AAcharams-what and how: an opinion

[Guest guest]

It was interesting to read Koti Sreekrishna's article on the above subject. It

is a practical, eventhough not an ideal, approach to pursuing

Acharam-Anushtanam in our work-a-day world.

 

Acharam and Anushtanam was never an easy affair even in the olden days. My

acharya who used only "well" water and who never failed to perform sandhya

vandhanam in time, whose acharam was impeccable, always maintained that:"kinthu

anushtaana nithyatvam swatantryam apakarshathy." (meaning: The practice of

nitya karmaanushtanam clinches away one's freedom). We are all

parathanthrayas. Like Bharadwaj(Prapatti group member) says a true

paramaikanthin lives only for Sriman Narayana. He gladly bears any difficulty

or embarrasement for the sake of the Lord and that I think is one form of

Tapas. It can not be denied that tapas is essential for spiritual progress.

 

Often I find our approach to the practice of Acaharam and Anushtanam appears to

be a matter of convenience. Getting up early in the morning, observing some

niyamanam in food and such things are shunned as old-fashioned. The Lord says

in the BG: (Tasmat Shastram Pramanam the karyaakarya vyavathithau). Shastras

leave very little room for individual interpretation and the do's and dont's in

the shastras are generally clear. Given that backdrop I think I am very far

away from that ideal. To take shelter under desham, kalam etc., I think, is

only a way of consoling ourselves. That' why I think the issue of acharam and

anushtanam should deserve more attention from all of us, so that we can raise

the general awareness for the benefit of all and probably evolve a new code

(through acharya's grace) that is more challenging and at the same time in tune

with the modern times.

 

 

Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan