dhEvatantra bhajanam

[Guest guest]

This is regarding TCA srinivasa ramanujan's swami's clarification regarding the

following.

1. AzhwAr's have tacitly approved the dhevatantara bhajanam whereas pUrvAchAryAs

have toed an orthodox line.

I am afraid I cannot totally agree with this view. There may be a few pAsuram-s

which may give room for multiple interpretaitons but almost all the pAsuram-s

in this context incisively proscribe dhEvatAntara bhajanam. Thirumazhisaip

pirAn -'vurayil idAdhavar'- This term and his unflinching pAsuram-s in nAnmugan

thiruvandhAdhi and thiruch-chandha-virutham are more than a proof for this.

These pAsuram-s are very clear in this regard. nam-AzhwAr in several pAsuram-s

has also pointed out this.

Even the pAsuram-s which you have mentioned are to be understood with the

context-with the whole subject contents and not in isolation. This is where

pUrvAchAryAs interpretaions are important.

I am of the view that pUrvAchAryAs are blessed with God's immense grace and I

accept them in toto.

AzhwAr's words thirumazhisaip pirAn 'maRandhum puranthozhA mAndhar'-nAnmugan

thiruvandhAdhi 68 and

nam AzhwAr's words 'O!O! vulaginadhiyalvE-EnROL irukka maNai nErAtti......'

thiruvAsiriyam

are couple of pAsuram-s which indicate the mind of all the AzhwAr's.

Hence, AzhwArs have never approved tacitly or explicitly worship of any other

deities.

 

2. Since, AzhwAr's have not so approved the question of pUrvAchAryars being

orthodox or not does not arise.

 

3.I think sri Varadarajan's response in digest no.411 answers this point.

4. I would suggest the word 'srEvaishNavite' in place of 'vEra-vaishNavite'.

'vEra vaishNavite' is a colloquial term. Every 'srEvaishNavite' is a person who

follows the dictum of AzhwAr's regarding dhEvatantra bhajanam.

 

To go to other deities and worship Him is one's personal faith. It is also

approved by the constitiution of india. However, it is my humble opinion that we

should not go to other deities on a mistaken impression that AzhwAr's have

approved it directly/indirectly.

Any bhAgwadha apachAram from my side may please be pardoned.

Thank you,

dhAsan

vAnamAmalai padmanAbhan