srImathE rAmAnujAya namaha srImadh varavara munayE namaha Dear Sri Raghav. I beg to differ from your views. While it shows one's respect for his elders while following their family traditions unquestioned, that is not a desired charactersitic of an intellectual. I do agree that, even in our family we had some traditions to pray to some dEvathAntharAs. But I do not follow them now. In order to accept this, we have to have a change in our mindset and try to research the reasons that prompted our ancestors to do some anya devatha ArAdhanA. I am sure 100% that, there would be no valid reason, except that some one in our lineage due to some kAmya buddhi would have performed something and got some results and hence the same is being followed. However, as a true Srivaishnavite we are not to indulge is seeking anything that is kAmyam in nature. We are to seek only for the highest, which is salvation (mOkshA) and who else can give it other than Sriman nArAyaNa? So to follow the family traditions and do some ArAdhanAs to anya dEvathAs is right if you seek materialistic pleasure as, though capable, our emberumAn is so merciful that he will hesitate to give them to you, because you will still remain in this world away from Him. Afterall he is always wanting a unison with the jeevAtmAs. An interesting slOka from VaradarAjasthavam from Sri koorathAzhwAn comes to my mind here. " varada! yadhi ha vasthu vAnchAmyaham thava charaNa labhA virOdhas thatha yadhi na bhavathi thath pradhEhi prabhO! jatithi vidhara pAdhamEvAnyatha" He Sri AzhwAn prays to Sri Varadharaja, " Please do give me whatever I ask, only if it leads me to your lotus feet. If not, please do not give them. But do take me into your lotus feet immediately". See the greatness of this noble AchArya. Then the prodigious Thondaradippodi AzhwAr is always there. How many pAsuram is "thirumAlai" talk about renouncing anya dEvatha worship. " pulaiyaRamAgi ninRa puthodu samaNamellAm..." " veRuppodu samaNar muNdar..." and the clearest pAsuram "maRRumOr dheivamuNdE madhiyilA mAnidangAL uRRa pOdhanRi neengaL oruvan enRu uNara mAtter aRRa mEl onRu aRiyIr avanallAl dheivam illai kaRRinam mEitha endhai kazhaliNai paNimin neerE" For those who can follow Tamil, no need to explain the above pAsuram as it is in the simplest of the simple language. Here the AzhwAr calls those who worship anya dEvathAs (may be we can include here, those who worship due to family traditions also) as "madhiyilA mAnidangAL", one without knowledge. If we are to write about these things, I believe one message is not enough. A lot more may be required. However to end my note I would invite your attention to one of the main "angA" of the saraNAgathi, "mahAviswAsam". Can you justify the act of worshipping the anya dEvathAs, due to family tradition etc, with respect to this mahAviswAsam. When Sriman nArAyaNan can give the highest of the desirable, which is the mOksham, then can't He give what we want even if it is materialistic. The only problem is that he will hesitate to give into our materialistic desires, as that will take us away from Him. As every poorvAchAryA says, while He hesitates, He will still give it to us, if we still desire only for the materialistic pleasures. So IMHO, the worship of anya dEvathAs with family tradition in backgroud cannot be accepted in a justified sense. AzhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigaLE saraNam adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan Thirumalai Vinjamoor Venkatesh
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