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Some Feedback on the AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM and related obsevations

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • January 16, 2000 


Dear BhakthAs: 

Many of you have sent personal notes and 
some of you have been kind enough to share your
thooughts with the Bhakthi List membership community.
Many , Many thanks for your encouragement and support.
Based on the mostly positive feedbacks received , 
both Dr.Alwar and myself are emboldened to choose 
"The Life and Works of the AzhwArs " as our next
topic for the CD ROM series on Sri VaishNavam . 
We will come back to you for help once the project 
conceptualization is completed .

At the outset , our sincere thanks for all
the invaluable support given to us by
the office bearers of Ahobila Matam of North America.
AdiyEn's dhaNdavath praNAmams to asmath AachAryan,
Prakrutham Ahobila Matam Jeeyar , Sri Adhi VaNN
SatakOpa Sri NaarAyaNa Yathindhra MahA Desikan
for His asservAdhams and anugrahams during 
the many stages of developing this CD ROM and for
blessing us with His anugraha BhAshaNam in
the Video format at the beginning of this
CD ROM . 

I would like to take this opportunity to share 
with you the highlights of some of the feedbacks
from those , who have acquired this CD ROM on the Life
and works of AchArya RaamAnujA .Our purpose in creating
this CD ROM was to get it in in the hands of as many
Sri VishanavAs as possible . The posting of
these feedbacks  with you is not to be viewed 
as an act of patting ourselves on the back , but 
to share with you the inputs on " the perceived
Value-received " from the perspective of a wide
cross section of BhakthAs from here and
abroad belonging to Bhagavath RaamAnuja Darsanam.

There have been a lot of feedback on the Bhagaavath
AarAdhanam section. In our plans , the presentation
was intended to be illustrative of this most important 
observance in one's every day life. Although we have 
included a substantive amount of material related
to AarAdhana Kramam, it is not exhaustive given the
individual /sampradhAyic variations . The main purpose
of this section is to create an interest in learning 
about Bhagavadh Aaradhana Kramam from Your AchAryAs or
an elder of the family , who is conversant with
the Kramam including Bhutha Suddhi , Surabhi mudhrAi
and other esoteric rites that are integral to 
the full and correct observance of the Bhagavath 
AarAdhanam codified by AchArya RaamAnujA and his 
successors over several centuries.

If there is interest , we will create a Video 
covering SandhyA Vandhanam ( for Rg, Yajur and Saama
Vedhis ) and the Bhagavath AarAdhanam from the different 
sampradhAyams ( Sri Matam , Munithrayam and TennAchArya
SampradhAyam ).Please  let me know what you think of
this proposal in terms of overcoming some of the inherent
limitations of this CD ROM that covers many items of interest
to us in the context of the life and works of Sri RaamAnujA.
We will have a Text to go along with the proposed Video. 
adiyEn recognizes that this is a stupendous task , 
but this initative may be useful particularly for 
the younger generation . We can approach our AchAryAs and
seek their help. Please provide us your feedbacks.
I will consult with our AchAryas during my forthcoming trip 
to India in the first week of February for the SamarpaNam 
of the Navarathna SatAri for AchArya RaamAnuja 
Sannidhi at Melkote.I will seek their blessings for 
the proposed Video and get an idea from video
professionals in India about the cost involved in
such a production .

Samplings of Feedbacks on the AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM
*******************************************************
(1) " -- the CD ROM on the Life of Sri Ramanuja has a great 
    section on AarAdhanam. The graphics and the accompanying 
    audio sections as well as the text are excellent and 
    "user Friendly ".Even my teen age son (who just turned 19)
     thought it was "awesome". I am saying this because we know, 
     how difficult it is to impress teen age children these days.
 
     --It is so important to use relevant technology to
     impart understanding of our tradition. Truly , education 
     imparting knowledge of one's heritage is one of the preimier
     DharmAs in a pluralistic and secular world. 

    --This CD ROM is a venture that has been truly an
    enterprising one trying to make aspects of our great 
    tradition accessible to a whole new generation of people
    in India and in the diaspora "...Bhakthai from  Florida.

(2) "The CD ROM and its graphics , the music , the commentaries
    are all superb and sublime. I am dumbfounded by the intense
    dedication with which the developers have produced 
    this interactive , multimedia edition" .. Bhakthar from
    Massachusetts.

(3) "Congratulations to all the developers! I was quite 
    stunned by the superlative quality of the presentation
    on ThiruvArAdhanam. This section will be a boon to
    those aspiring to learn or verifying these procedures"...
    Bhakthar from New Jersey.

(4) "This Kaimkaryam is mamooth. One of the most important
    Kaimkaryam to the generations of SrivaishNavaas"..Bhakthar
    from Singapore.

(5) "Every Sri VaishNavA family should get one copy 
    and show it to the children , so that they can
    learn about their glorious heritage"..Bhakthar from
    New Jersey.

(6) "Lord VaradarAjA in the background in the AarAdhanam
    section is indeed a great choice ( Kanchi PerumAL 
    was dear to both Sri Ramanuja and Swamy Desikan;
    they were born in nearby agrahArams ")..Bhakthar from
    New York.

(7) "Truly wonderful creation! We have been enjoying
    it very much . our heartfelt gratitude for sharing 
    so much of your time and knowledge in producing 
    this CD ROM "..Bhakthar from Texas.

(8) " This CD ROM is simply superb. Presentation is excellent .
    I like the CD Very much. I am not able to fully
    appreciate the recitations from Sri RaamAnujA's
    original texts in Sanskrit. I am learning Sanskrit 
    now and hope to be able to appreciate the recitations
    one day at a much higher level".. Bhakthar from
    Canada. 

(9) " Thanks for your excellent Kaimkaryam of making
    EmperumAnAr's life and granthams accessible to 
    common folks" .. Bhakthar from Chennai , India 

Both Dr.Alwar and myself are heartened by the favorable
responses , constructive criticisms , changes and suggestions
for additional work . We recognize the problems of 
intercontinental coordination, multiple revisions ,
some affected accent in pronouncing AchArya RaamAnujA's
name properly inspite of many rehearsals and other
dhrushti dhOshams. All in all, we have done our best 
given the circumstances and thank everey one of You ,
who have supported this novel venture of using new 
media to present our ancient sampradhAyam to reach
out across the generational gap. 

Seeking AchArya RaamAnujA's and our current 
AchAryA's blessings for future endeavours,

Daasan , OppilA-appan Kovil Varadachari Sadagopan