Sri Parthasarathi thunai Srimathe ramanujaya namaha Dear Vaidhehi ji and Sri Venkatesh, It has been made clear in Sri Venkatesh?s reply that we both do not have any difference of opinion, afterall we have studied under the same teachers(our acharyas). But just for the clarification of the others let me summarize some key points. 1. Nithya karmas have been specified in the sastras for the jeevatmas born in the first three varnas. Sastras specify nithya karmas as upayas to attain perumal. But since prapannas consider only the lotus feet of emperuman as a upaya to attain moksha nothing else will become upayas to them. But then can they leave the nithya karmas? 2. According to our acharyas they can be left if a prapannan is involved in bhagavat/bhAgavata kainkaryam. 3. It is actually an if-then-else loop. If a prapannan is involved in bhagavat/bhagavata kainkaryam at a time of the nithya karmanushtanam or if he has vairakhyam like Thirukannamangai aandan to leave everything and look for the grace of emperuman alone(this level is not attained by all, remember) then a prappanan can leave his nithya karmas(there is no doubt about it. It is not a sin for him) else others have to do their karmAnushtanams not as a means or upaya to reach emperuman but as a kainkaryam by itself. Hope this clarifies in a better way. About the reply by Vaidhehiji, adiyen feels that she hasn?t gone through my reply properly or probably overlooked some points. Adiyen has clearly stated that nitya karmAnushtanam can be left for bhagavat kainkaryam as it is more important for prapannas. Adiyen has also quoted the incident in Srirangam where Sri Parasara bhattar has insisted this point. Adiyen has also explained even when the karmAnushtanams are done it should be done only as kainkaryam and not as upayam. Adiyen feels this is by all ways the thiruvullam of Srirangam acharyas. Adiyen has no where mixed the two schools of thoughts. Adiyen do accept that Sri ramanuja did nithya karmas as kainkaryams not as upaya, for lokasangrahArtham. We are supposed to follow him(?mElayAr seivanagal? says andal). Once one person approached one lady shisya of Sri Ramanuja(I think it is ammangi ammal) and asked her why she doesn?t go tothe temple of other devatas for which she replied, I donot know and I am not bothered about the reason. If our acharya ramanuja asks us to go then we follow him and go into the temple. All ramanuja adiyars should do the same. As Srivaishnavas we are supposed to be role models to the others. As Krishna in Bhagavat geetha says, ?karmanaiva hi samsidhdhi AshthithA jayakAjayaha: ! lOkasangraha mEvApi sampashyan karthu marhasi?!! (Even though janakan wasa great jnani he still didn?t leave his karmas for the sake of the rest of the world. But these jnani?s do karma as orders of bhagavan, kainkaryam.) Moreover Krishna says, ?na mE pArthAsthi karthavyam thrishu lOkEshu kinchana! NAnavAptha mavApthavyam vartha Eva cha karmani!! (Hey arjuna! Though I am sarvalOkEshvaran and need not do anything by myself still I do these karmas like washing your horse and being your charioteer for the sake of others.) So Krishna adviced arjuna to do his karmas since if he left them he will become a bad example to the society. So people who are in a position to influence others should be careful. Though a prapanna is eligible to leave his nithya karmas if he considers, emperuman as everything and is involved in bhagavat/bhagavata kainkaryams still should not give misleadings by doing the same. So we have to follow our acharyas and do the same karmas as kainkaryam to bhagavan and not as upayas. But when there is a clash between nithya karmas and bhagavat kainkaryam then without any doubt a prapanna can leave his nithya karmas as per sri Parasara bhattars words. Hope this clarifies everything. I beg the pardon of all the learned scholars for any mistakes committed due to my lack of knowledge and ignorance. AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai Sumithra Varadarajan
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