Guest guest Posted January 21, 1998 Report Share Posted January 21, 1998 Dear Bhakti Group Members: Sri. Paundarikapuram Acharyan, Shri. Gopala Desikan swamy told my wife when performing Pancha SamskAram to her that she should say "am" instead of Pranavam in ashtAcharam and in stotras. This may be generally followed in the Vadakalai sects. Even, today I hear from some that women folks shoud not chant Sri. VishnusahasranAma stotram for whatever reason. Govindarajan Dasan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 1998 Report Share Posted January 22, 1998 > Even, today I hear from some that women folks shoud not chant > Sri. VishnusahasranAma stotram for whatever reason. I have also heard this, but only from informal Sri Vaishnavas -- never an acharya or scholar. I suspect this is a practice carried out in some places where women were naturally and culturally restricted in many ways from learning and religious knowledge. Sri VishnusahasranAma stotram is unequivocally meant for everyone, and everyone should learn and recite it. It is from the Mahabharata, to which there are absolutely no restrictions, traditional or otherwise. In the end, it is my belief that we should move away from restrictions such as these and encourage all to share in our religious wealth. In this case, for example, the VishnusahasranAma is just a list of the names of the Lord -- and why should anyone be stopped from reciting that? adiyEn Mani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 1998 Report Share Posted January 23, 1998 At 12:20 PM 1/22/98 -0800, you wrote: > >I have also heard this, but only from informal Sri Vaishnavas -- >never an acharya or scholar. I suspect this is a practice >carried out in some places where women were naturally and >culturally restricted in many ways from learning and religious >knowledge. Sri Srivatsangachar who is considered a scholar did say this. It is on tape. He quoted the couplet that follows, "Parvatyuvacha" in which Parvathi says to her husband she wishes to hear, (srOthum ichchaam). He narrated a story that leads up to this exchange between Siva and Parvathi. Sri Srivatsangachar's words approximately were, "women are not supposed to, but they do these days, let us not get into that." > >Sri VishnusahasranAma stotram is unequivocally meant for >everyone, and everyone should learn and recite it. I don't disagree with the intent of the above statement. However, perhaps even unrelated to the present context, I am wary of us, who are only "informal Sri Vaishnavas" for whom Sri Vasihnava scholarship is only a part-time hobby, making policy for all. -- adiyEn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 1998 Report Share Posted January 23, 1998 > He narrated a story > that leads up to this exchange between Siva and Parvathi. > Sri Srivatsangachar's words approximately were, "women > are not supposed to, but they do these days, let us not > get into that." These cultural restrictions on bhagavan-nAma-sankirtanam that become codified as law because of some story or other makes me uncomfortable. If this were how our religion were universally practiced, I would be quite ashamed of it. This is my personal belief. However, I think there is a difference of opinion on this as well -- and thank PerumaaL for that! Those who wish to follow (in my mind) illogical and destructive restrictions can. I know I am only an "amateur" Sri Vaishnava. But I cannot follow something that strikes at the very heart of what I consider great about our sampradAya. adiyEn Mani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 1998 Report Share Posted January 23, 1998 dear bhakthas, i've posed the question of women reciting hymns in praise of the lord to my grand-uncle,Sri U.Ve.Purisai Krishnamaachariyar Swami, on a few occasions and the replies on all those occasions have been that women are not supposed to recite any of these hymns aloud. i shall now reproduce my best efforts at translating whatever was said to me by the swami[in tamil]. ' Reciting hymns aloud implies others hearing them and learning about the lord etc..Recitation of hymns aloud,for the world to hear, is supposed to be a man's duty.And hence when a woman recites these aloud,she is transgressing her duty limits. A woman is also attracting undue attention to herself by way of her sweet voice which is heard by one and all when she recites slokas aloud.' personally,i am not qualified by any means to give any comment whatsoever. adiyongal daasavargam, athi saranathan. > >At 12:20 PM 1/22/98 -0800, you wrote: >> >>I have also heard this, but only from informal Sri Vaishnavas -- >>never an acharya or scholar. I suspect this is a practice >>carried out in some places where women were naturally and >>culturally restricted in many ways from learning and religious >>knowledge. > > >Sri Srivatsangachar who is considered a scholar did say >this. It is on tape. He quoted the couplet that follows, >"Parvatyuvacha" in which Parvathi says to her husband she >wishes to hear, (srOthum ichchaam). He narrated a story >that leads up to this exchange between Siva and Parvathi. >Sri Srivatsangachar's words approximately were, "women >are not supposed to, but they do these days, let us not >get into that." > > >> >>Sri VishnusahasranAma stotram is unequivocally meant for >>everyone, and everyone should learn and recite it. > > >I don't disagree with the intent of the above >statement. However, perhaps even unrelated to >the present context, I am wary of us, who are >only "informal Sri Vaishnavas" for whom Sri >Vasihnava scholarship is only a part-time >hobby, making policy for all. > > >-- adiyEn > A.V.SARANATHAN TEMPORARY ADDRESS: PHONE NO:4673805 W-221,NEW HOSTEL, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT,CALCUTTA DIAMOND HARBOUR ROAD,JOKA P.O.16757,CALCUTTA-700027 E-MAIL: SARODAD SARO ____ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 1998 Report Share Posted January 23, 1998 At 11:55 AM 1/23/98 -0800, Mani Varadarajan wrote: > >> Sri Srivatsangachar's words approximately were, "women >> are not supposed to, but they do these days, let us not >> get into that." > >These cultural restrictions on bhagavan-nAma-sankirtanam >that become codified as law because of some story or other >makes me uncomfortable. >From what I have written it is a stretch to conclude that attempt was being made to codify some dreadful law to suppress anyone. Srivatsangachar just indicated what the sampradayam was and did not even want to get into a discussion, either for or against the practice. I truly regret having dragged the good name of Sri Srivatsangachar into this discussion. He has contributed and still contributing more to Sri Ramanuja Dharsanam compared to all of us here in the net put together. -- adiyEn Srivatsangachar dhasan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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