Recent Discussions and the Younger Generation......

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Dear Srimans Sadagopan Mama and Muralidhar Mama,

 

Adiyen has been witnessing the discussions going on in Malolan Net

about the authenticity of the " bhakti-list " vis-a-vis other forums.

 

There is no doubt that Sri Mani has been instrumental in uniting all

bhagavathas around the world in one forum, i look up to Sri Mani as a

beacon of light in the gloomy cave of samsaara. He has been an

example for thousands of Sri Vaishnavas, including Adiyen.

 

After all, if it was not for Sri Mani, would we know who Sri Anand or

who Sri M.S.Hari is?

 

I hate to mention this but such trivial issues about discussing which

of the forums is better, does not at all sound vaidhikam to me. I do

not like to think about the precedent/example propogated to

youngsters like me.

 

It was time someone needed to make aware to the community about the

humanitarian cause of the bhakti list graciously started by Sri Mani

and others. To celebrate a birthday of founding the bhakti list is

indeed blesssed. It reminds me about how our pUrvAcharyas started the

fundamentals of mathematics, millennia ago, without which there would

have been no computers or mailing lists as such.

 

Instead of service to pUrvAcharyas and present day acharyas,

discussing trivial and un-wanted matters sets a negative precedent

for the younger generation, viz adiyen.

 

Warm Regards,

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Daasan,

 

Malolan Cadambi

 

 

 

 

 

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

Adiyen is compelled to write a few words on the recent discussions. Adiyen

believes the purport of various lists devoted to Srivaishnavam is to

generate light through stimulating discussions. More heat than light seems

to emanate from these exchanges, which have at times degenerated to a

personal level. It is well recognized that both the Bhakti List and Malolan

Net have different purposes. The former caters to the needs of a diverse

audience especially, beginers, some of whom may not have had any exposure to

Sri Vaishnava Sri, whereas the latter list is meant for advancement of

knowledge for a serious student seeking to learn more about Our Vedam-rooted

Sampradayam. In this context adiyen wishes to quote from Sri Velukkudi

Krishnan Swami's recent upanyasam at the Ranganatha Temple, Pomona, NY.

" Every child learns from the sixth grade in school that the atom is the

state of matter, which cannot be divided further. However, when pursuing

graduate studies (say M.Sc. in Chemistry) the same child is exposed to

details of atomic structure (proton, electron, nucleus). In a like manner,

Narayana Parathvam must first take firm root in one's mind. Techincal

details pertaining to the Sampradayam can then follow. " This analogy fits

the Bhakti and Malolan forums quite well. For starters, the Bhakti list

contains considerable information pertaining to the our Sampradayam

celebrating the supremacy of Lord Narayana to the exclusion of all else.

However, finding this requires considerable effort on the part of a seeker

to browse through the archives. Nevertheless, this can then be used to gain

a sophisticated understanding of the underlying traditions through the

postings in Malolan net. (Please note that adiyen is not advocating use of

one forum to the exclusion of the other nor is he attesting to the

correctness or otherwise of the content found in the respective archives.

More on this later.)

 

In this respect too we have been blessed by the most compassionate Lord

Narayana. He sent us gems in the form of Srimans Mani Swamin, Anand Swamin,

and Hari Swamin, who through their tireless efforts have helped spread the

cause of our Sampradayam to all corners of the globe. Adiyen knows Srimans

Mani Swamin and Sriman Anand Swamin quite well and has corresponded with

Sriman Hari Swamin through email and thus wishes to submit the following.

 

Sriman Mani Swamin's Kaimkaryam in uniting Bhagavatas from around the world

in a common forum deserves a lot of praise. This has undoubtedly served as a

springboard for several Kaimkaryams and has enabled forging of several

friendships and mutually beneficial associations. For example, adiyen came

to know of Sriman Sadagopan Swamin only through the Bhakti list. Adiyen is

in frequent contact with Sriman Sadagopan Swamin and has benefitted

immensely from the one-on-one discussions that he has had with Swamin. This

has resulted in several rewarding and elevating collaborations, sathsangams,

and Kaimkaryams for adiyen.

