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Why BOOKS ? - IMPORTANT

From the Bhakti List Archives

Krishna Kalale • March 22, 2000 


Dear devotees,

It is high time, we as a unified Sri Vaishnava community -should gear our 
Resources of money and intelligence that Srimann Naarayanaa has given us , 
towards Publication of important granthaas and books.

Let us think very carefully and look arround us. What do we see?
We see students, college and university hopefuls, school kids , all of them 
imbibing different ideas of Religeon and Philosophy.
They are getting varied perspective of various Role Models who have had 
their own ideas of God and Religion.  Note this - Most of these ideas are 
Non Shaastraic and are driven by Sentiments/Emotional Experience/Trauma 
Effects- and these ideas get talked about in the circle of our younger 
generation; - Results are- The younger generation get more and more decided 
about what they want  to follow and Will not Listen to anything we have to 
say- because we did not take the time to spend with them, in teaching them 
the basics of our Rich traditional and so Unique system of thought!

Today our ancient Vedic, Upanisadic & Smrti texts have been mixed and 
remixed and yet again remixed with the various hotch potch systems and 
ideas of so many Gurus, Pandits from all over the planet, that nothing 
original is spared.
English language , the easiest and most popular medium of instruction has 
been used to maximum by all other so called systems of philosophy, and the 
victims are the younger generation of would have been SriVaishnavaas !

While it is a Bhakta's ardent desire to see his /her Ishta Devata/ Archaa 
Murti decorated in the best of attire,with the best of Jewels/Gems- for of 
course it is with pride we say Raamam Ratnamayam Peete Saha Seetham....", 
but how many of our children know that IT IS RAAMA THAT WE NEED TO SEEK AND 
NOT JUST ANY ABOUT ANY ANYA DEVATA OR A CHARACTER FROM THE POKEMON SERIES?

Our Achaaryas are working so hard in maintaining the Traditiional Religious 
standards and creeds in our Mathams, they are preaching too, all the works 
of generations of Poorvacharyas and other Granthams-like Gita, Upanishads- 
but not all of us are fortunate in residing in SriRangam/Melkote to enjoy 
the Rasas of these activities. But we can bring out the books written by 
great stalwarts in our Sampradaya, like Uttamoor Swamy, Dr.NSA and Dr.SMS 
Chari,  and so many other stalwarts ;  We can bring out the Light in their 
books, by printing more of these books, bringing out English Versions of 
Most of our Texts- IF our younger generation can read easily and understand 
easily, what this life is all about, what are our aims and how do we attain 
them?- Soon they will be enthused to learn more and seek more and find 
more......

The western world, particularly and to some extent India, is so linked on 
all sides today by communications of all sorts, has become a Theme Park of 
Philosophical Joy rides for our younger generation, which are provided by 
so many institutions that have diluted strong Shaastraic knowledge to 
concoct their own stong theories-

Recently I was talking to one young man who says he left Sri Sampradaaya 
because His parents never had time to explain the meaning of any of the 
Paasurams/Desika Stotrams to him, and since he grew up in Bombay, he could 
never learn Tamil/Sanskrit and English was the only comfort zone for him.
Thanks to us , elders , who are busy trying to raise funds for 
Alankaaram/Aabharanam for our chosen deities/temples,  when our Children in 
our own backyards are recieving books/booklets/songs/cultural debuts/and 
other parephernalia that is geared to make devotees of them of other 
sampradaayas!

Please do not mistake me, I know that building Temples / adorning Deities 
with Opulent Materials is the Delight of Every Devotee, but we need to make 
Devotees out of our young kids first!
Books are the only way, especially English/Sanskrit  and Tamil/English 
versions are very important tools for all of us to see why our Raamanuja 
Sampradaaya is the Best- So much has been done for us by our 
Purvaachaaryas, let it not go to waste!

This is very serious, and while I am as liberal as I can possibly be, ( I 
am raising two kids in this land away from everything I learnt and loved ) 
I am Scared as I think of their future in the midst of so many theosophical 
ideas , and wonder "what will they choose?"
For it is a Choice that we all make in choosing our Spiritual goals and 
Paths- I am not saying, we should force our kids to blindly accept 
Sharanaagati- No- but we need to show them why Sri Raamanuja did what he 
did, and what do we lose in not accepting the Nectar of Prapatti- and then 
we can see our children decide- they will be running (flying) to SriRangam, 
like Sheep to the Shepherd-for that is what we are , sheep and our Achaarya 
is our Shepherd , who with his stick, leads us to SriMann Naaraayana!

But this tale will not have such a happy ending , if we do not prioritize 
our efforts in funding the right projects- Todays urgency is in Publication 
of Books- we need to know this and work for this alone for some time- 
Youngsters like Anand Karalapakkam, who is working so hard to bring out 
these texts of his revered grandfather, have to be supported.

Please join SVSS and help LIGHT UP THE ARENA OF KNOWLEDGE, for with all the 
books that the world has today, it is still VERY DARK !!!!!

Asmad Gurubhyo Namah,

Krishna Priya
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