Piligrimage Places and Worship

[Guest guest]

August Bhaktas,

 

I have two questions, I think many will have some

perfect guidance of what is in DESika Sampradayam.

 

Question 1:

 

Does any of the Shastras say that one who crosses the

oceans and goes to another country, He/She will be

unfit to do some religious duties. Many people that I

have come accross have given me answers more or less

convenient to them. Can any one explain what is there

in the books/shastras as per DESika Sampradayam.

 

 

Question 2:

 

Will anyone need to perform any Piligrimage in his/her

life.Places like Tirumala, Srirangam, Badrinath are

the places that have historical significance and

people visit them often for different needs. Many have

attained Moksha at these sites and some scriptures

even tell that there is a route to the Supreme Lord at

these places. What does DESika Sampradayam say about

these places. Basically is there a significance of

visiting these places, or is there nothing.

 

Regards

Anil

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dear Sri Anil Venkoba,

 

adiyEn's two cents worth on yoru questions based on little information

gathered from the vidwans of this list:

 

Q 1. Does any of the Shastras say that one who crosses the

oceans and goes to another country, He/She will be

unfit to do some religious duties. Many people that I

have come accross have given me answers more or less

convenient to them. Can any one explain what is there

in the books/shastras as per DESika Sampradayam.

 

Answer: SasthrAs do not permit one to cross the ocean (PERIOD).

Nowadys, if one does not cross (even among srivaishnavas), it is a shame.

Foreign try paNNalayaa? is a first question.

 

We do not perform many deeds and duties in accordance with saasthras. Who

perform agnihOthram, brahma yagnyam?

who learn VaiswadEvam? WHo has heard of them? In which house there is agni

groomed? It is all " Gas " agni in every home.

Even srArddhams are performed with gas stove.

 

Those days (I have read) that there are five day marriages. (per

saasthrAs)..

Nowadays, it is only ten minute marriage. It seems one (vaidIkas) should

not even perform samasryanam, and bharaNyAsam for those who have one day

wedding. Who checks that now? VaidIkas are not supposed to even attend

those weddings. Nowdays, it is those VaidIkas who first leave, the moment

thaali is tied.. What to talk of lowkIkas?

 

Who perform sandhyAvandhanam three times day? One can count them.. There

are many who have left sandhyAvandhanam for ages.. If a person does not

perform sandhyAvandhanam, he is not qualified to do any (vaidIka) duties..

he is not fit even to go the temple...He is a karma chaNdALan.. He has dug

his own grave.. Emperumaan is displeased with him.. for not doing what has

been ordained by Him.. as a minimum..

 

Even Rama, Krishna have performed sandhyAvandhanam.. Even in days of

illness, should one perform sandhyAvandhanam.. When one is on his death

bed, his near and dear should do on his behalf.

 

With so many trespasses of saasthrAs, let cross over of oceans be one

another among the trespasses. Any amount of talk or convincing ourselves

will not cut ice..

 

AT LEAST, the internet and email lists bring awareness about our Glorious

sampradAyam and the great lineage.

There are most compassionate Acharyas even on these days (of such terrible

trespasses), casting their benovelent kataasksham on us for saving us from

samsaaric afflictions..

 

It is all His grace..

 

Q2. Will anyone need to perform any Piligrimage in his/her

life.Places like Tirumala, Srirangam, Badrinath are

the places that have historical significance and

people visit them often for different needs. Many have

attained Moksha at these sites and some scriptures

even tell that there is a route to the Supreme Lord at

these places. What does DESika Sampradayam say about

these places. Basically is there a significance of

visiting these places, or is there nothing.

 

Answer: (from a reply of Sri Anand Karalapakkam about couple of years ago)

 

Bhakti yOgam and performance of prapatti alone are the only two ways by

which the baddha jIvAtmAs can attain moksham as saadhya upAyam.. The Divya

Dampati are the Siddha upAyam.

 

Sriman Narayanan categorically declares:

 

bhaktyA paramayA vA-pi prapattyA vA mahAmathe

prApyoham na anyathA prApyO mama kainkarya lipsubhihi:

 

Sriman Narayanan here clarifies that bhakti and prapatti are the only means

& by no other means will He grant moksham .

 

So, all other processes lke Bhagavad kalyAna guna Sravanam , nAma

sankeertanam , living at a Divya desam , bathing in pushkarinIs & sacred

rivers etc should culminate in either " bhakti yOgam " or " prapatti " for one

to obtain moksham.

 

So ,it is not that a highly devoted person would be deprived of moksham by

Sriman nArAyaNA. Such a devotee would be guided by Sriman nArAyaNA to end

up with either " bhakti yOgam " or " prapatti " and thus its just a matter of

time -may be within that life time or in the next few births , that he/she

would obtain moksham.

 

Hence, it is advised to pay our obeisance to Divya Desam perumAL who (out

of His dayA and mercy on us) on His own accord shows Himsefl with such

accessibility and sowlabhyam for us.. It is these Divya Desa perumALs who

have made AzhwArs mad in love after Them..AchAryAs have immersed themselves

in the Divine Beauty of these Divya Desa perumALs.

 

After performance of prapatti also, one needs to enjoy the Divya Desa

perumALs just as matter of one's enjoyment and not for getting anything:-)

It os mainly for His pleasure rathar than ours:-)

 

In fact, the prapannan's whole life should be for His enjoyment..

 

We, should reduce ourselves to the level of complete insentient matter

(achEthana vasthu).

Even when we are happy with what we have done as His service, we should

behave as though we were fragrant flowers, sandalpaste, or some other

article of enjoyment. They (achEthanas) furnish great joy to the sensient

being, but they themselves do not have a scope for pleasure. We should

also be like them; We are not to seek any personal satisfaction; We serve

God for His pleasure.

 

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to ramble few words.

 

Regards

Narayana Narayana

aDiyEn Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan