`Scientific' priests

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

The following article should, in my humble opinion, make us all

rethink the way our scriptures are being taught these days. I have

personally witnessed archakas who mispronounce words even in

Thiruppaavai, making them mere sounds with no meaning. In this age of

reason, younger generation wants to know more than what should be done

and how. They want to know why it is to be done. Many times, this is

being met with accusation of impudence (I have myself experienced this).

 

Is this really good for our culture in the long run? More

understanding makes us relate more with what we do. In fact, this

point is made more than clear by none less than Geethacharyan Himself.

What is the Geeta, if not a Teacher explaining to a learner the Truth,

arcane though it might be?

 

Some food for thought.

 

Dasan

Ramki

 

 

 

`Scientific' priests add zing to Hindu rituals

The New Indian Express

http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEO20030309110014&Title=This+is+Indi\

a&rLink=0

 

PUNE: A peppering of science has added the zing to traditional Hindu

ceremonies. Thanks to a breed of specially-trained priests by the

Jnana Prabodhini's Santrika section, you will no longer find people

stifling a yawn or mindlessly repeating mantras after a priest.

 

The head of Jnana Prabodhini, Yeshwant Lele, says more and more people

are now curious about the rituals they have been performing blindly

over the years. The priests trained by the society explains the

mantras to the gathering and make the ceremonies more lively, he adds.

 

Thirty people, mainly from a scientific background, irrespective of

caste and sex, have recently finished their four-month course on how

to conduct Hindu marriages, naming ceremony, thread ceremony,

completion of 60 years, last rites and other sacraments after death,

enshrining of Ganesh, Satyanarayana puja and Vastushanti.

 

When Amita Nagarkatti conducted Vastushanti and Satyanarayan puja, she

called a priest from Jnana Prabodhini, who explained the mantras to

her. ``I wanted to know the relevance of each mantra,'' she says.

 

Businessman Atul Thakar says: ``Whether it is a thread ceremony,

marriage, house-warming or last rites, it makes an impact when the

priest makes it a point to explain the mantras.''

 

Lele says: ``Our Marathi and English booklets enable every family

member to chant the mantras. The booklet gives the requirements for

each ceremony and has an introduction and translation of each mantra.

Our gurujis and purohitas involve everyone present. So, instead of

only the yajman (the man who performs the ceremony) repeating the

mantras, everyone present takes part. Explanations of certain rituals

involve physics, chemistry, logic, philosophy and psychology.''

 

Manjusha Mungi, a student of electronics who has trained under Lele,

adds: ``The whole family is involved. Since most come from science

backgrounds, they understand the transfer of energies, negative waves

and sound energies.'' Mungi, who conducts three ceremonies a week,

says the rituals are in an abridged version. There is no duplication

of mantras and so the ceremony is not lengthy, she explains.

 

Parag Kulkarni performed the ekkodishtam (homage to the departed) of

his father, and was given a detailed explanation. ``The meaning is

explained in an easy-to-understand manner for kids to know why I was

performing the ritual,'' Lele says.

 

Vijayrao Datar, a priest says: ``People want to know what is what.

Many families conduct the thread ceremony only after the child reaches

an understanding age.'' Another priest, Yeshwant Kulkarni, said when

mantras are chanted together ``it generates positive sound energy''.