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Re: Experiences at the Land of Divya Desams - 5

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • June 26, 1998 


> I BEG MERCY FROM ALL OF YOU ...

Please do not write in "ALL CAPITALS". It looks as if
you are shouting and is very hard on the eyes.

Krishna earlier wrote:
> I would recommend prefix "Sri" to be used before their names.
> In the heat of arguments sometimes we tend to use acharyas' names in a
> style such as He wrote this.... etc. which is to be avoided ...

This sounds really nice in principle, but in practice,
even though we mean no disrespect, it is very awkward 
and in fact unusual to always prepend the acharyas' names
with "Sri".  Nor is it common practice in the works of
our sampradaya. 
  
If you look at the works from the pUrvAcAryas on down,
including works by great scholars of this time, they offer
great respect, but also do not prepend "Sri" at all times
before acharyas' names. It is not an "apachaaram" or
disrespectful if we do not do so.  Often we hear
"dhEsikan saadhikkiRaar" or "bhattar aruLicceydhaar"
or "aaLavandhaar angE ezhundharuLinaar".  Sometimes with
"Sri", sometimes without.  We should not prevent others
from writing freely and unawkwardly when no disrespect
is intended or is apparent.

My 2 comments as maintainer of the list.

your servant
Mani