RE: Upanayanam and Sandhyavandanam

[Guest guest]

I agree that Upanayanam should not be forced on people who have no

belief in the process of Sandhyavandanam and related Brahmana Vidhi.

The general reason given is that priests will not perform the

marriage in the traditional way. However it should be possible for

priests to perform a marriage using whatever rituals are used in the

case of Shudras. This will probably not be acceptable to most

parents who would rather let their children accumulate the sin of not

doing a duty forced upon them (the children) against their will.

 

Jaganath.

PS: If anyone knows any Vedic reason why Shudra rituals cannot be

applied to non believers of brahminical descent please let me know.

[Guest guest]

One of the qualifications of a brahmin is that he starves

to death rather than work for a living. How many of us

satisfy this criterion? I certainly don't.

 

I think that usage of the term "shudra" as long as it refers

to onself. For example, " I am a shudra." Think of all others

as servants of God. How about using "jivas" for everyone?

 

Definitions of shudras and brahmins cannot be twisted around

for our convenience.

 

-Eswar Josyula

[Guest guest]

I would request that members not use the term 'shudra'

in their posts, except when referring to technical aspects

of shaastra, and then also only when absolutely necessary.

I find the term derogatory, as it is only used by

brahmins to describe non-brahmins, and never by the

so-called shudras to describe themselves.

 

Recall that Nammazhvaar was born into a so-called

shudra jaati. However, I have never heard *any* Sri Vaishnava

ever refer to him as being of shudra jaati. Let us extend

this respect to all people.

 

Mani