 

Sriman Anand Swamin and adiyen have had extended conversations on a number

of subjects of relevance to our Sampradayam. Adiyen has the utmost respect

and admiration for Sriman Anand Swamin's untiring zeal and enthusiastic

efforts in mastering the tenets of our Sampradayam as expounded upon by our

Acharyas and disseminating it to those seeking this knowledge. His

extra-ordinary vairagyam and single minded devotion to our Sampradayam as

evidenced by giving up lucrative career opportunities in the USA to return

to India for Sampradayic studies calls for praise of the highest order. Upon

his return to India, Sriman Anand Swamin has made rapid strides in mastering

the tenets of our sampradayam through the traditional Kalakshepam mode. His

Anushtanam and desire for Bhagavad Bhagavata and Acharya Kaimkaryam are also

exemplary-truly a role model for every aspiring Srivaishnava.

 

Sriman Hari Swamin is an extremely learned scholar, who has undergone

Kalakshepam in the nine granthams of Sri Ramanujacharya and several works of

Swami Desikan. He is performing yeoman Kaimkaryam to the Srivaishnava

community through his articles on various subjects.

 

It is adiyen's opinion that Sriman Sadagopan Swamin was merely highlighting

in his post the Kaimkaryam of Sriman Mani Swamin on the 7th anniversary of

the inception of the Bhakti list. This is not meant to take away anything

from the outstanding Kaimkaryams of Srimans Anand Swamin and Hari Swamin. If

anyone wishes to celebrate the anniversary of the formation of the Malolan

net, adiyen will gladly serve as a cheer-leader in their camp.

 

Spiritual progess is evolutionary in nature. Lord Krishna attests to this

fact in the Bhagavad-Gita salutation " bahUnAm janmanAvantE jnAnavAn mAm

prapadhyathE Vasudeva Sarvam ithi sa mahathma sudurlaBha: " Thus, those among

us who have sought refuge at the Lord's feet through the margam of

SharaNagati, we can consider our janma as being fruitful in the spirit of

the Ramayana salutation " adhya mE saphalam janma " . However, for those who

have not gotten so far, Lord Krishna offers hope in the above Bhagavad-Gita

salutation. Therefore, neither group is bestowed with the right to engage in

exercises of one upmanship.

 

Adiyen is in complete agreement with the points made by Smt. Nagu Satyan,

Sriman Hari Swamin, and Smt. Praveena and Sri Anand (Singapore) regarding

any forum being the sole authoritative source of Sampradayic knowledge.

First, email is an impersonal medium. The facial expression of the author is

impossible to glean. Furthermore, the true import of the written content

cannot be fully comprehended in many instances. This leads to increasingly

acrimonious and strident exchanges among forum members, which is only

detrimental to the learning process. Quite often typos arise, when one is

composing messages. If these occur while quoting important scriptural

passages or Vedic Mantrams, they can many times drastically alter the

meaning of these passages. Thus, adiyen fully concurs with Srimans Hari

Swamin, Smt. Nagu Satyan, Smt. Praveena, and Sriman Anand that email forums

are no substitute to Kalakshepam at the feet of Sri Vaishnava Acharyas and

Vidwans. Email forums can at best serve as motivation to seek further

information in the Kalakshepam mode.

 

Finally, on Bhagavata Apacharam, Ahankaram et. al. it is instructive to

remember that the foremost quality of the Lord is forgiveness motivated by

compassion (Daya). Swami Desikan elaborates on the greatness of Daya in 108

exquisite verses of the Daya Shatakam and comprehensively proves how Daya

Devi reverses the role of the Lord (who is not required to take any birth)

and a Sinner (who by virtue of his sins is condemned to a seemingly endless

cycle of births and deaths). For instance if one looks at the Ramayana,

there is nobody that has not sinned (the only exception are the Padhukas

adorning the Lord's Lotus Feet). The list of sinners includes Sita Piratti

(Bhagavata Apacharam for hurling abuses at Lakshmana), Lakshmana (for

violating the command of Lord Rama and coming to his help at the insistence

of Sita Piratti), Bharata (for violating the Lord's command to accept and

rule the Kingdom), Hanuman (for suggesting that he would carry Sita

Piratti-a Parama Pativrata on his back). However, are such Apacharams

punished? No. It is no surprise that the reason for these acts being

condoned is Daya Devi. In this spirit, adiyen requests that we put behind us

any unpleasantness caused by the recent exchanges and go on with the tasks

of Bhagavad, Bhagavata, and Acharya Kaimkaryams in an edifying, enriching,

and elevating manner.

 

May all the email forums co-exist in peace and harmony in the spirit of the

declaration " sarvE janA: sukhinO Bhavanthu " .

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

 

 

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