Vaishnavite seers criticise remarks by Kanchi Acharya

[Guest guest]

SriMathe RamAnujAya Namaha:

SriMadh Vara Vara Munaye Namaha:

 

Dear Members,

 

Here is more update on TTD published in The Hindu

dated March 16.

 

Link:

http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/17/stories/2004031705910500.htm

 

Vaishnavite seers criticise remarks by Kanchi Acharya

 

By Our Special Correspondent

 

CHENNAI, MARCH 16. Vaishnavite seers and mutt heads

today strongly criticised the reported remarks by Sri

Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi in Hyderabad on the

internal affairs of the Venkateswara temple at

Tirumala.

 

In a strongly-worded statement released at a press

conference here, Sriperumbudur Embar Jeer, Melkote

Yatiraja Jeer, Vanamamalai Kaliyan Ramanuja Jeer,

Sriperumbudur Varada Yatiraja Jeer and Kanchi Azhagia

Manavala Jeer said the Sankaracharya was in no way

connected with the internal affairs of the

Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). They said Sri

Tridandi Sriman Narayana Jeer made suggestions to the

TTD for restoring `aagama' modalities and traditional

customs and practices as reestablished by Sri Ramanuja

and his disciple, Sri Anantaazhvaan, in the 11-12th

centuries AD. As the Jeer's suggestions were given to

preserve and enhance the temple's sanctity, the Andhra

Pradesh Chief Minister and the TTD received the

suggestions in the spirit with which they were made

and agreed to implement them.

 

Rituals at Tirumala were being guided by Vykhanasa

Agama, with which the Kanchi Acharya had no

connection. He had no locus standi on the affairs of

the Vaishnavite temple, they said.

 

The Kanchi Mutt head would agree that no Vaishnavite

seer would be given any role in the affairs of Siva

temples. Legally too, as confirmed by a Privy Council

judgment, one had no right to interfere in the affairs

of temples belonging to other sects. The Jeers said

they would not encourage or be party to any derogatory

comment, which would disrupt harmony amongst Hindus.

The common people were not interested in divisions

between Vaishnavism and Saivism that would lead to

confusion, they said.

 

================

(End of Article)

 

Shantha Kumar Kazhiyur Mannar

http://www15.brinkster.com/mudaliandan

 

 

 

 

Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam

 

[Guest guest]

What was the remark made by Kanchi Acharya?

We can do business with Kanchi Acharya and Shaivates.

If it is a valid remark we can discuss about it.

It is important to have good relationship with Kanchi Acharya as he is the

school of thought and a good peedam for a few centuries.

 

 

Srirangam Chakravarthy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shantha kumar <kmshantha_kumar wrote:

SriMathe RamAnujAya Namaha:

SriMadh Vara Vara Munaye Namaha:

 

Dear Members,

 

Here is more update on TTD published in The Hindu

dated March 16.

 

Link:

http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/17/stories/2004031705910500.htm

 

Vaishnavite seers criticise remarks by Kanchi Acharya

 

By Our Special Correspondent

 

CHENNAI, MARCH 16. Vaishnavite seers and mutt heads

today strongly criticised the reported remarks by Sri

Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi in Hyderabad on the

internal affairs of the Venkateswara temple at

Tirumala.

 

In a strongly-worded statement released at a press

conference here, Sriperumbudur Embar Jeer, Melkote

Yatiraja Jeer, Vanamamalai Kaliyan Ramanuja Jeer,

Sriperumbudur Varada Yatiraja Jeer and Kanchi Azhagia

Manavala Jeer said the Sankaracharya was in no way

connected with the internal affairs of the

Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). They said Sri

Tridandi Sriman Narayana Jeer made suggestions to the

TTD for restoring `aagama' modalities and traditional

customs and practices as reestablished by Sri Ramanuja

and his disciple, Sri Anantaazhvaan, in the 11-12th

centuries AD. As the Jeer's suggestions were given to

preserve and enhance the temple's sanctity, the Andhra

Pradesh Chief Minister and the TTD received the

suggestions in the spirit with which they were made

and agreed to implement them.

