represented amongst others Sir. M.

Vishweshwariya who was declared an outcast for having

travelled overseas by his brother and not permitted to

take part in shradda karmas of his parents. The

delegation had with it a few ghanapatigals and other

scholars and the intention was to make the swamigal

declare foreign travel as legitimate in the present

day.

 

The primary argument to support their contention was

in olden days people used to travel by ships on oceans

and faecal matter was emptied in water over the period

of journey, which was a sin as per the dictate of

Taittareya Samhita, but not any more as people are

able to fly across oceans in modern days.

 

It has to be noted that mala mutra visarjana in water

tantamounts to varuna pratisheda or a sin against

varuna the all cleansing deity of water.

 

The delegation went on further to debate on pushpaka

vimanas and how anjaneya and Rama crossed the ocean to

Sri Lanka etc etc...

 

Swamigal smiled and apparently replied that it is upto

people to follow the shastras and that he had no

authority to change it to suit the needs of a few

inividuals, but the duty to protect the shastras.

 

Swamigal further said that it was not samudrayana

alone which was restricted but also mlechha samparka

and vyavahara. The delegation returned some what

disappointed and some how unconvinced too!!

 

I know of a ghanaptigal Sri. Chandrasekhara Sharma who

was a priest in Delhi Shankar Mutt and also used to

travel across to Singapore and USA (Ati Rudram). He

hailed from Mattur, a traditional sanskrit speaking

village in Karnataka. He was ridiculed by the

traditionalists out there and of course the modern

times that it is now!! nothing else was done.

 

Our Sri. Chandrasekhara Sharma was so irritated, that

when he met me again in Bangalore 3 years back he gave

me this story, which I found amusing!!

 

He said Simha Puri became Singapore, Amaruka Maharaja

who figures in Shankara Vijaya and with whom Adi

Shankara does parakaya pravesha ruled over America

which gets its name from him etc. He went all the way

to state how today's varna dharma is all against the

dictates of the shastras and how dvijas are living

life lack of anushtana and their being governed by

non-kshatriyas is a great sin by itself etc....

 

The argument is endless and I found what

Sri.Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharathi Swamigal said as

making sense. It is upto individuals to follow dharma

and the same cannot be changed to suit modern needs.

 

We need to remember what Manu and Bhagavadgeeta says

here to understand their nuances.

 

Swalpamapi dharma sadhanat trayate mahato bhayaat

 

Following dharma to what extent one can, removes great

fears. If one is not able to follow dharma to the

prescribed limit, one should atleast strive to follow

to what ever extent one can. This is more so the basic

duties of one's caste and following shoucha or rules

of cleanliness.

 

GP

 

--- MSR <miinalochanii wrote:

> Your e-mail touches upon few issues. I will throw in

> my 2c.

>

> 1) AchAram

>

> "sarvAgamanAm aachaaram prathamam parikalpyate

> Achara prabhavo dharmaH dharmasya prabhuH achyutaH"

> (vishhNu sahasranAma, phala shruti)

>

> In all aagama-s Achara is mentioned as foremost and

> from Achara comes

> the ability to adhere to dharma.

>

> a) Hence, Acharam is very important.

>

> b) Our inability to follow it, should not make us

> look down upon it.

> Instead it should give us the humility that we are

> so utterly unfit

> and sharaNagati is our only hope.

>

> 2) About taking up a pUjA

>

> If you have a choice, do not take up any formal

> upAsana. It will be

> an obligatory karma to do and maintain. Instead you

> can focus on

> devotional works and mAnasa pUja. Also consult the

> elders you know.

>

> 3) karma phala

>

> a) It is best to do a phala tyAga and offer it back

> to God. That way

> you will not have to worry about it.

>

> b) While commenting on the names such as, karma

> phala pradA,

> iipsitArthapradAyinI, Sankara talks about puurva

> miimaska view on

> karma phala and refutes it. It is critical to

> understand that karma

> phala is not given by a jaDa, automatic mechanism.

> But it is done by

> iishvara. Hence, how karma phala is given is

> something depends only

> on iishavara. shaastra-s gives some guidelines. But

> it is very

> context sensitive. (see c)

>

> c) Refer to the verse mArgavartita verse in

> shivAnandalahari, which

> talks about kaNNapa nAyanar.

> http://escribe.com/religion/advaita/m8819.html

>

> There is verse which also talks about a nAyanmAr who

> worshipped Lord

> by throwing stones at them. Hence, it is correct to

> say that God sees

> the true intention and the heart. As another verse

> in

> shivAnandalaharI mentions, God as indweller of all

> and sarvajna, we

> need not even tell him anything. He knows even the

> most secretive

> things and all.

>

>

> 4) Bending the rules

>

> At each age, the conduct of many are influenced and

> based on the

> great sages of that time. According to Apatstamba,

> only they can say

> what is correct or wrong. Hence, any approximation

> that should be

> based on that. Probably contacting Sringeri or

> Kanchi maTha may clear

> things for you.

>

>

> --

> Personally, If I have a choice I will not take

> anything formal. I

> wish I had this knowledge in the past. Also, not

> always we have that

> choice. Anything formal and obligatory, comes with a

> great

> responsibility. And associated sins and lost peace

> of mind due to

> errors and omissions.

>

> My 2c.

>

> Ravi

>

, rajeswari vishnu

> <rajeswarivishnu> wrote:

> > Respected learned members,

> > i am not sure whether the question following falls

> within the scope

> of subject discussed by this group.

> > In these modern days where even most essential

> acharam to be

> followed is being looked upon as something

> unnecessary/superstious by

> most people, can any learned member clarify how far

> is following

> acharam imp and is it correct to modify the same

> according to our

> convenience as we do mostly these days.

> > I have heard people saying it is enough bakti is

> in the mind. these

> achara etc are external things not so imp.

> > hence the question always dwells in my mind.

> > Is acharam more imp than the main agenda ie

> puja/prayer? this

> question arises many a times specially with those

> residing in

> conjusted cities where people find it convenient to

> modify rules to

> convenience.does puja done without proper acharam

> fail to render the

> specified phalan?

> > thnaks.

> > rajee

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for

> 25¢

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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