Issues & Answers

[Guest guest]

Dear Fellow MAdhvas:

Here is my reply to the e-mail sent to me by Shri Arvind

Acharya. I thought all others might also get the benefit of

this. I hope to see many of you at Allentown, PA on the

occasion of Shri Jaya TIrtha's ArAdhanA celebrations. It is

indeed a time for all of us to celebrate his life and deeds.

Without TIkAcArya's remarkable industry and dialectical skill,

our religion would have probably been nothing more than an

obscure sect confined to the MalabAr region.

Hari-VAyu smaran.a

BNHebbar

 

 

 

Prof. Hebbar:

 

I saw your e-mail on the VMS list, regarding the PurnapRajna and Ananda

THeertha issue.

 

I have one question on the subject of Swamis. Do all (madhva) mathas

require

their Swamis to be bala Sanyasis?

 

Also, as given by you, there were three Sanyasis at any given time. Is

it

followed now in any matha at all? How do the new Sanyasis join the

Mathas?

In other words, if someone wants to become a Sanyasi, what are the

prerequisites, and what is the procedure?

 

These questions were asked by someone when I was discussing the life of

Madhva. I did not know the answers to these questions, hence I am

asking

you. I wanted to ask you when you come to Allentown on July 31, but

could

not wait as I just saw your e-mail address.

 

Finally, what happens if someone, a Brahmin, who had been a meat eater

and

drinker, wants to become a Sanyasi? Also, do you know what happened to

the

Swami of PEjavara Mutt who had visited the US about 20 years ago?

I am hoping you will shed light on these topics.

Arvind Acharya

 

 

Dear Shri Acharya:

 

The MAdhva community is principally divided into 3 ethnic

groupings: The " Deshastha " , " TauLava " and " GauDa-SArasvat " .

 

The bAlasannyAsa system of ordination is followed in the latter

two, i.e. the TuLu and Konkan.I maThas. Whereas the

pIThAdhipatis of the Deshastha MAdhva maThas have been for the

most part gRhasthottara sannyAsins (formerly married men taking

sannyAsa). However, there have exceptions even there. The

current pIThAdhipati of the UttarAdi MaTha, HH SatyAtma TIrtha,

is a " bAlasannyAsin " (previously unmarried tho' not a child).

 

 

Unfortunately in none of the 24 maThas of the MAdhva

sampradAya are there 3 concurrent svAmIs.

 

The usual means of choosing an heir-apparent for the pITha in

the TuLu and Konkan.I maThas is to look at the horoscope of

the candidate. Certain combination of planets it is said gives

rise to parivrAjayoga. Further stipulations (once upon a time)

used to be that the prospective ought not to be the ONLY

son, eldest son or the youngest son. These stipulations have

fallen by the wayside today.

 

 

We must also make a distinction between biDi-sannyAsins

(free-lance monastics) and pIThAdhipatis. Anyone can become the

former (ex-meat eaters and drinkers included). One needs to

find a sannyAsin to give the candidate the holy orders. To

become a pIThAdhipati is wholly another issue. Either the

incumbent maThAdhipati must select you or the relevant maTha

personnel should find you fitting enough. Since most of the

time human beings are worldly and money and power are involved

it is a long shot for somebody who is an unknown quantity.

 

The ex-junior of the PejAvara MaTha who visited the US some

20 years ago is still absconding. Many have come here in

search of him for various and sundry reasons but to no avail.

I am told that his family was desparately trying to contact

him when his mother passed on. They had no luck either. It

is indeed a sad case to say the least.

 

regards,

B.N.Hebbar