Re[2]: Digest Number 122

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Narayanaya namaha

 

Adiyen tends to differ from the views presented by Smt. Subha. Well it

doesn't look like Sri Madhavakkannan was presenting any unpleasant or

arrogant views. While Sri Mani's posting touch the inner sentiments,

Sri Madhavakkannan's message was considering that other sentiments are

implied. Well this is what is adiyEn's understanding from Sri

Madhavakkannan's posting.

 

To elaborate, Sri Madhavakkannan says that we need not call other

demi-gods as appA, but does he say that you should address them

arrogantly. No. Even Thirumazhisai AzhwAr when he was approached by

Lord Siva himself, regretted the boons, and when insisted upon, he

asked for mOksham which Lord Siva said that he cannot give it. Then

the reply was a thank you from Thirumazhisai AzhwAr. When further

insisted he made a funny request as to atleast allow the thread to

enter the back of the needle. As you can see, this is out of

irritation only. You want me to ask any boon and when I ask one you

are not able to give one. Then why should you boast about your self.

Now coming to calling appA, there certainly can be and has to be only

one appA. No further elaboration is needed on this.

 

Sri NammAzhwAr in this ThiruvAimozhi, 4m patthu, 9m thirvAimozhi, says

"..koLLak kuRaivilan vENdiRRellAm tharum kOdhil, en vaLLal maNivaNNan

thannaik kavi solla vamminO". This entire 10 pAsurams are sung for the

poets to stop singing about other deities and to sing only about

Sriman Narayanan. However you can superimpose this onto other

philosophical attributes also. As is clear from the above pAsuram, Sri

NammAzhwAr says that why should we even sing about others, when our

vaLLal maNivaNNan can give whatever we want and He only can give all

that we want.

 

And I think this is what precisely Sri MadhavakkaNNan had addressed as

"WHY ASK SOMEONE when we have the "ACTUAL TRUE GIVER" on our side?".

Sri NammAzhwAr further says in his 10m thirumOzhi in the same patthu

".... mArkkandEyanavanai, nakkap pirAnum anRu uyyakkoNdadhu nArAyaNan

aruLE". The conferring of chiranjeevithvam to mArkkaNdEyan by Lord

Siva is also only by the grace of Sriman Narayanan.So adiyEn doesn't

see any offense or arrogance in the above sentence. Well adiyEn is not

trying to be the mouthpiece for Sri MadhavakkaNNan, but only trying to

reitrate that whatever he is written is only on the projected lines of

our AzhwArs and AchAryAs.

 

We do have an incident in Sri Bhattar's life. One day when he was

coming back from thirukkAvEri after his bath and nitya anushTAnams,

there was a saivite along the bank on the way, who was applying

vibhoothi on him. It was windy that day and some vibhoothi fell on Sri

Bhattar's thirumEni. Swami came home and did not even enter the house.

He called his mother from outside (Swami KoorathAzhwAn had gone to

ThirunAdu by then) and told her about the incident and asked her for a

prAyaschittam. She said the only prAyaschittam is of taking the

SripAdha thIrtham of a man belonging to the 4th VarNam. This shows

that in those days our achAryAs were even reluctant to speak to

somebody who is not inclined to believe the truth that Sriman

Narayanan is the Supreme Lord.

 

But now with our lowkika life and many friends in other sects also, we

are forced to go to the temples where the other demi-gods are the main

deity. However we can try and void going and when necessitated, go

there and be a silent spectator. You need not pray there. But

certainly no disrespect is meant as they are all demi-gods and not

demi-humans.

 

Lastly, adyEn thinks that giving away the photos to other friends who

still believe in the demi gods is not a disrespect to them. On the

contrary that is the most respectful thing that one can do to them.

What else is the solution. We say we believe only in the Supreme Lord

Sriman Narayanan and keep the photos of other demi-gods also with us.

This is not really a good practise for a well realised repeat well

realised Sri VaishNavite. Now tearing the photo is certainly a

disrespect. Instead, giving it to a saivaite for example, is certainly

the most respectful way of getting rid of them.

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

 

Thirumalai Vinjamoor Venkatesh

 

 

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________

Re: Digest Number 122

Author: <swamis at JPINET

00/08/24 î?îÒ 2:01

 

 

Shri Mani,

 

Thank you for your well balanced response to Shri Badri's

questions. It was a pleasure to read.

> No point in calling some demigod as "appA", when we know who

>the Father is.

 

Shri Madhavakannan, I beg to differ. Yes, you would not call

somebody else "appA" but that does NOT mean one should

purposely disrespect or insult someone else in any way. That is

not what our culture teaches us as Shri.Mani rightly points

out.

> WHY ASK SOMEONE when we have the "ACTUAL TRUE GIVER" on our

>side?

 

There is no NEED to ask but that does not allow us to be

arrogant about having the giver on our side either. Humility

and tolerance are always wonderful virtues even when we are in

the service of the lord.

> We SHOULD NOT GO TO THE temple, where the demi gods are

>consecrated, along with Sriman Narayanan) and are in

>abhayahastham. (showing their palms (as if they can

> protect us!).

 

I take it there is a good reason they are called demi-GODS and

not demi-HUMANS. That must make them superior to an ordinary

human being like me in SOME respect even if they are not the

ultimate paramAtma. That makes them worthy of my respect even

while I acknowledge the ultimate goal as Sri Krishna and I

would hesitate very much to take the liberty of taunting them

with words such as the ones above.

> No need to throw. Give ot to them (who still do not

> believe Vedas in true sense, and) who worship demi gods. Call

>them- invite them at your home and give as gift. Do not hide

>in your sannidhi. That is like hiding

> a boy friend's picture after wedding to Sriman Narayanan.

>

 

I am deeply pained to read the above statements and feel that

this is a great disservice to the lord and his devotees. What

kind of a friend would "gift" something he regards as "useless"

personally, to another friend who is also an aspirant of the

lord? He may have chosen to worship other gods because, as

Shri.Mani points out, he is not yet ready for single minded

devotion - but his aspirations are the same - he is yet to find

the easiest path, thats all! How very unfair to treat his

feelings and the gods that the lord says were created by him in

this manner. The analogy to adultery is shocking to put it

mildly.

 

Please forgive me if I have offended anybody's sentiments in

this note.

 

Respectfully,

Shuba

 

 

 

^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without

losing your temper or your self-confidence.

 

-Robert Frost

 

 

 

 

 

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