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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00107 May 2006

 
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sri:
Dear Smt Geetha Raghavan and other devoees:  Adiyen's humble pranam:

All the answers are only for Vaikhanasa and Pancharatra temples.

First i am stating where i stand.
ONLY BRAHMINS ARE ALLOWED to be Archakas as per
agama and tradition in Vaikahansa and Pancharatra temples.
[we can discuss in another thread as to who are the brahmins]

Now i will address your questions one by one:

>I am an Iyengar myself but

I think you mean you are a Sri Viahsnava.
(If you do not know the difference please send me personal mail 
separately for this)


>Q1. why can't a person not a brahmin become a priest?

Ans: Because to be a priest, you have to learn Vedas and get Dhiksha.

To learn the Vedas you have to have Upanayanam as a Bachelor.
(Only Brahmna, Vaishya and Kshatriya boys are allowed upanayana as per 
shastras)
and because the material is vast,  one has to start the learning process while 
your mind is young and fresh.

PS: Only Brahmins can teach, but Khastiyas and Vaishyas can learn.

There are other services one can perform, like Arulicheyal chanting,
why not focus on them?

Many many Sri Vaishnava non-brahmins have been doing this and doing it very 
well.


>2. Why can't the Brahmins who are well versed in our
>sampradayas start Vedic schools for all so that our
>sampradaya is not lost?

Because if they follow the Shastras which say they can only teach to those who 
have had upanayana and are performing tri-kala sandhya.

Our sampradaya is being lost and degenerated by the "NON Believer" 
administration and our people just do not see it.

We have been divided and conquered again and again and we fall prey to
it over and over.

All the Dhivya Desams were very well kept with enough lands and 
families assigned to the temples for their maintenance forever.

In come the politicians with the story that the assigned families are
not managing the temple wealth properly and take over the temple,
and designated families which had rights to serve in the temple were 
stripped of their service and other rights

[We should have stopped them at this point, but we were falling prey 
to their propaganda, and their divide and conquer game.]

Once the temple was taken over:
* They stripped the temple of its Lands and properties. 
* Then the funds that come into the temple (in hundi and other donations) 
* Then they strip any valuables ordained for the Archa
 Vigrahas. 
* They assign an E.O. who has no faith in the LORD and the temple. 

All this can not be done to any other community but the soft and gentle Sri 
Vaishnava community and the other Vedic communities.

>3. If a person who is not a Brahmin is deeply interested in the 
>subject, is willing to learn, and excels in the sampradayas and
>rituals, why can he not conduct poojas in the temple?

Even if the rules can be compromised (hypothetically), can you get 
even one person willing to learn for 10 years, and then work for free 
(expecting NO returns)

You are falling for the media story, the main people behind this have 
an agenda to wipe out the Vedic (hindu) religion and have been doing 
this very successfully for the past 40 years and it pains to see our 
own people join hands and clap for them not realizing the truth.

What is the truth:  These temples have been preserved for the past 
1000+ years by the devotees (and brahmin archakas), weather they are 
paid or not. They have protected the religion and culture, many times 
with their lives.

In just 100 years the foreign rule broke us down using divide and 
rule,  still the culture survived, by HIS grace.
In the past 40 years the NON believers have continued on this path, 
still we manage to survive, by HIS grace.

Not all the brahmins are allowed to serve as Archakas, one a small 
portion of the designated families are allowed. Others just serve in 
the Parayana Goshti. 

In the Arulicheyal Goshtii, i have witnessed this many non-brahmins 
serving the lord in many many temples.

What is the goal here:
==================
If service to HIM is the goal, for everyone regardless of caste, sex or 
race, there are avenues to serve the lord.
But if the goal is to break down this soft and gentle religion, then i am 
sure the LORD will show signs,
and make us all act.

Dear devotees:  It is paining to see people mis-quote our Bhagawath Ramanuja,
he opened the services for all, but he never appointed non-brahmin archakas
(he never broke the rule of shastras).

I have many many non-brahmin friends, and i serve in temples with them
(some in parayana goshti) but NO one ever wanted to break the rules and 
become the Archaka (priest)
because they are believers who are in temple service.

Please wake up and realize
=======================
* What is the motive of the NON-Believers.
* Can this happen to any other religion but us.
* It is a fundamental right to practice my own religion (in a democracy),
               then why is it being tampered with.

Why were the temples taken over by the government and then made fully 
dependent on them?
What has happened to all the funds, lands and families allocated for each 
of these temples?

40 years ago, all the assigned families were kicked out saying no special 
chanting privileges for you,
now after 40 years these temples are empty devoid of funds, lands and the 
large goshti
and the dedicated families assigned to the temple.

History repeats itself again and again; Some mis-informed Sri vaishnavas 
supported this move and
and are now repenting after 40 years.

So this time please learn all the facts and see why is this change being 
pushed on us,
what is the reason behind it?

We should all join hands together and take the facts to the administration,
if we do not join and act now, we might be sorry 40 years from now, when it 
will be too late.
==================================================================

Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,
Mukundan Vangipuram Pattangi





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