Temple priests

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

I have a few questions to ask regarding the topic of

who can act as a priest in the temple:

 

1) There are many padal sthalams which do not have

proper archakas or, the archakas are doing kainkaryam,

which certainly falls way short of the originally

established standards.This being the case, it doesn't

seem far-fetched to think that a time may come when

there won't be any jAti brahmana left in the village.

In such occassions, can a person who is not a jAti

brahmana take up the service of the deity? If he is

qualified, well versed in vedas and pancaratra, is he

still barred? In such cases, is it more important to

serve the archa or follow the tradition?

 

2) Regarding those who are non-brahmanas by birth

taking up the posts of a few brahmanas in the temples,

is it also not true that the brahmanas in thousands

have taken up the posts of so many sudras, kshatriyas

and Vaishyas and thus clearly transgressed what the

Lord says in Bhagavad Gita? For a brahmana to do

somebody else's duty, there needs to be an emergency.

What emergency was/is there that the majority have

forsaken their duties?

 

3) While it is accepted by all that only brahmanas can

perform certain tasks,isn't there still a debate as to

what decides a brahmana-Is it birth alone or nature

and activities ?

 

4) I heard that in Ramayanam, there is a mention of

Sita devi undergoing upanayanam and performing sandhya

vandanam.Also, that in the vedas, there really wasn't

any prohibition in imparting the knowledge of the

vedas to non-jAti brahmanas and there were numerous

vedic sages who were not brahmanas by birth, but were

accepted , because of their nature and that it was a

later day twist to let only jAti brahmanas perform the

tasks and barring everyone else, leading to casteism.

Is it true? Does anyone have more information on this?

 

 

I personally feel, not many can live upto the standard

required to act as an archaka.Atleast for the pittance

amount paid to the archakas.Secondly, there will be

such a strong lobby against them within the temple and

amongst the public that they cannot survive.On the

brighter side, the archakas may even get a decent pay

hike!!

 

My sincere apologies if I have committed any offenses

in hurting anyone's feelings.The Government's order

aside, we must look into the issue dispassionately.

 

dasi

vedavalli ranganathan

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear all,

Some of the views or answers as may be deemed fit.

1. The situation of no jaati brahmana in Kshetrams is a distinct possibility today.

Let me start with the Alwars. How many of them Brahmins? It is our tradition that we have taken pledge to be servents of the servants of LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA. Thirupanan and thondaradipodi are more quoted by us.

But is the solution the appointment of Non-Brahmins. I think no. We have to first strive for the removal of the temples from the clutches of the state. Then enhance the benefits of Archakas. Make it more monetarilly beneficial. How many of us will live a life of pittance in this era, or will marry off our daughters or send our sons to this life which is rigorous and is not monetarily beneficial.

How many of us let us leave archakas, pay the shrarda persons properly. How many of us even respect the archakas. Dont we think we are great when we put money on the aarti? Dont we comment on them without even daring to live that life.

I think the duty of the community is to better the life ofthe existing archakas first and then promote more to take the jobs.

Yes NONBRAHMINS can take the job, but they have to read all the reqd shastras and live that life. Not live life the other way and do this as a 9-5 job. THE SAMPRADAYAM has to be followed whether by CHARIAR or ACHARIYAR.

2. Why not we do this with other faiths. Can we have one faith where there are no rules for the temples. Even muslims, Jains and Christians have. How much more we have to budge. We allowed people with body covered in to all temples. Does the Vatican allow people even in city with improper dress as per their code? Why we always consider us week. Pl stand up. The main problem is that we dont have the sunday classes on vedas and the moral science is not with stories BHARATIYA.

Yes anybody can become priest if they follow our SAMPRADAYAM.

3. Brahmin's can be decided by birth and if they dont live upto that shastras say they have to be considered SHUDRAS. One who lives by Brahminical way is considered also as Brahmin. Pl donot put Muller's view as correct.

4. The q of ladies learning vedas, or shudras reciting vedas have been dealt in detail in this group earlier, so no elaboration on that.

I agree with Smt.Vedavalli, that may it result in better living for our archakas.

Regards/raghavan

 

vedavalli ranganathan <vedaranga > wrote:

Dear all,

 

I have a few questions to ask regarding the topic of

who can act as a priest in the temple:

 

1) There are many padal sthalams which do not have

proper archakas or, the archakas are doing kainkaryam,

which certainly falls way short of the originally

established standards.This being the case, it doesn't

seem far-fetched to think that a time may come when

there won't be any jAti brahmana left in the village.

In such occassions, can a person who is not a jAti

brahmana take up the service of the deity? If he is

qualified, well versed in vedas and pancaratra, is he

still barred? In such cases, is it more important to

serve the archa or follow the tradition?

 

2) Regarding those who are non-brahmanas by birth

taking up the posts of a few brahmanas in the temples,

is it also not true that the brahmanas in thousands

have taken up the posts of so many sudras, kshatriyas

and Vaishyas and thus clearly transgressed what the

Lord says in Bhagavad Gita? For a brahmana to do

somebody else's duty, there needs to be an emergency.

What emergency was/is there that the majority have

forsaken their duties?

 

3) While it is accepted by all that only brahmanas can

perform certain tasks,isn't there still a debate as to

what decides a brahmana-Is it birth alone or nature

and activities ?

 

4) I heard that in Ramayanam, there is a mention of

Sita devi undergoing upanayanam and performing sandhya

vandanam.Also, that in the vedas, there really wasn't

any prohibition in imparting the knowledge of the

vedas to non-jAti brahmanas and there were numerous

vedic sages who were not brahmanas by birth, but were

accepted , because of their nature and that it was a

later day twist to let only jAti brahmanas perform the

tasks and barring everyone else, leading to casteism.

Is it true? Does anyone have more information on this?

 

 

I personally feel, not many can live upto the standard

required to act as an archaka.Atleast for the pittance

amount paid to the archakas.Secondly, there will be

such a strong lobby against them within the temple and

amongst the public that they cannot survive.On the

brighter side, the archakas may even get a decent pay

hike!!

 

My sincere apologies if I have committed any offenses

in hurting anyone's feelings.The Government's order

aside, we must look into the issue dispassionately.

 

dasi

vedavalli ranganathan