Overseas travel forbidden-Why? Dear Bhagavatas: This is one of the frequently asked questions that have also been answered as frequently. I discussed this issue with several Yathisreshtas and Acharyas of Bhagavad Ramanuja- Swami Desika Sampradaayam. I also put forward several arguments favoring the ?crossing the oceans?: 1. When the Lord measured the three worlds in his Trivikrama Avataara, He is said to have measured everything including landmarks outside the narrow boundaries of Bharata varshaa and Bharatah KhaNDa. Obviously, while doing this, He did not choose to exclude regions outside India. If this is accepted, how could it be taboo to proceed overseas? 2. The very names ?VaasudEva? ?NaaraayaNa? and ?VishNU?, are part of Vyapaka Mantras - meaning all-encompassing and that there is no place on earth or heavens NOT sanctified by the presence of the Lord. If this were so, how overseas countries could be disqualified for purposes of travel, especially for the kainkaryam of propagating the very ?Naama Samkeertana? of the Lord? Does this not mean a disincentive in the performance of this Kainkaryam? 3. If Mount MEru is considered as the northernmost boundary of the Universe, all the landmass and seas lie to the South - as we say in our Sankalpam ?mErOh dakshiNE paarsvE?, the question arises whether America, for example, is not included in this region? If included, what is the harm in crossing overseas to visit/settle there? 4. When a Bhaagavata inquired of an Acharya, whether he could go to USA for economic reasons (consequent on the brain drain occasioned by political circumstances back in India), the Acharya is reported to have replied ?Periya TiruvaDIyE angu pOyaachu. Nee pOvadil taDai illai? meaning ?Lord GaruDa, the bird vehicle of the Lord himself has taken his abode in America already. There is no bar to your going there? Obviously, he was referring to the bald eagle, the national bird of America. 5. Did not AnjanEya ?cross the ocean? in search of Sri Sita? If he could do that, why not we? 6. Today?s renewal repair, renovation, reconstruction etc of temples and religious institutions need lot of money that only fund raising in foreign lands would seem to generate sufficient resource ? necessitating frequent travels not only by lay folk but also by Acharyas who are supposed to be guardians of rectitude in terms of strict disciplines commanded in the Saastras. This is what I have gleaned from these discussions. While all these arguments appear very logical in the modern circumstances, it is true that foreign travel is not envisaged under any circumstances for all. This is especially so, in the case of Yathis (Renounced ones) who have a very strict code of conduct to adhere to in order to carry out their duties without let or hindrance, demanded by the special stage of life as ascetics (Sannyasis). Crossing the ocean was discouraged in the olden days for several other practical reasons: 1. The normal mode of transport in the olden days was the ship. It took long and in fact months on end to reach the landmark at the destination. With all and sundry with different levels of Aachaaram and AnushTaanam are clubbed together, it is very difficult to obse4ve the strict norms in an exclusive manner. This argument is not any more valid because, if one is able to shell out enough moneys on engaging private carrier, one may do so, obviating the above disturbance. 2. If some Aasoucham (like death) should take place during the long journey, the daily Tiru Aaradanam of the Lord cannot be performed and can be resumed only after completion of the Samskaras on reaching the nearest land port, Any interruption in the daily Tiru Aaradanam to the Lord was deemed worse than death especially in the case of Yathis, Even this argument can be met by the fact that today, one can reach the nearest airport within a few hours where the obsequies ?apara prayOga samskaras? can be performed as quickly as possible so that the Nitya Tiru Aaradanam can be resumed with utmost expedition. 3. During travel by ship, they used to empty out the human wastes in the sea. Polluting the Seawaters is an unpardonable sin. Today, when the airplanes land at the nearest airport, the wastes are emptied out on the specially marked waste sites. Thus, this argument also has no force now. 4. But what really matters is that the water for needed for bath, ablution etc should be drawn only from one of the following four bodies of water viz., (i) Well (ii) Tank (iii) Lake and (iv) River. When you invite an Acharya say for a DOlai, the first question they would ask is whether there is a well in your home wherefrom water could be drawn. ONLY if the answer were in the affirmative, they would consent to come to your home for DOlai. This is as per the ?Yathi Dharma Samuchhayam? of Yadhava Prakaasa, the Guru-turned-disciple of Bhagavad Ramanuja and emphasized by His Holiness ChinnaaNdavan Swami in his manual also bearing the same name of ?Yathi Dharma Samuchhayam?. In a foreign country like U.S.A, for example, not only private wells are scarce but also it is also illegal (and punishable by law) to draw water direct from any of the sources mentioned above. The only water that is available is through the chemically treated water through pipes made of materials not approved in the Saastras. In "Sthaana VisEsha Adhikaara" of "Srimad Rahasya Traya saaram", Swami Desika has enumerated the places fit for the stay of Prapannas (Those who have done Prapatti). This enumeration does NOT include foreign countries. Swami Desika would have known the existence of foreign countries. In fact, seafaring Indians had already spread to and built temples in the Far East like Cambodia etc. History has recorded the well-chronicled invasion of Mohammed of Gazni and GhOri and Swami was himself a target of the fury of the notorious Muslim invaders under Malik Kaafur. If he had felt it OK to go abroad, he would certainly have recorded this based on appropriate PramANAs. In the absence of such mention, our Acharyas deem it "Swaroopa Viruddham" to venture abroad. In this connection, I may mention that in one of my visits to AhObila MaTam in Delhi for securing a translation from Kannada to Tamil of the handwritten Srimukham granted by His Holiness Prakritam Prakaala MaTam Jeeyar, the Swami who was in charge of offering Bikshai to H.H. Prakritam Azhagiya Singhar asked me to wait because he could not touch paper till Bikshai was over. (He is now the Srkaryam Swami of His Holiness). Such is the strict norms of Aachaaram that even the Kainkaryaparas are expected to follow, let alone the YathisrEshTas themselves! Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |