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Maintenance of Divya Kshetras

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jay.Bharadwaj • December 5, 1995 


SRIMATE SRIVAN SHATHAKOPA SRI VEDAANTA DESHIKA YATEENDRA
MAHADESHIKAAYA NAMAH:
SRIMATE SRIVAN SHATHAKOPA SRI NARAYANA YATEENDRA MAHADESHIKAAYA
NAMAH:

Dear Members of the Prapatti Group,

A while back Sri Sampath Rengarajan had brought up the subject of
maintaining Divya Kshetras and the priests that maintain worship at
these temples.  There was a discussion on this and also the fact that
it may be easy to collect money but very difficult to ensure that it
gets delivered to the right people and gets spent properly.  I
received a letter from India the other day and an idea struck me and
I thought that I will put forward this proposal to the group.

As many of you may be aware when Thirumangai AzhwAr finished
construction of the Srirangam temple, He wished to have a vision of
Bhagavan in His DasAvatAra form.  Bhagavan fulfilled Thirumangai
AzhwAr's desire and there appeared 10 Swayam-vyakta vigrahas one for
each avatAra.  These are currently housed in the DasAvatAra Sannidhi.
 Besides there is a vigraha for Vishvaksena, one of Thirumangai
AzhwAr that was sculpted by Thirumangai AzhwAr Himself and two other
AzhwArs.  There are also vigrahas of 3 Ahobila Muth Acharyas and
Vedanta Desikar as well as the Brindavanas for the 41st and 44th
Jeers of Sri Ahobila Mutt.

As you are all aware that the 44th Jeer spent most of His last 15
years almost exclusively in Srirangam.  During this time it became a
practice to feed anyone that came to the DasavatAra Sannidhi during
Prasadam time.  I do not have to emphasize that this Prasadam is
equally beneficial to everyone from a beggar or a drunkard to Bill
Gates.  However since the time of the 45th Jeer Malola Lakshmi
Nrsimhaswamy has again begun travelling all over the country and that
Prasadam gets distributed wherever Lakshmi Nrsimhaswamy happens to
be.  However in Srirangam resident devotees are now struggling to
continue with daily regular Thiruvaradhanai and feeding some 30
people that are there during Prasadam time.  We cannot assume that
these 30 people are just regulars who come for free food and have
little else to do.  During the performance of the final rites of the
44th Jeer one lady who did not appear very well off came and gave Rs
100/- to the 45th Jeer as her contribution.  When asked what she did
for a living she replied that she begged and the Rs 100 was her
lifetime saving that she contributed to the 44th Jeer's final rites.
 At that time the 45th Jeer instructed her to regularly have her
meals at the DasAvatAra Sannidhi only.  Feeding BhAgavatas of this
calibre is an opportunity of a lifetime.  The present managers of
DasAvatAra Sannidhi have started a trust called the 44th Jeer
Brindavana Trust in which they hoped to collect Rs 200,000/- and the
interest from this will be Rs1,500/- per month which will be
sufficient to do proper Thiruvaradhanai and Prasadam for roughly 30
people that come there at that time.  So far they have only managed
to raise Rs 50,000.  That leaves Rs 150,000 or $5,000 to be
collected.
IF 15 MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP WERE TO CONTRIBUTE $30 PER MONTH FOR 12
MONTHS OR 30 MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP WERE TO CONTRIBUTE $15 PER MONTH
FOR 12 MONTHS, WE WILL HAVE COMFORTABLY RAISED Rs 150,000/-.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DASAVATARA SANNIDHI HAS EXISTED FROM THE TIME OF
THIRUMANGAI AZHWAR AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ARADHANAI TO SELF
MANIFEST DEITIES.  THIS GOES BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF ANY ONE MUTT OR
LINE OF ACHARYAS.  SINCE THE TRUST HAS ALREADY BEEN SETUP AND MANAGED
BY RETIRED PROFESSIONALS THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN GETTING MONEY TO
THE RIGHT PERSON HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.  THE PEOPLE MANAGING THE
MONEY ARE NOT FINANCIALLY BENEFITTED BY THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE.

CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE MAILED EITHER DIRECTLY OR ROUTED TO SRI AHOBILA
MUTH IN ARLINGTON VA.
Moksha itself is eternal service in the form of Bhagavat Seva,
BhAgavata Seva and/or Acharya seva.  Here is an opportunity to do all
three for some of us and at least Bhagavat and BhAgavata seva for ALL
of us.
I shall post more details depending upon any specific questions
people may have on this posting.

Jaganath.