--- In SriRangaSri@yahoogroups.com,
"sridevispb" <sridevispb@...> wrote:
>
> Respected
Swamins,
> I have couple of questions running in my mind.
>
>
1.What are the duties prescribed for ladies in our sampradayam??
> 2.
Why there is no participation by ladies in any divyadesams?? ( Even though
there are many ladies who knows naalayiram)
> 3. Are there any ladies in
the history who did kainkaryam to divyadhambathis?? ( after aandal
naachiyar)
>
> I have learnt so much from our group messages. Hope
my doubts are clarified. Thanks in advance for the same.
>
>
Sridevi Suresh
PB
>
----------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Sridevi Suresh PB,
Jai Srimannarayana.
Lord Ranganatha, Thayaar,
Andal and the Alwars shall bless you with every thing great in life. I shall
input some thoughts. Have careful reading and enjoy His will.
1) Duties
for Ladies -
In Vaishnava phylosohy there are no Ladies and Gentlemen
seperately. All jeevas are "STHREE SAMAM" equavalant to Ladies and PARAMATHMA is
alone the PURUSHA, the ultimmate. Here the meaning is SEVAI and not sex
descrimination. The protector and the protected are mutually dependant. Similar
to JEEVATHMA and PARAMAATHMA. The SEVAI (service) is between Lord and Devotee,
Narayana and Piraatti, Acharya and Sushyan, Child and Mother (Mother serves the
child), Parents and children, Husband and wife and so on.
Looking in
this context LADIES can do every thing and anything with SEVAI as the ultimate.
The result is protection, knowledge, growth and love depending on context.
However, LADIES have certain limitations imposed by nature (Sareeradharmam) and
at the same time they excel in giving LOVE as mother, sister, daughter and wife.
Now you realise when SEVAI is the intention anything can be done. I will put
even things like writing poetry, having nice chat, singing a song, assosciation
with devotees, good word from learned men - ALL AS SEVAI and for the LORD
RANGANATHA.
Do whatever you can for the Lord and His Devotees. Why
devotees, because Lord is not easily accessible / visible, but devotees and
devotion can be seen and felt always. Even if you have Lord and have His glimses
also at times, their duration is so small for charming that you can not serve at
that point.
2) Participation of Ladies in DIVYADESAMS -
You have
ANDAL above all. Andal has PERIYALWAR as foster father. Always in association of
Lord VATAPATHRA SAI and devotional talk. She was helping in making MAALAI
(Sevai). ANDAL was waring the garlands to see whether they properly suit on the
Lord and they are as beatiful as Lord. VISHNU CHITTAR was nervous, when he saw a
hair in the Garland offered to God. But Lord clarified to Periyalwar in a dream
that he preffered Garland worn by THAI ANDAL. All this emphasises SEVAI in its
purest form. Nothing wrong should ever happen in Lord's context.
Other
female characters, we see in our scriptures from SEVAI point of view are (1)
SABARI craving to see LORD RAMA, (2) Vakula ford Lord SRINIVASA, (3) YASODA
while serving GOVINDA, (4) RAADHA for Lord KRISHNA, (5) DROWPADI for Krishna as
brother, (6) RUKMINI always worshiping Lord with TULASI, (7) Even SITA when she
accompanied RAMA to forest, (8) SRI MAHALAKSHMI herself got the DWAYA MANTHRAM
form Lord and many more. All the contexts SEVAI and Lord as the goal. The server
is STHREE and the served is LORD. Here do not distingush as male / female. In
MADHURA BHAKTI all our saints imagined them selves as STHREE and Lord as their
destination / goal.
In our divyadesams - Now many of them are in poor
condition. Still I see some places, the female sevai indirectly (serving the
devotee and Koil), when we look at the diety and the priest "CHEERFUL" - clean,
bright and peaceful. Chanting the MANTHRAS alone is not POOJA. Helping it in any
way is in the purpose of Lord is also POOJA.
Coming to LADIES who kew
NAALAYIRAM and ALWARS so well, I think suitable forums are inadequate. However
in their homes, families and near relations, they are probably honoured
adeuately. As such religion is neglected in society from any promotional point
of view. Religion nowadays has all distorted purposes. This is true for both
males and females.
Wishing all the best to ALL DEVOTEES
~ Ever
humble to all devotees - Peesapti V V S Chari
~ web site - http://etemples.net