 

Rituals at Tirumala were being guided by Vykhanasa

Agama, with which the Kanchi Acharya had no

connection. He had no locus standi on the affairs of

the Vaishnavite temple, they said.

 

The Kanchi Mutt head would agree that no Vaishnavite

seer would be given any role in the affairs of Siva

temples. Legally too, as confirmed by a Privy Council

judgment, one had no right to interfere in the affairs

of temples belonging to other sects. The Jeers said

they would not encourage or be party to any derogatory

comment, which would disrupt harmony amongst Hindus.

The common people were not interested in divisions

between Vaishnavism and Saivism that would lead to

confusion, they said.

 

================

(End of Article)

 

Shantha Kumar Kazhiyur Mannar

http://www15.brinkster.com/mudaliandan

 

 

 

 

Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam

 

 

 

 

azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam

 

 

 

 

ramanuja/

 

ramanuja

 

 

 

India Promos: Win a trip for 2 to Britain.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sri Srirangam Chakravarthy,

 

Already many messagaes have been posted in group regarding Kanchi

Acharya's unwarrented comments on TTD activities in general and his

H.H. Sri Tridandi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar in personal.

 

Please go through them in the archives section of the messages, here

is one of the mail for your info.

 

nsp <aazhwar@v...>

Fri Mar 5, 2004 8:25 pm

Re: [ramanuja] Kanchi Kamakoti on Tirumalai.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Sri Tirumanjanam SundaraRajan swAmi. Thank You for your mail.

Your mail

reminds me of, the timkering by the same person -persona non-grata- at

thiruchanur temple some years back. Fortunately, that did not take

off. Now, he

he is trying his pranks at thirumala temple.

 

It clearly points out to one thing. They are blatantly and shamelessly

displaying their jealousy insofar as the crowd, wealth and powers are

concerned.--> Can they match our Lord Almighty with any other deity?

'ethanai seyyinum en magan mugam nEAr ovvAi"

"kandavARRAl thanadhEA vulagena ninRAn'

The tenor of the rejoinder distinctly reflects not only your frame of

mind, not

only your bent of thinking , not only your forceful writing, not only

the

transmission of the message but vividly rings in my ears your voice,

thorugh

this mail. Thank you.

Can you please provide me with the mail ids of ttd and Chief Minister

of Andhra

Pradhesh for us to send mails?

Thank You for including me in your esteemed list.

ramanuja dhasan

vanamamalai padmanabhan

 

-

SundaraRajan Tirumanjanam

SriVaishnavaSri ; LakshmitatacharMA ; Ramanuja internet ;

RangarajanSujata

; AzhvarMA-Melkote ; PadmanabhanNS ; Rajappa ; VelukkudiKrishnanSvami

Wednesday, March 03, 2004 9:13 PM

[ramanuja] Kanchi Kamakoti on Tirumalai.

 

 

Reproduced below is the rejoinder from the Divya-desa Paramparya Padu-

kappu

Peravai, Srirangam,

 

to the loud Terminological Inexactitudes attributed to the Kanchi

Kamakoti

Sankaracharya

 

in the matter of Tirumalai Sri Venkatesvara Temple, our Holy-of-

Holies.

 

The rejoinder merits the widest publicity in the press that you can

possibly

arrange, and in other media and manner.

 

A mail from you to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh would also be

appropriate,

 

so as to highlight the Kanchi Kamakoti's unwarranted attempts at

trivialising

the Srivaishnava religion.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Divya-desa Paramparya Padukappu Peravai

214, East Uttara Street,

SRIRANGAM-620006

(District Trichy, Tamil Nadu).

 

To

The Editor,

 

 

Unwarranted falsehoods of Kanchi Kamakoti Sankaracharya,

regarding

the Tirumalai Sri Venkatesvara Temple.

 

Sir,

 

On his recent visit to Hyderabad, the Kanchi Kamakoti Sankaracharya

had made

unwarranted public statements regarding the time-honoured and

established

Vaishnava character and administration of the Tirumalai Sri

Venkatesvara Temple.

 

We have the privilege of seeking your cooperation in discharging your

valued

role as responsible Press, in contradicting the falsehoods contained

in the

Kanchi Acharya's statements.

 

The Press Note prepared by us is attached for your ready reference

and use.

 

Regards from

 

(A.Krishnamachari)

SECRETARY

Phone: 0431-2434398

kicha19@s...

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sri:

 

Certain unwarranted statements on the administration and worship mode

in the

ancient and world-famous Tirumalai Sri Venkatesvara-Srinivasa Temple

have been

carried in the Deccan Chronicle (February 29 2004) and the New Indian

Express

(February 28 2004). These statements have been attributed to the

Kanchi Kamakoti

Sankaracharya when on his visit to Hyderabad.

 

 

The Kamakoti personage's statements primarily betray his upstart bid

to

capture power and property in the Tirumalai Srinivasa Temple which is

amongst

the most venerated and historically well-documented centres of

Srivaishnava

worship in India. The statements constitute a paranoid ranting which

underline

the rabble doctrine, "The more loud, the more true" and "The more

brazen, the

more broadcast". They also betray a compulsive emotional need of this

speaker to

keep drawing attention to himself, and to stay centre-stage in the

mass media,

however reckless his enunciations or dubious his so-called

initiatives for

public peace or plainly moth-eaten his erudition. This manner of

peremptory

noise-making is hardly fair or edifying to the common sense and

intelligence of

the large number of followers he claims to have.

 

 

Some of the Kanchi personality's discoveries are as sensational as

they are

simply crass, as when he says that "Ramanuja had nothing whatever to

do with

Tirumalai". His another profundity is that "the Vaikhanasa mode of

worship is

not in anyway related to the philosophical doctrine of

Vishishtaadvaita".

 

 

Two other of his statements are carping on Sri Tridandi Sriman

Narayana

Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar, and expose his neurotic jealousy of the

venerated Jeeyar

Svami. "Sri Tridandi Jeeyar should not interfere", says the Kanchi

personality,

"with Tirumalai temple administration matters. The Jeeyar is not a

mathaadhipati

at all but only a Vishishtaadvait preacher, and barely a wayfarer in

Tirumalai

!" In targeting the Tridandi Jeeyar svami for his crude attack, the

Kanchi

personality has forgotten to produce his own credentials which would

empower him

to declare a Srivaishnava institutional head as persona non-grata in

Tirumalai.

 

 

The Kanchi personality seems to be the only individual who is

ignorant of the

fact that he has no locus standi whatsoever to declaim and decide

matters in

respect of the holy Sri Venkatesvara Temple in Tirumalai-Tirupati.

Thanks to the

media hype sponsored by his admirers in public life, this neo-

Sankaracharya has

come to be just tolerated, but not legitimised, in the four-seat

Convocation of

the Sankaracharya-s (Badarinath, Dvarakanath, and Puri-Jagannath, and

Sringeri).

None of the pontiffs of these four Sankara-peethas (which are

regarded as having

been founded by the venerated Sankara bhagavat-paada himself) has

come out with

the hilarious kind of statements as the Kanchi personality has

presently made.

 

 

The Kanchi personality's strategy for gaining a foothold in the Sri

Venkatesvara Temple administration is contained in his rather bland

statement,

"We Sankaracharya-s too have the right of offering worship-rites in

Vishnu

temples." Sri Sankara Bhagavat Paada was self-evidently a Vaishnava

saint, but

later-day distortions depict him as an ash-smeared Saiva. Any of the

Sankara

mathaadhipati-s is therefore received, as indeed any religious head

of vaidika

religion, with temple honours not only in Tirumalai but

 

 

 

 

also in other temples in the country. But it is one thing to receive

temple

honours and a respectful preference to have darshan, and an entirely

another

thing (and unwarranted claim) to administer the rites of worship

there. The

Kanchi personality attempts to claim the right to administer the

rites of

worship in Tirumalai temple with general bland remarks, half-

statements and by

confusing the issues.

 

 

The totality of available evidence establishes Sri Venkatesvara

Temple in

Tirumalai hills as the Srivaishnava temple par excellence, and of

great

antiquity. The multi-strand evidence is authenticated in history,

classical

literature, inscriptional records, and the unbroken tradition of

worship here

and in other temples of the country. The Temple has been the

inspiring theme of

not only the ancient Tamil Sangham classics and post-Sangham classics

like

Kamban's famed Ramakatha etc, but is also venerated in the rapturous

compositions of the subsequent daasa-saahitya in Kannada language,

the moving

songs of Kshetrajna, Annamacharya etc, and down to Sri Tyagaraja.

 

 

Sri Ramanujacharya (1017-1137 AD) had visited Tirumalai Sri

Venkatesvaram

hills at least three times, and had established the Elder Jeeyar in

1057-58

(with his residential Matham) in order to oversee the organisation of

worship of

Sri Venkatesvara. The Junior Jeeyar was established in 1102.

 

 

Sri Ramanuja's first-generation disciple Sri Anantaazhvaan (who

hailed from

to-day's Karnataka) was appointed by his mentor to keep the Lord's

flower

gardens and orchards. Anantaazhvaan's crucial Sanskrit work, Sri

Venkataachala

Itihaasa-maalaa, is a very authentic and comprehensive record of the

debate

sponsored by the local ruler Yaadava Naaraayana to put an end to Saiva

importunate claims. It fell to Sri Ramanuja to establish, in this

debate, on

unambiguous and unassailable evidence that Sri Venkatesvara was the

Vishnu of

the veda-scripture. The streamlined modes of worship identified and

reintroduced

in the Temple by Sri Ramanuja were somewhat affected on account of

the ravaging

raids (1310 circa) of the Temples in the South by Malik Kafur and

Ulugh Khan.

The worship in Tirumalai was eventually restored by Manavaala Mahaa-

muni who

became the pontiff of the Srivaishnava capital of Srirangam.

 

 

The worship in Tirumalai Temple is rendered as per the (Vaishnava)

Vaikhaanasa

Aagama, which is the twin of the (Vaishnava) Pancharaatra Agama which

is in

observance in Srirangam Temple. The 108 sanctified Vaishnava Temples

of the

country observe one or the other Aagama, and Sri Vedantaachaarya's

work,

Paancharaatra-rakshaa, establishes that there is no material conflict

between

the two Aagama-s. It is therefore palpably absurd to say, as our

Kanchi

personality now fantastically proposes, that the Vaikhaanasa of

Tirumalai is

exclusive of the Srivaishnava Vishishtaadvaita religion and doctrine.

The Kanchi

research-finding is contradicted by the fact that every Vaikhanasa

temple in the

South (Aandaal in Srivilli-puttoor, for instance) is indisputably

corroborative

of Vishishtaadvaita metaphysics and has a clear and unique

Srivaishnava in

character.

 

 

It is to be deplored that with the ostensible objective of widening

the space

for festive perambulation, the centuries-old large 'thousand-pillar'

mandapam-

pavilion was demolished recently. The demolished mandapam contained

stone

sculpting of as many as 164 time-honoured 'Tenkalai' Srivaishnava

Oordhva-pundram (sanctified religious marking). This has

simultaneously caused a

triple loss to the Temple traditions, historical evidence, and

archaeological

values.

 

 

On behalf of the vast Srivaishnava Community of the country,

 

and as especially the ardent devotees of Lord Sri Venkateswara,

 

 

WE APPEAL

 

to the TT Devasthanam

 

urgently to consider the following steps

 

 

in the interests of the un-vitiated continuance of the fragrant and

time-sanctified worship-modes of Lord Sri Venkatesvara's Temple,

which is our

Holiest of Holies ~~

 

 

* Give no quarter whatsoever to the Kanchi Kamakoti Sankaracharya in

the

administration and organisation of worship of Sri Venkatesvara Temple

in

Tirumalai, considering that he has no 'sampradaaya' affiliation to

the Temple at

all, and has therefore no locus standi to dictate to the TTD on the

Temple

affairs.

 

 

* Reconstitute the Temple Board to provide primacy for the Elder

('pedda

keylvi' ) Jeeyar Svami, the Junior ('chinna keylvi') Jeeyar Svami,

identified

descendant of Anantaazhvaan, and Sri Tridandi Sriman Narayana

Ramanuja Chinna

Jeeyar Svami (whose 'sampradaaya' insight and service are

unassailable).

 

 

* Constitute a seven-member standing committee to ensure the

preservation of

Srivaishnava Vaikhanasa Vishishtaadvaita traditions which had

historically

prevailed since ancient times in the Tirumalai Temple. The committee

will

provide ex officio for Sri Vaana-maa-malai Jeeyar Svami, one

Vaikhaanasa

archaka, three scholars of Veda-Shaastra, and two persons with sound

administrative experience (one retired from Central Government and

another

retired from State Government).

 

 

"Sri Venkateyso jayatu"

 

 

azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam

 

 

 

ramanuja, Srirangam Chakravarthy

<srirangam_chakravarthy> wrote:

> What was the remark made by Kanchi Acharya?

> We can do business with Kanchi Acharya and Shaivates.

> If it is a valid remark we can discuss about it.

> It is important to have good relationship with Kanchi Acharya as he

is the

> school of thought and a good peedam for a few centuries.

>

>

> Srirangam Chakravarthy

>

>

shantha kumar <kmshantha_kumar> wrote:

> SriMathe RamAnujAya Namaha:

> SriMadh Vara Vara Munaye Namaha:

>

> Dear Members,

>

> Here is more update on TTD published in The Hindu

> dated March 16.

>

> Link:

> http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/17/stories/2004031705910500.htm

>

> Vaishnavite seers criticise remarks by Kanchi Acharya

>

> By Our Special Correspondent

>

> CHENNAI, MARCH 16. Vaishnavite seers and mutt heads

> today strongly criticised the reported remarks by Sri

> Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi in Hyderabad on the

> internal affairs of the Venkateswara temple at

> Tirumala.

>

> In a strongly-worded statement released at a press

> conference here, Sriperumbudur Embar Jeer, Melkote

> Yatiraja Jeer, Vanamamalai Kaliyan Ramanuja Jeer,

> Sriperumbudur Varada Yatiraja Jeer and Kanchi Azhagia

> Manavala Jeer said the Sankaracharya was in no way

> connected with the internal affairs of the

> Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). They said Sri

> Tridandi Sriman Narayana Jeer made suggestions to the

> TTD for restoring `aagama' modalities and traditional

> customs and practices as reestablished by Sri Ramanuja

> and his disciple, Sri Anantaazhvaan, in the 11-12th

> centuries AD. As the Jeer's suggestions were given to

> preserve and enhance the temple's sanctity, the Andhra

> Pradesh Chief Minister and the TTD received the

> suggestions in the spirit with which they were made

> and agreed to implement them.

>

> Rituals at Tirumala were being guided by Vykhanasa

> Agama, with which the Kanchi Acharya had no

> connection. He had no locus standi on the affairs of

> the Vaishnavite temple, they said.

>

> The Kanchi Mutt head would agree that no Vaishnavite

> seer would be given any role in the affairs of Siva

> temples. Legally too, as confirmed by a Privy Council

> judgment, one had no right to interfere in the affairs

> of temples belonging to other sects. The Jeers said

> they would not encourage or be party to any derogatory

> comment, which would disrupt harmony amongst Hindus.

> The common people were not interested in divisions

> between Vaishnavism and Saivism that would lead to

> confusion, they said.

>

> ================

> (End of Article)

>

> Shantha Kumar Kazhiyur Mannar

> http://www15.brinkster.com/mudaliandan

>

>

>

>

> Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam

>

>

>

>

> azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam

>