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Re: "muppadUm thappAmE" -- CONCLUSION

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ashwin sadhu • January 16, 2000 


Dear Sri. Sampath/Bhagavatas,

Sri. Sampath Wrote:
Adiyen does not believe in regarding our 'sampradAyam' like an old, 78 RPM
gramaphone record-plate ---- which has
enormous antic value, sure, but if one were to play it, would produce
nothing but "scratchy" noise and maudlin memories for days and centuries
bygone.

Response:

I respect your view on the issue, but I myself do not prescribe to such a
view.  Note, I am simply commenting on the last sentence in your post; I
have no right to comment about  tiruppAvai as my knowledge of tiruppAvai is
nil.  In my opinion Vedanta is idealistic and should not be approached from
a mundane point of view.  Terms like refinement and evolution are not
applicable to Vedanta (since Vedanta is accepted as being eternal and
immutable.)  We may not able to relate to this aspect of Vedanata, but that
does not mean we should dismiss it.  Great men have said it is so, so it is!
The defect is with us not with Vedanta!

What is our sampradAyam?
- SampradAyam means tradition; our tradition is the vedic tradition.  The
basis
of Vedic tradition is Vedanata; which is an exposition on the nature of
reality.  A vedantain accepts Vedas as beginningless and endless (the
eternal immutable truth.) Since vedanta is simply a detailed description of
the truth contained in the vedas it is also eternal and immutable.  The
philosophy of Vedanata is immutable but so are the prescribed codes of
conduct.

Here is some support from Sri. Vedanta Desika's TMK (by Sri. S.M.S. Chari):

"The teachings of Manu correspond to what is taught in the Vedas.  In view
of this it is stated that all that is said by Manu is like medicine (to the
sick) implying that it is beneficial to humanity.  Its teachings are free
from delusion and deceit.  They are not expounded on the basis of
perception, inference and verbal statements of ordinary human beings.  they
owe their origin to the Vedas."

ramanuja dasan,
Venkat