Seervarisai

[Guest guest]

Laksmi N Srinivasa writes

" One more thing is they

have a "girl child". This point I am highlighting is due to the fact that

"Seervarisai or dowry" is a problem when it comes to marraige of the

child when it comes to that age. "

This points out the need for defining the

ethics of SriVaishnavism. I have always felt that the

leadership of Acharyas is missing in many social refroms.

One could argue that it is not their task. But they

have influence. There are many young men and women

in our group. From the mailings one notes they plan

to go home and get married. I am sure most of them

are able to support themselves. Will they undertake

an oath for themselves not to demand dowry and even go

further to assist in the marriage expenses?

In the old days, my dad paid a small sum to my grandfather

when he got married to my mother. Dowry was a taboo in

our homes. But I have personally paid a dowry to my

sister long ago when I found that the groom's father had

to find money for his daughters' marriages. But when will

this stop? Couple dread having female children in India?

Marriage ceremonies have become a circus?

Is arranged marriage a cause?

Krishna Praba

[Guest guest]

Lakshmi N. Srinivasa wrote:

 

* Infact our acharyas should also take up the social reform part. Like if

* some jeer passes a rule that one should not or give dowry or some sort of

* tat rule, atleast the mutt followers will fear for the leader to some

* extent. This might not actually destroy the problem but might alleviate

* the problem to some extent.

 

There are far more important social problems to be tackled

than this dowry problem where our Acharyas can do a lot.

Of course, I have no right to suggest to our Acharyas what

they can and should do.

 

Let us look at some of the numbers here. If you consider

the Sri Vaishnava Acharyas (the 3 VK and all the TK

jeeyars put together), their followers are primarily the

Vaishnava Brahmins (the rest are a few Chettiyars and

other castes), mainly from Tamil Nadu and a few from

Karnataka and Andhra. This perhaps numbers at best about

50,000. The population of India is approximately

1,000,000,000.

 

(Sri K.Srinivasan once posted an estimated number of

Iyengars (who should constitute about 90% of the Sri

Vaishnavas). That figure, I guess, was of the same order

as the one I have quoted above.)

 

Unlike the Kanchi Shankaracharya (for example), the Sri

Vaishnava Acharyas do not command mass following from

among the other sections of the society. In fact, outside

of Sri Rangam and Kanchipuram, non-brahmins (who must

constitute about 95-97% of the Hindus of TN) would have

hardly even heard of the Sri Vaishnava Acharyas. None of

my neighbours in Nagapattinam knows about the Sri

Vaishnava Acharyas. Some could recognize the azhagiya

singar immediately after the completion of the Sri Rangam

South Raja Gopuram. But that was it.

 

Of course, what fraction of this 50,000 will listen to our

Acharyas when it comes to the lowkika aspects of the life,

is itself questionable.

 

--badri

 

-----------------

S.Badrinarayanan

Graduate Student

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cornell University

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[Guest guest]

On Jan 17, 7:34am, krish wrote:

> This points out the need for defining the

> ethics of SriVaishnavism. I have always felt that the

> leadership of Acharyas is missing in many social refroms.

 

Krish makes a good point here. Why is it that in spite of

the precedents set by Ramanuja, Pillai Lokacharya, and Manavala

Mamunigal, our acharyas lack social vision and don't care

to engage in any kind of reform activity? This is perhaps

why the Mutts have lost a following. While they still attract

Vedic scholars, they have marginalized themselves in terms

of the greater society.

 

Mani

[Guest guest]

Infact our acharyas should also take up the social reform part. Like if

some jeer passes a rule that one should not or give dowry or some sort of

tat rule, atleast the mutt followers will fear for the leader to some

extent. This might not actually destroy the problem but might alleviate

the problem to some extent.

 

Azhwargal Thiruvadigale Charanam

Lakshmi N. Srinivasa

 

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Vanamali Gati Saarngee Changee chakreecha Nandaki

Sriman NarayanoVishnur Vasudevobi Rakshatu

------Parayana Sloka in Vishnu Sahasranama-----

 

Lakshmi N. Srinivasa,lsriniva,sprinil

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