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Re: Digest bhakti.v002.n422

From the Bhakti List Archives

Venkatesh Elayavalli/DCOM • January 5, 1998 


Raghavans wrote:
 
> 
> In many Saiva Agama temples, like those in Chidambharam,
> Tanjore,Madurai, and Myuram, the tamil poems are routinely
> recited during all the pujas and utsavams.  There is a
> whole set of people called "OduvArs", who recite these hymns,
> in fact sing them in a particular way, during almost any utsavam
> even today. Saivite temples in Tinnevely district employ "Oduvars"
> for reciting Nayanmaar's hymns and in fact there are many utsavams dedicated
> to Nayanmaars.  Tiruppugazh is being popularized by
> Tiruppugazh anbargals not only in India but also in this country, which are
> set to beautiful music.
> 
> In Sri Venkateswara temple, for the last 3 years, Tiruppugazh is sung
> very beautiffully, during Mahaskanda Shasti.
> 
> Unfortunately due to lack of familiarity of "Odhuvaar's Tamil", to many
> priests employed in Temples in this country, who are essentially
> purohits or Adhvaitins trained in household puja, this part of the
> temple worship is unfamiliar or unknown to even many devotees attending
> to Siva Puja in this country.
> 
> Raghavan
> 
> ----------


I do not contest the above view. However, what i ment, in conjunction
with my earlier posts, was that their works did not get assimilated
as part of vedanta system. Most of the Saivite followers are Advaitins
who still (to the best of my knowledge) do not consider the hymns 
of Nayanmaars as equivalent to the Vedas. 

On the other hand, every acharya of our sampradhayam emphasize
that the Tiruvaymozhi and the Vedas communicate the same. 



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