AgnihOthram Sri Ramanuja Tatachar

[Guest guest]

Dear VedAbhimAnis : I am happy to read Sri Krishnaswami's

posting on his "MutthA " . AgnihOthram swamy's family

and ours have ties over many decades . He is my maternal

grandfather's AchArya ; He is the AchArya for my sister

thru her husband .He knows me from my highschool days at

Kumbakonam and has been a very good friend of my father .

I have seen him as a boy , when the last of the great Yajnam

in India was performed by Sri PattaNNA Swamigal and

His son at the site behind Iyengar St , KumbakONam ,

where there was a thiDal next to VedanaarayaNan

and Brahman temples .

 

AgnihOthram swamigaL has blessed me abundantly .

Every year , I contribute to the ChaithrOthsavam

Veda PaarAyaNam ghOshti for Sri SarangapaaNI .

He officated as the agrEsarar at my father's

80th birthday few years back at Oppilaippan Koil .

I wish I have been fortunate to sit with this

Mahan , who lives the Vedic life and help him

especially now ,when he is busy documenting the many

rare tests and their intrepretations .His contributions

to the intrepretation of the meanings oft he vedAs and

the Vedic Rituals are world class . As Sri Krishnaswaamy

mentioned , he is indeed "a revolutionary ". His alliances

with like minded VedaabhimAnis has caused him some

problems , but he is the last one to take note of these

critics . Even today , he is producing monogrphs

inspite of his physical problems that limit his

movement .From Oxford to Berkeley , he is known

for his authoritative contributions . He is such a

gentle and tolerant mahAn , the embodiment of

the eternal values enshrined in the VedAs .

My suggestion to those visiting India is to

visit this great Mahan and prostrate before him

and receive his blessings .

 

Among all the great scholastic works that he has

authored , the one sponsored by T.T.DevasthAnams

in 1985 with the title, "Eternal Relevance of

VedAs " is my treasure .Here , he applies

"the Vedic quinessence to the contemproary

Social issues " and proves convincgly that

Vedic relevance is eternal and universal.

Here, he has "built a stable bridge between

the Vedic Consciousness and modern thinking on

various topics such as humanitarian approach ,

universal outlook , DharmA , politics and economics,

which form the pillars of the edifice of human existence".

 

 

This monograph has 205 pages of distilled

insights of a life long study of Vedams

and the eternal Vedic messages. The last

three chapters on the creation of Social ,

political and economic consciousness

according to Veda ManthrAs are simply

brilliant and original . The study of

the important role of women according to

the VedAs is some thing that is quite relevant

to the recent discussions on the Bhakthi list

about the status of women in modern

times . With Veda pramANams , he proves

convincingly that woman according to VedIc

rks have a lofty place in society and quotes

a Vedic passage , which concedes that women

are more intelligent than men and why so .

He also quotes the Veda manthram that women are

the embodiment of Sridevi .

 

In response to a dear Bhakthai's question , I plan

to write soon about the Vedic women , who

have given us Rks . These wives of Vedic seers

were equal manthra drushtAs and are acknowledged

as RishikAs of these manthrAs that we recite

from Rg Vedam , the oldest of the Vedams .

These RishikAs are famous wives of Rishis

whom we revere Athri , VisvamithrA , VamadevA,

BharadhvAja , VasishtA, Bhrugu et al and their

descendants .

 

The lady seers of VedAs are a study in themslves

to settle the issues related to the superior

role of women in the Vedic culture.If we call

our darsanams as Vaidhika Mathams , darsanams

rooted in VedAs , then there can not be any

dispute to the high status given to women

in our darsanams.Some of the RishikAs are

LopAmudrA , the wife of AgasthyA .The very

first book of Rg Vedam has two rks attributed to

her ( I.179.1-2) .Some of the other rishikAs are:

RomasA , VisvavArA , AangIrasI Sasvathi , apAlA,

SraddhA , GhOshA ( Veda GhOsham ) , VasukrapANi ,

SuryA , Urvasi , Juhu , VaagAmbhruNi and

PaulOmi Sachi. They are authentic SamhitAkarakAs

in their own right . In addition to RishikA's mystic

statements born out of true pursuit of knowledge ,

the Rishis themselves have attested to the central

and indispensable role of women in maintaining

the health of the Society and dharmA .

 

I will cover these areas later as a tribute to

AgnihOthram Sri Ramanuja TatachAr Swamy , one of

the Aadarsa PurushAs among the 20th century Vedic

scholars .

 

DharmO Rakshathi Rakshitha :

Oppilaippan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan