SRIRANGAM GREAT TEMPLE

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

Regarding the reported offer of having a 'golden ratham' for Sri Rangaraja,

Sri Sampath svami has succinctly placed before us two short-term issues

and two long-term issues.

 

To consider the short-term ones. Sampat svami is quite right when he

says, "If only any one of the bhakthas had approached and explained the

matter to the Hosur devotee I am sure he would have reaDILY

UNDERSTOOD THE SENTIMENTS and in all probability agreed to do

kainkaryam to the Lord in a different form."

 

This is well-taken but since I am on a visit away from Srirangam, I am

not in a position to join a deputation to the Hosur devotee. I had

nevertheless proposed (in my earlier posting) that without causing him

alienation, he could be persuaded to "have the fulfilment of his votive

offering ('nErtti') in a much better way. He could perhaps get the

'gO-ratham' chariot of Sri rangarAja renovated and refurbished

in time for the next Adi-brahmOtsavam (April 7, 2001) of the month

of pankuni ('meena') mAsam. The gO-ratham is the smallest in size

of the three chariots of Sri rangarAja, and is the only one which is

fully built up as a veritable gallery of wooden sculptures. It has not

for years been cleaned and sprayed with wood-preservative and

painted. This is the chariot in which the Lord rides out pleasurably

on the day following the pankuni-uttiram. It is well-known that the

'uttiram' marks the day when Lord Sri-rangarAja and

Sriranga nAcchiAr get together in the year in order to receive the

recital of Sri rAmAnuja's moving 'gadya-trayam' submissions.

The name gO-ratham symbolises the corpus of the vEda as the

Lord's vehicle, and signifies that He is the core meaning of the vEda."

 

I do entirely share Sampath svami's concern when he observes,

"I am seeing a number of persons desiring to come into the fold of

srivaishnavism and do service to Lord Sriman Narayana. Let all our action

 

invite more and more people into the fold and not get frightened."

I am one with him on this and I believe I have said anything in my posting

to offend this beautiful sentiment.

 

Sampath svami's second short-term point: "The real issue is the action

on the part of the temple authorities in proposing to accept the

Golden chariot. There cant be any two opinon on this....

As administrators of the Great Temple they do not have any right to alter

the customs and procedures."

 

His other long-term issues are (i) to restructure the system of the

Great Temple administration so that the classical position prevails

in respect of the worship, festivals etc and (ii) mobilising into

effective action for the purpose. "...we talk and write and act very

little. I am prepared to gather like minded Srivaishnavas," he says

poignantly. I gladly offer my services for their humble worth

and shall wait for his message on my eventual return to Srirangam.

 

AS OF NOW, I REQUEST for more postings from the friends of the

bhakti-list on this specific topical issue. Also, can someone

please move to place the matter with the English-language and

Tamil press of Chennai ?

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja-dAsan, tirumanjanam Sundara Rajan.