Dear swamins This concept of the Kovil, the archa murthy and the festivals are but tools to enable us get oriented on HIM. For this issue you may have to read the concepts of Vedas which is elaborated in the Ithihasa and expounded in vedantas. Dasan/raghavan --- Mohan Ramanujan <mohan_ramanujan@xxxx> wrote: > Dear Sriman, > > I will try to answer with my little knowledge. > > 1. Firstly I think the word "idol" is not suitable > word to refer Archa Murthys. This word was used by > westerners to denigrate religious groups other than > theirs. The correct word would be "icon". > > 2. If we need to elevate ourselves towards God > Realization, there are various methods like Bhakti, > Karma, Jnana, Yoga etc.. But to take up a > particular method, we first need to understand the > concept of God. Then, we need to focus our > attention on the God. With the exception of few, I > think most of us need an aid to start with to which > we can focus on. The icon serves that purpose. > > 3. Also, we just don't start worshipping icons. We > first do "Pratishtapanam" by reciting mantras to > invoke a particular aspect of God. This way, we can > visualize God better than without the Archa Murthy. > > I hope this will help. > > Thanks & Regards > Mohan Ramanujadasan > > > On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 Srivatsa Chakravarthy wrote : > >Dear Bhagavatas, > >I would like to know the essense and purpose of > idol worship and also the significance.In other > words why to we install idols in temples and worship > GOD, why do we do it when it is known that GOD > resides in everyone of us.This is not to suggest > that iam against this but as a humble bhaktha i > would like to know the significance and custom to > this. > >Also I would like to know the meaning of Srivatsa > (my name in meaning and precisely the word "Sri" > that we use so often) as to its meaning and its > origin.I would really appreciate your replies. > >I should BOW to all those in this group for the > tremendous amount of service that they are rendering > and also knowledge that our elders are sharing with > us on this group and elightening the younger folks > like myself. > >Again my humble pranams > >Srivatsa > > > >Padmanabhan <aazhwar@xxxx> wrote: > >AchArya Hrdhayam > > > >sUthram 233 > > > >"ivai gnAna dharsana prApthi avasthaigaL" > > > >para-bakthi, para-gnAnam and parama-bakthi are > three different stages in relationship with the Lord > Almighty. > > > >the Lord mentioned to sri bAshyakArar that udayavar > should be happy in knwoing about Him, seeing HIm and > eager in reaching Him. > > > >These translate into these stages. > > > >i. Thus being with and getting separated with the > Lord being a part of para-bakthi transforms into > gnAna avasthai. > >emperumAnai kUdudhalum, piridhalum, inba > thunbangaLampadiyAna, para-bakthiyAnadhu, gnAna > avasthaigaLAgavum; > > > >ii. To realise the nature of the Lord clearly gets > reflected as darshana avasthai; > >emperumAnudaiya swarUpa, rUpa, guNa vibhUdhigaLai, > migath-theLivAga aRigiRa para-gnAnamAnadhu-dharisana > avasthaigaLAgavum. > > > >iii. By thus realising and seeing Him but not > reaching HIm makes one long for HIm and torment > oneself. This stage is the stage of parama-bakthi > which is prApthi avasthai. > > > >(to be continued) > >vanamamalai padmanabhan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > > > > > >azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam > > > > > > > >Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT > > > > > >--------------------------------- > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > To visit your group on the web, go to: > >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ramanuja/ > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email > to: > >ramanuja-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the > Yahoo! Terms of Service. > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- > >Do you Yahoo!? > >Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > > > > > > > >azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |