Dear Sri Soundararajan SwAmin, Your mail below is an eloquent tribute to Vedaviths and to the VedAdhyAyana tradition. You have very rightly focussed on waning tradition of "vEdAdhyAyana" amongst SriVaishnavites these days. The situation is so bad that very soon, as you rightly pointed out, none amongst the SriVaishnavite community would ever deserve the honorific of Ubhaya-vedantin. In Kuwait, the Tiruvenkatam group here consists of about 20 persons who are regularly practising "vEdAdhyAyana" since the past 5 years. Although they are all working men in different 'laukika' professions and vocations, still they have all decided to dedicate part of their evening after-office hours to regular "adhyAyana" classes being conducted by an equally dedicated and learned "adhyApakar" (a devout SriVaishnava himself) who also is living and working here in Kuwait for the past 5 years. This group now has achieved reasonable fluency (not professional excellence) in chanting the following: Pancha sooktham Taittiriya Upanishad (all 4 "vallis") Udhaka shAnti (full) Pancha shAnthi Rudram, chamakkam Narayana Upanishad The group is now going to eagerly embark soon on a new curriculum starting from the Tamil New Year Day (April 14th). The "adhyApakar" will begin "adhyAyana" in "acchidram" to be followed by "arUNam" later. This group of Veda "vidyArthIs" here in Kuwait is engaged in "vedAdhyAyana" for no other purpose other than enjoyment of the spiritual bliss that one gets while chanting the Vedas. The "adhyApakar" also does not expect anything in return for his effort except unfading enthusiasm from his students. And none of us are aspiring to the title of "Ubhaya Vedantins" or any such great honorific. For us, the effort of "vEdAdhyAyana" is its own reward. We consider it a blessing in itself that God has given us an opportunity in this lifetime to learn at least a very small part of the sacred Vedas. I am explaining all this to you, and sharing it too in the SriVaishnava cyber-groups, not to show off our group's effort or to boast about it and feel great that we are all "holier than thou". I am saying all this only to drive home the point that where there is "bhagavath-sankalpam" at play, it will certainly operate through the enthusiasm and diligence of persons who make a firm decision to begin learning the Vedas. It does not matter whether such effort takes place in India, our motherland, or elsewhere in the world where SriVaishnavavas have chosen to live and settle down. What matters is that, as you have rightly pointed out in your message, there must be a firm will on the part of SriVaishnavas to dedicate some part of their lifetime to undertake "vedAdhyAyana" themselves. Contributing money to "veda-patashalas" and sponsoring students in such schools is one valuable form of doing one's duty by the Vedas. But it is not enough in my opinion. It is far more important for each and every SriVaishnava to set personal examples and undertake "vedAdhyAyana" himself, even during the prime part of his 'laukika' life and career. Even if the "adhyAyin" does not know Sanskrit, and even if he struggles with "akshara-shuddham" or "vAng-manas shuddham" (as pointed out by you), he must still relentlessly pursue "adhyAyana" and persevere at it. In Kuwait, in the tiruvenkatam "adhyAyana gOshti", for example, not everybody is comfortable with Sanskrit and yet that does not dampen or impair their learning effort or resolve. The "adhyApakar" also takes great pains to somehow teach such students properly even if their Sanksrit enunciation is found faulty or deficient. All that it really takes to perform "veda samrakshaNam" is firm resolve on the part of SriVaishnavas that they will go ahead and do "adhyAyanam" even in the face of all kinds of obstacles in life, big and small. It is only a matter of personal choice to be taken without expectation of any personal reward of "prati-phalan". If a SriVaishnavan does this, he can rest assured he is doing his little bit indeed for the protection of Vedas. If he does not do this, for whatever reasons he may skillfully put forth, I am sure he will continue to feel guilty of a grave duty-lapse till the very end of his days on earth no matter how much money he may otherwise contribute to God knows how many veda-pAtashALas... Your email message, SwAmin, is a very timely wake-up call for SriVaishnavas all over the globe not to let the tradition of "vedAdhyAyana" slip into desuetude and apathy. Let us not forget that the very soul of Ramanuja "siddhAnta" is "ubhaya-Vedanta". The day "vEdAdhyAyana" ceases in the SriVaishnava "sampradAya", that day will signal the end of the "sampradAya" itself. Sir, I salute your efforts to bring this situation to the awareness of the community all over the world through your email. I share your concerns and endorse your views fully. Thanks and regards, dAsan, Sudarshan --- soundararajan desikan <srikainkarya@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Dear Swamin > Sri Vaishnavas are commonly > honoured with prefix" Ubhaya Vedanthis"_ which, > among other things , represent Vedas and Divya > prapandhas.In other words, they are vidwans of both > Vedas and Divya prapandhas, though they have not > learnt all Vedas/their Veda as per their sakha( > yajus sakha etc) and all 4000 Divya prapandhams > > Dasan > Srikainkarya > Thiruvaheendrapuram Uruppattur Chakravarthi > Soundararajan > __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner now. Go to http://yahoo.shaadi.com Yahoo! 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