Reasoning and Faith - pirATTis' purushkAratvam.

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 15, 1998


Dear bhAgavatottama-s:

I have not been following the discussion on vibhIshaNa SaraNAgati very
closely, and might have missed some basic things.  However, I read the piece
by Sri Venkatesh listing the reasoning by
SRI venkatakr*shNan svAmi on how sItA pirATTi had the purushakAratva role in
vibhIshaNa SaraNAgati, and the counter-arguments from Mani's friend.  While
I am not a person versed in the subtleties of these arguments, I would like
to refer to a vedic passage in ISAvAsya upanishad - mantra 4 if my memory is
correct, which essentially says that issues relating to God and faith in Him
(and in this case faith in Her and Her purushakAratvam) are beyond the realm
of reasoning. It is for explaining these kinds of issues that we need, and
luckily have, a few great SrIviashNava AcArya-s. I am very happy that we
have been blessed with the views of one such AcArya, in this case SrI
venkatakr*shNa svAmi.  I am particularly thankful to SrI venkatesh for
taking the interest in all of us and going and asking the question and
sharing his learning with us.  On behalf of all of us, I would like to
request SrI venkatesh to continue this great kaimkaryam on an on-going basis
for other issues that my come up in our discussion in the future.  For that
matter, if he can share what he learns on a daily basis to all in the list
as part of his regular darSanam of this svAmi, or at least share them with
me on a personal basis, I will consider myself greatly blessed.

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan