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From the Bhakti List Archives

K. Srinivsasan • September 26, 1994 


Kannan Srinivasan asked me about origin of Iyengars.
I thought the following might be interesting to others also.

There were 74 disciples of Sri Ramanuja.
The rate of population growth in world is about 2.7% per year,
The rate of population growth in India is about 2.6%,
The rate of population growth in Tamil Nadu is about 1.2%.

If we assume a population growth of 1.1% per year over 850 years,
the 74 becomes 800 000. If we use a 1.2% growth rate over 850 years,
74 becomes 1 870 000.

The population of TN is about 50 million, Karnataka 40 million.
800 000 works out to 1.6% of 50 million, which is too high.
800 000 works out to about 0.9% of 90 million, which seems OK.

Any comments about my "guesses" from anybody?
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In <199409261434.HAA04326@sgi.sgi.com>, Parthasarati Dileepan wrote:

>Dr. Radhakrishnan, ex-president of India, captures the essential
>difference between the two groups in his "monkey theory" and "cat
>theory" [2].

A.L. Basham, in his "Wonder that was India", also gives this explanation.
I think the cat/monkey concept is from some other earlier Vaishnava source.
I think Dr.Radhakrishnan did not do a good justification regarding
Sri Vaishnavism. There are mistakes. That is what I heard.

>[1]  "Achaarya vaibhavam," Published by Sri Vishistadvaitha
>Research Center, 66, Dr. Rangachari Road, Mylapore, Madras 600
>018.
>
>[2]  "Indian Philosophy," Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Vol 2., page 706.
>

Srinivasan