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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00031 Aug 2002

 
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--- In ramanuja@xxxx, Varadhan T A <tavaradhan@xxxx> wrote:
> srImathE rAmAnujAya namah
> 
> dear bhAgavathAs,
> 
> > Though the above distinction can sometimes be
> obvious, it really is a key feature. In previous
> sUtrAs, svAmi clearly talks about karma being
> associated with the body and kainkaryam being
> associated with the soul. He further distinguishes
> between "sAstris" and "marma sparsis" - i.e. between
> those who follow the sAstra and those who
> focus on the inner meaning of the thirumantram.
> 
> This attitude difference is apparent when we look
> at many things - even to this day, we have people
> who insist on the "superiority" of a brahmin 
> birth (while svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr has clearly
> taught us otherwise), or who ascribe some
> sort of a superiority to being born in a 
> srIvaishNava family. svAmi azhagiya maNavALap
> perumAL nAyanAr teaches us one thing - all these
> are related to your body and they are impermanent.
> Focus on things related to your soul!

Dear Sriman Varadhan,

Thank you for the educating posting. However, all the things like 
taking birth in a brahmin family are not related to body. We have 
made them related! For example, as we know, Perumal Himself says 
varNa division is by karma and guna and NOT by birth. However, being 
called brAhmaNas brings us some sort of pride (ahankaram mamakaram - 
which are to be completely got rid of in our sampradAyam) in the 
society, though people like me are not into Vaidika profession.

One advantage in taking birth in a SV family is we get some exposure 
to Alwars, Ramanuja their preachings etc. Other than that no specific 
advantage.

If we look into Bhagavata purANa, follwoing are His devotees:

1.PrahlAda 2.Bali 3. guha 4.AnjanEya 4.sugrIva 5.jAmbavAn 
6.vibhIshaNa 7.rantidEva 8.ambarIsha 9. rukmAngada 10. draupadI 
11.pAndavas 12. vidura 13.akrUra 14. bhIshma 15.Suka 16.satyavrata
17.dhruva 18.gajEndra 19.vyAsa 20. kuntI 21. gOpIs and several 
others. more than 90% of them are not brAhmaNas even by profession!

While many people say "gObrAhmaNEbhayah Subhamastu nityam", we 
say "adiyArgaL vAzha, aranganagar vAzha" at the end of our prayer.
Also we are not supposed to do abhivAdanam when we prostrate before 
elders but are supposed to say "adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan" only. 
Similarly we have to skip things like sandhyAvandanam when there is a 
service in temple or when we have to serve a BhAgavata who has come 
to our house. 

We have to treat each other in paraspara naichyabhAvam and everyone 
has to consider hiumself/herself as inferior to others.

One may question why one should skip sandhyA to attend temple service?
By going to temple, whatever service we do, like chanting prabandham, 
or cleaning the temple, doing thirumanjanam for the images of 
Perumal, all are BhAgavat kainkaryams ONLY. Bhagavan does not need a 
single kainkaryam from us for He is avApta samasta kAman. By chanting 
prabanadham, we are prserving it. Also people present will get 
attracted by the ideas of Alwars. Also the people reciting are 
serving each other by enjoying His qualities together (I sing nicely, 
you enjoy it, I enjoy your singing nicely - that must be the spirit).

By doing thirumanjanam, the images are maitained well for a long 
period and this will attract people by making them feel His presence.
Best example of Bhagavta kainkaryam is chAmarOpachAram during 
purappAdu. Why should we do this fan service? Definitely not for Him 
nor for His parivAra dEvatAs (Consorts, Alwars etc.) but only for the 
comfort of His adiyAr bearing the pallanquin or some other vAhanam.

The only selfish motive behind going to temple can be getting some 
mental peace. For that we can offer prayer to His picture or vigraham 
or sAlagrAma moorti at our house itself. So by going to temple, we 
are getting the additional privelege of being serviceable to others, 
which is the real qualification of a SV.

> 
> adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
> Vishnu
> 
> 
> 
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