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skaushik wrote:

>

> This "section of Sri Vaishanavas" could also be viewed as including

> Sri Vedanta Desikar himself. In Rahasya Traya Sara, he clearly

> argues why even the most devout non-Brahmin bhaktas can nver

> "become" Brahmins. He argues that the para-Bhaktas ought to

> be respected, but they cannot and should not be considered as Brahmins.

> He argues both from teh viewpoint of scriptures as well as

> "practicality" (importance of maintaining social order).

>

The samAsrayanam is more

for equalization in the eyes of the lord, but not at the exclusion of duties

required of a brahmin and so the sacred thread was still relavant. The impact of

the reverence paid to lower caste alwars was probably dramtic enough to

suggest that

Sri Ramanuja was not merely trying to do a toned down change .

Therefore, you are probably right in that the functions of the brahmins was

considered to be necessary, as the maintenance of knowledge, customs and

attitudes

would otherwise be difficult if not impossible.

 

There are statments made that

suggest that the greatness of a few alwars of a lower caste should not be taken

as suggesting that there was ample qualification all around to disband the

social order.

On the other hand there is also a notion of artha brahmana and so the

responsibility

of the brahmin to be weary of becoming complacent and arrogant.

Is it not possibly to say that social order has not a heirarchical

interpretation

but a functional one.

> >From a "naive" reading of our scriptures, it seems to me that

> though the scriptures speak of EQUAL accessibility of God to all members

> of society, it NOT imply that the MODES of which God can be attained are

> the same for all members. Though our 21rst century ideals may wish

> otherwise, many of the most eminent Sri Vaishnava scholars in history

> have not believed in an egalitarian society of the sort that people

> wish today.

>

In todays society, the temperment of individuals who likely involve themselves

in temple afairs and shastras for the most part within the brahmin groups

suggesting

that it might require generations of involvement to build an inherent

attachement to such affairs.

 

 

How do we change with times, how do we rekon with outside forces, how do we

extrapolate our beloved teachings to the current times ?

 

Mohana

 

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